A People of Hope

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5, ESV) Imagine that you were separated from everything you knew. Gone were friends, family, and familiar surroundings. You would wonder where to find stability and support. You would fear difficulties, wondering if anyone would know or care. I think this is often the reason that, when people immigrate from one country to another, they tend to find people of their own ethnicity to live and work around, for some sense of familiarity and family. In 1 Peter, we are called a people without a country. We are exiles and strangers to this world. Gone is the familiar, replaced with foreign. But God says you are not alone. In fact, not only are you not alone, but you have been called into a new people. A people built with a purpose and plan. This week we will see the People of Hope as we explore 1 Peter 2. Take some time to read through this chapter and pick out all the different titles used to identify God's people. And this Sunday, Kevin will be opening this section of scripture to us.