12. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,
that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful
light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens
and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they
may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Thank you. Well, please keep your Bibles open and we're going to pray and ask for God's
help. Let's do that now.
Father, you have given to us your word, the revelation of who you are, written down, recorded
for us and in our own language today. So we thank you for your word, the Bible. And we
thank you for your Holy Spirit. For the work he has done in our lives, opening our eyes, opening
our hearts to see and understand, not just with our minds, but deeply with our hearts.
And so we ask, Father God, that you would speak to us through your word, by your spirit, helping
us to become the people you have called us to be. And that we would live our lives in this world
as you have called us to live. Father, may each one of us here today be deeply affected by this word,
that it would shape us, that it would challenge us, that it would remind us of our amazing salvation
and the hope that you have given to us. So Father, thank you for your word, for your spirit.
And we ask for your continued help to us now, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
I want to start by asking a couple of questions. No need to shout the answers out, but just think
what the answers might be. Here's the first one. Did you come to church today?
Are you in church right now?
Where will the church be when you go home?
In other words, what do you think church is?
Well, for many, church is a building you go to, this structure that we're in right now.
To other, it's a meeting that you attend on a Sunday morning, such as where we are right now.
But as far as the Bible is concerned, that's not church.
Have a look back at chapter 2, verse 4.
This is what we saw last week.
Chapter 2, verse 4.
As you come to him, that is, as you come to Jesus, the living stone, that is, the foundation
of our lives, rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious to him, you also are like
living stones and are being built into a spiritual house.
So, people who trust in Jesus, people who build their lives on the foundation of Jesus, are the church.
As we come to Jesus in faith, we are being built together.
Each one of us is like a stone being built into a living house where God lives by his Spirit.
So, church is not a place to go to.
It's not a meeting that we attend.
Church is, if you see on the screen, church is God's chosen people, built together by Jesus,
empowered by the Holy Spirit, and called to declare and display Christ to the world.
That is amazing.
That is who we are.
God's chosen people, built together by Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit,
and called to declare and display Christ to the world.
Three things we are going to think about the church.
First, our double identity as the church.
Our double identity.
First, our identity, number one, we belong to God.
Look at verse 9.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.
Now, we didn't always belong to God.
Once upon a time, we were not a people.
Look at verse 10.
Once we were not a people.
In the Old Testament, there's a prophet by the name of Hosea.
We read from it this morning.
And God spoke a very clear message to the people through Hosea, using his family.
And Hosea had a son.
And he called his son Lo-Ami.
And Lo-Ami means, you're not my people, and I am not your God.
So you could imagine Hosea, Lo-Ami is out running away outside, and Hosea calls him.
You're not my people.
I'm not your God.
The message was clear to the people.
Because of your rejection and your rebellion against God,
because you've turned away from me and not loved me,
you do not belong to me.
You're not my people.
And Peter, the author here, wants us to see our life like that.
Because we too have ignored God.
We are not God's people.
We do not belong to him.
But, let's read verse 10 again.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.
Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Mercy is God not treating us as we deserve.
In fact, God does the opposite towards us.
In love he pursues unfaithful, rebellious people like you and me.
And he makes us his people.
Listen to those words again from Hosea.
What God said to Hosea, to the people.
Having said you are not my people, and I am not your God.
Here's the promise.
Listen to these words again.
I will show my love to the one I called not my loved one.
I will say to those called not my people, you are my people.
And they will say, you are my God.
And that wonderful promise was fulfilled when Jesus came and loved us and showed mercy to us.
Jesus didn't treat us as we deserve.
In fact, Jesus went to the cross to die for us so that people like you and me could become God's very own people.
In fact, he goes on to tell us exactly who we are.
Look at verse 9.
We are God's chosen people.
Or if you like, God's chosen race.
Verse 9.
But you are a chosen people.
God has taken nobodies like you and me and made us into his chosen race.
Loved from before time began.
Gathered from all different kinds of backgrounds and nationalities.
And created to be God's very own people.
So if you are a Christian here today,
you are not European or African or Asian or American.
First and foremost, our identity is we are God's chosen race.
But we're more than just that.
Again, read verse 9.
We are God's chosen people.
A royal priesthood.
Priests, you remember, were primarily responsible for making God known to the people.
They spoke on behalf of God to the people.
They were like a mediator from God to people.
And now he's telling us, guess what?
We're a priesthood.
From once rejecting God to now people who represent God in the world.
We're his royal priesthood.
We have been chosen by the creator, the king of the universe,
who rules over everyone and everything.
And he has chosen us and he has sent us to represent God in the world.
His living representatives.
So that means we're not students, first and foremost.
We're not workers.
We're not unemployed.
We're not sports players.
We're not just mums at home looking after kids.
We are a royal priesthood.
God's representatives here on earth.
A chosen people, a royal priesthood.
And let's read verse 9 again.
A holy nation.
If you've done any kind of travelling,
or surely if you've watched the shows on television,
you know that every country you go to is different.
Different food.
Different culture.
Different languages.
Each nation is distinct from everyone else.
And look at what we are.
We are a holy nation.
Holy means to be distinct.
That is, we are different from everybody else.
Not by the food we eat.
Not by the clothes that we wear.
But by our words of truth.
By our loving behaviour.
Together, corporately, as his people,
we are to declare and display the beauty
and the goodness of God in the world in which we live.
So you see, it's not just about me
and my relationship with God
and my personal experience with God.
It's not about me and God all on our own.
We're much bigger and greater than that.
We are a holy nation.
So I don't know how you came thinking of yourself today.
Maybe feeling a little bit down and miserable.
Thinking that you're not worth very much.
And people don't pay you much attention.
Well, look again at your identity
if you are trusting Christ.
You belong to God.
You have been shown mercy.
You are a chosen race.
A royal priesthood.
And a holy nation.
But that's not how the world will see God's people.
So here's our second identity.
And this should be familiar to us
as we've gone through 1 Peter.
We are strangers in the world.
Verse 11.
Dear friends, I urge you as aliens
and strangers in the world.
In the eyes of God,
we are royal.
We are special.
We are holy.
We are treasured.
But in the eyes of the world,
we're nobodies.
Outsiders.
Shut out.
Pushed out.
We're strangers.
Have a look back at chapter 1, verse 1.
Remember how he set out this identity
at the very beginning of the letter?
To God's elect.
God's, yes, you're chosen people,
loved by God,
but you are strangers
in the world.
If we belong to God,
that means we do not belong to the world.
We cannot belong to two things at once.
We either belong to God
or we belong to the world.
One writer put it like this.
Christians,
if you're living in the world
as a Christian today,
he says Christians are like immigrants,
foreigners,
temporary residents,
like refugees.
We do not belong.
We do not have the rights of citizens.
We're outsiders.
We're living on the edge
of the culture.
Yes, we are a chosen race,
but in the world
we are an unwelcome race.
Yes, we're a royal priesthood,
but in the world
we're an unwanted priesthood.
Yes, we are a holy nation,
but in the world
we're an undesirable nation.
Don't believe me?
Well, if you are a Christian today,
if you speak up for the rights
of the unborn,
if you stand and say,
I am pro-life,
and if you stand up for Christian values
and for truth,
you will feel a sense of isolation.
You will be pushed out.
You will feel a stranger
in the world.
So you see,
we do live with this double identity.
We belong to God,
but we're strangers.
The second thing about church
is this,
our double calling.
And here's our first calling.
We have been called out of the world.
Let's read verse 9 again.
You are a chosen people,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a people belonging to God,
that you may declare
the praises of him
who did what?
Who called you out
of darkness.
Darkness
is a description of life
that is under the influence
of the world.
It's a life
without Jesus,
where we are trapped
and enslaved,
without hope,
without purpose.
So the world
will tell us
things like this.
We've come from nowhere,
and guess what?
We're going nowhere.
We are born,
that's if we escape
abortion.
We die naturally,
if we escape
euthanasia.
It's a life
that gives
no hope
beyond the grave,
no purpose
to our present existence.
It's a life
that is utterly
dark and empty.
But the good news is,
Jesus,
verse 9,
has called us
out
from darkness
into
his wonderful light.
You see,
as we come
to Jesus,
we discover
we do have
a purpose.
We are loved
and we are chosen
before
we were ever born.
Through Jesus,
we discover
we do have a hope.
When we die,
we've got an inheritance
that can never perish,
spoil or fade.
Jesus has called us
out
from the darkness
of this world
into
his wonderful light.
Have a look back
at chapter 1,
verse 18.
Chapter 1,
verse 18.
For you know
that it was not
with perishable things
such as silver
or gold
that you were
redeemed
from the
empty
way
of life.
That's the darkness,
the empty way
of life.
We've been
redeemed from it.
We have been
redeemed,
verse 19,
with the precious
blood of Christ,
the Lamb,
without blemish
or defect.
Christ,
the perfect one,
has rescued us
from the empty
darkness
and has brought us
into his
beautiful light,
bringing meaning
and purpose
and filling
our lives
with hope.
But that's just
one side
of our calling.
We've been
called out
of the world
but we have
also been
sent back
into
the world.
Look at
verse 11.
Dear friends,
I urge you
as aliens
and strangers,
whereabouts
are they?
In
the world.
Living life
as a Christian
in this world
is tough.
It is hard.
To speak out
for Christian truth,
to stand up
for Christian values,
means we will
not always be
liked.
And in an effort
to try and
protect ourselves,
what we do
is we retreat
into our nice,
safe,
Christian ghetto.
We surround
ourselves with
people who
believe the
same things
and think
the same way.
We hide
behind the
comfort of
our own
Christian faith,
surrounding
ourselves with
Christian friends.
We live in
the world
of Christian
Facebook
where we
like Christian
friends but
unlike those
who do not
believe.
And we
just live
in our own
little bubble.
But that's
wrong.
That's wrong.
The point is
there is nothing
private about
our Christian
faith.
Look at
verse 12.
Live such
good lives
among
the pagans,
around about
with the
people who
do not
yet believe.
Live your
life amongst
them.
Work there.
Live there.
Play there.
Jesus has
rescued us
from the
world and
now he
sends us
back into
the world.
We are
the light
that goes
into the
darkness.
You see,
through Jesus
we have been
changed and
transformed and
we are to
bring that
hope with
us back
to the
world.
Have a look
with me,
please.
Keep your
finger in
1 Peter and
just go back
to Matthew's
Gospel.
Matthew
chapter 5.
It's on
page 968.
968.
Remember what
Jesus said to
his disciples?
Matthew
chapter 5.
Sorry,
it's 969.
We're going to
read from
verse 14.
Matthew 5
verse 14.
What does
he say of
the church,
his people?
You are
the light
of the
world.
We're like
a city
on a hill
that cannot
be hidden.
Our light
is shining
for all
to see.
Neither
do people
light a
lamp and
put it
under a
bowl.
That's
kind of
to retreat
into our
own safe
Christian
ghetto.
Instead,
they put
it on
its stand
and it
gives light
to everyone
in the
house.
In other
words,
we are
to live
our lives
out in
the world.
In the
same way,
verse 16,
let your
light shine
before men
and women
that they
may see
your good
deeds
and praise
your Father
in heaven.
we have
been rescued
from the
world of
darkness.
Now we
are sent
back into
the world
as his
lights to
shatter the
darkness,
to bring
hope and
to bring
life.
So,
our double
identity,
we belong
to God,
but yet we're
strangers in
this world.
Our double
calling,
we've been
rescued out
of the
world and
now we
have been
sent back
into the
world.
And third,
our double
mission.
First,
we are to
declare Jesus
through our
words to
the world.
Declare
Jesus through
our words to
the world.
Look at
verse 9.
You're a
chosen people,
a royal
priesthood,
a holy
nation,
a people
belonging to
God.
You've got a
purpose,
you've got a
mission,
you have been
chosen by
God to do
what?
Look at the
end of verse
9.
That you
may declare
the praises
of him who
called you
out of
darkness and
into his
wonderful
light.
The story
of our
new identity
and our
new calling
is an
amazing story
to tell.
We are,
verse 9,
to declare
the praises
of him.
We are to
point to
Jesus.
We are to
point to
God and
tell and
show people
the incredible
and amazing
life-changing
work that
God has
done in
our lives
and can be
done in
your life.
To tell
the story
of how
God has
loved us
and chosen
us and
made us
his royal
priesthood.
How he's
taken
nobodies
like you
and me,
rebels
living in
the emptiness
of this
dark world
and made
us his
holy nation.
How he
has given
us a
living hope
and inheritance
that can
never perish,
spoil or fade.
We are here
to tell the
story of
how God
rescues us
from darkness
and brings
us into
his wonderful
light.
I've heard
a phrase,
maybe you've
heard this
too.
People often
quote it.
Always
preach the
gospel and
if necessary
use words.
Always
preach the
gospel and
if necessary
use words.
Well,
whoever said
it,
is wrong
because the
good news
about Jesus
is a
word.
We need
to use
our words.
We are
to declare
the truth
about God
because it
is his
word,
the word
of God
that changes
lives.
Look back
at chapter
1 verse
23.
Chapter
1 verse
23.
He tells
us that we
have been
born again.
This is
this new
life,
this new
hope,
this new
beginning.
We have
been born
again,
not of
perishable
seed,
but of
imperishable.
How?
Through the
living and
enduring
word of
God.
You see,
when the
word of
God,
the good
news about
Jesus,
is told
and declared,
God by
his spirit
changes lives
and transforms
lives.
Ephesians
number 16.
Now,
I know
that's
hard because
I find
it hard.
It's hard
to talk
about
Jesus when
people don't
want to
listen.
That's
why on
Wednesdays,
as our
study together,
we're looking
at how to
talk about
Jesus even
when it's
tough.
Because it
is tough.
and together we're sharing with each other,
we're learning together,
we're encouraging each other to talk about Jesus.
And it's been exciting to hear the stories of people
as they've come on a Wednesday
and tell us how they've gotten on in work,
how they got on with this friend
and how people are declaring the story of Jesus.
So, declare Jesus through our words.
And display Jesus through our lives to the world.
That's the second part of our mission.
Look at verse 12, chapter 2, verse 12.
Live such good lives among those who are not yet believers
that though they accuse you of doing wrong,
they may see your good deeds
and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Words are necessary,
but our lives must match what we talk about.
Let me put it this way.
People need to see the gospel
as well as hear the gospel.
We say, God is love.
Well then let's love the refugee who is isolated and alone.
You say, Jesus forgives?
Well then don't hold any grudges
and forgive your brother and sister.
Again.
You say, God gave his life?
Then give your life sacrificially for the service of others.
You say, Jesus accepts us?
Then welcome others and don't condemn them.
If we're wanting people to hear the good news of Jesus,
then our very lives must reflect and display the beauty of Jesus
to those around us.
People are much more likely going to listen
and they're going to ask questions
if our life looks like the message that we're seeking to tell.
That's why, verse 11,
he says,
I urge you, dear friends,
I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world
to abstain from sinful desires
which war against your soul.
Sinful natures.
It makes us selfish.
It puts barriers between us and people.
And if it's not dealt with,
it will turn people away from Jesus.
Our behaviour in public,
our ways in private,
have an effect on people.
Rather than display the beauty of Jesus,
we'll just display the ugliness of our hearts.
That is why there is a battle going on.
A war in our souls
to fight against our sinful nature
so that we display the beauty of Jesus
to the world.
In the first century,
just after this letter was written,
it was really tough to be a Christian.
It was illegal to be a Christian.
Ordinary believers,
just like you and me,
put yourself back into the first century,
didn't have a Bible,
didn't have one of these that you have in your lap.
Most people couldn't read.
There were a few letters that Paul had
and bits of scripture that others had
that were passed around.
They didn't have church buildings to go to,
not even a grand sports hall like this.
No worship groups.
No projectors.
No Christianity Explored courses.
No tracts or booklets to give to people.
They just had people like you and me
meeting together,
gathering together,
living their lives together.
And amazingly,
the church grew
and people became followers of Jesus.
How did that happen with such few resources?
People,
the Word of God
and the Spirit of God
working together?
How did it all happen?
Well, they got their new identity,
that they were God's loved and chosen people.
They understood their new calling,
that they were sent into the world
as God's royal priesthood.
They were a holy nation.
God's representatives.
And they understood their new mission
as they went about.
They talked about Jesus
and their lives reflected Jesus
as they loved people
and cared for people.
It seems so simple,
doesn't it?
And the reality is,
we can all do that too.
And what encourages me,
and I guess it encourages you too,
is that many people here
are doing this already together.
to hear your stories
of how you go about
your day-to-day lives
when you go into college,
when you're going into work,
to hear of mums
who are telling the story
of Christ to their children,
of making the effort
to put yourself into
a tough place
where you talk about Jesus.
And as you go about your lives
loving your neighbours,
loving your friends,
even when they don't even recognise it,
even when they slag you off,
even when things go wrong,
you're doing it.
And so our encouragement together is,
rather than run away
and hide into our safe Christian ghetto
and into that nice little cosy bubble
where we surround our friends
with our nice worship songs
and our nice readings
and our nice Christian friends,
we just go out into the darkness.
We are the light of God,
shattering the darkness,
bringing the hope,
bringing the life.
And when we live like this,
look at the end of verse 12,
they will see your good deeds
and glorify God
on the day he visits us.
You know what?
You mightn't see huge changes now,
but there's a promise
and take it away with you
that on the day Christ returns
because of your mission,
because of your declaring of Christ,
because of your displaying of Christ,
there will be people
that you would have impacted
and they will be glorifying Christ with you
and they will share
in that eternal inheritance
forever and forever.
We're not ordinary people.
We're a royal priesthood
filled with the power of God's Holy Spirit
sent to declare and display Christ
to the world.
May God give us grace
to be his chosen people.
Let's pray.
Amen.
Father, would you please help us
to, as it were,
block out the voices of the world
that tell us
that we're nobodies,
that we have nothing,
that we are nothing.
Help us to listen to the clear,
crystal voice of God
to be reminded again
of our identity,
that we are God's chosen people,
his holy nation,
rescued from the emptiness
and darkness,
called into his beautiful light,
given hope,
given meaning,
given purpose.
Help us.
Fill us with your Spirit
that we, this week,
may declare your truth.
And that we would so fight
the sin in our lives
that we would display
the beauty of Christ
from our lives.
And we pray this,
that people,
our friends,
our family,
our loved ones,
will glorify Christ,
will love him
and worship him
the day Christ returns.
Father, do your work,
we pray.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
We're going to sing together.
Father,
you're the word of God the Father,
which tells the story
of God's amazing love
who reached down
into our world.
He didn't stay away
from the world.
He came into the world,
into the darkness,
to be light.
Nope