1 Peter 2:9-12 Glorify

Glorify

Chair Bible: Page 1015.

Important Members’ Meeting at 4 pm. Refining of GG strategy, Discuss staff, Budget.

The purpose of Parkwood Baptist Church is to glorify God by laboring together for the growth of all believers while going with the gospel to all people(s).

Brothers and sisters, we did not get up to go to church today. The church got up and gathered here. If you are in Christ, we are the church. The LORD God has given us a clear purpose for our existence in the world. The next 3 weeks will be dedicated to clarifying our basic purpose as a church from the Bible. One of the points of clarity I hope you gain is that Christianity is not primarily a personal faith, though individuals are redeemed, Christ has redeemed a people.If I am in Christ, I am a part of a people, the Church universal and local.

Read like living stones...life from the Living Stone. Who wrote 1 Peter? Rock or stone...

Instead of going to the temple with a priest for him to offer a sacrifice on our behalf. We are the spiritual house(temple) the holy priesthood, who offer our sacrifices of praise through Jesus Christ--the once and for all sacrifice for our sin. We, the living stones, are all oriented to the precious stone, the cornerstone to the glory of God or the precious stone is instead the stone of stumbling and the rock offense. However, that is not true of the living stones. Instead, we see something distinct about the living stones.

The LORD God has redeemed a people for his glory.

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.

“But” The term but marks the difference between disobedient unbelievers and God’s chosen people (Kistemaker, 91)

Who we are...“Chosen race” race--common ancestor--Christ the Lord

What is our function to be? “royal priesthood” Christ is both the King and the Great High Priest. In turn his people are a part of his kingdom who represent the King, ambassadors for Christ who carry a priestly function of making him know.(look closely in just a moment)

How we are to live? “holy nation” Distinct people who live unto Christ.

Who we are...“people for his own possession” The Greek term rendered possession means to acquire for a price. Believers belong to God because they have been purchased by the blood of Christ. (MaCarthur, 130) We are not our own. We were bought with a price.

How did we become who we are?

V. 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. (Referencing ) naming of prophets Hosea’s children which meant (daughter) no mercy and (son)not my people

Mercy is synonymous with compassion and essentially involves God’s sympathy with sinner’s misery and His withholding from them just punishment for their sins. (MaCarthur, 132)

Why has God given mercy? ...because He loves! Nothing can explain the love of God for sinners. God’s “good pleasure” is the movement of His own will, springing from His own nature. (Clowney, 92)

By his mercy we have become his people. “As God‘s chosen people, believers are reminded of and encouraged by the notion of covenant the fact that God has entered into a covenant with his people entails both privilege and obedience the two go hand-in-hand.” (Longman, 318) His steadfast love endures forever.

Am I a part of the people of God by the mercy of God? (not by my goodness or good works, family or raising)

Trans…now we move to answering the question “why did He redeem us?

The LORD God has redeemed a people to proclaim his glory.

9b that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Proclaim /declare active tense. “darkness” sinfulness, sphere of evil. “light” domain of righteousness

What is the goal of the Christian community? (”you” plural) It is that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. The church’s mission, simply put, is to witness to the splendor of (radical)moral transformation. (Longman, 318)

“God’s purpose in redeeming us is not simply our own enjoyment but that we might glorify him…. The answer to our search for ultimate meaning lies in ‘declaring the excellencies’ of God, for he alone is infinitely worthy of glory. Redemption is ultimately not man-centered but God-centered” (Grudem, 112).

Illus: Serious Christian. Real Christian. Sincere Christian. Is this text describing a rare breed of Christian?

It is the calling of every Christian. There is a spiritual ethnicity to the church of Christ; Christians are blood relatives, joined by the blood of Jesus Christ (Clowney, 94)

“It is the calling of every Christian. There is a spiritual ethnicity to the church of Christ; Christians are blood relatives, joined by the blood of Jesus Christ.” (Clowney, 94)

Am I joining the people of God to proclaim the glory of God?

Psalm 79:13 ESV

13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Sundays and the other six days.

Sundays and the other six days.

Romans 1:16 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

“Believers have one overarching purpose: that they may proclaim the excellencies of Christ. There is no higher privilege than to be a herald for the gospel.” (Macarthur, 132)

Believers have one overarching purpose: that they may proclaim the excellencies of Christ. There is no higher privilege than to be a herald for the gospel. (Macarthur, 132)

Make the gospel known with our lips and with our lives.

The LORD God has redeemed a people to live for his glory.

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.

“Beloved” addressing the believer. “Urge” strong language...active..urging ongoing.

“Sojourners and exiles” foreigners and temporary residents. Illus: How can you tell that someone is an exile? Different, don’t completely fit. Dress, food they eat, language, way they live.

“Abstain” refrain and keep on refraining “Peter, however, does not exhort the readers to separate themselves from the world. Rather, he urges them to abstain from sinful desires and to look to their own souls.” (Kistemaker, 95)

Non-believers are watching professing Christians to see if who they are lines up with what they claim to be. We cannot escape. We must live our lives in a distinct way. (we do not join in evil and sin.) Distinct people for a distinct time. ()

“Christians living in an unbelieving society must avoid sinful desires and continually maintain exemplary patterns of life, so that unbelievers will be saved and God glorified. There is no reason to doubt that such a strategy for evangelism would still work today” (Grudem, 117)

Illus: Why on earth did anyone become a Christian in the first three centuries? Larry Hortato--Compelling community.

“they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” Even if they do not believe they will glorify God on the official day of his coming because of what they witnessed in and through believers.

Illus: Oh, you’re the church that helps prostitutes.

Am I joining the people of God to live for the glory of God?

Philippians 1:27 ESV

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The answer to the question reminds us in particular that we are in need of mercy and grace.

Communion:

Remind ourselves that we are in Christ because of what He has done.

Orient ourselves to the Precious Stone through communion.

Fence the table. Professing followers of Jesus Christ.

Stations--take the elements to the altar or to your seat to receive.

Read 11:23-26

Psalm 115:1 ESV

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

Pray and welcome people to come receive and glorify the LORD together. Worship through communion and song.

Pray and welcome people to come receive and glorify the LORD together. Worship through communion and song.

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