Wherefore, laying aside all malice,
and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may
grow thereby. If so be ye have tasted that
the Lord is gracious. To whom coming as unto a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious,
He also, as lively stones or living stones, are built up a
spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore, also it is contained
in Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect,
precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
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 this stone is
a stone of stumbling people stumble over and a rock of offense even
to them which stumble at the word being disobedient Now listen
to this, were unto also they were appointed to do these things. Stumble at the word, be offensive
at Christ, being disobedient to God's word, God said they
were appointed to this. But now listen to the difference
here. But ye 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 yet have not obtained mercy,
but have now obtained mercy. It says there in verse 9, 1 Peter 2.9 But you are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, a 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. I want to talk about God's peculiar
people. There's another place where it
talks about us being peculiar over Titus chapter 2, you know the Lord, you know that
He purchased us and made us a peculiar people. This word peculiar has
two meanings. First it means a prized possession. Prized possession, we're God's
prized possession. That's what it says in the margin,
purchased. prized possession. We're God's
prized possession. His people are His prized possession.
And the second meaning of it is, is that it's strange, out
of the ordinary, different. And I say that describes us both
ways. We're God's prized possession.
He loves His people, purchased us, bought us. And then also
because we are God's elect and He's called us out of darkness
into His marvelous light, we are a strange and out of the
ordinary kind of people. We certainly are that. But if
someone were to ask you to describe God's people and their experiences
in this life, what would your answer be? I asked two preachers
this. One of them said, well, I would
describe them by the Beatitudes. And now Lord Jesus, the first
thing he said, blessed are the poor in spirit. Second thing,
blessed are they that mourn. Blessed are they that pure in
heart. And then I asked another preacher, and you know what he
said? He said, if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord
is gracious. God's people have tasted the
grace of the Lord. So they both gave two different
descriptions. But they both were right. They
both were right. And you know God's church is
made up of individuals. Individuals. They all have different
personalities. Different backgrounds. Different
degrees of education. Many of us were raised in different
places under lots and lots of different
circumstances. But I know this, I know this
about each and every one that's in God's church, no matter where
they're at. Whether they're here or someplace else. Every one
of them, they know that they're not perfect. They know that in
their flesh dwells no good thing. They have no confidence in their
flesh at all. They don't have any confidence.
Tell you something else that I know about them. They don't
never glory in self. They will not glory in themselves.
They'll glory in the Lord Jesus Christ. They'll glory in His
grace. They'll glory in His goodness.
They'll glory in His mercy. They'll glory in anything but
themselves. Another thing I know about them,
they're not braggarts. They're not boasters. They're
not. What they got to brag about?
What they got to boast about? When our Lord Jesus Christ said,
without me, you can do nothing. So I know they're not braggarts.
I know they're not boasters. Tell you something else I know
about them. They don't trust their own hearts.
They don't trust their own hearts. They may trust somebody else
more than they trust themselves in their own hearts. Because
they know that their heart is deceitful. A man that trusts
in his own heart, the scripture says, is a fool. Is a fool. And
that's why we say, Lord, you know. You know. You know when
people say, well, God knows my heart. That's exactly right. Most people that say that, they're
trying to justify themselves for something that they've done.
But we know that God truly, truly knows our heart. Tell you something
else I know about them. They know that they have no abilities except what
God gave them. If they know anything, God taught
them. If they have anything, God gave it to them. And if they
learn anything, God's got to teach them. And they don't delight
in anything they know or anything that they do. They delight in
glory and God's blessed grace. And here's something else about
it, but I know that they're every one of them strangers and pilgrims
in this world. We're truly strangers in this
world. We're pilgrims, we're just passing
through. You know, David said, I'm a stranger
with thee, O Father. David said, you know, said, God,
you're in this world and your world don't know yet.
You came unto your own and your own didn't even receive you.
He said, you're a stranger here. You're a stranger and I'm a stranger
with you. And beloved, we're strangers
and pilgrims here and we're full of wonder, absolute full of wonder
that God is not ashamed to be called our God. That Christ is
not ashamed to call us brethren. And in dealing with the Lord's
people in this world, I know this and you know I just made
friends with a couple of new people and they both started
telling us experience. Everything you know how God brought
them to Christ, how He brought them to grace. And God in dealing
with His people in this world moves in their heart by the Holy
Spirit and works in their hearts, works in their souls. And bring
them through experiences, experiences that distinguish them, make them
different from just religionists in this world, from people who
just attend church because it's the thing to do. And in my conversation
with them, with all different saints over the years, I've learned
by hearing what they tell me about their pilgrim's journey,
that they are different. They know that they're purchased
and prized God's possession, but they also know that they're
strange and different out of the ordinary. And this is what
I learned when talking with them and dealing with different people
over the years and myself. But they in their hearts and
minds, they have pretty much the same story. You know God
brought us all to Christ. We got to say that. He brought
us by grace. We got to say that. He brought
us to nothing. We got to say that. He brought
us to we don't trust ourselves. We have to say that. So we pretty much have the same
story. And have the same things that
make us peculiar. And I've got three or four little
points I want to deal with today. Here's my first one. I know this
about God's people. These peculiar people. They're
satisfied with God as He is. And to know Him as He is. Not like they think He is. Not
like they hope He is. And certainly not like themselves.
You know Isaiah says this, he's the high and lofty one who inhabits
eternity. Here we are, we're in time. And I'm only occupying this space
right here. I can't occupy no more space.
You know, somebody get here beside me and we'd all got toothpaste.
And we're bound by time. We look at our watches to see
what time it is. I look to see how long I'm preaching.
But I know this, that God inhabits eternity. How long is eternity? There's no beginning and there's
no end. Well, that's where God inhabits.
You think of the heavens as far up as you can see and they go
out in them spaceships and go all the way around. And around
and around and around. But God is so far beyond that. Eternity. He inhabits it. He dwells there. That's where
He belongs. He inhabits eternity. And we
know this. Whatever God pleased to do in
heaven, in earth, in the seas, in all deep places, that pleased
Him. And we're just as happy as if
we had good sense that He's that way. We know that God does according
to His will. In the armies of heaven, that's
all the angels. And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing. He does according to His will.
in the armies of heaven, and among the sons of men, who can
reach out and stay His hand, or say, what are you doing? What
are you doing? You can't do that. To hear somebody
say they can stop God's will. If you can stop the earth moving,
you can stop God's will. If you can stop the sun coming
up, you can stop God's will. If you can stop the moon coming
up when it's full, you can stop God's will. Listen, He works all things out
to the counsel of His own will. You know, these people, these
peculiar people, they love and delight and rejoice in the God
of predestination and the God of purpose. God's a God of predestination. I mean, there's nothing that
happens that He didn't predestinate for it to happen. Anybody want
to dispute that? I mean everything that ever happens
in time, God caused it to happen. And you know why it happened?
Because He declared what was going to be the end before He
ever started the beginning. And He said, I'll do all my pleasure
and work all things after the pleasure of my own will. Look
in Isaiah 14 with me. Isaiah 14. Oh, we love God the
way He is. And I don't know how many people
have told me, said, oh my God, my God's not like your God. Well,
if He's not like this, He certainly isn't. He's not like the one
I'm describing. He certainly isn't. Look what
it said here in Isaiah 14 and verse 24. The Lord of Hosts has sworn. God's swearing? You know why
He says things like that? Because He cannot swear by any
greater. And that's what we'll say. You
know, we'll say, I swear by this and I swear by that. God said,
I swear by myself. Cause he couldn't swear by anything
greater. Saying, surely as I have thought. Now he accommodates
us to our way of thinking. Surely as I have thought. Now
God never had a thought. He don't have to think. But he's
speaking to where we can understand it. So shall it come to pass. And as I have purposed, so shall
it stand. Look down at verse 27. For the
Lord of hosts, this is that host, you know that army is in heaven.
For the Lord of hosts has purposed. And who shall disannul it? Who's
going to undo it? And his hand is stretched out.
Who's going to turn it back? Huh? Oh, we delight. We delight. We're satisfied with
God. Oh, I love God the way He is. Ain't you? And what is so distasteful
to the mind of the world and the minds of religionists and
lost religionists but brings peace, brings blessedness to
the hearts and minds of God's people is to know God as He is. Oh, they can't, you know, the
world can't stand God being God. They can't stand Him not being
able to control Him. But oh, what the world hates,
we delight in. What the world despises is our
blessedness. What the world says, oh, I can't
stand a God like that. We say, oh this is the only God
I want to know. It's the only God I want to bow
to. It's the only God I want to worship. Huh? I tell you what,
let me ask you this. If it took changing God to save
one soul that you know, would you change Him? If you could change Him, then
He's not God. Huh? And though they're satisfied
to know God and to know Him as He is, they tell you this, they're
never satisfied with how much they know about Him. Are you? You ever satisfied how much you
know about Him? Though we know Him, We desire to know more of
Him. That's why we're here today.
Look with me over in Job. Job, that's that book right before
the Psalms. Look over here in Job chapter
9. Look what Job says here about God. You know, though we know
Him and satisfied with Him as He is and to know Him as He is,
yet we're never satisfied with how much we know about Him. Though we know him, we desire
to know more. Look what Job said here. Chapter 11, excuse me, I said
chapter 9, I meant chapter 11. In verse 9, I'm sorry. Listen to this. Canst thou by
searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty
unto perfection? It is as high as heaven, what
canst thou do? Deeper than hell, what can you
know? The measure thereof, the knowledge
of God, the measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader
than the sea. Now, how much of that do you
know? And let me show you this in Romans
11. Romans 11 you keep first Peter now Romans 11. Oh My this
just this just blesses my heart so I'm so thankful God the way
he is I'm grateful. He's not anything like me at
all Look what he said here in Romans 11 verse 33 Oh The depth of the riches both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God how deep is God's knowledge how deep is
God's wisdom how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways
past finding out who hath known the mind of the Lord who's ever
been his counselor or who hath first given to him and God has
to turn around and pay you for it For of Him and through Him
and to Him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. Oh my. Don't you want to know more about
Him? Oh, I want to know more about Him. Let me tell you something. And I know you found this to
be so. Worship, worship is most pure. Joy is most full. Humility is the greatest. When
we're contemplating God and thinking about God and considering in
our minds and we realize He's incomprehensible, then we say,
Oh God. That's when your worship is the
most pure. It just overwhelms you. You get to thinking about
God. What He's done for you and how
His grace is and how His mercy is and how He keeps you and how
He preserves you. And you begin to think about
His eternity and His power. How He come to us and how He
rebuild us. And you get to thinking about that and your mind just
says, oh that's incomprehensible. And then your heart just worships.
Your heart just bows down before Him. And all you can say is,
oh God, who's a God like unto you. who's a god like unto you
but I tell you this that God who is figured out who can be
figured out and understood is just not fit to worship he's
not fit to worship a God who is It's like a man is not a God
at all. Henry Man you say he's a little
peanut God. He rolls around just like a peanut
in a boxcar. That's the way the God of this
day is. He's like a peanut in a boxcar. Can roll him all over
the place. But boy this God that I'm talking
about, you can't manipulate him. You can't make him do things
you don't want him to do. You can't change his mind. You
can't change his will. You can't change his dealings
with you. You can't change one eye out of your hair. He said he counts the numbers
of the hairs on your head. Oh, I love him the way he is,
don't you? And oh, what comfort, what assurance for weak creatures
like us is that he cannot change. You know what he said? He said,
I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob,
you're not consumed because I don't ever change. Jesus Christ the
same today, yesterday, and forever. Rest your soul in that. Rest
your heart in that. Oh, He is great and glorious
in His being. Oh, in His wisdom, and in His
power, and in His grace. I'll tell you something else
that makes these people peculiar, is they are not only satisfied
with God the way He is, And that to know Him the way He is and
wouldn't change Him under no circumstances. But they're not
satisfied with how much they know about Him and they want
to know more. This is another thing that makes them peculiar.
They're satisfied with the way, the way He makes Himself known.
And you know the way He makes Himself known? In His Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's the way He makes Himself
known. How are we going to know this God? How are we going to
know this God? When he said unsearchable. His
ways were passed on and out. That his heights are higher than
the heavens and his depths are higher and deeper than the sea.
You can't measure it. There's a verse of scripture.
I've just seen it this morning. I've always quoted it kind of
wrong. But John 1.18 says this. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son. Now listen
to this. I used to say He was in the bosom
of the Father. But it says who is in the bosom
of the Father has revealed Him. How are you going to know God?
Through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You know it tells us,
look over here in Colossians. I'm having you look a lot of
places. But you know this is, just go to your left until you
find Colossians. And then look here in chapter
1. You know, He is the image of the invisible
God. And He is the fullness, the fullness
of God. God dwells bodily, bodily in
the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look what it says here in verse
15. Now it says, you know, Moses
endured us seeing Him who is invisible. Now we're talking
about the Lord Jesus here, who is the image. of the invisible
God. Now you're talking about an image.
I see images when I look at you. You have a body. I can see you. You're not a shadow. You're not
a picture. You're a reality. You're people.
Well God become a person and his image who is invisible could
be seen in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. No more shadows,
no more pictures, who is the image of the invisible creature,
invisible God. For by Him, listen to this, were
all things created. Well, what about what's going
on today? What does it say? By Him, all things are created. Huh? That are in heaven, everything
in heaven, all the angels, all the stars, all the sun, all the
moon, and that are in earth, everything on the earth created
by Him. Whether you can see them or whether
you can't, whether some king on a throne or somebody that
has dominion over a great kingdom, whether it's a principality,
like demons and like people with power. All things were created
by Him, and listen to this, for Him. and all my he is before
everything that ever was and by him everything that exists
and consists in this world consists by him and he's the head of the
body the church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead now
all that God is all that God is was revealed and manifested
in our Lord You want to know something about God's power?
It's in His Son. You want to know something about
God's purpose? It's in His Son. Sent Him to do a work. Did He
do that work? He said, it's finished. Huh? Did He want to know about God
being a God of love? Look how much He loved that He
gave His only Son. Look how much Christ loved having
loved his own which were in the world he loved them to the end
you know how much he loved him he said I'll never leave you
and I'll never forsake you you know Paul said he loved me he
loved me and gave himself for me oh my you want to talk about grace
grace oh the grace of Christ How gracious
was He to give life to the dead, to give sight to the blind, to
cause the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, devils to leave, to
calm the relements, calm the power, and take sinners unto
Himself, and let them sit down with Him, let them eat with Him,
let them lean their breasts on Him, let them speak to Him. Let them deny Him and yet His
grace and love refuse to let them go. Oh my, you want to talk
about grace? You want to talk about salvation?
Salvation by the will and power of Christ. If there is salvation for anybody,
God said He put it all in His Son. Look unto Me and be saved. No man can come unto the Father
but by Me. When the Holy Spirit comes, He's
going to tell you about Me. You want to see God's wisdom?
Oh, look at God's wisdom in Christ. God's wisdom in Christ. In all
His Son. The wisdom of God that's in Him. Not as a sinner, but as God manifest
in the flesh. That He sent Him down here so
that He can bear the wrath and judgment and justice of God and
bear the sins of all His people for all time and eternity. And
then God punished Him and He turned around and justifies us,
everyone that looks to Christ alone and says, they're not guilty,
they don't have no sin anymore. Oh, the wisdom of God in Christ. All are seen only and completely
in Him. And everyone that's in Him is
complete in Him. Perfect in Him. Now let me tell
you, I will say the same thing. Oh, we're satisfied with the
way God made Himself known. To His Son, by His Son, because
of His Son. And we're satisfied with the
Lord Jesus Christ, yet not satisfied with our knowledge of Him. Let
me show you what Paul said over in Philippians. You know, we
just go to your left to find Philippians, look in chapter
3. You know, We're not sad, we're satisfied
with every way God made himself known in his blessed son. But
are you satisfied with how much you know about him? Huh? Oh my. Look what Paul said here
in verse 8. Yea, doubtless. I count all things
that ever I did, ever I knew, all the accomplishments that
I had before Christ revealed Himself to me. I recount all
things but loss so I can have the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord. And I suffered the loss of all
things. I count everything that I've ever had before, just loss.
And I said, and you know what, I count them, I count them done.
Why? That I may win Christ. What do
we mean by winning Christ? He's the prize. He's the finish
line. He's the reward. He's everything. And then look what He says. And
then I want to be found in Him. I don't want to be found having
my own righteousness. Oh no, I want to be found in
Him. I don't want to have nothing to do with the law. But that
which is through the faith of Christ. And you notice that not
our faith in Christ, but the faith of Christ and His faithfulness.
And the righteousness of God that's in faith. I want to know
Him. I want to be found in Him. And then that I may know Him.
And the power of His resurrection. Oh my. I want to be made conformable. to his sufferings. Oh my, I want
to be so like him that he'll someday make me just like himself
and take me to himself. If by any means I might attain,
oh I want to attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Now
listen to what he says here. Not as though I'd already arrived,
already attained. I'm not already perfect either. But you know what? I'm going
after it. I'm following after it. What
are you falling after for, Paul? I want to apprehend. I want to
be able to apprehend in my mind, in my heart, in my soul why Christ
apprehended me. And brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended. I haven't got it yet. I don't
understand it yet. I haven't got it all yet. But
this one thing I do. forgetting those things which
are behind, reaching, reaching, way out yonder, reaching, all
the time reaching forth unto those things which are before.
I press toward the mark, listen to this, for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus. You know, we look to Him. We've always looked to Him. We
were saved by looking to Him. The Father taught us, and everyone
that's been taught and learned of Him, they come unto Him. They
continue by looking to Him, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith. And we'll finally, finally, plum,
be saved by looking for His appearing. More about Jesus? Let me learn. more of his holy will discern. Spirit of God, Spirit of God,
my teacher be, showing, showing the things of Christ to me. More
about Jesus on his throne, riches in glory all his own. More of
his kingdoms sure increase. More of his coming Prince of
Peace. More of his saving fullness see. More of his love who died for
me. Let me tell you something else
that makes these people peculiar. They are a contradiction to themselves. You feel like you are a contradiction
to yourself? We're fleshly and yet we're spiritual men at
the same time. We contend with this flesh and
yet we're spiritual at the same time. How in the world can that
be? How can that be? We're a saint,
God calls us that, separated ones, and yet we're sinners. Paul says that that I would do,
oh I want to do this, I don't do. And when would I do good,
you know what happens? Evil comes right there present
with me. And what I wouldn't do, I just
wouldn't do that. That's what I do. And that that I hate, that's
what I do. so I see that in me in my flesh
dwells no good thing but thanks be unto God for giving us his blessed son
the next verse says there's there for no condemnation to them that
are in Christ Jesus you know we rejoice in our standing
before God and mourn, mourn over our state in this world. We come
boldly, boldly to the throne of grace, come boldly to where
God's glory is, yet keep our place down before Him as sinners. We stand confidently, confidently
in the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ and yet We know that we're
the weakest creature that ever lived. And a believer, a believer feels
like there's two of him. There's two of him. There's the
public person. That's what we see. That's what
you see out here in public. That's what you see when we're
all together. That's that public person. And then there's that
private person. And he hopes, hopes no one ever
learns what he is privately. What he is in his mind, what
he is in his heart, what he is in his will, and what he is in
his affections. He hopes that nobody ever sees
what he is privately. Oh, he wonders at himself that
at times he could be so cold, so cold, dead in prayer, so lifeless
in hearing. How could my heart be so hard? How could I be so emotionless
at times? How could I be that way? He mourns
over the lack of his interest in holy things. But yet he refuses
to quit seeking after them no matter how cold he is. The only
person who mourns over a hard heart is people who've got a
heart that God gave them in Christ. They surprise themselves sometimes
by their attitudes. Oh, I can't believe I did that.
I can't believe I had an attitude like that. Oh, they surprise
themselves by their corruption and their hypocrisies. But they never surprise God.
Never surprise Him. Never surprise Him. I will tell you a truth about
something. All day yesterday and all night
last night I kept saying, boy I wish I had a preacher here
this morning. I wish I had somebody to preach for me. Why in the world God would put
me in the ministry and keep me in the ministry is a mystery
to me. You just don't know how awful I am. You just don't know.
You just don't have a clue. You just don't know how weak,
how insufficient, how corrupt and what a hypocrite I am. What
a liar. What a liar. What a phony. Oh, we're a contradiction to
ourselves. Yeah, they're a contradiction to themselves alright. They can
weep and laugh at the same time. They can have sorrow and joy
at the same time. They stand fast, but yet they're
always pressing forward. They're fearful, but yet they
believe. They absolutely have nothing,
nothing, yet they possess all things. They're empty, And yet they know in Christ they're
full. They're hungry, but yet they're
satisfied. And how thankful, how thankful
I am to know these people of God, these peculiar people. You
know why? Because they're just like me.
I'm not in this thing by myself. I'm not alone. They may mourn
over having little faith, but they wouldn't trade their faith
for anyone else's. They may be weak, feel like unbelief
is going to destroy you, and yet you have faith. A believer is no longer in unbelief,
but unbelief is still in a believer. You never feel you have enough
of faith, never. Never feel it's strong enough. Sometimes you look at others
and you envy their faith, but would you trade your faith for
theirs? No matter how little it is and
how little you may think you have and sometimes you feel like
you don't have any at all. You know God gave it to you.
You know that Christ is it's object. And you know that it's real.
It makes God who is invisible visible. And all by faith you know that
God knows you. The Lord knows them that are
His. Knows them that are His. Job
said, the Lord knows the way that I take. And I tell you, let me show you
this in Romans 8. Let me show you this in Romans
8. You know, we're more than conquerors
and overcomers. How can we be more than conquerors
and overcomers the way I just described it? I'll tell you how. Look here in verse 35. They're all overcomers and they're
all conquerors. How? By the love and blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Now, not us from our love from
Christ, but Christ's love for us. Who's going to separate us
from that love that Christ has for us? Listen to this. Will
tribulation do it? Oh, we've all been tried. Oh,
we've been tried sometimes. So, we got to know some have
been tried greatly right now. Will distress or being distressed
not know which way to go, being persecuted, not having no food,
not having no clothes, being in peril or having to face a
sword? Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors, more than conquerors through Him that loved
us. Oh my! Whatever comes our way,
we conquer it. And he says, listen to this now,
I'm persuaded, I'm convinced that death, my death, child's
death, mother's death, a dad's death, a wife's death, a husband's
death, will not separate me from the love of Christ. Life will
do it. Life won't do it. It's like that
man says, well, I married a wife. But he never did know Christ. If you believe him, you never
knew him. Nor angels. There's not an angel that can
separate you from Christ. There's not a government. There's
not a principalities. There's not any power. There's
not anything that's happening right now. And there's some awful
things happening in our world right now. And anything to come. I mean we got things to come
yet that we ain't ever experienced and we're going to experience
them. And I don't care how high it is. I don't care how low it
is. I don't care what creature it
is. They shall not be able to separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus. You know what it says in Revelation
12.11? It says, they overcame by the
blood of the Lamb. And the word of their testimony,
what's the word of their testimony? Christ is all in it all. And
the last thing I'll say is this. It's what makes them real peculiar.
They truly, truly love one another. And are involved, involved They
love Christ. They love His people. They love
gathering with Him. They love the gospel. They're
involved in this business called Christianity. It's not a pretense. It's not a play. It's not play
in church. This is real to us. And we truly
love one another. Huh? They passed from death unto
life. How do we know? They love the
brethren. Huh? They weep with them that
weep. Rejoice with them that rejoice,
mourn with them that mourn. They can just think of a brother
or sister when they think about them and it warms their heart.
And they get strength and encouragement just thinking about them. And
no wonder Paul said when he saw the brethren. He took courage
to see a brother blessed. To see a brother blessed as if
you yourself were blessed. And to see them fall grieves
you as if you yourself fell. Did anything I say make any sense
to you today? Is this you? I know it's me. Will not be ashamed, will not
be confounded. Is this the way you feel? Oh,
how different, how different God's people are to the world
and how different they are to just religion. And I believe any of us would
gladly, gladly take the Lord's place and be nothing and be nobody
if God would just allow us to be numbered with his people for
truly they're precious they're precious and they're peculiar
I want to be numbered among God's people Our Father, in the precious name
of our Lord. Lord, we come to you to know more about you, to learn
you. You have to be our teacher. You'll
have to be our instructor. You'll have to be the one that
works in our heart. You'll have to be the one that
opens our understanding. You'll have to be the one And
yet, Lord, you put it in us to always seek you, to always want
you, to always desire you, to always need you, to always look
not on the things of ourselves, but on the things of others. Lord, truly, truly, you are a
gracious, good, blessed God. to save and keep a people like
ourselves. Bring glory to yourself through
each and every one of us here and do it for Christ's sake.
Amen. Amen. Let's sing that more about
Jesus.