A new nation
This week's floating Tuesday lesson is on 1 Peter 2:9-10:
Sorry for the delayed message this week. Thursday is not Tuesday, but it's close. This week's message is from Peter, talking about how the church is a new creation on earth, like a new nation. It's not Jews versus Gentiles or some nationality versus some other one. It's a new creation that includes Christians from everywhere.
Once we were not a people. Before we became Christians, we didn't really have a whole lot in common with the rest of the church. I was visiting people in some foreign churches these past couple weeks, people from all over the world, and it occurred to me that if not for Christ, I would never have gotten to know these people. I would have no reason to know them. We wouldn't have a common root or a common tribe. We wouldn't be one people. We'd be Britons, Americans, Australians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Africans, Asians, etc and all sorts of subdivisions of those things.
All of us have in common that we have received Christ's mercy. Our sins are forgiven. We're starting anew. When people migrated to Australia, some came first thousands of years ago, others were brought in chains, and others came afterwards of their own free will, but all are Australians in addition to or instead of whatever they were before. No matter where they are, they're Australians. They have a common identity. It's the same with the church.
We are chosen and we are a holy nation. God called us out of darkness to be together with each other and with him. No matter where we are, we're part of the same holy tribe. It is to God's glory that such different people from such different backgrounds could be together and have something in common.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Sorry for the delayed message this week. Thursday is not Tuesday, but it's close. This week's message is from Peter, talking about how the church is a new creation on earth, like a new nation. It's not Jews versus Gentiles or some nationality versus some other one. It's a new creation that includes Christians from everywhere.
Once we were not a people. Before we became Christians, we didn't really have a whole lot in common with the rest of the church. I was visiting people in some foreign churches these past couple weeks, people from all over the world, and it occurred to me that if not for Christ, I would never have gotten to know these people. I would have no reason to know them. We wouldn't have a common root or a common tribe. We wouldn't be one people. We'd be Britons, Americans, Australians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Africans, Asians, etc and all sorts of subdivisions of those things.
All of us have in common that we have received Christ's mercy. Our sins are forgiven. We're starting anew. When people migrated to Australia, some came first thousands of years ago, others were brought in chains, and others came afterwards of their own free will, but all are Australians in addition to or instead of whatever they were before. No matter where they are, they're Australians. They have a common identity. It's the same with the church.
We are chosen and we are a holy nation. God called us out of darkness to be together with each other and with him. No matter where we are, we're part of the same holy tribe. It is to God's glory that such different people from such different backgrounds could be together and have something in common.
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