Living Hope – Rejected by Others but Chosen by God
Family businesses can be complicated to navigate, especially when someone uses their position in the family to take advantage of said business. For example, if a first-born son does something that negatively affects the family business, his position in the family business might change. Still, his position in the family won’t change. He would never stop being the oldest son.
Our position in life might not change, but what we do with our lives can.
1 Peter 2
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 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.
10 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.
Peter was writing to exiles scattered throughout the northeast corner of Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. They were scattered because of the persecution of Christians in Rome. The fires in Rome were being blamed on Christians so they were seen as terrorists. So, Peter addresses these suffering followers of Jesus with a tender and compassionate heart.
Peter tells them they might’ve been rejected by others but are chosen by God. He reminds them that they are chosen, holy, desired, sacred, and precious to God – there’s a satisfaction to that.
1 Peter 2
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
The giving up all earthly possessions must never be viewed as a sacrifice but rather a worthwhile and necessary cause to live as though they have been called out of darkness and into His wonderful light.
Peter knew that when we suffer, it’s easy to look at our struggles and think about how much we have sacrificed for Jesus’s sake. When we start to see ourselves as having sacrificed something, we can immediately become washed over with entitlement and begin to believe that the rules don’t apply to us. We can start living as though we’re above them.
We should not be living as though we are deserving of mercy.
As favored, forgiven people, there’s a sense that we can get away with acting on our sinful desires. When we start looking at ourselves as deserving of anything or that we’ve somehow sacrificed enough, we lose sight of the need to be obedient to Jesus and we don’t keep him on the throne of our hearts.
The object of your worship then becomes what you’ve done or how much you’ve given up, not who you’ve done it for.
There’s a sense of entitlement there that’s not based on reality.
1 Peter 2
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,
14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Submit yourselves to every human authority. As a group, Christians really don’t like this one. So, how do we balance that guidance with the Bible that’s chock full of people who did not obey every human authority and yet were blessed by God for it? The principle here is that we must abide by every human authority until we are commanded to sin.
Jesus, who knew no sin, submitted Himself to the will of the Father and to the system that wrongfully crucified Him. That’s our example.
Now, Peter goes on with this thread of submission by addressing those who aren’t treated fairly. It’s so easy to view unfair treatment as a reason to break the rules.
Servants
1 Peter 2
18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
This is obviously written at a different time and in a different culture. Whenever Rome conquered an area, they took the people they conquered as their slaves. Some were treated poorly, more like slaves than servants. We don’t have this in America today, but we can certainly still apply these principles to our relationships with our bosses.
When we suffer well for doing right, it reveals the effectual life-changing nature of having a relationship with Jesus. And we’re told that we are called to this. As Jesus suffers for us, we will suffer in His name.
Married Couples
1 Peter 2
1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.
4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands,
6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
Wives, submit to your husbands is one of the most controversial and counterculture things that can be said today. It stands to reason that it must be one of the greatest needs in families today. Peter writes this to wives and not just for the wives who believe in Jesus whose husbands don’t. This is something for every wife to do, regardless of her husband’s beliefs.
This passage, as others, has been abused, so it’s important to note that submission cannot be demanded, that’s oppression not submission.
Submission is always a choice and should never be forced onto someone.
Jesus submitted to the Father’s will. The Father never forced His will on His son. But for decades, there has been a massive overcorrection that a submissive woman is called a “pick-me girl.” She is mocked, ridiculed, and ostracized by society. If you share those verses with men, they’ll laugh. “Submit? It would be great if my wife would just respect me every once in a while.”
That massive overcorrection created, and still creates, massive problems in our homes, families, and society.
Husbands
1 Peter 3
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives. Don’t force your will on them. Essentially Peter is saying, “hey guys, you and your wives are under the same grace and mercy of the cross, so listen to each other and hear where each is coming from.”
As part of God’s holy family, as chosen and special possessions, we cannot use our favor as reason to live like we’re special. We are called to follow Christ’s example and to be humble, as He was humble, and submit to every human authority in our lives.
Submission creates peace. Dueling authority structures create divisions.
Kids see in the household when parents aren’t on the same page. We see it in places of work when managers go back and forth with each other, and we see it on a global scale when country leaders oppose one another.
We can live like we have all the rights and privileges of being children of God and live as though we’re entitled to our heavenly inheritances. Alternatively, we can live as Christ as we are called to make a difference by showing everyone around us a different way… a better way.
Want to play catch-up, or are you looking for a specific topic? Check out our collection of sermons here or check out LHC Unplugged here.
For more LHC content, subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Instagram.
Our position in life might not change, but what we do with our lives can.
1 Peter 2
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 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.
10 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.
Peter was writing to exiles scattered throughout the northeast corner of Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. They were scattered because of the persecution of Christians in Rome. The fires in Rome were being blamed on Christians so they were seen as terrorists. So, Peter addresses these suffering followers of Jesus with a tender and compassionate heart.
Peter tells them they might’ve been rejected by others but are chosen by God. He reminds them that they are chosen, holy, desired, sacred, and precious to God – there’s a satisfaction to that.
1 Peter 2
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
The giving up all earthly possessions must never be viewed as a sacrifice but rather a worthwhile and necessary cause to live as though they have been called out of darkness and into His wonderful light.
Peter knew that when we suffer, it’s easy to look at our struggles and think about how much we have sacrificed for Jesus’s sake. When we start to see ourselves as having sacrificed something, we can immediately become washed over with entitlement and begin to believe that the rules don’t apply to us. We can start living as though we’re above them.
We should not be living as though we are deserving of mercy.
As favored, forgiven people, there’s a sense that we can get away with acting on our sinful desires. When we start looking at ourselves as deserving of anything or that we’ve somehow sacrificed enough, we lose sight of the need to be obedient to Jesus and we don’t keep him on the throne of our hearts.
The object of your worship then becomes what you’ve done or how much you’ve given up, not who you’ve done it for.
There’s a sense of entitlement there that’s not based on reality.
1 Peter 2
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,
14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Submit yourselves to every human authority. As a group, Christians really don’t like this one. So, how do we balance that guidance with the Bible that’s chock full of people who did not obey every human authority and yet were blessed by God for it? The principle here is that we must abide by every human authority until we are commanded to sin.
Jesus, who knew no sin, submitted Himself to the will of the Father and to the system that wrongfully crucified Him. That’s our example.
Now, Peter goes on with this thread of submission by addressing those who aren’t treated fairly. It’s so easy to view unfair treatment as a reason to break the rules.
Servants
1 Peter 2
18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
This is obviously written at a different time and in a different culture. Whenever Rome conquered an area, they took the people they conquered as their slaves. Some were treated poorly, more like slaves than servants. We don’t have this in America today, but we can certainly still apply these principles to our relationships with our bosses.
When we suffer well for doing right, it reveals the effectual life-changing nature of having a relationship with Jesus. And we’re told that we are called to this. As Jesus suffers for us, we will suffer in His name.
Married Couples
1 Peter 2
1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.
4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands,
6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
Wives, submit to your husbands is one of the most controversial and counterculture things that can be said today. It stands to reason that it must be one of the greatest needs in families today. Peter writes this to wives and not just for the wives who believe in Jesus whose husbands don’t. This is something for every wife to do, regardless of her husband’s beliefs.
This passage, as others, has been abused, so it’s important to note that submission cannot be demanded, that’s oppression not submission.
Submission is always a choice and should never be forced onto someone.
Jesus submitted to the Father’s will. The Father never forced His will on His son. But for decades, there has been a massive overcorrection that a submissive woman is called a “pick-me girl.” She is mocked, ridiculed, and ostracized by society. If you share those verses with men, they’ll laugh. “Submit? It would be great if my wife would just respect me every once in a while.”
That massive overcorrection created, and still creates, massive problems in our homes, families, and society.
Husbands
1 Peter 3
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives. Don’t force your will on them. Essentially Peter is saying, “hey guys, you and your wives are under the same grace and mercy of the cross, so listen to each other and hear where each is coming from.”
As part of God’s holy family, as chosen and special possessions, we cannot use our favor as reason to live like we’re special. We are called to follow Christ’s example and to be humble, as He was humble, and submit to every human authority in our lives.
Submission creates peace. Dueling authority structures create divisions.
Kids see in the household when parents aren’t on the same page. We see it in places of work when managers go back and forth with each other, and we see it on a global scale when country leaders oppose one another.
We can live like we have all the rights and privileges of being children of God and live as though we’re entitled to our heavenly inheritances. Alternatively, we can live as Christ as we are called to make a difference by showing everyone around us a different way… a better way.
Want to play catch-up, or are you looking for a specific topic? Check out our collection of sermons here or check out LHC Unplugged here.
For more LHC content, subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Instagram.
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