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A People for God’s Own Possession

TEXTDeut. 14:1-2

INTRODUCTION:

A.      THREE PRIVILEGES BESTOWED ON ISRAEL TO DISTINGUISH THEM.

          1.       Adoption – “Ye are the children of Jehovah your God.”

          2.       Election – “Jehovah hath chosen thee.”

          3.       Sanctification – “Thou art a holy people unto the Lord.”

B.      AS A DISTINCT PEOPLE THEY WERE TO KEEP THEMSELVES SEPARATE

          FROM OTHER NATIONS ( Deut. 32:15-16 ).

C.      THE CHURCH IS GOD’S ISRAEL TODAY ( 1 Pet. 2:9Titus 2:14 ).

I.      THEN THEY LOST THEIR PECULIARITYWHY?

A.      THEY DESIRED TO BE LIKE OTHER NATIONS.

          1.       “Give us a king!” ( 1 Sam. 8:19-20 ).

          2.       “The speech of Ashdod ( Neh. 13:23-24 ).

          3.       Happened to us, too.  Organization, worship, language, etc.

B.      THEY LACKED KNOWLEDGE ( Hos. 4:6;  Isa. 5:13 ).

          1.       There was a time that the book of the law was lost.

          2.       Dare we lay aside our Bibles ( 1 Pet. 3:15;  Jude 3 ).

C.      THEY WERE INDIFFERENT ( Jer. 48:10;  Isa. 1:2-4 ).

          1.       Are we indifferent toward attendance? ( Heb. 10:24-25 ).

          2.       Toward our service? ( Rom. 12:11 ).

          3.       In our daily lives? ( Heb. 2:1-3 ).

          4.       We all have a grave responsibility ( Matt. 5:13-16 ).

II.     GOD’S PEOPLE ARE A PECULIAR PEOPLE! ( 1 Pet. 2:9 ).

A.      CALLED TO BE SAINTS ( 1 Cor. 1:2 ).

          1.       hagios – “separate, distinct, set apart.”

          2.       Set apart from something ( 2 Cor. 6:17 7:1 ).

          3.       Set apart to something ( 1 Pet. 1:2 ).

B.      PECULIAR IN

          1.       Speech ( Col. 4:6;  Eph. 4:29 ).

          2.       Doctrine ( Titus 2:7-8;  2 Tim. 1:13-14;  4:2-4 ).

          3.       Worship ( John 4:25;  Matt. 15:7-8 ).

          4.       Manner of life ( 1 Pet. 2:11-12 ).

          5.       Attitude ( Phil. 1:27;  1 Cor. 1:10 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      THE LORD CAN IDENTIFY HIS PECULIAR PEOPLE ( 2 Tim. 2:19 ).

B.      THEY ARE CLEARLY DISTINCT ( Matt. 6:24;  12:30 ).

C.      WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?