A Home for Exiles - 1 Peter 2:4-10

Introduction

Read 1 Peter 2:4-12

1 Peter 2:4–12 (ESV)

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 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

“A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

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 had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

What do you think of when you think of home?

Maybe you think of the house you are currently living in.

Maybe you think of where you grew up or where your parents live.

Maybe it’s the place you and all your relatives go to celebrate a reunion. Or perhaps where you and your spouse met and got married.

Home -

A sanctuary and a place of protection

A place of provision and care

A place of love and acceptance

When we look around at our world, we might be losing that sense of home.

Our culture and society that we once claimed as ours is becoming more hostile and opposed to the things we stand for.

Our nation, which at least pretended to be Christian because it was socially unacceptable not to be one, is now becoming outwardly and vocally opposed to the things of Christ, to the idea of absolute truth, to the belief that Christ is the one and only way to the Father, that He alone determines what is right and wrong.

And if we, as His people, claim to stand on biblical truth, we are declared to be hateful and bigoted and phobic of whatever the latest socially acceptable rebellion might be.

It does need to be stated that as we stand on the truth of God’s Word, we should also be filled with grace and compassion for sinners. We must, like Jesus, be filled with grace and truth.

If we only have one or the other, we actually have neither one. You can have no true grace without truth and no truth without grace.

We are not facing outright violent persecution yet, but we are facing opposition and derision to our faith and biblical beliefs.

Christianity is losing its place of prominence that it has enjoyed for so long and We are quickly becoming exiled from the culture and society at large.

What is our response to this growing hostility and opposition?

Two Unbiblical Responses

Hide in Holy Huddles - Maybe we back away from culture and society to hide away in our churches.

Conform to the Culture - Others might respond by changing along with the culture so as not to be exiled from the culture.

We are seeing churches and denominations cave to beliefs and practices simply out of a desire to be seen as relevant and not as weird or different from the prevailing thoughts and beliefs.

Peter and the Believers in Asia Minor

1 Peter 1:1 (ESV)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Peter wrote to a group of believers, mostly Gentile, who were on the Eastern Edge of the Roman Empire.

While the believers in Asia Minor might not have faced the full persecution that was going on closer to Rome, these believers were facing opposition and rejection from their own people.

Here, these new Gentile believers along with some Jewish believers, came to believe in Christ and began to live and believe differently than their fellow neighbors.

As a result, these new believers were being rejected and outcast by their friends and family for following Jesus. And they were on the edge of the empire.

The temptation would have been for them to leave their newly found faith and go back to their former way of life. Peter wants to encourage them to press on and to embrace the living hope found in Christ and to grow in a life of holiness. Don’t give up!

We are Exiled by the World

1 Peter 1:1 (ESV)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Exile

Exile has been a theme that has been running through the pages of Scripture from Genesis 3 on.

Exile as a result of Sin -

Humanity has been living in exile since Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden and we have been trying to make our way back to the Garden ever since.

Throughout the rest of Scripture, we see where exile is often a result of sin and rebellion, such as

Cain after the murder of his brother

Israel in the wilderness for 40 years

Israel in Babylon

Exile as a result of Holiness

However, Exile was not just a theme for those in sin. Exile was also a theme for those who trusted in God and were set apart from the world.

God chose Abraham to be a special family and exiled him to leave his family and to go to an unknown land so he could be a blessing to all the families of the earth..

And even the exile into Babylon which was part of God’s judgment upon the sin of Israel, was also an exile of blessing upon those who were exiled. We see that Israel was being purified and accomplishing their role as blessings to the nations when we look at the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meschack and Abednego, and Esther in Persia. God even pronounced His blessings upon those who would go into exile and His curses upon those who stayed at home.

Jeremiah 24 records a vision of two baskets of figs, one good and one bad, so bad they could not be eaten. God declares that the good basket are those who go into exile, those who He is sending away from their home. He promises His blessings and His presence upon them. On the other hand, the bad basket of figs are those who remain in Jerusalem and Egypt. They will become a reproach upon all the nations around them.

We Are Rejected by the World

What I hope we will see is that it is the story of God’s people to dwell in exile as we live in this broken world. Those who are living by faith in the person and work of Christ are going to feel at odds with the world around them.

It is not a comfortable place to be, but in the world we currently live in, it is what is expected for God’s people. We actually get ourselves into some trouble if we feel too much at home in this sin-broken world.

It should not come as a surprise to us to be rejected by the world. This is what was happening to the believers in Asia Minor that Peter was writing to and it is what Jesus actually promised to His followers.

Matthew 5:10–12 (ESV)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus actually told His disciples that this has been the state of things even during the time of the prophets.

If you are feeling rejected by the culture and feeling a kind of homelessness here, you are in good company, as we are in the same place as believers before us as well as even the prophets and OT saints.

There is a temptation here for us to hide away or to compromise or turn away from Christ so we can hold onto the comfort of home here in this world. This was where the believers were that Peter was writing to in this letter. He is writing to encourage them to not allow the exile to get them to give up or to turn away from Christ.

We Are Chosen by God

But Peter doesn’t just call us exiles. He calls us elect exiles. Here is where we get to take hope. While we, as Christ’s followers, are being rejected by the world, being called bigots and hateful and on the wrong side of history for simply standing on the Word of God, we have been chosen by God.

The world may reject us, but that is not the final word for us. God has chosen to bless those and be with those who have been deemed unworthy by the world.

Noah, who was rejected by the world, was chosen by God to bring salvation to the world.

Abraham, who faced the shame of having no children, became the father of many nations.

Daniel and his friends, Jewish slaves exiled from home, found the presence of God in a fiery furnace and a lion’s den, while those in Jerusalem faced God’s judgment.

But what are we being chosen for?

God is Choosing to Make His Home With Us

1 Peter 2:4–5 (ESV)

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

See what Peter is saying here! It is amazing! He says that as we come to Jesus, a living stone who was also rejected by men yet chosen by God, we ourselves are like living stones being built up as a spiritual house. While the world has chosen to reject all those who have chosen to faithfully follow Christ, God is choosing those rejected by the world to make His home with them.

The Tabernacle/Temple

Throughout the Old Testament, God had His presence shown through the building of the Tabernacle and Temple. The tent of meeting and the stone building of the temple served as a reminder to God’s people that He loved them and desired to dwell among His people.

These were places where the people would go to worship, to be reminded of God’s holiness, to sacrifice and atone for their sins, and to remind them of their mission to be a blessing to the nations.

We are God’s New Home

Even as those who are exiled and rejected from the world, we are chosen and invited into this new group that is being identified by Peter and other New Testament writers, such as Paul, as a new Spiritual house or temple of God’s Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV)

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Think about the honor that God in Christ has given to us.

God is choosing to dwell with His people wherever they are. No longer do we have to go to a specific location, now His Spirit dwells wherever His people are found because they are all living stones that comprise this new temple and the living stones are found throughout the world.

God’s presence is here at home here in Quemado as much as it was at home with His people in Jerusalem, as much as it was with the church in Antioch and in Rome, as much as it is in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Socorro, Alamo, or Reserve. This should serve as a great hope for us. No matter where we are at, how large or small the population of where we are at, God is dwelling with His people because we are living stones being built up into God’s Spiritual House.

Jesus Our Foundation

1 Peter 2:6 (ESV)

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.”

Next, what we want to see is that this new home is being built on a sure and solid foundation. Every home and building needs a secure foundation on which to be built.

The foundation ensures that the building will stand and will be secure no matter what happens around the building.

I am not a fan of heights, but there are certain things I am willing to do and things I have no desire to do.

When I was living in Lubbock, we would take our youth and preteens to a camp that sat about 45 mins north in a place called Floydada. This camp ground, like many campgrounds, had a ropes course. Of course, the ropes course was something that we had to do with our students as one of the team building activities. The first time I saw it, my heart sank into my stomach. You climb up 30-40 feet in the air, held only by this wire that someone is holding secure at the bottom and you have to make walk across these wooden beams and wires keeping your balance lest you fall and entrust your fate to the strength of the one holding the cord at the ground.

Let me say, I was never a fan of the ropes course.

On the other hand, in spite of my fear of heights, I don’t mind going to a theme park and riding certain roller coasters. I don’t mind the ups and downs and the speed of the coasters because there is a fundamental difference in my perception. In a roller coaster, you are typically buckled in with something beneath your feet. So in spite of the twists and turns and loop de loops, you feel safe and secure because there is something that is underneath me. The foundation makes all the difference.

For us as the living stones, we do not have to trust someone holding a wire or the security of a roller coaster cart to keep us safe. We have a foundation that is much more secure, Jesus Christ.

The hope here for us is that no matter what changes, we can stand securely because we have a foundation that can never break or be moved. We do not have to fear the shifting sands of public opinion or the moral revolution that is constantly changing around us. We stand secure because of Christ.

We Are Being Built Up Together

Along with having our foundation in Christ, if we are going to live out our calling as living stones, we must also see our need for one another.

In our highly individualized western culture, we have minimized the need for community while, to our harm, have highlighted our individuality.

Our faith surely needs to be a personal faith, but we have gone so far into making our faith private. We have individuals who make the claim that they can worship God just as easily on the golf course or on the lake as in a church. And even those who enter into our churches, keep it to just that Sunday morning hour, slipping in and out without ever getting to know anyone else.

And yet, Peter is showing us that this is not how it was meant to be.

Notice here that Peter is talking, not to individuals, but to congregations as a whole telling them they are living stones. In verse 9 he will also call them a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. He does not speak to the individual saying you are a chosen believer, a royal priest, and a holy man or woman. The words Peter uses can only be fulfilled within community.

Living Stones -

First we must see our need to be involved with our local church. I know I am preaching to the choir here in this meeting, but we need to be constantly reminded of how much we need our church families.

There is a show my family and I have enjoyed getting into and we ar excited anytime a new season comes out. That show is “Lego Masters” hosted by Will Arnett. It is a show where several teams of two people each come together to build these massive lego masterpieces. They have to create them with their own imaginations, no instruction books. And they all do an amazing job. I wish I had that kind of creativity. But in order to create these masterpieces, they are pushed to go beyond their limits and to build as big and complex as possible. And you know what they all have in common? They all use hundreds if not thousands of lego pieces in their builds. You cannot build those masterpieces using only one lego piece.

In the same way, You and I cannot truly fulfill being the temple of the Holy Spirit without the presence of other believers any more than one lego piece can fulfill its purpose of being built into a beautiful lego masterpiece.

When God said that it was not good for man to be alone, He was not only talking about marriage. He was talking about living in community with others.

We are called to continually gather and meet together to strengthen one another and remind each other of our confidence and assurance in Christ.

Hebrews 10:25 (ESV)

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Other Churches -

But here’s where I want to go beyond the idea of simply living within our local congregations. We as churches need other churches as well. We see throughout the book of Acts how the churches supported one another and encouraged one another.

This is where we need to come alongside other churches and work together to work as this spiritual household. This is one of those challenges of this particular area. I’ve been in areas which have 25-30 churches in an association that cover a single city. We have 7 churches that span about 130 miles across. I know there are some of us here who probably feel exiled simply from sheer distance from other churches. And this is where we really need one another all the more, to encourage one another.

I am so thankful for the leadership of Dennis Harris and those on the Executive Committee of our Association in leading us to continue to meet and gather together as much as possible. I heard that several years ago, there was an option to disband the association, and yet it was decided to continue. There has been some great work done to continue to encourage the churches to meet and to experience life together as the body of Christ and as this spiritual house of God.

Let me encourage everyone here to continue to meet with other churches, as much as possible, both within and without our association and denomination. We do not necessarily have to agree upon every doctrine, but we must all be built upon the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. Find those who are grounded upon the Word of God with whom we can work together as we continue to grow as the living stones God is making us to be.

We Need One Another!

We Are Chosen To Live for the Glory of Christ

1 Peter 2:9–12 (ESV)

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 had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Peter once again emphasizes the fact that God has chosen us as His special possession.

We do not need to fear what this world does or how it reacts to the truth of God’s Word. We have our foundation on Christ and we belong to Him and we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

So what does this mean for us now as we continue to live in this world that seeks to reject and exile God’s people?

Proclaim the Excellencies of Christ

We see that God has chosen to make His home with us so that He could create a chosen race, a holy nation of priests.

Priests served as mediators between men and God.

Priests were the ones who represented God to the people. They were the ones to help the people remember and know who God is and that He alone deserves to be worshipped.

As a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, you and I are called to represent God and to proclaim the excellencies of Christ.

This means, we cannot simply form holy huddles as we seek to hide from a culture that seeks to reject and exile those faithful to Christ.

God has made His home with us so that we will be filled with His Spirit and go out to share His goodness with others so they too, through faith, can be brought into this new spiritual house. God has built this house with plenty of space for everyone who believes to come in and join!

We are called to preach the gospel to a lost world around us. We do not need to fear their scorn or rejection because we have already been accepted by the One who truly matters. His acceptance frees us to boldly go and declare His good news!

God has not chosen us for His love and grace to terminate on us, but so that others can experience His love and grace too.

Demonstrate the Holiness and Goodness of God

Next, as this nation of Priests, we are called to live lives of holiness.

Again, on the one hand we might be tempted to create holy huddles and hide away from the world, but we cannot do that as we declare the excellencies of Christ to the world.

On the other hand, we cannot conform to the world either. As sojourners and exiles, we are called to live life that is distinct and unique from the world we are traveling through.

In fact, if we are to proclaim His excellencies, we must also demonstrate the excellencies of living life according to God’s Holy standard.

This does not mean to stand in judgment over those who are lost.

We cannot expect those who are unsaved to live like God’s people. To do so would be to require a legalistic requirement of salvation. Only Christ can make them holy.

But we are called to live a holy life so they may see the goodness of God in how we live and how we love.

“they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

This sounds a lot like the sermon on the mount, where Jesus tells His disciples to “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

If we are conforming to the world, we will actually be hiding our light and keeping others from seeing the glory of God.

Yet, when both our words and our lives point to Christ, there will be those whose eyes are open and will see the glory of Christ and see their need for Him and respond to the invitation to experience the joy of life as one of God’s elect exiles!

In his book Lectures to my Students, Charles Spurgeon tells of a famous letter that Robert Murray M’Cheyne wrote to a friend of his who was preparing for the ministry and was applying himself to learn German. It’s a famous letter. Here’s what M’Cheyne says, and it’s powerful counsel for every Christian, and especially for those who are called to be shepherds in the church of God, and especially those who are called to full-time pastoral ministry.

Listen: “I know you will apply hard to German, but do not forget the culture of the inner man, I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his saber clean and sharp, every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, His instrument, I trust, a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name in great measure according to the purity and perfection of the instrument will be the success.” And then this last line: “It is not great talents God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”

he may have been writing to those studying to be preachers but this applies to everyone of us. All believers are Called to be witnesses and to proclaim the excellencies of Christ. And God blesses not so much our talents and skills as he blesses our likeness to Jesus.

May God use us as His royal priesthood and as living stones to build a spiritual house here in the Mountain Baptist Association to encourage one another that life as an exile in this life is better than belonging to this world, to bring honor and glory to God, and to invite others into this better home with Christ.