The Church, Part 1
I Peter 2:6-10
Message by Pastor Roe
What is the Church? Church is not the building. If you search the scriptures you will find that the church always refers to the people.
First, verse 9 tells us that the church is made up of chosen or saved people; people who have repented of their sin and turned to Christ as Lord and Savior. We have all sinned whether it is lying, lusting, stealing, using the Lord’s name in vain, etc. Therefore we all need a Savior and when we realize that, accept Christ as our personal Savior and are baptized, we become part of the local church.
Secondly, we the church are a royal priesthood. When we accept Christ as Lord, we are adopted into His family and become heirs to God. Priesthood means that we have the ability to go directly to God the Father through Jesus Christ. It also carries the idea of a brotherhood or fraternity. When People are added to the church they become brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thirdly, the church is made up of people that are a holy nation. We should be pure and set apart for the use of the Master. We are also a nation of pilgrims or foreigners. We are just passing through this world. We need to lay up treasures in Heaven that are eternal.
Lastly, we are a peculiar people. Strange in the fact that we should live for Christ and others, not self. It also means that the church belongs to God (Colossians 1:16, 17) and we also belong to each other (Romans 12:4, 5).
In closing, Christ talks about the church in Matthew 16:13-19. Christ commends Peter for realizing that He is the Son of the Living God and then Christ says that he will build his church upon the Rock. The Rock is referencing the fact that Christ is the Son of the Living God not Peter. Christ also says that He will build His church. We are simply tools to be used by the Master Builder to bring praise to Him.