The Passport Of Saint Who Series

The Passport of Saint Who

1 Peter 2:4-12

I Peter 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.

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. 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.

A passport provides:

1. IDENTITY both individually and as a people.

• As aliens in a foreign land we feel insecure, because we have no sense of belonging and limited ability to communicate.

• Identity Amnesia leads to replacement Identity.

• We have been given a Vertical Identity, don’t replace it with a horizontal one

2. ACCESS to all the resources of your nation.

• As aliens in a foreign land we have no access to authority and often even fear it.

A passport provides:

3. RIGHTS as a citizen.

• You belong to your nation and have the backing of its government and power.

4. RESPONISBILITIES as a citizen.

• As a citizen you are accountable to live by the law of both the foreign land and your homeland.

5. REPRESENTATION of your nation.

• As a citizen you represent your nation to others. Their impression of “America” is built on your life.

As a Citizen of Heaven you have

1. Divine ADOPTION – “A Chosen Race”

o Salvation comes because of these 4 words – Jesus took my place! Because of that everything about me changes.

o You are Chosen, God chose you. Before the foundation of the world He chose you to know Him and to be a Saint. He also chose every other believer in the same way.

o Connected – We belong to each other. We are being built together into the body of Christ Jesus.

o Changed – You are not who you were. Therefore your life should reflect your adoption. Before you were born a sinner. Now you are adopted by God through Jesus Christ, If you have trusted Him as Savior and Lord.

o Race – we are one people. One of the greatest proclamations of praise in al the world is that Jesus has rescued people of every race, tribe and tongue. There is absolutely no room for predjudice for a Christian.

Listen to this description of the Lamb of God and why He is worthy of praise from God’s standpoint.

Revelation of John 5:5: And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Revelation of John 5:6: And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Revelation of John 5:7: And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

Revelation of John 5:8: And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation of John 5:9: And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

Revelation of John 5:10: and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,