“But You…” 1 Peter 2:9-10
The last time we were together and taking a look at 1 Peter 2, we focused our study on verses 6-8. We learned that Jesus will either be the cornerstone of our lives or He will be a stumbling stone who trips us up in our pursuit of salvation according to our own design. This truth was evident in Peter’s day, in the first century, and it is still true today. Jesus confronts us with our sin and offers us salvation, not through our goodness and righteousness, but through His sinless sacrifice on the cross, on our behalf. The way we respond to this truth will determine whether He is the cornerstone or the stumbling stone of our life. Peter wrote to the followers of Jesus who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire,
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," 8 and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2:7-8 NIV)
Those who stumble do so because “they disobey the message.” Which message is Peter referring to when he wrote these words? He was writing about the gospel, the good news of what God has done through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for sinners who are alienated from God. People reject the message of the gospel for all kinds of reasons. Last time we were together I quoted one of the most influential philosophers of our day, Thomas Nagel. He admitted why he was an atheist when he said, “I want atheism to be true... It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God... I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.” Bertrand Russell wrote sixty-six books during his life and the last one was titled, Why I Am Not a Christian. He once said, “The worst feature of the Christian religion is its attitude toward sex.” That’s a convenient assessment for a man who was married four times and who was known for his infidelity as well as his genius in mathematics and philosophy.
I could spend the rest of our time together this morning sharing quotes from people expressing why they reject the message of the gospel, but if I did you would find one common theme running throughout them all: Our desires, our control, our “truth” is more important to us than God’s truth. And if that is our desire, Peter says to us that Jesus will be a stumbling stone that causes us to stumble.
This morning we are going to focus on verses 9-10 of the Scripture we began studying a few weeks ago. I think it is important for us to read verses 4-10 so we can get the context of what Peter was highlighting for the scattered exiles living in an antagonistic culture. Let’s read our Scripture together.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone-- rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," 8 and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message-- which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:4-10 NIV)
It’s important for us to remember that Peter’s letter was not sent to city hall or the chamber of commerce, but it was sent to the Church–to the followers of Jesus who were scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia in the Roman Empire. This same area today is modern-day Turkey. When the believers in these churches received Peter’s letter they were outsiders living on the inside of the Roman Empire. They were living “in Christ” while living under the rule of the Roman Empire. They were marginalized and persecuted because of their faith, but Peter, after speaking about those who refuse to believe, makes an amazing statement about those who had no standing in their cities. He wrote,
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV)
What a contrast! There are those who have stumbled over the living stone in every generation. There are some of you here this morning who will reject the good news of what God has done in Jesus and He will prove once again to be a stumbling stone, but for those who received this letter, and for many of you, He is the living stone, the cornerstone of our very lives, upon which all of our lives are being built.
Peter, after describing those who stumble, writes, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…” This is an unbelievable statement which may not sound so amazing if you are not familiar with the Hebrew Bible. All of these descriptive phrases, used by Peter to describe the followers of Jesus who are scattered exiles, were first used to describe God’s chosen people, the Israelites. I wish we had four weeks to slowly go through the meaning and implications of each of the four descriptions, but instead we will only take two weeks to work our way through these four powerful descriptions of those who are followers of Jesus.
First of all, I want you to know that the Greek word translated “you” is a plural pronoun. This is important for you and me to recognize. In America, a increasing number of Jesus’ followers have no understanding of our corporate identity in Christ. The importance of the Body of Christ has been replaced by the importance of the individual. You will never find that teaching in the Bible. Peter says, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…” You collectively. Now, let’s take a look at the first two of these descriptions.
You are a chosen people. God chose Israel out of all of the nations of the world to be His instrument of blessing for the nations. It was not because Israel was better than any nation or because they had more to offer God than any other nation, but it was because God chose to set His love on them and use them for His purposes. The Hebrews were slaves in Egypt when God freed them from Pharaoh and led them those forty years through the wilderness to the Promised Land. God spoke through Moses to remind them of why God had chosen them in Deuteronomy 7:6-8.
6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. 7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:6-8 NIV)
This same activity of God’s choosing runs throughout the entire Bible. In the New Testament, Jesus told His disciples,
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last-- and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (John 15:16 NIV)
Can you imagine how this news, this incredible news, must have impacted the lives of those who were looked down upon by those in their community for no other reason than they were followers of Jesus? They may have been marginalized in their community, but they were chosen by God in Christ. They were ridiculed and mocked by their neighbors for believing Jesus rose from the dead, but they had been chosen by God. They may have been persecuted and even killed by the Roman authorities for refusing to worship the Emperor and the pagan gods, but they were chosen by God! This news, this good news, must have given them strength to carry on and filled them with hope when things seemed hopeless.
The same impact is being felt by those today who are being persecuted, mocked and ridiculed, and looked down upon all across the world. You may have had a tough year in school because you decided you were going to live out your faith in Jesus instead of fitting in with the crowd. Knowing you have been chosen by God strengthened you to never give in or give up your faith. You may be in a profession where believing in Jesus is looked down upon, but knowing you’ve been chosen by God has encouraged you to keep loving and praying for those who look down upon you. Maybe you come from a country which is predominantly Buddhist or Hindu or Muslim and your commitment to Jesus has caused others to persecute you, but knowing you’ve been chosen by God has strengthened your faith, even in the midst of persecution.
A couple of years ago we studied Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. You probably don’t remember it, but the people of Corinth didn’t think too highly of the followers of Jesus there either. Paul wrote to them to encourage them and how did He do it? He reminded them that regardless of their status in society, they had been chosen by God. Turn to 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 with me.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-- and the things that are not-- to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NIV)
If you are a follower of Jesus then you can know that God chose you! All of us together are God’s chosen people. That fact should naturally lead to humility, the utmost humility, and not arrogance. What did you do in order for God to choose you? The answer is absolutely nothing. He has chosen to show you His love and to use you for His purposes.
If you are here this morning and you are not a follower of Jesus, then you might be wondering why God didn’t choose you? How do you know He didn’t? I believe He has brought you here this morning to hear this message, to hear the good news of what God has done for you through Jesus, in order that you might become a follower of Jesus. God is choosing someone here this very morning.
You are a royal priesthood. Once again, this phrase comes from the Hebrew Bible and how God described His chosen people, the Israelites. Way back in Exodus 19:5-6, God spoke through Moses and said,
5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." (Exodus 19:5-6 NIV)
Those who kept the covenant God made with His people would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. We will take a look at “holy nation” next week. Over the course of time, out of the twelve tribes of Israel, only the tribe of Levi was chosen by God to provide priests for worship at the temple. In Peter’s letter we learn that we are a “royal priesthood.” All of those who are followers of Jesus, from every tribe, language, and nation on the planet, we are a royal priesthood, chosen by God.
I want to take you back to the temple in Jerusalem for just a moment. Each day priests would minister before the Lord on behalf of the people of Israel. Inside of the temple was the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the temple by a thick curtain and there was only one priest, the High Priest, who could enter into the Holy of Holies, and only one day each year, on the Day of Atonement. Before the priest could enter he would have to go through all kinds of ritual cleansings, change his clothes, and prepare himself to enter into the presence of God. All of that changed when Jesus died on the cross. We read in Matthew 27:50-51,
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split (Matthew 27:50-51 NIV)
The curtain was torn from the top to the bottom. What is the significance of this? It is this, no priest could have torn the curtain, it could have only been torn by God Himself. And why did He tear it from top to bottom and open the Holy of Holies? He tore the curtain because Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross paid for the sins of all of those who would believe in Him. Through Jesus we have access into the very presence of God. The writer of Hebrews described it this way.
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:19-23 NIV)
If you are a follower of Jesus then you can have “confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…” What is truly remarkable about this is that you are all Gentiles as far as I know. If you are not a Jew then you are a Gentile and Gentiles were not allowed into the temple area except in an area called the Court of the Gentiles. There was an engraved stone sign that separated the areas where Jews could assemble from the area where the Gentiles were allowed. One of these stone carvings was discovered in 1871 in Jerusalem and is now in a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. The sign read,
Foreigners must not enter inside the balustrade or into the forecourt around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.
We who are Gentiles and followers of Jesus are now a royal priesthood. Just one more thing. What is the function of the priests? They were called to minister to others on God’s behalf, to intercede before God in prayer for the people, and to offer spiritual sacrifices to God on the people’s behalf. That is still what you and I are called to do today. As a royal priesthood you and I are called to be a conduit of God’s grace and mercy to those He places in our lives. We are called to pray for the needs of others. We are called to offer spiritual sacrifices, to worship and praise our God. I love what Samuel told the people of his day. In 1 Samuel 12:23, he told the people,
23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. (1 Samuel 12:23 NIV)
Since we are going to wait until next week to talk about what it means for us to be “a holy nation” and “God’s special possession, I want us to talk about the last phrase in 1 Peter 2:9. Read verse 9 with me one more time.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
We’ve talked about the fact that God chose Israel and He has chosen you and me not because of anything we have done or because of the potential He saw in any of us, but because He has chosen to love us. The story doesn’t stop there. God has chosen us because He loves us and because He has a purpose for each of us.
Understanding our purpose is such an important aspect of life for all of us, is it not? For as long as I can remember I have heard people ask, “Who am I? Why am I here? I just wish I knew my purpose in life?” For so many of us, we find someone or something we love and he or she or it shapes our identity. You start working in a job you love and that job becomes who you are, the source of your contentment and joy in life. The economy takes a downward turn, there are cutbacks at the office, and you lose your identity when you are told they are going to have to let you go. You get married and have kids and your family becomes your identity. Then you go through a divorce or your kids grow up and move across the country and you’re back to trying to find your purpose all over again. Or, maybe you are a young person here who has been known throughout middle school and high school for your athleticism. Everyone knows you as an athlete. Then the day comes when you graduate and the opportunity to play sports comes to an end. Who are you then?
Let me help you out. There is nothing wrong with finding satisfaction in what we do, what we enjoy. Whether it is work, family, sports, making music or art, or anything else you enjoy doing, that blesses you, these are gifts from the Lord. The problem comes when we confuse “what we do” with “who we are.” If you are a follower of Jesus then that is your primary, most important and enduring identity. Every other thing people know you for falls far, far short in importance to this one identity.
Our identity gives us definition, meaning, and purpose in life. Our purpose as God’s chosen people and as part of His royal priesthood is, according to verse 9, so “that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful life.” You and I need to understand the Greek word that is translated, “declare.” The Greek word “ἐξαγγέλλω” (exangellō), means to “proclaim, report, or to make known openly and with wide distribution.” This word can also mean “to advertise.” This is the only place it is used in the New Testament, but it is used several times in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Listen to this…
15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. 16 I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. 17 O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. (Psalm 71:15-17 NLT)
“I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power…” Peter said our purpose is to “declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful life.” Look what God has done! What He has done is not meant to be kept to ourselves, it is to be shared with everyone. Listen, we didn’t find our way out of the darkness, He called us out of the darkness. We were like Lazarus in the tomb when Jesus opened our eyes and called us out of the darkness. Let me share just one more example from the Septuagint with you. Turn with me to Psalm 79:13.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise. (Psalm 79:13 NIV)
How would the good news of what God has done, and is still doing, go from our generation to the next generation if we didn’t tell them? I have been so blessed to share God’s amazing grace with people from many nations and generations. The good news that Jesus has died for us, rose from the dead so that we might live, truly live for Christ, is a message that a world living in darkness so desperately needs. Will you tell them? Will you be so bold as to declare His praise for what He has done in your life to those who do not know Him?
Maybe there is someone here this morning who is not a follower of Jesus. I want to declare His praises in your hearing this morning. He found me groping about in the darkness. I thought I was on the right track. I was pursuing what I wanted most in life, but then I learned that He was what I needed. I’ve been walking with Him, growing in my understanding of His love for me and His purpose for me for the past 45 years, and He is my joy and delight. He gives meaning to my life like nothing else. He has comforted me when I have been filled with sorrow. He has encouraged me when I’ve been discouraged. He has given me a mission, a purpose that will never end until I draw my last breath in this life. I want to declare His praises before you and invite you to become Jesus’ follower this morning.
Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
May 26, 2024
