The Person In The Mirror Part 5 Series

The Person In The Mirror Part 4

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 28:1-14; 1 Peter 2:1-10

Introduction

This message is part 5 in my series “The Person In The Mirror.” In part 4 last week I talked about the bumper sticker “God Is My Co-Pilot” that my father had purchased for his car. The bumper sticker places God in the Co-Pilot’s seat. As I explained last week, the pilot is the one who is in charge. They are the ones making the decisions. The co-pilot by definition is a “qualified pilot who assists or relieves the pilot but is not in command.” The co-pilot is the number two person; they assist the pilot. They play a supporting/helping role while providing an extra set of eyes, ears and hands when required. They are capable of piloting the craft, but they are not the ones in charge of it. When we place God in the co-pilot’s position, we tend to “fired” Him when He does not do or perform up to our expectations. This happens when people turn their backs on God when they go through difficult situations because they believed God has turned His back on them. This turning away or rejection God is in fact “firing” Him from His position in their life. I asked you if you had God as your co-pilot to change seats with Him and let Him be your pilot. If God is the pilot, then we take orders from Him and we see what He tells us to see. The first thing I shared last week was that our true Pilot has told us that we are the head and not the tail.

Deuteronomy 28:13 says “The Lord shall make you the head and not the tail; and you only shall be above, and you shall not be underneath, if you will listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully.” We have an identity crisis – we do not recognize who we are in Christ because we have allowed the world to define what a Christian is – one that is judgmental, weak, and goes through the motion of some religious activities. Last week I gave you some examples of “head” thinking and “tail” thinking. The head is leads, the tail follows. When we accepted Christ in our lives, He began a work within us to make us the head and not the tail. We have to start identifying with being the head! He wants us to lead in this world verses following it. In order for this to happen we actually have to start believing and accepting what God has said about us. When we believe it, we will walk in it. This morning I want to start with what I referenced to you last week from First Peter chapter two. I did not spend a lot of time on those verses, but I want to continue this morning building on a foundation of what God has said about us and what He has empowered us to do through His Son Jesus Christ. So imagine yourself setting next to the pilot in the co-pilot’s seat taking orders from him. If you are truly the co-pilot, then you will do what your pilot tells you because that is your job. Well, if God is the pilot in our lives, then it’s time we started acting like the co-pilot and following the commands of the pilot. You already know that you are the head and not the tail, now let me share with you more fully about your priestly role and how you were adopted into God’s family.

I. A Chosen Race; A Royal Priesthood

This morning I want to review with you what Peter said so that as we leave here this morning, we will not only understand that we are the head and not the tail, but we will understand why. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says the following about each of us: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Peter gives us a description of Jesus Christ as a living stone. Stones are used as the support structure for a foundation. In ancient times, the cornerstone was the principle stone placed at the corner of the building. It was one of the largest, most solid and the most carefully constructed of all the stones. Jesus is called a stone to denote His invincible strength and everlasting duration and to teach His servants that He is their protection, security, the foundation on which they are built, and a rock of offence to all of their enemies. He is the living stone, having eternal life in Himself, and being the prince of life to all His people. Having described Christ as the foundation, the apostle goes on to speak of the superstructure, the materials built upon him: In verse five he writes that “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” When we accepted Christ, we became stones which would be added to build His Church. I am not talking about a physical building, but a spiritual one. Christ, the foundation, is a living stone and Christians are lively stones, making a spiritual house. We are a holy priesthood; and, though we have no bloody sacrifices of beasts to offer, we have much better and more acceptable, spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. This is who we became through Jesus Christ. But let’s examine verses nine and ten more closely. Remember, this is what the Pilot has said to us, His co-pilots.