Pilgrims in a Fallen World: Who is Your King? I Peter 2:6-10

Pilgrims in a Fallen World: Who is your King?

I Peter 2:6-10

Introduction: The passage this week builds on verses 4 and 5, and gives the Scriptural basis for Peter’s thesis. Last week we saw that “Jesus is the precious cornerstone of our faith and our greatest privilege is to know Him and to serve Him.” This week Peter points to the Scriptural basis of that truth. Jesus IS the Son of God. He is not on trial. Every one of us is. We will be judged on the basis of our response to Him. Do you acknowledge Him as your king? I couldn’t help but reflect on Psalm 2 this week as I studied this passage. The psalm begins with the world in rebellion against the Lord and against his rule.  Listen to it in the ESV translation:

¹Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  ² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,  ³ "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 

⁴ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.  ⁵ Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,  ⁶ "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."

 ⁷ I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.  ⁸ Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.  ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 

¹⁰ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  ¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  ¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The World is in rebellion. Even so God is in control, He is Lord, He is the Sovereign ruler of all creation. God is not on trial, we are... Is Jesus your king? We started this series in I Peter on Palm Sunday asking that same question. The people proclaimed him as the One who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel. Yet a week later the leaders rejected him saying, “We’ll not have this man to be our king!” Which is it? Are we so at home in the world that we reject (or ignore) the sovereignty of the One whose kingdom is not of this world?

The Maine* Idea: Our response to Jesus reveals our heart and our standing with God. Is He the most precious thing in your life? Is He your King?

I. Jesus is not on trial! Every human will be judged on the basis of their response to Jesus (6-8). We read in I Peter 2:6-8,

“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.’  ⁷So 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.”

         The invitation: Come in Faith to the Precious and Chosen Cornerstone. By the way, faith is about believing God, taking Him at His Word. At the outset of the passage, in case the reader might miss it, he makes it clear that he is quoting from the bible.  “It stands in Scripture...”  I hope that is what we try to affirm every week from this pulpit.  It is why we preach through books of the Bible. We are not called or commissioned to preach our ideas or thoughts or vision or plans to the church. Pastors are called to “preach the Word.” The apostles had unique authority to speak for the Lord, to bring new revelation. But much of what even they did was based on preaching the Scriptures, and especially showing how the Law, the prophets, and the Writings pointed to, and found their fulfillment in Christ (Luke 24:45).  For us, we have the whole Bible, the Old and New Testament, all of which points to Jesus.  The whole Bible fits together, from Genesis to Revelation.  It is HIS story. We take God at His word. So we submit to his Lordship, we “come to Him.” So “honor” is for those who believe. We recognize who He is, and so submit to His lordship in our lives.

        “...a cornerstone chosen and precious...”  The same adjectives were used in in 2:4, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious...” Peter now shows the Old Testament Scriptures that he is alluding to, first by quoting the Greek version (LXX) of Isaiah 28:16 that refers to an “elect” and “precious” cornerstone being laid in Zion.  700 years before His coming, the prophet spoke of God’s plan to send the elect and precious cornerstone, the One upon which God’s Temple, the church, would be constructed.  He is the ultimate foundation, yet, as Psalm 118 predicted, he became the “stone the builders rejected.”

       “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame...” The phrase “be put to shame” occurs with frequency in the Old Testament Scriptures in reference to the judgement that God brings to those who reject Him. It occurs multiple times in the book of Jeremiah, in reference to the humiliating defeat that God would allow his people to suffer. Essentially “to be ashamed” is the opposite of being saved – it implies suffering a humiliating defeat rather than the joy of salvation.  The criteria for escaping that shame and humiliation is “believing in Him.”  As we look at the New Testament there are two aspects of that. First, recognizing who He is, acknowledging his identity as Messiah and Son of God. The second aspect of “belief” is trusting in His finished work. He is who he claimed to be, He did what he said He would do. In other words, we take Him at His word.

       Jesus came to save, to build His church...  “So honor is for you who believe...”  God’s story is being worked out in history. The problem is sin, the truth is all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. By one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all humans because all have sinned... We live in a fallen world. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, not because we deserved anything, but because of His great love with which he loved us, made a way. He sent the Son. He made possible reconciliation. So we esteem Him, honor Him.

       The Verdict: Our response exposes us—it shows if we have faith or if we continue in unbelief  (7-8). 

            “...but for those who do not believe...” Our first thought might be, “How, or why, could someone not believe?” It seems shocking to us to think that some who saw Him and heard Him eventually rejected Him. When we consider that even of his closest followers, Judas betrayed him, Peter denied Him, and Thomas said he would NOT believe unless he saw the nail prints in his hands for himself! And here we are 2000 years later telling people to trust Him!  That is why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen, but yet believe!” The call is to take him at His word, the hear His voice in the Bible. And He is still building His church! He still, at the right time, prompts faith in the hearts of His sheep when they hear His voice.  But some will not listen, they will not hear, they refuse to believe. For them and in them the scriptures cited here are being fulfilled. He has become to them not the “chosen and precious cornerstone” that He is to God, but the “stone rejected by the builders,” and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” In other words they have chosen to take their stand with the “kings of the earth” and the “peoples” who are plotting in vain against the Lord and His anointed. They are saying with Jesus’ tormenters, “We’ll not have THIS MAN to be our King!” That is unbelief, stumbling over the precious cornerstone.

       The response to God’s word: Some manuscripts in 2:7 say “disobedience” “...apeithountes...” from apeitho (as in Jn 3:36) while others say unbelief  “...apisteuo...” The ideas are so closely related it really doesn’t impact the meaning. In fact in v. 8 it says, “They stumble because they disobey the word…”  Remember at the end of John 3 belief and obedience were also connected,

“Whoever believes [pisteuo] in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey [apeitho] the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Jesus is the Son of God. He is the King of Kings. He is the only way for sinful humans to be reconciled to a holy God. Those are facts. He needs no defense. He is not on trial. Remember the exchange between Jesus and the Jewish leaders in John 10:24-31,

²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."  ²⁵ Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me,  ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.  ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.  ³⁰ I and the Father are one."  ³¹ The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.

Jesus is the truth and He only spoke the truth. Our response to Him reveals our heart and our standing with God. Is He the most precious thing in your life? Is He your King?

II. Chosen for His glory: That you might be God’s chosen possession  (9-10).

“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.”

       “But you are...”  After talking about those who don’t believe, those who continue in disobedience, those who by their action demonstrate they are on a path  toward destruction (only God knows if they will one day repent), we see this beautiful contrast: that is them, that is where they are heading, that is what their choices reveal about their hearts, BUT YOU...  Aren’t you thankful for what that is saying? We were by nature children of wrath, but now, in Christ, by grace, we are children of God.  Here Peter uses a series of phrases and allusions from the Old Testament to describe our position, our new standing, in Christ.  What was applied to Israel, applies to the church.  Let me say, I don’t view this as so called “replacement theology,” i.e. the idea that God is done with the physical descendants of Abraham and all the promises now are for the church.  I believe all the promises apply in some way to the church, all scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for training in righteousness, right? But Romans 11 and other passages say that before this story is over there will be a turning of Israel to Christ. There is a partial blindness for Israel, a veil, until the fullness of the gentiles comes in. Here Peter is talking about the unity in diversity of the church.

              A chosen race – A New Race, from every race... A little further down he says you were not a people, but now are God’s people. Here he implies the diverse ethnicities of the planet, the color of our skin or our national origin, are not what matters most. What matters most is God’s grace, to be chosen of Him. He is assembling a people from every race and nation to be His. Not because we are good or because we are better than someone else. Because he chose us as His own.  In fact, He loved us from before the foundation of the world.

            A royal priesthood – Peter is alluding to Exodus 19:6, “...you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation...”  These ideas were merged by Peter back in 2:5 when he used the phrase, “...a holy priesthood...”  Here a “kingdom of priests” and “...a holy nation...” describe God’s people.  Melchizedek was one who is described as a priest and a king. He is pointed to by the writer of Hebrews as a type of Christ.  In Christ, we are destined, somehow, to reign with Him. Now, as pilgrims in a fallen world, we are also priests, who offer sacrifices of praise, our bodies as a ‘living sacrifice,’ our possessions and our finances as thanksgiving offerings to God. We all, by faith, have access into His presence!

         A people for his own possession – The allusion here appears to be to Deuteronomy 7:6, a word which spoke of God’s gracious election of Israel, but now is being applied to this new entity called the church...

“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth....” (Deut 7:6).

Think about the idea of being God’s treasured possession. That is true of Israel as God “chose” them for His purpose and glory, here Peter is saying it is true of the church, those who were not a people, but now, in Christ, are God’s people.

      As recipients of God’s illumination... that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him... He called us, a His people, out of darkness into the light for a purpose. To proclaim His excellencies to the world. We want to seek every means possible to tell our neighbors and friends about the greatness, the majesty, the love of God manifested in Christ.   We want to proclaim the riches of His grace to the world.  How do we do that? We bear testimony, we are witnesses who can talk to others about the difference God has made in our lives. We were in darkness, until He shined the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in our hearts. He illuminated our understanding!  We traveled so much as missionaries, especially during our home assignments, going from church to church, that occasionally it would happen that I would wake up at night or in the darkness of the early morning, and it would take me a minute to figure out where I was. I remember once, during  a flight to or from Brazil, waking up in the middle of the night. It was a rare situation with empty seats available and I woke up in the darkened cabin – and I said it aloud – “Do you mean to tell me I am STILL on this blasted airplane?” It’s like for a moment I forgot where I was and where I was going!  We are in a fallen world. We are still on the airplane. But we know where we are going! Those outside of Christ are in the dark. As John says in his gospel, “Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.” Our minds, if we know Him, have been “illuminated” by God, we’ve been called out of the darkness into the light. God did that. People from every race and nation will surround His throne according to the Book of Revelation,

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb...” (Rev 7:9).

What a beautiful picture! Here Peter contrasts what we were, before believing in Christ, and what we are, as His redeemed, called out people. We were in darkness, now we are in the light.  We were not a people, we were dispersed among the nations, nothing unifying us or setting us apart. We were without God, and without mercy. Now we have experience His grace, His love, His mercy. We are His!

What is God saying to me in this passage? Our response to Jesus reveals our heart and our standing with God. Is He the most precious thing in your life? Is He your King? 

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? If you refuse to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior, you are without excuse. He has provided for you what you desperately need, a means to be reconciled to God. If you know Him, if you have received Him as savior, you are called to walk with Him, to follow Him, to obey Him. He is the precious and chosen cornerstone. As we live in the light of that truth, as we have seen in this context, it will impact the way we relate to one another. We’ve been called to a sincere brotherly love, to love one another from a pure heart. That brings glory to God, and it testifies to the world that we are His disciples. It’s not a suggestion, it is a command. And Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments. Think about those in your sphere of influence, pray for those who don’t know the Lord or are not walking with Him. Ask God for an opportunity to give a reason for the hope that is in you. Read Psalm 67...              

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah  
2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.  
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!  
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah  
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!  
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.  
7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! 
             Amen.