If You've Tasted...
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Prayer Time
Prayer Time
9:30am on the Patio
Women’s Book Club
Women’s Book Club
First meeting September 29 Registration is free — Receive weekly email — Reading “In His Image” Jen Wilkins — Purchase Book on Amazon
September Sermon Series DNA
September Sermon Series DNA
Beginning September 9
DisciplesPath beginning in September
DisciplesPath beginning in September
Beginning September 9 or sooner in your Gospel Fellowship
Introduction:
Introduction:
We’re right between sermon series
The short sermon series on DNA is really an invitation. It’s an invitation for everyone to join in on what we (the elders) believe is the course correction necessary for Redemption Church in order for us to become a “Great Commission Church.”
The sermon series will cover things like, “Why do we exist?” And what do we believe God wants to do through us?” And “What are we going to do as a result of that answer?” And “How are we going to do that?” And “What even is a disciple?”
The sermon series will cover things like, “Why do we exist?” And what do we believe God wants to do through us?” And “What are we going to do as a result of that answer?” And “How are we going to do that?” And “What even is a disciple?”
We have travelled through the majority of the Sermon the Mount, we took a break to look closely at Spiritual Warfare, and then studied a few Epic Stories in the Bible.
All of these sermons have been to get us to start seeing the direction that we’re going in as this new season of ministry begins for us at Redemption.
Today is no exception.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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.
1. Peter has written to a broken people that they can persevere through persecution by standing firm in God’s grace.
2. So he begins the letter by reminding them of their great salvation and the implications of the good news of Jesus Christ.
3. He showed them how the Gospel will change their thinking as they set their hope fully on Christ’s return.
4. The word of truth (The Good news that was preached to you) will also radically transform the way we conduct our lives.
5. The most visible transformation would come as people from every nation and tongue are formed into a family—a community that is bound by the love of God.
6. Peter carefully outlines what this means and what this looks like in this next section.
7. We’re going to divide this up today and next Sunday. First, who (as a community) are we? And next Sunday what (as a community) are we to do?
SLIDE 1 - WHO ARE WE?
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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.
SLIDE 2 - A COMMUNITY DEPENDENT UPON CHRIST
1. God designed us to be reliant individuals. But this isn’t just individually. In order for the Christian community to fulfill the mission He has given to us, we are a people dependent upon Christ.
2. I love the analogies Peter uses here: imagine a room filled with infants all crying out for food. ‘As you come to him’ describes a continual longing, a continual coming. Only He can handle it.
3. The Gentiles would have been familiar with the Mythological Greek-goddess Diana (also known as Artemus). Diana’s stone image depicted a female with an innumerable amount of breasts hanging all over her stone body—implying that she could provide sustenance to those who worshiped her. But she was dead stone. Made with human hands.
4. Peter describes a living stone. A stone presenting OT imagery. In Moses writes about the time Israel complained for lack of water and God supplied this water by commanding Moses to strike the stone—that Stone was an picture of the ability that God in Christ has to sustain and satisfy all who come to Him.
5. Make no mistake that Peter is pointing his readers to Jesus. The name that Jesus gave to Peter was ‘rock’, but Peter knows his inability to satisfy or sustain these churches.
6. No person or thing is going to feed this church. We must be a church dependent upon Christ.
7. His illustration is directly from the teaching of Jesus from where Jesus teaches the parable of the tenants in which Jesus quotes from .
8. The point is clear. If the church is going to be built up, it must be firmly built upon Christ and it must cry out to Him for nourishment.
9. And as we are being built up together we do find meaning to our personal lives, we also find the joy of belonging to one another.
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.
9. Everyone is confronted with a choice: will you turn to the stone or trip over the stone? Turning to Christ here on earth will not win you the “Nobel Peace Prize” but honor is for those who believe.
10. Sadly there are those who do not believe because of their disobedience they were destined to. This passage brings encouragement to all who believe because it reminds us that salvation is from the Lord.
11. What’s important to understand is that no one deserves anything but death. The fact that we have been chosen will always be a mystery because we know who we are.
12. The doctrine of election should bolster our faith in the Sovereign actions of God. He is far more just and fair than we ever could be, please let Him do what He does perfectly… rule over the Universe.
13. Next Peter explains that as a community dependent upon Christ we are made into… (A Holy and Royal Priesthood)
SLIDE 3 - A HOLY AND ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
1. This should not be seen only as individualistic (as we’re so prone to do). This should also be seen communally. He calls us to come together to him. It's a fraternity.
2. The point God was making in where this is quoted from was that God was going to bring his chosen people into a close relationship with himself.
3. These Gentile knew that under the law, that even if they had converted to Judaism they weren’t allowed into the temple. In addition to that they would have known that there was only a tribe of Jewish people that were allowed into this close fellowship with God.
4. Not only that, but those priests had to be practically sinless in order to enter the holy of holies. They had ropes tied to their legs so the people could drag them out in case they were killed.
5. Peter’s telling them, guys, you have been made ‘holy’ because of Christ, so you can enjoy this close relationship with God. You are ‘royal’ so there’s no need to fear not having enough to bring him—he made you a prince and princes, he loves when you to come to him.
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
6. Do we see our relationship with God to be a duty or delight?
SLIDE 4 - A CHOSEN RACE AND HOLY NATION
1. We’ve talked about election and the reality that we individually have been chosen by God. But now Peter quotes from to remind the Gentile people that they (collectively) have been chosen to be God’s people.
2. NOT because we are special, or mighty, or intelligent, but because God loves to love. And the way he has chosen to love is through selecting a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation that don’t deserve His love and lavish them with his love.
3. God chose Jacob the second born, not Esau. He chose Abel, not Cain, He chose Isaac, not Ishmael. So we have no grounds for pride, only awestruck wonder that we, an undeserving family of sinners are a chosen race.
4. This identity that we share together cannot be taken lightly. We are more of a nation IN CHRIST than any other nation that has ever been. We are blood relatives in Christ! Even when Israel was dispersed, they were still a people.
5. That’s why fellowship is NOT a take it or leave it. That’s what keeps the church distinct from membership to a social club. We (as believers) are one race… one nation.
6. Nation “ethnos” means a community of people held together by the same laws, customs, and mutual interests. It carries a governmental and inter- relational idea. We are a nation set apart to our King Jesus.
SLIDE 5 - A TREASURED PEOPLE
SLIDE 5 - A TREASURED PEOPLE
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.
1. I want to read the OT passage that Peter is quoting for you:
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
2. Is anyone wondering how we’re his treasured people? Since, while we have obeyed his effectual call in repenting from sin and turning to him; we haven’t kept any covenant… But Jesus did, because we couldn’t.
3. And all of the righteousness of Christ has been inputed or accounted to us. Therefore we are his treasured possession—His treasured people.
4. As His treasured people, we are called to be faithful as a husband is called to be faithful to his wife. “He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy…”
5. While there is a type of untrusting, sinful jealousy, there is also a pure and right jealousy that God has for us. The sin of idolatry (idol worship) is likened to adultery because they are mutually the same. Idolatry is spiritual adultery.
6. We have been bought with a price. Have you been cheating on your faithful husband who treasures you by setting up idols in his place?
SLIDE 6 - RECIPIENTS OF MERCY
,
1. These verses describe Israel’s apostasy and God’s rejection of them as well as God’s prophetic assurance of Israel’s future restoration.
2. Israel had reached such a low that God saw no distinction between the Jew and Gentile. Do you see the depths of forgiveness that God offers to undeserving people?
3. Once we were ‘no people’ we literally had no purpose for existence. No usefulness in God’s program—it’s a good thing to remember our previous low state of existence.
4. Once we had ‘not received mercy’ we had no experience of God’s forgiveness, but Peter reminds us, God took the initiative to change that. And now we are recipients of His indescribable mercy.
5. When have you stopped to think about who we are (as a community) in Christ?
1. There is a temptation to define the church solely by WHAT THE CHURCH DOES. This almost always will lead to a man-centered environment. The church does have a mission, but as one person put it:
One of the purposes of communion is to commemorate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Let’s take time to remember who we are and what He’s done for us.
SLIDE 1 - We must remember: We Are Who We Are Because of What Jesus Has Done and Is Doing…Our Being comes out of His Doing…and Our Doing Proceeds from Our Being in Christ
2. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension makes Him the source. We are a community that is dependent upon Christ - He must be our foundation and our satisfaction.
3. A Holy and Royal Priesthood - we’ve been set apart to be a priesthood, which has huge implications for our identity.
4. A Chosen Race and A Holy Nation - an ethnos means that we are joined together because we are blood relatives and share a common bond that runs deeper than our secondary ethnicity.
5. A Treasured people - because of Christ, we’re highly favored and treasured by the Creator of the Universe.
6. Recipients of Mercy - we were once not a people, we once had no mercy, but now through Christ we are recipients of mercy.
7. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some who define the church only by what God has done. So today we ask…
SLIDE 2 - WHY WERE WE MADE A COMMUNITY?
1. There is error in viewing salvation as a “Get out of hell free card.”
2. We are NOT just saved from something, we are always redeemed TO or FOR something.
3. We have a purpose and it involves action. We also sometimes make the mistake of thinking that ALL I have to do is figure out MY purpose in life and fulfill MY purpose.
4. The Gospel is not just about individual security or happiness. God has a plan and a purpose for the world and we have the privilege of co-laboring with Christ to the glory of God.
5. So we can say it this way - The Church is God’s People (who we are) saved by God’s Power (what He has done and is doing) for God’s Purposes (the good works he created us in Jesus Christ to do)
6. That being said, “What are those things that he created us in Christ Jesus to do?”
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.
SLIDE 3 - TO WORSHIP GOD
“…for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.” (, ESV)
“Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands.” (, ESV)
1. We were made into a holy priesthood “TO offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
2. What does he mean sacrifices? Continuing with OT language Peter points backwards to the priestly duty of offering a sacrifice to God to atone the sin of the people.
3. These ceremonies were worship-filled, glorifying God, but they were not satisfactory. So year after year thousands of animals were sacrificed to temporarily atone for Israel’s sin.
4. Because of what God has done in Christ, that offering of animals for a sacrifice is done—when Jesus cried “it is finished” He became the final sacrifice—once for all.
5. Worship still abounds, worship is the spiritual sacrifice.
“So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
6. The fruit of our lips should acknowledge his name—that is to confess allegiance, to make an emphatic assertion of His name.
7. Out of a sincere heart, our lips, our words, are to continually commemorate the saving deeds of the Lord.
8. You can’t delegate this. No one gets a pass on corporate worship—it’s the central function of believer priests. Worship is not a few songs before the sermon—it’s the whole thing.
9. The beauty of worship is that while we receive blessings from it, it is acceptable to God — it is what pleases God. It’s intangible, it’s from the heart.
10. We adore him in song, we adore him when we give, we adore him when we receive and obey the Word, we adore him in prayer.
“So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.”
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
“Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!”
Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;”
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
SLIDE 4 - TO PROCLAIM HIS EXCELLENCIES
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.
1. The context here reveals an emphasis on global missions. We are planting the Gospel by proclaiming the excellencies of Christ.
2. If you journal, that’s great, but it’s not planting the Gospel. If you’re not proclaiming His excellencies you’re not proclaiming the Gospel, because the Gospel—The GOOD NEWS—is good because and only because of God.
SLIDE 5 - WE OFTEN FAIL TO PROCLAIM BECAUSE WE FAIL TO PERCEIVE
1. What don’t we perceive?
2. If you were asked to stand up and proclaim the excellencies of Christ, what would you say?
3. We perceive the excellencies of Christ in His Creation:
“The beauties of nature are really emanations, or shadows, of the excellencies of the Son of God.
So that when we are delighted with flowery meadows and gentle breezes of wind, we may consider that we only see the emanations of the sweet benevolence of Jesus Christ. When we behold the fragrant rose and lily, we see His love and purity.
So the green trees and fields, and singing of birds, are the emanations of His infinite joy and benignity. The easiness and naturalness of trees and vines are shadows of His infinite beauty and loveliness. The crystal rivers and murmuring streams have the footsteps of His sweet grace and bounty.
When we behold the light and brightness of the sun, the golden edges of an evening cloud, or the beauteous bow, we behold the adumbrations of His glory and goodness and in the blue skies, we see His mildness and gentleness.
There are also many things wherein we may behold His awful majesty: in the sun in its strength, in comets, in thunder, in the towering thunderclouds, in ragged rocks and the brows of mountains.
That beauteous light with which the world is filled in a clear day is a lively shadow of His spotless holiness and happiness and delight in communicating Himself.”
4. Proclaiming the excellencies of Christ in Creation can lead to evangelism
5. We perceive the excellencies of Christ from Scripture
6. Peter grounds the excellency of Christ in His effectual calling from a life of darkness to a life of light. The allusions of that are from the start.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (, ESV)
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” (, ESV)
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (, ESV)
7. But we see SO much of His excellency in Biblical paradoxes
8. He is the Lion and the Lamb - The Alpha and Omega - His Divine yet Humble - was Poor yet King of all Kings - Submissive to His Father’s will yet completely equal in Divine Nature - Grace and truth
9. We praise with our lips and we proclaim with our lives. Every thing in life should be dealt with on the grounds of the Gospel! That’s how we declare His excellencies.
10. What is one struggle you are going through in your life, this week, I want you to ask this question, “How does the story of Christ speak speak into my story?”
Scripture Reading:
The main point of this passage is to show that God has formed a community for the purpose of worshiping Him and proclaiming the excellencies of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Read the following passages together and discuss how the Scriptures define “spiritual sacrifices.”
Scripture Reading:
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Do you struggle to obey any of these definitions of “sacrifice?” Which one(s) and why?
Scripture Reading:
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“We Are Who We Are Because of What Jesus Has Done and Is Doing…Our Being comes out of His Doing…and Our Doing Proceeds from Our Being in Christ.”
Read the following passages and discern the excellent nature of Christ and discuss ways to “proclaim the excellencies of Christ.” How can His excellency empower you to proclaim?
Scripture Reading: and
Scripture Reading: and ; ,
Scripture Reading: and ()
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