Louie Giglio - Breaking Up With the World and Waking Up to Our Mission in It
I love this collection we’re in. I don’t know if anybody else loves it, but I’m loving it. We’re talking about relationships, and Dr. Crawford kicked us off discussing kids and parents. Amazing talk! Last week, we talked about our relationship with ourselves, and I know for me it was a huge encouragement in that message. We’re going to talk about dating, marriage, friendships, and our relationship with technology. But today, we’re discussing what God wants to say to you regarding your relationship with the world. I know you probably didn’t expect that topic to be in the relationship collection, right? But God has a lot to say in His Word to you and me about our relationship with this world in which we live. Primarily, He’s trying to remind us that we are not of this world, but we are in this world with a purpose.
We often say in church circles that we’re in the world—say it with me if you know this phrase—we’re in the world, but not of the world. Does anyone know where that verse is in the Bible? Turns out that verse isn’t in the Bible, but it’s one of those ideas we sort of add along the way. The spirit of that idea—being in the world but not of the world—is found in Scripture. In fact, the idea comes from Jesus Himself, and this is how He stated it. We’re going to put a little twist on it as we see His words.
In John 17:13, this whole text we see is a prayer. Jesus is praying for you. I mean, He’s praying for His disciples, praying for His followers, but He’s also praying for those who will come after His disciples and become His followers. So this is Jesus, before His death, praying for you and me. He says to His Father, «I’m coming to you now, but I say these things while I’m still in the world.» I want you to notice His proximity and relationship to the world because He’s thinking about it constantly. It’s in His last prayer before He gives His life for you and me.
He says, «So that they—that’s us, those who are coming—may have the full measure of my joy within them. I’ve given them your word, and the world has hated them.» He’s letting us know that if we are committed to our mission with Jesus, we will experience some conflict with the system of this world. He says, «I’m giving them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world.» He just said it again! «They are not of the world even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.»
For the second time, He emphasizes that this is truth. «As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them, I sanctify myself that they too may be truly sanctified.» Wow! What is the big idea Jesus wants us to see and understand about our relationship with the world? He wants us to know that we’re not of the world, but that He is sending us into the world. If we miss what Jesus wants us to understand about our relationship with the world, we will end up on two tracks.
One track is being oblivious to everything—oblivious to the fact that we have a mission and purpose in the world. We will mimic the world; we will lean on the world to get our pleasure, applause, and approval in life. Alternatively, we will find ourselves on the other track as Christians, running from the world or spending all our time condemning it. Jesus is saying, «I don’t want you to get on either one of those tracks.»
What I am hoping for, the goal, is for beautiful, God-reflecting lights on a mission in the world. I want you to see yourself as a beautiful God-reflecting light in the world. This is what Jesus was saying to us last week when He said, «Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.» Not just your Christian neighbor, but your neighbor in general. In other words, you need to get into the flow with people on Earth, understanding that you’re not from the world, but you’re definitely sent into the world to be a light for Christ.
How is that going to happen? It will happen by taking a few steps together. The first one is this: you have to understand that you are sent into the world. I love it! He states it so clearly: «As you have sent me.» Now understand this: this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, coming out of heaven into Earth in a human body, living among people, being one of us. His Father needed a rescue mission, so He says to the Son, «Would you be willing to lay down glory, take on humanity, and enter into the world?» And He says, «Yes, I am willing to do that.»
So Jesus' mentality every moment of His life was, «I am on a mission.» It doesn’t mean He didn’t enjoy a fig, a sunset, or a fish lunch; it doesn’t mean He didn’t appreciate the beauty of where He lived and the friendships He had. It just means that Jesus knew all the time He was on a mission. To have the right relationship with the world, we need to understand that we are on mission in the world. That’s the first thing we need to see in this text: «As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world"—not of it, but sent into it.
I think I actually prefer that phrasing. I borrowed it from a friend of mine, David Matthysse. I like it better than saying, «We’re in the world but not of it,» because that can give us a bit of attitude, you know? I prefer flipping it back to Jesus' words: «We’re not of this world, but we are definitely sent into this world.» We’re going to have the right relationship starting with an understanding that our lives are missional.
This will mean that we see things differently. In Matthew, Jesus says, «When He saw the crowds…» Now, what do you think when you see crowds? Usually, you think, «Oh man, I can’t believe there’s a crowd. I can’t believe there’s a line! Oh no, there’s so many people at TSA! Oh no, there are so many people on the freeway right now!» Crowds usually mean something negative for us, unless you’re the one selling the tickets—then you’re excited a lot of people showed up. But Jesus, when He saw the crowd, He had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless. He was looking at their spiritual condition: they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, «The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.»
When Jesus saw the crowd, He knew He was on mission. He saw the people and their spiritual condition and had compassion on them. He said, «Man, we’ve got to go to them with the good news of Jesus. We’ve got to meet their needs.» He had a missional mindset, and to be a follower of Jesus is to have that same missional mindset.
So why is it important that we include this in today’s collection on our relationship with the world? Because we’re in all kinds of relationships with the world right now, and I want us to be purposeful today. I want the Spirit of the living God to wake us up to our opportunity to be influencers in this world.
Now, I know «influencer» has a negative connotation for a lot of people unless you’re really into it and planning to do a TikTok dance later today. But normally, we don’t like all these influencers. Well, we’re not talking about that kind of person; we’re talking about your opportunity to be salt and light in this world. Your chance to bring the light of God into the world; that’s what He’s inviting you and me to do.
It all begins with having a mindset that says, «I’m not of this world, but I am definitely sent into this world to make a difference.» I’m sent to my job, my classroom, my gym, my neighborhood, and my team. I’m here by God—not just to be along for the ride like so many people in this world—but to influence the light of God, the light of Jesus in this world.
The second thing that will be true if you want to have the right relationship with the world is that you will build a platform from which to be salt and light. You know, there are different kinds of light. There’s a 100,000-lumen light that blasts everyone with light. I want to be the light of God in the world, and you’re just blasting everyone with the light. Sometimes that may be necessary, but I think a better light is like a glow stick in case the lights go off or a steady candle or a phone light saying, «Let me help you see this better.»
That’s the kind of light God is inviting you and me to be. But you become an influential light, I believe, by following at least four C’s: the first is character. Becoming a person of character will immediately place you in the top 10% of all the people your friends know. This is important because you want to influence their lives for the sake of the gospel. You need to build a platform to earn that place—unless you want to barge in and put a spotlight in their faces.
If you want to be winsome, as Paul talks about, you want to become all things to all people so that you can save some. To the weak, I became like the weak so I could win the weak. To the Jews, I became like the Jews so I could win the Jews. To those under the law—though I’m not under the law—I became like those under the law so I could win them. To those not under the law, I became like one not under the law—though I’m under the law of Christ—so that I could win some. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means, I might save some.
You do that by earning a place, and you earn that place with character. If you’re a person of character, you’re going to stand out at work, amen? You’re going to stand out among your friends at school. You’ll stand out among the ladies at brunch. If you are a person of character, you’re going to rise to the top layer of exceptional people as those who work with you, attend school with you, or live in your neighborhood notice you.
The second way we’ll build this platform is through our consistency. This will also place you among the top 10% of those around you. You show up—you’re not fake; you show kindness and joy; you light up the room. You are a difference maker, a positive influence.
The third way we’ll build this platform from which we can positively influence the world is through our care. People in love with the world think mostly about themselves and what they can get. However, people who know they’re not from this world, who have a whole new identity in Christ, think primarily about others. They walk into an atmosphere and look around for people to care for.
You might ask, «Why do they do that?» Because Jesus taught them to. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were like sheep who were harassed and helpless. So when we walk into a coffee shop, we don’t complain about the crowd in line—like «Oh my word, there are nine people in line, and I don’t have time for this.»
We don’t think, «Slow Betty is back there making coffees today,» or «I don’t know who homeboy is over there, but that’s my table by the window.» No! A person walks into a coffee shop and immediately surveys the whole place, checking it out because they know they got sent here, and they need to know who’s around because their assignment involves some of these people.
When it’s your turn in line and you say, «How are you today? How’s your day been?» or «Hey, how’s your mom doing? I asked about her three days ago. How did her operation go?» Suddenly, someone is in the space who cares. That immediately puts you among the 10% of all the people who come into that coffee shop that day.
If you tip well, that helps too, because everyone remembers that. If you’ve worked in the service industry, you know that special gift of remembering who tipped you nine years ago and how much it was. When you care, you build a platform from which you can influence positively with the light and salt that are the gospel of Jesus and the person of Christ.
Lastly, you can influence through your craft. If anyone is being inspired right now, you understand that if you’re content just having a seat on the bus, this message isn’t for you. But if you want to be a difference maker and a kingdom influencer, then you should know that your craft—whatever God has put in your hands to do—should be done to the best of your ability.
Striving to be the best at your craft, cultivating that attitude and heart, will place you among the 10% of all the people around you because you went the extra mile. You took extra training, got certified online, and kept honing your craft to the best of your ability. You do it as unto the Lord and not unto men, and as you do that, people around you will notice how well you do your work.
When you combine your care, consistency, character, and craft, you build a platform from which you can then positively influence those around you for the gospel. I had a friend who drove a NASCAR race car on Sundays. We would text encouragement back and forth. I’d always tell him on race day, «Go out there and preach with the pedal today because I preach back here with the table.»
I said, «You preach with the pedal. You get to that spot before that other guy and bless him later, but you need to win the race.» Yeah, because it’s a race, and only one person wins. «Go preach with the pedal.»
God loved him whether he came in 30th or first, whether he wrecked the car—because I loved him, whether he finished first or last. It didn’t matter in terms of my love for him, but he had an assignment. He was a kingdom influencer in the midst of people going 200 miles per hour around a track, and how did he influence? By caring for others while being consistent and having character.
It’s important to also get results—winning matters in racing. You don’t have to win to get influence, but if you don’t win some, you won’t be a race car driver for long.
So, what field are you in? What lane are you in? What sphere do you operate in? What gift has God placed in you? Whatever it is, do it all for the glory of God. When you do that, you’ll get noticed—not for yourself, but you will be recognized, promoted, and pushed forward. When you do, that gives you an opportunity to share with others, «Jesus is the reason.»
If you’ve struggled with the transition of how to shift from just hanging out and working on a project with someone to telling them about Jesus, focus on being a person of character, consistency, care, and craft. When you do that, you will most likely get asked about your faith. It’s much easier to be light and salt when you’re asked, rather than trying to bridge the gap from one topic to another.
The third key to having this relationship with the world is to prioritize missional community. Let me explain this. If you become someone who excels at what you do—and we all want to do that—not only for making more money, gaining promotions, or being recognized, but because God has given us the ability to do great things, we aspire to be great.
However, the tendency is that when you start doing well, you might begin to forget your mission and drift away from your purpose. You’ve seen people start out well, wanting to be light for Jesus, but they drift to just being someone with a Scripture verse in their Instagram bio, claiming to be a person of faith, then talking about faith and inspiration but not as much about Jesus because that’s controversial.
To avoid this drift, you need to be linked into missional community. You have to prioritize it. Character is great. Consistency is great. Care is great. Craft is great, but you must be rooted in a missional community. What does that mean? Coming to church isn’t the only part—you need to be alongside others in life. You need to be linked to people who are also missionally-minded.
You can be in a missional community with a bunch of people who don’t want to get close to the world and don’t want to influence anybody; they merely wish to insulate themselves. But you need people rooted in God’s Word, committed to your best interests, and also missionally-minded, inspiring you in your lane while keeping you tethered to the Word of God to avoid drifting.
The fourth point is to rehearse the mission. I said this about Paul, and I want to highlight it again. He said, «Though I’m free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible.» That’s what an influencer looks like. A kingdom influencer seeks to win as many people as possible.
To the Jews, I became like a Jew to win the Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law—though I am not under the law. To those not having the law, I became like one not having the law—though I’m under Christ’s law. I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.
Paul is showcasing that middle ground—he’s not of this world, but he’s sent into it. He’s not running from it, condemning it, or mimicking it; he rehearses his mission. He awakens each day reminding himself, «Today, I want to become all things to all people that by all means I might save some.» That’s why he’s on Earth.
And so, he pays attention to his character, consistency, how he cares for people, and his craft because He wants to save some people. The fifth aspect is to ask the Holy Spirit and your community for help in setting boundaries to protect your reputation.
If you’re going to get into the seams with people, you must be very shrewd and filled with the Holy Spirit. You’ll need to walk by the Spirit to avoid fulfilling the desires of the flesh. You must be honest with yourself. If you want to build a platform to influence the world with the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, you must be careful about your boundaries.
You are sent, and you are on mission. It’s like a training regimen for someone aiming for the Olympics; they have to be careful about boundaries to prevent a couple of bad days from disqualifying them from their goals. I don’t know what that looks like for you; it may mean recognizing, «I’m trying to improve my speech, so I need to cut back on brunches with that group because I end up saying things I regret when I get home.»
So, consider what boundaries might help you influence these dear friends without compromising your reputation, which you’ve worked hard to build. Maybe when you golf, you like to have a beer, but if you play with those three guys, you end up having six by the ninth hole. You need to consider that boundary. If you want to engage, how can you do so without compromising your influence? Maybe you should not go, as you are on mission.
These thoughts are crucial as we consistently preach this to our kids, but we tend to overlook it as adults. We need to set those boundaries and let our community and Holy Spirit guide us.
If you want to engage with culture, you’ll need a support system. You might face criticism from other Christians. Let your community and the Holy Spirit assist in setting boundaries. They can help clarify your purpose in those spaces and provide support along the way.
Lastly, if this will be your relationship with the world, you will have to die to some things, prioritizing mission over your desire to melt down at the ticket counter or leave unflattering comments on social media posts from people you don’t even know. You have to consider, «Do I want influence, or do I want my opinion heard?»
It’s a fine line, and we often forget why we’re in the world and God’s calling us to do. You should do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is our anchor: whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Be a moon in a dark world! I’ve shared this story before, but when Shel and I were living in Waco, Texas, we led a college ministry at Baylor University, and our big night was on Monday. I preached at a church in Houston every Sunday night, so we would make the three-hour drive from Waco on Sunday afternoon after church.
After preaching in Houston, we’d normally visit her family or have dinner with a friend, then drive back to Waco late—around midnight or 1:00 a.m. One evening, we were flying out of Houston back to Waco. Shel was talking to a friend, and I looked out the window and saw a police chase happening below. It caught my attention!
I was fascinated as I watched them fly through neighborhoods and drive through fields and shopping centers. I said, «Guys, something’s going down.» The pilot, who was flying us, said, «Look up to the right; you’ll see a full moon shining on the plane, reflecting onto the ground below.»
Yes, it was the moon shining on the plane, but technically, it’s the sun shining on the moon and reflecting off the moon onto the ground. So really, it was sunlight down on the ground following us to Waco.
Be a moon in a dark world! Your opportunity is to reflect the light. How do you do that? By being in proximity to the light, being in clear view of the light, and having the light in you. With the love, truth, joy, life, purpose, meaning, and reason of God in you, those qualities can reflect off and out of you onto others.
By proximity to the light, we can be moons in a night that brings kingdom influence into a dark world. That’s the relationship God hopes we will have with this world. For someone today, the message is simple: you need to break up with the world.
If you wake up thinking, «I get my cues from the world. I sound like the world; I think like the world. I buy what the world tells me to buy. I go where the world tells me to go,» God is saying, «You need to awaken. You’re not of this world. You were born into a brand new kingdom with a different mindset and destination.»
For many of us, the task is to understand that we’re sent into the world with a reason for being here, right now. God is opening incredible doors for many of you—opportunities to step into spaces where a pastor might not even be welcomed. You better get rooted in missional community, grounded in the Word of God, surrounded by the people of God, and filled with the Holy Spirit as you walk through those doors.
Everyone in this room can be a kingdom influencer somewhere. I pray in Jesus' name that this will be the relationship we have with the world.