Rooted in Christ: Our Identity and Purpose
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth that our identity and purpose as Christians are deeply rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We began by affirming that our only hope in life and death is that we belong to God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. This foundational truth is echoed in Romans 14, reminding us that whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. As we delved into 1 Peter 2, we discovered that our identity is not defined by our culture, status, or achievements but by our connection to Jesus, the living stone. This connection transforms us into living stones, being built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.
Peter's message is clear: as believers, we are called to put away sin and live lives of love and good works. Our lives are built on the gospel, lived out with God's people for a glorious purpose. This purpose is to proclaim the excellencies of God, who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Our identity as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God's possession is not just a personal matter but a collective calling. We are part of a global church, a diverse multitude from every nation, united in worship around Christ.
In a world where Christianity faces challenges, especially in the West, we are reminded of the explosive growth of the gospel in other parts of the world. God is building His temple with people from every race and nation, and we are invited to be part of this work. Our lives are built on the gospel, and we are called to gather, grow, give, and go together as a church family. These practices are not the gospel but are vital to our growth as disciples. As we live them out, we become more like Christ, fulfilling our glorious purpose of making God known.
Key Takeaways:
1. Our Identity in Christ: Our identity is not defined by external factors like culture or status but by our connection to Jesus, the living stone. This connection transforms us into living stones, being built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. Our primary identity is in Christ, who defines us beyond our earthly affiliations. [35:23]
2. The Call to Holiness: As believers, we are called to put away sin and live lives of love and good works. This call to holiness frames our passage, emphasizing the pursuit of Christ's likeness in our character and actions. Our new identity in Christ compels us to live differently, reflecting His love and goodness to the world. [37:19]
3. The Global Church: Our Christian identity is inseparable from God's plan for His people, the church. We are part of a global church, a diverse multitude from every nation, united in worship around Christ. Our primary allegiance is to this holy nation, the people of God gathered around Jesus. [49:46]
4. Building on the Gospel: Our lives are built on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we align our lives with His plans and purposes. This foundation is an incredible honor and privilege, but it also challenges us to examine what we are building our lives on. Are we building on Christ or on ourselves? [43:15]
5. Living Out Our Purpose: Our glorious purpose is to make God known by proclaiming His excellencies and living lives that honor Him. This involves gathering, growing, giving, and going together as a church family. These practices help us grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior and fulfill our mission to make and grow mature disciples. [57:05]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [18:57] - Confession of Faith
- [31:42] - Introduction to 1 Peter 2
- [33:36] - Defining Our Identity
- [35:23] - Living Stones and Spiritual House
- [37:19] - Call to Holiness
- [39:01] - Identity Beyond Earthly Affiliations
- [40:42] - Cultural Observations
- [42:02] - Building on the Gospel
- [43:15] - Examining Our Foundations
- [44:04] - Modern and Traditional Identities
- [46:01] - Built Together as God's People
- [48:21] - The Global Church
- [49:46] - God's Vision for His People
- [51:18] - The Changing Landscape of Christianity
- [53:27] - Our Glorious Purpose
- [54:59] - Proclaiming God's Excellencies
- [55:59] - Spiritual Sacrifices
- [57:05] - Living Out Our Purpose
- [01:00:11] - Four Practices for Growth
- [01:01:44] - Closing Prayer and Worship
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Romans 14:7-8
- 1 Peter 2:1-10
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Observation Questions:
1. According to 1 Peter 2:4-10, what are believers compared to, and what is their purpose? How does this imagery help us understand our identity in Christ? [35:23]
2. In Romans 14:7-8, what does it mean that "whether we live or die, we are the Lord's"? How does this passage affirm our belonging to God? [18:57]
3. What specific actions does Peter urge believers to take in 1 Peter 2:1-3 and 11-12, and how do these actions frame the passage? [37:19]
4. How does the sermon describe the global church, and what is God's vision for His people according to the sermon? [49:46]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of being "living stones" in 1 Peter 2:5 challenge the way believers view their role in the church and community? [35:23]
2. What does it mean to have an identity that is not defined by culture, status, or achievements but by a connection to Jesus? How might this change a person's perspective on their life and priorities? [39:01]
3. The sermon mentions the explosive growth of Christianity outside the West. How does this reality impact the way believers in the West should view their role in the global church? [51:18]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that believers should examine what they are building their lives on? How does this relate to the foundation of the gospel? [43:15]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current identity. Are there aspects of your life where you find your identity in things other than Christ? How can you begin to shift your focus to your identity in Jesus? [39:01]
2. The sermon calls believers to live lives of love and good works. What specific actions can you take this week to reflect Christ's love and goodness in your community? [37:19]
3. Considering the global growth of Christianity, how can you support or engage with the global church, even from your local context? Are there specific ways you can pray for or support missionaries or international ministries? [51:18]
4. What are some practical steps you can take to ensure that your life is built on the gospel rather than on personal achievements or societal expectations? [43:15]
5. The sermon emphasizes gathering, growing, giving, and going as a church family. Which of these practices do you find most challenging, and how can you commit to growing in that area this year? [57:05]
6. How can you actively participate in proclaiming the excellencies of God in your daily life? Are there specific people or situations where you feel called to share your faith? [54:59]
7. Reflect on the idea of being part of a "holy nation" and a "royal priesthood." How does this collective identity influence the way you interact with fellow believers and the broader community? [49:46]
Devotional
Day 1: Our Identity in Christ is Rooted in Jesus
Our identity as Christians is not determined by external factors such as culture, status, or achievements. Instead, it is deeply rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ, the living stone. This connection transforms us into living stones, being built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. Our primary identity is in Christ, who defines us beyond our earthly affiliations. This understanding calls us to examine how we perceive ourselves and challenges us to align our self-view with the truth of who we are in Christ. [35:23]
"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." (1 Peter 2:4-5, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways have you allowed external factors to define your identity? How can you begin to see yourself more clearly as God sees you, rooted in Christ?
Day 2: The Call to Holiness and Love
As believers, we are called to put away sin and live lives characterized by love and good works. This call to holiness is not merely about moral behavior but about reflecting Christ's likeness in our character and actions. Our new identity in Christ compels us to live differently, demonstrating His love and goodness to the world. This transformation is a daily journey, requiring intentionality and reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide us in living out our faith authentically. [37:19]
"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct." (1 Peter 1:13-15, ESV)
Reflection: What specific sin or habit is God calling you to put away today? How can you actively pursue holiness and love in your daily interactions?
Day 3: Embracing Our Role in the Global Church
Our Christian identity is inseparable from God's plan for His people, the church. We are part of a global church, a diverse multitude from every nation, united in worship around Christ. This collective identity as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God's possession is not just a personal matter but a shared calling. Our primary allegiance is to this holy nation, the people of God gathered around Jesus, transcending cultural and national boundaries. [49:46]
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in the global church's mission? What steps can you take to connect with and support believers from different cultures and backgrounds?
Day 4: Building Our Lives on the Gospel
Our lives are built on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are called to align our lives with His plans and purposes. This foundation is an incredible honor and privilege, but it also challenges us to examine what we are building our lives on. Are we building on Christ or on ourselves? This introspection requires us to evaluate our priorities, values, and actions to ensure they are rooted in the truth of the gospel and not in worldly pursuits. [43:15]
"According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:10-11, ESV)
Reflection: What are the foundations of your life? Are there areas where you need to realign your priorities to be more centered on the gospel?
Day 5: Living Out Our Purpose to Proclaim God's Excellencies
Our glorious purpose is to make God known by proclaiming His excellencies and living lives that honor Him. This involves gathering, growing, giving, and going together as a church family. These practices help us grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior and fulfill our mission to make and grow mature disciples. As we live out our purpose, we become more like Christ, reflecting His light to the world and drawing others to Him. [57:05]
"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." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in proclaiming God's excellencies today? What specific actions can you take to live out your purpose in your community and church?
Quotes
"Welcome this morning as God has made us alive with Christ and called us together in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. And as part of our worship this morning, we want to confess our faith together. If you look to the screen, the question today is, what is our only hope in life and death? What is our only hope in life and death? Say this with me." [00:18:03] (25 seconds)
"That we are not our own, but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Romans chapter 14 says, for none of us lives to himself. And none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's." [00:18:28] (26 seconds)
"As you come to him, as you believe in Jesus, as you receive him by faith in the gospel, as you come to Jesus, a living stone rejected by the Lord is good. 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." [00:34:47] (27 seconds)
"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 God's 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 priesthood, you were a holy nation, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." [00:35:35] (27 seconds)
"So Peter begins and he ends this passage with a call to action. He's speaking to us as believers. He says, put away sin and live lives of love and good works in the name of Jesus. And this inclusio, it's called, frames our passage. And so you have the outer frame, verses 1 -3, verses 11 -12. So verses 1 -3, verses 11 -12, hold the passage together, frame out the passage, emphasizing how we should pursue growing more like Christ in our character and our actions." [00:36:41] (38 seconds)
"As Christians, our lives are built on the gospel, lived out with God's people for a glorious purpose. Our lives are built on the gospel. It's verses four through eight. You're coming to Christ in faith, Christ who is a living stone rejected by men, but in the sight of God, he is chosen and precious. And you all, y 'all, yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, a temple, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." [00:37:51] (33 seconds)
"And in so doing, he's giving us a new identity. Our identity as Christians comes from being connected by faith to Jesus Christ, who is the living stone chosen and precious. This connection is everything. As you have received Christ Jesus alone for salvation, as he's offered to you in the gospel, this gospel is now changing you from the original gospel. From the inside out, our identity is no longer primarily defined by things like our culture, our status, our job, our education, our race." [00:39:01] (33 seconds)
"Seek validation in your status, your rank, your rate, whatever you call it. You determine right or wrong based on your own understanding. There's all kinds of ways to do this, but building your life on Christ is radically different. It means trusting in him alone to bring you to God, not your church attendance, not your marriage, not your good works or whatever. It means submitting, you trust in Christ alone, and you submit to his authority, acknowledging that he knows what's best for your life, for your body, for all of you." [00:45:10] (35 seconds)
"Our new life in Jesus is lived together with God's people. God's doing something incredible. God is gathering a people for himself by his spirit around his son, Jesus. He's saving a people for himself. Through Jesus' death, God is reconciling and gathering a people to himself, recreating us in his image by the power of the spirit, uniting us as his family, and he's building us into a dwelling where God himself lives." [00:47:08] (32 seconds)
"Peter reminds us that our Christian identity is inseparable from God's plan for his people, the church. The church is absolutely vital to your life as a follower of Jesus Christ. Peter quotes, Exodus 19, applying the descriptions of Israel, God's people, to the church. He says, we are a chosen race. We are a royal priesthood. We are a holy nation. We are a people for God's own possession. Through Jesus, God is creating a people from every tribe, language, and nation." [00:48:26] (38 seconds)
"Our primary allegiance is not to a flag. Our primary allegiance and identity is not to a nation or a race, but to this holy nation, the people of God gathered around Christ Jesus. And the most important answer to who am I is that I am a follower of Jesus, belonging to God's people. This is who I am." [00:49:46] (29 seconds)
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