Book of 1st Peter - The Privileges of God's People

"Ordination (Peter receiving Keys to Kingdom) c 1637,  by Nicolas Poussin.

This is the 13th post in my series on the Book of 1st Peter.  The resources used in this series are sermons from Jamie Rasmussen (Senior Pastor @ Scottsdale Bible Church), Dr. Wayne Grudem's The First Epistle of Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, and various Internet sources.

As Jamie moves us into the second chapter of 1st Peter, he brings to our attention the privileges that comes to us as members of the family of God.

Here is the set-up, from our churches website, for Jamie's message:

"We all know what it is like to have "privileges"-and boy is it fun! First class while flying; the best seat in the house; a suite while watching the Diamondbacks play; a low-interest credit card-the list is endless. Most Christians don’t realize that God has given some awesome and amazing privileges to the Church. We get to serve the King of Kings (and experience joy in the process); we get to experience being the beloved of God; we get to live set apart and pure lives; and we get to "talk up" our great God and Savior to those interested. This message will explore what it means to be a "royal priesthood...a chosen race...a holy nation...proclaiming His excellencies"-in short, the "PEOPLE OF GOD."

Please read on...

Notes from Jamie Rasmussen's Message

1 Peter 2:4-10:

"4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 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. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,” 

8 and

“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

9 But 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. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

God has given his children some remarkable privileges.

We (God's chosen) are now the temple and the priests!

Under the Old Covenant, God's people worshiped him in the temple.  This temple of old is destroyed, but remarkably, God tells us in verse five that we (his chosen) are now individually living stones and God has rebuilt his temple with us, the living stones, into his spiritual house!

Secondly, the priests have been removed and we are all now a holy priesthood with Christ as our mediator.

This is remarkable and worthy of hours of meditation.  As such, we have four remarkable privileges:

• We have the privilege of serving God with our gifts and talents.  As God's royal priests, we have the incredible privileges of the priests of old. 
• We have the privilege of being the beloved of God.  Amazing!
• We have the privilege of living set apart and holy lives.
• We have the privilege of talking up our God to all who would hear.

Through the world's eyes, these may not seem like radically wonderful privileges, but to the elect of God, this is the most wonderful news.

Here is the link to Jamie's message on video.