Embracing Our Identity: The Church as God's Glory

 

Summary

In today's reflection, we explored the profound identity and purpose of the church as described in 1 Peter 2:4-12. The church is not merely a collection of individuals but a spiritual house, a community where God's glory dwells. This passage reminds us that we are like living stones, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood. This means that the church is a place where God's presence is uniquely experienced, much like the glory that descended on Mount Sinai or filled the temple in the Old Testament. The church is not just a human institution; it is the dwelling place of God's glory, a dynamic movement that transcends human limitations.

The church is also a community of gifts. Every believer is a part of a royal priesthood, called to offer spiritual sacrifices and declare the praises of God. This means that each of us has a role to play, with unique gifts and callings that contribute to the life and mission of the church. The church is not a place for spiritual elites but a community where every believer is empowered to serve and minister.

However, the church often falls short of this ideal. Many churches seem more like clubs or institutions rather than dynamic movements of God's glory. The key to unlocking the church's potential lies in a deep experience of God's grace. When we grasp the grace of God, it ignites the gifts and glory within us, transforming us and the church into a powerful force for God's kingdom.

To truly experience this transformation, we must understand the grace of God in three ways: how free it is, how loved we are, and how costly it was. We are chosen not because of our merit but because of God's goodness. We are God's treasured possession, loved beyond measure. This love was costly, purchased with the blood of Christ. When we internalize these truths, our lives are filled with wonder, and the church becomes a vibrant expression of God's glory.

Key Takeaways:

- The church is a spiritual house where God's glory dwells, offering a unique experience of His presence that cannot be found elsewhere. This communal experience shapes us in ways that individual experiences cannot. [06:11]

- Every believer is part of a royal priesthood, called to offer spiritual sacrifices and declare God's praises. This means that each of us has a role to play, with unique gifts and callings that contribute to the life and mission of the church. [18:39]

- The church is not just a human institution but a dynamic movement of God's glory. It is a place where God's power can break through and transform lives and communities. [12:44]

- The key to unlocking the church's potential lies in a deep experience of God's grace. When we grasp the grace of God, it ignites the gifts and glory within us, transforming us and the church into a powerful force for God's kingdom. [28:18]

- Understanding the grace of God involves recognizing how free it is, how loved we are, and how costly it was. This understanding fills our lives with wonder and activates the glory and gifts of God in the church. [31:20]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Introduction to the Rise Campaign
[00:36] - Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-12
[02:07] - The Church's Identity: Glory, Gifts, and Grace
[02:43] - The Glory of the Church
[05:25] - The Promise of God's Presence
[06:11] - The Unique Experience of God's Glory
[08:03] - The Power of Communal Worship
[10:30] - The Church as a Dynamic Movement
[13:54] - Historical Examples of God's Glory
[18:09] - The Gifts of God in the Church
[21:04] - The Radical Nature of Christianity
[24:38] - The Church as a Movement, Not Just an Institution
[28:18] - Activating the Church's Potential
[31:20] - Understanding God's Grace
[36:37] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- 1 Peter 2:4-12

Observation Questions:
1. According to 1 Peter 2:4-12, what are believers compared to, and what is their purpose within the church? [00:36]
2. How does the sermon describe the church's identity as a "spiritual house" and a "holy priesthood"? [02:43]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the communal experience of God's glory in the church compared to individual experiences? [06:11]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of the church as a dynamic movement rather than just a human institution? [12:44]

Interpretation Questions:
1. What does it mean for the church to be a "spiritual house" where God's glory dwells, and how does this shape the community's identity? [05:25]
2. How does the concept of every believer being part of a "royal priesthood" challenge traditional views of spiritual leadership and service? [18:39]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that understanding God's grace can transform both individuals and the church as a whole? [28:18]
4. How does the sermon explain the significance of being God's "treasured possession," and what implications does this have for believers? [32:42]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your role within the church. How can you actively contribute to the church's mission using your unique gifts and callings? [18:39]
2. Consider the idea of the church as a dynamic movement. How can you help your church move beyond being just an institution to becoming a vibrant community of God's glory? [12:44]
3. How can you deepen your experience of God's grace in your life, and how might this impact your involvement in the church? [28:18]
4. In what ways can you cultivate a sense of wonder and gratitude for being part of God's "treasured possession"? How does this perspective influence your daily life? [32:42]
5. Think about a time when you experienced God's presence in a communal setting. How did it differ from your individual experiences, and how can you seek more of these communal encounters? [06:11]
6. How can you encourage others in your church to recognize and utilize their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the community? [18:39]
7. What steps can you take to ensure that your church remains focused on its mission to declare God's praises to the world, rather than becoming inward-focused? [27:15]

Devotional

Day 1: The Church as a Spiritual House
The church is described as a spiritual house where God's glory uniquely dwells. This concept is rooted in the idea that the church is not just a gathering of individuals but a community where God's presence is experienced in a profound way. Much like the glory that descended on Mount Sinai or filled the temple in the Old Testament, the church is a place where God's presence is tangible and transformative. This communal experience shapes believers in ways that individual experiences cannot, emphasizing the importance of gathering together as a body of Christ. The church, therefore, is not merely a human institution but a dynamic movement that transcends human limitations, offering a unique experience of God's glory. [06:11]

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV): "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple."

Reflection: How can you contribute to your church community to help it become a more vibrant expression of God's glory?


Day 2: Every Believer's Role in the Royal Priesthood
Every believer is part of a royal priesthood, called to offer spiritual sacrifices and declare God's praises. This means that each person has a unique role to play, with specific gifts and callings that contribute to the life and mission of the church. The church is not a place for spiritual elites but a community where every believer is empowered to serve and minister. This understanding challenges the notion of passive church attendance and encourages active participation in the church's mission. By recognizing and utilizing their gifts, believers can contribute to the church's growth and effectiveness in spreading the message of God's love and grace. [18:39]

1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."

Reflection: What unique gifts or talents do you have that you can use to serve your church community this week?


Day 3: The Church as a Dynamic Movement
The church is not just a human institution but a dynamic movement of God's glory. It is a place where God's power can break through and transform lives and communities. This perspective shifts the focus from maintaining traditions and structures to being open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. The church is called to be a living, breathing organism that responds to the needs of the world with the love and power of God. By embracing this dynamic nature, the church can become a powerful force for change, bringing hope and healing to those in need. [12:44]

Acts 4:31 (ESV): "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."

Reflection: In what ways can you be more open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life and in your church?


Day 4: Unlocking the Church's Potential Through Grace
The key to unlocking the church's potential lies in a deep experience of God's grace. When believers grasp the grace of God, it ignites the gifts and glory within them, transforming both individuals and the church into a powerful force for God's kingdom. This transformation is not about human effort but about experiencing the depth of God's love and grace. By understanding how free God's grace is, how loved we are, and how costly it was, believers can be filled with wonder and motivated to live out their faith in meaningful ways. This deep experience of grace empowers the church to fulfill its mission and impact the world. [28:18]

Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV): "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: How can you deepen your understanding and experience of God's grace today?


Day 5: Understanding the Costly Love of God's Grace
Understanding the grace of God involves recognizing how free it is, how loved we are, and how costly it was. This understanding fills our lives with wonder and activates the glory and gifts of God in the church. Believers are chosen not because of their merit but because of God's goodness, and they are treasured possessions, loved beyond measure. This love was costly, purchased with the blood of Christ. When these truths are internalized, they transform lives and inspire believers to live out their faith with passion and purpose. The church becomes a vibrant expression of God's glory, reflecting His love to the world. [31:20]

1 John 4:9-10 (ESV): "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Reflection: Reflect on the costly love of God in your life. How can this understanding change the way you live and interact with others today?

Quotes



"You like living stones are being built together into a spiritual house meaning a temple a house in which the Spirit of God dwells to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." [00:02:39]

"Peter has the audacity to say this if you have been called by God that is if you been saved by grace and you are willing to covenant together be built together so Peter saying yes you believe in Jesus Christ great as an individual but if you're built together." [00:04:31]

"The church is the dwelling place of the glory of God and that's that's a promise it is on the one hand it's a corporate promise and secondly though it's not just a corporate promise it's also a promise that's unimaginable blooping yeah unimaginably great." [00:05:34]

"The glory of God is available to you in the church in a way that it is not otherwise available to you got that in the church the glory of God is available to you in a way it's not available any other in any otherwise any otherwise." [00:06:11]

"David Martyn lloyd-jones a great British preacher in London 1940s to 1960s during that period of time the technology became available to record his sermons and so people came and said we want to tape your sermons and for a while he resisted." [00:07:57]

"The glory of God inhabits his people his community in a way that's not available anywhere else and so if you say well look you know what listen I can get that guy's sermons download them and listen to them in my car or I'm walking along I don't have to go to church." [00:09:22]

"Peter does not say you have a royal priesthood he says to all Christians you are a royal priesthood and you know how radical that was see in ancient times all cultures understood that there were human beings and there was God or the gods or the divine or something." [00:18:55]

"All Christians now are a temple that's verse 5 our priests that's verse 5 and that's verse 9 in fact if you read really carefully look at verse 9 again it says you're a chosen be a royal priesthood that you may declare the praises of him what is declare who declares prophets declare." [00:21:20]

"Movements are bottom-up okay they're they're kind of dynamic institutions are top-down and controlled oh my goodness if everybody is a minister if everybody's got spiritual gifts frankly the the church isn't really controlled by any human being I know I've tried." [00:24:53]

"Something has to activate what's in the church something has to detonate what's of the church something has to ignite what's in the church and what is it it's a grasp and an experience of the grace of God in the gospel over and over history shows you some individual." [00:28:11]

"Unless the grace of God has struck you in such a way that it fills your life with wonder the grace and the glory I mean the glory and the gifts of God will not be ignited they won't be activated now how do you how can you fill your life with wonder." [00:30:22]

"Do you know what it means for God to say to us you are my prized possession I think of what he's saying look he's God so he's saying this he's saying all the galaxies are mine all the oceans the forest primeval the mountains tipped with eternal snow." [00:33:09]

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Transcript
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