Good evening, everybody. It is
so good to be here and see you. I'm thankful for every opportunity. I'm thankful for all of you,
and I'm very thankful for the love and support that you've
given us in Kingsport all this time. I'm very grateful. Turn
with me, if you would, back to 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. This chapter declares the Lord
Jesus Christ to be a living stone. A living stone. A chief corner
stone. A stone that all of His people
are built up on. A sure foundation. And what good
news it is to have a good foundation. A wonderful foundation. But His people are known, those
that are referred to as, verse 5 said, lively stones. Those that are made to be in
His image. He is the living stone and His
people are living stones built up on Him. It goes on to say
they've been made acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And that's the only way a sinner
can be acceptable to God. He is by Jesus Christ, through
the work, through the blood. These people, these believers,
are known who they are. They are known
by the faith that God gives to them. That's how they're known. These that are in His image,
built up on Him, made acceptable to God by Him, they are known
by the faith God gives to them. He causes them to believe. All of a sudden they believe.
All of a sudden, they're not religious anymore. They believe. They truly believe. They believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. And do you know that's what sets
God's people apart, really and truly? Wherein do we differ?
It's in this right here. We believe on a person. We believe
on a person. We are not founded on and living
on and looking to eternity on a doctrine, even though we have
a doctrine. We're holding to a person. I
mean, our hope is in a person. Our hope is in the work of a
person and it's in the blood of a person. These people that God calls to
Himself, stop looking to themselves. They don't look to themselves
anymore. For so long they were in such bondage, looking to themselves,
looking to themselves. I just don't see what I'm supposed
to be seeing right here. And they were in absolute bondage.
And then all of a sudden, they stopped looking to themselves. And they start looking to Christ,
and they don't look to their works anymore. They look to His
work. Every time I look here, all I see is a mess up. But every time I look there,
I see perfection. Well, the end of verse 6 says,
every soul that God gives this faith to and causes that soul
to believe on Him, it says, they shall not be confounded. And
that means put to shame. So many people are going to go
stand before God, and they're going to be so proud, they're
going to walk up so proud and happy, and then all of a sudden
they're going to be put to shame. But these people who are clinging
to a person have cast their all on this stone. I mean just fallen
on this stone. He said they are not going to
be put to shame in the day of judgment. The middle of verse
7 says, But unto them which be disobedient, to them who do not believe on
Him and do not cast their all on this chief cornerstone. Do
not bow to this chief cornerstone. Our Lord said in another place,
that cornerstone is going to fall on them and it's going to
grind them to powder. He said, whoever falls on this
stone shall be broken. In love and
in mercy, this heart is so hard and this pride is so hard and
everything about man is so hard, but whoever God calls us to fall
on this stone, in love and in mercy and in kindness, God is
going to break them. The greatest thing that could
ever happen to a sinner is if God would break him. That proud,
proud, arrogant heart, if God would just break, our hearts. That's kindness, that's mercy. And whoever falls on this stone
is going to be broken, but whoever this stone falls on, it's going
to grind that center to powder. Now had God not moved, no one
would have believed on Him. No one. No one would have bowed to Him. No one would have fallen on Him.
Had God not moved sovereignly, no one would have fallen on Him for
mercy. And the reason is because this faith that causes a sinner
to stop looking to self and start looking to Christ is not of ourselves. It's only a gift that He gives
to us. He has to give it to us, and if He does not give it to
us, no one would fall, no one would cast their all on Him for
mercy. Had He not performed the work
on this heart, the operation on this heart, all of us would
have died in our sins, and we would have died in our unbelief,
all of us. There would have been no hope
for any of us. But verse 9 says, in 1 Peter
2 verse 9 says, you are a chosen generation. And every time I read that I
think, what a, oh I want to be a part of that generation, don't
you? You're a chosen generation. Every
time I read that I think, how can I know if I'm part of it? You are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that
you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out
of darkness into His marvelous light." God's people are a chosen
generation, chosen by God, to be a royal priesthood. There
are ruined people that God chooses to make them a royal priesthood,
a holy nation. They show forth the praises of
Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. They
just praise Him for this. They just show forth the praises
of His great work to them. And this is the defining character
trait that God has given to describe
the people that He's done this for. I want to know if I am one
of these people. This is the defining character
trait that He's given to describe the people that He's chosen to
do this for. This is how you'll know them. This is how you'll
know who they are. He said in verse 9, the middle
of verse 9, they are peculiar. They're very peculiar. They are a peculiar people. This chosen generation This royal
priesthood, this holy nation, those who have been called out
of darkness into His marvelous light, that's how you will know
who they are. They are a peculiar people. They are, honestly, a very peculiar
people. Now, peculiar means two things. Number one, It means purchased. If you have a center margin in
your Bible, you may see that. It means purchased. That's how they are known to
God. That is their evidence before
God. When He looks on them, when He looks at every single one
of them, He sees a purchased people. Every one of them. They're all
purchased. Completely paid for. Completely
covered in His own Son's blood. Every one of them. Peculiar also means strange. It means strange and that's how
they're known to this world. They are known as purchased to
God. They are known as strange to
this world. That is their evidence in this
world. When the world looks at them
and sees their priority, when they see the priority of their
life, and when the world hears their
conversation, And when the world starts to
understand something of what they believe, something of what
they've been shown in the Word of God, something of what their
heart's desire is, not just what they believe, what they want,
when the world sees that, the world thinks, how strange. Now that's strange. That is peculiar. Very peculiar. Verse 11 says, Dearly beloved,
I beseech you as strangers. God's people are strangers. They
are not strangers to God. This is life eternal that they
might know Thee. He said, before I formed you
in the belly, I knew you. I knew you. Only those who are
not His people, only the ones who are not His people will hear
Him say, depart from Me, I never knew you. Only those who are
not His people. So they are not strange to God,
but they are strangers to this world. Look with me at Hebrews
chapter 11, back just a few pages to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 verse 13 says, These all died
in faith not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and
pilgrims on the earth." That's how God's chosen generation,
God's royal priesthood, His holy nation called out of darkness
into light. That's how they are evidenced
in this world. They are strange to it. Now here is the question and
here is the title of this message. Are you a strange person? Am I a strange person? Are we one of God's strange people? When I leave this earth, whenever
that may be. I want to find out, I must find
out that I was one of God's strange people. I do not want to be confounded. Are we one of God's strange people? We'll go back with me now to
1 Peter 2 and we'll find out. 1 Peter 2 verse 9 says, But you are a chosen generation. Now, the scripture says examine
yourself. And I'll do the same thing. Honestly in the heart. Honestly
in the heart. Each person here. Individually,
in your heart, do you really believe that God chose a people? Do you really believe that God
chose a people? Because the world does not. This world does not. Down deep in your heart, do you
honestly believe that before God ever created this world,
God chose every person that He would save? Honestly. Do you really believe
that? Really believe that? That's strange. That's strange. Go tell somebody. Go to work and tell somebody.
I believe before God ever created this earth, God chose every single
person he would ever call out of darkness into his marvelous
light. Just go tell somebody that. Strange. That's strange. Verse 9 goes on to say, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation. Do you really believe, do you
honestly believe that God the Father choosing to put you in
Christ, Just God the Father choosing to put you in Christ has made
you holy and without blame before Him in love. Do you really believe
that? Just because God chose to put
you in Christ. That alone. Do you really believe
that has made you holy and without blame before Him in love? Because the world does not believe
that. The world cannot rest right there. Do you really believe you can
rest in Christ? The world does not believe that. Do you really believe that in
Christ, right now, you are as holy as you are ever going to
be? before God. I mean as holy in Christ, as
holy and as spotless and as pure and as perfect as you are ever
going to be before God. Do you really believe that? Do you really believe that you
are complete in Him? Complete. The world does not
believe that. This is what the world believes.
You are almost complete in Him. That's what every church is preaching
in this town. That is not preaching the truth.
You're almost complete in Him. This man Jesus did most of the
work. He did a good work and we're
thankful for it. But there is still something
that you have to do to put that final period after the word complete. And then they all differ on what
that is. And that makes up the different denominations. It's
all the same thing. They all say you are almost complete
in Him. And then just pick which thing
you want to do to finalize it. Do you really believe that you
are sanctified, justified, redeemed, completely accepted by what Christ
has already accomplished? Do you really believe it's finished? Do you really believe it's finished? There is nothing left for you
to do to better yourself before God. You really believe that? That's strange. That is strange. The end of verse 9 says that
you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out
of darkness into His marvelous light. Do you really believe
you are in total darkness? The world does not believe that. Oh, no, I wasn't perfect, don't
get me wrong. I have some things from my teenage
years I still need to make right. I mean, do you really believe
that God found you in absolute, utter, total depravity, darkness. Dead darkness. The death of sin. Do you really believe that your
flesh is as blind as this Word says it is? Do you really believe that your
flesh is as dead as this Word says it is? Because the world
does not. You go tell the world that they
are dead in trespasses and sins, and they say, you don't know
what you're talking about. I got up, I got dressed, I went to work,
I ate. What do you mean dead? Do you really believe that you
were dead in trespasses and sins? Total darkness. No light. No life. Helpless, hopeless,
worthless. Do you really believe that about
yourself? Strange. That is strange. Turn with me,
if you would, to Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45 verse 5 says, I am the Lord, and there is none
else. There is no God beside me. I girded thee, though thou hast
not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun and
from the west that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and
there is none else. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things.
Drop down, ye heavens, from above and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open and let them
bring forth salvation. And let righteousness spring
up together. I, the Lord, have created it.
Woe unto him that striveth with his maker, let the potsherds
strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say
to him that fashioned it, What makest thou? or thy work he hath
no hands? Woe unto him that saith unto
his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou
brought forth? Thus saith the Lord, the Holy
One of Israel. and his maker. Ask me of things
to come concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands,
command ye me. I have made the earth and created
man upon it. I, even my hands, have stretched
out the heavens, and all their hosts have I commanded." He told
Job, I control the rain, I control the snow, I control the lightning,
I control the wind, I control it all. Now do we honestly believe that He is absolutely sovereign
over all things? All things, ordering and controlling
and bringing to pass Every single thing that happens, whether we
see it to be a good thing or a bad thing. Every single thing. If a hurricane wipes out a whole
city, do we honestly believe God did that? Because the world doesn't. Do we honestly believe that God
is in absolute control over every single thing? Every single thing. What about the things directly
concerning us? Do we really believe that our
life, our breath, our health, Our days, it's all in His hand. All of it. Do we really believe
that everything that happens to us is for the purpose of good?
If we are His chosen generation. Whether we see it to be good
or not. Do we honestly believe that the
judge of this earth can only do right? Even if he throws us in prison,
you think about the Apostle Paul, how many times was he thrown
in prison? Could we say with him, I'm the
prisoner of Jesus Christ? If they came in and drug us out
for this and threw us in prison, could we honestly say I'm the
prisoner of Jesus Christ? God did this. He did this, as Paul said, for
the furtherance of the gospel. That's what he told the Philippians.
I am sitting in prison for the furtherance of the gospel. A few months ago I was listening
to a message by Brother Henry. It was from 2002. And in that
message he made this statement. He said, not long ago I preached
a funeral for the wife of a fellow pastor. She was young and she
had young children. And I immediately recognized
he was talking about my mother. And he said, I don't know why
things like this happen. He said, I just don't know why.
But he said, I made this statement in the funeral message and I
remember it like it was yesterday. He said, this is somehow for
the furtherance of the gospel. Now I believe that with all of
my heart, and I believe you do too. There's no doubt in my mind,
because of the way things went, because of the turn my life made
at that moment in time, I don't believe for one minute I'd be
standing here preaching the gospel. Had He not in love and kindness
and mercy and in wisdom taken her to Himself. I don't believe
for one minute I would be married to Hannah, have these children. I don't believe that this would
be your pastor. I don't believe this would be
your husband. orchestrated everything perfectly. It could not be any better. It
could not have come out any better. Perfect. Whatever is going on in your
life right now, everybody has something going
on in their life. This life is full of trial after
trial after trial and trouble after trouble. And the longer
believers go in it, they're just so ready to be in glory and be
in eternity. But whatever it is that is going
on right now is for the furtherance of the gospel. The only reason
the earth is turning is because there is at least one more sheep
to be called out. As soon as the last sheep is
called, there is no more reason for the earth to turn. Everything
that happens is for God to cross His path with a sinner who is
going to hear the gospel, become notified that he or she
is of the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy
nation, He's going to call them from darkness to light. Every
single thing that happens. No matter how bad it seems to
be in the moment. We all cried a lot of tears in
that moment. But it's for the furtherance
of the gospel. It's for the calling out of God's sheep. Every single
thing. It's all good. The judge of the
earth is doing right. He's doing right. Can't we honestly
in the heart say that? Can't we with an absolutely sincere
heart, this heart of the new man that God puts in a sinner,
can't we say with Job, in the heart of that new man, can't
we say with Job, though He slay me, yet will I trust Him? Can't we say that? The world hears that and thinks,
that is the strangest thing I've ever heard in my life. Though
He, even if He killed you, you would still trust Him? That's strange. Even if He takes
away all of your health, you said God did that? Even if He takes away all of
your wealth, even if He takes away all of
your happiness on this earth, you would still trust Him? I've never heard anything so
strange. When it comes to religion and
when it comes to worship, God's people don't want to have anything
to do with crosses or nativity scenes. They're idols. Graven images. We don't worship
the cross. We worship the Christ of the
cross. But people come into our house
of worship and they look around at all the walls and they say,
where are the crosses? Where's your cross? You don't
have a cross? You guys didn't do a nativity
scene at Christmas? That's strange. Strange. When it comes to our own personal
ambitions, I mean what we honestly desire
for ourselves, this is what we strive for. Look with me if you
would at John chapter 3. John 3 verse 30. He must increase, but I must
decrease. Here is the aim for all of God's
people. This is the goal. This is what all of God's people
are hoping to achieve. I must decrease. I must decrease. I must decrease. The world hears that and says,
what? That is so opposite from this
world. Could you imagine financial advisors
trying to get your business? They have an ad come up on TV
or come up on the internet and this is what their ad says. How
to decrease your net worth. I'm sorry, what? Yeah, you come to us and we will
tell you exactly how to lower your own worth. Psychiatrists offering programs. How to lower your self-esteem. What? Physical trainers trying
to get you to sign up for their workout class. It's titled, Weaker
and Weaker. How to become weaker in the flesh. Let me ask each one of us this
question. honestly, in the heart, standing before God, in that
great day as we stand before the throne of the Almighty God,
what do you want? I mean your heart's desire, the
desire, what do you want to happen to your own self-worth at that
moment in time? As you stand before the Almighty,
how do you want to esteem yourself? How much strength do you want
to have in your own flesh? Is this the honest answer in
your heart? I want to stand there personally bankrupt. I mean, I want to be so bankrupt,
in my hand, no price I bring. I want to stand there crying,
not unto me, O Lord, not unto me. I have no soundness in this flesh. I am not able. No ability in myself. No strength. All I can do is
fall at your feet, crying, God be merciful to me, the sinner. The worthless, helpless sinner. Honestly, I understand this is,
you know, honestly, I know we know the answer to these questions,
but honestly, go into your heart. Is that your heart's desire? Is that your heart's answer? Because if it is, you are a strange
person. You are a very peculiar person. And verse 10 back in the text
is written directly to you. Go back there and we'll close.
1 Peter 2 verse 9 says, You are
a chosen generation. a royal priesthood, and holy
nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises
of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous
light, which in time past were not a people, but are now the
people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have
obtained mercy." If that's us, we have obtained mercy. We've
obtained mercy. If that is us, if we are one
of God's strange, peculiar people, then there's good news for us.
Good news for all peculiar people. All right. Thank you.