chapter 2 and reading verse 9
for our text. I do want to look at this precious
epistle, not just focus just on this verse, but 1 Peter 2
and verse 9. But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood and holy nation. a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light.' The first epistle of Peter, chapter 2 and verse 9. is writing this epistle to a
persecuted people, a people who were suffering because of their
faith, a people that were scattered throughout many nations, partly
because of the persecution that Christians were under at this
time. It was costly to be a Christian. But Peter is writing to these
people so that they may be strong in the Lord and that they might
realise the blessedness of being the people of God. We've just
sung in that hymn, happiness thou lovely name, where's thy
seat O tell me where, all that this world calls good or great
is nothing compared to being a child of God. You see what
we have in our verse, but ye are a chosen generation. But
we're persecuted. We're despised. We're rejected. We don't feel that we fit in.
But Peter is telling them who they are in Christ. And that's
really important. In a day when there is an identity
crisis, people don't know who they are or what they are or
why they are where they are. Peter in this epistle gives Christians
a true identity. And their identity is not in
themselves. It's an identity of what they
are in Christ. You see, Peter writes this epistle
to a persecuted people who were suffering and he doesn't want
them to give up. or to capitulate or to go back. But who is writing this? It's
Peter. Peter. Peter, the one who denied
his Lord. Peter, the one who was when he
was confronted with the possibility of suffering with Christ, he
drew back and said, no, he denied that he knew Christ. So it's written by somebody who
understands. Somebody who has empathy with
the people he's writing to. He's not writing to people who
he can say, well, I've never done anything like that. I've
never fallen in this way. I've never known what it is to
be weak in this way. No, Peter knew it keenly. We read, he went out and wept
bitterly. He wept. Because you see he had
formerly been strong. Though all men will forsake me,
yet will not I. He was confident in his own strength. He was sincere, but he was confident
in his own strength. But you see that is not, our
true identity is not what we can achieve and our boldness
and our courage. it is what we are in Christ.
And this is what he wants to get through to those that he's
writing to. And as we see in our text, but
ye are a chosen generation. You've been chosen. A royal priesthood
a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the
praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light." In other words, the Apostle Peter is telling the people that,
I know you're in sufferings at the moment. And naturally speaking,
you'd far rather that you could switch that off. You could switch
off the sufferings and not have to suffer. But we're to be followers of
Christ. We're to be followers of Christ.
What do we read in Hebrews? He learned obedience by the things
that he suffered. Talking of Christ. Christ, you
see, he suffered. And as we think today of him
riding majestically into Jerusalem on that colt, the foal of the
ass. One that was never broken in,
and yet that creature, as it were, was totally submissive
to its new rider that had never had anybody ride on it before.
This glorious king, and yet this humble king, yet this suffering
one, the one that was going to be rejected. You see, in verse
5 of chapter 2 we read, sorry, Chapter 2 verse 4, to whom coming
as unto a living stone. Christ is a living stone. Disallowed
indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. This is the
picture. This is what was true of Christ.
He was chosen of God. A tremendously high title, wasn't
it? A beautiful title. The chosen
of God. And yet the contrast, the paradox,
we talked about that this morning. The paradoxes there are in the
word of God, chosen of God and precious. But that's coupled
with being disallowed indeed of men. And you see, if we are
to be followers of Christ, we are to experience something of
that. This is not a mistake. You see,
we think something's gone wrong. 1 Peter 4 says this, verse 12,
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which
is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you.
You say it's strange really. We thought that the Lord was
our God. We thought that God was in control
of everything. We thought that we were his people.
And now the trouble that comes in our pathway. We're despised. We're rejected, we don't fit
in. To whom coming as unto a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. The stone which the builders
refused, the same has become the head of the corner. The Lord
Jesus Christ as he was the rejected king. He became the king of kings,
the rejected king, the despised king, the king that was turned
aside from, and all the events that we particularly remember
in this week as all the the trials that Christ went through. Of
course they were foreshadowing a picture of the Paschal Lamb
separated on the 10th day, to be offered up on the 14th day,
as it were the Sunday to be separated, to be offered up on the Friday,
as we think of Good Friday, to be offered up and to be rejected. He was the rejected King. And you say, it's not right,
it's not right, he shouldn't be rejected. But you see, he
was rejected by men, but he was chosen by God. And you see, we've
just sung about happiness, they're a lovely name. Nothing here below
can give true happiness compared to union with Christ, compared
to being right with God. That's what ultimately matters.
And although Jesus was despised and rejected of men, he was chosen
of God and precious. But Peter is saying there's something
else here. It's not that this is just true of your king, of
the Lord Jesus. It is also to be true of you
as his followers. Ye also as lively stones. You see, Christians are to be
lively stones. built up a spiritual house and
holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ. You see he's using Old Testament
of what the high priest did and
the priest did. You see they offered sacrifices
for the people but he's saying you don't have an earthly high
priest now. In fact you all are holy priesthood. You see, we are to come through
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's made a way. Let us come
boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may find mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. We don't need to come through
an earthly priest. In fact, we must not come through
an earthly priest, because we have a great high priest. that has entered into the heavens.
And he's the one that we're to come through. Let us come boldly.
But then another thing that the high priest did was offer the
sacrifices, wasn't it? The sacrifices. What are the
sacrifices now that are to be offered? We don't offer up animal
sacrifices anymore, do we? Not since the Lord Jesus said,
it is finished. But you see the sacrifices of
praise. Hebrews 13 says the sacrifices
of praise. Let's just look at Hebrews 13
verse 15. Hebrews 13 verse 15 says this. By him therefore let us offer
the sacrifices of praise to God continually. That is the fruit
of our lips giving thanks to his name. And then if you look
down in verse 16 of the same chapter, but to do good and to
communicate, forget not for with such sacrifices, God is well
pleased. You see, we are to be a holy
priesthood offering up spiritual sacrifices, not not offering
animal sacrifices, but spiritual sacrifices. And indeed, We're
to offer ourselves. You look in Romans chapter 12.
Romans 12 and verse 1. We're told here by the Apostle
Paul. I beseech you, therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. and be not conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You
see, we are to be, in our text it says, but ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood. You see, royal priesthood, the
two names didn't go together in the Old Testament. David was royal, but he wasn't
a priest. But you see, in the New Testament,
those two roles in Christ have come together. He is both the
king and the priest and the prophet. And his people, you see, they
are royal. As children of the king, they're
royal, aren't they? They're the royal family. It's
not just the king that's royal, is it? It's the family, too.
Prince William is royal, isn't he? He's not the king at the
moment, but he's royal. And you see God's children are
royal because they're sons and daughters of the king. But ye
are a chosen generation. You see here in these suffering
Christians who are going through an identity crisis, Peter wants to put them firmly
as to what their true identity is, and how we need that again
and again, to remember who we are, and why we're here. And Peter is telling them, but
ye are a chosen generation. God has chosen you from before
the foundation of the world to show forth his praise through
you. But you're a chosen generation.
But we've had all this opposition. We've had all this slander against
us. We've had those that are not willing to talk to us or
to shake hands with us. We've had that aggression. We've had those against us. We're
despised. But you're a chosen generation. A royal priesthood. a holy nation. You see God's people are separated
to holiness. You see Peter that's a theme
that we've read of in verse 16 of the first chapter or in verse
15 but as he hath called you is holy so you be holy in all
manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for
I am holy. We are to be like our Lord. Yes, we come short and sin is
mixed with all we do. Peter, you see, understood that.
Peter is speaking here as a mature Christian, one that has fallen,
one that has experienced what it is to misunderstand what it
was. But you see, here is one that
seeks to encourage believers to walk uh worthy you see in
chapter 1 verse 23 it says being born again not of corruptible
seed but of incorruptible by the word of god that abideth
forever this is uh what we are blessed with but the word of
the lord endureth forever and this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you.' These are the precious truths.
Peter is telling them that this is their true identity. But this has tremendous practical
outworking in the lives of God's people. Look at the beginning
of chapter 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice
and all guile, and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings. Peter isn't just randomly coming
out with some statements there. If you have been falsely accused,
if you have been singled out for different treatment against
you because you're a Christian, verse 1 will take place in your
hearts without the grace of God. When you've been singled out
for horrible treatment, left to ourselves we'll be aggressive against them, we'll
wish evil against those that do evil for us. Wherefore laying
aside all malice and all guile, You see, we might say, oh well,
yes, I'll pretend I'm all very gracious and give a smile and
appear that I'm being very gracious and long-suffering, but inside
I'm boiling, wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile. Oh you see I can keep an outward
face that looks as if I'm meek and lowly and yet inside I'm
boiling. Wherefore laying aside all malice
and all guile and hypocrisies, pretending you see that we're
showing a charitable spirit. appearing that we're being kind
to our enemies when really we're very angry with them. Wherefore
laying aside all malice and all guile or hypocrisies or envies. Envious of those who can, those
who are persecuting us perhaps. Envious of their ability not
to have all these difficulties. We can be envious of others.
And then we can speak against them, can't we? We can really
give them some bad words. Maybe not in front of them, but
perhaps to our family. We can really bad mouth them.
Well, Peter is saying, wherefore laying aside all malice? Or guile? Guile is deceit. You pretend
to be one thing when you're really another. You see, Peter didn't
want phony, Christians, didn't want Christians that appeared
to have a very gracious outside, but really they didn't love,
they didn't really walk it out. Wherefore laying aside all malice
and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speaking,
and if you know something of your own heart and if you've
ever been falsely accused, if you've ever had done good and
suffered for it, Unless the grace of God has been operative in
your heart, I believe you'll find those things outworking
in your life. You'll acknowledge, yes, I felt
like that. But you see, Peter is writing
to these Christians because he understands. He understands what
they're going through. You see, we have not a high priest
that cannot be touched. with the feelings of our infirmities.
Christ, you see, he humbles himself. He understands our weaknesses. Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. And you see,
this is the gentleness and goodness of God. Wherefore, laying aside
all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all
evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the
word, that ye may grow thereby. You see, we are to react to these
people who are against us in a totally different way than
we would naturally. If we act as we would naturally,
we are not walking in the spirit. Oh, we might keep her clean outside,
perhaps. Oh, we might say, well, I kept
my mouth shut, but I was boiling inwardly. Well, that's nice,
you did keep your mouth shut, but, you see, we're to have a
right spirit. And this is the spirit of Christ.
This is the one that we're going to consider this week as we think
of the sufferings of Christ. He went as a lamb before his
shearers was done. So he opened his not his mouth,
and he wasn't boiling inside, about to outburst some terrible
thing against them. No, he was silent. It's a lamb to
the slaughter. And you see, of course, we're
never totally innocent, are we? We're sinners, and there's always
some reason somebody can see something wrong in us, because
we're sinners. But later on, in this same chapter, the Lord
helps me, I want to expound it this evening. who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth, who when he was reviled,
reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
This is the standard, friends. And it's not just, well, I kept
quiet. I was boiling, but I kept quiet.
Well, that's good you kept quiet, but it's not the standard. And
how can we do this? Peter, when he was in that judgment
hall and waiting with the servants, he pretended that he was one
of them. And when somebody questioned him, he tried to act as if he
was one of them and against Christ. Peter fell. Peter understands. Peter is now trying to speak
to these Christians that are suffering and show them their
true identity. Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious. You see if you lay hold of these
things they're liberating. This attitude of of evil for
evil and railing for railing is so Deep within the human heart. Deep within the Christian church.
One person to another. That person slated me, we'll
slate them. It's not the mind of Christ.
You see, this is the standard. Let this mind be in you that
was also in Christ Jesus. The humility and love of Christ. But here, chosen generation.
You see, here, you've been chosen. Chosen of God. You've looked
back and you didn't know when you were born you were chosen.
But you see, as the Lord has opened your eyes and caused you
to love the things you once hated and to hate the things you once
loved, to see a preciousness in Christ that you never saw
before, that all that this world calls good or great, as you can
sing that hymn, happiness, thou lovely name, where's thy seat?
Oh, tell me, where? Learning, pleasure, wealth, and
fame, all cry out, it is not here. This is not my rest. I
want something more. And to you, therefore, which
believe, he is precious. You see, the Lord Jesus makes
himself precious through his people. But it's not just a preciousness
that's a quiet thing between you and the Lord, and that's
it, in your back room only. It is to be walked out. It is to be demonstrated in our
lives. And Peter fell. But Peter was
restored. You see, it's grace that restored
him, wasn't it? You see, if it was a politician
of our day, Peter, denied the Lord with oaths and curses, then
when Jesus saw him again, he would say, get out! You're nothing
to do with my church anymore. But that's not the church of
Jesus Christ. You see, we have a savior that delights in mercy.
and Peter obtained mercy. He obtained mercy. Jesus visited
him, feed my sheep, feed my lambs. Lovest thou me, Peter? And Peter
did love his Lord, and he was here feeding his lambs, encouraging
other Christians to not render evil for evil, not to do as he
did, and he had done, but to have that new beautiful standard
of love. He also, as lively stones, had
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifice. You've been here to demonstrate
God's love. And this is the whole point,
you see, if we didn't have any suffering, if everybody we came
across was kind to us and nice to us and always gave all the
pleasantries that you can have, then how do we demonstrate that
we're different than the world? But you see, when we don't have
that, we have unkindness, we are falsely accused. Those come
against us and say things that are not true, are not kind, are
not faithful. How do we respond then? How do
we respond? But here a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, royal children of a king. also offering up spiritual
sacrifice, a priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people. That means a purchased people.
You're owned by Christ. You're owned by God. But you
say, well, if I've got such a great king and I'm owned by such a
great king, why have these things happened in my life? Why doesn't
God appear for me and stop all these people that are doing things
wrong to me and unkind? Who is our master? And what happened
to him? You see, our Master is the example,
who when he was reviled, reviled not again. You see, if Jesus
went in the time that we remember, if everybody was ever so kind
to him around the events of Calvary, it wouldn't be so amazing that
he was silent, would it? But when he was mocked and scourged
and falsely accused. He saved others himself he cannot
save. For him to then, and then to
be nailed to a cross and to say, Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. That's a different level. That's
a different mind, isn't it? Let this mind be in you that
was also in Christ Jesus. But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people. But it doesn't
stop there. That ye should show forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light. You see this is how it's demonstrated
This is how it's demonstrated. You see, if we always had everything
easy and going our way, what fellowship would we have with
Christ's sufferings? If you were to plan your own
life and to plan what everybody says to you and everybody responds
to you, would you know any suffering? Would you really be walking in
that way? But you see, God is organizing
these things and Peter could see that. that the Lord is able
to use these things to the trials. He says that the trial of your
faith being much more precious than the gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found none to praise
and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. These things
demonstrate that they're coming from a different world. All the
time it's just at a level and you're my friend and therefore
we go well and you're my enemy therefore I fire ammunition at
you and that's the way the world is. The world can understand
that. But the world can't understand
and we by nature it's totally against our thinking naturally
to love our enemies. To do good to those that speak
against us. But you see this is what we're
commanded to do because this demonstrates the authenticity
of our faith. This demonstrates to the world
around us that this person is not doing what everybody else
would expect them to do. And that's a witness You see,
that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness. Darkness is sin, isn't it? And it's all the workings of
sin and jealousy and pride and self-defence and all the workings
of sin that is us, ours by nature. Peter's saying you've been called
out of that into something else. So if God's
people then carry on like the world, really their witness is
gone. Their witness is really no witness
at all. But Peter's encouraging these
Christians that they have an identity. You see, because they have union
with God. And so Peter here is really encouraging
the people to realize the tremendous privilege of their identity.
Oh, they may be downtrodden by men, but they're chosen of God
and precious. And all the time you just focus
on what people think of you. And, no, this has been said about
me and this is going to slur my reputation. This is going
to ruin my hopes of ever getting anywhere. You see, Christ, you
see, he was silent. He committed himself to him that
judgeth righteously. And this is what we are to do.
We are falsely accused, perhaps, and really If we don't ever know
anything of this, we need to question. Because this is how
the authenticity of the Christian faith is. A stone which the builders
rejected. The world does not want to use
Christians like this. They don't fit. But God is using
them to be a glorious building. to show forth his praise. To point to that one who, how
can they do these things? It's because it's out of what
he has first done for them. How could Peter be like that?
Because the Lord Jesus had laid down his life for Peter. Peter
didn't realise that, didn't think he needed it, when the Lord said
to Peter that in Matthew 16 verse 21 from that
time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that they
must suffer go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the
elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be
raised again the third day then Peter took him and began to rebuke
him saying be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee
and this is in the same chapter where Peter says thou art the
Christ son of the living God. Peter knew who Jesus was. He loved Jesus. He didn't want
to see him suffering. He didn't want to see him dying. He didn't want that way. But Peter, you see, needed to
come to realise this was the only way that he would be saved. This was the only way that he
would get to glory. This was the only way. And there
Peter then has to see to change. And a disciple is a learner.
And if you learn something, and you learn something at the end
of the day that you didn't know at the beginning, you change
your view on some things, don't you? I didn't know that before,
but now I know that. Now I realize this. You learn
something, you change. And Peter, you see, was learning,
learning those things which were totally unnatural to Peter, as
they are to you and me. But he was learning to realize
that this is the way. This is the way that the Lord
has appointed his people to walk, to be those who realize their
identity in Christ, not in themselves, not that you are strong and you
need to be very confident in your own strength, Peter, no.
He'd blown it. He said he would, though all
men should forsake thee, yet will not I. Peter, that's not
your hope. And the Lord has to say that
to some of us, doesn't it? As we trust in ourselves that
we'll be able to stand against all these troubles, we'll stand
firm. But you see, we need to realise
that we stand in Christ, in what he has done for his people. A
stone of stumbling, a rock of offence, but ye are a chosen
generation. You see, Peter is encouraging
these people. They might think, well, I don't
know whether I want to be part of these people. They don't seem
to have all they are, have always these difficulties and these
negatives. I don't think I want to be part of them. So he shows
in these epistles something of the exceeding preciousness of
being this people. And to realizing that yes, it
is a suffering pathway. but it's the way that demonstrates
that we have been with Jesus, that we've understood something
of his grace, something of his long-suffering, something of
his gentleness, something of his spirit, wherefore laying
aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and
all evil speaking, all the package, the arsenal that we use against
those against us. We throw all this at them to
try and defy them and to beat them. Wherefore, laying aside
all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil
speaking, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word,
we want to hear what Jesus has to say. What, Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do? It's a different way, isn't it?
It's a different way. not rendering evil for evil or
railing for railing. It's a different way. It's a
glorious way. It's a way our Savior went. Having
nothing and yet possessing all things because of who we are
in Christ. And you see, when the Lord's
people realize the benefits and blessings that flow from being
in Christ, then you see all these other things. We then pity the
world, don't we? We pity them, glorying in their
earthly things. You pity them? You don't? You
see, in our right mind, in our right mind, we're not like Asaph.
In our wrong mind, we get like Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel,
but even to such of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost
gone, my steps had well nice lit, for I was envious of the
foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. In our wrong mind
we look at the wicked, we think what that would be, that's happiness,
to have all that riches and all that wealth and all that glory
here below, that's living. Peter says it isn't living. Living
is to have union with Christ and to walk in his spirit, to
be conformed to the image of his son, to be translated from
the kingdom of darkness where all we have to do is fight our
own battles and we've got nobody to protect us. but to realise
that we have a shepherd and a bishop of our souls. But here a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, the royalty, sons and daughters
of the Most High, a place in heaven prepared for you. Father,
I will that they should be with me, should see my glory. You see, they are children of
a king. Yes, they're living on this earth, and the earth and
the world despises them. But Peter is writing to them
for them to realize the privilege of being a child of God, a privilege
of being a royal priesthood. A privilege of being a holy nation,
not left to fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
not to give our lives to the lust, the pomp, the pride of
life, the things that amuse our youth culture. Oh, give yourself
to them. Spend your life in them. It's
where happiness is to be found we're told. But it isn't. It's empty. you a chosen people, a peculiar
nation, a holy nation, a peculiar purchased people, that ye should
show forth the praises of him. You see we're to live to God's
glory, a totally different aim in life, not to vindicate ourselves,
leave that to God, but to glorify God. Called unto you that ye should
show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people. You were not like this. None
of us were. And Christians, as they grow
in grace, they have to learn these things too. Peter was a
follower of Christ, but he didn't understand these things earlier
in his discipleship. And so much we don't understand.
But as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, we start to see a beauty in those things
that the world sees nothing in. 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. Peter obtained mercy.
And he then wanted to live the rest of his life to demonstrate
that love of Christ. in his life to others. For the praise of God. May we
be likewise. Amen. Closing hymn in worship this
morning, hymn 768. 768 to the tune of Buckland is
450.