Living as the New People of God

Sorry about that. So Cole and Bob are traveling, so I get to fill in for them
today. So glad to be with you today. We want to just think about some things.
Today we're going to be in 1st Peter 2. We'll be our text for day 4 through 10.
We want to just consistently come back to this text because it's a good text to
memorize and do some things with.
the needs of our body. We lift up Paul Cherry and just pray for his body.
We pray that you would bring healing to him, give them he and Shirley peace in the
midst of this challenging season with chemo and doctor's appointments, just that they
would have peace that passes understanding. But we do pray for his healing, and
Father, you would grant that as you will. We do pray for the transition for a new
pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church here in Little Rock. We're thankful that that has
been a smooth, easy transition so far and pray for good ministry for him here with
his family and their new church family. God, we do want to pray for peace as we
enter a new year. We pray just as things are going on in Ukraine even last night.
God, that they would have peace in their country and in Nigeria, where people are
being kidnapped.
I went into the judges' chambers to give my assent to what was about to happen.
But the truth was that all the legal work had already happened. It was all
completed. I just needed to understand what had happened on my behalf.
This man, my stepfather, whom I was not blood related to you, had committed his
life to raising, shaping, providing, and protecting me and my sister. So now the
conversation shifts and we're at the dinner table, and my kids say, they're wondering
if they're...
There was widespread persecution. They were cast out from where they had been in
these local communities, and they not only feel the weight of that, but they feel
pretty isolated. And so into that, Peter steps in, and he's going to write something
to encourage them, and I hope it'll be encouraging to you. So let's pray for God
to speak to us today, and then we will dive into our text. Father, we ask for
your spirit to illuminate these words for us. Father, I am astounded.
Get over to that.
It's the word of God for the people of God. Verse four starts with, As you come
to him, a living stone, rejected by people, but chosen and honored by God.
You yourselves as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built up to be a holy
priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it stands in Scripture, see, I...
they disobey the word. They were destined for this. But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may
proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. You had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy. And God add his blessing to our
time in his word today.
believing what he has done in his perfect life, substitutionary death, and
resurrection were for you and in your place for your sin, God grants you not only
forgiveness, but a whole new identity.
Think of the things that Scripture calls us as new people in Christ. He calls you
God's child. He calls you a citizen of his kingdom.
He says, you are his people and a co -air of the kingdom of Christ. But he also
says very specific things in our text today. It says that you are a living stone
that is like the living stone of Christ. And not only is that who you are,
but there's a purpose behind this. You are being fitted together with all of the
other living stones for a spiritual house of worship.
come to him at all. If you're a non -believer, that you would think this isn't
matter to me. Why would I care about coming to Jesus? I'll show up at church
sometimes. I'll try to be a good person. Maybe I'll drop some money in the box.
That's a challenge for the non -believer. But even for us as believers, the challenge
is seeing your need to daily keep coming to him. It's easy to just go, well, I
know that I loved Jesus back then, but now I'm just doing my thing.
The only way that these Christians could know this is to keep coming to Jesus
daily.
They didn't have the temple. They didn't have all these Christians surrounding them
in churches and synagogues and ways that they could find help. They had to keep
going to Christ.
You've heard Bob and others say, it is about even for us. It's about coming to
Jesus over and over, re -believing the gospel every day.
It's about daily remembering who you were before Christ. It's daily remembering what
God has done for you in Christ and how much you need his help today.
I need his help today. We all need his help today.
So what does our text say that will motivate this daily coming in? It's certainly
true that you know God is declared to be true about you will help you seek the
one who has sought you, but you also need to see him as the cornerstone of your
faith in your life. Look again at verses 6 and 7.
For it stands in Scripture, behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone
chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. So the
honor is for you who believe. But for those who do not believe, the stone that the
builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
And so Peter wants these suffering Christians and us to know that Jesus is not just
the one that he's the transformative person that changes us, but he's also the
cornerstone of everything we know. He's the cornerstone of all who come to him.
And some of the translations talk about him being a capstone, which a capstone
this thing on your own, like you're just waiting on God to show up and do
something in your life?
Sometimes it feels like that, walking this life. But God is promising us here in
First Peter, that's not the case. Look in at verses 7 and 8.
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
the stone that the builders rejected has and a stone and a stone of stumbling and
a rock of offense. They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined
to do.
So the promise for those that don't have Christ as their cornerstone, stumbling,
stumbling over Christ, stumbling in this life with the choices we make.
It says that we will be offensive and dishonorable to Jesus because we are going to
deny who he is in our lives. It also says that we're going to disobey.
That's what we're destined to do. There is a purpose in us doing that so that we
would see how much we need Jesus. But ultimately, what comes for those that don't
Christ as their cornerstone is wrath.
And listen, that doesn't mean that those who don't know Jesus live the hardest
lives. I get that. If you know people that aren't living for Christ, don't have
Christ as their cornerstone, are not walking in the good that he wants for them,
you don't think their lives are that hard. You probably think their lives are pretty
great.
But the truth is, they will stumble over Christ and ultimately be crushed by him.
and he leaves tenants there to take care of it, and he leaves, and he sends a
slave, and he says, go get me some of the fruit, and they beat him and kick him
out. He sends more and more. They keep doing that. And finally, he says, I will
send my son.
Perhaps they will honor him. The tenants then say, we're going to kill him and take
it for ourselves. And so they kill him and throw him out. And Jesus asked this of
the religious rulers, he says, what do you think will happen when that landowner
comes?
Now, he's very pointedly saying something to them.
The reality was they were those men, they were those people that were beating the
slaves and ultimately were going to kill the son.
At the end of this, Jesus quotes Psalm 118 in Luke 20. Look at verses 17 and 18.
At the end of this parable, he says, but he looked at them directly and said, what
then is this that is written? The stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. And when it
falls on anyone, it will crush him.
That was an astounding thing for those religious leaders to hear, that somehow Jesus,
loving, kind, all those things, was going to have wrath on people that rejected him.
But here's the promise of the gospel today. You don't have to be crushed by Christ
today. You can have him as your cornerstone. He can be your living hope today if
you'll repent and surrender your heart and life to his leadership and his sovereign
truth and care, guess what? Romans 8 says you're no longer under condemnation.
There's no, not some, there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
So how do we do that? How do you live like God is your cornerstone? How do we do
that? Well, a couple ideas, I think. One is to slow down.
I think it takes a, you have to slow yourself down to think of Jesus as your
cornerstone and of the church and of our lives together. We have to slow ourselves
down to process this and go, am I living the way God wants me to? Is he setting
the lines for my life? Is he the cornerstone? Am I living as though that's true?
It takes some slowing down, some processing and thinking.
But secondly, I think it also come and sit at the feet of Jesus.
a Bible reading plans that you could sit at the feet of Christ and read his word
and soak in it and learn more about him. One of the things I've been using for
the last couple of years is called 1517. They do a Bible in a year, a video every
day. It's a great resource to help you think about how Christ could shape you. Read
good theological books. They'll help you want Jesus more and encourage you in the
Word. Desiring God? Great book. If you've never read Desiring God by John Piper,
it's a baseline great book for you to want to know what it means to have that
kind of relationship with God. I think knowing God is a great study, a great book
to read and understand and grasp what it means to know God.
We have to come to this living stone if he's going to build us up to be what he
wants us to be.
But for all of us, I think we all want to have friendships and people in our
lives that connect with us on a deep level. I mean, this is the imprint of God
himself on each of us as image bearers, whether we're walking this out well or not.
That leads to our second point today. We're going to find real change. For us that
have Jesus as our cornerstone, the second point is your new identity is communal in
nature. Your new identity is communal in nature. It's easy to think it's just Jesus
and me. I actually know somebody that had that. They called it jam. I was like,
that's not very creative, but I mean, you know, whatever. But that was just the way
they thought about it. It's just Jesus and me, just that's all that matters. But I
think what Peter wants us to see is that our identity is communal in nature.
There's more to it than just Jesus and you. It's Jesus and us. It's a y 'all
thing.
It certainly matters that you have a relationship with God through Christ, but it's
not just what Christ has done for you, although that's essential. It's mainly about
him forming us all into a people and a place of worship and sacrifice.
If we come back to verse four, we see again that what it says, as you come to
him, that you is second person plural. It's a plural noun.
It's we're all coming to him. It's not just him writing to individual Christians.
He's saying, hey, you that have Jesus is your cornerstone, as you all come to him,
then it says you yourselves are being built up. Again, second person plural. This is
a plural thing. It's not just one of us as being, we are all being built up into
what God wants us to be.
So the truth is we need each other to do what God has called us to. Now,
we certainly come to him as individuals, but we don't stay that way. As God's
people, functioning as we ought to with the gifts he's given us for the building up
of his church, we will begin to see what God wants for each of us. Just some
basic ideas. To be daily and weekly worshippers of God and what we say, sing, do,
and give.
Doesn't mean you're writing a check every day to God. I don't mean that, but I'm
just saying there's a giving part of this, there's a singing part of it, there's
what you say, there's what you do, that they would all be worship.
That's what we're made for is to worship God. But also, we're to live sacrificially
for our brothers and sisters.
That's what a priest would do is present sacrifices. If you're going to be built
into that, you're going to live sacrificially, give sacrificially for your brothers
and sisters in Christ. I think thirdly, to lay down your life, take up the cross,
and deny yourself, and help each other follow Christ. That's what we're made for.
This is what a priest does. This is what a holy communion of saints does for each
other. Again, the U's are all plural. All of them are. But then,
when the reminder comes later that we are, verse 9, a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, and a holy nation, guess what? They're all singular.
This is what we've been learning, and we're going to continue to learn in Ephesians.
We're going to get into Ephesians 3, and we'll see that God has torn down what
separates us.
And so we can see that it is more about being in community with others that know
and love and worship Jesus than it is about just being a lone ranger Christian. If
you're just trying to slug it out on your own, and you're just trying to make
sense of your life on your own with nobody ever speaking into it,
And God's purposes for making you into what he wants, then you'll be doing what he
wants. If you know your identity in Christ, you're going to do the things that that
informs.
But it's also seeing all that God has done for us in Christ as foundational to the
way we live as God's new people. So we go back to our text and say,
Jesus is the cornerstone of this new temple. He himself said that he was the
temple, but now he's both the foundation and the temple. He is the consummation of
all things that we need. But then it says we also like that living stone as living
stones are being shaped, formed, transformed into the new and living temple.
Why in the world would he do that? Why would he call us this spiritual house and
this temple? Well, God instructed Israel to build the tabernacle and then the temple
for a couple of reasons.
A few reasons, actually. One is to mediate his presence.
They wanted this holy of holies, this special place where God would be with his
people in a unique way.
but also to atone for sin, right? They had to take care of their sin problem by
sacrificing animals and casting the blood and the fat and the drink offerings and
the grant, all the sacrifices so that they could find forgiveness, but it was also
to bring worship for the forgiveness and atonement God had ordained and provided.
That's why they built the temple. That's why it existed so that God's people could
gather, could meet with God to know their sins were atoned for and worship and
enjoy his forgiveness together. But now, Jesus is the new temple,
for we can only know and be with God through Christ. So his presence is what gets
us there. But he is also the perfect atoning sacrifice that paid for our sins and
gives us forgiveness. Jesus sacrificed once for all, all that would encumber us and
keep us from God, that we can have full forgiveness in Christ. But he's also the
perfect atoning sacrifice that paid for our sins and gives us forgiveness. So he did
that for us so that we can walk in the good things he wants for us. But he's
also worthy of worship for all that he is and all that he's done.
So this text takes us even further into the temple metaphor. It says that we are
being built into this new and living temple with Jesus is the foundation and this
is where spiritual sacrifices will happen.
And that's what we want our church to be is a spiritual house where spiritual
things happen, where we're hearing from God and we are being changed by it. But
it's not just that God is making us into a spiritual house. He is also making us
into a spiritual priesthood.
To be profoundly worshipful and obedient to all that God has spoken.
This is what the priests were called to do, to worship and obey and enjoy God.
But also they were called to teach it to others so that worship and faithful
obedience might spread.
Verse 9 makes this astonishing statement that you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. Again, this is
not who you will be, And this is not just for pastors or super Christians.
This is for all who come to Jesus. Every single one of us that have Jesus as the
cornerstone of our lives says he's making us into a priesthood. And then he says,
this is who you are. This is your identity.
That's an important distinction to understand here. He's not saying one day you will
be this. He says this is true of you today, despite what you're feeling, despite
what the world tells you you are, this is who you are.
A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation of people for God's own possession.
So how do we express that communal nature? How do you do that. Like, what is the,
well, I'm glad you asked. I know you're all thinking that. So, so one thing I
think is a big deal, and you'll know if you're ever spending time with me, that I
think small groups are a really helpful thing for you. I think they're helpful for
me. If you're not in a small group, please talk to me after. I'd love to get you
plugged into one. You need people in your life. And listen, I'm not an extrovert.
You're going, how are you up here preaching? I get it. I like being by myself. So
for all of you that are saying, I'm an introvert, I don't like, you still need
people. You still need God's people in your life. So small groups and Bible studies,
we have men's and women's Bible studies all the time that are happening that you
can plug into and have people speak into your life.
This summer, the women did 1024 groups where there was extra connection, extra time
with people.
We're probably going to do something similar to that with men's groups. What about
our men's or women's retreats? Opportunities to spend time with people to remind each
other who we are in Christ.
I think also showing up and participating for worship on Sundays is a big part of
how do we express that nature, that communal nature of being a royal priesthood,
a place where spiritual sacrifices, if you, and this is, I guess I'm saying to the
online people, too, because y 'all are here. But if you're not here and you're not
providentially hindered, why aren't you? This is a place where we can worship God
together, and we need that reminder together.
All of this, all of these things, Sunday morning, small groups, Bible, all those
things are meant to shape us, certainly by each other's presence, but also with the
shared presence of Christ in our midst.
I don't know if you know this, but when you go and you're around people, you're
bringing Christ with you, and you can be an encouragement and a strengthening person
in someone else's life.
So what effect is knowing your new identity meant to have? Well, let's...
contrast and says, 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. Once you were not a people,
but now you are God's people. Once you have received mercy, but now you have
received mercy. So it's good that God declares something about us and says we're
God's people.
His Excellencies. Everything. The way we think, the way we speak, the way we live.
Everything about us should declare His Excellencies to those around us to encourage
both the believer and the non -believer.
So what should you say that proclaims the excellences of Christ? How should you do
that? Well, you have to be both what he has done and what he's doing in your life
through his word and by his spirit that you would constantly want to talk about
listen I believe this is all my heart we talk about what we love I have seen more
pictures of people's grandkids on Facebook and Instagram this week by them talking
about their Christmas things and all grandparents will tell you about their grandkids
you don't have to actually ask them right Right? Parents were like, well, you know,
they're our kids, but they're not our grandkids. And so we talk about what we love.
We're always wanting to talk about what we love. So if we love Christ, we want to
tell people about him. We're not doing it because we have to.
We want to talk about, listen, I was talking with some guys playing tennis the
other day, and I was telling them about my small group and what somebody had done
for us, they'd made dinner for us. I didn't make a big deal out of it. I'd just
being honest.
you can say and do to help those around you see Christ.
So it's telling others about Jesus, I think, is the kindest, most loving words you
can share. They may not see it as that. They may not enjoy it as such,
but that's what it is. It is a kindness and a care for people to declare His
excellencies to others.
Using your words to encourage and even show interest and care is a big thing.
Asking people questions shows you care about them. So if you're in a conversation
with somebody and you don't know what to share, don't share. Ask them a question.
Ask them how they got to that understanding. Ask them why they live this way or
why do you live here. What's your job? There's a million ways you can get people
to know you care about them, and they can create a relationship there by asking
questions, but don't stop there. Listen.
I say this because I'm a guy and we don't listen, so if you're a guy right now
and you're not listening, please listen. We need to not only ask good questions, we
need to listen well. Retain the information, so we might follow up later and go,
hey, you shared this about your family. How's that going? Guess What? That non
-believer will go, you actually care about me? That goes a long way.
It goes a long way in doing that. So we want to use words. We have to use words.
If faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ, we can't just
magically hope that we'll live so well that people will see and know. They have to
hear it. But we do need to do it with our lives as well.
how you live your life day in and day out proclaim
You tend to boast in your own accomplishments and what you've done at work and your
kids' lives or past glories that you still revel in.
But if you're remembering your new identity in Christ, you will proclaim His
excellencies. You'll talk about how great Jesus is,
building others up rather than tearing others down. So let's think through this. What
it says in the end of verse nine says, we're to declare the excellencies of him
who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. That is what we should be
declaring with our lives and words.
We should be the people that are declaring that because we are a chosen race.
A royal priest of the holy nation of
Have you paused to remember that?
Have you paused to consider Christ's excellencies, his perfections and joys and
character, that if we're growing in that knowledge, if we're growing in our knowledge
of them,
we will then be able to proclaim them. but if we don't have a deepening knowledge
of how great Christ is, what are we going to share with other people?
So what motivates that sharing with our words and our lives? Well, our text says
because we remember that once we were not God's people and we hadn't received mercy,
just a question for you. Do you remember who you were before you knew Jesus? I do.
And I was not a good person. I was not. I was a terrible person, in fact.
I tried to be good, but I wasn't good.
We have to remember what it was like to not be a part of God's people.
What it was like to not have received mercy. But now we know and remember that in
Christ, we are God's people, and we have received mercy from him. That really just
says to you, all the wrath that you were destined to get, God has kept at bay.
You don't get the wrath that you deserve because of Christ. So you have experienced
that mercy. You have tasted it, and God, this is good,
belonging to God's family by his incredible mercy where it compelled to share his
greatness with others. You're a part of this family of believers that can help us
share how excellent Jesus is. Well, that means that you have a community of like
-minded followers of Christ to have our back and to demonstrate
called you into something better, and that will help you if you can know that all
of you in here are praying for us, that we're praying for each other, that we're
going to encourage each other, that we're going to have each other's back when we
go out into the community, out in the workplace, out in these places where Christ
is not loved or magnified, that we can be an encouragement to one another knowing
when we gather on Sunday, hey, we're for you. We're here for you. We're here to
encourage.
just build one relationship outside of church that will give you the chance to live
and speak of the excellencies of Christ.
One person that you know doesn't know Jesus that you can speak and live and show
and demonstrate the excellencies of Christ.
I think another way that you can grow in this is that you practice this at home
and in small groups that we live and talk about how excellent Christ is rather than
how excellent our week has been to encourage one another all the more as the day
draws near. I wonder if any of us don't really know who we are in Christ because
God has declared some things about us. If you are in Christ, if he is your
cornerstone, he has declared things to be true about you, whether you feel that way
or not. That you are a chosen race. You are a royal priesthood.
You are a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. And he has a purpose for
you, that you might declare his excellencies because he's brought you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.