The Church Defined Series

1 Peter 2:9-10 The Church Defined

Introduction: Many times you define something by giving a description of the thing. You can describe something by what it is and by what it is not and so forth…

Note how text breaks down:

“But ye (plural) are…that ye should…. (The church is four things and they are those for a purpose).

Proposition: Every Christian should realize the uniqueness of the Church

How? Peter now tells us how…

I. The church is a group of people who have responded positively to Christ (9, 7).

V. 9 begins with “but” contrasting v.9&10 with v. 7-8.

This contrasts the church’s response to Christ with the Jew’s response to their Messiah.

This is a quote of Psalm 118:22 which evidently their was a stone from the old Temple that was rejected by the architects as being unfit for the work of binding together two walls. The priests evidently wanted this particular stone so a trial was made and the stone was perfect. In Matt. 21:42-46 (Read) Jesus applied this passage to Himself.

Jesus is the stone and the Jewish leaders, the builders of the nation, had deliberately rejected Him (the Messiah). Thus the kingdom would be taken form them and given to others. God decided to build something brand new and decided to make Him the Capstone.

App: You need to realize that going to a church service or even joining a church doesn’t really make you a part of the church. To be a part of the church, there needs to be a time in your life when you can look back on and say that is when I accepted Christ. Can you say you made a conscious decision and that He indeed is the foundation on which you want to build your life?

II. The church is a group of people who are biologically related (9).

“Generation” = (genos) from which we get “race”, “species” or “kind” in O.T.

These are things that have certain genes in common because they have a common ancestor.

A genos is distinct from all other life forms. Pigs, cats, dogs, cows, horses….

2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

When we were saved we became a partaker of God’s divine nature. We became a new creation. (2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…”)

We became the sons of God (John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”)

The church is all related because we all have Christ abiding in us…

This common bond unifies us:

This common bond reaches across color and culture…

This common bond so strong that we can be faithful to God even when our families may

want to disown us…

Is it any wonder we refer to each other as “brother” or “sister”?

III. The church is a group of people who have a special job (9).

“Priesthood”, priests have a special function in relation to the world…

A. They are to come near to God

B. They are to bring God near to others

C. They are to offer Sacrifices (not sure what all this may involve…)

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Philippians 2:17 “Yea, if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.”

The church is the only authentic priesthood. If you are outside of the church your sacrifices

are worthless. You can do all sorts of things with your body and you can have all sorts of

faith, but it is all vain, useless, it is nothing more than filthy rags said Isaiah (64:6).

IV. The church is a group of people who share a common government (9).

“Nation”, people who are not biologically related but related by common government.

We are a People who share a common set of laws.

We serve the laws of God. These are laws given from above. His ways are above man’s ways….

His laws are: Righteous because He is Holy

Perfect because He is Perfect

Tempered because He is Merciful

Good because He is Gracious

Fair because He is Just

Without bias because He is no respecter of men

Flip back to Matt. 21:43, the church is the Nation that Jesus spoke of….