No man can come to Him, or woman
can come to Him, except the Father which sent Him draw that person.
But every soul that the Father gave to Him shall come to Him. And that's one of the sweetest
songs. I love that song. Lord Jesus, by Your drawing power
I come. Go with me if you would back
to 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter 2. This chapter declares the Lord
Jesus Christ to be, verse 4 says, a living stone. A chief corner stone that all
of His people are built up on. And His people are known. Those
that are referred to in verse 5 as lively stones. Those that
have been made acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. They are
known by the faith that God gives to them. He causes them to believe. They believe, they truly do believe
on and they love and they fall on the Lord Jesus Christ. They fall on and they believe
the person, the work, and the blood. The end of verse six says
that every soul he gives this faith to and causes that soul
to believe on him, shall not be confounded. They won't be
put to shame in the day of judgment. The middle of our seven says,
but to them which be disobedient. To them who do not believe on
him. Do not bow to this chief cornerstone
and fall on this chief cornerstone. Our Lord said in another place
that cornerstone is going to fall on them and grind them to
powder. Now had God not moved, no one
would have believed on Him. No one. No one would have bowed. No one would have fallen because
faith is not of ourselves. That is His gift to us. Had He not given it to us, we're
just so thankful for faith. Thank you so much for causing
me to believe. Thank you so much. Had he not
given that faith to us and performed that work in us, performed it
on our hearts, all of us would have died in our sins. All of
us. All of us would have died in
our unbelief. There would have been no hope
for any of us. Verse nine says. 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. God's people are a chosen generation,
chosen by God to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation. They show forth
the praises of Him that has called them out of darkness into His
marvelous light. And this is the defining character
trait that God has given to describe the people that He's chosen to
do this for. This is how you know who they
are. Not everybody's saved. Not everybody is saved. Everybody is going to go stand
before God. Some are going to be welcomed
in. Some are going to be rejected.
This is the character trait. This is the defining character
trait that God has given to describe the ones that he's chosen to
do this for. He said, we just read it, he
said they are peculiar. They are a peculiar people. This chosen generation, this
royal priesthood, the holy nation, the ones who have been called
out of darkness into light, That's how you'll know who they are.
They are a peculiar people. Very peculiar. Now, peculiar
means two things. Number one, it means purchased. That's how they're known to God.
That's how they are evidenced to God. When He looks at them,
He sees a purchased people. That's what He sees when He looks
at them. Completely paid for. And that's
wonderful. When He sees His people, He sees
people who have been completely paid for. Completely covered
in His own Son's blood. But peculiar also means strange. That's how they're known to the
world. Purchased is how they're known to God. When He looks at
them, He sees a purchased people. But when the world looks at them,
and when the world sees their priority, and when the world hears their
conversation, And when the world starts to
understand something of what they believe, what their heart's
desire truly is, the world thinks, now that's strange. That's strange. Man, how peculiar. That is strange. Verse 11, 1 Peter 2 verse 11
says, which in time past, I'm sorry, dearly beloved, I beseech
you as strangers. That's what they're called strangers.
God's people are strangers. They're not strangers to God.
This is life eternal that they might know they, he said before
I formed you in the belly, I knew you. Only those who are not his people
will hear him say, depart from me, I never knew you. So they're
not strange to God, but they are strangers to this world. Strangers to the world. Turn
back a few pages to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 verse 13. 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, those who are called
out of darkness into light, that's how they are evidenced in this
world. They're strangers to it. Strangers. Now here's the question,
and here's the title of this message. Are you a strange person? Are you a strange person? Are we some of God's strange
people? Go back to our text, we'll find
out. 1 Peter 2, verse 9 says, But you are a chosen generation. I have some serious questions.
Serious questions. Do you really believe that God
chose a people? Do you really believe that? Because the world doesn't. This world does not. I mean the world. I don't care
what religion it is. The world does not. Down deep
in your heart, do you honestly believe, where nobody else can
hear, you don't have to put on a show for anybody. In your own
heart, do you believe that God chose who He would save before
the foundation of the world? You really believe that? If you
do, that's strange. That is strange, that is peculiar.
Verse 9 goes on to say, a royal priesthood and holy nation. Do you really believe that God
the Father choosing to put you in Christ The fact that God the Father
chose to lay hold of you and put you in Christ. Do you really
believe that that has made you holy and without blame before
him in love? You see yourself, you see me,
I see me. You see what we do, you see how
we are, you see what this heart feels and what this mouth says
and what this mind thinks. Do you really believe in your
heart that the fact that God chose to put you in Christ makes
you absolutely holy and without blame before Him in love? You really believe that you stand
that way right now? Right now. You are as holy before
God right now as you will ever be. Do you really believe that? Do you really believe that you
are complete in Him? The world doesn't believe that.
The world does not believe that. The world believes you are almost
complete in Him. There's just one final thing
you have to do to put that period behind the word complete. And
then they all differ on what that one final thing is. That's
the difference in religion. All religion believes, Christian
religion believes, you're almost there. Christ did 99% of the
work for you. And then they got that one little
thing to put the period at the end of it. Do you really believe?
that you are totally, totally complete in Him. Do you believe that you are sanctified,
washed, clean, justified, redeemed by what He has already accomplished? Do you really, really, really
believe It's finished. If you really believe that, that's
strange. That's strange to the world. 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 were
in total darkness? I mean total darkness, absolute
depravity, total depravity of sin, complete ruin, dead. Dead in sin. Do you really believe
that your flesh is as blind as this word says it is? Darkness. Do you really believe that your
flesh is as dead as this word says it is? Total darkness. No light. No life. Helpless, hopeless, worthless. Do you really believe that? Strange. That's strange. Turn with me
over 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 host 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 let me ask all of us this.
Do we honestly believe that He is absolutely, sovereignly in
control over all things? Ordering, bringing to pass every
single thing that happens, whether we see it to be a good thing
or a bad thing. If a hurricane wipes out an entire
city, do we really believe that God did that in His absolute
power and control and sovereign will and purpose? Do we really
believe that? What about the things directly
concerning us? Do we really believe that our
life and our breath and our health and our days are in His hands? Do we really believe that everything
that happens to us is for the purpose of good? Do we really
believe that? I know that the flesh will jump
in. The flesh always jumps up first. The old man always pops
up first. Oh, this is terrible. This is
awful. And then the new man comes in. That new man. Do we really believe that every
single thing that he is doing is for the purpose of good? Do
we honestly believe that the judge of the earth can only do
right? Even if he throws us in prison.
We were reading about Paul this morning. There he sat in prison.
Even if he throws us in prison, could we honestly say from the
heart, I'm the prisoner of Jesus Christ, like Paul did? Could we honestly believe, with
Paul, he did this for the furtherance of the gospel? He's in sovereign
control over this. It's all for good. It's all for
his people. It's all for the furtherance
of the gospel. Last Thursday, I was listening to a message
by Brother Henry. And in that message, he made
this statement. The message was from 2002. He said, not long ago, I preached
a funeral for the wife of a pastor. And he said she was young, and
she had young children, and he was talking about my mother. And he said, I don't know why
things like this happen. I don't know why they happen.
He said, but I made this statement in the message. I remember it.
It stood out to me. I've never forgotten it. And
I just heard him say this Thursday. He said, I made this statement
in the message. He said, I believe it so. This is somehow for the
furtherance of the gospel. Now. I believe that with all
my heart. I believe it with all my heart,
you know. Had my mother not died, I don't
believe for one minute I would be standing here. I don't believe
for one minute. I am telling you with all the
confidence of the Word of God, whatever is going on in your
life right now, whatever it seems to the flesh, whether it's a
good thing or a bad thing, whatever it is, it's for the furtherance
of the Gospel. Everything that you are going
through is for the calling out of another sheep. You may be
going through some hard things, But a sheep is going to be called. This earth is going to keep rotating
until the last sheep is called. And once that happens, there's
no point in this place anymore. And every single thing that happens
is ordered, it is perfect. It's good. It's for the furtherance
of this message and it's for the calling out of God's sheep. The judge of the earth is doing
right. Can't we honestly say that? Can't
we with a sincere heart of that new man say with Job, can't we
say this with Job? I mean, let the old man sit down
for just a minute. Let's talk to the new man for
just a second. Can't we say with Job in the new man, Though He
slay me, yet will I trust Him." Can't the new man say that? The world hears that and they
think, how strange! Even if He kills you, you'll
trust Him? Even if He takes away all your
health and all your wealth and all your happiness, you would
still trust Him? Strange. Strange. When it comes to religion, when
it comes to worship, God's people don't want to have anything to
do with crosses. They don't want to have anything to do with crosses
and nativity scenes and all that stuff. They're idols. They are
graven images. Graven images and we don't worship. You know, you go, where do you
not see a cross? I mean, everywhere you drive
down the interstate, there's three, there's three, there's
three. We don't worship the cross. We worship the Christ of the
cross. God said, don't make them, don't
hang them on your wall, so we don't. We don't do it. But the
world comes in and they say, you mean to tell me you don't
have any crosses in your church? That's strange. Y'all are strange. When it comes to our own personal
ambitions, What we desire for ourselves. I mean, what the heart of the
new man really wants for himself. This is what we strive for. Look
with me at John 3. John 3 verse 30 says, He must
increase. But I must decrease. Here is the aim for all of God's
people. This is what we're hoping to
attain. We're working towards it and working towards it. Maybe
one day God will let us attain it. I must decrease. I must decrease. I must decrease. I must decrease. The world hears
that and says, what? You must decrease. That is so opposite from the
world. Could you imagine financial advisors
advertising for your business? They have an ad on TV, an ad
pops up on the internet. How to decrease your net worth? Could you imagine that? What? I'm sorry, what? You come to
us and we will teach you how to lower your own worth. Psychiatrists offering a program. How to lower your self-esteem. What? Physical trainers trying to get
people to sign up for their workout class. Weaker and weaker. How
to grow weaker in the flesh? That would be insane. We would
see that as insane. That's so peculiar, that's so
strange. Let me ask each one of us this
question. Honestly, standing before God. We're going to stand
in the presence of the Almighty God. Standing before God, what
do you want? I mean your own heart's desire,
your personal heart's desire. What do you want to happen to
your own self-worth as you stand there? You're standing before the Almighty.
How do you want to esteem yourself as you stand there? How much
strength do you want to have in your own flesh as you stand
there? If this is the honest answer
in your heart, I want to stand there personally bankrupt. I don't want to have any self-worth. I want to cry, not unto me, O
Lord, not unto me. I have no soundness in this flesh. I'm not able. No ability in myself. No strength. All I can do is
fall at your feet, crying, God be merciful to this worthless,
helpless sinner. If that honestly, I mean honestly,
is your answer, You are a strange person. You are one of God's
peculiar people. In verse 10, back in our text,
is written to you. Go back over in our text. We'll
close with this. Read verse 9, actually. Let's
read both of them. 1 Peter 2, verse 9. 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, 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. You've obtained mercy. God has
shown mercy to you. Good news. This gospel is good
news for peculiar people. Let's all stand together.