In fact, there is so much plastic surgery taking place these days, we are often warned that if you are going to have this surgery, make sure that you get a qualified plastic surgeon to do the surgery. There are some quacks out there who do this kind of surgery, and when they are finished with you, you might have your nose where you ear is suppose to be, or you might be talking through your nose.
There are others who do not like themselves because they do not have the skills or talents that others might possess. Those who are like this, react in two ways:
(1) THEY LIVE LIFE DISLIKING THEMSELVES
We have an abundance of these in our society. They feel inferior to everyone. Since they feel they are the lowest on the totem pole, and feel inadequate, they have a hard time looking anyone in the eyes.
The other group takes just the opposite view-
THEY LIVE LIFE DECEIVING THEMSELVES
That is, in their lives they are constantly trying to fool themselves and others.
Illus: These need to be told: "You’re never going to get anywhere if you think you're already there."
These give the impression that they have arrived, but the sad thing is they have not even gotten on the bus yet. They are confused. They are sure they know all the answers, but wonder why people keep asking the wrong questions.
When a person receives Christ in his life, he should develop the proper attitude of himself/herself.
God told Peter, “Feed my sheep”. In this portion of Scripture he tells them what God has bestowed upon us. Look at what we have:
I. THE WEALTH OF THE BELIEVER
Look at 1 Peter 2:9, we read, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness in his marvellous light.”
Notice the words in verse 9, “But ye are...” Those three words talk about WHO WE ARE, AND THE BLESSINGS HE HAS BESTOWED UPON US.
For example, if you read Exodus 19:6 and Isaiah 43:21, you will discover that special blessings were once bestowed upon the nation of Israel.
But when Peter addresses the church, he shows us these special blessings in the 0.T. were transferred to the N.T. Church. John, in Revelation, concurs with Peter on this transfer. Look at Rev. 1:6. We read, "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen."
When it comes to these special blessings, Peter says, "But ye are...”
What are we? He shows us, first of all:
(A) YE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION
Israel was "a chosen generation". How were they chosen?
Sometimes Gentiles feel that perhaps God loves the Jews more than he loves us. But that is not true. God CHOSE and CALLED them from idolatry to be a witness to the lost nations that surrounded them.
God has also CHOSEN and CALLED us from idolatry to be a witness to the lost that surround us each day.
WHY DID GOD CHOOSE THEM? God bestowed upon them the special blessing that they may live a godly life around those who lived in darkness.
God has bestowed special blessings upon the New Testament church, that we might live a godly life around those who live in darkness.
Look what Paul says in 2 Cor. 4:6. We read, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Illus: This is a strange age in which we live. For example:
• In the past, if a fireman broke into a house that was in flames to save a child, he was a hero. But today, if fellow can hit a ball with a baseball bat, he is considered a hero.
• A lost man can live in a luxurious house and drive a beautiful car, and we call him fortunate. But yet that same man is only one heart beat away from eternal damnation.
A lot of folks in this society that are held up on a pedestal, do not need to be admired and held in high esteem, THEY NEED TO BE PITIED!
You see, God has CHOSEN ALL, but all have NOT CHOSEN HIM.
Illus: They are like a person who has a deadly disease and does not know it. They will soon discover their sad plight, but it will be too late.
Israel may have had neighbors around them that appeared to be in great shape financially, but spiritually they were impoverished. God chose Israel to reveal Himself through them, so that the lost world might have a witness of His greatness.
NOW THIS TRANSFER OF BLESSING has been bestowed upon the church, and we have something that those who live in darkness cannot buy.
Peter says,, "But ye are a CHOSEN GENERATION." Also, he says-
(B) YE ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
In the O.T., only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. How he must have been envied by all those who worshipped God.
Illus: I am sure as he walked the streets, that the eyes of men, women, boys and girls were upon him. I can hear evil men talking, but as he approaches them one of them says, "Hush, here comes the priest." He was highly respected. He had to be careful how he lived before everyone.
If you will search the scriptures, you will find "As goes the priest, so goes the nation."
When a wicked priest was in office, you had a wicked nation. But when you had a godly priest, you had a godly nation. If he sinned it was an endorsement to sin.
In 1 Samuel 2:35, after Eli the priest had failed God, God said, "And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before mine anointed forever."
God had a great plan for the priesthood in the Old Testament. It was a great HONOR, but with that honor came great RESPONSIBILITY.
NOW WHO DO WE APPLY THIS GREAT HONOR AND GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO TODAY?
(1) TO THE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL
Illus: Everywhere he goes, eyes are upon him. Voices can be heard before him saying, "Hush, here comes the minister."
The minister knows that if he makes light of sin in any way, he is promoting it and will soon lose the respect of those who are watching him.
Illus: Let me give you an example. A minister of the gospel stopped in a little country store to get a soda. He noticed a lot of cars outside, so he assumed there had to be a good crowd inside. Before he got to the door, he heard someone say, "Here comes the Preacher!" Then he heard this scuffle, and when he opened the door one man was hiding his beer behind a display, another man was fanning the cigarette smoke so that he would not see it, and another man actually stuck a burning cigarette in his pocket. When they got through straightening up for the minister, they could have had church service there. The language was clean, the air was clear, and everyone had this pleasant smile.
Now they did not need to be told that what they were doing was wrong, they knew that already; that is why they tried to hide it.
But suppose, after all this fixing up for the preacher, that he walked in and ordered a beer. He would have lost his testimony, and the lost men in that store would not have seen Christ in his life.
It is true, the Old Testament priesthood blessing has been handed down to the New Testament church, and every one of us needs to be as careful as the Old Testament priests were, because people are watching our lives as ministers.
That blessing of the priesthood was not only passed down to ministers, it was also passed down -
(2) TO THE LAITY OF THE CHURCH
We no longer have need of a priest like they did in the Old Testament, because the Scripture says that the blessing that once belonged to Israel's high priest, has now been transferred to God's Church.
Peter says, "But ye are a ... royal Priesthood."
You, as a Christian today, are as much of a priest unto God as I am. And make no mistake about it, eyes are upon you, and if you still have a testimony... voices will be heard before you, "Hush, here comes a Christian."
If you compromise with sin as a priest unto God, you are promoting sin as much as the wicked priest did in the Old Testament.
But when it comes to the Christian, he also says-
(C) YE ARE A HOLY NATION
Illus: With privilege comes responsibility. God has always worked through holy people. God would bring judgment on any priest who entered the Holy of Holies with sin that had not been atoned for in his life. God chose him to teach His people. He only works through A HOLY PEOPLE.
• This says to every pastor, “God only works through holy men.”
• This says to every choir, “God only works through holy people.”
• This says to every Sunday School teacher, “God only works through holy people.”
All across this nation, we have churches that are trying to do the work of God with vessels that are filled with sin, and year after year, the presence and power of God is absent because God only works through a holy people. Peter says, "But ye are a ... holy nation."
(D) YE ARE A PECULIAR PEOPLE
When God brought Israel out of Egypt, the people were wild and undisciplined slaves. But after forty years in the wilderness, God had molded them into His people.
Look at verse 10, we read "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God which had not obtain mercy, but now have obtained mercy."
The word "Peculiar" does not mean weird like some who claim to be God's people. WHAT DOES THE WORD PECULIAR MEAN?
Illus: Those who love to collect knives, stamps, etc., will go into a store that has a large collection of these things. As they look at most of them, you can not find two cents of difference among them. But as they continue to look, they come across one and it is different from all the rest. And we say this is PECULIAR.
Illus: The world in which we live is filled with carbon copies. People dress alike, think alike, talk alike, go to the same places, and drink the same kind of booze. But when you come to God’s people, the world should look at us and say, you are “Peculiar”(different).
We looked at THE WEALTH OF THE BELIEVER, now let us also look at-
II. THE WITNESS OF THE BELIEVER
Look at verse 9, we read, "... that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."
The LOST world promotes men, not God!
Illus: It may be in the form of a movie star, singer, athlete, race driver, etc.. They do not just enjoy these individuals, they literally praise them in the same way we praise the Lord.
Look at the words, “Shew forth the Praises of Him…”
The word "shew" literally means to proclaim to those without what has taken place within.
God has always desired to have a WITNESS that would live before a lost world, so that they can see Christ in them. Israel, God's "Peculiar People", miserably failed God in this matter. The heathen who surrounded them had a hard time seeing God in the life of Israel..
This blessing has now been bestowed upon the church, and I am afraid we are failing God today as much as Israel did.
This city is filled with churches where:
• People sing in the choir on Sunday, “How I Love Him!" and the rest of the week they are singing the hymns of Satan.
• Some deacons live like demons.
• Teachers who instruct boys and girls to be faithful to God on Sunday, are not faithful to God themselves.
God has always wanted a people who would, “... Shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."
God has called us "Out of darkness into this marvellous light", and may we never forget that!
Conclusion:
I. THE WEALTH OF THE BELIEVER
II. THE WITNESS OF THE BELIEVER
