I’m starting a new series as we lead up to Homecoming on All-Saints Sunday. What does it mean to live as saints in a troubled world. And our first sermon is “Called Out of Darkness”.
We are the
Church, God’s chosen and holy people, called from darkness into light. And today, I want to encourage you to embrace
your unique identity as God’s people and to live differently from the world.
1 Peter 2:9-10
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You
are royal priests,[a] a holy nation, God’s very own
possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called
you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now
you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now
you have received God’s mercy.”[b]
I want to dive right into the meat of this Scripture, but I must first address this initial clause. Peter says, “But you are not like that…” Originally, Peter was talking directly to Christians scattered across Asia Minor who were facing social marginalization and suffering for their faith. But today, he’s talking directly to us. And he says, “But you are not like that…”
Not like what?
If
you look back a few verses you find the answer. You are not like the people of Israel who rejected Jesus. Israel was called to be a Holy Nation of Priests. They had the honor of hosting the Holy Temple in Jerusalem where people from
all over the world could come and worship God.
But they never lived up to their calling. And when God’s own Son came to them, they rejected Him. And verse 8 says: “So they meet the fate
that was planned for them.” And verse 9, speaking to everyone who accepts Jesus as their Lord, says: “But you are not like that…” So what are
we like?
“…you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.” These were the words originally used for Israel in the Old Testament. But now they apply to the followers of Christ. Christians don’t replace Israel. We are the fulfillment of what Israel was always meant to be. We are chosen by God. We are royal priests. We are a holy nation. We are God’s people. Let that sink in…
What
an honor! What a privilege! What a blessing!
But don’t forget that as God’s Chosen People, we have a great responsibility.
“You are royal priests, a holy nation…”
Priests are set apart for the special purpose of representing God to the people. In ancient times, priests stood out as holy. Special clothes that mark them as different from ordinary people. Special rituals sanctified them. And they were known to have special access to God. People would come to them when they needed healing or forgiveness or a word from God. They came to the priest for help because they believed the priest were closer to God and had a special connection with Him. The priest could go to God on behalf of the person in need and interceded for them and God was more likely to listen.
Today, people will often joke that I (as a pastor), have a direct line to God in a similar way. But according to what the New Testament says, we all do! I'm no closer to God than you. You can go boldly before Him and present your prayers and He will listen. The Holy Spirit lives inside you and intercedes for you in groanings too deep for words. God hears you and listens!
We are all set apart to serve as God’s royal priests! We who follow Christ are holier than the Jewish High Priest of the Old Testament! It's incredible!
- Christ lives in you
- You’re leaving behind the darkness of ignorance, sin, and despair
- You’re walking in the light of salvation, truth, joy, hope.
- You proclaim God’s goodness, mercy, and salvation in word and deed.
When you repent of your sin and decide to follow Jesus, Christ comes to live inside you as the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, the Temple represented God’s dwelling place on earth. But now, because of Christ, the New Testament says we are His Temple.
1 Peter 2:5 – “you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.”
2 Corinthians 6:16 – “ For we are the temple of the living God.”
Have you ever heard of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem? It’s a very special place. The Temple in Jerusalem isn’t there anymore—it was torn down in 70 AD. The only part that remains is the western wall of the Temple.
For centuries, people—both Jewish and Christian—have made pilgrimages to the Western Wall. They write out their prayers on little slips of paper, roll them up, and tuck them into the cracks of the stones. It’s a sacred act in a sacred place, because this is where the Temple once stood—the very Temple we read about in the Bible. I’ve been there myself. I wrote a prayer and placed it in the wall. If you’re standing at the Western Wall, that’s what you do.
But let me tell you something amazing: that wall is not where God dwells. God is everywhere, of course, but that place is no more sacred than any other. The true dwelling place of God is not in the stones of Jerusalem—it’s in you. There is no holier ground than the presence of the Holy Spirit living inside you right now. Christ lives in us—that’s what makes us different. That’s what sets us apart.
Secondly, we need to we need to live in the light. We need to come out of the darkness. We stand out when we come out of the darkness.
This morning I woke up early. I wake up early almost every day, but especially on Sundays. Today I was up a little before 4:00. Now, I don’t mind getting up early—but my wife does. She values her rest, and I want her to have it. So when I get up, I move quietly and I don’t turn on the lights.
Our bathroom is on the opposite side of the bed, so I have to carefully make my way around in the dark. After living in our house for 15 years, I know the layout, but still—you never know what might be on the floor. So I walk slowly, carefully, feeling my way until I close the bathroom door. Then I turn on the light so I don’t disturb her—because I love her, and because, frankly, she’s a lot nicer when she’s slept well!
But it’s hard to walk in the dark, isn’t it? Even when you know where you’re going, you have to move cautiously. And sometimes, as Christians, we try to live our lives like that—as if we’re walking in the dark. Yet Scripture says: “God has called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
When Kelly is away visiting her mom, I don’t have to tiptoe around in the dark. I can flip on the light and move quickly, freely. I can see where I’m going. Life is so much easier in the light.
That’s what God wants for us. Life is better, freer, and safer when we walk in the light of Christ. So let me challenge you: where in your life are you still walking in darkness? Where do you need to turn on the light—stop conforming to the world, and instead live in God’s light as His holy people?
As Christians, we need to turn on the light! We are called out of darkness into God’s wonderful light. I challenge you to examine areas where you are conforming to the world instead of living in the Light as God’s holy people.
Darkness can represent many things in our lives. First, darkness can represent ignorance.
As people of the light, we are called to be informed. That means studying God’s Word, seeking to understand it, and asking Him to make us aware of what we don’t yet see. Often we simply “don’t know what we don’t know.” So our prayer becomes: “Lord, show me what I need to know. Make me conscious. Help me be intentional as I follow You.”
Second, darkness can represent sin.
As God’s people of light, we must leave behind sinful behavior—the things we already know are wrong. That means repenting and turning away from them. But it also means asking God to shine His light on the areas we can’t yet see. “Lord, show me the hidden sins, the blind spots, the places I need to change. Bring me out of the darkness and into Your light.”
Finally, darkness can represent despair.
The world constantly tells us reasons to be fearful, anxious, angry, or hopeless. But as people of the light, we are called to lay down despair and embrace hope. No matter how bad things look, we know that Christ has already overcome the brokenness of this world. In Him we have eternal hope. We don’t have to live in despair anymore—we can step out of the darkness and walk in the light.
Our identity is not just about what God has done for us, but what we are to do for Him. We are His royal priests who represent God to the world. Let me ask you some questions:
When was the last time you reminded someone that they are loved and valued by the Lord?
When was the last time you stood in the gap for someone who was far from God?
When was the last time you brought someone else’s needs before God in prayer as a priest would?
When was the last time you prayed with someone?
When was the last time you carried God’s presence into a place of darkness or despair?
When was the last time you served someone in a way that revealed God’s love?
When was the last time you lived in such a way that someone asked about your faith?
When was the last time you told your story of how God changed your life?
Our closing song today isn’t just a fun song. It’s a closing reminder to all of us. Listen to the words of the chorus:
The same power that rose Jesus from the grave
The same power that commands the dead to wake
Lives in us, lives in us
The same power that moves mountains when He speaks
The same power that can calm a raging sea
Lives in us, lives in us
He lives in us, lives in us
We
are God’s royal priests, a holy nation.
We are the Temple of the Living God. He lives in us.
This is an incredible honor and privilege.
But it’s also a responsibility.
We are called to serve,
to represent God to the world. To be His
powerful agents of grace—calling the world repent, inviting more and more
people in God’s Kingdom and ushering His Kingdom into our world.
We
have the power to do it, because the same power that rose Jesus from the grave
lives in us.
But are we willing to live as God’s royal priests?
