God’s Own Possession
TEXT
: Deut. 14:1-2INTRODUCTION
: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 SEPARATEFROM OTHER NATIONS ( Deut. 32:15-16 ).
C. THE CHURCH IS GOD’S ISRAEL TODAY ( 1 Pet. 2:9; Titus 2:14 ).
I.
THEN THEY LOST THEIR PECULIARITY. WHY?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?