Slides: God's People (1 Peter 2:4-10)

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men 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 men 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, a people belonging to God, 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.

God’s people

• Temple: spiritual house of living stones with Christ the cornerstone

• Priesthood: offering spiritual sacrifices

• Treasure: honor for Christ, from Christ

• Offense: at odds with unsaved world

• Nation: chosen, royal, holy, God’s own, radiant in worship and witness

Living stones

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—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. (2:4-5)

God’s temple

No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ… Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you. (1 Corinthians 3:11, 16)

God’s dwelling place

You are … built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Cornerstone

• Honored above all other stones

• Shapes building and position of all other stones

House and priesthood

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—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. (2:4-5)

Spiritual sacrifices

Through Jesus let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:15-16)

God’s people

• Temple: spiritual house of living stones with Christ the cornerstone

• Priesthood: offering spiritual sacrifices

• Treasure: honor for Christ, from Christ

• Offense: at odds with unsaved world

• Nation: chosen, royal, holy, God’s own, radiant in worship and witness

Treasure

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.” Now the honor is to you who believe. [NIV: Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.] ( 2:6-7)

Offense

But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (2:7-8)

Broken and crushed

Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” (Luke 20:17-18)

Scandalon

He will be the truth that will offend them one and all:

A stone that makes men stumble

And a rock that makes them fall.

Many will be broken so that He can make them whole,

And many will be crushed and lose their own soul. (Michael Card)

God’s people

• Temple: spiritual house of living stones with Christ the cornerstone

• Priesthood: offering spiritual sacrifices

• Treasure: honor for Christ, from Christ

• Offense: at odds with unsaved world

• Nation: chosen, royal, holy, God’s own, radiant in worship and witness

God’s chosen people

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (2:9)

God’s chosen Israel

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, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:5-6)

Kingdom and priests

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. (Revelation 1:6)

Nation of light

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (2:9)

God’s people

• Temple: spiritual house of living stones with Christ the cornerstone

• Priesthood: offering spiritual sacrifices

• Treasure: honor for Christ, from Christ

• Offense: at odds with unsaved world

• Nation: chosen, royal, holy, God’s own, radiant in worship and witness

Before and after

God called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 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. (2:9-10)

Children of adultery

“Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all… Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” (Hosea 1:6, 9)

Mercy for my people

I will have mercy on the one I called ‘No Mercy.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” (Hosea 2:23)

Who were you?

• Evil desires … ignorance (1:14)

• Empty way of life (1:18)

• All men are like grass (1:24)

• Called out of darkness (2:9)

• Not a people, no mercy (2:10)

• Sheep going astray (2:25)

• Following urges, idolatry (4:3)

Who are you?

• Redeemed (1:18)

• Reborn (1:3, 18)

• Free (2:16)

• In his steps (2:21)

• Healed (2:24)

• Beautiful (3:4)

• Heirs (3:7)

• Stewards (4:10)

• Spirit of glory (4:14)

• God’s family (4:17)

• God’s flock (5:2)

• Royalty (5:4)

• Partakers of divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)

Before and after

God called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 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. (2:9-10)

God’s people

• Temple: spiritual house of living stones with Christ the cornerstone

• Priesthood: offering spiritual sacrifices

• Treasure: honor for Christ, from Christ

• Offense: at odds with unsaved world

• Nation: chosen, royal, holy, God’s own, radiant in worship and witness