Living with a Kingdom Mindset.

Jake Morris

[0:09] We’ll go ahead and have a seat. Good morning. For those that don’t know me, my name is Jake [0:14] and I am one of the pastors here at Village Church and I am thankful for the opportunity [0:19] to be able to open God’s word with each and every one of you here this morning. If you have your

[0:54] building lives for the gospel, then that’s when you actually start to mature in your faith. [1:00] That’s when you begin to live with God’s greater vision for your life in mind. Peter then shows us [1:07] how rejecting Christ as the cornerstone ultimately leads to people stumbling over Christ. You see, [1:15] you can reject Christ and you can reject his mission, but you’re either going to accept who [1:21] he is or you are going to stumble over him, but everybody has to deal with Jesus at some point [1:28] in their life. This really is the negative life that Peter is attempting to get followers of

[1:35] Christ to stay away from. In our passage this morning, Peter is going to give the positive. [1:41] In this passage, you’re actually going to see what the Christian life is to be about, but here [1:46] it’s going to be on a more practical, everyday level. My hope this morning is really to show [1:53] you three key areas to the Christian life. That if you are a Christian, these three things are [1:59] going to be true of your life according to Peter and how all three of these things truly do change [2:07] the way that you’re going to live every single day. With that, turn to me to 1 Peter 2, starting

[2:12] in verse 9. It says, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, [2:21] a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you [2:27] out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people. [2:35] Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners [2:40] and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. [2:46] Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable so that when they speak against you as evildoers,

[2:52] they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Point one this morning, [3:00] if you are a Christian, God gets to define your purpose. If you are a Christian, God gets to [3:07] define your purpose. So Peter here transitions away from those who are without Christ to talking [3:13] about those who are in Christ. And the list that he gives here is quite massive with the blessings [3:20] that we have if we truly are in Christ. And the first thing he mentions there is that we are a [3:26] chosen race. And this really is our election from God, that we were chosen by God to be his people.

[3:34] But this choosing was not like Israel. It was not based on physical descendants of Abraham. Instead [3:40] it is only because of God’s grace in bringing us to faith in Jesus. And so Peter here seems to be [3:47] alluding to a passage in Isaiah that was mentioned during their time when they were hoping to get [3:53] out of exile in Babylon. Isaiah 43 20 says, the wild beast will honor me, the jackals and the [4:01] ostriches, for I will water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen [4:09] people. See, Peter is showing us that Christians are now God’s chosen people, that Jews and gentiles

[4:16] alike now are grafted together, as Paul says in Romans, to make this one family of God, which is [4:23] the church. But the second thing he mentions here is that we are a royal priesthood and a holy nation. [4:30] And that phrase actually is a direct quote from the book of Exodus chapter 19, [4:36] where it says, and you shall be to me a holy, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are [4:43] the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel. So Israel’s function as a kingdom of [4:50] priests was that they could show all the other nations around them the greatness of God.

[4:57] And that everybody who kept God’s covenant in Israel was called a holy priest and part of a [5:05] holy nation, that they were holy, that they were set apart to be God’s people and distinct from the [5:11] world. Now, if you’ve read through the Old Testament, what you quickly find is that they fail at [5:16] this a lot over and over and over again. And so Peter in this passage is showing us that as [5:25] we now are a royal priesthood and a holy nation, but this is not based on a geographical context [5:32] like it was in the Old Testament. This is not just based on Israel, but rather on faith in Jesus,

[5:39] that the church is the greater royal priesthood. It’s no longer based on one single nation, [5:46] but instead of all nations believing in Christ. So the church is set apart in the world, [5:56] that we’re able to now fully enjoy the presence of God and have full access to his throne, [6:01] not just one nation, but all nations who believe that Jesus is King. Third, though, he says, [6:07] a people for his own possession. And this again is found in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 43, 21, [6:13] says, the people whom I formed for myself, that they may declare my praise. And that phrase that

[6:22] he uses there in Isaiah, the people who I formed for myself is very similar to the phrase that [6:27] Peter uses here for a people of his own possession, just as God had formed Israel for himself [6:35] to be his people. So he has formed the church to be the greater realization of his people. [6:42] And the terminology here, I think is drastically important, because it is showing that God is in [6:48] possession of his people. And if God is in possession of his people, that means that he [6:53] did something to purchase them, to buy them. And what did God do? That’s where we have to remember

[6:59] the link God went to make us his people, that it costs Jesus his life. It costs the son of God to [7:05] come down from his heavenly throne, live a perfect sinless life, die a sinner’s death and rise three [7:11] days later. And those who have been bought by God can truly have confidence that they indeed belong [7:20] to him. So if Jesus has taken your sin, you can have full confidence that you are indeed his. [7:28] Going back to Isaiah 43 in verse one, says this, but now thus says the Lord, he who created you, [7:36] Jacob, he who has formed you, O Israel, fear not for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name.

[7:46] You are mine. Church, the encouragement of that passage this morning is that that is not just for [7:53] the people of Israel anymore, that that is for you. If you believe in Jesus, that God looks at us and [8:00] says, do not fear anymore. I’ve redeemed you. I have bought you back because of your sin. I have [8:06] redeemed you of your sin. I have called you by name. You now are my people from my own possession. [8:14] And once you think about how incredible of news this would have been to hear, [8:18] if you’re part of the audience to whom Peter is writing, that you have been persecuted,

[8:22] dispersed throughout the world for your faith, you do not have a place really where you feel [8:27] like you are at home. And so Peter looks at a people who are in a very tough place and he [8:33] looks at them and he says, remember this, that you are chosen by God, that you are his royal [8:40] priest to declare his power to the world, that you are his holy nation to represent him to other [8:46] nations, that you are a people who he bought by his own very blood. And church, I just ask you, [8:55] do you understand how much you are loved, how much you have been given from a holy and righteous

[9:01] God? Let me ask you a few questions. First, how much of all this do you deserve? Second, [9:10] how much of your sin did you pay for? What did you do to be called a son or daughter of the living [9:18] God? And when we think about it in that way, that we did nothing, we could do nothing, [9:26] and we deserve nothing. And so Peter here is begging the people in the midst of great turmoil, [9:36] in the midst of persecution, possible death, he’s looking at the people of God and he’s simply [9:44] telling them, remember who you are. Remember what Christ has done for you, that if you are in

[9:54] Christ, you have received every blessing. He says there in the text, you were once not a people, [10:00] you were not a part of God’s family, but now you are. You were once someone who was without mercy [10:07] and now you have received mercy from God Almighty. But before we get too high and mighty on [10:14] ourselves, we also have to remember who we used to be. It’s the part that we don’t like to talk [10:20] about is that it’s healthy for us sometimes to remember who we were, to remember what Jesus has [10:26] accomplished for us. You see, before Jesus, you were a sinner who God could have justifiably sent

[10:32] to hell for all of eternity. That you sinned, that you spit in his face, that if we were there [10:39] the day that he was crucified, we would have been yelling, crucify him along with the crowd. [10:44] And yet Jesus still went to the cross. Jesus bore your sin so that he could have the greatest mercy [10:51] of all time towards you as a completely undeserving sinner. Church, what an amazing gift to know that [10:59] you were redeemed by the living God. And so why does Peter tell us to remember who we are in [11:06] Christ? And for this, I want you to look again at verse nine. Why does Peter tell the church all

[11:12] of these wonderful things? Says that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you [11:18] out of darkness into his marvelous light. What Peter is saying here is critical. God has done [11:26] infinitely more for us than we can ever begin to describe. That that list he gave us is incredible. [11:33] But if we are truly a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a holy nation, that means our [11:40] lives have to reflect that we have a different citizenship than of this world. It has to show, [11:45] our lives have to show that we are citizens of heaven. And all of these things show us that we

[11:55] are the one who defines our purpose by redeeming us from our sin. You see, because I am a chosen [12:02] race, I follow the one who chose me. Because I am a royal priesthood, I show the world Jesus’s [12:10] kingly rule. And because I am a holy nation, I show other nations the goodness of my King. [12:18] And friends, please don’t miss this morning. God does not save you for your own enjoyment. [12:26] God actually doesn’t save you just so you can get a get out of hell free card like your game [12:31] is life of monopoly. You see, he saves you with a purpose. He does all of those things so that

[12:39] you will declare his excellencies to the world around you. But see, I’ve noticed even in my own [12:45] life how easy it is to get complacent in my faith. And maybe you have too. That you’ve heard the [12:51] blessings, you’ve heard the verses over and over and over again to where it’s just simply [12:57] becoming normalized and your passion begins to fade. See, one thing for me in my whole time in [13:04] ministry that’s always been encouraging is seeing new faith in the life of students, [13:09] of village students. There’s nothing better than seeing somebody live out their faith at the very

[13:14] beginning and seeing how on fire for God they can be. And a more recent example for me as one of my [13:21] students who came to faith in Christ not long ago, who had no relationship with Jesus, who [13:27] suddenly came to faith in Christ and started to live out his faith. And now at least once a week, [13:33] sometimes more, I’ll get a text from him or I’ll see him at church and he’ll be telling me all the [13:38] things he’s learning on Mondays from Pastor Chris or he’ll be telling me about how he shared the [13:42] gospel in school and how it was absolutely terrifying. And because he didn’t know how to

[13:46] answer all the questions and he wasn’t sure what to do, but he does it anyway. And he asked me, [13:50] how do you deal with people that make fun of you now because you’re a Christian? And he’s asking [13:54] all these things and he’s wanting to know more and he’s wanting to share this good news with [13:59] other people. And I was thinking through it as I was writing this sermon, and I thought to myself,

[14:08] why am I not that excited anymore? When did we lose the wonder of what Jesus accomplished for us?

[14:18] Have we become so accustomed to God’s mercy that now every time we hear the gospel, [14:25] it just minimizes the effect that it has on us. You see church, Peter’s clear here. Because you [14:34] have been chosen and redeemed by God, you have been given ultimate purpose. But you don’t get to [14:42] that purpose anymore. You see your purpose is no longer your job, your GPA, your kids, your house, [14:50] your 401k. That if you are a Christian, we all have the same purpose. It is to declare to a broken [14:58] world that Jesus is King, that you’ve experienced his mercy firsthand and pleading with other

[15:05] to join you on that journey. Remember what he has saved you from and then go and tell others. [15:15] But see, Peter is not done challenging us to live differently as Christians in this passage. [15:20] Point number two, if you are a Christian, you will declare war on your sin. If you are a Christian, [15:27] you will declare war on your sin. First Peter 2 11 says, beloved, I urge you as sojourners in [15:36] exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. See, Peter, [15:42] as Paul does in his letters, always begins with proper doctrine. And then he’s going to follow

[15:48] that up with a lot of application of that doctrine. And so this section of chapter two is where this [15:55] application really begins to the everyday life of the Christian. And so what does he begin with? [16:00] It’s something that we all deal with on a daily basis in our life, which is sin. And so Peter’s [16:06] appeal to his audience here is of deep desire. And that’s what it means when he has that word [16:12] beloved, right? So beloved really means him saying, I am urging you as strongly as I can. I am begging [16:20] you to please fight your sin. But I want you to notice first how he goes back to who they are now.

[16:32] You see, Peter has just encouraged them and brought up their encouragement. And now he’s [16:37] going to bring them back down a little bit because he’s saying this is everything of who you are in [16:41] Christ. But you also have to remember that your reality right now is not your heavenly home, [16:52] that the kingdom you live in is not your permanent home, but you still have to live in it. [16:57] And so he’s reminding them of this reality that this earth is still a place that they have to do [17:03] battle, that we have to live in a sinful and fallen world. And so because of this, we are sojourners

[17:11] and exiles, meaning we are not permanent residents of this kingdom. We are just temporary. [17:16] And because our home here is simply temporary and our true home is a heavenly dwelling, [17:22] we must live with that reality in mind. And this is a great struggle of the Christian life, [17:27] to know that you were chosen by God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. [17:33] But then to also look at the world around you and say, now I have to live here.

[17:39] It’s hard. On top of that, then we have our sin that we deal with while we’re in this world that [17:46] so easily traps us. So Peter says, because you are a temporary resident, it’s time for you to do [17:53] something. And he only gives you two words in this command, but they are vitally important. [18:00] He says two things, wage war, wage war. And I think this terminology is not lost on us in [18:08] Christian culture. You may have even heard somebody say this in a sermon before and nodded your head [18:12] and say, absolutely, we need to be fighting our sin. Jake, I agree with you 100%. But I think

[18:22] that the way some of us may be living our lives may say otherwise. You see, for many Christians, [18:29] I think it is so easy to rest in what Jesus accomplished for you, to know you’re eternally [18:35] saved, to then never actually gain ground on the sin that Jesus died to redeem you from. [18:42] See, Peter doesn’t mince words here, though. He doesn’t say to wage war, unless it’s just [18:49] personal struggle. He doesn’t say wage war, unless you’re tired and you need to sit on the bench.

[18:57] He doesn’t say wage war, but only until you’re ready. What does he say? He says this like a war [19:08] general. Think about any war movie you’ve ever seen, where you have that soldier that is stunned [19:14] by the battle before him, and you have his general come up to him, shaking him, saying, move, [19:21] there is a war happening right in front of you. You have to fight.

[19:29] So what sin does Peter say we have to fight? It says the passions of the flesh. [19:35] And when I say that phrase, you may be thinking of multiple different things. And this is one of the [19:39] places where I am thankful that scripture always interprets scripture. And so the apostle Paul is [19:45] actually very helpful when it comes to us understanding what these passions of the flesh [19:51] are, mostly because he gives us a list of them. And so Galatians 5.19 says this. Now the works of [19:59] flesh are evident. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife,

[20:11] jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, [20:21] and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not [20:28] inherit the kingdom of God. Now, when we look at this list, there are very obvious things that we [20:35] can say, absolutely, those are clearly sins that anybody would say are sinful. But did you notice [20:43] though, that not all of this list is physical acts. That in actuality, if you go back and read that [20:50] list, a large majority of the list are things that are not actually outward actions at all, but

[20:56] things that are internal thoughts or motives that you have. You see, this is where I believe [21:02] many times we get sin wrong. That we say that it is only sin if it’s acted upon. It’s only sin if [21:10] I give into it. But in reality, the war against sin has always begun in the mind and the heart. [21:21] James even says this as much, James 4, starting in verse 1. What causes quarrels and what causes [21:28] fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and [21:35] do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have,

[21:42] because you do not ask. Church, when you look at that, what leads to murder? [21:48] It’s not just the act, it’s the beginning. You desire and do not have. It starts here in your heart, [21:55] starts in your mind. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. It starts here and [22:02] overflows into your life. What causes the physical manifestation of sin? It’s always your heart.

[22:10] And sin always begins inside of you. And as Jesus says in the Gospel of Mark, it flows out [22:17] from the heart. So for us to properly wage war against sin, we have to see it from the monster [22:23] it truly is. That yes, your outward actions are sinful. And for some of you, you just got to be [22:33] admitting that, give that to Christ and repent of it. But you also have to see [22:40] the monster that is the sin that’s in your heart, the wrong thoughts, the wrong motives, [22:47] the wrong intentions, the lust, the lies you believe. So where is the real problem

[22:53] according to this passage? Where is the real problem with your sin? Is it the culture around [23:00] you? Is that what’s causing you to sin? Is it your workplace that’s causing you to sin? [23:07] Is it your family members causing you to sin? Kids, is it your parents causing you to sin? [23:13] Parents, is it your kids causing you to sin?

[23:17] When we look at all these passages together, I think the only thing that we can conclude [23:23] is the passions of the flesh that wage war against you are the true problem. And until [23:30] you deal with that problem, please hear me on this church, you will never grow in your Christian [23:38] walk until you declare war, not just on the external sins, but on yourself in your internal [23:47] sins. You won’t grow. Earlier on in my life, Romans eight played such a critical role in [23:55] me repenting and coming to true faith in Christ. In verse 13 of Romans eight was critical, says this,

[24:06] for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit [24:13] you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Friends, what that verse is telling you is [24:20] if you continue on in your sin, if you continue to sit on the sideline, your sin will destroy you [24:27] and you will die, not just in this world, but in the life to come. [24:32] But if through the Holy Spirit you put to death those sins, you will live. Therefore, [24:38] stop sitting on the sidelines. For some of you, the greatest thing you could do today

[24:44] is enlist as a soldier in war against yourself, fight your sin, wage war, see Jesus give you [24:54] victory over it. Then keep fighting sin every day until the kingdom of God that has promised you [25:01] becomes your forever home in glory. And I think this part is difficult for us to hear [25:08] because it deals with something that we all struggle with, which is sin.

[25:13] But I love that Peter actually leaves us with a bit of encouragement here in the last section, [25:19] which leads to point number three this morning. If you are a Christian, you will eventually win. [25:26] If you are a Christian, you will eventually win. I’m going to reread verse 12 here. It says, [25:32] keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable so that when they speak against you as evildoers, [25:37] they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. [25:43] See, Peter has reminded Christians that they are chosen by God, that they are now his people,

[25:49] and that he wants to use them to declare to the world his greatness. He tells them because of [25:54] their identity in Christ, they now are to fight their sin. They are to declare war on their sin. [26:02] And so now he’s going to turn to the way we live our everyday lives. [26:06] And Peter here seems to be looking back on something Jesus said in Matthew 5 16, [26:13] where he says in the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your [26:17] good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. You see, this is a call to the Christian

[26:24] to live your life worthy of your calling as a citizen of heaven. And this verse in First Peter, [26:31] I think, really promises us two key things. And the first one is not nice. First, expect pushback [26:39] from the culture. Church, did you notice his wording there that Peter doesn’t say things [26:45] without a purpose, that he doesn’t say if they speak against you? No, he says when they speak [26:53] against you, he’s saying this is to be expected. Think about even the cultural context that Peter [26:58] is speaking into his day, that Christians refuse to bow down to the emperor of Rome as a god

[27:04] or to serve a plethora of other false gods in that culture, that to many they were seen as [27:10] functional atheists because they did not follow a god that the culture deemed was a proper god.

[27:17] And so when you serve a god that the culture has rejected, when you live lives that are so [27:23] different from the culture, what do you think is going to happen? And this really is what Jesus [27:29] warns us of in John 15. He says, remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than [27:36] his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will [27:43] also keep yours. What’s Jesus saying there? That the Christian should expect the same treatment [27:50] he got. If they persecuted him, they’re going to come after you too. You see, even in my own

[27:58] neighborhood, every once in a while I’ll get this. My family moved to a new neighborhood last year [28:03] and when I was meeting the neighbors like I try to do, we always start the small talk, right? So [28:08] you talk about likes and all these things. Well, where are you from? And then you get to what do [28:13] you do for a living? And they’ll say theirs. And then I’ll tell them I’m a pastor. [28:19] And the good response is typically, that’s great. And when I get that one, I’m like, all right, [28:26] this is going to be okay. The second response you get to that is, oh.

[28:33] And that’s what I’m like, ah. And then they’re like, well, what school are your kids going to [28:37] go to? And then that’s when I tell them we’re going to homeschool our kids. And they look at [28:40] me like I have four heads. But church, that’s not to be avoided.

[28:49] If you are distinct from this culture, that’s something to be celebrated.

[28:54] You see, we’re called to live different lives in the culture around us. [28:57] Jesus himself says that we are to be a city on a hill, that our lives should declare to the [29:02] world who our King is and what his kingdom is about. And the good news here is that although [29:08] many will reject us, there are others who will not, which is the second key point of that passage. [29:13] If you live the Christian life, if you live differently, some people will take notice of [29:19] that. Peter mentions this phrase, the day of visitation, which many believe references the

[29:25] last days and the judgment before God’s throne. Others believe it represents the day of salvation [29:30] for a person. But either way, church, this is a reminder of us, of what the end of the story is. [29:38] That we know, regardless, every single human being that has ever existed will bow before King [29:46] Jesus, either willingly or unwillingly, but everyone bows. Jesus wins in the end.

[29:55] But amazingly, God can even use your life to declare his greatness to the world around you. [30:03] And church, I ask you, do you actually believe that? That by the way in which you live your life, [30:08] that you could open the door for someone who is not a Christian to believe in Christ? [30:15] That living differently sets the church apart, but the key here is living honorable lives. This [30:21] means that you live a life that someone else should want. Some of you guys are miserable, [30:27] and you just got to stop being so miserable. You got to live for God’s glory. You got to

[30:31] live a life that’s beautiful to those around you. That the world around you should see that you [30:37] have joy at times that other people experience deep sorrow. That they should see that you have [30:44] a good time in life without giving in to sin. That they should see that you have integrity in [30:49] your workplace. They should see that you’re willing to give generously. And on that one, [30:55] just as a side note, I once worked at a four-star high-class restaurant called Applebee’s.

[31:04] And I was working a Sunday when I was in college. I didn’t usually work it, but as a college student, [31:09] I was broke and I needed money. And so I worked an extra shift and I was working with one of my [31:15] coworkers who wasn’t a Christian. And he comes up to me after he waited on this table of a group [31:20] of people from a church and he throws the paper in front of me and shows me the tip that they left [31:27] him, which was nothing and a track. They gifted him the gift of eternal life. And he just looks [31:36] at me and he goes, what a bunch of jerks. And I’m like, is this the only time this has happened to

[31:42] you? And he goes, no, it happens every Sunday. And from that point forward, I made sure in my life [31:50] that I always left a good tip. So here’s my advice there. Just as a practical thing, [31:55] if you’re going to leave an invite card for Village, please leave a generous tip, please.

[32:02] But friends, people should be able to see that you are generous, [32:06] more generous than non-Christians are. You know, they should see that you enjoy spending time with [32:11] your kids more than you enjoy anything else. They should see that your car is gone from your [32:18] driveway every Sunday morning, that you should be different. And this passage is a reminder to us [32:27] that when we live different, there will be people who see that and begin to ask a couple of

[33:11] questions. And then, again, therefore, we need to aim our lives in a daily way to reflect [33:20] that our citizenship is in heaven. Church, you must remember who you are in Christ. [33:31] And it’ll live that way. A couple application points for you this morning. Number one, [33:36] remember your purpose is always defined by God. You are going to attempt to define your life by [33:42] so many different things in so many different ways. Refuse to give into that. Remember that [33:48] your purpose is defined by being a chosen race from God. Second, remind yourself daily of the

[33:55] gospel, that if you constantly remind yourself of the gospel, it’s going to be very hard to forget [34:01] it. If you constantly remind yourself of what Jesus accomplished for you, then you will live [34:06] with that in mind daily. Third, don’t wait. Declare war on your sin today. For many of you sitting [34:14] here today, the best thing you could do is during the next song, have a very honest conversation [34:19] with Jesus. Confess that sin that you have not confessed. Deal with your sin and begin to wage [34:26] war as a soldier for Jesus. And then lastly, live like you were a chosen citizen of heaven.

[34:34] Friends, what a gift it is to know that this is not our home. [34:38] To know that there’s a greater kingdom coming. But I don’t know about you, but [34:42] I would love to see even more people in this room than I do today. [34:47] And because of that, I want to live a life that’s beautiful for the gospel so that people can see [34:52] that, that they’ll desire that, and so that I can share with them who the true king is and [34:58] who gives them true purpose.