Chapter 2, 1 Peter. Let's read verses 9 and 10. Scripture 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." Amen. Let's go home. Now, for those of you who were here Wednesday night and heard the message on a separated people, this will sound somewhat familiar. The subject in the text is a peculiar people. Peculiar people. That one line struck me when I read it again for the umpteenth time. It struck me. Peculiar people. God's true people. God's people are sometimes called saints. That's a blessed name. Believers, disciples, Christians. But here they're called a peculiar people, and they are indeed a peculiar people, meaning an oddity in this world, an oddity. Now, before we look at what makes them or us a peculiar people, let's look at the rest of these things. He says in verse 9, you are a chosen generation. Now once again, let me remind you who this is speaking to. God's people. His elect. Look at chapter 1. Go back to chapter 1. A chosen generation. These peculiar people have been chosen. We're going to see this is the first thing that makes them peculiar. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers, not strangers to God, but strangers to the world, pilgrim, sojourner, strangers. In verse 2 it says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification, that is, set apart of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied." Grace of God to you, peace to you who have been chosen or elected by God from before the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God. That is, God knew them, loved them before the world began. That is what Scripture says over and over again. Ephesians 1, 2 Thessalonians 2, 13 and other places. Their names, these loved of God, these chosen, these elect of God, their names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life, again, from the foundation of the world. Revelation 17, verse 8. And they have been set apart, sanctified by the Spirit of God, called, regenerated by God's Word, by God's truth, by the gospel unto obedience. Obedience of the faith. They believe God's obedience of conduct in life, like obedient children, but especially the obedience of Christ himself. And the sprinkling of blood applied. Christ's blood applied to them. Everyone whom God chose, Christ died for and shed his precious blood to redeem their soul. That's who this is talking to. Back in chapter 2 now. Back in chapter 2 it says, so you're a chosen generation. Generation means regeneration. A new creature, new people. A regeneration, a new life, new people. A chosen generation. All of Christ's people are His generation. From Abel on. They're His generation, His seed, His family. A chosen generation. So that's the first thing he says. that you're chosen. And he says, and you're a royal priesthood. Verse 9. A royal priesthood. Look at Revelation 5 with me real quickly. Revelation 5. Just a couple dozen pages over. Revelation 5. Verses 9 and 10. Amazingly, same verse. Verse 9, they sung a new song. This is the people of God in glory right now. This is what they're doing right now. They're doing what we're doing, but they're doing it perfectly. They're saying what we're saying, but they're saying it from the heart. with no sin, no weariness, no flesh. Right now, that's what they're doing. Verse 9, they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us unto our God kings and priests. And we shall reign on the earth, kings and priests, a royal priesthood. You see that? Kings and priests, a royal priesthood. Christ is the King, capital K. King of kings, isn't he? Born king, crowned king, declared king, set king on God's holy hill of Zion. Who made him king? God did. God declared him to be King of kings and Lord of lords, that is sovereign Lord. The king's heart is in the hands of our king. And all his people that come from him, all those that come from his royal seed, they were born. You remember the story of the new birth we looked at, was it last Sunday? And you know, the seed and so forth, you remember that? Well, Christ, when He hung on that cross, it says, and when He died, the soldier took a spear and pierced His side. And what came out? Blood and water, just like a woman giving birth to a child. That's what comes out. And not just blood and water came out of that riven side, but a people. A seed, a holy seed, a royal seed. Sons of God. Sons of the Most High God. Who has made us that? Christ did. No longer servants, but sons. So Christ is the king and all his people that come from his side, from his loins, the second Adam, are sons of the king, princes. Christ is the great high priest, isn't he? He is the great high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. My Levitical The tribe of Judah. King of Salem. Here's another footnote. Jenny, you said that was a blessing to you about Melchizedek. Melchizedek was also a king. He wasn't just a high priest. He was a king. King of Salem. What's that mean? Salem. Peace. King of peace. King, priest. That's Christ. He's a great high priest. He's the king and all of God's people. are princes born of Him, born little kings, and priests unto God. He's made us priests unto God. What do priests do? There's one high priest, isn't there? One great high priest who alone can go into the Holy of Holies and do that work and be accepted by God, right? Who's that? Christ. But the priests, the common priests, who again were born that way, made that way by God. They ministered about the sanctuary, about the tabernacle, bread, cutting wood. It was all unto God, but it was common, ordinary things. It was all unto God, service to the high priest. And we're made priests unto God, common priests. But it goes a little further than that, because he rent the veil. Our great high priest, unlike the old one, rent the veil in two, and we, common though we be, pray, can come right into the Holy of Holies. Not to offer a sacrifice. No, no, no, no, no. That's already been made. It's already been made. But the sacrifice of our living. A great high praise. So, he says there, you're a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Oh, I was going to have you turn to Isaiah 1 that says, ah, sinful nation. God says of Israel, there at the very beginning, at the outset, John, he calls them a bunch of, from the crown of their head to the sole of their feet, he says there's no soundness in them. Ah, sinful nation. And Moses kept reminding them of that all their journey through the world, didn't he? He kept reminding them. He said, God didn't put His love upon you because you're better than anyone else, because you're more than anyone else, because of your righteousness. He said, you're a sinful people, a stiff-necked people. But God. This is why you're... God's people. This is what makes you to differ. This is why. Because God has chosen you. It pleased the Lord to make you His people. He gave Ethiopia for thy ransom. Egypt and Saba for thee. And you're a holy nation. Ah, sinful nation. Oh, holy nation. Was Israel holy? More holy than... What made them holy? God death. He declared them to be so. Oh, holy nation. Well, now look at this. He says in verse 9, and this is our text here, a peculiar people. A peculiar people. The word peculiar means unusual. The word peculiar means special. The word peculiar means a purchased acquisition. Peculiar. A peculiar people. Would you turn quickly with me to Exodus 19? You know, the Lord says this several times throughout. His word, Exodus 19, peculiar. Peculiar people. Peculiar people. Unusual. Special. Purchased. Acquisition. Now, here's the thing that makes God's people peculiar. Unusual. Special. It's not them. It's not in and of them. Like I said, Israel, God reminded them, I didn't choose you because you were better. But what made them peculiar was God chose them. Look at this, Exodus 19, verses 3 through 6. Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mount, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob. Now, he's saying this to you, if you're looking at it. And tell the children of Israel, tell them this. This is what God is saying to you, Brother Stan. Tell them all this. Tell the sons of Jacob this. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and someday we are going to see what God is going to do to this world. We are going to watch it and behold it. You have seen that. The Israelites saw what God did to the Egyptians and they knew, should have remembered, it should have happened to them. And how? You tell them, remind them how I bear you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, keep my covenant. Christ said, Who is it that loveth me? He that keepeth my word, my commandment. Then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. to all the earth is mine." A peculiar people. What makes God's people peculiar? Because they are God's peculiar choice. This is the first thing that makes them very peculiar. They are God's peculiar treasure. Stay with me. I know you've heard this before. I have too, because I said it. But let me give you this illustration. It's still a good one. A treasure is something you keep as, oh, I'm going to treasure that. Ever said that? Someone gives you something, you say, oh, I'll treasure that. Someone, whatever, paints you a picture or whatever, you say, oh, I'll treasure that because you did it for me. I'll treasure this forever. Peculiar treasure, God says, you're mine. Now they are peculiar because not many wise men, not many mighty, not many noble are called. This is what 1 Corinthians 1 says, you see your calling brethren, don't you? It's peculiar. God didn't choose the mighty, the high, the mighty, the noble, and so forth. God chose things that were not. God chose nobodies. God chose Not the noble, but the ignoble. Not the good. In one place in Romans, he says, now some would die for a good man, some might die. For a righteous man, some would die, but God commanded His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners. Not the high, not the mighty, not the noble, but the chief of sinners, the ungodly, the sinful. Would you turn to Romans 9 with me? How many times have you read Romans 9? Romans 9, turn over there. What if, now here's the illustration, what if a man entered a deep, dark coal mine, went down in a deep, dark coal mine full of dirty, filthy, black coal? Anybody in here ever been in a coal mine? Huh? It's a filthy place, isn't it? And you yourself will come out dirty. And what if this man went down in this deep, dark coal mine full of black coal, which is what? Dirt. It's just dust. That's all it is. And he comes out of that deep, dark mine, out into the light, bearing a lump of coal. And he says with delight, look what I've found. I'm going to keep this one for myself. I'm going to take this one home with me and treasure it forever. Now that's peculiar, isn't it? But look at it, it's a lump of coal, yep. But it's mine. But it's the same lump. It's of the same lump. But I've chosen. Don't you call unclean what I've chosen. And this is exactly what the Lord writes in Romans 9. Look at verse 21. It says, "...hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor?" Look what I've found. It didn't find me. I went down into a deep, dark cesspool called sin and iniquity. A dark world. And I found it. Lifted it up. Brought it to myself. I'm going to make this lump of clay my peculiar treasure. A vessel of honor. Now that's the first thing that makes us peculiar. God's peculiar choice. And we're going to say this throughout eternity. Why me? Because it pleased God. That's the first thing. And what if God willing to show his wrath, verse 22, to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted and made up to destruction? What's that saying, preacher? It's saying what you read. It's saying exactly what you read. Is it Potter or is it Clay? You see, here's the problem that men and women have. It's the same lump. It's all the same lump. None of them, all of them are sinners. We talk about God choosing the people. God is no respecter of persons. None of them are respectable. God doesn't accept are pleased with any of this lump, this mass of humanity, this sinful flesh, that which is flesh is flesh to God. And the amazing thing, now here's what's amazing, you know what diamond, they tell me, you know what a diamond is made of? This is what I hear. Coal. compressed coal. That's a good illustration, isn't it? A peculiar choice, and you see, this is going to redound to the glory of the One who chose it and His ability to transform them and conform them into a jewel in His crown. An old lump. a mass of sinful flesh and turn it into a son of God. Make a worm a glorious butterfly. It's going to take a metamorphosis in it, which only God can do. You see, the chief thing that makes God's people peculiar is that He chose them. And we'll never get away from that. He purchased them. Look what I found. I've paid. I'm going to lay down my life for this. I'm going to shed my precious blood for this worthless creature. That's our God. That's peculiar, isn't it? Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, listen to the rest of this verse, therefore the world knoweth us not. You just look like a lump of coal to me. You don't look any different to me. Well, it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know. And when he shall appear, we'll be like him. For we shall see him as he is. But behold, now are we the sons of God. Oh, you don't look any different to me. No, I look in the mirror, I don't see any difference either, but God does. God does. He sees that new creature in Christ, that diamond in the rough. Peculiar, see? A peculiar, an oddity. The world knows us not as it knew him not. He looks just like a man. He looks just like a man. That's Jesus. Who is it? Well, it's Jesus. Look at that tent down there. What's in there? What's so special about it? It looks like a brown tent to me. Yeah, it does. In a manner, it's common. I always have it. You go on inside. See, that's where you'll see the great difference. On the inside. So peculiar. And I'm having a hard time getting away from this. Peculiar because God chose him. You see, it's not our dress that makes us so peculiar, although the worse this world becomes, the more people like women are shamefaced and sober and people that are basically conservative and modest will appear to be very peculiar. But yet that's not what, because there's some people who dress very, very, very, very conservatively, thinking that they look real. They look peculiar. They do look peculiar, thinking they look holy to God. No. You see, God doesn't see as man sees. People are real impressed with that holy garb, but God didn't tell us to dress like that, did He? When our Lord came down here, He didn't dress like the high priests. Did he? But he was. He didn't wear dark clothing. He didn't look any different than anybody. He really didn't. He looked like a common man. But he wasn't. You're talking about a peculiarity. A holy man. You see, that tells us that holiness is not what we see or what we think. It's much deeper than skin. True beauty is more than skin deep. Alright, the peculiar beliefs of God's people. What makes them peculiar is their peculiar beliefs. We read Isaiah 43, and he said over there, and I was going to turn and look at each verse, but I will. We can't stand it. In a world where most human beings believe the exact same way. That's true. Especially this nation. Most religious people believe the exact same way about God. Exact same way about man, exact same way about Jesus, exact same way about life after death, exact same way about so-called salvation. God's people have a very peculiar belief. What makes them peculiar in this day is their peculiar beliefs compared to the world. God's people, strange as it may sound to the world, God's people actually believe that God is God. And I always say that all the time, don't I? And you nod your head every time, most of them. And you love to hear it all the time, don't you? Because you're not hearing it out there. Because they're bringing God down to the place of the man. This is what I think is real peculiar. This is what I think is strange. They call what we believe strange. They call what we believe peculiar. I think their doctrine is strange. You remember when Paul came to Mars Hill and they said to him, they said, we're going to hear of this strange God that you're preaching about. Why should it be thought a strange thing that God is God? Huh? Why should it be thought strange? Maybe I can wake somebody up. Why should it be thought strange that the Creator has power over His creature? I think it's utterly strange that the Creator is in the hands of the creature, don't you? But God says, Jennifer Williams, I've chosen you that you'll know that I am He. Who? God! And there are not many people in the world that believe that. Why? God didn't reveal it to them. Flesh and blood didn't reveal it to them. False prophets won't tell them that because they don't know God. But God says, I've got my witnesses, my minister, my preachers, and they're going to say it, and that's why I'm doing it now. Lift up your voice. Declare unto all flesh, Thy God reigneth. Tell unto all fleshes, grass is going to be burned up like burned hay, like burned leaves. But you are my people whom I have chosen that you might know me, that I am God. Beside me there is none else. Satan is not God. Man is not God. I am God and I am your God. I've chosen you. Now it's peculiar to me that people don't know this, and the only way I can understand this and explain it is God said it. I've hid it from them. The wise and the prudent revealed it unto babes. Unto us and our children. Even our children know, Sherry, that God is God. They're going to be raised that way. From the moment they can hear the Word, they're going to hear, God is God. Aren't they? Peculiar belief in a world full of people that believe the same way. God's not God. He's a bystander in the affairs of man. He's standing on the sideline. He has nothing to do with anything or anybody. He doesn't choose anybody. He can't. They have to do it. He doesn't kill anybody. Things do. He's no God at all. And I don't understand why people pray unto and so-called worship of God that can not save. Do you? Well, we would be but God. Who maketh us to differ? The Israelites were the same way, but God hath chosen you from the beginning to know that He's God. I have got peculiar beliefs of God's people. They actually believe God is God. They believe that God actually works all things, that He is God and He works all things according to His will. They actually believe that God's will is being done, not man. They actually believe. We, I confess, after the way they call heresy, that's what I'm going to profess. That's what I'm going to believe. I believe all things written in the prophets, believing all things written in the scripture, that God's will is being done. Not man, that God has a free will. Not man, God's will is being done. He said, I will work and who will prevent it? Isaiah 43, 13, I will work, who's going to stop me? That's our God, Brother Kelly, isn't it? That's salvation to know that. The whole world, this is their God and they don't know Him. Only a fool says, no, God. A fool, an utter fool, who's in the hands of the God whose breath they're in and sitting there, all in His hands, they're all saying, I don't believe there's a God. Isn't that foolish? Be going out in my yard and picking up a grasshopper. That's what he said, doesn't he? Isaiah 4, all flesh is grasshoppers. Doesn't he, John? John, you've read that. Most of the world hasn't read that, Brother John Sheasley. They haven't read that. If they do, it's been twisted and perverted and changed with all these perversions that they call Scripture. It's been changed. Grasshoppers. What if I go out in my yard and pick up a grasshopper? In my hand. His life is in my hand. I can do with it as I please, can't I? That's not fair. Oh, come on now, it's a grasshopper! What do I need with grasshoppers? Destroy the trees, destroy everything, huh? His life is in my hands. And that grasshopper begins to say, I don't believe you, I don't believe... That's our God. Young people, that's our God. Your life is in His hands. Oh, that they were wise. Remember, they're creator in the days of their youth. It's good that a young man, young woman, bear the yoke in their youth. What's the yoke? Oppression? Being called peculiar? Go on to him bearing his reproach? If God, by His infinite mercy and grace, saves your young hearts and makes you one of His chosen people, you're going to be an oddity, a peculiarity to your people, to your so-called friends and cronies. But I'm here to tell you there's a whole bunch more waiting in glory. You're not alone. We were at Virginia Tech in the midst of that mess. And I told my wife, I said, I'd hate for my daughter or son to be in the midst of this. You know, it's nothing but one big party. I mean, really. And one of our young girls is in the midst of it, another place. I believe, I hope, I pray, I think she gives good testimony that she's one of God's own. And she's a peculiarity. An oddity. Has to keep calling home for a little bit of reassurance. Has to keep going where the gospel is to be. Shored up. Shored up in a hostile world. Peculiar. God's people actually believe that Jesus Christ, when he came to this earth, that he actually saved his people. You know, we actually believe his name means Jesus, that he saved his people from the sin. We actually believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, actually put away every sin of every person for whom he died. Now that's a peculiarity in this day. You know that? They call it particular redemption. I call it truth. I call it gospel. I say everything else is a lie. I say everyone that says Jesus Christ shed his blood for them to go to hell anyway, I say that's a lie. I say that's peculiar. I say that's strange that God would require payment for their sins of Him and later on they had to pay it again. That's unjust. That's unfair. That's not the truth. That's not the gospel. Our gospel, though peculiar it may sound, is the gospel. The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son actually put away sin once and for all. He actually, Brother John, obtained eternal redemption for us. He didn't try. He didn't attempt it. He did it. He finished it. When he said finished, peculiarly, strangely, I believe that when Christ said it's finished, I believe he meant it. Don't you? That's peculiar in our day, isn't it? Because they say God's done all he can do now. It's up to you. We have peculiar beliefs, all right. But it's the truth. We believe the truth. We've received the love of the truth. We haven't turned away our ears from it under fables. The rest of this is fables. Those people. It's fables. Made it up. This is the truth. as it is in Jesus Christ. I believe the Holy Spirit of God, when God Almighty sets him on a human being whom he has chosen and whom Christ has died for, you are not going to stop him. He is invincible. I believe the Holy Spirit is sovereign, going where he listeth, where he determines, where God sends And once God Almighty sends him upon a human being, they're coming. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad? I'm so glad. I'm a preacher. I don't have to keep anybody safe. Don't have to keep anybody safe. Can't save a flea. I'm so glad that whoever you save, you've got to keep them safe. Oh, I'm so glad that it's he who saves, he who keeps. And I just stand back and marvel. Stand back and marvel. Feed them. That's all I'm doing is feeding them. Oh, I believe all whom God elected, all whom Christ died for, all whom the Holy Spirit sanctified. Here's what I believe. And it's a peculiarity in this day. It's an oddity in this day. But I believe every one of them are saved for all eternity. Because God saved them. Peculiar people. God's peculiar choice. They have peculiar doctrine or beliefs. They have peculiar speech. I could go on and on with this. They have peculiar speech. You know, God's people, when He makes a new person, they begin to talk a different language. It's not half in the speech of the Egyptians. They begin to say things, I and me and mine and so forth, and man, it begins to get out of their vocabulary. And they begin to talk he, him, he hath. It goes from if you will to he hath done. He hath. He hath. He shall. He will. Since he hath, you shall. It changes, doesn't it? I quit saying things like, oh, look, chant if I'm lucky. There's a chance I might. I said, oh, I had accident. To say God sovereignly willed, God purposed, God's divine providence, if God willing, it's the Lord. Their speech, their walk, changes that kill your walk. Yep. Kill your life, that is. Kill your walk. They actually walk by faith. They actually believe God. Take Him at His Word. And so these things make them a peculiar people. And more. And many more. But is that your calling, brethren? Is that you enter into and you say amen to everything that's been said? Oh my, peculiar people, aren't they? A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, peculiar people. And he concludes it by saying that we should show forth His praises. That's what this is all about. You know, a lot of people say that. A lot of people are drawing near today with that on their lips, that we should show forth His praises. But God's not getting all the praise. God's not getting all the glory. Man's getting some of it. There's a fellow standing up there who's got his name everywhere. Got his name everywhere. And he's saying to God be the glory, but he's got his name everywhere. Now you see right through that, can't you? Oh, but this peculiar people, we say there's none other name. There's no name worthy but one that we should show forth his praises who have called us, who have chosen us to be these peculiar people, his peculiar treasure. Glory be to God. Okay, let's sing a closing hymn that I gave. What number? 472? 472. Stan, sing a couple of verses. Say the first and the second verse. 472.