What God Truly Wants: To Be His People

So often, we get caught up in the idea that being a Christian is about doing—checking off boxes, following rules, and meeting expectations. But what God truly desires from us is much simpler and far more profound: He wants us to be His people. Just as a loving parent delights in their children, God longs for relationship and closeness with us. This is the heart of the story in Jeremiah, where God uses the image of a linen loincloth to show how He created Israel to cling to Him, to be His pride and joy, but they would not listen. God’s desire hasn’t changed—He wants us to be close, to be His, to let Him be proud of us.

Through Jesus, God extended this invitation beyond Israel to all people. We are called to be living stones, built together into a spiritual house, anchored to Christ the cornerstone. Our identity is not in what we do, but in who we are: a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own possession. This is not about religious performance, but about belonging and relationship. God’s mercy makes this possible—He withholds what we deserve and gives us grace instead. His mercies are new every morning, and He delights in us, not as a taskmaster, but as a loving Father who wants to be with His children.

Family stories remind us of the depth of this love. Just as we beam with pride over our children, nieces, nephews, or even our church family, God beams over us. He wants to say, “That’s my kid!” He rejoices in our victories, grieves with us in our pain, and walks with us through every season. He created everything we need before He created us, and He desires to fellowship with us, to hang out with us, to be present in our everyday lives. Even when we suffer, He works all things together for our good, not because the suffering is good, but because He is a good Father.

Ultimately, what God wants from us is not our perfection, but our presence. He wants us to be His people, to receive His mercy, to live in relationship with Him, and to let our lives reflect His glory. Whether you’re already part of His family or still searching, His invitation stands: come, be His people, and experience the blessing of belonging to Him.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s deepest desire is for relationship, not religious performance. He wants us to cling to Him as closely as a loincloth clings to the body, to be His pride and joy, not just rule-followers. Our value to God is not in what we accomplish, but in our willingness to be near Him and let Him love us. [07:17]
• 2. Through Christ, everyone is invited to become part of God’s family. The promise that once belonged to Israel now extends to all who believe—no one is excluded. Our identity as God’s people is rooted in His mercy and grace, not our background or achievements. [08:46]
• 3. We are living stones, built together into a spiritual house with Jesus as our cornerstone. Our strength and stability come from being anchored to Him, not from our own efforts. As we grow and mature, we become a visible testimony of God’s presence and work in the world. [13:32]
• 4. God’s mercy is new every morning, and it is the foundation of our relationship with Him. Mercy means not getting what we deserve, and grace means receiving what we don’t deserve. We wear out His mercy daily, yet He continues to welcome us, forgive us, and call us His own. [19:16]
• 5. God delights in us as a loving Father delights in His children. He rejoices in our joys, grieves in our sorrows, and longs to be present in every part of our lives. His greatest desire is simply to be with us, to call us His people, and to see us flourish in the life He’s given. [28:40]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:34] - Devotions and Announcements
• [01:14] - Information Overload and Apology
• [02:36] - Shifting Focus: What God Wants
• [03:49] - Reading Through Jeremiah
• [05:30] - Jeremiah’s Loincloth Illustration
• [07:17] - God’s Desire for Closeness
• [08:46] - Gentiles Called God’s People
• [10:57] - Instructions for Christians in 1 Peter
• [12:50] - Living Stones and Spiritual House
• [14:01] - Jesus the Cornerstone
• [17:16] - Chosen People and Spiritual Sacrifice
• [19:16] - Mercy and Belonging
• [21:06] - Family Stories and God’s Pride
• [27:57] - God’s Parental Love
• [34:33] - God’s Deep Desire for Relationship
• [40:10] - Access to Mercy and Invitation
• [46:27] - God Works All Things for Good
• [47:54] - God’s Presence in Everyday Life
• [52:02] - Blessing and Dismissal

Bible Reading

Jeremiah 13:1-11 (ESV) — > Thus says the LORD to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist. And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. And after many days the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.”

1 Peter 2:4-10 (ESV) — > As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 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. 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.” 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,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 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. 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.

Romans 9:25-26 (ESV) — > As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

Observation Questions

1. In Jeremiah 13, what was the purpose of the linen loincloth, and what did it represent about God’s relationship with His people?
2. According to 1 Peter 2, what are believers called, and what is their role in God’s spiritual house?
3. In Romans 9, who is now included in God’s invitation to be His people?
4. The sermon described God’s desire for us to “cling” to Him like a loincloth clings to the body. What does this image suggest about the kind of relationship God wants with us? [[07:17]]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God used such a personal and intimate image (the loincloth) to describe His desired relationship with His people? What does this say about how God views us? [[07:17]]
2. The sermon says our value to God is not in what we accomplish, but in our willingness to be near Him and let Him love us. How does this challenge the way people often think about being a “good Christian”? [[07:17]]
3. 1 Peter 2 calls us “living stones” built together into a spiritual house. What does it mean for our identity and purpose that we are built together, not just as individuals, but as a community? [[13:32]]
4. The sermon talks about God’s mercy being new every morning and that we “wear out His mercy daily.” How does this understanding of mercy affect the way we approach God after we’ve messed up? [[19:16]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon said God’s deepest desire is for relationship, not religious performance. Are there ways you’ve been more focused on “doing” for God than simply “being” with Him? What would it look like to shift your focus this week? [[07:17]]
2. The image of the loincloth is about closeness and belonging. Is there anything in your life right now that keeps you from clinging closely to God? What practical step could you take to draw nearer to Him? [[07:17]]
3. 1 Peter 2 says we are “living stones” being built together. How can you intentionally build up others in your church family this month? Is there someone you could encourage or support? [[13:32]]
4. The sermon shared stories of family pride and delight, comparing it to how God delights in us. When was the last time you sensed God’s delight in you? How can you remind yourself of this truth when you feel unworthy? [[28:40]]
5. God’s mercy is new every morning. Is there an area where you need to receive God’s mercy and let go of guilt or shame? What would it look like to accept His forgiveness and move forward? [[19:16]]
6. The sermon said God wants our presence, not our perfection. How does this truth change the way you approach prayer, worship, or your daily routine? [[47:54]]
7. The invitation is open to everyone to become part of God’s family. Is there someone in your life who needs to hear about God’s invitation? How could you share this message of belonging and mercy with them this week? [[40:10]]