Holy Different | A Sermon on 1 Peter 1:1-2

Introduction
I’m proud of all my kids.  They're all intelligent, independent, and successful.  They’ve never been afraid to be different, to be themselves.  My son Gavin graduated from High school 3^rd in his class.  He went to college and used to ride his bicycle from his dorm to his classes.  But two wheels got boring to him.  So he decided he wanted to learn to ride on one.  So he got a unicycle!  He's older now--28.  He decided to learn Vietnamese.  Why?  Because his girlfriend's family immigrated from Vietnam and he want to be able to speak to her mother.  

My middle child, Grace, is a talented creative.  She started singing solos in church when she was in Kindergarten and then with our praise band when she was 13.  Now that she's a young adult, she has sang with rock bands on stage, and I'm always proud to remember who she cut her teeth on performance in church.  She loves plants and birds and decided to go back to school recently to study horticulture.  

My youngest daughter is Abigail.  She also graduated 3rd in her class from high school.  She's a talented musician on a full ride scholarship to West Georgia College studying music education.  She can talk to anybody and loves everybody.  She is firm in her Christian faith, but has never shied away from making friends with people of all walks of life and loves to talk to people and understand their point of view, while always being firmly planted in her own beliefs.  

I've always been proud of their individualism.  They not afraid to be different.  And people like that have always impressed me.

Colonel Sanders was different.  He started his dream when he was 65 years old! He got a social security check for only $105 and was mad. Instead of complaining, he did something different.  He thought restaurant owners would love his fried chicken recipe, use it, and sales would increase, and he’d get a percentage of it. So, Sanders drove around the country knocking on doors, sleeping in his car, and wearing his white suit.  Can you imagine how strange people must have thought Sanders was?  They did.  His idea was rejected 1,009 times before someone finally said yes.  The rest is history.

1 Peter 1:1-2

¹This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.  I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. ² God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  May God give you more and more grace and peace.

God Chose You!
Do you remember thos pickup games we used to play when we were kids?  Maybe it was kickball or touch-football.  Two captains would pick kids to be on their teams.  They always picked the most athletic kids first.  And you never wanted to be last.

Well, in this life, God chose you to be on His team. 

And He chose you long ago.  Abraham lived about 4,000 years ago when God chose him.  He told Abraham if he would life his homeland and go where God sent him, God would make him a father of many nations.  And Abraham chose to follow God.  

And we who follow Jesus are Abraham's spiritual descendants.  Over 4,000 years ago, God already knew He was going to choose you.  His choice has been in the works for at least 4,000 years.  So if God ever asks you to do something and you feel overwhelmed, like you're not up to the task.  Remember, God already knew He was going to choose you and help you do His will, millennia ago.  You can do it, with God's help.

God's Spirit has made you holy.  Holy means “set apart for the special, sacred purposes of God” – Not to be used for unholy purposes any more.

A communion chalice is just a fancy cup.  But you wouldn't use it to drink you morning coffee with breakfast.  It could, technically, do it.  But coffee is not that chalices intended purpose.  No, the communion chalice is set apart for a different, sacred purpose.  It was made to serve Holy Communion.

Likewise, you were set apart for a different, holy purpose by God.   When you are holy, you are different, not like the rest.

It's interesting to me that so many people have tattoos these days.  When I was a kid, it was unusual to see someone with a tattoo.  They were considered different.  (Now, I want to be clear--I don't have any problem with tattoos and I don't think God does either.)  These days, it seems everyone has a tattoo (it's actually 32 % according to a 2023 survey).  If you want to be different today, maybe it's not getting a tattoo that makes you different, but not getting one!

God doesn't want us to be like everyone else.  God wants us to be different.  Then we stand out as special.  When you are holy, you are special.  Perhaps you've known someone who was special, who was different, because of the way they walked with the Lord.  The loved people and were full of God's grace in ways that were different from most people.  People remember folks like that.  And they have a positive impact on people and the world.

·         When you are holy, you stand out--like a diamond.  Diamonds are so valuable because they sparkle.  And that's how God wants His people to be.  He wants us to sparkle and shine for Jesus.  Stop trying to blend in.  Be yourself--the unique, special, sparkling work of art God made you to be.

But some people might say, “I don’t want to be different…”  An interesting thing happens with most teenagers that causes their parents a lot of anxiety.  Doctors and psychologists tell us that teenagers are biologically engineered to start separating from their parents and create their own identity.  From the time they are babies to about the age of 13, most kids adore their parents and want to be just like them.  

Then they turn into teenagers and start to pull away.  All of a sudden, they stop admiring their parents and start thinking they are boring and old and uncool.  And parents often get frustrated because it feels like their teenagers are going off the deep end, rejecting everything they've worked so hard to teach them.  

This is natural, because teenagers are trying to establish their own identity apart from their parents.  They want to be individuals. It isn’t until teenagers mature a bit more, maybe in their twenties, that they truly find their own identity.  They stop trying to be like everyone else and discover it's ok to just be themselves.

Unfortunately, many people never grow out of the human desire to “fit in”.  Most people want to adhere to “social norms.”  We want to be in fashion; we want to "fit in" our community; we want to be accepted by everyone else.  Many still define themselves in relation to others.  Few ever stop to think what they really want without regards to what other people have.  Even fewer stop to think about what God really wants for them and trust that what He wants is really best.

I've always been a little bit nerdy and curious.  That's the way God made me.  I was at the beach on a family vacation a few years ago staring out at the ocean.  I thought, "I wonder how much salt is in that ocean water and if there's a way I could extract it out?"

So I got a empty gallon jug and filled it up with ocean water and went back to our condo.  I put the water in a pot on the stove and boiled it for over an hour until all the water was gone.  And in the bottom of the pan was about a half a cup of salt!  I was so proud of myself, I used some of it to season my dinner that evening when we got together with our extended family.  My brother-in-law looked at me and said, "Chris, I'm all about this DIY stuff you like to do.  But salt?  Really?  You're a wierdo!"

And I said, “Hallelujah!”  I own it!  I'm proud to be weird--to be different, to be the way God made me!

God wants us to be Different
Anybody can start a fast food restaurant, but Chick -fil-A founder Truitt Cathy said, “We should be about more than just selling chicken. We should be a part of our customers’ lives and the communities in which we serve.”  And that's what they do.  Not only do they make great chicken, they also help schools and churches and community groups.  And they take young employees and teach them skills and values that stay with them long after they go on to work in other companies--values that make the world a better place.  And when all other restaurants are open and working on Sunday, Chick-fil-A make a bold statement "We're different!" and they are closed on Sunday.

God wanted the Israel to be like that.  He gave them all kinds of weird laws about what food to eat and what cloth to wear and how to act.  And they were to rest on the Sabbath.  All the other nations around them would look at them and say, "Those are some weird people!"  And yes!  That's what God wanted!  God wanted Israel to be special, to stand out, so everyone would know they were His people and they would represent Him to the world.

In the New Testament, Jesus told us the most important way we would be different be in the way we love.  He said in John 13:35, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  He even said His followers are to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.  Now that's different!  And when Christians truly live this way, people take notice.  And many even want to follow Jesus themselves.

God Chose You, but Do You Choose God?
Long ago, God chose you to be holy.  How long will it be before you humble yourself, bow down, and choose to follow God?  When you choose God through faith in Jesus Christ, Peter says you, “have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.”  Then, you are holy and forgiven and you will have more grace and peace.  People will begin to see you are Holy Different and you will live a Holy and Different life, a better life, and you will have eternal life.  And you will know you are loved.  And you will love people like Jesus loves.  

Are you ready? If you are, turn from your sins and follow Jesus and let Him make you Holy Different today!

 

Holy Different

Introduction
            I'm so proud of my son, Gavin.  He's never been afraid to stand out from the crowd.  He's always been smart--he graduated 3rd in his high school class.  He's independent.  He's attending the University of Alabama, Huntsville and doing well.  Last year, he used a bike to travel between classes across campus, but Gavin's never been afraid to be different.  This year, he decided to trade in his bike for a unicycle!  So if you're ever at UAH and you see a college kid riding a unicycle to class, it's probably my son!
            I want to talk to you today about being different.  Colonel Sanders wasn't afraid to be social security check was only $105. Instead of complaining, he did something different.  He thought restaurant owners would love his fried chicken recipe, use it, sales would increase, and he’d get a percentage of it. So, Sanders drove around the country knocking on doors, sleeping in his car, and wearing his white suit.  Can you imagine how strange people must have thought Sanders was?  They did.  His idea was rejected 1,009 times before someone finally said yes.  The rest is history.
different.  He was over 65-years-old before he became famous for fried chicken.  He got mad when his
            This blog is the first in a series called “Different”.  Did you know God wants us to be different than the rest of the world?

1 Peter 1:1-2 ¹This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. ² God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

May God give you more and more grace and peace.

Holy Different

            This passage tells us some important things about your relationship with God.  First of all He chose you.  It wasn't a mistake.  He made a deliberate decision and chose you on purpose.  And He chose you long ago.  If you're like me, you get so busy that days and weeks just seem to run together.  And as busy as we are, I don't know what you thought was going to happen today.  But thousands of years ago, God already knew you would be reading these words right here, right now.  And He chose you.  And lastly, this passage tells us that God's Spirit chose to make you holy; and that is the crux of this blog.
            We use the word holy a lot in the church, but what does it mean?  Holy means “set apart for the special, sacred purposes of God.”  Something that is holy is not to be used for unholy purposes(You don’t use a communion chalice for your morning coffee).  When you are holy, you are different.  When you are holy, you are special.  When you are holy, you stand out.  Diamonds are so valuable because they sparkle.  Diamonds are really just rocks, but they stand out from other ordinary rocks because of the way the catch and reflect light.  Like a diamond, you need to sparkle and shine for God.  Stop trying to blend in to the crowd. 

But I Don’t Want to Be Different…

            An interesting thing happens with most teenagers that causes their parents a lot of anxiety.  Doctors and psychologists tell us that teenagers are biologically engineered to start separating from their parents and create their own identity.  From the time they are babies to the age of about 13, most kids adore their parents and want to be just like them.  But then they become teenagers and start to pull away.  All of a sudden, they stop admiring their parents and start to think they are boring and old and uncool.  And parents often get so frustrated because it feels like their teenage kids are going off the deep end, rejecting everything they've worked so hard to teach them.  And this is natural, because teenagers are trying to establish their own identity apart from their parents.  They want to be individuals.
            Ironically, rather than becoming “individuals” with their own “separate” identities, teenagers most often try to be like all their friends.  They trade mimicking their parents for mimicking their friends.  They want to wear the clothes their friends wear, listen to their friends music, hang out with and act like their cool friends.  And this is a natural part of growing up and almost everyone goes through it to some degree.  It isn’t until teenagers mature a bit more--usually once they get into their 20s--that they really start to figure out who they are apart from anyone else and find their own individual identity. 
            Unfortunately, many people ever really grow out of the human desire to “fit in”.  Most people want to adhere to “social norms.”  We want to be in fashion, we want to "fit in" our community, we want to be accepted by everyone else.  Most people still define themselves in relation to others.  They want to "keep up with the Joneses."  What does that expression really mean?  It means you want what they have, because you think what "they" have is what you really want or need.  Very few people stop to think what they really want without regards to what other people have.  Even fewer stop to think about what God really wants for them and trust that what He wants is really best.
            I have been accused of being different--even weird.  I'm fascinated with science and experiments and a couple years ago I was at the beach in South Carolina with my extended family.  I was staring at the ocean wondering if I could distill some sea salt out of it.  And I thought, "I bet I can."  So I got an empty milk jug and washed is out and collected a gallon of sea water from the ocean.  I put it in a  pot on the stove back at our condo and boiled it down until there wasn't any water left; and lo and behold their was about a quarter cup of salt left in the bottom of the pan!  I was so proud as I showed it to all my uninterested relatives.  My brother-in-law, Joey, looked at me and said, "Chris.  Your weird."  Haha!  And said, "Hallelujah!" because I own it! I know I'm different.  That's how God made me and I'm learning more and more to just be who God made me, because God wants us to be different.  It's OK to be weird!

God wants us to be Different.

            Truitt Cathy was different and he founded a different kind of fast food restaurant.  He said, “We should be about more than just selling chicken. We should be a part of our customers’ lives and the communities in which we serve.”  Now, if you try to eat lunch after church at a Chick-fil-A, you will be disappointed, because they're always closed on Sunday.  You'll have to settle for something else.  Chick-fil-A makes a statement by being closed.  You can't help but see it.  Sunday afternoons is one of the busiest times of the week for a restaurant, but Chick-fil-A intentionally stays closed and you can't help but see it.  And you don't just see it on Sundays.  Go in there on a Monday when they're open and you get a sense of it too.  I mean, it's just a fast food restaurant like any other, but it's also different.  Something about the way they carry themselves and the way they serve and the way they take pride in what they do.  Chick-fil-A is different.  It's almost like they're holy.            In the Old testament, God chose the children of Israel to be his holy people.  He wanted them to be different, to stand out.  So he gave them all kinds of rules that would make them a separate, different people.  Resting on Sunday was one of those rules, but there were also rules about how to dress and what kind of food to eat.  And all these laws--though they were a burden to follow--marked the Israelites as a special, holy people.
            Things have changed for us since Jesus came, because Jesus made all food clean and said we are saved by grace and not by following rules.  But we are still supposed to be holy and different. People should be able to look at us and think, "They look like other people, but there's something different about them, something special."
            Jesus told us the most important way we would be so different.  In John 13:35, Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  Do you love people in different way?  A holy way?  God's way?

God Chose You, but Do You Choose God?

            Long ago, 1 Peter 1:2 tells us, God chose you to be holy.  How long before you humble yourself, bow down, and choose to follow God?  For when you choose God through faith in Jesus Christ, Peter says you, “have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.”  Then you are holy and forgiven and you will have more grace and peace.  People will begin to see you are Holy Different and you will live a Holy and Different life, a better life, and you will have eternal life. And you will know you are loved and your will love people like Jesus loves.   Are you ready?  Make the decision to be Holy Different today!