Message

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You Are a Chosen People

1 Peter 2:4-10

Key verse: 2:9 “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.”

Today, we will talk about being God’s chosen people. Then what does it mean to be “a chosen people”? Let’s read the key verse 2:9 together. “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.” We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special possession. Awareness of one's identity as God's people is possible through Jesus. Who is Jesus? According to the passage, Jesus is a living stone and a cornerstone. When we believe in and follow Jesus, we can see that Jesus does not leave us in shame, but that our lives are built on the foundation of Jesus and that He wants us to recognize and live in our changed identity. I pray that this will be a time to know Jesus, who is our living stone and cornerstone, and to reaffirm our spiritual identity that Jesus gives us. Amen.

Part 1: The Living Stone (4-5)

As we all know, Apostle Peter is writing this letter to believers who have left their hometowns and are scattered around the world at that time and suffered because of their faith. For them, not only did life merely suffer, but sometimes life and death did not make any difference. However, Peter did not comfort them humanely. Although human comfort can sometimes provide great courage, it is of no fundamental help to those who live scattered by faith. Also, they did not live unhappy lives because they were unfortunate. In Chapter 1, Peter mentioned the preciousness that comes from living hope and the refinement of faith. So what is Peter telling them here?

Verse 4 talks about Jesus. Jesus is a living stone. To us, it is difficult to understand the concept of a living stone. Have you ever seen a living stone? I haven’t. However, verse 4 says that Jesus is a living stone. First, let’s look at the word ‘living’. Jesus gives life. He dispels darkness and helps us escape from the pain of sin. No matter how hopeless you are in a situation, when you come to Jesus, you will find hope because Jesus will meet you. Because Jesus is life, we can overcome difficult situations and live.

Meanwhile, stones are strong. Stones do not move. It becomes the material for all buildings and solid foundations. As we live, we are influenced by something and live by laying a foundation for it. Some people prefer to follow other people. There are many people who were influenced by Nietzsche and devoted their entire lives to the study of his philosophy. However, no matter how plausible these ideas may seem on the surface, we cannot gain life and the true light without relying on Jesus, who is the rock of our lives. How vital and strong will your life be if you lay your foundation on Jesus, the living stone? When we come to Jesus, we can enjoy peace, rest, and life.

However, people are hesitant to accept Jesus. If you look at the second half of verse 4, it says that he was rejected by people. When Jesus came to this earth, religious leaders rejected Him. The public at first cheered Jesus' miracles, but later turned their backs on Jesus dying on the cross. The disciples, especially Peter, the author of this letter, also betrayed Jesus out of fear.

However, Jesus was sent by God, walked with God, and obeyed God's will until death. So, no matter what people said or what Satan did, God acknowledged Jesus and resurrected Him from the dead. This risen Jesus changes the status of all believers from sinners to the people of God. And Jesus became the head of the church established by God. Therefore, it says that Jesus was chosen by God and is precious to God.

Look at verse 5. “ 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.”  Looking at verse 5, those who believe in Jesus and the scattered Christians become living stones and form a spiritual house. In that house, they become holy priests and offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus. However, the sacrifice offered to God must be holy and must be offered with all one's heart. It must be an offering of obedience and an offering for God. But people are inherently sinful. Because of these sins, we suffer. However, when we believe in Jesus and come before Him, we become holy through Jesus and the sacrifices we offer also become holy. Through Jesus, the relationship with God is restored and maintained. We thank God for this Jesus.

Part 2: Never Be Put to Shame (6-8)

Verses 4 and 5 were not said by Apostle Peter arbitrarily. Based on the Old Testament, Peter mentions Jesus again. Look at verse 6. “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.”” Jesus, as the Son of God, is the cornerstone that God placed in Zion. A cornerstone is an important marker stone that serves as a guide when a house is built. Therefore, the cornerstone must be placed well, and even after that, the builders must carefully observe the stone and use it as a reference point during the entire construction process of the house. Jesus becomes the cornerstone of our lives, the cornerstone of a church, and the cornerstone of a community. This is because Jesus provides salvation, and Jesus himself is the way, the truth, and the life. So we must believe and trust in Jesus. At that time, those who believe in Jesus will never be put to shame. Of course, we may face difficulties, pain, and setbacks from moment to moment, but in God's time, we are restored through God's way and God's power, and the pain of the past is changed into joy, and shame is changed into the glory of God. “ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Look at verses 7 and 8. “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.” Verses 7 and 8 talk about what it is like for those who believe in Jesus and those who do not. Jesus is very precious to those who believe in Him. Because Jesus gives life and helps us come to God. And when we face difficulties while living on this earth, Jesus comforts us and gives us words to overcome our difficulties. So, the more you believe in Jesus, the more you realize that Jesus is precious.

On the other hand, those who do not believe in Jesus fall by the words of Jesus and are judged by those words. When the builders ignore the cornerstone, the poorly built house will fall down completely. There will be no way back up, and that would be the end of that. This is because they do not know how to look at Jesus and obey Him with their hearts. It is said in Exodus that Moses put a fiery serpent on the end of a staff and said that anyone who looked at the serpent would live, but not everyone obeyed. Likewise, if we do not believe in Jesus, we have no choice but to die eternal death. However, the fact that we will not be shamed when we believe in Jesus is because Jesus Himself bore our shame and suffering on the cross. Therefore, we must live a life of eternal life by faith.

Part 3: Chosen People (9-10)

Look at verse 9. “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.” In this world, we have a physical, secular identity. But there is also a spiritual identity that is more important in addition to being fundamental, unchanging and eternal. This identity gives us information on how to live. The first half of verse 9 refers to our spiritual identity. Who does Peter call those who believe in Jesus? Jesus wants us to live with the following identity:

First, we are chosen people. We were chosen by Jesus. So when were we chosen? From time immemorial, God has chosen us. When I think back to my youth, the sound that I can remember most clearly is the sound of bells ringing in the evening in my hometown. Even in my young mind, I thought it was a call for people who had run away from home to come back. Later, I discovered that it was a church bell. God calls His chosen people, guides them, protects them, and takes responsibility for our lives. When we are in Jesus, our lives are safe and filled with peace even during storms.

Second, we are a royal priesthood. We are the royal family of the kingdom of heaven and are people who perform the duties of priests. The priest is a mediator. He is an important and precious person who acts as a mediator between God and the people. Not victims or fugitives. God is King, and our job as royalty is to offer sacrifices to God. So what does it mean to offer sacrifices? It is about expanding your inner self and praying for people’s sins. It is to turn away from sin and come to know Jesus so that we can gain life.

Third, we are a holy nation. We are called to live a holy life, a life for God. Although we are sinful, dirty, and ugly, and so we have no qualifications, we are saved to live in imitation of God's holy nature. We were chosen not to waste our lives in idolatry, but to love only God. We were called righteous by the grace of God. We are holy pilgrims who live according to the Word and the Holy Spirit poured out every day.

Lastly, we are God’s special possession. We belong to God and He considers us special. How can we explain this specialness? If we consider something special, we focus our attention on it, protect it, and value it. God pays the same kind of close attention to us and listens to us. He listens to the prayers that come from our pain.

What do we do with these identities? Look at the second half of verse 9. “You may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We proclaim the virtue of God who called us out of darkness and helped us enter God’s wonderful light. This emotion will be the same as the joy that the dead Lazarus felt when he was brought back to life after hearing the voice of Jesus saying, “Lazarus, come out!” after spending three days in the tomb. Our joy is that our identity has changed, and our existence has changed. We could change our way of life, actions, and words depending on our identity.

However, we despair many times. We despair because of our own sins, we despair because of our own helplessness, and we despair because of our situation and reality. I often have thoughts about how I have no choice but to live a limited life because of my hearing. On and off, past failures, frustrations, and the pain of agony torment me. But those who believe in God hold on to the saying that God does work through all things.

Looking at the passage, I am not a victim who only suffers damage due to the evil actions of others, nor am I barely surviving. I am one of God's people who is chosen according to God's will and plan and goes on a holy pilgrimage to carry out the mission and work given to me.

God has mercy on us. Please look at verse 10. “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.” When we did not know Jesus and became sinful, we did not receive God's mercy. However, through the merits of Jesus, we receive God’s mercy. Because of this mercy, we can rise from loneliness, darkness, and despair to see and walk into the wonderful light that God has prepared for each and every one of us.

In conclusion, when, remembering our identity in the specific situation, we find ourselves in seeking God, and moving forward little by little, we will be becoming people of faith who fit the already given status of 'chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession'. This faith will please God. I pray that we will come to Jesus, the Living Stone, and solidify our new spiritual identity, fighting the good fight of faith, and being reborn every moment as people of faith who please God. Amen.

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• 1 Pe02-04-10-message.docx

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