You Are Special

Open with Welcome Home video and then welcome first time visitors!

OK, let me start off by asking you this morning, how many of you, in your homes, have certain items, amenities, that are reserved for special occasions and guests who come to visit?

You know, like you only use certain dishware when you have company that comes to visit.

Or, you keep certain linens stashed away for guests only.

You break out certain candles to burn in the house, or something like that.

Whatever these things may be, a lot of us have things like this, that are set aside for a specific purpose, right?

And before I go any further, let me throw out there for you, the most essential and considerate thing that you can do for your guests who come to visit and/or stay with you at your house.

According to some websites that I visited, the most important thing that you can and should focus on for your guests and their comfort and peace of mind while staying in your home, is........................?

A well stocked bathroom! Plenty of fresh linens, ample supply of toilet paper, air spray/deodorizer, plungers, plenty of lighting, etc. (elaborate)

But, back to what I just asked you about. Whether or not you actually have things set aside for your guests, in your home, I think that we all know and understand the concept and the mindset behind having special items that are sat aside for special occasions and special uses, right?

I know that for years, people used to have china cabinets in their homes, that contained the very special dishware and silverware that were used only for guests and special occasions, right?

grandparents had china

I mean if you come home and see that the table has been set with the special dishware, you know that something is going on, or is about to go down!

Like in our house, we have special dishes that are for special occasions, like Christmas china and cups and the like, that were passed down through our family.

There are people who have articles of clothing that they set apart for special occasions, like wearing a certain jersey on the big game days, or wearing a certain suit that you look good in for the big business meetings.

And so, sometimes, if we are having guests over for a meal around the

The point being, I believe that we all know and understand about those “special things” that we esteem as greater in value and importance. And because they are of greater value to us, they are set apart from all others.

There are people who have a special fishing lure that is set apart from the other tackle and that is used only at certain times, just like there are people who have a special golf club that is set apart from the others and revered and only pulled out for those decisive moments!

So, this morning, we’re going to be looking at the subject of things which are “set aside”, or “set apart”, because of their great value and intrinsic worth to the one who holds and owns them.

When you look at the nation of Israel and of how God views her and if you go all the way back into the Old Testament and read of what the Lord says about her and to her, it becomes very clear that our great God and Savior, holds the nation of Israel as that of the highest value, compared to all other nations!

Every other nation was to be blessed by and through that of Israel.

To no other nation did the Creator of the universe say, “You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”

Or again, the Lord God said to the nation of Israel, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Every other nation was to be blessed by and through that of Israel, as God had so stated in His covenant agreement to Abraham, the father of promise.

The Lord said to Abraham, “Through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

So, God very clearly stated His intentions and His great love for the nation of Israel in the scriptures.

But what about those who are not a part of the Jewish lineage and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?

I mean, I personally, have no Jewish lineage, that I am aware of in my family tree on either side. How does God’s great and eternal love for Israel, affect me and how am I, as a gentile, blessed as God had promised the other nations would be through the seed of Abraham?

Well, the answer to this, the short and direct answer, is found in what God meant when He said to Abraham, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

The Apostle Paul gives us clarity about this, where he mentions it in , “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.”

Paul says this to clarify that ultimately, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was to be that “seed” which would come down from Abraham and who would become the blessing to all other nations!

Paul said that Abraham is the “father” of all who believe.

And then he went on to say, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

And in saying this, Paul clarified that being a true son of Abraham was NOT linked to the flesh and to those who had obeyed the law and become circumcised of the flesh.

Rather, Paul said that being a true descendant of Abraham and a true Jew was something else, as he mentioned in ,

Romans 2:28–29 NLT

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Paul said that Abraham had faith in God and that his faith in God was counted to him as righteousness. In other words, it wasn’t Abraham’s actions or works that made him righteous in God’s eyes, but rather, it was his faith and belief in God.

And through the righteous faith of Abraham and his blessed “seed”, we find our direct lineage to the house of God and His kingdom!

Jesus the Christ is the “seed” that God said would bless all the nations.

And all who come to Jesus the Christ and believe in Him and His atoning blood for forgiveness, IN FAITH, become the true Jewish children of God.

As Paul states in ,

Galatians 3:7–9 NLT

7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. 8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

So, are you catching what I am saying to you this morning? God made a covenant agreement thousands of years ago with Abraham that He would bless the world through Abraham.

Then, hundreds of years later, God told the nation of Israel that He loved them and that they were the treasure of His eye and that He had “separated" them from all other nations, for Himself!

Then, through the Old Testament prophets, God said that He would make the gentiles a part of His special people.

Paul, again, clarifies this in , where he says,

Romans 9:25–26 NLT

25 Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, “Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.” 26 And, “Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ ”

And in verse 30 of that same passage, Paul summarizes by saying, “What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place.”

And there is our link to the Hebrew nation and all of the blessings of God that come with it.

It is our FAITH that grants us access into the lineage of Israel and moves us into the kingdom of God!

Then God, in His great love and mercy, stated that even those who were not of direct, blood relations, would still be brought in to the blessings of the nation of Israel.

Not faith in ourselves and our abilities, not faith in our government, not faith in our family, not faith in anyone or anything of this world.

The only FAITH that will make you a true descendant of Abraham and a true heir to the blessings of the nation of Israel, is FAITH in the Son of God and who and what He is for us!

Jesus the Son of Yahweh, is the Mashiach, the Messiah. And it is only by our FAITH and BELIEF in Him and His death, burial and resurrection, that you and I can become a true descendant of Abraham, in terms of the covenantal blessings of God.

And once you step through the DOOR, once you enter through the NARROW GATE, which is Jesus, though your FAITH and BELIEF in Him, then you become a part of that blessed nation which God called His treasure and which God called out from the other nations and set apart as special and holy to Himself!

The Bible tells us that we were once alienated from God and that we were once a wild olive shoot. BUT, because of our FAITH in Jesus and His atoning shed blood on the cross, we have been GRAFTED to the true olive tree!

That is, we become a living part of the most blessed nation that has ever existed!

And in truth, because of Jesus and what He did for the world, there is no longer a distinction in God’s eyes as to race, creed ,sex or any other barrier to someone gaining access to the blessings of God.

The Bible says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise."

So, let me ask you right now, “Having said everything that I just said, how many here this morning can say with boldness and assurance, that you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs to the kingdom of God, according to the promise?”

If you can say this morning that you are in fact a true descendant of Abraham, because of your spiritual rebirth, then you must realize that you are now set apart from the world and special in the eyes of almighty God!

You are now His prized possession; you are literally, the apple of God’s eye!

This is what the Lord wants to say to each one of you today. That if you are TRULY His through your FAITH and BELIEF in His Son, Jesus, then you are special to Him!

Turn to someone and say, “YOU ARE SPECIAL!”

There is a word that is used throughout the Bible and that we use in churches all of time, that refers to being “set apart”.

That word is seen all the way back in the Old Testament, in passages like , where God says to the nation of Israel,

Leviticus 20:7–8 ESV

7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

And then in the New Testament, this word and its meaning are seen everywhere throughout the scriptures.

Passages like , where we are told, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

That word that I am talking about, is the word, “SANCTIFIED”!

In the Greek, this word is, “hagiazō” and it literally means, “dedicate, to service and loyalty to God; to make holy.

In the Hebrew, the same word is, “qā·ḏǎš”, and it refers to, “being sacred, being consecrated and dedicated to service and loyalty to God. BEING SET APART!

That is exactly what God’s will is for each and every one of you here today, that call Him Abba Father; your SANCTIFICATION; your being SET APART from the world!

People always ask the question, “What is God’s will for me and for my life?”

Well, right off of the bat, I can tell you with bold authority, that if know for certain that you are His son or daughter, then His will for you and your life, is your SANCTIFICATION!

, tell us,

1 Thessalonians 4:3–4 ESV

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

Just like I mentioned a few minutes about how we have certain items in our houses that are deemed special and set apart for special uses, well, that is what you and I are in Christ Jesus.

We are set apart from this world and the things of this world and we have been consecrated to God and His service, as Holy!

says,

2 Timothy 2:20–21 ESV

20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) 39 ἁγιάζω

dedicate, to service and loyalty to God

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) 39 ἁγιάζω

hagiazō

Now here is the thing church. In God’s eyes, you and I are of great value to Him. We are special to Him and to be set apart for His service and His glory. WE ARE TO BE HOLY! This has never changed throughout the Bible. As His people, we are to be holy, because He is holy. Peter tells us this in his epistle, “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And HOLINESS is not something that we possess. We have to draw close to Him and become like Him, because holiness belongs to God and God alone!

You and I get to make the decision as to whether we will be a vessel of honorable use, or dishonorable use, as II Timothy just mentioned.

Just because you stepped into the kingdom and God then took you and set you apart and “labeled” you as, “SPECIAL TO HIM”, by placing His seal, His mark, His Holy Spirit within you, does NOT mean that you are instantly and naturally HOLY and PERFECT.

Sanctification is not a finished work. It is a progressive and daily work, that you and I must choose to do.

We are set apart and counted as special to God, as soon as we become His children. That is the finished work of the cross.

Call up one of the youth and give the example of God taking them and setting apart from the world and placing them near to Him, as a vessel for honorable use. (Have them put on an old garment and then replace it with a white garment.) Then show that they can choose to stay in the white garment, or return to the dishonorable, dirty garment.

You and I must choose to stay set apart from the world and its desires and the sin that comes through it.

Paul said that SANCTIFICATION (our being set apart and holy), is the will of God for each one of us. But he also said in that passage, that each one of us is to know how to control our own vessel (our own body), and keep it in holiness and honor.

We get to choose. It’s always been that way with God, because He loves us; we get to choose.

Choose life or death, choose blessings or curses. Choose sanctification and honorable use, or sin and dishonorable use. The choice is ours.

Oswald Chambers said, “God has only one intended destiny for mankind—holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and he did not come to save us out of pity—he came to save us because he created us to be holy.”

God has only one intended destiny for mankind—holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and he did not come to save us out of pity—he came to save us because he created us to be holy.

I want each one of you to listen to the words of Jesus, Himself, as He prayed over you and I in , where He said,

John 17:14–19 ESV

14 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. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Listen to me church, Jesus allowed Himself to be set apart and His own body to be used as a vessel to glorify and honor the will of His Father and in doing so, He paved the way for each one of us to be able to set our bodies apart from the world and for the sole purpose of serving God bringing Him glory!

But, pay close attention to what Jesus said about our being sanctified in this prayer to His Father.

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

God’s Word is TRUTH! His Word is the ONLY ABSOLUTE TRUTH.

And the only way that we can truly stay set apart and sanctified for God and His glory, is through staying in the TRUTH of His Word!

When God sets us apart as special instruments, for His honorable use, He sees us through His eyes of perfection and the way that He desires for our lives to be. In other words, He doesn’t see our physical limitations and our weaknesses and our flaws. He sees us the way that we will be, not as we are, if we will follow His perfect will for our lives and allow Him to mold us into that perfect vessel of honor!

When Michelangelo looked at a particular piece of marble, he saw what ended up being his sculpture “Angel Holding a Candelabra”. Asked about how he created such beautiful artwork out of a simple marble slab, he said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

That is how God views you and I. He sees what we will be and can be, if we stay sanctified in His Word and entrust our ENTIRE lives to Him and for His glory!

We literally become His masterpiece; carved and sculpted to perfection, by the same hands and voice which created this world and the entire universe!

And when the world and the people of this world look at you and I and watch us and our actions, they should see our Creator and our Savior through our actions.

We should be visible witnesses of the glory of God, as His special, set apart vessels of honor and glory.

If we are SANCTIFIED by the TRUTH of His Word, then it will show and we will be authentic, genuine saints of God to the world around us.

We will not live one way and act another! That is a counterfeit and there are too many of those who dwell within the church body and within the world!

People should be able to look at us and our lives and see genuine, spirit filled, blood bought, set apart, SANCTIFIED servants of God! (a.k.a “Christians”!)

They shouldn’t see counterfeits, but rather, the real deal!

People who learn to make counterfeit money don’t study counterfeit money. To learn how to make counterfeit money, they study the REAL DEAL! That’s why a counterfeit artist can spot fake money so easily; because they have studied the TRUTH........the real thing!

When people watch your life, are they witnessing the REAL DEAL? Or, are they watching a counterfeit. Someone who looks and acts one way, at one time, but then totally different in other situations and other circumstances?

People want to see genuine and real. No one respects fake and phony, not even the world respects a counterfeit!

There are so many of these REALITY TV shows, that show other people and their lives and how they are living. And there are SO MANY people who sit and watch these shows and how other people are living their lives!

Let me tell you something people, if you will give your entire life to Jesus and become SANCTIFIED in the TRUTH of the Word of God and allow Him to give you a new and special life, then you will never want to sit and watch other people living their lives, because you will have a life of your own, that is filled with all power and purpose!

Those people should be watching us and our lives being lived for God; not the other way around!

SET APART, SANCTIFIED and SPECIAL is what we are called to be as Christians! We are told to come out of this world, not blend in with it!

Tell of the evergreens on the mountain and of how God said that this is how it is with false believers and true Christians!