What can we say about the God of the Bible??
Now, in relation to these descriptions, how do we as human beings compare to this God of the Bible??
Bigger than the Universe
Almighty in power
Beauty
Love
Perfection
And so, how should God see tiny, imperfect, and sinful people??
In our passage today, we will note how God sees people. Please open your Bibles to the First Letter of Peter to Christians; we are now in Chapter 2 of 1 Peter, page…
Before reading, let us pray together our commitment to God’s Word……….
Read along with me now, 1 Peter 2:4-10……
We can note 4 characters in this passage: God, Jesus Christ, regular people, and Christians (Believers of Christ). And because they relate to each other, many of the descriptions intertwine.
Let us first take a closer look at God in this passage:
v4: …………….
God has a special relationship with Jesus Christ!
v5b: What can we say about God in the end of v5??
to be praised through Jesus Christ!
And look again at v9-10….
God owns a special group of people!
What truths can we say about Jesus Christ in this passage?
In v4, what does “As you come to Him” indicate about Jesus Christ??
– approachable
We can note a few more things about Jesus in v4:
- Living Stone (Jesus is a solid foundation but is also alive!)
But sadly, even though Jesus Christ is approachable and is a solid living foundation for life,
- rejected by humans
But as we noted earlier, Jesus Christ is
- Chosen by God and is Precious to Him
v6a…..
– precious cornerstone (Jesus holds everything in place; Superglues the Universe and beyond!)
Just for a moment, close your eyes and picture the earth hanging in space…. Yourself on this Earth…… other planets and the Sun…… Jesus holds all of these things together along with billions of other galaxies! Everyday, have a perspective of how big God is and encourage others to do the same.
But we note in v8 that people will reject Jesus as the Only One who can hold everything together; therefore, Jesus Christ will make those who reject Him stumble and fall!
Butt Jesus loves people because in spite of people’s foolishness, we note in v9 that Jesus – calls people out of darkness.
Are you still in the darkness regarding life and God? If you are, be warned! In our passage, we note the following regarding people who do not believe in Jesus Christ:
Again in v4: they reject Jesus Christ; they cannot approach God
But in v7: even if Christ is rejected, He is still the cornerstone! In other words, people cannot change that Jesus Christ is the only key to life no matter what people think!
And again in v8, people - will stumble and fall if they reject Jesus Christ.
And of course, as stated in v10, people who reject Christ - are not a people of God.
Now, what does God say about those who believe in Christ?
Again in the passage, we can note that Christians, starting with v4:
v4 – come to Jesus Christ
v5 – living stones, being built up to be a holy priesthood
V6 – never be put to shame
v9 – a chosen people, a holy nation, God’s special possession
v10 – God’s people, received mercy
Now, I can take a piece of paper and try to draw a beautiful picture which I can post somewhere and enjoy for a long time. But, since it is my own creation, I can also crumple this piece of paper and just throw it away!
An Almighty, Holy God who created people can also decide to just throw away those He created. But because He is loving, God has given every person an opportunity to leave the darkness and come to His glorious light through Jesus Christ! If you have never done so, now is the time to truly believe in Jesus Christ as your only Savior and God and leave the darkness behind.
Let us all pause for a moment to quietly pray to profess our belief in Jesus Christ, then let’s be reminded of our calling us Christians. Pray for a moment about your relationship with Jesus Christ, right where you are….
We have a Great God who loves us! What a blessing to be a Christian: we can approach God at anytime; we are living stones like Jesus Christ; we will never be put to shame; we are a chosen people, a holy nation, God’s special possession; God’s mercy is upon us!
How will you and I respond to God’s love for us?
From our passage, we can note 3 things we are called to do:
Look again at v5………….
1. Always remember who you are and that you are being built to be a holy priesthood! And again, Ephesian 6 helps us by reminding us to put on the full armor of God – BBSSSHF!
2. We are to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ! What does this mean? Romans 12:1-2 helps us: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Spiritual sacrifices are not just about going to church or giving money for the Offering. We are to give our entire being (body, soul, and mind) to Jesus Christ! How are we doing with this? Everytime we pray, let us give our body, soul and mind to Jesus Christ; when you pray, offer your body to Christ; offer your minds,….. that is true worship!
And one more thing; look again at v9…..
3. Constantly declare praises to Jesus Christ!
How often do you and I give God praise?
How often do we grumble?
Even this morning before church, how much grumbling did you and I do in comparison to the amount of praising the Lord?
Let us declare our praises now as we pray and worship Him with our Offerings….
