In this piece we will be looking at set apart for His purpose. And our major text will be taken from 2 Timothy, and the Holy Spirit will help us to divide that Scripture. 2 Timothy chapter 2 from verse 20 to verse 26. It says;

 

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹ Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, ^[h]sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. ²² Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴ And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵ in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will”.

 

 

This 2 Timothy chapter 2 that we read, apostle Paul was writing to Timothy, and he was admonishing him. He now gave a very beautiful example and we will take it from there this evening. He said ‘in a house’, so let us picture our houses. In our homes we have different vessels, the vessels here just talk about containers. So, you have containers of different materials. You have containers of plastic; you have containers of ceramic; you have containers made of different materials. In some other houses, they could have containers of silver, gold, copper, or of different materials.

 

 

But that is not the focus, he said, “The materials,” irrespective, he said “some”; and that is the place that our conversation is based on. He said, “Some,” irrespective of the materials. He said “Some for honour, some for dishonour.” I am sure that we are familiar with materials in our houses, there are some materials even though is the same container made of the same material; there are some you use in the kitchen, there are some you use in your toilet, oftentimes, all things being equal, you will not pick the container you use in your kitchen, and take it to the toilet. And the one you use in the toilet; you will not take it to the kitchen. We want to use these two places because they are like the extreme.

 

 

Apostle Paul was saying to Timothy here, “Some for honour, and some for dishonour”. I want us to keep the picture of the kitchen and toilet. What is it that makes the vessels that are dishonour, dishonourable? Something happened and your container for the kitchen is no longer available, what will make you use the container in your toilet for kitchen purposes? Apostle Paul now went further to say in 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 21, he said, “Therefore,” to cross from dishonour to honour something must be done. He said, “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter,” so, what makes your toilet container not worthy of your kitchen?

 

 

I am sure many of us will say, “It is dirty, and contaminated. It has been used for dishonourable purposes”.  That is what our lives are as believers. We are like those containers; we are like those vessels. So, for us to be able to change purposes on the earth, there is something we must do. And that is what Apostle Paul was emphasizing in verse 21. He said, “Therefore if anyone,” you see that he is not just talking about containers, he is now talking about human beings. He is talking about lives, he is talking about the life of a believer; one that has chosen to follow Jesus. Is your life for dishonourable purposes?

 

 

Look at your life as it is today. What are those things that are dishonourable in your life? You could say, I don’t smoke, I don’t womanize, I don’t go to the club, but when we are thinking of dishonourable purposes, we must think about God. Because if you don’t think in relation to God, you will not understand what dishonourable means.

 

 

Apostle Paul was saying, if you don't, he said, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself,” for you to move from dishonorable; toilet purpose, to kitchen purpose, there must be cleansing. He said, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself,” so, to be set apart for His purpose, because the purpose of God is like kitchen purpose. The things the devil wants you to continue to do are like for toilet purposes. For you to move from a vessel that is used for toilet purposes, to become a vessel that is fit for the kitchen: fit for the kingdom of God, fit to serve Christ; fit to do the will of God, he said there must be cleansing.

 

 

What is that cleansing, what does it mean? Does it mean you should go to a river and soak yourself and take sponge? You know, there are some people, in their religious mindset, they will say, “All these dreadlock Prophets, the spirit is telling me, you have battles in your life, go and buy sponge and soap. Let's go to a river, we will do cleansing.” But that's not the cleansing the Bible is talking about.

 

Cleansing is a requirement for being set apart for God's purpose. And that cleansing, he said, “Cleanses itself from the latter”. What that cleansing means is that previously you were unclean; previously you were contaminated, to be cleansed means to be decontaminated. To be cleansed, is to remove from yourself, before you were corrupted. To be cleansed is to remove from yourself corrupting influences. Cleansing requires you leaving dishonorable things, evil things, separation from corrupting tendencies. The Bible calls it the little Foxes that spoils the vine. To be set apart for the use of God is to make sure that the little foxes that spoil the vine; you are separated from it.

 

 

Have you not noticed that places have odor? Let them blindfold you, and drop you in a bear parlor, even though you are blindfolded, you will still smell it, that is how lives also have odor. If a fowl spirit, and that's why it's called a fowl spirit. Evil spirits are fowl spirits. That's why you see all of the activities that the devil produces, they have aroma, smell. If you go to where they smoke, there is a smell. The Bible says that who is it that comes with a red eyes, is it not one that has tarried? To tarry means to stay for a long time where they are drinking wine.

 

 

Our lives like vessels carries aroma. When the devil is in charge of a life, he produces an aroma, a smell. That's why when someone is demon possessed and is controlled by fowl spirit, there is a smell, a stench to it. So, for you to be cleansed, it takes a holistic approach. You are separating yourself. You were contaminated before; you are decontaminating yourself. So, to be set apart for His purpose is not just something we wish; it is something we must do. That's why Apostle Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself.” So, it's a responsibility, it is the believers responsibility to remove the things that contaminates. That's why that song says, “There is a great change since I am born again. The things I used to do, I do them no more. The places I used to go, I go there no more. There has been a great change since I'm born again. The things I used to say, I say them no more”. That is the testimony of a transformed life; decontaminated from the world.

 

What is the requirement to be set apart for his purpose

#. Cleansing. What does that mean? You must be movable. To be set apart for His purpose, you must be mobile. There are some people that are so rigid. The Bible calls them those that have the heart of stone. There is nothing said or done. No matter what is preached. It does not remove one hair from their body. They remain where they are, keep doing what they are doing, and they wish to be used by God. It doesn't happen. You must be moveable. There must be mobility in the spirit. Guess what the Bible says, the Bible says, “If the same Spirit that raise Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he will quicken”. He will quicken, what does it mean? He will make you mobile, active. He will quicken your mortal body. And I want to show us what it means to be mobile.  

 

He said, verse 21: “If anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, ^[h]sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. ²² Flee,” You cannot be set apart for God and you're not able to flee. You must be mobile. When the Holy Spirit speaks to you, leave that place. There is no glue that must keep your feet there. Flee! What did Joseph do when the wife of Potiphar was messing around with him? And the woman held unto his clothes, he left the cloth with her and ran. You can't be set apart for God’s use and be in those places; the very places that the Holy Spirit does not endorse. Among the same people that God does not want you to be with.

 

The Bible says, “Evil communication corrupt”. It makes you dishonorable. So, what do you do? Flee! Be mobile. Be a man and a woman that the Holy Spirit can lead easily. To be a set apart vessel; to be set apart for the use of God, you must be moveable, you must be mobile, the Holy Spirit must be able to guide you; lead you; navigate your journey. The Bible says, “You will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way”. You will not stay and say this is how my fathers did it. This is how my forefathers did it and this is the way I must do it. You must be movable. So, see what he said, “Flee!” And he went on to say, “ Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue”.

 

 

So, you must be mobile. As you are leaving the things that are dishonorable, you must be cleaving to the things that are honourable. In the spirit, there is no middle ground. You can't say, ‘I have left things that are bad. But I'm not doing things that are good’. You will end up going back to what is bad. To stop what is bad, as you are fleeing, you must be pursuing. If you choose not to pursue you will end up going back to what you are fleeing from. That's how it works. So, that's why he said flee, but pursue. It's part of being mobile: flee, but pursue. “Pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart”. So, what does it mean? Strive for, aimed at righteousness. Some people can insult you, what is your own, is it you who killed Jesus Christ? Don't listen to them.  A believer’s life require sacrifice and that sacrifice is the necessary tool that makes you separated and set apart for the use of God.

 

 

#. Be available. Number one was be moveable, cleansing. Cleansing was a critical part of it. Number two, be available. You cannot be a set apart vessel and you are occupied. You are occupied with your selfish ambition. You are occupied with yourself, you are occupied with the things of the world, be available. What does it mean to be available? It means you should have an open mind. What is it? The Bible says, “Those that wait on the Lord, He will renew their strength”. Being available is being able to wait. You cannot wait on the Lord if you are not available. Can you be at two places at the same time? I was using that example when I started. You can't be at two places at the same time. There is a limitation of the flesh. And that is why to be a set apart vessel, you must be available for the things of God. You can't be watching television and reading your Bible at the same time. Somebody did a skit. I think it's been two or three months now. And the skit was about imagine your Bible is your mobile phone. And she did a beautiful job at it.

 

 

Immediately she woke up in the morning, usually, she will take her phone and check updates. So instead, she had kept her phone somewhere locked it. It was her Bible that was beside her bed. She took her Bible, she said, she is now checking updates in the Word. She did that when she was brushing her teeth. She said, usually, she will take her phone and be scrolling, now she was scrolling verses and she did that and see how her entire day, how the phone has occupied the majority of her day and this is a picture of our lives.

 

 

 

We want to do things of God. We want to pursue God. We want to see God change our life. We want the testimony of a transformed life but we are not available. To be set apart for the purpose of God requires you being available. Many of us, we treasure great men of God that are doing great things for God. Can you give God the time they give to God? You hear Pastor Adeboye mention days of fasting, hours of prayer, long prayer walks, can you give the same time and devotion and availability to God?

 

 

God is not a respecter of persons whatsoever a man sows that will he reap. God does not love pastor Adeboye better than He loves you. God does not love Moses more than the children of Israel, but Moses spent time with God. He stayed on that mountain for days that the children of Israel could mess up. They even thought he was not coming back. No wonder he saw God. No wonder his face shone. No wonder when he came down, they could not look at his face. This was a man that spent time with God. To know God and be His vessel requires time.

 

 

You can't have a relationship with somebody and not spend time with the person. Is it possible? It's not possible. Let's just picture it for those of us who are married. When you were asking your wife out or your husband, see how much time you spend on the phone? What are you trying to do? What do you want to achieve? You want to know the person. Let's just try and spend that time. Let's quantify the time we spent there and use that time to know God. Are you thinking you won't know him? You will; be available.

 

 

Set apart vessels are available; they wait on the Lord. As believers, for us to be set apart for His purpose, we must be ready to wait. We must have that open mind. We must come to God as we are and not full of ourselves. God is looking for empty vessels not filled vessels. The contents our lives require is in Him. For Him to pour into us, we must come empty. That's what the openness of mind is about. You are not coming to God with your own intentions, with your own plans, with your own scheme and say God just stamp it, I have it all figured out.

 

 

The wife I'm going to marry; when I'm going to marry, the mansions that I'm going to have; the things I'm going to do; after I spend three years in Nigeria, then I will ‘Japa’ then when I do that, I will spend another 10 years, after I figure it out and see how things will go, I will come back and become a senator. You can’t do that as a vessel set apart for His purpose. God is the Monarch of the universe. He has His will; He doesn't endorse the will of men.

 

When Hannah came to God, she was coming year upon year to Shiloh, she wanted to show Peninnah that she can have a child, and as long as that was her reason why she was coming, God was looking at her. She would cry, “God, can’t you see how Peninnah is making me miserable. God, can't you see how she sent one of her children to insult me, Lord, this insult is enough.” Is it not how some of us pray? “Lord, this insult is enough. Can’t you look at me, pity me, God enough of this insult.” And as long as the motive is wrong and the will is wrong and it doesn't align with God. You don't get your answers. Jesus said, “You ask and you didn't receive because you asked amiss”.

 

 

Usually, we miss the point. The point is that God wants empty vessels. God wanted a prophet that will replace Eli. And God was looking for a womb that will carry that prophet, but Hannah did not align with that. It was when she aligned with it and said, “God, okay, I've been coming for the wrong reasons. Lord, now, give me a child and I will give him back to you”. God said, “Now, you are talking, we can do business”. To do business with God, your will must align with His. To be a vessel set apart for His use, His Will must align with your will. And once Hannah’s will aligned with the will of God, God gave her a child and that was not the only child. She had sons and daughters. But what God needed she had it. And that is why we must understand as believers, in our lives, the glory that God requires He must have it. So, let's stop struggling, be available.

 

 

The things you are trusting God for He is able to do it. The Bible says, “God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask.” He is able. God is a principled God; He is a God of order. If your will does not align with His Will, no matter what, God is not emotional. No matter how much you pray, no matter how much you cry, no matter the highest mountain you climb, it will not work, be available. God must see the readiness to do his will. David messed up and he refused to eat. He wanted to blackmail God into compliance. He went to the temple. He did not eat, removed his royal robe. He cried. He stayed there, “Oh God, if you will have mercy on this child of adultery, Lord just save this child, I know, I gave birth to this child out of adultery, I know this child is not your will. But God just endorse this child like that, just give me this child like that”.

 

 

He was a man that God loved. And God was looking at him. And when they told him, he understood, when they told David that the child has gone. He stood up and went to eat because he knew, even though he was trying to blackmail God, he knew. God told him what He would do. He said, “This child will not live”. And that's how many of us are striving with God.

 

 

We want to take the posture of Jacob. We want to challenge God, to be a vessel set apart for God's use, you must be available, there must be readiness to do his will. When God lays his hand on you, you can’t escape. You will go round, and round and arrive at the same point. And God will still ask you, “Are you ready?” Let's go on the journey. If you try to escape, go, go, and wander, wander and wander, God doesn’t grow old, He is the ancient of days, you are the one that has wasted your time. To be vessel set apart for His use, you must be available. “Here I am, send me, anywhere, I will go”.

 

 

#. Number three is similar to number two. But see what the number three is about. Be yielded. And what being yielded is, is not like being available is about who you are when you are available. Being yielded is about who you are, when you are available and I want to show us in Romans. Let's go first to Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 to 17:

 

^“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. ¹⁴ Do all things without ^[d]complaining and disputing,^{[e] 15} that you may become blameless and ^[f]harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or laboured in vain. ¹⁷ Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all”.

 

 

I am being poured out what does that mean? I am dead to self. Being yielded is to be dead. God does not use vessels that have not been sacrificed. That's why you see, he said, “I have been poured out on the altar of sacrifice and service; In Romans chapter 12 verse 1 to 2, Apostle Paul was speaking to the Roman church, he said, “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies”. What it means to present your bodies is to yield your members; to submit yourself, to yield yourself to God. “That you present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Yieldedness and sacrifice are like identical twins. You can’t talk about yieldedness and not talk about sacrifice and sacrifice entails death.

 

God does not use vessels that are alive unto themselves. God uses vessels that are live unto God. That's why Apostle Paul said, “Present yourself to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God for this is your reasonable service”. And in verse 2 he said, “Therefore, don't be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” that is yieldedness. Being yielded is to die to self, you are not conscious of your identity in the flesh. If you go back to that Philippians, Apostle Paul was speaking at some point, he said, “If there is any boasting in the flesh, I should boast more in the flesh; circumcised on the 8th day, stock,” as in best breed. And he went on and on. Everything that you should glory about in the flesh, he said, he had accomplished, but I count all of these things as rubbish. That's what death do to you.

 

 

When you are yielded to God, you count everything as rubbish, that you may gain Christ and be found in Him. Being set apart for the purpose of God, using the case study of Apostle Paul is being dead. He said, “I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live; the life I live now I live by faith, not in my works, not in the things I've accomplished for myself. I live by faith; the sole source of my life is faith in Christ. When you take Jesus from for me, I'm completely gone. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

 

 

As believers, it is important we understand that being set apart for the purpose of God is not just about lip servicing God and wishing.  There is a saying that goes thus, “If wishes were horses beggars would ride”. What does it mean? If we're going to put this in contemporary terms, ‘If wishes were cars, everybody will have one,’ does everybody have a car? So, he goes to say to us, if it is easy, if it doesn't require sacrifice, if it doesn't require yieldedness, if it doesn't require being available, if it doesn't require being movable, then everybody should be set apart for the use of God, but are every body set apart for His use? Are everybody set apart for His purpose.

 

 

So, as you are yearning and trusting God for the next level, as you are asking God, draw me nearer; take me deeper, there is work to do. And the work to do is Lord make me movable. The Bible says concerning Jesus in Isaiah: “He does not judge by the seeing of his eyes or the hearing of his ears”. He judges by the Spirit, being moveable by the Spirit, doing things by the help of the Holy Spirit that is the quality of the life that is set apart for His use. You are not just doing things anyhow, you are not just talking anyhow, you are not just reacting anyhow, you are conscious of the one that you are set apart for. And this is the life that we're being called to as believers.

 

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Lara Gboyega Adedeji!

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