The Believers Position before God.
1 Peter • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Where do we stand before God?
Last Sunday morning I preached a sermon that left me feeling as though I had failed. Some of you noticed, but most didn’t. I stated that Abraham instead of Moses had hit the rock in the wilderness that water flowed from.
Yet, I must be reminded that all though I am required to be preach God’s Word in truth, my position before God is not hinged on my perfection, but on His.
This morning I would like to examine 1 Peter 2:9-10 and see where we stand before God.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
The audience here is the people who were dispersed, but also applies to general believers in Christ. This is evident but the opening word (But.) The opening conjunction shows a contrast to the preceeding group of people who had rejected cornerstone (Christ.) Thus, this verse applies to those who did not reject but rather accepted Jesus.
I. Chosen People
I. Chosen People
God desires to know and walk with me. God has a direct and personal desire to be your God. His invitation to you is without reserve and unbiased. He has chosen you.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
So if this does not speak of salvation, what does it mean?
Here, when God says that we are a chosen people he is drawing upon Is. 43.20
The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This is the second reference to a chosen people in 1 Peter 1.1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Once again God, through Peter, is trying to show the persecuted people. That as he promised to deliver Israel from the hands of the Babylonians, in Is 43, He will also deliver those who trust in Him.
II. Royal Priest
II. Royal Priest
We are chosen to be be priest. Not to sacrifice blood but praise and sacrifice of self.
A. Joint Heirs with King Jesus.
A. Joint Heirs with King Jesus.
and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
We are Royal because we are joint heirs with Christ.
B. We are priest
B. We are priest
a. Sacrifices of Praise
a. Sacrifices of Praise
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
b. Living sacrifice.
b. Living sacrifice.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
III. A Holy Nation
III. A Holy Nation
We are to be set apart.
Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
God has called us for a purpose. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for His will.
Holiness means to be set apart. We should be set apart from the word and to God. When we are living holy lives, we will not look, act, sound, or behave like the world. We will not fit into the social trends of this world, and the further society drifts from God the more distinctly different we will be.
IV. Ambassadors
IV. Ambassadors
For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.
This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.
Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
V. Bearers of His image
V. Bearers of His image
As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
Here Peter references Hosea.
Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And 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!’ ”
who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
1, 2 Peter, Jude (3) The Living Stone and Living Stones (2:4–10)
The message of mercy that opened the letter at 1:3 now closes a major section of the letter in 2:10.273 Peter reminded the readers again that they are recipients of God’s grace, that the foundation for obeying the imperatives is God’s mercy in Christ.
What image are we displaying?
A schoolteacher injured his back and had to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body. It fit under his shirt and was not noticeable at all.
On the first day of the term, still with the cast under his shirt, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in school.
Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, he opened the window as wide as possible and then busied himself with deskwork.
When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he took the desk stapler and stapled the tie to his chest.
He had no discipline problems with any of his students that term.