Richvale Community Church
Sunday, August 17 2025
- 2023, was the year of weddings in our family—three in one year!That meant a lot of travel, including two trips to the East Coast.On one Alaska flight, the airport was absolutely packed. The airline had overbooked, and they began: looking for volunteers to take a later flight.”No one stepped up..At first, they offered $100 travel voucher… then $200… then $300. No takers. Then it climbed—$500…still. no takers ..the one flight attendant said to her friend shall we just bump it up to a $1,000 voucher…like everyone else we hasn’t been paying attention until t his point..We exchanged that look—you know, the one where you’re thinking the same thing.., “This is crazy, but maybe…we should do it”We were tired of traveling, but obviously not that tired. ..because..We said yes …and We were chosen…This morning we are continuing our series entitled — “Who Am I?”Everything in life flows from our sense of self worth and identity.How we define identity matters…Most of us define ourselves by what we do or by what we have done. By our successes… or our failures.We carry both our trophies and our Scars as our identities. And either way, it’s exhausting—But Scripture tells us our truest identity is not rooted in our résumé or our regrets.It’s not based on achievements and performance. It’s based on Gods grace.Our identity flows not from what we have done, but what Christ has done for us…Today we’re looking at what it means to live as those who are chosen and cherished by the Lord.We’re going to be in 1 Peter 2 where Peter is writing to Christian in the diaspora—those who had been scattered and persecuted for their faith.These exiles were far from home, living as strangers in a culture that didn’t understand them…Their sense of stability, belonging, and even their identity had been shaken. and many were discouraged.And it’s in that place of dislocation and distress Peter reminds them: “Here’s who you really are in Christ.”In chapter 1.. Peter Greets the church and he sets the stage for his letter……as addresses the church as those who are chosen
1 Peter 1:1–2 ESV 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.Peter calls the church the elect exiles.Now, if you take these two words separately, they carry two very different meanings. Exile speaks of loss and displacement, of being pushed to the margins, of not belonging. To be an exile is to be cut off, overlooked, and forgotten.But then Peter pairs it with the other word: elect. Chosen. Selected by God. this changes everything!..when you put then together..it’s powerful combination because..You can be in exile and not be forgotten!Peter says that even though they are being displaced and marginalized, their identity is secured in Christ.They are favored because God has elected them, sanctified them, and redeemed them—and they have been born again into a living hope. This the flow of 1 Peter chapter 1…it comes withA promise of an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.Then in chapter 2, Peter encourages the church to NOW live out this identity of BEING Those who are CHOSEN..He tells us that In Christ there is Election, Purpose, and Destiny.The question for us today is … How do we live out this calling of being chosen and cherished?first we have to..1. Develop a Spiritual Appetite.We are so grateful for all the produce that’s brought on Sundays to the fellowship hall. I’ve lost count of the number of weeks Eric and Heidi have blessed us with eggs—what a gift that has been.But then the other day, Tim showed up with lychees. Now, for some of us, that was the first time ever even seeing one of those.They’re an exotic fruit. For Pam and I, it actually brought back memories, because we grew up eating them.But here’s the thing: they have a very acquired taste. Some people bite into a lychee and think, “Wow, this is delicious!”—while others think, “I don’t know if I’ll ever try that again.”And that got me thinking. Food stirs up memories, but it also stirs up desires.Our faith works in much the same way. We all have spiritual appetites. The real question is:What are we hungry for? What do we crave? What are we feeding ourselves on day by dayWarren Wiersbe once put it this way:“The Spirit and the flesh have different appetites, and this is what creates the conflict.”That’s exactly what Peter is getting at. He begins his letter with a list of distractions—vices—that will stunt our spiritual growth if we let them. These things might satisfy for a moment, but they never bring real freedom in ChristChapter 2 begins with the wrong appetites..1 Peter 2:1–3 ESV 1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.He starts with the phrase “put away.” That word literally means to strip off, to lay aside.If you’ve ever tried to strip wallpaper, you know exactly what Peter’s talking about. ‘Years ago Chris and Susan some other ladies helped paint the office… and there was grass wall paper from the 70’s on the wall… and they had to scape and steam and to try and get it off…It was heard work..a labor of love!This is kind of language Peter uses.. strip of the layers..those Vices in our lives cling to us like those stubborn wallpaper— they hard to peel away, needing to be stripped off one layer at a time.Peter says strip of..Malice.. deceit…Hypocrisy..envy..slander..And notice Peter’s qualifier: “all.”All Malice – every form of hostility and hateful feelings.All Deceit – Deceit..is hiding behind a mask, pretending to be something you’re not.All Hypocrisy – keeping up appearances, projecting a false version of yourself.Envy – resenting someone else’s success or blessing.Slander – tearing others down with your words.Peter says Deal with all forms and variations of these attitudes..or vices..Why is it so important to deal with these vices?Because vices don’t just damage relationships—they start to define who we. We can become hostile… fake… resentful… envious… critical.So Peter says: “Put these things away.” Strip them off.And instead—be like newborn babies. Desire the pure milk of God’s Word.Peter presses the point: “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” the way we deal with vices is to change our appetite…I read recently read that America’s soda preferences have shifted. For decades, Coke had been king, and Diet Coke sat comfortably in second place. But now—Dr. Pepper has taken over. What happened? People’s tastes changed. Over time, what people craved shifted.That’s exactly how spiritual growth works.You don’t just stop craving the old—you start developing a taste for something new.The more you drink something, the more it appeals.The more you feed on God’s Word, the more you crave it.John MacArthur Sermon Archive Desiring the WordThe more of God’s goodness you enjoy on your spiritual pallet, the greater will be your craving for more.
It’sPsalm 34:8 “8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!When you’ve truly tasted the goodness of Jesus, your cravings start to change.Malice starts tasting bitter.Hypocrisy leaves a bad aftertaste.Envy just doesn’t go down the way it used to.Instead, you start craving truth, grace, worship, prayer, fellowship, and the Word.The more you feed on the goodness of God, the less appealing the old junk becomes.It’s not just a behavior shift—it’s an appetite changeThe phrase “Long for” is an imperative — it means yearn for something — it what ..David wrote in the psalms..Psalm 42:1–2 ESV 1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?This isn’t casual curiosity. David’s soul is thirsting, panting, desperate for God.He directs his appetite to the Lord—every desire, every yearning points to God as the ultimate source of satisfaction."The Christian life is one of constant spiritual appetite.“If you have tasted the goodness of the Lord, you will crave more. And the more you feed, the more you grow."How do we Live as those Chosen and Cherished?1. Develop a Spiritual Appetite.2. Draw Near to Christ, Our Living StoneWe live in a culture obsessed with self-discovery. People are constantly told: “Look inside yourself,” “Find your truth,” “Follow your heart.”But Scripture points us in the opposite direction. Peter says our identity is not discovered by looking inward, but by looking to Christ.The expression “draw near” was originally associated with the priesthood in Israel. Under the regulations of the Old Covenant, the priests represented the people before God.It wasn’t a simple process.. prior to coming near God’s presence,the priest had to be washed physically and be ceremonially clean.This meant he had to bathe,wear the proper garments,and offer sacrifices that made his own heart right with God.Then he could “draw near” to God on the people’s behalf.In the NT “drawing near” - changed.. Christs sanctifies is as beleivers ..andWe can approach the presence of God in worship and prayer…The book of hebrews talks about a better Priesthood a better sacrifice .— not through the blood of animal but through sacrifice of Christ.. the result is nearness.Hebrews 10:22 ESV 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.“The irony of identity is that by looking away from ourselves we are more likely to discover our identity.”In our text Peter invites us to come near to Christ..1 Peter 2:4–6 ESV 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 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. 6 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.”Peter says as you come to Christ..We Come to Christ the Rock…In life there are some conversations that can literally change your life..You can’t shake them—they mark you.For Peter — it was that conversation with a Jesus .. whenHe asked His disciples, “Who do people say I am?”Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven… and on this rock I will build my church.”Now, years later, Peter writes about Jesus as the Living Stone—solid, unshakable, and alive…Peter Knew the Rock was the rock was Christ.. here is the thing..Stones aren’t usually alive. In fact, in the ancient world, idols were often carved from stone—cold, lifeless, breathless.But the difference between God and idols is breath.The living God breathes—The Hebrew word is ruach—God’s Spirit, His very breath.The difference between Jesus and every other so-called “stone” of religion, philosophy, or idol is this: He is alive.. he breathes..He rose. Every idol carved from stone is still dead and silent.Every grave of every prophet, teacher, or philosopher still holds their bones.But not Christ. The tomb that once held Him is empty, and that makes Him the Living Stone—the Resurrection Stone.And..That’s why Peter can say He is chosen and precious in God’s sight, and why we can build our lives on Him with confidence.Jesus—the very one… rejected by people—The one whom Isaiah foretold as..“despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief,” has become the cornerstone.The builders cast Him aside, but God exalted Him…Not only t his he is..He is Precious in the Lords sight and who ever believes in him will not be put shame..When Charles Spurgeon was 16 years old, he preached his first sermon in a village cottage to a handful of people - this was his text… laterSpurgeon reflected on that sermon and he said …“but Christ was precious to my soul and I was in the flush of my youthful love, and I could not be silent when a precious Jesus was the subject.” (Spurgeon)We must never stop being in awe of the presence of God and drawing near to him..here is the thing..When our lives are laid on Christ the Rock, we become partakers of his Devine nature the resurrection life…We become alive in Christ… but it does not stop there..He begins to build us into something far greater than ourselves—God builds from the ground up… Starting with the foundation stone..The cornerstone —was the first stone to be laid, it set the angles for the entire building. It kept everything level and plumb… Everything else aligns with it.The cornerstone sets the destiny of ones life.. For those who embrace Christ— it set the trajectory of ones future…In ancient times, the cornerstone was often slightly protruding from the wall—it was both a support and, for those who rejected it, a stumbling stone…Peter tells us..that the stone is also any offense...1 Peter 2:8 ESV 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.What stand in this verse is not so much stumbling over Christ — the last phrase..“ they were destined to do so”The amplied (amplifies) this says it like thisAmplified Bible Chapter 2as those [who reject Him] were destined (appointed) to do.
What Peter is talking about is a destiny — a destiny for those who embrace and those who disobey the gospel..Here is the thing when we embrace. Christ the Living Stone… it’s about destiny.there is movement forward and upwards, we are in Him—are being built up into a spiritual house…from the ground up...That phrase “being built up” is a verb and it speaks of a state of construction… the scaffolding up —Most construction sites are messy… Grace is Messy…DESTINY SPEAKS OF INTENTION AND PURPOSE..Destiny speaks of an destination…Peter tells us that there is a purpose for this building…That we would be a holy priesthood—people who reflect God through worship, prayer, and sacrificial service.How do we Live as those Chosen and Cherished?1. Develop Spiritual Appetite2. Draw Near to Christ, Our Living Stone3. Dare to live Out Our CallingDo you remember being challenged to a truth or dare as a child? Being Challenged to an act of bravery—maybe to step out, be bold, or do something outrageous?Step out of the Norm… try something different?Sometimes those dares were mischievous.I went to boarding school, and when you put young teenagers together… mischief happens. I can still remember being dared to sneak out of the dorm late at night to hang out downtown and “party.”… thats was a dare..There is fine line between Boldness and stupidity —But here is the thing …As you get older it is easy to loose our boldness.The Bible repeatedly encourages us to live bold lived..Proverbs 28:1 says: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”When Joshua was about to enter the Promised Land, God said to him: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”Peter knew what that meant be bold. He was bold—sometimes to a fault! but he was bold when it counted..On the day of Pentecost, when the crowd was confused, Peter stood up and boldly preached the truth of the gospel.When Ananias tried to deceive the church with a false gift, Peter called him out directly (Acts 5).When Peter and the apostles were arrested and dragged before the Sanhedrin, told to stop preaching about Jesus, Peter refused to be silenced.Peter didn’t just talk about courage—he lived it.Tradition tells us that he died a martyr’s death, crucified upside down in Rome because he didn’t consider himself worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.And now, Peter writes this letter, to the scattered, marginalized, persecuted -He tell to them to take courage..And the question is..Where does that come from?He tells us..ing verse 9 it’s calling..1 Peter 2:9 ESV 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.Peter borrows Israel’s honor-titles from the Old Testament to describe Gentile believers.He reaches back to Exodus, when God called and blessed Israel as a nation—showing that this has always been part of God’s plan.This is not replacement theology.Nowhere in 1 Peter are the readers called a “new Israel” that displaces the Jewish people.Rather, in Christ, Gentiles are grafted into the blessings promised—God is making one people in Jesus,Jew and Gentile together, a spiritual nation of priests and kings, set apart for God’s purposes.’Theologian Wayne Grudem..God has chosen a new race of people, Christians, who have obtained membership in this new ‘chosen race’ not by physical descent from Abraham but by coming to Christ (v. 4) and believing in him (vv. 6–7).Wayne GrudemWhat he means is that Israel is not erased, but that belonging to God is no longer based on bloodline—it’s based on believing in Christ. God’s people are now defined not by ethnicity but by faith.”We are God’s chosen treasure—his people—set apart for his purposes.And living as those who are cherished and chosen means this: God has elected you and me for a purpose.The word for “church” in the greek is ekklesia— it means “set apart.:In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter uses the same root word:1 Peter 2.9“But you are eklekton (a chosen race)… that you might proclaim the excellencies of the One who ekalousen you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”We are they called out…the chosen..To be called to Christ is to be called out of something—out of darkness—into something better—His marvelous light.Some people dislike the word “election.” Theologians have wrestled with the how of election for centuries-But is Peter is not writing a theological textbook—he’s writing to believers under pressure. And he doesn’t give them a debate—he gives them a declaration: Christ has called you out.“But you are eklekton—chosen by God.”Chosen by God is an awesome thing. it becomes clares when you make comparison to what it would like in two columnsIn Christ/Without ChristChosen -IgnoredKnown -UnknownLoved -UnlovedAdopted -OrphanedWanted -UnwantedCalled -AimlessAppointed -AccidentalKept - InsecurePeter’s point is simple:If you belong to Jesus, you are in the left-hand column—becauseHe called you out of darkness (column b) into His marvelous light.That’s not just theology; that’s your identity.ConclusionIt seems like every day I get a text message — email that is some sort of scam..Experts tell us that identity theft happens every 22 seconds.These Thieves are always inventing new ways to steal—whether it’s your bank accounts, Social Security number, or medical coverage.It can be a nightmare to have your identity stolen.But Peter warns of something even more dangerous—when we forget our God-given identity, or worse, let the world redefine it.Just as a thief can steal your financial identity, sin and the enemy work daily to rob us of living out who you are in Christ.So Peter calls us back to what’s true:This is alignment..1 Peter 2:10–11 ESV 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. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.The early church knew exactly what “sojourners” meant. They were living in Exile…But in your exile — live as Chosen…Live as a pilgrim a sojourners..If you have received mercy, then extend mercy.If you belong to a heavenly kingdom, then walk as children of God.This morning, we come to Christ—the living Stone, the Rock on which we stand.And Peter gives us this awesome promise: if your life is built on Him, you will not be disappointed…The challenge today… live out our real identity as those who chosen and called.. 1 Peter 1:1–2AMP
1 Peter 2:1–3AMP
Psalm 42:1–2AMP
Hebrews 10:22AMP
1 Peter 2:4–6AMP
1 Peter 2:8AMP
1 Peter 2:8AMP
1 Peter 2:9AMP
1 Peter 2:10–11AMP
Richvale Community Church
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