Growing in Grace and Hope

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”  - 1 Peter 2:4-10

 

There have been a lot of studies done over the years that say the way you see yourself determines to a large degree the way you act and react in life. If you see yourself as a loser you end up to a large degree acting like a loser. If you see yourself as a victim you tend to let people victimize you. If you see yourself as uncreative you hardly come up with any creative ideas. You set yourself up. On the other hand, if you see yourself in a positive way, then you tend to repeat successes that you've had in the past.

 

This is no new discovery. Thousands of years ago the Bible said, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) The Bible teaches that your beliefs help determine your behavior.

 

The belief that you have about yourself began in childhood. Unfortunately some or many of those beliefs are false. Remember as a kid (PICTURE-1) going to a fun house and seeing those mirrors that were warped and they would make you big or skinny or short? (PICTURE-2)You looked at those things and had a distorted image of yourself.

 

Car mirrors – objects in mirror is closer than they appear … objects in mirror are losing! (PICTURE-3)

 

Because we grew up with imperfect people around us (you're imperfect and so is everybody else) we often get distorted images of ourselves.

 

Today I want us to look at … WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT YOU

 

We're in a study of the book of 1 Peter. Peter's writing to discouraged believers who are taking

some heavy hits on their self-esteem because they're being persecuted, losing businesses, being fed to the lions, kicked out of towns in the Roman Empire and they're having a pretty tough time. Peter, in the first chapter, says God has given you grace and an eternal reward to look forward to.

 

In chapter two he talks about “This is what God says about you.” He mentions five titles, characteristics of what you are if you're a believer in Jesus Christ. - Let's read 1 Peter 2:4-10 – “4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. 5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say, ‘I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.’ 7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,  ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 8 And, ‘He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.  9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 ‘Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.’”

 

"You are living stones..." "You are a chosen race..." "You are royal priests, a holy nation..." "You are God’s very own possession..." "Once you no identity as God’s people; now you are God’s people."

v. 9 he says all the old titles of God's people Israel now belong to you too. (Ex 19.5 6 Deut. 7:6)

 

Each of these terms could be given a full length message; they are packed with meaning. But the bottom line is that this passage is saying four things about you:

 

As a part of God’s family …

 

1. I am acceptable.

Most of us spend our entire lives trying to earn acceptance. We want to earn it from our parents, peers, spouse, from people we respect ourselves, from people we envy. The drive to be accepted is a deep drive that drives us to do all kinds of things. It can influence the kind of clothes you wear, the kind of car you drive, the kind of house you buy, even the career you choose.

 

Would you agree that people do the craziest things to be accepted? Remember as a kid you wanted so badly to be in the in-crowd that someone would say to you “I dare you to do this” and you did something that was either stupid, or even a risk to your personal safety. You did it anyway because your desire to be accepted overruled the desire for personal safety in your life.

 

We love that feeling, the feeling that “I'm OK, I'm accepted, Somebody has chosen me and accepted me.”

 

Remember playing baseball or kickball as a kid and dividing up into teams? Usually the two best players would be captains and as they were choosing up sides you were thinking, “I hope I get chosen by this team, cause they're the winning team. The winners are on that team.” If you got chosen by them, remember how great you felt to be chosen by the better player? On the other hand, remember how bad you felt when they got down to the last two or three and you still weren't chosen?

 

When you are chosen, that does tremendous things for your self esteem. So the first thing Peter said in this letter in 1:1 is you are a chosen people. And here again in 2:9 – “You are a chosen people.” That ought to raise your self esteem. Rom. 15:7 says Christ has accepted you and there's no condition listed there. It's not based on your performance, appearance, or something that you earned. You'll never deserve it. God simply says, “I chose you.”

 

Psalm 27:10 - “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”

 

It reminds me of that phrase – “he's got a face only a mother could love.”  My mom's first words when I was brought in to her after birth – “That's not my baby!”  I still struggle with that – ha!

 

The fact is some of you had unpleaseable parents. No matter what you did it wasn't good enough. If you got C's they wanted B's. If you got B's they wanted A's. If you got A's they wanted straight A's. If you got straight A's they said “It's about time.” You just never could get their acceptance. The tragedy is that some of you even today are still trying to prove yourself to your parents. You're still trying to earn their acceptance. I want to say two things to you: 1) In all likelihood, you're not going to get it. You're not going to get their approval if they haven't given it to you by now, because that's their problem. 2) You don't need it to be happy. There are nearly 6 billion people in the world. If two people don't like you, who cares?  You don’t need it.  You have been accepted, chosen by God.

 

2. I am valuable.

 

He days not only are you accepted you're valuable. How much do you think you're worth? I'm not talking about your net worth. I'm talking about your self worth. Don't ever confuse your valuables with your value as a person. You can be rich or poor but it has nothing to do with your value as a person.

 

What determines value? There are two things that determine value in life:

           

A. It depends on what somebody is willing to pay for something.

 

How much is your house worth? Larimer County says more than you think it is, or probably about  twice what it was worth two years ago. Figure that out – when house prices are actually falling! Your house is really worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. No more.

 

How much is a baseball card worth? To some of you it's worth nothing. Some baseball cards, people pay $10,000 for.

 

B. It depends on who has owned it in the past.

 

Sometimes somebody who has owned something makes it valuable. For example, would a car owned by Jay Leno probably be more valuable than a car you owned? Or a guitar owned by John Lenon? If I have an old stinky pair of tennis shoes, are they worth anything? Well I read about a pair of stinky, smelly, worn out shoes that sold for $7,000 at an auction because they happened to be owned by a guy by the name of Michael Jordan. Often if somebody who is well known owns something, that gives additional value to a common object.

 

Based on these two things, what's your value? Ask yourself, “Who owns me? and What was paid for me?” Chapter 1 verses 18-19 remind us that you were bought and paid for by Christ. You belong to Him. How much are you worth? Ask yourself Who do I belong to? Peter says, “You belong to God.” What was paid for you? Jesus paid for you with His life, He bought you back from sin. God exchanged His own Son for you! The cross proves your value. God says I love you this much - and He sent His only Son. Jesus gave His life for you. And Jesus didn't die for junk. You're valuable. So valuable that God exchanged His Son for you. Imagine your worth.

 

Tell me this, if someone kidnapped your child, what would you be willing to give to get them back safely? This happened to the catcher for the Rockies a few weeks ago – Torialba. Fortunately he got his son back safely.  Would you stop at $100? NO - you would readily give anything at your disposal and be willing to extend yourself way beyond your means if possible to buy back your child. Just remember - you were bought back from sin by God for the most expensive price imaginable to Him.

 

Peter says in 1:18-19 that you were bought with the precious blood of Jesus. Nobody has ever paid a greater ransom price than God paid for you. You're acceptable and you're valuable.

 

Peter uses an illustration here to highlight our value. He says, God is having this building project and you are part of it. He's building this stone building that represents the church, the family of God, and you're one of the stones. Verse 4 says, “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.”  Who's the living cornerstone? Jesus. He was perfect but even still some people rejected Him. Some of you think, “If I could just be perfect then I would be accepted by others.” No. Jesus was perfect but He wasn't accepted by everyone or even the majority. Jesus is the living stone rejected by men but valuable in God's sight And then he continues in verse 5, “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.” God is building His church. The foundation and cornerstone of this spiritual building is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Chief cornerstone. He's the One who fits everything together in the building. The cornerstone, in those days, set the actual angles and bore the weight of the rest of the stones. God's building this building and every believer is a building block upon Jesus.

 

A lot of people call church buildings “The house of God.” But God doesn't live in buildings. He lives in people and you're a spiritual house. Peter says “You're a living stone.” You don't think of stones being alive but of being dead. Living stone is kind of an oxymoron (like "jumbo shrimp" or "government efficiency" or "political ethics"). When you give your life to Christ and Christ comes into your life, you become a building block in God's great plan and you become a living stone. (If you have an advanced degree you are "Dr. Living stone".) - oops - don't led dry humor let you miss this point!

 

3. I am capable of approaching God and being useful to Him.

 

Peter uses this term, “You are a royal priesthood.” God says you're a priest. Depending on your background that may be scary or confusing. Peter is using an image that the person in the first century would have identified with benefits and responsibilities. And so Peter is saying we are now enjoying those two benefits.

 

In the Old Testament, priests did two things:

 

A. They had the right, privilege and responsibility to go directly to God. They could pray to God, worship. Everybody else had to go through a priest. The priest went one-on-one with God.

 

B. The priest had the privilege and responsibility of representing God to the people and the people to God and ministering (serving) to the needs of other people.

 

Those are the very two things that are true of you when you become a believer.

 

A. You have a right now to go directly to God -- direct access. You don't have to pray through

anybody else. You don't have to confess through anybody else. You don't have to fellowship with God through anybody else. God says “You've got a direct line now.” You yourself are a priest. You have just as much right to go before God as I do or anybody else. Read your Bible,

talk with the Lord and fellowship with Him.

 

Hebrews 10:19-22 – “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”

 

The Bible says that when Jesus died on the cross there was this veil in the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies where God's Spirit was from where man was. Only the high priest could go behind that veil, once a year. When Jesus died on the cross, God ripped that veil, about 70 feet, from top to bottom, symbolizing there is no more barrier.

 

B. God says you have been gifted for ministry to serve other people. Every Christian is a minister. Anytime you're using your talents and gifts to help others you're ministering. I like the

the slogan, “Every member a minister.”

 

Verse 5 says that “you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.” You are saved to serve. Why did God save you? So you could serve Him. Eph. 2:8-10 emphasizes the same point. We are not save by works but by God's grace through faith - but we are saved for good works. A non-serving Christian is a contradiction. If you're not serving what in the world were you saved for?

 

You say, "How do I know what my ministry is?" You look at your talents, your gifts, your abilities. You look at your shape, (not your physical shape) how God has shaped you and is still shaping you. God wants you to use those talents and gifts to help other people. Every time you do that, that's called ministry. Nothing fancy, scary or supernatural about it. It's just helping others. Can you be a priest in a sales office? You bet you can. Can you be a priest as plumber? You bet. Driving a truck? Sure. Anytime you're helping other people in His name, you're ministering.

 

God says you're necessary in the church. You're a necessary part of this family, this spiritual household that God's building. If I don't use my talents you get cheated. If you don't use your talents, everybody else get cheated. We all need to do our part as we fit together.

 

There is an epidemic of low self-esteem in America today. We live in a put down society. What we often consider some of the funniest humor is often centered around put downs. Most people really don't feel good about themselves. Some of you are highly successful but inside there is still a gnawing suspicion of “Do I really matter?”

 

So Peter reminds us what God says about us and the truth sets us free. Once you discover your ministry, your spiritual gifts and abilities, talents, and you begin to do and use your life the way God intended you, and you find your niche, your ministry – “This is what God made me for,” your self esteem begins to soar. Do what God made you to do.

 

One of the things Paul said was that your self-esteem is constantly in flux. Sometimes your heart condemns you. One day you may feel good about yourself, and not the next day. Why is that?

Because you're a human being. You make mistakes. You sin. When you do blow it you don't feel good about yourselves. So Peter says, there's one more thing God wants to say to you.

 

4. I am forgivable.

 

He says “now you have received God’s mercy.” Some of you even though you're Christians, you think whenever you're having problems that God's getting even with you, God's just trying to get back

at you.

 

Like the guy from Texas who was coming to Estes Park to vacation in his cabin. He was coming up 36 in April in a snowstorm so he got out and put on his chains. Another car was coming by and slammed into his car and totaled it. He got a ride into town, but had to walk in snowshoes up to his cabin and he was catching a cold. As he rounded the corner, he saw his cabin had burned He starts hitting his head against the wall, “Why me, God.” The heavens parted and a voice says,

 “Because people from Texas just tick me off.”

 

Some of you really feel that that is the way God feels about you. You think that whenever you've got a problem, God is ticked off. Does God really treat His children that way? No.

 

Isaiah 43:25 – “I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of Who I am. I will not hold your sins against you.” God doesn't hold a grudge. If you are in Christ, there is no condemnation for you.

 

Perhaps you have had this fear that even though you're a Christian, when you get to heaven God's going to have this big screen and He's going to show all of your sins to everybody else. That's called the judgment. The Bible says that non-believers who don't know Christ will go through the judgment. But the Bible teaches that if you put your trust in Christ, salvation means you've passed from death unto life - bypassed that judgment. You're not going to go through that. Is that Good News? Yes! He has forgiven them and remembers them no more.

 

Does that mean I'm perfect? No it means that by His mercy I am covered by Christ's cleansing blood. I'm covered with His love. God says, I'm not going to hold that against you. You never need to ask, Will God love me today? His love is consistent and unconditional.

 

Dr. Charles Cooley is considered the Dean of American Sociology. He says this, “Your self esteem, your self worth or image is determined to a large degree by what you think the people or the person that matters most to you thinks about you.”

 

I want to suggest to you that you make Jesus Christ the most important person in your life. He says you're acceptable and valuable and capable and forgivable. If you've never opened your heart to let Christ make His home, do so right now.