This is Who We Are!

Text: 1 Peter 2:9

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Before God ever grows a church, He defines its identity.

We are not just here,  we are chosen for a divine purpose.

Identity always comes before growth.

THE CALLING OF THE CHOSEN

1 Peter 2:9 begins with identity: “Ye are a chosen generation.”

Before God gives a mission, He gives meaning.

Before He sends, He names.

• God didn’t choose us because we were perfect, He chose us because He had a plan.
• The calling of the chosen always begins with grace, not greatness.
• When you know who you are, you stop living by what others call you. Gideon was chosen and called mighty while hiding in fear.

Scripture: Ephesians 1:4 – “He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.”

You are not an accident of attendance, you are a result of assignment.

We don’t just attend church; we are allied to be the church, chosen to reveal His Glory in this city.

THE CHARACTER OF THE CHOSEN

Peter says we are “a royal priesthood.”

Royalty speaks of authority.

Priesthood speaks of access.

We carry both.

• We have authority to pray, to intercede, and to declare the works of God.
• We have access to His presence, not through ritual, but through relationship.
• We don’t beg for mercy, we stand in covenant.

When you pray, you are not hoping to be heard, you have already been chosen to be heard.

Key verse: Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace…”

THE CONSECRATION OF THE CHOSEN

Peter continues: “a holy nation.”

Holiness is not isolation, it’s dedication.

We are set apart unto God so He can send us into the world.

• Holiness forms identity before God gives influence.
• Separation protects what God intends to multiply.
• The world is not changed by a church that imitates it but by a church that reflects Christ.

Key verse: 2 Corinthians 6:17 – “Come out from among them, and be ye separate…”

THE CONFIDENCE OF THE CHOSEN

Finally, Peter says we are “a peculiar people.”

That doesn’t mean odd,  it means owned.

We are a people of possession, purchased and preserved by God Himself.

• God doesn’t collect junk; He collects treasures.
• The mark of being chosen is not perfection but belonging.
• What God owns, He protects. What He calls, He equips.

A shepherd marks his sheep not to harm them but to identify them.

God’s mark is your protection, not your punishment.

THE COMMISSION OF THE CHOSEN

“…that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Chosen people don’t hide, they shine.

Chosen churches don’t survive, they serve.

Chosen believers don’t compete, they complete the mission.

• We were not chosen just to gather, but to go.
• Not chosen for comfort, but for calling.
• Not chosen to be seen, but to make Him seen.

Key verse: Matthew 5:14 – “Ye are the light of the world.”

Our identity fuels our mission.

If we forget who we are, we’ll forget what we’re here to do.

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Key Takeaways

• Before God adds to the church, He defines the church.
• Before He sends us out, He settles who we are.
• You are chosen, not because you’re perfect, but because He’s purposeful.
• You are chosen, not for convenience, but for calling.
• You are chosen, to walk out of every tomb the world said you’d stay in.