Sermon on Deuteronomy 7:6-9, for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, "The Steadfast & Loving God"
Sermon outline: 1. Childhood experience of “picking teams” for a neighborhood game. Chosen for your skill, or because your friend wanted you on his team? Feelings: pride, jealousy, warmth 2. Why did God choose Israel? Why did He choose us? a. Israel unique in all of history, God’s chosen out of all the peoples who are on the…earth b. Jealous? Unfair? Divine Favoritism? c. NO! Look at the explanation God gives: not because they were exceptional, but because of His love. Nothing in themselves to be worthy, but the reason is found in God’s love d. Surprised to find out that God says the same now of the Church of all baptized believers in the NT? 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Pet. 2:9-10) e. Jew