1-15-23 Sermon Notes “Remembering Who We Are”

Remembering our identity in Christ is a great way to go into the new year! We started last week by remembering our baptism. We remembered that we are marked in baptism by God’s love, initiated into God’s family, and grafted into the church, the body of Christ. All of that means that we can no longer keep our hearts set on the things that are of the world. That’s not who we are. Instead, we set our hearts on that which nourishes life.

In order to do that, there are some things that have to go. In addition, there are some things that we yearn for. It’s a dynamic of holding on and letting go…not just doing, but being God’s own people. This is how it is described in 1 Peter 2: 1-10…

Therefore, get rid of all ill will and all deceit, pretense, envy, and slander. 2 Instead, like a newborn baby, desire the pure milk of the word. Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation, 3 since you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective it is chosen, valuable. 5 You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Thus it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed. 7 So God honors you who believe. For those who refuse to believe, though, the stone the builders tossed aside has become the capstone.8 This is a stone that makes people stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Because they refuse to believe in the word, they stumble. Indeed, this is the end to which they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. 10 Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Join us this Sunday as we remember who we are: we are disciples who still need to grow; we are living stones built into a spiritual house; we are priests who serve as a bridge from darkness to light. If we know who we are, we’ll know what to do.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Sam

Hymns for Sunday, Jan. 15