The church as the chosen people
1 Peter 2:1-11
Intro-
1 Peter 2:1-10 Read
Church of the Nazarene in Middletown, Pa. Is one of 63 churches in what’s called the Philadelphia district and one of 428 districts that make up the Church of the Nazarene globally.
So you can see that the church is bigger than just us and making an impact globally as well as locally.
In October, 1908 a group of holiness leaders met at Pilot Point, Tx. (Outside Dallas) under a tent to begin and bring a vision to pass.
Most denominations are started because of a breaking away. Bad blood, difference of government format, but that day, leaders came together from numerous Holiness denominations, joining together for a common cause- Holiness ,the pursuit of holiness, living out holiness in their lives.
They were confident that the working of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives could change them for ever. They represented about 10,000 members(small amount) New body of believers realized that their combined efforts ,that they had strength that they did not have alone.
They developed a strong sense of identity. They were Nazarenes, they were confident in the working of the Holy Spirit, they were compassionate, they had a heart for evangelism, they were passionate about the message of holiness.
Today, 1.6 million people call the church of the Nazarene home, 140 languages, 151 world areas.
Out of one, we have become many.
Peter, in this passage of scripture tells that we are to get rid of any thing that would hinder or destroy our relationship with Jesus Christ.
That Jesus Christ is the living stone, the foundation that we build our relationship to God.
He tells us that to some this will be a stumbling block, rejection of Christ, and a disobedience to the message that Christ brought.
But to the believer; just the Nazarene’s- No , but all believers that put Jesus Christ as their foundation of salvation.
V9-10- “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
In that text, you have the body of my message this morning.
T We are chosen people
T We are Holy people
T We are sent people
I. Chosen people
Through the writings of Peter, God lets us know that we are a chosen people.(selected and thought of).
*Especially in a world that fights to find purpose.
*Believing if there is a God, that he is out there and we have no excess to him.
He tells us that they,(Israelites) and us today have not done this by our own source. That God called them into being his people.
1 Peter 1:2- tells us that we are brought into being by the “sanctifying work of the Spirit”
God is the initiator, the originator for our redemption.
*It is by His grace and mercy that He calls each of us to Him
*By his grace and mercy he calls us into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
Some will respond and some won’t
Christians (those professing Jesus as Lord) from all denominations cannot stay the same way that they werebefore they met Christ.
*We must move away from the selfish and evil things.
*We must set your heart on the things that nourish us and please God.
Hypocrite- in the Greek means to be an actor.
In Christianity , a hypocrite would be one to pledge his allegiance to Christianity for his/her own profit, or one who pretends or acts, to put on a mask, to be one way with one sect of people and another way with a different sect of people.
V4-10- Peter gives us the nature and function of the church.
The early church understood the living stone, Jesus Christ was the foundation to a relationship with God.
To accept him -He would be Savior and friend.
To reject him-Judgement and condemnation.
Peter came to the great truth with this when Jesus asked him “who do you say that I am”?
You are the Christ The Son of the living God Mt. 16:16
Jesus replied: “ blessed are Simon, son of Jonah for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven, and I tell you that you are Peter, on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.”
On Peter, No On the foundation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that God ordained the church.
Some will accept it- they become the chosen ones
Those that reject it- face judgement
1 Peter 2:10- “once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God”
Today we live with some uncertainty. The economy, the war.
Peter encouraged the people of God then, and the Word encourages us today.
Peter encouraged their faith in the midst of trying circumstances.
You are not alone, he said, you belong to God, and you form a new people, the people of God.
II Holy people
2:9- Peter asked them to stake their heritage.
“You have been chosen and destined by God the Father, and Sanctified by the holy Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ.”
This is your heritage, this is your future.
The holiness that Peter calls his readers is the holiness heritage of the church of the Nazarene.
.
TWe embrace the call of holiness. We make no apologies for it.
TIt is ingrained in our articles of faith, mission statement of each church.
TIt should be the passion of our preaching.
TIt is the focus of how we live our lives.
Holiness is:
TIt is the radical surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.
TSpirit empowered living.
TTo love people with the love of Christ
We are the people called Nazarenes , as a body, and as persons who make up the body, we are called to be holy.
We live out the holiness imparted to us by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, and called to the obedience of Christ.
The question I wish to ask you this morning:
Have you experienced this wonderful grace?
Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to draw you close to Him?
Are you desiring to be more Christ like?
Have you come to the moment of surrendering yourself and being filled with the Spirit?
From the early days of the Nazarene’s , the message is central to our mission.
We evangelize the world in order to lead people into a transforming encounter with God, who desires to change people “through and through”
III Sent people
2:9- “That you may declare the promises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light”
We are commissioned to proclaim the goodness of God.
We are called and chosen to reach this area for Christ.
Chosen, redeemed, transformed, sanctified, and sent into a dying world that needs Jesus.
That conviction has motivated the church of the Nazarene around the globe.
We are in every inhabitable place in the world and working on the rest.
Sent people of God, making Christlike disciples in the nations.
Closing:
We have a biblically mandated mission
We have a biblically based theology- mainstream Christianity and a belief that God not only wants to save us, but empower us.
The gates of hell will not prevail against the church
The future is ours to claim
We have a chance to make an impact in the world.
Let me ask you again.
Do you know Him? Today you can make Jesus Christ your Savior by asking Him into your life.
Have you allowed him to sanctify you?
To cleanse you of sin
to know Him as savior
to be filled with his Spirit
Church is where God is at home. Where God must be host instead of a visitor.
Song:
Called unto holiness, church of our God
purchased of Jesus, redeemed by his blood
called from the world and it’s idols to flee,
called from the bondage of sin to be free
“Holiness unto the Lord is our watch word and song. Holiness unto the Lord as we are marching along, sing it, shout it, loud and long...holiness unto the lord, now and forever
