Verse 17 it says, according to
all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan,
that's God's prophet at the time, speak unto David. And it was
really God speaking to David because Nathan had a message
from God for David. And that's what we looked at
in the first 16 verses of this chapter. God reminded David what
he had done for him and then told David what he was going
to do for him. So David is about to go in the last part of this
chapter. It's gonna say in the next verse
then went King David in and sat before the Lord and He spoke
to God he prayed To God but first God had to speak to him What are we gonna say to God
unless he speaks to us first and We don't even know how to
speak to God. We don't know how to address
Him. We don't know what to say. We still don't much. But sure
enough, unless He speaks to us first. And you'll see in all
of David's language here, him referring back to what God had
said to him. God must reveal who He is. And He must reveal what He has
done. How are we going to Be thankful to God. That's part
of prayer. That's an important part of prayer
is giving thanksgiving to God. David's going to do that. How
are you going to do that unless you know what he's done? And
then you have something to say to God when he speaks first. It's always God first. And notice
that God spoke to David through another man. Nathan spoke to David, but it
was a message from God. God still does things that way.
He speaks through his men. In verse 18, then went King David
in and sat before the Lord. He sat before the Lord. And he
said, who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house that thou
hast brought me hitherto? Remember that this chapter started
out with David telling God what he would do for God. In the very
beginning of the chapter, David told God he wanted to build him
a house. He spoke through Nathan. But
God then told David what he had done for David. He set David
straight. It was a rebuke, a kind rebuke,
but nevertheless a rebuke of David to remind him who does
for who. And that's where this prayer
of David is coming from. You see that right off the bat,
don't you? God says, here's what I've done for you, David. You
said you're going to build me a house. I'm going to build you
a house. I've raised you up. I've called you from your father's
fields keeping sheep. and made you the king of a great
nation. So you see right off the bat David saying, who am
I? Started off, you know, thinking maybe he was somebody and could
do something for God. Now he's saying, who am I that
God would do anything for me? And that's the correct attitude
of all prayer. We never come before God with
presumption, certainly without any pride. Without any idea that we can
do anything for Him, we're coming to ask. We're coming to cry unto
Him. We're coming to thank Him for
doing for us. We don't make promises to God.
People talk about, you know, I promised God this and that.
I'm sure He's real impressed with that. We thank Him for His promises.
God gave David some promises. He was going to bless his house
for years to come. We're not talking about before
God ever what we've done or what we're going to do for Him, but
we bless His name for what He's done for us. That's the attitude
of prayer. Now David says, who am I? And
he says that rhetorically. I think he knows the answer to
it, don't you? He's asking that question rhetorically, but let's
answer it. We can answer it, can't we? Who am I? Nobody. That's what. God deliberately
chose the one member of David's family that everybody else overlooked. He does that on purpose now. He chooses the nobodies. That all the glory will go to
him. That's 1 Corinthians 1 26-31. You know that passage. You see
your calling. How many wise and noble are called. God chose the foolish, the base,
things that are not. to bring to naught the things
that are. Now David is the greatest king on the earth at the time.
The most powerful man in the world at that time. You think
about that. Speaking of that particular time if you look at
the context of 1st Chronicles 14 you'll see that they had just
finished the battle, or we don't know the exact chronology, but
in the record of it, they had just finished the battle where
God said, don't go up until you hear the sound in the mulberry
trees, and then go. And in First Chronicles 14, 17,
so we know it was about the same time, it says this, and the fame
of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear
of him upon all nations. Word was getting around you don't
mess with David. Because of David's God. And yet
David by the grace of God is able to say honestly from his
heart who am I? Who am I? The most powerful man
in the world and yet nobody and he knew it. That's grace. That's grace now. It takes grace
to be something in the eyes of the world and to be nothing in
your own eyes, knowing that you are what you are by the grace
of God. He knew that God took a nobody
and blessed him and brought him to the very throne of Israel. And notice the way David describes
where he is. I like this now, this is easy
to miss but look at it. Oh Lord, God and what is my house
that thou hast brought me hither to? Now we've looked into the
life of David a little bit haven't we? We know something of his life
and what he had been through since the time he grew up in
his father's house and kept his father's sheep and his father sent him to take food
and to his brothers who were in the army of Israel and they
were about to face off against the Philistines and this champion
of the Philistines Goliath comes forth and begins to make challenges
and mock and ridicule Israel and their God. But what all David
had done to get to the throne of Israel It began there, it
began when his father, well it began when God's prophet anointed
him as king. And then years went by, he faithfully
kept his father's sheep, he did what he was supposed to do, what
he was told to do, what under God it was his responsibility
to do, to obey his father. Until God brought about the situation
where David would, where he would show his power in David and David
would become well-known and respected by the people. But all that David
had gone through, now you think about it. Defeating Goliath was just the
beginning of it. His dealings with Saul and the difficulty
of that, the dilemma of knowing what God's will is and yet having
to wonder why God would do this. Have you ever wondered that?
You know that God works all things together for the good of his
people and you go through things on your job or in life that you're
just thinking what in the world is this? Evil men and situations
where it's hard to even do what you're supposed to do. And David
went through that in a great way like we do only a lot probably
a lot more complicated and a lot more at stake. His very life
was threatened in his dealings with Saul and yet he knew he
must be loyal to God's chosen king. He went through all of
that and I think at the time when they came to Zik when David
and his men were dwelling in Ziklag and David had gotten himself
into a mess and was about to join the army of the Philistines.
Imagine that. And God got him out of it, but
they had lost everything they had while they were away from
Ziklag. The Amalekites came and took
all of their women and children and all of their goods and ran
off with them. And then God, David encouraged
himself in the Lord. And he asked the Lord, shall
I go up against them? Shall I pursue them? And God
said, go. And you will, without a doubt,
recover all." And he did. Imagine. Things like that. that
David had gone through and all these things on the way to the
throne of Israel that David had gone through and David had done.
David was there. He swung a sword. He had to think. He had to use his mind. He had
to put his principles in action over and over and over again.
And he made horrible mistakes. He did stupid things. But David
lived all of that. And you know how he described
it though? Look where God's brought me. Isn't that incredible? What grace! Can you do that? All you've been through, all
your life, you know what it is? It's just God moving a piece on a
chess board. There's a lot of truth to that
now. We need to understand that. I know that there's a sense in
which life is not a game. But there's a sense in which
it's that simple. It's God moving people. It's like Him moving
pieces in a game. He just does it. And all these
means and things apply, the things that we go through, the things
that we have to do. But David said, look where God brought
me. That's grace now. God brought me where I am. Where
has the Lord brought you? Tonight as you sit where you
sit. Do you understand that you are where you are by the grace
of God? Are you unhappy with where you
are? And if so, how much of that has to do with selfishness and
pride and earthly, worldly ambition? The love of this world. And then look at verse 19, and
yet this was a small thing in your sight, O Lord God. A small
thing. It wasn't a small thing to David.
was it when he faced off with Goliath? That wasn't a small
thing to David, but to God it was. Can you see that in your
life? The things that are just overwhelming
to you and you think, you know, you don't know which end is up. You don't know how you're going
to get past some things. They seem like huge mountains
to you. It's nothing to God. It's nothing. David said, look
what you've brought me through. And think about David's life.
Our lives are boring compared to David's. And I'm glad, aren't
you? I like it boring. I like life simple. You think
about all the conflict he had to go through, all the heartache,
and all of the amazing accomplishments. And he said, God, not only have
you done all this, but it was no big deal to you. Boy, I tell you what, we can
say that. We can say that by faith. A shepherd boy running a great
nation, it was a big deal to David. None of it was small to David.
And it was not small to God in the sense that it didn't matter
to Him, that it wasn't important to Him. God's getting glory in
all of this. God does these things for His
glory and for the good of His sheep, and that's what He does.
He's not saying it's a small thing in that it doesn't mean
anything to God. But it was a small thing to God
in that nothing's hard for Him. Nothing's difficult for God. Goliath was a flea to God, Saul
a fly, nothing. God raised them up that he might
show his power and glory and he used David to do that. And
David's thanking God for that and acknowledging the power and
sovereignty and great providence of God in his life. Seems like a good time for us
to do that too, tonight. Our problems and the obstacles
in our life are nothing to God in the same way. Not because
he's not concerned with what's going on. He's the one that brings
it to pass and he does it for his glory and for our good. But
it's a small thing to him. Good to remember that. And David seemed especially pleased
about what God had promised about the future. Do you notice that
in the verse? Thou hast spoken also of thy
servant's house for a great while to come. For a great while to come. Now
has God made us any promises about the future? And you think about this now,
David's house, as far as his children were concerned, Not
the way David would have wanted it. His children didn't turn
out well. Absalom and his other children
didn't at least. But David was pleased that God
had made some promises about what was going to happen. He
thanked him for what had happened. He acknowledged God's power in
it. That God had accomplished it. And that it was no big deal
to God. God is that great. but also David's
future. And think of the gospel and how
much of that concerns what hasn't happened yet. God has promised
us in his gospel concerning a great while to come. And I'm thankful
for that, aren't you? Not only where God has brought
me now, but I know what's going to happen next. And I'm glad. I'm glad that he's on the throne.
I'm glad he's going to do, just like he's done everything up
till now, he's going to do everything for me and everything for himself,
which is right, in the future. David's future was about his
throne, and so is ours. Listen to it. It is a faithful
saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with
him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. God made promises
to David concerning a great while to come, and it had to do with
his throne. Same with us in the gospel. You're going to reign
with the Son of God someday, if you're his. Romans 8 16, the
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God. And if children, then heirs. Are you a child of God? Then
you're an heir of God. And joint heirs with Christ.
If so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified
together. We can say with David to God,
thou hast spoken of thy servant for a great while to come. And it's all good. And look at
the last phrase of that verse. Is this the manner of men, O
God? Can men talk like that? Can men
do that? Can anybody take the place of God in this? You think about that. The only
way a man, a sinner, can comfort another sinner is by the Word
of God. What are you going to say that's
going to comfort me? It better be something God said,
you reckon? When somebody says everything's
going to be alright, I know I've said this to you before. When
my dad died, it was great comfort to hear from the people of God. You know, God's on the throne.
He does all things well. Your dad, he's not worried anymore. He's not hurting anymore. And
just reminding me who God is and what's important. That we
not suffer and and weep in sorrow as others
who have no hope and that's precious but there were those who didn't
know God that would just say things like everything's going
to be okay and I remember one these two fellows that were coming
to the church at the time and they didn't stay long it was
best that they didn't I remember them saying well it happens to
us all I was like, OK, thank you for that. We're all going
to die. Thank you. I appreciate you reminding
me of that. That's comforting, isn't it? Well, I mean, people,
what are you going to say to somebody unless it's something
God said? This is not the manner of men
to be able to tell people that everything is going to be all
right based on truth, based on the ability to make it all right.
If God tells you don't worry, don't fear, You can take that
to heart. Because he can make sure anything
you're afraid of has no teeth. No weapon formed against you
can prosper. Not even a dog can move its tongue
against you without him. So if he says, you've got nothing
to worry about, guess what? You've got nothing to worry about. And this is not the manner of
men. People may mean well, some people mean well and just say
things that just don't mean anything. But what right does somebody
who doesn't know God have to say everything's going to be
alright? It's not going to be alright for you. Unless God does something about
it. And David, God was able to speak of the future to David.
And David was able to have confidence that what God had spoken, he
was also able to perform. And look at verse 20. So I guess
I said all that to say this, if you're going to comfort somebody,
Only the Word of God can do that. Only the promise. Remind me what
God said. Remind me how wonderful He is.
Remind me how powerful He is. Remind me how kind and gracious
He is when I'm hurting. That's what I need. Verse 20, and what can David
say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy
servant. Now this teaches us something
about prayer. We don't need to always be able to find all the
right words, do we? To pray eloquently, to pray effectively,
you know, people write books on effective prayer. Oh boy, that just You know people
are offended by so many different things. Everybody's offended
about everything these days aren't they? Everything's offensive.
That's offensive. No it's not. Get over yourself. Now there's
not much that offends me but boy you start talking about God
when you don't know God. That is so effective prayer. You know what effective prayer,
you know what was effective to me when my children needed something? Them just say daddy. For me to see on their face,
they didn't even have to say it right. For me to see that
they needed me, I'm there. They didn't have to study up
on that, did they? They just knew who their daddy
was. They knew where to go when they needed something. Or mom. And boy, that's all I needed
to know. That's what's happening here. Effective prayer just but
you won't have a book burning get all those kind of books together
and burn them and Just cry out to God just pour out your heart
to God your father What can David say more into
thee He didn't know what to say I've heard some teaching on prayer
and how there's a formula that you can follow. You know, there's
some kind of an acronym, I forget what it is now, that'll remind
you to include praise and thanksgiving and supplication and all the
different elements of prayer. Forget about it. Forget you ever
heard it. You don't need to break down
the different parts of prayer and analyze it. It's not prayer
anymore if you do that. Prayer is a child of God from
his heart crying out to God. It does include all those things,
thanksgiving and supplication and praise. You don't need to
rehearse it. Not if you know God, not if you're
his child. If you do rehearse it, it's not
prayer anymore. David said, I don't know what to say. He said some
things. But as he was saying those things,
he said, I don't know what to say. You ever been there? He felt that there was more that
needed to be said. But he didn't know what to say,
how to say it. You ever felt that? Paul wrote in Romans 8, 26, likewise
the spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought. But the spirit itself maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And
he that searcheth the hearts, he sees what's in your heart.
That's what David's saying, you know me, what can I say? But
you know me, you know your servant. You know my heart. You know what's
in my heart. You know what I'm trying to say that I can't even
put into words. Because he maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8 26 and
27. In prayer also we acknowledge
as David did here that God knows everything that's in our heart. That's a little bit scary isn't
it? There's nobody else that does. Nobody. Even you. You don't know what's in your
heart. You don't know it like you ought to. You don't know
it as it really is. God does. God does. You can fool yourself. Can't
fool Him. It's a little bit frightening
to know that we can't hide anything from God, but also wonderful. How wonderful to tell our problems
and our fears and our joys and all of our heart to someone who
can and does fully understand. There ain't nothing better than
that. You think about that. There is nothing better than
that. Sometimes it's helpful and good
to talk to somebody else, somebody you love, another person, another
believer. And that is good. Somebody who,
relatively speaking, understands more than anybody else does about
you. That's the best, isn't it? You want to bear your heart to
somebody that you feel like knows you. Nobody knows you like he does. I thought about this old song.
I don't know that I've ever even heard anybody sing it, but I've
heard it quoted before. Nobody knows the trouble I've
seen. I listened to somebody sing that and it was a blessing
to me today. Nobody knows the trouble I've
seen. Nobody knows but Jesus. Nobody knows the trouble I've
seen. Glory, hallelujah. And this is more than just a
factual knowledge of everything about you. He knows all that you are, all
you've done, all that you think before you even say it. He knows
what you're going to say. But if you study this word know
in the scripture, you see that it has more to do with than just
facts. When it says that God knows you, whom he did foreknow he also
did predestinate and call and justify and glorify
every one of them. All those whom he foreknew. So
whatever that knowledge is he doesn't know everybody like that.
He knows everything about everybody. But those ones that come in the
last day bragging about their wonderful works and he says depart
from me you workers. Remember what he said next? I
never knew you. You reckon there was anything
about them he didn't know? That's not what it means. Now think about that, let me
read the rest of it. Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified,
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we
then say to these things? If God be for us, what does it
mean that he knew us from the beginning? He's for us, always
has been. In eternity, he was for us. Who
can be against us? What does it mean that he foreknew
us? That's what this passage started with now. Foreknowledge,
predestination, what does all that have to do with? He's for
us and also what else? He that spared not his own son
but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Do you know what that's the definition
of? Do you know what that means right
there? That He spared not His own Son and gives us all things
in Him. That's what love is. Isn't it? That's exactly what love is.
1 John 4. here in his love not that we
love God but that he loved us and spared not his own son for
us sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins that's what this
God you know me you know me I want to know him but salvation
is that he knows me read Psalm 139 You knit me together in my mother's
womb before I was even put together yet you knew me. Verse 21 in our text. For thy word's sake and according
to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to
make thy servant know them. My goodness. There's something here very precious
now. When David is praying to God, it's his heart being opened
up before God. It's a cry of his heart. He didn't
know what to say. He didn't prepare or rehearse
something. He was just poured out his heart
to God. And you know when God spoke to
David, you know what that was too? That was God's heart. That's
what David said right there. Amen. It's according to your heart.
Think about when God says something. Think about when God speaks to
you and makes promises to you. He's not like us. I might make
promises to you in order to impress you, or maybe I just get emotional,
you know, and in the heat of the moment I'll make a promise
that God's not like us. It's for His word's sake, for
His glory's sake, for Christ's sake, and because He loves us. Why would God promise you that
He's going to bless you forever? Because He loves you. It comes from His heart. He says
and does all that He does for those reasons. For his glory,
for his word's sake, you can say his word's sake, his glory's
sake, his name's sake, all through the scriptures that's taught.
For Christ's sake. For God for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you. He does it for his glory. For the glory of his son and
because he genuinely cares about you. He wants you to be happy
and so you're going to be happy. He wants you to be blessed, and
so you're going to be blessed. If you ever say God wants something,
you better follow it up with, it's going to happen. He gets what he wants. What do
you know about the Lord's heart? David spoke of God's heart. What
in the world do we know about that? Well, what he's revealed.
What he's revealed. I thought about a couple of passages
of scripture. John 13, 1. Now before the feast of the Passover,
when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart
out of this world unto the Father. You think about what that means
now. What he was fixing to face. What he was fixing to endure.
What he was fixing to suffer. What he was fixing to give. And
here's what he's thinking about, having loved his own, which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. That was his heart as he went
to the cross, loving you. I thought about John 17, of course. Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may
behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me
before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the
world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these
have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto
them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. as he prayed his
high priestly prayer again on the way to Calvary just before
he went to the cross. Look how he spoke of us, those
that the Father had given him, and his blessing, his love for
us. Now God spoke of things that
he had done for David and things that he would do for David. Look back at our verse. For thy word's sake and according
to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to
make thy servant know. Now David, God had said just
as much what he was going to do as what he already had done.
But you know what David calls all of it? What God had done. Even what God hadn't done yet
is what he has done. Because when he speaks, it's
done. And what a privilege to pray
to him, to that God. And then he said this, to make
that servant know. Know what? Well, what he just
said, God's heart. We don't know a whole lot about
God's heart, except what he, we just know what he reveals.
And when he reveals that he's going to bless us, keep us and
teach us and not let anything harm us. Manipulate the whole world and
everything in it in order to bless us. That tells us something
about his heart. And boy, you talk about something
good to know. To make that servant know. God
says that he does what he does to make his power known. You
read the scripture about this now. He raised Pharaoh up to
make his power known in Pharaoh. Raised him up and dropped him
in hell to reveal his power. But you know what he also does?
He saves sinners, Romans chapter 9. Read Romans chapter 9 about
this whole subject because Pharaoh is in there but also the vessels
of mercy And you know why he had mercy on him? To make known
the riches of his glory. That's what David's talking about
now. You've made your servant to know your heart toward me. How do you talk about that? No
wonder David said, what am I going to say? What am I going to say? Verse 22. Wherefore thou art
great, O Lord God, For there is none like thee, neither is
there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with
our ears. What is he talking about we've
heard with our ears? What the Philistines had to say
about God? No, what God had told him about himself. That's all
we know about God is what he tells us about him. And boy I
tell you, we know this, he's great. There's nobody like him. There's no God beside him. He's
God. We bow at his feet and we say,
my Lord and my God. We know enough about God's heart
to be able to say that. He's my God. The one that this
whole world hates and turns his name into a curse word. and defies His will and His word
in every way they can possibly think of to defy it. The one
they hate, that bad, He's my God. That's what David's saying. He just got through saying in
verse 22 You've done and said what you've said and done what
you've done that your servant might know and David did know
He knew enough to say thou art great Oh God Listen to Isaiah 46 I Should
have you turn to some of these but we're gonna run out of time
Isaiah 46 won't listen to this Bell boweth down Nebo stoopeth
Those are the idols, the false gods of the Babylonians. Their
idols were upon the beasts and upon the cattle. Your carriages
were heavy laden. They are a burden to the weary
beast. They stoop, they bow down together. They could not deliver
the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity. Now he's
picturing here, he's talking about the false gods of the Babylonians. They carried them with them when
the Babylonians went into captivity. They carried their idols with
them. But listen to verse three, hearken unto me, O house of Jacob
and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are born by
me. There's the difference between
God and everything else that imagines itself to be God or
men call God. People carry their God with them.
God carries his people. That's a big difference. Big
difference. which are born by me from the
belly, which are carried from the womb, even to your old age
I am he, and even to whore hares will I carry you. I don't want
a God that I carry around with me and I manipulate and I let
do things. I want a God that carries me. I need him to carry me. I have made you and I will bear
you. Even I will carry and will deliver
you, save you. To whom will you liken me? After
saying that, here's what he said, to whom will you liken me? And make me equal and compare
me that we may be like. The best that men can come up
with, the things that men revere the most in this world, are pathetic and embarrassing. You see that? They had to carry
their gods with them when they went into captivity. God delivered
his people from captivity and says, I carried you. Who are
you gonna liken unto me? Now notice something very important
in the next two verses, and keep it in mind, verse 22. where he
said, David said, wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, there's
none like you. There's no God beside you, according
to all that we've heard with our ears. Now look at verse 23.
And what one nation in the earth is like that people. You see
the parallel? There's no God like God, and
there's no people like God's people. Even like Israel, whom
God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a
name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for your
land, for your people, which thou redeemest to thee from Egypt,
from the nations and their gods, for thou hast confirmed to thyself
thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever, and thou,
Lord, art become their God. Now think about this final thought
in that, very important. God is unique because of who
he is. There's nobody like God. Powerful,
sovereign, gracious, glorious in his person. And then David
said, there's no people like your people. Why? Because of
who their God is. You see that now? This is important. God, there's nobody like God
because of who he is. And now he says, there's no people
like your people. Why? Because of who he is. You
see that here? And what he has done for them.
There's nobody like God because of his power, his grace, his
glory. And there's nobody on earth like us. Like us here. Tell me somebody around here
that's like us. And why is that true? Because
of his power. Because of his grace. And because
of his glory. Look at it now. What makes us
special? He redeemed us. Did you see that in the verse?
He redeemed us. That's what makes us different.
That's why there's nobody like us. Because he bought us with
his precious blood. You remember what happened in
Egypt? Pharaoh defied God in everything and God told Moses
that he would. But you remember what broke him?
The blood of the Lamb. That's what. The blood of the
Lamb. That's why they were delivered.
That's why they were saved. The blood of the Passover Lamb.
When I see the blood, get your walking shoes on. and put the
blood on the door. That's what he's done for us
now. We're free, free from the bondage of the law, free from
the captivity of Satan and sin and self because of the precious
blood of the lamb. That's what makes us different.
Thou has redeemed them. Oh, and look at this. Thou hast
confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee.
You know what that is? The covenant of grace. What makes us special? God made
a covenant with us. It's not anything about us. It's
something He did. Simply because of who He is and
His relationship to us, He owns us as His. He calls himself the
God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob. Do you know why? Because
he made a covenant with his people through them. He's the God of
sinners. He's the God of Abraham and the
God of Jimmy and the God of Jason and the God of Chris and the
God of his people. He's the God of sinners. His
very name includes us. That's what makes us like nobody
else. Listen to Titus 2.11, For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching
us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly and righteously and godly in this present world. We should
be like no other people. And we are! Why? Because we're
more righteous, because we're more godly? No, looking for that
blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God. That's
what David said in our text. And our Savior, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity
and purify unto himself a peculiar people, a unique people, a people
like no other people. zealous of good works. You know
the word peculiar there means this, that which is one's own. There's nothing else I'd rather
be than his. Unto you therefore which believe,
he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner, and the stone of stumbling, and a rock
of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient,
whereinto also they were appointed." It didn't surprise God. But 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. There's no people like your people,
God. I say that with all my heart, and you know why? Because of
who he is and what he's done for us. Which in time past were not a
people, but now are the people of God. which had not obtained mercy
but now have obtained mercy. That's who we are. Now listen now, who he is defines
who we are. We are like no other people because
of who he is and what he has done for us. John called himself
the disciple whom Jesus loved. Paul would say, I Paul say this
and do that. John would never call himself
John. He said, I'm the disciple whom Jesus loved. His love for me defines who I
am. And that's what David's saying. There's no people like the people
of God. Because you redeemed them, and you made a covenant
with them, and you've saved them. When we look at ourselves, we
don't exalt the flesh, we don't have confidence in our flesh.
It causes us to say, there's no God like our God. How great
He is. Look what He's done. Who are
we that He would do anything for us? much less that he would
do everything for us. Let's pray.