In the World but Not of It: Living Distinctly

John 17 sets the matter plain: Jesus has given his followers the Father’s word, and the world hates them because they are not of the world, even as Christ is not of the world. The call is to be in the world, but not of it. The call to the church is not a Sunday morning ritual that ends at the benediction. The automobile with gas in it is meant to move, not sit parked until next Sunday for another little fill-up.

Jesus prays for his own, and his prayer includes those who believe on him now. Jesus does not ask the Father to remove them from the world, but to keep them while they live in it. The tension is real. The world pushes, challenges, mocks, and sometimes hates those who try to follow the word of God. The hatred should not surprise anybody, because the world did it to Jesus first.

The Word of God gives the believer the standard. The world has opinions, trends, family customs, and personal preferences, but the Word says what God thinks. The Bible is not old-fashioned just because people do not want to obey it. The Word reaches into worship, work ethic, family values, social behavior, and everyday decisions. A person can carry a Bible and still not believe it, picking out only what feels easy. Real empowerment comes from “what thus says the Lord.”

Jesus also defines the believer’s identity. The world may call names, but God says who his children are. Nice clothes, fine shoes, and regular church attendance cannot replace a real relationship with the Lord. Jesus says his sheep hear his voice, and the relationship shows up in words and actions outside of worship.

Jesus models how to live different. He faced the Pharisees, exposed hypocrisy, challenged the world’s standards, denounced idols, and still did not get on their level. He lived holy, did good, and went to the cross without a mumbling word. His wounded body and shed blood give his people a different identity in the world.

The call must be embraced. The believer must ask, “Are you a true believer or a worldly pretender?” The world should see good works and glorify the Father, not just see another person blending in. Jesus calls sinners to acknowledge sin, repent, accept him as Savior, deny self, and live to please him.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Expect the world’s animosity Jesus does not hide the fact that alignment with his Word brings opposition. The world’s dislike is not always proof that something has gone wrong. Sometimes it is proof that the believer has stopped trying to blend in and has started standing where Christ stands. Hurt may still come, but surprise does not have to rule the heart. [07:34]
• 2. God’s Word sets the standard The Word of God does not ask permission from trends, family history, or personal feelings. The Bible reaches into ordinary life, including work, home, speech, and behavior. A carried Bible means little if the heart keeps choosing only the parts it likes. True strength comes when “what does say the Lord” has more weight than what the crowd says. [09:21]
• 3. Identity comes from relationship The world can label a person, admire a person, or misunderstand a person, but it cannot define a child of God. Church clothes and church attendance cannot stand in the place of knowing the Lord. A living relationship hears his voice and gets reminded again and again, “I am what God says I am.” [13:17]
• 4. Jesus modeled holy difference Jesus did not answer the world by becoming worldly. He exposed hypocrisy, challenged false standards, and still refused to drop down to the level of those opposing him. The cross shows strength under pressure, love under attack, and obedience when suffering was real. His example teaches that sometimes faithfulness looks like walking away and staying clean before God. [19:05]
• 5. Self must be denied daily Jesus places the deepest battle closer than most people want to admit. Self is often the biggest enemy because self keeps wanting what God has already rejected. The call to follow Christ begins with repentance, but it continues through denial of self and a desire to please the Lord more than personal preference. [27:30]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:46] - In the World, Not of It
• [01:12] - Called Out to Be Different
• [02:10] - Jesus Prays for His Own
• [05:09] - Acknowledging the Animosity
• [09:21] - Empowered by God’s Word
• [13:17] - Defined by Divine Identity
• [17:04] - Jesus Models the Difference
• [20:10] - Christ Challenges the World
• [21:21] - The Cross Gives a New Identity
• [23:11] - Embracing the Call
• [25:27] - True Believer or Worldly Pretender
• [27:30] - The Invitation to Follow Jesus

1. In John 17:14, what two things does Jesus say about his followers: what they have received, and how the world responds to them? [07:34]
2. What everyday areas of life were named as places where God’s Word should set the standard? [11:13]
3. What contrast was drawn between outward religious appearance and a real relationship with God? [14:09]
4. What are some ways Jesus was described as responding to opposition without becoming like the world? [19:05]

1. If Jesus says his followers are “not of the world,” what does that seem to mean for how they think, speak, and live while still remaining in the world? [03:53]
2. If God’s Word gives the believer a standard, why is it not enough merely to carry a Bible or agree with only the parts that feel comfortable? [12:52]
3. John 10:27 says Christ’s sheep hear his voice and follow him. What does that suggest about the connection between identity and relationship? [15:04]
4. Matthew 5:16 says people should see good works and glorify the Father. What is the difference between standing out for Christ and simply drawing attention to oneself? [26:51]

1. Where has the pressure to blend in been strongest lately: at work, with family, online, or in private habits? What would it look like to be in the world but not of it in that place? [23:39]
2. When opposition or mockery comes because of obedience to Christ, how is it usually handled: with hurt, silence, compromise, anger, or steady faithfulness? What would it look like to expect that tension without letting it control the heart? [08:44]
3. What is one specific area of life right now where personal preference, family custom, or popular opinion has been given more weight than “what says the Lord”? [12:12]
4. Jesus’ people are known by hearing his voice and following him. What practices help make room to hear him clearly, and what distractions tend to drown that out? [15:13]
5. Jesus did not get on the world’s level when he was opposed. In a recent conflict, what would “walking away and staying clean before God” have looked like? [19:24]
6. What does the world around each person seem to be learning from their words, behavior, and choices? Does that witness point others toward Christ or toward someone who is just blending in? [26:12]
7. Matthew 16:24 calls a person to deny self. What desire, habit, attitude, or excuse most often needs to be denied right now in order to follow Christ more faithfully? [27:46]