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In this powerful conclusion to The Way of Discipleship series, Pastor Brett Turner unpacks the biblical call to consecration—being set apart not just for good works, but for a sacred and holy purpose. Preaching from 2 Corinthians 6:1–2 and 1 Chronicles 13–15, he challenges us to examine whether we have received the grace of God in vain and invites us to live lives marked by holiness, obedience, and transformation. This message draws a clear picture of what a flourishing life in Jesus looks like, not as a set of steps to complete but as a continuous journey of growth rooted in God’s grace.
Throughout the sermon, Brett addresses the common assumptions that often hinder our spiritual growth. Many believers assume that simply doing good things or living morally upright lives equates to holiness. But Scripture reveals that consecration is more than being “set apart”—it is being set apart for a sacred and holy purpose. He reminds us that God’s call to holiness, as seen in 1 Peter 1:16, is not about perfection but direction, a daily response to God’s invitation to live differently. Drawing from the story of David’s attempts to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel, Brett explores how even good intentions can lead to failure when they are not aligned with God’s Word. David initially moved the Ark in a way that imitated the culture around him rather than obeying the specific commands God had given. The result was tragedy, but also a moment of grace when David realized the importance of doing things God’s way instead of his own.
Brett emphasizes that receiving God’s grace in vain means wanting His love, mercy, and blessing to flow to us without allowing His glory and holiness to flow through us. A consecrated life, by contrast, lets the grace of God transform every part of our being. He warns of the danger of treating God casually—approaching worship without awe, rolling into church late, or engaging with Scripture as routine rather than revelation. Such attitudes reveal how easily we can become spiritually apathetic, allowing cultural influences and distractions to dull our reverence for God. Brett challenges listeners to come before God expecting to meet with Him, to encounter the living Lord who desires a relationship that transforms us from the inside out.
Another key theme of the message is the tension between comfort and holiness. Brett reminds us that while God is indeed the God of all comfort, His comfort meets us in our afflictions, not in their absence. Using 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 and Psalm 34:18, he explains that God’s presence in hardship is what brings true peace and spiritual growth. The Christian life is not about escaping difficulty but about finding God faithful in the middle of it. Through personal reflection on his wife’s recent cancer diagnosis, Brett shares how his own prayers have shifted from asking God to remove the hardship to asking how God might reveal His presence and purpose through it. This vulnerable moment illustrates what it means to be consecrated—to trust that God’s way, even when painful, is always better and leads to deeper flourishing.
The sermon culminates with a powerful look at Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17, where Jesus declares that He consecrates Himself so that His followers may be sanctified in truth. Brett explains that Jesus set Himself apart for a sacred and holy purpose so that we could be made holy through Him. When He went to the cross, there was nothing casual or comfortable about His obedience—it was total surrender. His consecration secured our salvation and opened the way for God’s glory to dwell in us. Brett urges listeners to consider whether their lives reflect that glory or whether they have settled for a form of faith that merely “seems good.”
