1 Peter 2:9-10 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; 10 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.

Opening: In the days before the Internet, when people had no cell phones nor smart phones, when “cable television” was the only clear television you could watch, people listened to a strange device called the “radio”. When I was young, working with my dad in the upholstery shop, we listened to the radio as we worked. I didn’t stop periodically and fiddle my thumbs over a glass covered square, intensely mesmerized and hypnotized by pictures of some one elses life. We listened to radio. We enjoyed music. We also enjoyed radio personalities. We didn’t have “Shock Jocks” who spouted irreverent and blasphemous things. We had one man who spoke on ABC News Radio. The things he said made you think. His voice reached 24 million people each week. That was a lot prior to the Internet.

His name was Paul Harvey.

One of his greatest broadcasts was in 1965 simply entitled, “If I were the Devil”. Listen to this:

“If I were the Prince of Darkness I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of it’s real estate, and four-fifths of it’s population. But I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree………………THEE. So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the CHURCHES first. I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve, “Do as you please”. To the young I would whisper that “the Bible is a myth”. I would convince them that man created God, instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is square. And the old, I would teach to pray after me, Our Father – which art in Washington. And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies. … I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills. If I were the Devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves, Churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves. Until each in it’s turn, was consumed. … If I were the Devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions. Just let those run wild! Until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door. Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing. … Soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the Houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute Psychology for religion and deify science. … If I were the Devil I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg, and the symbol of Christmas a bottle. If I were the Devil I would take from those who have, and give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. What will you bet I could get whole states to promote gamblingas the way to get rich. I would caution against extremes in hard work, in patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on TV is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the Devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

Paul Harvey died in February 2009, and this broadcast is about 58 years old. Many of you have never heard it. When I heard it again the other day, it could be broadcast today and be just as applicable. What the Devil did 58 years ago, he did 580 years ago. As Paul Harvey said, if he were the devil “I’d subvert the CHURCHES first”. That is what’s happening in America. It’s been going on for years.

The devil has enticed Churches and Christians to fall away from following God’s Bible in order to become more “culturally sensitive”. Instead of pleasing God we want to please the “seeking soul”. That’s not our calling!

In an article entitled “What’s Behind America’s ‘Great Dechurching’?” John Stonestreet and Shane Morris of the Colson Center Breakpoint note:

“U.S. church membership, as a percentage of the population, is now at a record low—down more than 20 points in the twenty-first century. … the Southern Baptist Convention, America’s largest Protestant denomination, lost half a million members last year … ”

Why is this happening? The article goes on to note what I’ve believed for years. I want to read you what they wrote:

“If Christianity is merely a kind of hobby or weekly pep talk designed to enhance psychological well being or career success, then we can find better stuff on YouTube or Spotify. Why make time for this type of church every week?

But what if Christianity is a way of life, the thing it’s all about. What if it demands our allegiance? What if following Christ restructures our priorities and pursuits, our beliefs and our behavior—including career, family, and even personal identity?

Everything else in our society directs our gaze inward, to ourselves, our feelings, our priorities, and our problems—as if every individual is the center of his or her own universe. Churches that accept and even participate in this idolatry may be leading millions away from Christianity, not by demanding everything of them but by demanding nothing.”

Salvation Is A Gift Of God BUT…

Beloved, Christianity is not merely “Fire Insurance” for the day you die. Jesus Christ is the “Gift of God” (John 4:10) given to the lowest of us. The “Gift of God” cannot be purchased with money (Acts 8:20). The Bible tells us:

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God gave His Son to us as His Gift to us. When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior – which He is – we receive with Him NEW LIFE. We are BORN AGAIN, and SPIRIT INDWELT. God gives us membership in the Family of God. The Scripture says:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

You are saved by RECEIVING the GIFT OF GOD, our Lord Jesus Christ. You call upon His Name, surrendered to the Cross. When you do so, then…

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

I heard one preacher put it this way: “We are not saved THROUGH our good works, but by surrendered faith in Christ Jesus. But we are saved UNTO good works”.

Salvation Changes Your Citizenship

1 Peter 2:10 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.

Here Peter quotes what God said in

Hosea 2:23 (NKJV) … I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”

God did this in the Old Testament with Israel. God came to Abram – who would one day be Abraham – and promised a Nation would come from his seed, and that this Nation would bless the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3). When God established Israel on the Day of Pentecost, He told her:

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (NKJV) The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Israel was nothing before God called it. Then it was His People. As His people, Israel was to follow Him. As God called Israel, God called the Church. God did not call us to His side because we were “special” or “better”, but because God made a promise to Abraham our forefather. God sent His Son Jesus through Israel – born of a Virgin – born to make payment for our sins. Before we met Christ we walked in darkness.

Ephesians 2:2-3 in time past ye walked according to the {ways} of this world, according to {the devil} the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now {works} in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our {way of life} in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Before Christ, we were NOT the people of God. We satisfied “the lusts of our flesh”. We practiced “You do you”. We fulfilled “the desires of the flesh and of the mind”. We pursued the things that made us happy. But NOW we are the people of God. We are not bound to darkness, to the ways of this world. Listen Beloved:

Colossians 1:13 (ESV) He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

We belong to Jesus, not the darkness. The devil is not our master!

Romans 13:12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

We belong to Jesus, not the darkness. We live to please our Lord. Jesus said,

John 8:12 (ESV) … I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

What we who are now Christians WERE was lost. The lost walk through this life without Christ. But now …

Ephesians 5:8 (ESV) For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light…

If you are LOST, walk as the LOST. That is your place. But if you are SAVED, walk in the LIGHT with Jesus. Live as He lived. Love as He loved. Follow God’s Word. If you can SIN and not be bothered by it, YOU ARE STILL LOST. The Bible says:

1 John 3:8 (ESV) Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

God raised up Moses to lead Israel out of slavery to Egypt. God raised up Jesus to lead the Church out of slavery to sin. Just as Israel left Egypt, we who are saved leave sin.

The Four-Fold Change That GRACE
Brings To The Saved

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;

In the Bible, numbers have meaning. The number four is the number of REST. It is the fourth commandment that states:

Exodus 20:8-9 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work:

When God called Israel out of 24/7 slavery, a life with absolutely NO rest, He gave them the gift of one day of rest in each seven. This was a great blessing! So four is the number of rest. God says four characteristics are true of His people:

you are a chosen generation

You, dear Christian, are special to God. He said:

Isaiah 43:20-21 … I {the Lord your God} give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, 21 the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.

Where there is no water, where the lost would die of thirst, God provides water for His people. We are chosen to be blessed of Him. But we are also chosen to bless Him, to praise our God. We are a “chosen” people. Jesus said:

John 15:16 (NKJV) You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Jesus called us to Himself. Jesus “first loved us” (1 John 4:19). When we heard the Gospel preached, the Holy Spirit came and took the chains of sin from our eyes. Jesus bid we come, and hearing the whosoever will of the Gospel (Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 9:24; Revelation 22:17) we came. Jesus chose us, and we grabbed His hand and walked with Him – and walk daily with Him. Jesus told us as His people that …

John 15:19 (ESV) If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

We are not to receive the accolades of the world. If the world recognizes you as the “best place to worship”, perhaps you are not in the right place. We do not cultivate the hatred of the world, but loving the Lord and His Word, we will be hated and mocked.

you are a royal priesthood

When God first called Israel to His side, He told Moses in

Exodus 19:6 (ESV) … you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.

Every Israelite was to be a Priest before God. A Priest is someone who stands between God and man. The Priest represents man to God, and God to man. A Priest offers sacrifice to God on behalf of the people. A Priest shares the Word of God to the people without modification. Israel was to be a nation of Priests. But when Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Law from God, while he was on the mountain Israel created an idol and began to worship it. When Moses came down the mountain, he cried out:

Exodus 32:26 Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

Since only the “sons of Levi” stood with Moses, the Levites became the Priests of Israel. The Rulers of Israel were from Judah, which made Judah royalty. In Israel, it was impossible to be a royal priest. You were one or the other, or neither. But in the Church Age God changes things through Christ.

When you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, you become “children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). God is King of Kings, and as His Children you are Royalty! We are “sons and daughters of God”, members of the Royal Family. But Jesus Christ is the “High Priest of our profession” (Hebrews 3:1), our “Great High Priest” (Hebrews 4:14-15). Jesus is a “high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:10). Because the Son of God (royalty) made us sons of God (royalty), and because Jesus is our High Priest we are priests.

As Children of God and Priests through Christ, we live to please our God, and to lead others to Him.

You are an holy nation

We as Christians are imitators of our Father. When God called us to salvation, He called us from the company of the lost to His side. We have previously read:

1 Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Many are leaving the Church behind because they see no real difference between the professing Christian and the atheist. We are called to be

Ephesians 5:1-5 … followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Jesus tells us to love as the Father loves (Matthew 5:48; Luke 6:35-36; Matthew 5:45).

you are a peculiar people

Word Study: The word translated “PECULIAR” is the Greek peripoiēsis which means “a purchased possession, a valuable property that one is jealous over”. You are valuable to God because of the price He paid for you. God the Holy Spirit indwells you (Ephesians 1:14). The Blood of Jesus Christ was shed for your sins. God will not long allow you to wander. You belong to Him. You are called to walk “in His marvelous light” (vs 9). C.H. Spurgeon wrote:

“EVERYTHING about a true Christian is marvelous. He is a marvel to himself, and a marvel to all who are round about him. Mere professors—men-made Christians—people who have made themselves Christians by their own free will apart from the Spirit of God, have nothing marvelous about them. You can make professors of that sort by the score, and you can see them dissolve by the score, for what man made, man can unmake, and what is merely natural has its season, like the leaves on the trees, and by and by, it withers away because its time to fade has come. But a true Christian is a God-made man, a twice born man, and he is a partaker of the divine nature. He is a mass of marvels, for he is dead, and yet he is alive, he is one who lives here, and yet his life has gone away up yonder, he is one who is a citizen of earth, and yet his citizenship is in heaven. He is a true man, but he is more than a man, for God has lifted him up above the level of other men, given him a life which other men do not possess, revealed to him secrets which others do not know, and prepared for him a place into which the ungodly can never enter.”

The only thing that can make a Christian unmarvelous is sin in their lives. As we come to the Lord’s Table, know that salvation is a free gift unto good works. Those saved do not live as unbelievers live. We are God’s children. We are God’s family. Do not believe that you can go back to Egypt and be a child of God. You either belong to Jesus – or you belong to the devil.

May God lead you to the everlasting arms of Christ. Amen and Amen.