Building A People For His Mission

Believers On Mission Love Each Other & Grow Together

English Standard Version Chapter 2

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Explanation:

In light of having such a great salvation and being called to be holy, Peter asks the reader to turn from sins.

Malice: wickedness in any and all types and forms

Explanation:

Deceit: taking advantage of others, planning on hurting others.

Explanation:

Hypocrisy: Being fake, pretending, putting on a show

Envy: being jealous of others

Slander: talking about other to hurt them

If you are all enjoying the same salvation and are all called to be holy, you can be hurtful to each other.

They need each other to make it in the hard times they are dealing with.

Verse 2 then gives what they should be doing.

Longing for spiritual milk - wanting to grow as a believer, wanting to know more.

Needing Braums when you grew up with it and don’t live near it (Trey)

“grow up into salvation” being able to experience everything a relationship with God offers.

Why does he call us to this?

Because if we are believers and we have experienced God and his goodness, we will want more.

Application:

We are the only ones who shoot our wounded (we hurt those who are hurting)

Gossip

slander

putting down

We can’t be about that, we need to be helping each other grow by loving each other.

When we struggle through sin or just tough times, we need others in the church to love and help us.

We need that help so we can continue to be on mission for God.

Illustration:

Annalisa and military women lifting her up (Dana and Carol)

Believers On Mission Are Being Build Up By Christ

English Standard Version Chapter 2

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 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. 6 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.”

7 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,”

8 and

“A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

English Standard Version Chapter 2

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 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. 6 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.”

7 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,”

8 and

“A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

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

Explanation:

“him” - Jesus, is the living stone rejected by men, but chosen and precious

Explanation:

Explanation:

Living stones used to build a house

This spiritual house = temple in the OT which was called the “House of God”

Where God dwelled, so now he is dwelling with his people

Why we are a holy priesthood who offer spiritual sacrifices.

These are sacrifices of self.

 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. .

All this building is possible because of Christ

6-8 explains that the cornerstone of this house is Jesus, who was chosen and is precious.

V. 8 explains how Jesus is a stumbling block for some, disobey the word, etc.

Application:

We know that all the growing we do as believers is based on Jesus.

Application:

We will never grow past what Jesus has done for us, never not need to remember the gospel.

Preach the gospel to yourself everyday.

Jesus is the one who works in us to love each other and share him with others.

What we give to Jesus = to how he will use us.

Illustration:

A.W. Milne (1785-1822)

New Hebrides in the South Pacific,

Packed his coffin

aware that the headhunters there had martyred every missionary before him.

For 35 years he lived among that tribe. When he died, they buried him in the middle of the village and inscribed this on his tombstone: “When he came there was no light. When he left there was no darkness.”[1]

For 35 years he lived among that tribe. When he died, they buried him in the middle of the village and inscribed this on his tombstone: “When he came there was no light. When he left there was no darkness.”[1]

James Calvert (1813-1892),

who committed his life to reaching the indigenous peoples of the Fiji Islands.

It is widely reported that upon his voyage, the ship’s captain warned him to turn back, saying, “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages.”

Calvert purportedly replied, “We died before we came here.”

Believers On Mission Own Their Purpose

English Standard Version Chapter 2

9 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. 10 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.

Explanation:

As believers, you now have a purpose in life

Explanation:

Explanation:

Chosen race - specific culture and way of doing things (conducting life fight against sin instead of running to it)

Royal Priesthood- sacrifices, taught others about God, interceded for others.

Holy Nation- separate, pure, different that those around

People for His own Possession- A tool to be used for God, a group that have a purpose and mission.

Why has God made us these things?

why

to proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light!

To be messengers of what God has done for us!

Then we are minded of our identity

We were once not a people with a mission, before Christ all doing our own thing.

Now we are saved and given a purpose!

We had not experienced God’s mercy and grace.

Now we have and need to share it with others!

Application:

Every time as a believer, you run from sharing the gospel with other, you are not owning your purpose.

God has saved us and made us his to share about him, its why we are here.

We need to own our purpose of being apart of God’s mission.

What in your life is keeping you from owning your purpose?

There will be 100 excuses when you get home

They know me - which is actually awesome for others to see the change in you.

I don’t have time - it has to become apart of your everyday, while you do things life.

I’m scared - God will help you, this is your purpose

I don’t know enough - ask for help!

This is your purpose, the reason we are here on this earth, lets own it and do it well.

Believers On Mission Fight Sin For God’s Mission

English Standard Version Chapter 2

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 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.

Explanation:

Explanation:

Ending this passage, Peter reminds them to fight sin.

Explanation:

As sojourners and exile, they are much more open to be looked at and criticized (Hispanic immigrants stereotype)

B/C of this they have to fight to keep from the passions of the flesh.

This is the sinful nature inside of us even after we are believers.

We now have the ability to fight it, but we need to be diligent to do so!

He says that it is a war we must wage.

And the reason for this?

So the Gentiles, those who don’t believe, cannot speak evil of you or the God you follow and actually come to know God!

Peter tells them to fight sin for the mission!

Application:

When we think of fighting sin, it seems oppressive or strict

But it is for your own good.

For God’s mission

For those you know who are lost

It is for something even bigger than yourself.

What things do you have in place to fight sin?

Restrictions on your phone

places you won’t go

people you don’t need to hang out with

things who don’t watch

others you are honest with to help you.

We fight sin so that when we have the opportunity to share Christ with others, they have a reason to listen.

Illustration:

Conversation about doing something (sport, game, skill) they talk it up about how good they are.

Then you go and they are terrible and have no idea what to do.

That’s what we look like when we want to be on mission for God, and could care less about how we live!