SERMON INSIGHTS

The Identity and Calling of the Peculiar People

Central Spiritual Truth: Believers are divinely chosen and set apart as a royal priesthood to reflect God’s light in a dark world.

• Believers are “lively stones” built into a spiritual house to offer acceptable sacrifices.
• Spiritual identity is not a human choice; God fashioned the hearts of men and called the believers out of darkness.
• The youth are “vessels of hope” chosen specifically for a time when the world is forsaken.
• A “peculiar” person is a different type of person who speaks a different language and behaves differently from worldly peers.
• God has a specific “appointment” with the believer every time they pick up the Bible with a desire to know Him.

• Scripture Reference: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
• Exhortation: The speaker urges the youth to recognize they are “specially chosen” and must “show forth” their marvelous light to the present generation.

The Contrast Between Spiritual Life and Worldly Bewilderment

Central Spiritual Truth: To live after the flesh results in spiritual death, while being led by the Spirit identifies one as a true son of God.

• The world is in a sad state: it is “fallen,” “forsaken,” “bewildered,” and “desolate”.
• Worldly people are like “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,” having no hope and being without God in the world.
• Modern cultural trends, such as the “Azonto” and “Akida” dances, are identified as signs of a bewildered and rebellious youth culture.
• Human wisdom and “enticing words” are temporary, whereas faith should stand in the power of God.
• The “course of this world” is directed by the “prince of the power of the air,” the spirit that works in the children of disobedience.
• Scripture Reference: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14).
• Exhortation: Believers must walk as people who are “led by the Holy Spirit” rather than looking at life from a worldly perspective.

 The Strong Tower and Divine Location

Central Spiritual Truth: Absolute safety and spiritual security are found only in the name of the Lord.

• The speaker uses “GPS” and “drones” as metaphors; while technology can locate a person physically, individuals are spiritually lost if they cannot define themselves through God.
• Life is like a “passing wind,” and the future is “uncertain” without divine protection.
• A “rich man’s wealth” is only a strong city in his “own conceit,” offering no true safety compared to the Lord.
• God brings the “counsel of the heathen to nought” and makes the devices of the people of “none effect”.
• The Lord is a “HighTower” and “deliverer” who teaches the believer’s “hands to war” and “fingers to fight”.
• Scripture Reference: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
• Call to Action: The speaker calls the righteous to “run into” this tower to find safety from the “strange children” whose mouths speak vanity.

 Consecration and the Pursuit of Divine Pleasure

Central Spiritual Truth: The believer’s life should be a “new song” dedicated to doing always those things that please the Father.

• Jesus provided the ultimate example, stating He does “nothing of myself” but only what the Father taught Him.
• Service in the church, such as singing or ushering, must not be done “anyhow” but as a “sanctified vessel”.
• Young people should not be directed by peers but by the Holy Spirit to become “vessels that He will walk through”.
• True eternal life is to know “the true God” and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
• The Holy Spirit cannot co-exist with worldly influences like “alcohol”.
• Scripture Reference: “And he that sent me is with me: the father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29).
• Call to Action: The speaker calls for the youth to “make a decision for Jesus Christ today” and to let their lives become a “new song” to the Lord.

 Prophetic Blessing for the Generation

Central Spiritual Truth: Happiness and prosperity are the portion of the people “whose God is the Lord”.

• The speaker prays that sons may be as “plants grown up in their youth” and daughters as “cornerstones polished after the similitude of a palace”.
• Divine deliverance is sought from “strange children” whose “right hand is a right hand of falsehood”.
• God is a “shield” and “fortress” who subdues challenges and teaches the believer’s “hands to war”.
• The “anointing” is available for those who “diligently seek” and have a “holy desire” for God.
• The speaker envision the youth as a “remnant” who will shine as stars in the “darkness of the environment”.
• Scripture Reference: “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 144:15).
• Prayer and Call to Action: The congregation is commanded to “kneel down and talk to God quietly” to seek a personal encounter and a “holy desire” for Him.

AMEN.