The People and Purpose of Christ’s Church

Introduction

Welcome

Announcements

Business Meeting Sunday - 5pm with fellowship to follow

Guest Preacher - Juston Gates, President of MBC Children’s Home

Prayer Requests

In a culture that constantly tells us to “Figure out who you are” “Follow your heart” “You do you” - it’s important for us to have a strong identity… because if we don’t, we’ll be tempted to change that to fit in with the winds of culture. Last week we saw in 1 Peter 2:4-8 that Jesus is the cornerstone. That without faith in Jesus, we are up a creek without a paddle - we have a foundation that will not stand when hard times come. Peter told us last week that we as Believers are a “living stone” and being built up into a “Holy priesthood.” Tonight’s text goes a layer deeper into these themes as we discover the people and purpose of Christ’s Church. As we think about the purpose part of that question - what are some answers you’ve heard regarding the purpose of the church?

Have Fun

Sing Songs

Build Relationships

Give Money

Learn Stories

Wear Fancy Clothes

Gossip

Judge

Serve

There are lots of wrong answers to this question. The church is not a social club. It is not a political party. It is not escapist cult. The church exists to glorify God in everything that we do. This includes what we’re doing tonight, it includes our business meeting on Sunday night, it includes our Easter Candy Hunt on Palm Sunday. Our purpose isn’t about checking boxes and aligning with personal preferences… our purpose is to exalt Jesus and stand on His Word. Have you heard someone say, “I didn’t get much out of worship today?” Whenever I was in college, I heard this a lot whenever we’d talk about the church service that we went to. If the Gospel wasn’t proclaimed, that’s fair… but if we say that because our preference wasn’t met. The AC was too cold. The preacher preached too long. The songs were too loud. Then we have likely replaced contribution with consumption. Because our purpose is to glorify God, this means that whenever we gather for worship, we contribute… We sing with one another. We fellowship. We pray together. We study God’s Word together. We actively do these things. We contribute with our time, our talent, and our treasure. Whenever church turns into consumption, that’s dangerous because then I turn into the center and my preferences matter more than anything else.

Tonight, we’re going to dive into the people and purpose of the church and be reminded of some truths that many of us already know of, but it’s always good for God’s Word to remind us of things that we sometimes can forget

1 Peter 2:9–12 CSB

9 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. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.

2 simple things in our passage tonight

Who We Are: God’s People (9-10)

From the very beginning of this book, we’re reminded that Peter is writing this book to a specific group of people. He says “those chosen living as exiles.” In other words, to those who belong to Jesus. Those who are saved. Those who have a new identity.

What do many people find their identity in today?

Image

Friends

Job

Location

Team

Money

Tonight, we see the identity that God provides. We see several words that change the story in verse 9: Chosen Race, Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation, People for His Possession. These are some awesome identifiers and titles! But, before these titles, we see a simple qualifier in verse 9: You. This is crucial. Who is the You in reference to in 1 Peter 2:9?

If we go back to 1 Peter 1:23, we’re given the answer

1 Peter 1:23 CSB

23 because you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.

Those who have been born again through the work of the Gospel! The “you” in 1 Peter 2:9 are those who belong to Jesus. Those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ! This is the same word Peter uses in 2:6 as Christ was the chosen cornerstone - now we see in verse 9 that those Christians are a chosen race. This is good news! But sometimes people can get a little confused by that word “chosen” or that idea that God chooses people. Because of this, let’s break it down like this:

In the Old Testament, who are God’s chosen people?

The Jews!

Does anyone have a problem with this language?

Isaiah 43:20–21 CSB

20 Wild animals— jackals and ostriches—will honor me, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people. 21 The people I formed for myself will declare my praise.

Deuteronomy 7:7–8 CSB

7 “The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors, he brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

You see this in the Old Testament, don’t you? That God chose the Israelites. Not because of their strength or goodness. But because of His. He chose them so that everyone would know why they are powerful and blessed in the first place, it’s because of Him! This isn’t a bad thing - it’s a good thing. Because God chose them, He has a job for them

Exodus 19:5–6 CSB

5 Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, 6 and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

He calls them to keep His covenant. To be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This is Old Testament. No one has a problem with this. Fast forward to the New Testament. We see similar language. We see words like chosen in 1 Peter 1:1. We see in 1 Peter 2:9 that “you are a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Who is this in reference to in the New Testament? Christians. Yes, some are ethnic Jews, but many are not.

There are some who fight against this and believe that the promises of God are only for ethnic Israel. Only the Jewish people are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation - but God’s Word says something different

Galatians 3:29 CSB

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.

Do you see this? Who are those who belong to Christ? Christians. Those who repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. Who has done this? Some Jews in Jesus’ day did this! But there were also Gentiles who did this. Acts 15 talks about this as Gentiles were being saved and they didn’t have to keep the Jewish laws, because they weren’t becoming Jews, they were becoming followers of Christ. The context of 1 Peter is to Christians - or the Church - which includes Jews and Gentiles alike. Peter is applying these Old Testament promises that God made in the Old Covenant to New Testament believers who are in the New Covenant.

Romans 11:17–27 CSB

17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware, 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.

Who are those whose sins have been taken away? Christians. What this passage says is that some natural branches (ethnic Jews) have been broken off due to their unbelief (v. 20) so that a wild branch was grafted in through faith (v. 19). Some stop here and say that the church replaces the Jewish people - But the text in verse 25-26 answers this for us. There is a partial hardening on the Jewish people until the fullness of the Gentiles come in. God is not done with ethnic Jews. Today there is still time for Jews and Gentiles to be saved by grace through faith in Christ! But we have to be consistent and faithful to Scripture here: How is someone saved?

By Grace, Through Faith, In Christ

Not by ethnicity

Not by working hard

Not by giving extra

Ephesians 2:8–9 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

There are many people today in Israel who reject Jesus - and if you reject Jesus, you’re lost.

Romans 9:6 CSB

6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

So, who is true Israel? Those who trust in Jesus. That’s what Romans 9:6 is saying. Not all physically descendant from Abraham are saved, as Galatians 3:29 told us earlier, it’s those who belong to Christ.

What is dangerous about saying that every single Jewish person is automatically saved?

There are 2 different ways to be saved: Be a Jew OR believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior

Do you see the importance of us getting this right? This is salvation! Enough foundation - let’s look at how Peter applies this to Christians in verse 9.

First,

We are a Chosen Race

Verse 10 tells us that we were once not a people… but now we are God’s people. Before we had not received mercy, but now we have. Peter is not saying that one race is better than another - that’s racism, and racism is wrong and sinful… and sadly, some have misused Scripture to try and justify the discrimination of another race and the exaltation of another - and this is wrong. Who is this chosen race of 1 Peter 2:9? Christians. What does this race look like? Rev 7:9

Revelation 7:9 CSB

9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.

This is who we are! Blood bought and born again and bound for glory. In Christ, we are a chosen race.

Second,

We are a Royal Priesthood

God established priests in Israel to offer sacrifices in the Tabernacle… Notice what Revelation 5:10 says about this

Revelation 5:10 CSB

10 You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.

We participate in God’s rule as God’s people - we are priests of God and this means that we have a mediator role in this fallen world. Why do we live out Romans 12:1-2 and offer our bodies as acceptable sacrifices to God? For one, it glorifies God, but for two, we’re showing the world that we live differently in light of our relationship with God and our living under His rule. We belong to Him and we represent God to a watching world - this means that we cannot be silent. God has chosen an imperfect people to display His Kingdom here on earth and this means that we have work to do!

Third,

We are a Holy Nation

The nation of Israel was given laws by God in order to stand out from the world around them and to be a light. Israel failed to do this and every other nation has since - God sent His Son to do this perfectly… and whenever you are saved, this is your calling. You are a part of this Kingdom today. You are called to be holy and set apart wherever you are. This is hard - to be in the world but not of the world.

Where do saved people gather? The number one place where we display God’s holiness and submit to His Lordship is whenever we gather to worship Him with our local church. This is where chosen exiles gather to lift high the name of Jesus and display that we are in fact a holy people - not a perfect one, but a progressing one.

Fourth

We are a People for His Own Possession

This is awesome. We belong to God. We are His people. We are the sheep of His pasture. Whenever someone asks you what your purpose in life is, it is supremely to give God glory in all that you do. To live for Him.

How on earth can we fulfill this God-given calling?

Submit to God’s Word

Follow His Spirit

Rest in His Grace

Once we had no hope - but now we have a living hope because of what Jesus has done for us! Whenever we come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, our identity changes, and our entire life does as well. We have a new mission - to praise the God who saved us!

What We Do: Glorify Him (11-12)

We are a changed people - verse 11 continues this with a designation of being “Beloved” or “Dear Friends” of God. Isn’t that an incredible title? Before Christ, we were separated from Him. Enemies. Opponents. But now we are dear friends. Because of the work of Jesus in saving us and giving us Living Hope, now we aren’t only on the same team, we are friends. We are family. We are loved. Look at everything we’ve learned about Christians so far in 1 Peter

Chosen by God

God is our Father

Recipients of His Mercy

Inheritance in Heaven

Protected by God’s Power

Saved

Called

Ransomed

Born Again

Given God’s unchanging Word

Guarded by the Gospel

This is incredible news that 1 Peter 1/2 share with us.

Because of this, we are exhorted and urged to live a changed life. There are things that we are to abstain from, and things that we are supposed to keep on doing. There are negative things to not do, and there are positive things to do! We have a reputation to uphold as God’s representatives on this planet.

Notice what we are to abstain from in verse 11 - the passions and desires of the flesh. Peter already referenced some of these in 2:1 - “malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.” These are things that we put away as Christians.

How does not indulging in the desires of the flesh glorify God?

John Owen, “Be Killing Your Sin, Or Sin Will Be Killing You.”

This is a daily battle as Luke 9 reminds us that we are to take up our cross daily, Ephesians 6 reminds us that our battle is ultimately a spiritual battle, and Romans 7 reminds us that there is a temptation to give ourselves a pass and not do the things we know that we should do.

The word Gentiles in verse 12 is better translated “pagans” here as we know that there are some Gentiles in mind here who have already been saved by grace through faith in Christ. What is our purpose? To glorify God by personally abstaining from sinful desires AND conducting ourselves honorably before unbelieving people.

Think through this together: Why is escapism (disengaging from culture) not an option for Christians?

Because the world is our mission field

Because we’re called to be in the world - just not of it

Because souls are priceless and valuable to our Creator

Sharing the Gospel and living a holy life in a fallen, sinful, messed up world is a way that we do in fact glorify our God. Even whenever people slander us and disappoint us, we can choose to glorify God as we point people to Jesus with what we say and what we do. The Greek word for “honorably” in verse 12 isn’t simply the word for “good” - it’s a word “Kalos” that carries with it the meaning of being noble or attractive. The reason that we’re commanded to live honorably among pagans is so that they would not only see good actions, but that they would be moved by those actions and desire to experience the change that we have experienced as well.

How have you been moved to action by another Christian?

Convicted to go on mission trip because other, younger, Christians had and spoke about how God had changed their lives

I was reading more commentaries than usual in preparing for this lesson and I came across multiple stories of slander that early Christians experienced from the unbelieving world. Did you know that during the 1st century, Roman leaders believed that Christians were cannibals, atheists, and rebels?

Cannibals: They participated in the Lord’s Supper which Jesus said was His body and blood - some outsiders believed that this meal was literally the eating of another person and that Christians were murderous cannibals

Atheists: Christians did not worship the Greek and Roman Gods and they didn’t participate in cultural parades and worship festivals of these local deities. Therefore, some said that they didn’t believe in a real god.

Rebels: Christians failed to bend the knee to Caesar or say that Caesar is Lord. They weren’t seen as team players throughout the Roman Empire. Paul and other missionaries preached the Gospel and even whenever they were put into prison, they kept on preaching the Gospel.

This is slander. Christians weren’t cannibals, atheists, and they might have been rebels in one sense, but they weren’t trying to overthrow Rome or anything like other rebellions of the day. They were slandered and many Christians today will be slandered as well.

What are some ways that Christians today are slandered unfairly?

We’re intolerant of others/prideful

We don’t believe in science

We only care about money

How do we “prove” the contrary?

By glorifying God and demonstrating good works before others

By looking to Jesus, not the ways of our world

By taking the high road and conducting ourselves honorably

Why do we strive to glorify God in all that we do?

It’s what God calls us to do

It is the means through which God saves sinners as His people live a life that glorifies Him and points others to the Word of God and the God of the Word

Because we know that He is coming back!

We are to vocalize the Gospel, and we should visualize it too! The greatest threat in this process is not social media. Radical Islam. Theological Differences. Lack of Time. The greatest threat to God’s people vocalizing and visualizing the Gospel is found in verse 11: The desires of the flesh. It’s our indifference towards the things of God and our indulgence in the things of this world. If we are going to see souls changed, God’s people must prioritize sharing and living in line with God’s Word!

9 Ways to Kill sin:

Diagnose Sin’s Severity - how long have I struggled with this? How much of a problem is this?

Grasp Sin’s Serious Consequences - Sin grieves the Holy Spirit and can hinder our ministry with others

Be Convinced of Your Guilt - There should be a genuine brokenness over our sin

Earnestly Desire Deliverance - Believe that God can deliver you from this sin - and plead for Him to do this

Consider the Relationship Between Your Sins and Your Natural Temperament - certain sins are harder to kill for some people than they are for others

Avoid Occasions That Incite Sin - Guard yourself from these situations. Avoid the slippery slope in the first place

Address Sin’s First Signs - Stop the snowball early, before it grows too large for you to stop by yourself

Meditate on God’s Glory - Turn from sin to the majesty and excellence and praise of God. Remembering God’s beauty helps us see the ugliness of sin

Don’t Rush to Comfort Yourself - Sin is deceitful and it can trick us into thinking that we’ve dealt with is decisively when it’s preparing to cause destruction again