Sermon for Sunday August 16, 2009
A Peculiar Bunch o’ Folks!
NKJV 1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
It is important to note that when studying a single passage of scripture, it is important to keep the context in mind! Ask questions of the scripture! Find out who it is talking to, and what instructions are being given, and how can we apply these instructions to our life!
But you are a chosen people
A royal priesthood
A holy nation
His own special people
That you may proclaim the praises of Him
Him who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light
Who is this being written to? I believe that we as the First Baptist Church in _________ can take these words as God’s words to our hearts, lives, and situations that we are in today. We can follow these words, and we can live closer to God as a result of doing so.
In many ways this sermon is a paradox to last week’s sermon by Pastor Chris. We didn’t intend it that way - we didn’t consult each other on what we were preaching. Chris’ themes last week included the humility and the meekness of the Christian life. I’ll be talking to you today about the power we have through the Holy Spirit and the boldness by which we can live our Christian life. Are the two concepts in disagreement? Absolutely not! Christ modeled many things for us that at first glance seem to be a paradox, but they are not so...Christ practiced and preached how we are to be humble servants to each other, taking care of each other, while at the same time boldly confronting the adversary, not out of meekness but out of the knowledge of Who is within us! You see, Christ showed us humility and meekness (for example, when he washed the disciple’s feet) but also showed us boldness (when confronting Satan at the temptation) and even anger (when overturning the change tables at the temple).
There is indeed a time an a place and a situation for humility, and a time and place for boldness.
Ecclesiastes 3:
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace
So as we pray and seek to walk in the Spirit with the mind of Christ, we will always endeavor to have our thoughts and actions and words conform to the likeness of Jesus Christ and to be pleasing in his sight:
Psalms 19:14:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Anger isn’t appropriate when confronting a grieving friend, and meekness is probably not our best bet when we are resisting the attack of the enemy.
So how does 1 Peter 2:9 call us to boldness and to courage and to do the right thing (a person sometimes comes to the choice of doing what’s easy and what’s right)? Let us examine this verse together, and I pray you will be encouraged and strengthened by God’s words, not my own.
But You are a chosen Generation.
God has chosen You!
I believe personally that God’s plan has you sitting in the pew you are occupying this week for a reason! The providence of God is amazing!
How amazing is it that God created You, and loved You, and died for You, and that it is YOU that is being referred to in John 3:16?
I want to show you a little set of pictures to get us thinking how GREAT God is.
(earth distance slideshow - I did a slideshow of a zoom in from the universe all the way to a leaf and all the way through its molecular structure down to the proton and the quarks, to show the congregation an example of how great the testimony of creation is and how it points to the awesomeness of God)
Have you ever really thought about how Great God is? And for Him to call us out of darkness -
Wow!
Everyone say it with me - WOW!
A royal priesthood
You see, the Jewish nation was a nation of priests. It was a religious nation with a religious form of government (not secular). Priests were a representative of God to man and were an advocate of man to God.
The new covenant abolished the human priesthood for the christian. We no longer require another man to enter into the presence of God. We can enter into the "Holy of Holies" ourselves.
***It would be neat to have a picture of the temple with the explanation of who could do what and how man communicated with God***
We no longer need this - we can talk to God right now! We can praise him in the morning, praise him in the evening - praise him in the car, praise him at work, praise him when we wake up, and praise him when we lay our head down at night.
The only way to God the Father is through Jesus Christ the Son. ***Expound*
A holy nation
You see, the children of Israel were a chosen generation but were not a holy nation while in Egypt. They were not a holy nation while roaming around in the wilderness. They only became a nation when they dwelled in the promised land, had a system of government, had a capital city, and had a king. Even then, they weren’t holy, but they were supposed to be (we know they failed time and time again to live as a nation how God wanted them to live).
You see, we as believers might be a chosen generation, and might be a royal priesthood, but how are we a holy nation? Might I suggest that the church is the holy nation? During the old covenant, God’s holy nation was the nation of Israel. After the new covenant, God extended his favor to all mankind, everywhere. Jesus Christ did not die just for Israel - he died for gentiles, and for all mankind to come! God no longer solely extends his favor to the nation of Israel, but he extends his favor to all believers, and the way that all believers are united is the church.
This verse refers to the relationship between husband and wife but it accurately describes how Jesus Christ views the church:
Ephesians 5:25-27:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
And we’re all familiar with how Christ intends for us to view the church:
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Folks, sometimes we may not see the same way of people IN the church, but ultimately the church is God’s agent in the world today and will be the bride of Christ in the world to come. Let us never cast aside or take lightly the church to which God has called us. Let us always pray together and do what it takes to make our church a better church for the sake of the kingdom and for the sake of the people here in Waynesville to whom we are called to reach.
His own special people
Some translations say "peculiar." How are we peculiar?
Hubert Brooke puts it in a neat fashion -
"Suppose you go out and make some great (expensive) purchase. You pay down the price and get the receipt, and tell the seller to send it home to you at once. The day goes by and it does not come. Weeks go by and it does not come. You send to the shop a message, "What are you doing with what I bought?" They reply, "We sent it up." "Well it has not arrived." "Then the errand boy has kept it on the way; we suppose he is using it for himself for a bit before he gives it over to you." You do not make purchases on these terms. How often God’s own people are like that errand boy! You have been bought with a price. Have you sent yourself home to the purchaser, or have you kept yourself on the way? "O keep to myself." people will say. That is the last thing a Christian ought to do; he ought to give himself away to God at once.
Amazing Grace, how sweet that sound, that saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.
How amazing is this Grace to you?
We are God’s special people, we are his creation in which he poured Himself, we are the people in which He sent His Son to die, who did so willingly out of love for us!
How do we act peculiar? How do we fail to do so?
We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world and a beacon on a hilltop! (talk about being an ambassador and representative of Christ in our words in actions no matter where we are - at work, at home, at play, at the grocery store, in traffic, etc). People have us marked! They are watching us! Whether they are right or wrong for doing so, they believe our words and our actions are indicative of what Christianity might offer them. What does your life say about the Savior you serve?
That you may proclaim the praises of Him
King James is "shew forth" - Greek is exaggello - "celebrate!"
Our praise, despite our storm, is to be celebrative in nature!
(When I said the word "celebrate" the sound started playing the music to "Celebrate" - the disco era song! It woke everyone up and got them celebrating!)
Folks, it doesn’t matter what you have gone through, are going through, or will go through. God is God of the valley, and the mountain. He is God of the storm and God of the calm. He has never failed us! How could Israel fall? They did! Let us take the lesson from our Old Testament and remember, Our Deliverer delivers! Our Savior saves! Our redeemer redeems! Our comforter comforts! He has always done so and will never fail to do so. That is a cause worth celebrating for!
And now, to conclude this verse, we are each given a personal and intimate reason to celebrate our Savior together.
Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light
Where would you be apart from the grace of God? Where are you today? Have you yet accepted that Grace?
*Were It Not For Grace" - I sang the song...a beautiful song to end the sermon on or at least read the lyrics from.
Would we be able to apply any of this verse to our lives apart from the Grace of God? Have we fully accepted that Grace?
Do we truly praise Him, knowing how gracious he has been to us when we on our own merit deserve none of it?
(Invitation)
OUTLINE:
"A Peculiar Bunch of Folks!"
Text - 1 Peter 2:9
"But you are a chosen generation..."
God has chosen __________________. (me)
"...a royal priesthood.."
Our priest is ________________________. (Jesus Christ)
"...a holy nation..."
We are united by ________________________. (the church)
Ephesians 5:25-27, Hebrews 10:24-25
"...His own special (peculiar) people..."
The fact that any of us is called is ________________! (amazing)
"...that you may proclaim the praises of Him..."
¬¬_____________________ Him! (celebrate)
"...Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light!"
____________________________________________! (Only by His grace)
