A Peculiar People

[hymn playing] [Speaker 2] Churchy fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God really desires a godly home for... [background noise] These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Life Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] We thank God for this first Monday of the year 2017. We have prayed towards 2017, we have trusted God for it to come, and now we are inside. We are inside not because there's anything so special about us, but because of His great love which He has loved for us and the fact that there is still purpose for us to fulfill. Somebody was with me last week and we were just discussing and she said, "Does that mean there's nothing, does that mean that God's promise for long life is not true for a Christian or is not a thing that is meant for a Christian?" And I said, "Is there any promise of God that is not true for us?" I said there is none. I said all of them are true for us. Then I asked her, "Can God's promise be more true for any other person than Jesus?" She said no. I said, "It must be true even for Jesus." I said, "But Jesus died at 33." At the end of the day, I just made her see that the Lord promised that our days He will fulfill. He said none of us, He said, "All of you, you will fulfill your days." And I said it is our confusion that many times we confuse it to mean plenty days, to mean 120, 150. And all it simply means is that God will make sure that nothing takes you out of life until He has finished His work and purpose for you. And if your purpose is two, then your days have been fulfilled. So I thank the Lord, the reason why we are entering 2017 is because there is still purpose for us. There is still the purpose of God still there for us. I believe every year that we enter into is a privilege. So is the month, so is the week, and so is the day. It is a privilege to remember that there is still a purpose of God. I believe if we live that way, many times we would live life better. Unlike just thinking that, "Ah, gbogbo wahala life naun niyen. Mo wa alive. Mo wa alive." You are alive because there is a purpose. Once the purpose is over, nothing will keep you alive. You will leave. If God has nothing else He wants to do with you, there's no reason why you should be alive because you have fulfilled your days. So that we are alive and we are seeing 2017 is a clear indication that there is still purpose to fulfill. God is still not through with the work that He is doing. And let us continue to work with this mind so that we can truly and really fulfill God's purpose. I want to call our attention to two things, two or three things with which I also want to trust God that we'll use some a little time of the time to pray, being the first Monday of a new year. I want us to pray about some things. But I want to call our attention to some things we discussed in the course of last year that was just expanded further and became a matter that we should be starting the year with. Deuteronomy 7. Deuteronomy 7. I will read from verse 1, although my emphasis is on verse 7. I will read verse 1 through to around verse 10, but my emphasis is on verse 7. Deuteronomy 7:1-10: "When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you. And when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughters to their son nor take their daughters for your son. For they shall turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods. So the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. But thus shall you deal with them: you shall destroy their altar and break down their sacred pillars and cut down their wooden images and burn down their carved images with fire. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the people on the face of the earth." I want us to personalize verse 6. Can you personalize verse 6? See yourself in the light of that scripture. See yourself in the light of this scripture in the light of 2017. That is, personalization instead of the Lord, instead of saying, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God," it should be, "I am a holy person unto the Lord my God. The Lord my God has chosen me to be a person for Himself, a special treasure above all the people on the face of the earth." That is the reality of your existence. Don't doubt it. It is the reality of your existence and I will show you why. He says in verse 7, there was a time we raised this matter, but I just want to amplify it further. "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 people." So God is not choosing us, the choice is not because you are fit. Rather, He will fit you because you are called. He says, "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. Therefore, know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments. He repays those who hate Him to their face to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him. He will repay him to his face. Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and statutes and the judgment which I command you today to observe them." He says in verse 7, the Lord did not set His love on you or choose you because you were more in number than any other people, but you were the least of all. Then we emphasize something. He said, "For God so loved the world." In other words, the love of God is not premised on anything that we have done. When the world was still in sin, was in wickedness and was in evil, God loved the world. So He said because the Lord loves you, but there is something that is crucial. He says, "And because He would keep His oath which He swore to your father as the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage." Now, God had a covenant with who? With their fathers. He had promised their fathers that their generation would be chosen to inherit the land. Is that not? Now, when God finally came to meet the children, God was not dealing with the children because of anything about the children. God did not make them a special treasure to Him because of anything about them. But because of who? The fathers. John 17. John 17. John chapter 17. Are we all there? John chapter 17. I'll read from verse 1. Please let's look at this reading. Follow it patiently. John 17:1-24: "Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven and said: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son that your Son also may glorify you. As you have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as you have given Him. And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have glorified you on earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. And now they have known all things which you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you have given me, and they have received them and have known surely that I came forth from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but I pray for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. And all mine are yours and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep through your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. And for their sake I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but I also pray for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.'" I wanted you to follow the reading. What is the major word that keeps coming over and over? A word keeps repeating itself over and over and over and over again. Which word is that? Or a sentence, a phrase, or a clause. But it keeps repeating itself. Jesus in praying would be repeating it. He would be repeating it. What is that phrase or clause? None of us noticed it? If you look at it from the verse 1, the word began from the verse 1 and was running through. Go and take time. When the thing occurred to me and the Lord calls my attention to it, I took time to read this 17 over and over and over again. The word occurred in the verse 2 and it kept on going on and on. In the verse 2 it says, "As you have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as you have given Him." Do you notice it? It repeats again: "Lord, I've given them your word, those whom you gave me out of the world. I've keep them in your name, those who you gave me out of the world. I've not lost any of them that you gave me except the son of perdition that the scripture may be fulfilled. Lord, I'm not praying for the world, but I'm praying for those who you gave me out of the world." Do you notice that Jesus did not treat those who believe in Him as coming of themselves, but as being given to Him? Do you get that? Now, I want to call our attention to a very serious implication. If you remember that scripture we were talking, Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4, we said just as He has chosen us in who? Just as He has chosen us in Christ before what? Before the foundation of the world. That Ephesians 1:4. Do you know what I have come to realize because we will be praying so much with that verse 6 and then Exodus chapter 14? Is that everything in the old is a shadow of the new. Everything that happened in the old, the way everything went, is just to point towards something in the new. When God wanted to choose the people out of bondage, that was salvation. The salvation experience is: the Lamb that was killed was Jesus. The blood, everything of salvation matter began. God did not remember them ordinarily. He said He remembered the covenant that He had with their fathers. When He appeared to Moses, He said, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Tell them the God of their fathers has sent you to come and bring them out so that He can fulfill what He promised to their fathers." You need to bear in mind: before we get born again, it is for God so loved the world. Whosoever believe in Him will not perish. But once we are inside, it's a different ball game. Different ball game is that Christ was crucified when? Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world. And God had chosen people in Him before the foundation of the world. So when time came, God only remembered the promise He made to Jesus. That in choosing to die, I will also give you a gift. The gift of men. Because from all eternity, the delight of Jesus has always been in the sons of men. Are you aware? Are you aware where that is written in the Bible? Proverbs chapter 8. He said before the mountain was I was with Him, before He made the sea, before He brought the water forth I was with Him as a rejoicing in the habitable part of the earth. "And my delight is in the sons of men." So the fact that the Lamb chose to die, God also promised to give Him people. Before we came here, it was whosoever believe. But if you find yourself inside, you need to understand that we were actually given to Him. We were given to Him. It was a remembrance: that is why the Lord is not choosing you because you are strong, because you are this, because you are that, because you are that, because of whatever. He says the Lord don't set His love because you are this, He says, "But the Lord decided to choose you because He will perform what... because of the fathers." God is not dealing with us, God is not coming to us, God is not blessing us, God is not doing anything because of who we are. But He's doing it because He will perform the oath that He has sworn to the Son. There is a deal between the Father and the Son. Just like there was a deal: why can't they kill Israel till date? Why is Israel alive till date? They are stubborn, they are whatever. But why are they there till date? Because of Abraham. Why wouldn't water destroy the earth again? If it is to come and it's to come, what appears in the sky? Then God will do what? No, He will wait again. So it's not because the earth was anything, that is why water will not destroy it again. But there's a covenant with somebody. There's a promise to somebody. What I'm trying to make you understand is that there are two sides to these things. The first side that must thrill you at the onset of 2017 is that He said, "Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who by Him come to God since He ever lives to do what? To make intercession for them." There are two things that are playing out. The first is that God has chosen people before the foundations of the earth and He will perform that covenant to Christ. The second one is that apart from that eternal covenant, even that Christ is not dead. That Christ again is alive at the right hand, interceding for those again that were given to Him. So till date, Jesus is still where? Where is He? He's still busy working. I mean Jesus is still busy working. The working now is through intercession. The working is through the Holy Spirit. He's interceding above, the Holy Spirit is in us. He's there making sure that those that were given to Him, that He lost how many? None. The attention I'm bringing to you is that it's important for you to know something: that our God is a God of what? A faithful God of covenant that keeps covenant. Our God is a God of covenant and He keeps covenant. There's a covenant between Him and the Son. And that was why He came to us. When He came to us, even though it looks as if I don't know when you got born again, at a particular time you got born again and you came. That was not actually when the choice was made. But that was when it manifested in time. Even though it was done in timelessness. So look back again, Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 6. Do you notice that in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4, He says having chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight? Is that not? In Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 6, He says, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God." You see Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4? Is it different? Chosen to be holy. Chosen as holy people. "The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the people on the face of the earth." What I'm trying to announce to you about 2017 is that are you realizing who you are? Do you know who you are? Do you realize who you are? Who are you? Who are you? Are you just one sister in one fellowship, one brother in one church? Is that what you really are? Is that what you really are? That is not what you really are. What you really are is that actually because of the covenant between the Father and the Son, the Lord has chosen you to be holy, to be a people for Himself. You are not only that, you are also a special treasure. Mine says a special treasure. Every other translation says special treasure. Is that New King James? For you are a holy people who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on the earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be His special treasure. "A special treasure," "chosen," "cherished personal treasure." What version is that? Yes, for you are a holy people who belong to the Lord your God. "A special treasure," "chosen," "cherished personal treasure." Now, you know what I want you to get clear? When He says a special treasure, that translation has captured what I want you to see. You are a personal treasure, something personal to God. Not common. I don't know whether you understand what I'm trying to say. There are things now if you say sister comfort, there are things she can share with people. Is that not? But there are some personal things that cannot be shared. These things are not just personal, they are cherished treasures. They are personal, they are cherished, they are special. What do you do with special treasures? You keep them in secret. You handle them with care. You don't leave them out. What I'm trying to make you realize is that it doesn't matter how things look like with you outwardly. It doesn't matter how it looks like in the surroundings. One thing that must be clear to you, one thing that must be vivid in your mind as you journey through 2017 is that number one, you are too treasured to be a victim. In other words a victim: a victim is somebody that goes through certain things that he didn't plan for. Do you get the point I make? Nothing... you are a treasure. As far as Nigeria is concerned, Nigeria as a nation, what is our number one treasure? Yes, human resources. God bless you. What do we do with the President? We see all kinds of guards before he will pass. Do you understand me? Now, when something is a cherished treasure to God, you may not... what I'm trying to make you understand is understanding who you are. You are not just some body that anything can just happens to. You need to work in the realities of the new life. The realities of the new life is that I am not just a common man. I am a treasured possession. I am a cherished possession. And I am a personal possession. Monitoring and supervising my life is not even me. I don't know how much your own personal possession secure their life. How many of your possessions can secure their life? When something is precious to you, who secures it? You are the one that secures it. You are the one that secures it. What is my responsibility in all of this? He says, "But because the Lord loves you, because the Lord would keep the oath which He has sworn to your fathers." Who is our own fathers now? Talk about Jesus. That was the person that He had a deal... that was the thing He remembered the day He came down to you and He redeemed you by a mighty hand and took you out of the house of bondage and made you saved. The mightiness of that hand has not reduced. The mightiness of that hand is still there. It was a mighty hand that redeemed them. That hand is still there. He says, "He would keep His oath which He has sworn to your father, the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of king Pharaoh." What is my responsibility? "Therefore, know that the Lord your God is God." My responsibility. I must know that He is God. He is the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him. Who is the person that loves Him that He keep the covenant for now? Christ loved Him. He submitted to Him. So He kept the covenant with Him. "And He repays those who hate Him to their face to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him. He will repay him to his face. Therefore, you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgment which I commanded you today to observe them." What is the statute? What is the commandment? What is the judgment that we are commanded to obey? All the law, they hang on one law. All the judgment, all the statutes, they hang on one law. What is that law? That is, do to men only as you would that they do to you. Is that not? That's the second one. What is the first one? That you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. He said look, if you understand... do you know who you are? Do you know how much you are valuable to Him? Then what is the only way to respond to this love? If somebody loves us this much, if somebody have done all this this much, what's the only thing He's asking us to do? He said love the Lord your God. Love Him. Love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. The one great thing that we must leave here with this evening is the realization of who you are. You are not just one sister or one brother in one fellowship. You are not just one believer, one Christian. You are a treasured personal possession of the Almighty. You are a treasure. He has invested Himself on this possession. And the person with whom He has a deal about your life is constantly by His right hand, interceding for you. The two people that had the deals. You are too secured to be lost. You are too secured to be lost. It is because you did not realize how precious you are to Him. That is why it ever came into your mind, you ever believe a lie that you can be abandoned, that you can be forsaken. Can a mother forget her sucking child? "Even though they forget, I cannot forget the child of my womb." How can I? He said, "For you are engraved in the palm of my hand." Talk to the Lord. Talk to the Lord. Talk to the Lord. Do you realize who you are? Do you realize how much you are valuable to Him? Then can a mother forget her sucking child? Can a mother forget her sucking child? How much more your God? Have you ever forsaken your phone? Look at your own things that are precious to you. Have you ever forsaken your phone? Have you at any time ever forsaken your money? If you have money, have you ever forsaken your money? Is there any time your precious possession, your heart go away from them? Do you not understand that where the treasure of a man is, that is where his heart will be? Do you think the heart of God can leave you? When He Himself told you that, "Look, for where a man treasure is, that is where his heart will be." Do you think the Lord can ever forsake you or abandon you? Have you believed such a lie? Have you believed that He abandoned me, that is why... no. Do you realize who you are? Can you come back to the place of realization, to the place of power, to the place of true confession, and say: "God, I know you cannot abandon me. Lord, I know that you cannot leave me. That Lord, I am persuaded that you have gone ahead of me into 2017. Lord, I realize that I am secured in you. I realize that I am a treasured possession. I realize that your mighty hand is there. That hand. Look at the Red Sea." They look so feeble, they look so weak. Yet their pursuer could not get them. The Red Sea could not stop them. The pursuer cannot get you. They cannot overtake you. If it will take the Lord like He did to put a darkness between you and them, so that they will begin to merry-go-round and merry-go-round and merry-go-round and merry-go-round until your victory is complete. The Lord will make sure that your victory is complete. The Lord will make sure you get to the other side of the Red Sea. He will put your pursuer, He will put everything that hates your soul, He will put them in confusion, He will create a light between you and them to make sure you cross over to the other side because you are a treasured possession. What is that thing? What is that thing that is challenging your life? What is that thing that is making you look into 2017? What is that thing that makes you pessimistic? What is that thing that is dragging down your soul? What is that thing that is holding down your joy? What is it? What is it? Triumph in your God. Lift up yourself in your God. His mighty hand cannot leave me. His mighty hand cannot forsake me. He says, "Can a mother forget her sucking child so that she cannot have compassion on the child of her womb?" He says, "How can I?" He says, "For you are engraved in the palm of my hand." Talk to the Lord. Talk to the Lord. Talk to the Lord. [music fades out]