By Michael D. O’Neal
Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church
Albany, Georgia
Scripture Reading: Deut. 26:16-19
Text: Deut. 26:18
Deuteronomy 26:18 And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
Introduction: I have told you many times that the Bible is our HIM Book, because from front to back, it is about HIM – JESUS.
This Book testifies from front to back about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember that Jesus said of the Old Testament:
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
What were those “scriptures”? According to the context, they were a direct reference to Genesis through Deuteronomy, the first five books of the Bible, for the Lord further stated:
John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
If you haven’t seen where Moses wrote of Jesus Christ, you need to do some studying. Jesus met with two discouraged disciples on the Emmaus road,
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
The captivity and release of the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt should remind a New Testament Christian of his own bondage and deliverance from sin. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea in escaping. The Christian crossed the red sea of the blood of Jesus Christ in escaping. The Israelites escaped the death plague by applying the blood of a lamb at the doorpost and lintel of their homes. The Christian escaped hell by applying the blood of THE Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the door of his heart.
Jehovah God redeemed Israel from Egypt to be a peculiar people.
Jehovah JESUS redeemed Christians from sin to be a peculiar people.
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
I. JESUS INTENDED FOR US TO BE PECULIAR
IN DURABILITY
Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Deuteronomy 8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
The Jew is sometimes referred to as “the indestructible Jew,” but this is also true of the Christian, and it’s all because of JESUS!
A. The clothing was durable
(reminding us of God’s imputed
righteousness)
B. The covenant was durable
(reminding us of God’s
irrevocable promises)
II. JESUS INTENDED FOR US TO BE PECULIAR IN DIET
Deuteronomy 14:2-3 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. 3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
One of the miraculous distinctions God made toward Israel was when He sent them bread from heaven, which they called Manna. I am reminded that as believers, we should
A. Digest the Bible
B. Discern better things
C. Discard the bad
III. JESUS INTENDED FOR US TO BE PECULIAR IN DICTION
Acts 26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Titus 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Our talk should be
A. Scriptural – Rom. 12:2; 1 Pet. 4:11
B. Spiritual – 1 Cor. 10:31
C. Sound – Tit. 2:8
D. Strengthening – Eph. 4:29
IV. JESUS INTENDED FOR US TO BE PECULIAR IN DIVISION (SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD)
Ezra 10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
We need to be very careful about the
A. Companions we choose
1. Prov. 13:20
2. Your greatest choice of
a human companion is your
SPOUSE (Mal. 2:14)
B. Church we choose
1. You really have no right to
attend “The church of YOUR
choice” but rather the church
of GOD’S choice!
V. JESUS INTENDED FOR US TO BE PECULIAR IN DARING
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
I think of David in facing Goliath, the three Hebrew children facing the king, and other daring examples in scripture. These all remind me of the intention of Jesus that we should be
A. Bold in our witness
B. Bold in our warfare
C. Bold in our waiting upon God
– Heb. 4:15
VI. JESUS INTENDED FOR US TO BE PECULIAR IN DOCTRINE
Deuteronomy 32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
Matthew 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
A. Dogmatic – “authority”
B. Distinctive – “not as the
scribes”
VII. JESUS INTENDED FOR US TO BE PECULIAR IN DUTY
Deuteronomy 26:18 And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Our duty is to
A. Find the will of God for our lives
B. Follow and fulfill the will of God in our lives
Are you living, thinking, looking, and acting like the world? Jesus saved you to not only take you to heaven, but to make you peculiar, that is, different, from the world!
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Michael D. O’Neal (Proverbs 11:30), Pastor, |