What is the Church? 2 - The People of God

Reading: 1Peter 2:9-12
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  1 Peter 2:10 (NIV)

I.   Who We Are

     A.  A Chosen People

           1.  We are chosen means someone did the choosing — God chose us.

           2.  Israel was God’s chosen people in the Old Testament. In the New God chooses his people from every race nation and tongue.

           3.  It is through God’s chosen people that God proclaims His salvation to the World.

     B.  Royal Priesthood

           1.  God’s people are royal because they are all part of the King’s family

           2.  We are priests because we are set apart for special service in God’s kingdom.

           3.  We are all priests, not just a select few. All of us may approach God with confidence because of what our great High Priest Jesus has done for us.

     C.  A Holy Nation

           1.  All Christians, from every race, nation, language, etc. are part of one nation: the People of God.

           2.  We are a holy nation because we are to be pure and set apart from the rest — dedicated to a special service.

           3.  Our ethic heritage is something that helps us know where we came from, but who we are as God’s people is more significant than any of that.

                 a.  26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV)

                 b.  Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Col. 3:11 (NIV)

II.  Our Challenge

     A.  To Declare Praises

           1.  We are here to declare His praises directly to Him — in worship.

                 a.  It is our joy and duty to praise God.

           2.  To praise Him to all who will listen.

                 a.  It is our joy and duty to tell others about Him.

           3.  Who we are and what we do are all supposed to bring honor to God.

                 a.  We’re not supposed to draw attention to the way we do things, the words we use, or our organizational skill.

                 b.  We’re are here to point people to God.

     B.  Called from Darkness to Light

           1.  As God’s people we are called to leave the old behind.

           2.  The word for church (ekklesia) means called out, or summoned for a purpose.

           3.  We are called out of our dark life into the light of his life.

                 a.  Yes, this means we stick out.

                 b.  We hope to draw people to God like a light draws people lost in the dark.

     C.  Once No people, Now God’s people

           1.  Not “One snow people!”

           2.  If it weren’t for what God did for us through Jesus, how many of us would even know each other’s names?

           3.  Now we are not only a people, we are God’s people! Once we had not received mercy now we have!

                 a.  The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt . . . Exodus 3:7 (NIV)

                 b.  Jeremiah 32:37-41

                 c.  Rev. 21:3-4

III. Strangers in the World

     A.  Marching to a Different drum

           1.  Aliens and strangers — that is we hum a different tune, march to a different drum, play by a different set of rules.

           2.  But not alien or strange — new and improved! A better way of life.

           3.  We hear a song of grace and love.

                 a.  God’s grace or mercy that He has given us impels us to treat others with grace and mercy.

                 b.  The amazing love God pours out to us overflows in love toward others.

                 c.  The song of conditional acceptance and loneliness is drowned out by the song God teaches us.

     B.  The War against the Soul

           1.  Two reasons to live as aliens & strangers: the first is, if we live like we fit in we’ll be victimized by the darkness we’re being rescued from!

           2.  The evil desires championed by the world around us as virtues (or at least normal) are intended to hurt or kill us.

           3.  We are to distance ourselves from the values of the world around us for our own protection.

     C.  Live such Good lives

           1.  The second reason to live as aliens and strangers is we want to lead others to God.

           2.  We are to live such good lives that even though they’re looking for something against us they’ll see God in us.

           3.  God makes a difference, He has shown us how to live lives that are meaningful, joy-filled and beneficial to us.

                 a.  By living such a life out loud, others can hear and find the tune too.

The Bottom Line:

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