4. HOLY PEOPLE 1 Peter 2:9-10

5. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

6. 1 Peter 2:9-10 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Recalling the Babylonian Exile

7. 1 Peter 2:9-10 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Recalling the Exodus from Egypt

8. 1 Peter 2:9-10 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Exodus 19:5-6 -- 5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’

9. “you are a chosen race” Isaiah 43:19-21 -- Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. 20 The animals of the field will honor Me, jackals and ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people. 21 The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.

10. “you are a chosen race” Isaiah 43:19-21 -- Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. 20 The animals of the field will honor Me, jackals and ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people. 21 The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise. God is keeping His promises & forming a new people…YOU GET TO BE A PART OF IT!!!

11. “you are a chosen race” Isaiah 43:19-21 -- Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. 20 The animals of the field will honor Me, jackals and ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people. 21 The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise. Galatians 3:28 -- There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

12. Being a chosen race is costly “Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition.”(Suetonius) “Haters of mankind” Eventually became a powerful movement that won over much of Roman society…

13. “you are a royal priesthood” Exodus 19:5-6 -- 5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’

14. “you are a royal priesthood” Exodus 19:5-6 -- 5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ What is the function of a priest?

15. “you are a royal priesthood” Exodus 19:5-6 -- 5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ 1 Peter 2:4-5 -- 4 Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

16. Living as a Holy Temple

17. Exodus 19:5-6 -- 5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ Romans 12:1,5 -- Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship... 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

18. Living as a Holy Temple Exodus 19:5-6 -- 5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ 1 Peter 1:22 -- Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart

19. Living as a Holy Temple Exodus 19:5-6 -- 5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ John 13:34-35 -- 34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

20. Proclaiming God’s Excellencies 1 Peter 2:9 -- But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light

21. Proclaiming God’s Excellencies 1 Peter 2:9 -- But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light EVANGELISM

22. “you are a holy nation” Mark 12:17 -- “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

23. “you are a holy nation” Mark 12:17 -- “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” “First-century Christians were often persecuted and executed not because they worshipped Jesus – in a polytheistic society, what is one more god? – but because of the higher claim of the gospel that only in Christ is the One, True God to be worshipped. Because the prosperity and welfare of the empire were believed to depend on religious forces, the Christian’s exclusive allegiance to Jesus as God was naturally viewed as detrimental to the rest of society. From that perspective, Christians were bad citizens of the empire, and this made them subject to accusations of treason. The self-understanding of the early church as a holy nation is attested by the force brought against them by the Roman state... ‘There finally came a time when the Roman Empire must either fight or tamely acknowledge a super-power within its own borders.’” (Karen Jobes, 1 Peter)

24. “you are a people for God’s own possession” How does that hit you?

25. “you are a people who have received mercy” Hosea 2:23 -- I will show mercy to the unloved, and I will say to those who are not my people, “You are my people,” and they will say, “You are the Lord my God.”

26. Hosea’s story  Told to marry a prostitute  Shower love upon her in her unfaithfulness  Have kids with her  Go buy her back out of public auction where she had gone to sell herself into prostitution

27. Hosea 2:23 -- I will show mercy to the unloved, and I will say to those who are not my people, “You are my people,” and they will say, “You are the Lord my God.” Have you experienced the extravagant love God has for you in Christ? “you are a people who have received mercy”

28. GRACE MINISTRY