Like a City Set on a Hill

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I don’t usually give you the takeaway of a lesson up front, preferring to spring it on you at some point unexpected in each lesson.

But as you are about to hear in this PODCAST, given the fact that there are two takeaways tonight, I’ll give them to you upfront, at the very beginning.

Takeaway #1. You really are some-one and some-thing special.
Takeaway #2. Jesus truly is gentle, and His burden really is light.

Meaning that we have one singular sublime and simple purpose.

Meaning that victorious, effective, God-pleasing Christian living is not difficult, nor is it complicated.

If you are ever tempted to feel as though the Christian life is a heavy burden, then this is for you!

Let’s begin by looking at 1 Peter 2:8-10,

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

With these words, Peter paints a wonderful, straightforward five-fold picture of who you are as a follower of Jesus Christ.

You are a chosen people, hand picked by God. Some use the word “elect”. Not only that, but we are a chosen PEOPLE or “race”… ONE RACE – multi-ethnic, multi-generational – in which there are no divisions. We may have disagreements, of course, but we stand undivided.

You are a royal priesthood. This means that we are here to confer God’s blessing on others.

You are a HOLY nation. You are a unified, chosen tribe be set apart for the specific purpose.

You are God’s special possession. You’re greatly valued and enormously priced.

You are THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

That’s who you are!

Not because you deserve it or could possibly earn it. But, solely as a manifestation of God’s matchless mercy.

But what does that mean? How should we live up to this identity? What does it look like to live a God-pleasing life?

As Peter says: “declare the praises of God, who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

Peter is echoing Jesus, when He said these words during His Sermon on the Mount:

14 You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Now, what is the very first thing that God is quoted as saying in the Bible?

“Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3)

In the first 18 verses of the Bible, “light” is mentioned ten times. Then, in the very final chapter of the Bible, we read this:

The Lord God will be their light. (Revelation 22:5)

Without a doubt, the concept of light is important in God’s economy and message to us.

So, when Jesus tells us to let our good works – our BEAUTIFUL works – shine as a light to people, giving glory to God each and every day!

(This podcast is by Dewey Bertolini. discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)