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Dr. Raj Kripilani
and turn to 1st Peter, 1st Peter, Chapter 2.
You look into this passage this morning, 1st Peter, Chapter 2. I want to thank
Dave and Matt for getting this sound system in the last few minutes all set up. Thank you.
They are so versatile there. OK, well, let's begin with a word of prayer.
Our blessed and wonderful Father, how great thou art, how wonderful you are.
Thank you. Thank you that you love us. Thank you that you saved us. Thank you that you hold us when we can't hold ourselves.
Thank you that you have given us an inheritance and a hope. Thank you for the people of God here and around the world.
Thank you for your blessed church. We just thank you, Father. For this time, for these people here, their love and their friendship, and their love for you and your word.
Lord, may your voice be heard and not mine. May you give the words, and may your spirit fill and touch our hearts,
Father, for your name's sake, for your glory. Thank you, blessed King.
We give you all praise and honor. And we just pray, Lord, that at the end, we give you the glory that is due to you.
Transform our hearts, renew our minds, for your name's sake. In the name of Jesus, Messiah, amen.
Who are you? And I don't mean what's your name. What is your identity?
What is your purpose? Why do we exist? Why do you exist? What's the purpose of the church?
It's an important question this morning. If we are in Christ as Christians, I believe we have the answer summarized in a lot of ways in the first book of Peter, chapter 2, and verse 9.
And we look at these couple of verses because our identity is critical, critical in the society we live in with so much identity theft, with the damage, with the suffering, with the wrecked lives that that brings on.
Maybe I hopefully none of you have experienced that, but many have. And what a nightmare it is.
Your identity is critical. It says, verse 9, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who had called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
It starts off by saying you are a chosen generation, chosen, elect, a chosen people.
Do you realize that this phrase was only used to apply to Israel of old?
And now, now, according to Peter, according to the word of God, is used for both
Jews and Gentile believers, a chosen people, special designation.
God, the sovereign Lord of the universe, who needs nothing, who needs no one, this
God, who does not need to look at anyone, in his mercy, in his kindness, in his grace, chose you.
Chosen. What a blessed truth. You know how it is with young girls who are in a prom or in a dance, maybe you've experienced some of those.
Oh, the delight they feel when they are chosen by a handsome young man taking them out for a dance.
Chosen, the bride of Christ. Says you are a chosen generation, a people.
Generation is a nation, a people, a race. The word means a group with a common ancestry, a family, relatives.
Today, we have three races, typically, black, white, and brown or yellow, whatever you want to call it.
I think I'm brown, that'll work. Did you know that there was a fourth race?
So the next time you fill an application form for a job or it asks you something about your race, you can put other,
Christian race. We're not of this world, aren't we? We are distinct.
The three main races that we know of in this world come from Sam, Ham, and Japheth, sons of Noah.
Where do we come from? Begotten, begotten of the
Father. Born of God. Born from above.
Father of light and mercy. He even says that in 1
Peter, in chapter 1, verse 3, he touches on that. And we know we are born of God.
But quickly, verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Born of God. Our Heavenly Father created us in Christ Jesus.
You know, it is interesting that this word generation is also translated kindred, kind, stock.
It shows that we are linked together. We are joined with God and with one another.
That's what it is, a generation, a race, a link. We have the bond of love and the spirit that unites us.
So going back to 1 Peter, a chosen generation, the next word it uses, a royal priesthood.
Royal. Royalty comes from king. Because we are sons of the king of kings.
Kings were also referred to as kings in the book of Revelation 5. Because we will be ruling together with the king of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 5, 10 says, and he has made us unto our
God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. Think about it.
This is our identity. Royalty, a royal, kingly.
Kings because, why? Kings because he has given us authority. You know you have authority?
You have the authority to be his ambassadors in this world. You have authority to represent him.
You have authority to resist the devil. And he flees. Can you believe that?
That's a promise. How come we got such authority? Because he gave us that authority.
What a promise, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Who are we that he would flee from us when he is so much stronger?
But in Christ, we have that. Authority to bear witness of his name.
Kings with authority. Royal, royal priesthood.
Very interesting word, a priest. We are, in a certain degree, priests. We have, you know, a priest, the priest had several responsibilities.
One of the main responsibilities, one of the main things that a priest would do is that he, his position was he had access to God.
In the Old Testament, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies. And that, once a year, no more.
Through Jesus Christ, that wall is broken today. That curtain is drawn. And we receive the privilege of having access forever.
The priesthood of believers, a doctrine that we have believed from the time of the Reformation. Because we are priests, why?
Because we do not need another human priest. We are the priests. We don't need another human priest to draw near to God.
So we have access to God. That's one of the aspects of priesthood. But another aspect of priesthood is the priest would intercede to bring others to God.
That was one of the responsibilities of the priest, to bring others to God. You know that the
Latin word for priest is pontifex, pontifex. And pontifex is a word that means bridge builder.
The priest is the one who makes a bridge so that others can go to God, a bridge builder.
The Christian has the duty and the privilege of bringing others to God, bridge builders, pontifex.
That's who we are. The priest, another responsibility of a priest, he would also present offerings to God.
The Christian must also. The Christian must also constantly present his offerings to God.
Do you know that the scriptures refer to certain offerings and sacrifices that we as Christians need to be bringing to God, just as what a priest does.
Under the old dispensation, under the Old Testament, the offerings were animal sacrifices.
But the sacrifices of the Christian today are called spiritual sacrifices.
What are they? You know Romans 12, 1 and 2. We are to give our bodies to him as living sacrifices.
So one of those sacrifices is our bodies. The next one is in Hebrews 13, 15.
I want to go to your Hebrews 13, 15. You see one of the sacrifices that we are commanded to offer and to do as priests.
Hebrews 13, 15. By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. So one of the sacrifices that we offer as priests is the praise of our lips, the fruit of our lips.
We praise because of who we know and because of what we have in here. The natural outcome is praise.
And God is delighted in that sacrifice. We give that time. We take it with our mouth, not just by our offerings, but by our mouths.
Another sacrifice that the scriptures refer to as priest that we can do is, look at the next verse.
We're in Hebrews 13. But to do good, verse 16. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices,
God is well pleased. Another sacrifice that pleases God. What's that? Doing good.
Doing good and communicating, sharing the word. Communicating.
But good works we do for others. We know that the good works, Jesus said that when we do good so that others may glorify
God. In addition to that, our offerings, the money, naturally, the other material things we share with others in God's service is also a spiritual sacrifice.
Philippians 4 .18 refers to that. Let's look at Philippians 4 .18 and see the term it uses.
Philippians chapter 4 and verse 18. Referring to, let me start off with verse 17.
Not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
Verse 18. But I have all and abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you.
So we see that those things. An odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice, acceptable, well -pleasing to God.
The offering that the Philippian church brought to Paul via Epaphroditus.
Gifts, items, money, whatever. It was a sacrifice and well -pleasing to God. See how the
Old Testament priests would offer these, praise of his lips, good works, sacrifices. We as New Testament priests do the same.
One more sacrifice that's mentioned in scripture. The persons we lead to Christ.
Those are a sacrifice. Look at Romans 15. Romans 15 .16. Romans chapter 15.
Touching on that, the terms it uses. So it's not just an animal sacrifice.
Romans 15 and verse 16, it says that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the
Gentiles. Ministering the gospel of God. That the offering up of the
Gentiles might be acceptable. Offering up those Gentiles, the people he led to Christ, the gospel that he shared.
Offering up those Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
The people we went to the Lord. It's a wonderful sacrifice because naturally it takes a certain sacrifice, doesn't it?
As we share the word, the possible shame, the possible rejection, the insult that can happen when we share
Christ with someone. So it is a sacrifice. But to God, it's pleasing to him.
And he desires that. Out of the love, out of who we know, come let me tell you about this person
I know. He's sharing that. That was the priest's responsibilities and that's what we have before us today.
Going back to 1 Peter chapter 2. And we see going on with the verse 1
Peter chapter 2. Afterwards, 1 Peter 2 .9, chosen generation, royal priesthood.
Next term it uses for us, a holy nation. A holy nation or description.
Nation. We're a nation? Yeah, it's interesting to know how many
Christians there are around. But let me start out by asking, what does a nation have?
A nation has a constitution. A nation has laws. Did you know that we have our own laws?
We have our constitution too, as a nation. Yes, the
Holy Word, the Bible. It's our constitution, our laws, how we should live, how we should relate to one another, the way we relate with authorities.
We have our own leaders, our own work, our own job. What else does a nation have?
A nation has an army, correct, to protect itself. Do we have an army?
Absolutely. Who is our army? Let me tell you who is our army.
Those of you who do spiritual warfare in prayer. It's our army.
Our prayer warriors, as we call them. In addition, we have a host of angels that defend and watch over us.
Our army. We're protected. We're guided. We have a leader, commander of the armies of the living
God. We are his. But we're not like the nations of the world.
We are what? A holy nation. That means set apart, different.
That's what the word holy means primarily, set apart, different. The Christian has been chosen to be different from others.
Because this Christian or this nation is that it is consecrated to the service of God, consecrated to the will of God.
You notice how distinct these terms are? Have we've seen how separate, how the words, how separate the terms mean?
Chosen. What's that? Separate. Not you, but you. Chosen.
A generation, a people, not like other peoples. Royalty, that's different.
That's distinct. Priests, that's distinct from other people.
Nation, you see the separation. Other people may follow the rules of the world, but for us, the only rules are the rules of God.
You see, one cannot even enter the Christian way of life unless one realizes that this will force him or her to be different from everyone else.
We're called to be different, and that's OK. And that's why what follows is exactly right.
A peculiar people. I always thought I was peculiar, so now I have encouragement. We're called to be peculiar.
That's how we are described, not in the way of we think of it today, I know. But the word peculiar means a unique position, a unique position.
You know, it literally means to make around. That is, to make something and then to surround it with a circle, thus indicating ownership.
So God takes you, and then he encircles you and tells you, you are mine.
That's peculiar. That's why some other translations have it as for God's own possession.
Barclay's, William Barclay's commentary says that the term speaks of the unique, private, personal ownership of the saints by God.
Private, unique, personal. Each saint is
God's unique possession, just as if that saint were the only human being in existence.
Unique, God's possession. OK, so that's our identity, beloved.
Chosen, royal, priesthood, race, holy nation, people for God's own possession, peculiar.
You know, what an honor. In any culture or society, the kings and the priests are the most prestigious in the
Christian society the same way. God has bestowed that prestige and that privilege on us.
The greatness of the Christian depends on the fact that God has chosen him to be his and to do his work in the world.
That's your greatness. We have no other greatness. That's our greatness. You see,
Christians, you're not just anybody, but a man and woman of God. Paul said,
I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2 .20. I have become crucified with Christ.
No longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me.
There is a huge problem in society called identity theft, as I mentioned today. And your identity is here, and it is critical.
This is who you are, and everything flows, beloved, from who you are. I want to read something from this book, because it's so important.
This book abroad, it says, God as he wants you to know him. I'm going to read what he mentions here, going back to the importance of your identity and where do we find our security.
Security is a big word. It's very necessary. And he starts off with this question.
How to feel secure? How can you feel secure? What is the basis of your security, he says?
Most of the time, we look to one of these four things to meet our need for security.
People, possessions, positions, or practices. We look to those four for security.
You and I have a need to feel secure. Yes, God has placed that need in each of our hearts.
True. And ultimately, this need can be met only by an unchanging
God. That is why one of the kindest commands in all of scripture is the command to have no other gods before me.
Do you realize that's the kindest command, one of the most kindest ones? Why? Because if you have any other gods before him, you will not have security.
That's why it's the first command, because it shows who we are in him.
The four wrong bases for security are also the four directions that our hearts tend to flow.
That's where we fall into idolatry. Do you see the obvious insecurity that these things bring?
For example, people. We find our security in people sometimes. And guess what? People may change.
Your good friend may be moody, unresponsive, unreceptive to you. Or may even die and no longer be available.
Your position. Circumstances can change. What once was so ideal now suddenly becomes something totally different.
You may lose a position that once met all your need for security. It's no longer there.
Possessions. God's word, even to a rich person, is to not fix their hope in the uncertainty of riches.
Possessions are things that are to lead us to God, who richly supplies with us all things to enjoy.
We can enjoy them and delight in them, but they are given to us to lead us to God. Even an abundance of possessions cannot satisfy or bring security.
They are, at best, only temporary provisions. And finally, the last
P that we find that we tend to lean for security is our practice. When you base your security on what you do, rather than on God and on what he has done for you and who you are, you are on shaky ground.
What he's saying, beloved, is you are not what you do. You are what God says you are.
And that's why it's critical to know who you are. The simple fact is that you are trusting in yourself rather than God.
And he who trusts in his own heart is a fool, according to Proverbs 28, 26.
All four of these bases of security are unreliable and clearly changeable. He concludes with this.
Build your life around the one who does not change. Two unchangeables.
The one who does not change is God. Who you are in Christ does not change.
So that's where we build our lives. That's where we need to never deviate from.
Always find your security there and in no one else and in nothing else. Now, continuing, because of who we are, it follows, then, that we should be about the one who made us who we are, correct?
Now that we have the answer to the first question of who are we, the second question is, why are we here?
The verse touches on this. We've seen who we are. Now, why are we here? What does it say?
Verse 10. Sorry, verse 9.
It's a little in verse 9. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. Why?
That you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
That's why we're here. That's our purpose. To proclaim, to show forth his praises, his excellencies, his gracious dealings, his glorious attributes, his eminent qualities, that's how it's translated, or his excellencies or virtues.
We're here to proclaim him. We exist for him, period.
All things are by him, and through him, and for him. That's the key.
It's all about him. So we're here to declare his character, his perfection, his superiority, his kindness, his being, that he is worthy, his eminent excellencies or qualities.
In other words, we're living commercials for God. That's who we are.
That's what we're about to be doing. That's what we're supposed to be doing. That's why he chose us.
Beloved, if we don't proclaim his excellencies, who in the world will? Do you think the person out there will?
The unbeliever? No. We're the only people who can and will.
Because that's who he made us for. That's why we exist. Did you notice that from the beginning of the verse, the whole focus is on him?
Chosen? Chosen by whom? Who chose who? Chosen by him.
Priests? Priests to whom? To him. Kings? Kings ruling with whom?
With him. Holy set apart for him.
That's why it says, who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Goodness. Darkness. You're called. You and I were completely lost, ignorant in darkness, foolish, not understanding, not realizing, wasting our time, wasting our lives in vanities, dead, doing shameful things, pure darkness, that was our miserable existence before.
And I can tell you, I came out of Hinduism, and that's dark. I came out of a cult after Hinduism.
I was like, why can't I get this right? I go from Hinduism to a cult. Darkness after darkness, groping in the darkness in shame, looking for light, looking for meaning.
And I could not find it on my own. All the religions of the world would not satisfy. But by a stupendous deliverance, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his dear son.
God took you out to him. Took you out from one to another to him.
Our good God called us. And so now, you and I have a new position and a new responsibility.
What do we do? We proclaim his excellencies. How? We do so in word, and we do so in deed.
We are, beloved, a spiritual people. Never forget that. You know what
Paul told the Corinthians? He said, I could not speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal.
And we should keep our focus that we are a spiritual people, a spiritual people that do a spiritual work for our spiritual head.
Jesus Christ. You remember that spiritual work? Priests offering up sacrifices, serving, bringing others to him, lifting up prayers, interceding for others.
Spiritual work. Holy nation obeying God's laws. Spiritual work.
In mouth, proclaiming his excellencies. In our bodies, offering it to him as a living sacrifice.
Spiritual work. Church, we are a spiritual people.
We are a spiritual people. That is what this is saying. We do and say spiritual things, the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
That's why we're here, first 10. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God.
Which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Brother Bill was referring to a study this morning earlier about that that's why they are praising
God in heaven for his redemptive work. You know, verse 10 goes back to Hosea.
Refers to Hosea, because God had pronounced judgment on the nation of Israel. Why? Because of their unfaithfulness to him.
He said, can you believe this? He said, you, he would no longer have pity on them. And that they would no longer be his people.
Hosea 1 .6. But he, and so he cast him aside.
But the casting aside of Israel was not final. For the Lord also promised that in a future day,
Israel would be restored. In a future day. He always has his remnant.
And until then, until he restores his people back again, he has called another people to be his people.
Another group in whom he has shown mercy.
That's us. Who we were not a people, but now are a people who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
That's us right now. And what's most amazing, we were not even
Israel. We're not even a people. We just deserved wrath and death. No identity, no purpose.
And now, belonging to the Almighty of Almighty is mercy. Receiving is mercy.
So therefore, beloved, how can we not show forth his praises? We were not a people.
The responsibility given to Israel, solely trusted to the nation of Israel, has now, during this age of grace, has now been given to the church.
This responsibility was for Israel, but they have temporarily been cast aside.
This has now been given to us. This is why we're here. And we will never find a meaning and fulfillment in life unless we are this, and we're doing this.
We're here for him. That's where we find it. When we lose ourselves to him, we find ourselves.
I can't explain it, but that's what the promise is, and that's what happens.
And that's how we find fulfillment. When our lives say, OK, I surrender to you, it's about you.
You guide my life. Goodness, I've made so many terrible, wrong decisions. I don't want to guide my life anymore.
Let him guide it, because he knows what fills that God -shaped vacuum that St.
Augustine called, that we all have, that only he can fill. We find our meaning here.
Whatever we do, whether we eat or drink or whatever, we do all for the glory of God.
We are proclaiming him. No job is secular. Everything is spiritual.
Wherever we are, whatever we do, that's what we're here for, because we proclaim that.
You know, cats meow, dogs bark, humans talk, humans sin.
Christians proclaim his praises. Right, Christians?
So in this time, as we approach the vacations, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and others, with family and friends, let us pray for the opportunity to share.
We start out there. Let us pray that God opens that door. And not only that, as Paul said, let us pray that we have boldness to open our mouths.
This season, when family and friends come over, who are with them, it's just an opportunity that God gives us every year.
Here we are, an opportunity to Thanksgiving and Christmas. My goodness, what better opportunities can we do?
Maybe Easter, yes? Great opportunities to say, OK, what are we here for? All right, an opportunity for a conversation to begin.
And when that door opens, may we declare him. May we declare that king and that shepherd and a glorious person.
His name is Jesus. You know that evangelism won't take place in heaven? It's only here.
It's only now. It's only now that we have a chance to tell someone about Christ.
It's only now that we can lead a lost soul and just share something, some words of hope, something.
What a privilege we have now. And it's not something that we have to make up or obligate it. I believe in evangelism.
I believe a lot in personal evangelism. I see that. So it's like,
God, you lead me to that person. It's not that we have to go everywhere to everybody. God, may
I be open to you. May my spirit listen to you and I see someone.
And for something, I want to ask a question, I want to share. Give me the words at that time and open their hearts and minds to receive.
That's it. You can't make yourself do it. But just be led.
And he gives everything. He even gives the words. He even gives the boldness. He even gives the hearing.
So we can trust him. And we believe in election here, don't we? I don't think we would evangelize if there was no election.
If I knew the election was not true, why would I perhaps evangelize?
No, but we can evangelize because we know that God has his people wherever. Or he has an elect ready to be saved.
So we can. But it starts off with knowing who you are. You're not just anybody.
You are his. You belong to him, special. So because we're his, we can do his work.
Nobody else can do his work. God's work is done God's way. No other way.
And that's why we choose his ways. May the Lord bless you this morning. Let's pray as we close.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your calling. Thank you for your word.
Thank you for the privilege and the position you've given us. All blessing and thanks to you.
You are our God. You've delivered us. Please, Father, may we be faithful to this task.
Father, we just pray, Lord, that you bring the Mitchells home safely, Father. We just pray that we go about in this season,
Father, about your business. We give you all praise and glory. In Jesus' name, amen.