WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
(AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?)
I Peter 2.9-10
S: Church purpose
Th: His power, His work – in us!
Pr: WE ARE LIVING ADVERTISEMENTS OF GOD’S GREATNESS.
?: How? How do we do that?
KW: Advantages
TS: We will find in our study of I Peter 2.9-10 six advantages we have been given as a community of faith.
Type: Inductive; topical
The ____ advantage is…
I. SELECTION
II. DOMINION
III. SANCTIFICATION
IV. DISTINCTION
V. ILLUMINATION
VI. COMPASSION
PC: How is the change to be observed?
• God must be seen and heard in us – what are we doing about it?
• We must be intentionally missional.
Version: ESV
RMBC 09 September 07 AM
INTRODUCTION:
1. Do you want to be a success?
For a lot of us, we are geared for success.
We like the recognition.
We like the opportunity to meet a challenge
We like making the big sale or tackling the next project at work.
I was thinking about my teen years, and it was during those years, I wanted to be successful in multiple areas.
All throughout high school, I wanted to play sports, but because I did not belong to the “jock” crowd and I was very small during my teen years, I was generally discouraged.
During my Junior year, I did finally weigh enough to wrestle in the lowest weight class – 98.
But in the end, it was not a successful season as I lost my last two matches – by being pinned and then losing by default in a match I could not finish because of re-injuring my back.
I also tried my hand at school politics and ran for Student Council President.
I thought it would be an easy win.
After all, with the slogan “Small Paul Stands Tall”, how could I lose?
But I did.
Apparently, it was not even close.
So, when I made it to college, since sports was not going to be my thing, nor student government, I decided I would be the student’s student.
I would be an academic.
Until I got my first exam back in Psychology.
I got a D.
I had never seen a D on a test I had taken except in my name.
If you are like me, you have probably had some failures along the line.
ILL Success (H)
It reminds me of the story of former baseball great and sportscaster, Ralph Kiner.
After the season in which he hit 37 home runs, he asked Pittsburgh Pirate general manager Branch Rickey for a raise. But he refused.
"I led the league in home runs," Kiner reminded him.
"Where did we finish?" Rickey asked me.
"Last," I replied.
“Well," Rickey said, "we can finish last without you."
It is on my heart that, as a church, we would be successful.
Not necessarily success in the world’s eyes, but certainly in God’s eyes.
This is why, when it comes to our theme for 2007…
2. ‘07 Theme: We have been striving for unity under the phrase Come…Together (I Peter 3.8).
Our theme verse has been I Peter 3.8 where Peter says…
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (NIV)
We are given some specific directions in this verse about how we are to be with each other.
How we live with each other…
How we treat each other…
The attitudes that we have toward one another…
These are all essentials in living the unity God has already given us.
Please note this…no church can be successful unless it is making unity a priority.
We are to make every effort, according to Ephesians, to maintain it.
We are now entering into our second week of our annual discipleship emphasis.
This year’s theme is…
3. DE ’07 Theme: His power, His work – in us (Ephesians 3.20-21).
…and it is based on Ephesians 3.20-21…
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (NIV)
Note again…God’s power at work within us…that’s how He wants it.
As disciples of Jesus, He wants us actively succeeding – doing more that we could ever ask or imagine.
But we do it, not in our own strength, but according to His power.
So, as we began our study…
4. Last week, we asked “what good is the church?”
We were considering how Jesus created and designed the church, and it is His plan.
There is no other plan.
It is God’s method for building His kingdom.
As we came to the end of our study, we concluded that…
5. We are to be a community of faith submitting to the Lordship of Jesus.
So, as a member of the church, who do you think you are?
We do have certain privileges.
6. We will find in our study of I Peter 2.9-10 six advantages we have been given as a community of faith.
(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.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first advantage is SELECTION.
…you are a chosen race…
Throughout this passage, Peter is making a connection between the nation of Israel and the church, for their purposes align with each other.
You see, God did not choose Israel because they were a great people.
He chose them because He loved them.
ILL Predestination (H)
I like the musical Fiddler on the Roof. And one of my favorite lines comes from the main character, Tevye.
When he is feeling the load of life’s injustices, he says to God:
"I know, I know, we are the chosen people. But once in a while can’t you choose somebody else?"
What God’s choice does tell us is that…
We have God-given value.
This is a pride-crushing truth.
We want to think we had something to do with God’s choice, but we did not.
It was not because of our race or religion or creed or upbringing or skill or morality or color or education or any other qualification.
God’s choice is based on His love and grace.
Period.
II. The second advantage is DOMINION.
…you are…a royal priesthood…
Because of this…
We have immediate access to God.
We go directly to His presence.
We live in His presence.
We have no need for someone to act as our priest, as a mediator, between us and God.
God himself provided the one Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ.
So Jesus, as the Prince of Peace, has established His royal house and we are now members in it, and we rule with HIm.
This means then, we have direct access to God.
As believers, we are never out of God’s presence.
We are never in neutral territory.
We are active partners in the kingdom.
III. The third advantage is SANCTIFICATION.
…you are…a holy nation…
The idea behind holy is being set apart and separate.
In application, it means…
We are morally different.
We no longer live according to the dictate of the old nature.
That is left behind.
We live a new way.
One of the concepts in the background of the word holy means “to cut” (the idea of separation).
We get this idea across when we say someone is a “cut above the crowd.”
We still use the word that way today when we describe a “cut” of fabric that is very special.
And we use it about people when we say, “He’s cut out of a different cloth.”
In the same way, our citizenship is different.
We are not here to please ourselves.
We please the Lord of heaven.
And so, we realize that when we do not act in a holy way, we act out of character.
When we live in an unholy way, we contradict the fundamental nature of who we are in God’s sight.
We are holy – set apart to be morally different.
IV. The fourth advantage is DISTINCTION.
…you are…a people for his own possession…
The KJV uses the phrase “peculiar people.”
And although we all know some Christians who are – “peculiar,” the real meaning is special.
Therefore…
We are a very special possession.
We used to belong to Satan and the world.
We were his possession.
But because we were purchased, we now belong to the Lord.
Folks, please remember that it was a costly price.
The cost was the perfect sacrifice – Jesus’ death on the cross.
It proves though, that we are special.
We are His.
For God, it was worth the cost!
ILL Possession (S)
George Robinson wrote these words:
His forever, only His;
Who the Lord and me shall part?
Ah, with what a rest of bliss
Christ can fill the loving heart!
Heav’n and earth may fade and flee,
firstborn light in gloom decline;
But while God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine.
V. The fifth advantage is ILLUMINATION.
…called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Before, we loved the darkness.
We lived in sin.
We loved sin.
There was no other way.
But, then, the light of Christ shown on our hearts.
And now…
We have the ability to see clearly.
We now see!
We know truth!
We know what is right and we can act on it.
When the Holy Spirit came into us, what was so puzzling to us before, was cleared up.
And now, we live with clarity.
VI. The sixth advantage is COMPASSION.
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.
The poetic statements of verse 10 come from the prophet Hosea.
And they show us that…
We enjoy God’s favor.
God is not happy about our being trapped in sin.
He pities it.
He wants us out of it.
He does not want us to suffer the punishment the sin deserves.
This is why He provides a way out.
He calls us out.
He asks us to receive the gift He offers.
He asks us to receive His favor.
CHALLENGE:
We have tremendous advantages as believers in the Lord Jesus.
And so I ask the question…
1. Do we want to be a success?
I changed the question, did you notice?
Do we want to be success?
You see, we possess a corporate identity.
We are in this together.
In my study this week, I was challenged by these tough questions…
If Randall ceased to exist, would anybody notice?
Would anyone in the Williamsville, Amherst area care?
Would our surrounding community be upset?
Would we be missed?
Who do we think we are?
Hear the text again, only this time from Eugene Peterson’s translation called The Message:
But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you — from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (The Message)
So, who do we think we are?
And what are we going to do about it?
ILL Purpose (S)
Rick Warren, the author of the Purpose Driven Life says, “You were made by God and for God – and until you understand that, life will never make sense. You were made for God, not vice versa, and life is about letting God use you for His purposes, not your using Him for your own purpose.”
So what is His purpose for us?
In today’s text, it is this…
2. WE ARE LIVING ADVERTISEMENTS OF GOD’S GREATNESS.
…that you may proclaim the excellencies of him…
The word for proclaim has the meaning of getting the news out – like publishing and advertising.
And what is the news that we are to get out?
It is how great God is!
How great is our God!
How excellent!
How virtuous!
How heroic!
How powerful!
How extraordinary!
We are to speak of all He is and what He has done.
We, all of us, are to be the evidence of how great God is.
And we, because of the way we speak of Jesus and how we live, become agents of change and transformation.
You see, we should be missed!
But, we can fail in our mission, for…
3. The purpose of redemption is often thwarted by our silence or self-congratulatory pride. (Grudem)
When we say nothing, we mess it up.
When we think that God is sure better off by having us on board, we won’t be successful.
ILL Purpose (S)
Do you know who wrote these words? Listen to them carefully…
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died.
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Ever in joyful song!
To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
Fanny Crosby was blind from six weeks old due to a mistreatment by a doctor. Yet, she viewed her assignment in life as part of God’s plan. Listen to what Fanny Crosby said in her autobiography:
“Although it may have been a blunder on the physician’s part, it was no mistake of God’s. I verily believe it was His intention that I should live my days in physical darkness, so as to be better prepared to sing His praises and incite others so to do. I could not have written thousands of hymns, many of which, if you will pardon me for repeating it, are sung all over the world, if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects that would have been presented to my notice.”
Fanny Crosby is such an example to us.
She knew she was a living advertisement for the Lord.
And so should we.
4. It is time for our church to be intentionally missional.
We know that our purpose is to make disciples.
But, I believe, where I have been erring, and thus where we have all been erring, is that we have been giving too much attention to ourselves.
You see, we are badly missing a desire for new disciples.
We have allowed ourselves to give into the “squeaky wheel” principle – “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
And we squeak around each other, and as a result, we have not looked past our own needs, wants and desires.
As a result, our focus is on what we prefer, like, and think without giving attention about whether we are really daily obeying the Lord’s command to us.
We need to be missional Christians in a missional church.
You see…
Missional Christians are glad that God loves them and saved them to spend eternity with Him, but they are also focused on living in the kingdom now.
A missional church will be made up of individuals willing and ready to be Christ’s people in their own situation and place.
A missional church knows that they must be a cross-cultural missionary (contextual) people in their own community.
A missional church is evangelistic and faithfully proclaims the gospel through word and deed.
Words alone are not sufficient; how the gospel is embodied in our community and service is as important as what we say.
A missional church will align all their activities around the mission of God.
A missional church will be living by faith, known by love and a voice of hope.
That is the kind of church every community wants to have.
That is the kind of church that would be missed.
And, I believe, we can be that kind of church!
For Further Study: Exodus 19.6; Deuteronomy 7.7-8; Jeremiah 13.11; Hosea 1.10, 2.23; Romans 12.1-2; I Corinthians 6.19-20; Ephesians 1.4-5; Philippians 4.8; Colossians 1.13; Hebrews 7.4-17; Revelation 20.6
BENEDICTION:
Note CNO start this week…
…Loizeaux letter #2
…booklet
Here is the challenge this week…
Be seen and heard this week telling of the excellencies of Christ.
Let them flow out of you.
Be intentional.
Be missional.
Be deliberate.
After the service is concluded and the postlude is finished, I will return to the platform.
If you have any need of prayer, I will be available to you.
Perhaps, you would like to know what it is to live a life of faith…
Or perhaps, you know that you have not been living your faith as you should, and you would appreciate prayer…
Or perhaps you have some other prayer need – physical or spiritual, please feel free to come up.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Drake, James The Chosen, Royal, Holy & Peculiar People of God
Duncan, Rick It’s Not About Me
Mathis, Arthur God Has Called Us to an Active Ministry
Piper, John Christian Identity and Christian Destiny
Reich, Josh Missional Minded
Books:
Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. Cook Communications Ministries, 2000.
Davids, Peter H. The First Epistle of Peter. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Ned Stonehouse, F. F. Bruce and Gordon Fee, D. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990.
Grudem, Wayne. I Peter. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, ed. Leon Morris, vol. 17. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989.
Kaiser, John Edmund. Winning on Purpose: How to Organize Congregations to Succeed in Their Mission. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006.
Keener, Craig S. The Ivp Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
MacArthur, John, Jr. 1 Peter. The Macarthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2004.
Mounce, Robert H. A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1982.
Stern, David H. The Jewish New Testament Commentary. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., 1992.
Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs: ChariotVictor Publishing, 1989.
