So, putting away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men, but in the sight of God, chosen and precious, you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture, and behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame. So, the honour is for you who believe. But for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. They stumble because they disobeyed the Word, as they were destined to do. But you, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once, you were not a people, but now, you're God's people. Once, you had not received mercy, but now, you have received mercy. Thanks be to God for His Word. We're gonna unpack verses 9 and 10, but before that, let's pray. Father, we are so thankful that you have expressed your love for mankind. and your kindness, and your mercy, and demonstrated your covenant love in the sending of your Son. And so, Father, I pray that just as we sang by the end of this sermon, as we think through who we have now become in Christ, we would sing it all this week. I want you more than anything. You alone are my heart's desire. My Spirit gladly submits and yields to you that obedience is no chore, but a delight. As we read in our call to worship, we pray that you would give us our heart's desire as we delight in you, Father and Son and Spirit. And oh, that as we obey you, filled with the Spirit, looking to Christ, that our righteous deeds and our justices would be evident for a dark and lost world to see and ask us, what is this hope that we have? And we would gladly tell them, it is in Christ and Christ alone. Father, we just pray now as we work through this inspired text that you would help us to see and to savour the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we will see next week, to live differently, as Peter is going to urge us to do. Father, we love you. We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, Holy Spirit, would you help us to see him more clearly and even feel him more deeply this morning, that we might live more rightly this week, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Please be seated. Well, as we established last week, it's a little principle that is going to inform how we understand the text this morning and the command next week, and it's simply this, that before activity comes identity. Before you seek to work for Christ, you need to know who you are in Christ, who you are and whose you are. And we saw last week two of these beautiful reminders that Peter's given us. Well, to those, he's going to add six more. And instead of trying to take extensive notes to this message, can I give you like the best application of all? Memorize the text. If you memorize verses 9 and 10, it will help you understand this sermon. It will help you to meditate upon these glorious truths. And like your pastor, as you commit this, hide this word in your heart, you begin to see it applied in so many ways throughout your week. If you memorize, but you, you are a chosen race or a chosen people. That will help you live through the week when you are rejected by naysayers and scoffers. When you read the news and you see how the world treats those who are outside of Christ and they laugh at those who are in Christ, that's okay, you're chosen. You may not feel very dignified when you read the news and all it does is scoff at you. You are a kingdom of priests and it reminds you of your mission. So I don't want to get ahead of myself, but instead of like burning out your pen trying to take notes, just write, memorize and meditate upon verses 9 and 10. Before you seek to be busy for Christ, understand who you are in Christ. In the context of living as Christians in an increasingly hostile anti-Christian culture, Peter could have easily just said, start doing this and start doing that. And I think we can identify with that. As you read through 1 Peter, I think it's a very apt book for how and where we're living. I don't know if you can sense it, but I think that even though we've come out of this so-called pandemic, I think that the floodgates are just about to burst. With CRT, that's critical race theory, and identity politics, and almost this providential kind of angst against the church, which we've even seen intensify last week. It's just a matter of time before we're going to understand with Peter's audience that we are slandered and ridiculed and mocked. You can even see it in next week's text. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable so that when they slander you, they speak against you as evildoers. They may see your good deeds. But before we get to the good deeds of Christians, we need to understand this identity of who they are in Christ. So he doesn't start commanding, he starts reminding. And this is another application I'm gonna quickly sneak in before we get there. Remember the gospel. And then reflect upon the gospel. And then and only then, respond to it. Okay? Remember, reflect, respond. Let me remind you of some of the things Peter has already mentioned. Perhaps you're a guest here this morning, or you've missed a couple of the messages as we work through 1 Peter. But if you're in Christ, if you've come to Him, right? You see that in verse four. As you come to Him, this is what is true of you. Have you come to Him? If you have, listen. You can put your pens down and listen to this. Marinate in all that Peter has to say. First, you are God's elect and chosen people. Second, you have been loved with an everlasting love from the Father. Third, you have been set apart in the sanctification of God the Holy Spirit. That you have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ. And that he has also enabled you to be obedient. See, that's helpful to know. That God elected you and set you apart for obedience. And so obedience is something that God actually enables you to do. You don't have to pull up your bootstraps. He gives you everything you need for life and godliness. If you understand that He has given you the ability to obey, that makes obedience manageable and doable, that you're not trying in your own strength. Your sins have been forgiven. You've been sprinkled with the blood of Christ and therefore forgiven by His costly sacrifice. God the Son has forgiven you. Remember that you have a new birth. from above, and with this new birth comes a new hope, a living hope. Not like the hopes of this world with the ups and downs of Bitcoin and stock markets, wondering if inflation will come or if inflation will recede. This is a living and inexhaustible hope. You have an inheritance sovereignly protected by God Almighty. And not only will He protect the inheritance for you, He will protect you for the inheritance. He's got you in His hand. Your hope of full salvation is guaranteed, and you will perfectly experience when Christ returns. See, some of you feel so beaten down when you, say, fall into sin. or if you wonder if you're going to make it, or if this is all there is. No, you've just tasted of it. You've not seen Him, but oh how you love Him. How much more will you love Him when you do see Him? When the faith becomes sight. That's what Peter talks about. You will have a full salvation. This is only a part. Forgiveness of sins, yes. You experience those moments in worship when we gather together, I hope, that you're rejoicing as we sing these songs, but as Nathan is reading Revelation 19, hallelujah, hallelujah, that's not what you say to God, that's what you say to your brothers, which is why we gather. It's a command in the Hebrew. Praise the Lord, and you will experience that fully. You have only tasted, or as Paul says, a shadow of all that is to come. Let's keep going. That when Christ returns, God himself will bestow upon you three glorious things, praise and glory and honour. Those nouns are used all throughout Peter. Praise and glory and honour. The Old Testament prophets, your servants. That's humbling. The grace that they were prophesying is ours. The person and the time of Christ prophets look forward to. We've experienced with the coming of the Spirit. Angels are jealous of your current estate and your future estate. Peter goes on to say, you have been ransomed from your futile ways inherited from your forefathers. Not with perishable things like gold or silver, but with the beautiful and lovely blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without spot or blemish. God has provided for you pure spiritual milk. What is that? Grace. Whose grace? Christ's grace. Where? In the Word of God. And He has given us by the Spirit a yearning for it. Last week we saw, in addition to all of these truths, these elect exiles are God's living temple. A spiritual temple, Nathan reminded us. A growing temple, that it's not relegated to a mountain in Samaria or even in Jerusalem. No, we have come to Mount Zion, this spiritual temple that is ever-expanding, where God's presence is always enjoyed. God manifests His presence through the church. Yes, God is everywhere, Isaiah 66, but you know where God's reign and presence is manifested? In His church. You might be despised by this world, but God dwells in you and in us. And we saw also last week that we are a holy, a unique priesthood, whereby God's reign is revealed to the nations. What a privilege. There's the talk of privilege, and you're to be shamed for all of your privileges. No, says the Christian, we are humbled, and we praise God. for all of these spiritual realities that have become ours in Christ, Ephesians 1. Well, Peter continues to encourage these disheartened Christ followers of who they are and all that they have. You think, man, that was an exhaustive list. No, it wasn't. Peter has much more for you, and there's more. It's like the bad infomercial. You thought that was awesome. There's gonna be six more, and they're all interrelated. But what Peter's going to call them to do in verses 11 and following in the new section of obedience requires a lot of feeding. And so he's giving us more of this pure spiritual milk. And I'm unashamed to slow down and say, let's drink deeply. Let's drink deeply from the breast of the scriptures as we feed on the milk of Christ. There's six. Okay, and again, you can write them all down if you want, but they're literally from the text, and so just underline them if you want. Here are six realities for you if you've come to Christ. As you come to him, please, if you're an unbeliever, don't assume these describe you. This is not for you until you humble yourself and come to this living stone. First, says Peter in verse nine, you, are a chosen race, or a chosen family, or a chosen people. You see that in verse nine, but you. It's emphatic, which means he's drawing a contrast from the previous sentiment in the previous sentence. So let's look at it. They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do. That was all of humanity. All disobedient. By nature, children of wrath. By nature, children of disobedience. And God in His justice could have easily passed over every single one of us and sent us all justly to hell. No one is good. No, not one. No one seeks for God. This doctrine is deeply humbling. And so when you're tempted to get into a pity party, or to sort of just reflect upon how hard done by you feel, and all the things you wish you had, if you're a Christian, remember this. Even if you were to suffer martyrdom, it's only for a brief matter of time, says Peter. Necessary, brief, You may be rejected by man, but you have not been rejected by God. All those who mock you, like Clifford reminded us in Psalm 73, they have all that the world has, vapour, mist, and they will be dishonoured. They will be put to shame. Those who mock you are those who disobey the word, as they were destined to do, but you. but you are a chosen race. Why have you not stumbled over the stone of offense? Why have you not stubbed your toe on the cornerstone of Christ? Why? Why did you come to Christ seeing him as precious and lovely? Why did you put your faith in Christ? Why did you repent of your sins? Why did you do it? Was it because you were more intelligent than your unbelieving neighbor? More spiritually sensitive than your unbelieving coworker? More virtuous than those around you who reject Christ? More religious? Is it because you were born into a Christian family? No, says Peter. The only reason you've come to Christ is because of his electing mercy. Only God's sovereign grace. You are the recipient of God's particular love. I don't know why, but that's okay. He looked and He chose you before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love. How? By electing you, predestinating you in Christ. You're not a more intelligent race. You're not a more spiritually sensitive race. You're not more virtuous or moral as a race. You're not more religious as a race. You're a chosen race. That's the only reason you've come to him. And so Peter wants to encourage this flock. He wants to remind them that, humanly speaking, there's only one race. This is very practical in our day and age. Race is the most important thing now, apparently, or the least important, however you want to take it. Everyone is gauged now through race. What is the color of your skin? What are your origins? Peter reminds us that those are important, but our origins go back before time began. And there are, humanly speaking, two races, a chosen race and an unchosen race. God doesn't care what color your skin is, whether you're Jew or Greek. He doesn't even care about gender, male or female. He doesn't even care about your socioeconomic, whether you're a slave or free. All He sees is if you're in Christ or not in Christ. That preaches. When someone wants to shame you for the color of your skin or for your race, who cares if you're rejected by your race, by your fellow humans? You're a chosen race, says Peter. You're a chosen race and God loves you. The only race that matters is whether or not you're a chosen race or not. How do you know if you're a chosen race? Have you come to Christ? Is he precious to you? Or is he still a stumbling block? Peter's alluding to Isaiah 43, 20. You don't have to turn there, but you can just write it down, and what I would encourage you to do afterwards is read the entirety of that chapter. What God is doing in Isaiah 40 through 55, or 40 through 66, is encouraging a people who are living in exile. That preaches to Peter because he's writing to elect exiles. And Isaiah's writing to elect exiles, and he wants to encourage them. that even though all that they're experiencing in the present has not removed God's love for them, which begins in the past and will carry on into the future. Isaiah's writing to the same audience as it were. Remember what Peter says? The prophets were talking about you. And so if you were to read Isaiah 43, you would see all of these glorious gospel truths, which he puts under the heading of verse 20, your chosen race. Right, chosen race is sort of what is the heading, and under it you can see things like God created you, and he recreated you, he redeemed you, he called you by name, he is with you, he has ransomed you, you are precious in his eyes, you are deeply loved, he will deliver and restore you, he has blotted out all of your sins. All of those truths fit under chosen people or chosen race. Isaiah encouraged those elect exiles by reminding them of who God is and what He would do for them in the future. And what Peter is saying is what Isaiah promised for the future has become a reality for you in the present because of Christ. Like those who were the recipients of the promise in Isaiah 43, those are yours. Are you a chosen race? All that you read in Isaiah 43 is yours. In verses 18 and 19, God promises to bring about a new thing. You can read it. I am doing a new thing in the future. That new thing is passed for us. That new thing, that new exodus, that new covenant. It was looking forward to Christ, who came into the world, the Son of God, born of the Virgin. And He would do what Israel could not do by keeping the law. and then becoming that servant who obediently went to the cross and died so that all now who identify in him. That's the only identification that matters. I don't care what people self-identify it. You identify yourself in Christ. If so, this new thing is yours. You are a new people with a new covenant and a new hope and a new everything. This is the grace that Peter says Isaiah promised us, and which we experience only as we come to Christ. So the first thing Peter wants to remind you of this morning is that you are a chosen race, a chosen people, or as another translation, a chosen family. Now, let me also just add one more quick application, lest I forget. Notice the corporateness of this. The you, in Greek, is plural. And this, I hope, will be like that stone, that rock of Daniel chapter two, obliterating the statue of individualism, which we so suffer from in our Western culture, right? I guarantee that naturally, in the Western nations, you are a chosen race. You're thinking, this is just me. This is just me, it's not you. These exiles who gather together now are a chosen family, or a chosen people, or a chosen race. That means more than just you and Jesus online. And I'm not taking a shot, I'm just saying that we represent God corporately, that Christ dwells in a temple of living stones, plural. Second, we're a royal priesthood. Again, that's also corporate. Some translations say, you are royal priests. That's not a good translation, because then it's still just me and Jesus. No, it's us and Jesus, a kingdom. Yes, we're kings, but we're a kingdom of priests. We're a royal priesthood. Anyone who reads through Isaiah knows that this word elect or chosen is always used in parallel with another word, eved, servant, okay? So God doesn't just choose you so you can have a spiritual siesta until Christ returns. He chooses you for himself. to be a royal priesthood. You can just read that, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood. This is who you are, not what you're trying to become. You don't do things to become a priest. God has made you a priest, and now you can serve as a priest. You gotta get the order right. You're not trying to put on the priestly garbs and to go through the priestly motions. No, this is who you are in Christ. Now be what you are. Go and priest, if you will. Why? Because you are. You are a chosen race. You are a royal priesthood. And the Hebrew would hear often, to be chosen is to be chosen to serve. That's precisely what priests were to do. That God calls you out of the world to himself and then sends you into the world for himself. Okay, and this goes all the way back to Genesis chapter 1. where God has this temple called Eden. And then into Eden he places this kingly priest prophet named Adam, whom he formed for himself, bara, same Hebrew word in Isaiah 43. Just as Adam was formed to be God's kingly priest, prophet, so Israel now, Barak, is formed to be his kingly priest, prophet. And what Peter is saying is that you now have been reformed. And I'm not talking about the five points of Calvinism. He has reshaped, reformed you so that you now, in Christ, would be a kingly priest, prophet. Is this helping? Maybe it's not. God has called us into the temple as living stones, but we're not static stones. We're living stones. We're active stones. We're building stones. Living organisms grow, and this is a living temple. And so it grows, and it grows as it serves. And I would encourage you to read Ephesians 4. As we are loving one another, filled with the Spirit, we build up this temple. because we are a royal priesthood. We are royal slaves, royal servants that God calls us according to His purpose, not according to your purpose. It's great to be forgiven. It's also great to be forgiven and commissioned. Last week we saw that there was only one class of people in Israel who could serve God in the temple. It was the priests. Remember in the book of Numbers? Aaron, anyone gets near that, you cut him down. You don't let him near the temple. It's only for those I consecrate and set apart. And even Aaron, once a year, could enter into the Holy of Holies. Oh, only those whom God chooses and declares fit and consecrated for service. Well, what Peter is saying is, is that now applies to us in the new covenant. For every single one in Christ, you have unlimited access, not just once a year. You are a priest, and we are saved to be a royal priesthood. Remember in the Old Testament and the New Testament that holy carries the idea of being set apart from something for something. We love it. I'm set apart from the world. But you're also set apart for God. He has called you in a holy calling, with a holy calling, and to a holy calling. So yes, we bask in the forgiveness of our sins, but we understand that we have a mission. priests were to serve, to serve God in His presence, but then to serve people. They were to reveal to the people through God's Word who He was, what He demanded, what He was like. And what you need to understand I was reading this excellent book that I just got last week, God's Mediators, the Biblical Theology of Priesthood. Fantastic. And what happened in the Old Testament is that God had called his people to be a kingdom of priests. And out of that kingdom, he chose a specific tribe who would model, as it were, this kingly priesthood. The tribe of? Levi. And so in a sense, they were the ones who modeled it. Kind of like in the New Testament, pastors and teachers, I'm not saying I'm a priest, we're all priests, but we are to exemplify to those in the kingdom what it's like to be set apart. The priests had special qualifications. And they were to say, as we are to you, Israel, you must be to the world. Okay? Understand that when God selected Israel from the world, he selected Israel for the world. There's no hyper-Calvinism in this. No frozen chosen, sitting around just caring about ourselves. No, God says that, actually turn there, go to Exodus 19. I know, I know, it's Old Testament, but we'll familiarize ourselves with it. Genesis, Exodus, second book of the canon of the Old Testament. Now, Genesis 19 follows on the heels of God's redemption. So please don't think that this is something you must do to be saved. Rather, God, in his electing mercies and covenant faithfulness to the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has redeemed Israel. Verse 4, Exodus 19. Here's Moses speaking for God to these redeemed people, to this chosen race. You yourselves have seen what Yahweh did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. It's priest language, actually. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. God owns it all, but He especially owns Israel. But why does He pull Israel out? Well, that's why you read the next verse. I own the world, it's mine. Psalm 24, 1. The earth and the fullness thereof, mine. All that dwell therein, mine. Israel, especially mine. Now go out and serve as a priest, as a kingdom of priests, and bring the elect in from the nations. Because God promised that to Abraham, his seed would be a what? A blessing to the what? Israelites? No, a blessing to the nations. Verse six, you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Yes, you are a chosen race, but you're also a royal priesthood. And that royal priesthood is not so you can dress up in fine clothing, but that you can be sent out into the world. Now, as we read in Exodus, please don't scribble out the word if. The blessing to the nations is contingent upon the obedience of the elect. But remember, he has given you the ability to obey, right? 1 Peter 1. Yes, you elect exiles, verse two, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for, for obedience, and for the sprinkling of blood. You can obey God if you're in Christ, because he has given you the Holy Spirit, who feeds upon the pure spiritual milk, which he has also given you. And so, I would ask, does this describe the church? Unfortunately, Israel was not obedient to her commission and God removed his lampstand from her, if you will. She was to be a light to the nations as she obeyed and displayed God's greatness. You will be a kingdom of priests if you obey my voice and keep my covenant. Israel as a nation never fulfilled her Great Commission. Everyone thinks the Great Commission is just in the New Testament in Matthew 28. Oh, no, no, no. Here's another mountain situation where Yahweh commissions his gathered people to be a light to the nations. Jesus does it on a mountain in Matthew 28. Long before that, he's doing it to Moses in Exodus 19. See how the Bible fits together? Israel failed as a nation. And so as you read through the prophets, there's talk of a time when God will gather a nation to himself who will be obedient because he will write his law on their hearts. He will take out their stony heart of disobedience and give them a heart of flesh that not only is able to obey, but loves to obey. So how do you increase your love to reach out to the world? Remember and reflect. upon who Christ is and who you are now in Christ. You are a kingdom of priests. Under the Old Testament, the blood of the covenant, you can read this in Exodus 24, remember when Moses does the sprinkling? It's not baptizing, he's putting blood on them, and it was symbolizing a covenant between two parties. And there we're saying, we will do all that you say. It's not enough to be sprinkled with blood, says Hebrews. You need something to sprinkle you inside. Your hearts need to be sprinkled by the grace of God in Christ. They were disobedient by and large as a nation in the Old Testament. Oh, praise God that Christ himself was obedient and now through the Holy Spirit enables his people to likewise be obedient. The triune God then has not only chose you and set you apart for salvation in Christ, but also obedience to Christ. You can read about that in the Old Testament. This is what John says in Revelation. Who makes you a priest? God does. Now you are a priest if you're in Christ, but it's not because of anything you've done, not what your hands have done. John says this in verse six of chapter one, to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen. And he says this in chapter five. And they, all of these hosts, including the elect elders around the throne, sang a new song, saying, "'Worthy are you to the Lamb, "'to take the scrolls and to open its seals, "'for you were slain, and by your blood, "'you ransomed people for God, "'out of every tribe and language and people and nation, "'and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, "'and they shall reign forever and ever.'" Why has God set his people apart to be priests? Yes, election, but also mission. Please see that. Listen to Isaiah 66. Actually, turn there. This is interesting. Just turn there quick, I promise. We'll get there. Isaiah 66. I found this amazing. And Isaiah fits together as a whole, so I'm not going to try to bridge the gap between Isaiah 43, which Peter is quoting, but I believe he has this in mind. And I have verse 18. And what he's doing here is contrasting the false priests of the old covenant with these new priests in the new covenant. For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming. To do what? to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and shall see my glory. Who displays, who proclaims God's glory to the nations? It's these priests. And Peter's saying, that's you. Paul says it in Romans 10. How will they go unless they are sent? And so God is sending us out in Christ, go, be a faithful priesthood, gather as a kingdom, but it's a kingdom of servants. Not like a kingdom of highfalutin guys who go around pointing at people and ruling, no. Stephen Dempster in another excellent book called Dominion and Dynasty, he says that here God is defining a right, what it means to be God's kingdom. It's a kingdom of servants. who like the King, the servant Christ, go out and we serve one another and the nations. They shall come, they shall come. The elect will come, but only as the elect go. Verse 19, and I will set an oath, not an oath, the Hebrew word is oath, I will set a sign among them. What is that sign? It's Christ and his death and his resurrection. And from them I will send survivors to the nations. And as Dempster says, and this is a reproducing priesthood, despite what the Catholics think, that the Jews go out and they make priests, and then those priests who come into Israel go out and they make other priests, and then to the ends of the earth, God's temple grows as His holy priesthood is faithful. Why do they go to the coastlands? Why do they go far away? because they have not yet heard my fame or seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the nations, and they shall bring in the elect. Why has God set us apart as a church to be a holy priesthood? For mission. Because we're running out of time, you can write Romans 15, where Paul says, I'm a priest, and my priestly offering is the Gentiles. which is why I want to go to Spain. As I come to Christ, we then go out to the world. Does that help? We come to him, and we are royal priests, but we also then are to be obedient priests who go out proclaiming his excellencies. Well, let's keep going. A holy nation. Peter's still drawing from the deep wall of Exodus 19.6. Why is Israel holy? as a nation because they derive their holiness from their holy king. It comes to mind, it wasn't in my notes, but in the book of Judges, Gideon, he's a judge, and after he accomplishes a ton of exploits, they say, you come and be our king, and he says, what's the matter with you? God is your king. God was always to be the king of Israel through an earthly representative. But the reason why Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament is a holy nation is because we're ruled by a holy king. Jesus. Fully God. Fully man. And because we are holy, we are to live differently. Remember, that's what holy means. The world thinks all those self-righteous, legalistic, looking-down-their-nose Christians, they think they're so holy. No, you are holy. God has set you apart to be different, and that's what Peter's going to keep unpacking. Don't live like the Gentiles. Those futile ways you inherited from your forefathers, put them to death. When they see you living differently, they will ask you, what is your hope? It's Christ. And so we are a nation that is to be different, Titus says, who are peculiar. Not because of, no, actually because of the music we listen to. Actually because of the things we watch. Actually because of the ways we dress. We are different. How do we show ourselves different? By setting ourselves apart for obedience to the covenant. See, that's the joy of celebrating the Lord's table. It's a covenant reenactment. Right? We are saying, yes, we belong to God. And by his grace, we will what? Proclaim Christ's return. His death until he returns, I mean. Right? And so this is this great reminder. We gather together and we spur one another on as we gather together for love and for good works. Different works, good works, holy works. What happens though when the church lives differently? It brings scorn from the surrounding world because their practices are wicked and idolatrous. The darkness hates the light, but God has called you to be different, to be light in the darkness. Like Israel of old, we too will be mocked by an unholy world we find ourselves immersed in when we do not conform to or endorse their sinful and idolatrous worldviews and practices. Quickly look at chapter four of 1 Peter. Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. For whoever suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. Suffering's a great thing for Christians. So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. And what is His will? To live differently for His glory and also for the good of this world. For the time that is past for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery. and they will malign you. So they're maligning you for being holy, which is why you need to remember you're elect. When you live a holy life set apart to Christ, when you live a life in reverence of God, you will not only be mocked and slandered, you will also be persecuted. They will see your good deeds and they will speak against you. Chapter 4, verse 14, it intensifies it even more. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you, but let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or as an evildoer or a meddler. You suffer as a Christian. Why? Because Christians are holy. Because they're different. Because their lifestyles expose the dark and depraved hearts of a godless and Christ-rejecting world. However, when God's people live according to His law, oh how I love your law, when they love His law and live His law and live differently in their conduct, they become a light. Don't turn there, write it down, Deuteronomy 4. When the nations see how you're living differently, they will realize that there's no God so near to them as Yahweh is with his people. How do the nations know that Yahweh is with his people? By their different lifestyles. Again, I can't explain it. But God says, be ye holy, even as I am holy. And as you are holy, they will take note. 1 Peter 3, 15. But set Christ apart. You've been consecrated to Christ. Now he says, now consecrate Christ to yourselves. The Lord is holy. People will see. The non-elect, destined to perish, they will scoff and laugh and persecute. The elect, they may scoff and laugh and persecute, but God will use that to draw them. We'll see that next week. That they may glorify God on the day of visitation. So let's be a city on hell. a royal, kingly nation of priests. Old Testament gave them plenty of instructions. What are our instructions? I would say we have the New Testament, which interprets the Old Testament, and we have the Holy Spirit. Paul says simply this, the life I now live In the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God. Keep in step with the Holy Spirit who always leads you into the truth of the Word of God, whether Old or New Testament. What does it look like practically? Well, we'll see that in the weeks to come. We live differently than the world with respect to government, with respect to how we work, with respect to our families. Your family should look much different than the pagans who don't know Christ around you. There should be reverence and joy, and the Word should be there, and singing and laughter and generosity and hospitality. But that's coming. Fourthly, we are a people for God's possession. Again, back to 1 Peter 2. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession. Amazingly, As Christ is precious to the Father, Peter's saying that we are now precious in that same way to Christ. Exodus 19 says, all the world belongs to God. They're all his, even unbelievers. But out of that unbelieving mass of depravity, he looks upon his people and he loves them with a special kind of love. a special kind of love. That's Exodus 19.5. Israel was to be a treasured possession. I love that Hebrew word, segula, and it refers to one's special personal property. And so I kind of used the illustration last week and I'll use it again. I've got lots of guitars, but my larvae, that's my segula. If I can choose one out of my guitars, the house is burning down, I grab the Larrave. I love all the guitars, but I have a special relationship, a peculiar and fond love for that Larrave. That's what God says about his people in the Old Testament, and Peter now says for the church in the New Testament. Christopher J. H. Wright, an Old Testament scholar, says this, this word conveys two ideas, something that is prized and something that is personal. And this is the illustration that came to my mind. It's like the peculiar faunus a husband has for his wife. And I can say to my sisters in Christ, oh, how I love you. But Christina is my bride. She's my treasured possession. That's what God says to his elect in Christ. Let the world despise you. Let them forsake you. They may think you're rubbish and the scum of the world. You know what Peter says to suffering Christians? Who he's about to say now, go into this God-hating world and serve them. You're a special possession to him. The word is used of David in 1 Chronicles 29. He wasn't able to build the temple because he was a man who shed blood. A man who has bloodshed will be the one who builds the temple. But David is providing for the temple out of his segula, out of his personal funds. He's got all of this at his disposal but out of his own special personal fund because he loves God and the temple. He invests into it from his segula. It's his private treasury. That's you if you're in Christ, Christian. Yes, he loves the world. but his people are his own special possession. So let me summarize it this way before we move on. In Christ, God's Segula, Peter says the church has become Christ's Segula. See how that works. Who does God love more than anything, even more than the world? He loves his son. The father loves the son. Behold, my beloved son, the one whom I delight in. He's unique. Oh, I love him. But when you come now into Christ, he now loves you that way. He loves Christ the temple. And if you're in this temple now, by union of Christ, you now share in that segula. You're not precious to God because of anything inherently beautiful or lovely or useful or praiseworthy. No, you're lovely to God because you're in Christ. Deuteronomy 7, God says, for you are a people wholly set apart to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be his people for his segula, for his treasured possession. Out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth, it was not because you were more in number than any of the other people that the Lord set his electing love on you and chose you. For you were the fewest peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you, and is faithful to his covenant promises. You're a people who are special, and so he has a special mission for you. I am not going to reiterate, but this ties into your priesthood. As a holy, royal priesthood, you are commissioned to expand the temple by preaching and proclaiming the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light. You have been set apart from the nations for the nations. Peter again, Isaiah 43, 21 is quoted. What is the response in Isaiah 43? Of God redeeming his elect, precious treasure, they will praise him. They will declare his praise. Tehillah, renowned praise glory, often in the form of song. And the reason I say that is one, to show off, but two, to say that when we gather together as a corporate entity called the church, as a kingdom of priests, don't think that evangelism just happens after you leave. Ephesians 1 says that actually we've been saved to be to the praise of the glory of His grace and we gather and we're filled with the Spirit and we sing to one another and we declare God's excellencies, we declare His praise. I hope that unbelievers come in here and they see evangelism through song, that we proclaim the excellencies of the one who saved us out of our idolatrous darkness. The Greek word that Peter uses here carries the idea of praise of God for one, His moral excellence, and two, His mighty acts of salvation. We praise Him for who He is, and we praise Him for what He's done, both. And we see most clearly who He is, and we see most clearly what He has done for us in the person of Christ. That's why we're a Christ-centered church, because a Christ-centered church is a God-centered church. The word to proclaim ex angelo, ex out of, to report widely, to proclaim throughout, to tell everywhere. That's a great word. It's not just announce, it's announce everywhere. Out, out, out. That's evangelism. And I thought of four examples. I'm not gonna turn there. Think of the Samaritan. Christ opens her eyes so that she sees he's the Messiah. What does she do? She goes back to her hometown of Sikar, and she tells everyone about the man who knew all about her. Could this not be the Mashiach? She's not a theologian. She didn't go to seminary. She just tells others about this Christ who is willing to forgive her, who's on her sixth husband, if you will, and who meets her seventh in Christ. And seven's the number of perfection, but that's for another sermon. A thought of the man born blind in John 9. The Pharisees are like, you be quiet about this. And he says, I can't. I was once blind, but now I see. How can I cease from singing your praise? I thought of the man healed in Acts 3, crippled from birth, leaping. He's not preaching sermons, he's just telling others about what Christ has done. Peter says it's not by any virtue of us, but by faith in Christ, this man, as well as you can see, and he's leaping. His jumping is a sermon, if you will. And lastly, lest you think that theology is opposed to your testimony, Paul does it repeatedly in the book of Acts. three times when he's to give an account. Yes, he uses the scripture, but he says, this is what happened to me. I was out to persecute Christ's people, and all of a sudden, Christ broke into my life. And as it were, the scales fell off. If you're writing notes, I thought of the example in 2 Kings 7. Of the four lepers who are sitting outside the gate of Samaria, they can't come in. And the city is laid waste by the Syrians. And they're like, well, might as well get out of here, because we're going to die one way or the other. And as they travel, they come to a town that has been plundered by the sovereign power and mercy of God. And they're feasting because it's a famine. And they're feasting, they're loving it. And then all of a sudden, they're pricked in their conscience. Are you familiar with this story? Go and read it in 2 Kings 7. It's awesome. And they're like, this is a day of good news. How can we keep it to ourselves? And so they go and tell the king who announces to the people that God, in accordance and faithfulness to his word, has provided for his people. You should say this. This is a day of good news. I will not keep it from people. You don't need to be eloquent! Just tell them what Christ has done! Psalm 107. NLT, give thanks to Yahweh for he is good, for his covenant love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out, ex angelo. Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. Indeed, tell them he has gathered his elect exiles. Fifthly, we are God's own people. Peter's quoting from the Old Testament, but he moves to the book of Hosea. And what he's basically saying here is that what Hosea promised to happen in the future is a reality now for you in the present. I know I'm way behind, so let me just summarize it. If you read through the book of Hosea, he's to marry this whore named Gomer. And there's three children, Jezreel, Lo-Ami, Lo-Ruchama. God scatters, Not my people, not mercy. And what God is saying through Hosea is that he is going to discipline his people and he's going to scatter them through exile. And that in exile it's going to seem like there's no mercy and they're not his people. But God says a time is coming in the future when I will not scatter you, but I will sow you. It's the Hebrew word, zarah, seed, right? Scatter, sow. You're scattered in exile, but a time is coming, like Jeremiah says, I'm going to plant you back in the land. And it might not seem like you're my people, and it might not seem like I'm giving you compassion, but a time is coming when you will see it. And Peter says that time has come in Christ. For God's compassion is shown in Christ, and God is gathering his people in Christ, and he is now planting, as it were, seed in and for Christ. And so it says, once you were not a people, speaking of Israel, and saying, a time is coming, Israel, when you will realize you are my people. And you know what the amazing thing is? Peter says that is just as true for Gentiles who come to Christ as Israelites who come to Christ. This is the beauty of being in Christ, and this helps you understand your New Testament in light of the Old Testament. You are the new Israel, Peter's saying. Those promises where God will restore his people, it's not like he's just restoring Jews to himself. He's restoring all of the sheep scattered, says Jesus in John 11. All the sheep scattered are being gathered back to Christ, and they are now God's people. Lastly, I think I was an adult who was weeping like that. Lastly, once you were merciless, but now you have mercy. Again, he's still quoting Hosea there. How has God shown you mercy? He's shown you mercy in Christ. He's shown you mercy in what he has done. Gentiles, formerly, as Nathan quoted from Ephesians 2 last week, were once you were not a people. So go to Ephesians 2.11. Don't turn there, but just listen. Therefore, remember. Therefore, remember, this is who you were. You were laughed at by the Jews who circumcised merely in the flesh, but remember, formerly, pote, this is who you once were. Three things. You did not have the commonwealth of Israel. You were separated from Christ. and you were strangers of the covenants, without God and without hope in the world. But now you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. He has brought the two into one through the cross, removing the hostility, so making peace. Peter saying, all those promises that Hosea said when God would gather his Zentine people, all of his elect, you now belong to them. All those promises for Israel, they're yours in Christ, Gentile. They're yours in Christ. But God, being rich in mercy, demonstrated his love towards you. Before you came to Christ, you're a filthy Gentile, pagan, cut off. And he would have said the same thing to a Jew. Now that you've come to Christ, as you come to him, you have received mercy. You have received forgiveness. You've received every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. The nations, they will get what they deserve. We read it in Revelation 19. You won't get what you deserve. Because in Christ, you've received mercy. Let's apply this quick. First, remember, reflect, respond. Don't get it mixed up. Some of you want to go and respond, you need to spend more time reflecting. Second, I remind you that our identity is corporate. How does the world see who God is? No one has seen God, 1 John. You know what the world sees God? Manifested. By this will all people know you belong to me. By this will the Father be seen through the Son, as the people gather together, live in obedience to his covenant. So our identity is corporate. Third, in light of all of these glorious truths, how ought we to live? in a manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called. Ephesians 4. Live as citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel. Philippians 1.27. Colossians 1. He prays that the people will be filled with all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. How will you know that you've gotten it? How will you understand that you've gotten who you are in Christ? You begin to walk in a manner worthy of it. First Thessalonians, walk in a manner worthy of God who has called us to his own kingdom and glory. That's how you live. I could give you a thousand things to do. Walk in accordance with these truths. This is who you are. Now live like it. Fourth, who are the people God has placed in your life? Whom can you faithfully serve as a priest? Remember the priest first goes into the presence of God and then he takes that and he relates to the people who God is and what he is like. So, practice the presence of God and then go out proclaiming his excellencies. The best way to foster a life of public praise and thanksgiving is to foster a life of private thanksgiving and praise. Do you praise God on Sunday mornings only? It's the only time you sing. That's why family worship is so important. I want to encourage you. Get into the habit of always proclaiming His Excellencies. You wake up this morning, His Excellencies. You got food on the table, His Excellencies. You don't have food on the table, here in Christ, His Excellencies. Oh, that we would be a people who are characterized by declaring His Excellencies. Lastly, I hope that in studying 1 Peter, you'll have a greater love for and appreciation of the Old Testament and the New Testament, pure spiritual milk. Peter's saying, drink deeply and go out and serve faithfully. Have you come to Christ? If you have, says Peter, you are a chosen race. You are a royal priesthood. You are a holy nation. You are a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy. I don't know why we're not all just weeping, myself included. but now in Christ you have. If you're an unbeliever, mercy is offered to you only in Christ. So come to him, this living stone. If you do, as a living stone, you'll be built into this spiritual temple. Father. I pray that you would bless us this week, help us to understand who we are and whose we are, our identity as defined by you and not the world, as well as our activity. Forgive us, Lord. Like the nations, we are scurrying about, frenetic, doing a whole bunch of things that are inconsistent with your commission. Oh, Father, make us as a church a royal priesthood. No, we are. Help us to walk now as a royal priesthood. Oh, fill us with praise, that our mouths could not be stopped. And Father, we pray that as we go out, you would draw your elect in, and that your temple would grow in Lethbridge, Southern Alberta, and Canada, to the ends of the earth, that you would be glorified in and through her. Oh, Jesus, how we love you. We can't express it the way we ought, but oh, how we love you. Accept our praise, Father. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, we're going to close with an application of this. We're going to praise the Lord in song, the King of Heaven. So if you're able, please stand and sing with us. Praise my soul, the King of Heaven. ♪ To his feet thy tribute bring ♪ ♪ Ransomed, he'll be stored for giv'n ♪ ♪ Who, like me, his praise should sing ♪ ♪ Praise him, praise him, praise him, praise him ♪ ♪ Stood our fathers in distress ♪ ♪ Praise Him still the same forever ♪ ♪ So to China's gift do bless ♪ ♪ Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him ♪ ♪ Glorious in His glory evermore ♪ praise him praise him praise him the angels Amen. Father, we just want to thank you for your amazing grace you have shown us in Christ. Father, I ask that you help us now to be faithful in the divine commission as your holy priesthood to go out and to make disciples of all nations. Help us do this week to our children and neighbors, co-workers, proclaim your excellencies, seen most fully and clearly in the person and work of your Son. Holy Spirit, fill us and enable us to do as we ask in Jesus' name. You are dismissed. Grace to you.