Exiles – 1 Peter 2:9-10

Exiles – Week 5

• Let me ask you something this morning:
• Who are you?
• What are you building your life on?
• Where do you look for security?
• What do you count on to last?
• Because if we’re honest,
• So much of what we cling to
• Success, health, politics, relationships
• It’s all feels fragile.
• And this past week has reminded us
• Just how fragile life can be.
• Because in light of this past week’s events,
• We’re reminded again
• Why this series on living as exiles matters.
• The assassination of Charlie Kirk,
• Another school shooting in Colorado,
• And the brutal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina
• Have shaken us.
• These stories remind us
• That the world is not as it should be.
• It’s fragile,
• Hostile,
• And fading.
• People are looking for answers,
• For stability,
• For something that lasts.
• They are not finding it in the world or the church
• Because both our fractured and lack unity
• What they and we need to see
• It is never going to be found in an institution
• It is only found in Jesus!

Prayer

• Read with me

1 Peter 2:9-10

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

• As I said before, we prayed
• People are looking for answers,
• For stability,
• For something that lasts
• That’s exactly what Peter is speaking to in our passage today.
• He’s writing to scattered believers
• Who were living as exiles in a hostile world,
• And he reminds them:
• You have a new identity, a new calling, and a new story.
• And church, the same is true for us today.

Here’s the big idea for today:

God is building us together as His chosen people, to declare His excellencies and shine His light in a dark world.

• Here is how we are going to discover this today
• In what I am calling three movements

Sermon Movements (3 Points):

1. Our New Identity in Christ (v. 9a)
2. Our New Calling: To Proclaim His Praises (v. 9b)
3. Our New Story: Mercy People (v. 10)

• So let’s begin with where Peter begins — who we are.
• Because if we don’t understand who we are in Christ,
• We’ll never understand what we’re here for.

Movement 1: Our New Identity in Christ (1 Peter 2:9a)

1 Peter 2:9a (CSB) says:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession…”

• Notice how Peter starts:
• But you.
• In verses 4-8
• He’s just been talking about those who rejected Christ
• Those who stumble because they disobey the Word.
• But then he pivots: But you.
• You who believe in Christ.
• You who have come to Him, the Living Stone.
• Your story is different.
• And then he piles up these four massive identity markers.
• Each one is worth slowing down for,
• Because they answer the question we started with: Who are you?

“A chosen race”

• The word “chosen” here (Greek: eklekton)
• Means handpicked,
• Selected out of many for a purpose.
• This isn’t about favoritism,
• As if God picked you
• Because you were better than someone else.
• It’s about grace.
• God set His love on you before you ever set your love on Him.

Romans 5:8

⁸ But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

• The word “race” (genos)
• Means family, lineage, offspring.
• So when Peter says “chosen race,”
• He’s saying:
• God has created a brand-new family line
• Not defined by ethnicity,
• But by faith in Jesus.
• You’ve been reborn into His family.
• This means your deepest identity
• Is not white or black,
• American or immigrant,
• Rich or poor.
• Your truest identity is “chosen by God.
• Then he calls us

“A royal priesthood”

• Now, for those new to faith,
• We need to slow down here.
• In the Old Testament,
• Priests were the go-betweens.
• They offered sacrifices on behalf of the people.
• They stood in the gap
• Between God’s holiness and the people’s sin.
• Only priests could enter the holy places in the temple.
• But Peter says now in Christ you are a priest.
• Not just some of you.
• Not just pastors or missionaries.
• Every believer is a priest.
• And not only priests — but royal priests.
• The word “royal” (basileion) ties us to the King Himself.
• We serve the King of kings, and we belong to His kingdom.

Romans 12:1 helps us here:

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

• So what does it mean to be a royal priest?
• It means
• That every moment of your life
• Is an offering to God.
• Your prayers rise like incense.
• Your obedience is worship.
• Your whole life is service before the throne.
• And here’s the breathtaking difference Jesus makes:
• In the Old Testament,
• Priests could only enter God’s most holy place once a year,
• And only with the blood of a sacrifice.
• But now, because of Jesus
• Our Great High Priest
• We have daily access.
• Check it out

Hebrews 4:14–16 says,

“Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

• As royal priests,
• We don’t come once a year with fear and trembling.
• We come every day with boldness and confidence,
• Knowing that Jesus has opened the way.
• Grace is our access.
• Mercy is our covering.
• And God welcomes us into His presence as His children.
• Then he calls us

“A holy nation”

• The word “holy” (hagios) means set apart,
• Different,
• Pure.
• And “nation” (ethnos) doesn’t mean one country on a map;
• It means a people group, a community.
• So Peter is saying:
• God has set apart a new people.
• Our laws are different.
• Our values are different.
• Our allegiance is different.
• We live under the rule of a King
• Whose ways are not the ways of this world.
• This is why we often feel like exiles.
• We don’t fully fit into the categories of this world,
• Because, as Paul reminds us in

Philippians 3:20

²⁰ Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Next he calls us

“A people for his possession”

• This phrase is beautiful.
• The word for “possession” (peripoiēsis)
• Literally means “a people acquired, purchased.”
• It points back to the cross.
• Paul says in

1 Corinthians 6:19–20,

¹⁹ Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

²⁰ for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

• So what is Peter saying?
• You belong to God.
• You are His treasured possession.
• Not an afterthought.
• Not a burden.
• A prize that He gladly purchased with the blood of His Son.

Put all of that together: Who are you?

• You are chosen — loved by God before the foundation of the world.
• You are royal priests — given access to God and called to offer your whole life as worship.
• You are holy — set apart to reflect His character.
• You are His possession — belonging fully and securely to Him.
• Church,
• Do you see what Peter is doing?
• He’s telling these scattered, struggling exiles:
• The world may say you don’t belong,
• But in Christ, you belong more deeply than you ever imagined.
• You see,
• Peter doesn’t stop with just reminding us who we are.
• Identity is never an end in itself.
• Identity always leads to purpose.
• Think about it:
• If you know you’re chosen, royal, holy, and God’s possession
• That changes how you live.
• It moves you from insecurity to confidence,
• From wandering to direction,
• From silence to proclamation.
• And that’s exactly where Peter goes next.
• He says your new identity comes with a new calling:
• Which brings us to movement 2

Movement 2: Our New Calling: To Proclaim His Praises (1 Peter 2:9b)

1 Peter 2:9b (CSB):
“…so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

• Notice the little phrase so that.
• That’s purpose language.
• Peter isn’t just telling us who we are;
• He’s telling us why.
• Our identity always comes with purpose.
• You weren’t chosen just to sit comfortably.
• You weren’t made into a royal priesthood just to have a nice title.
• You weren’t made holy just to feel different.
• You were chosen for something.

And here it is: to proclaim the excellencies of God.

What does “excellencies” mean?

• The Greek word here is aretas,
• Which means virtues, praises, or excellencies.
• It’s a word used in Greek culture to describe
• The highest qualities of a person
• Their nobility,
• Their moral greatness,
• Their unique worth.
• So Peter is saying:
• The reason you exist as God’s people
• Is to show the world how excellent He is.
• To tell the world His virtues.
• To sing His praises.
• This means evangelism isn’t just a task for a few;
• It’s the purpose of every believer.
• You exist to proclaim.
• With your lips, yes.
• But also with your life.
• Your holiness,
• Your love,
• Your endurance all proclaim to the world,
• “Look how good my God is!”
• Then he says

“Called out of darkness into His marvelous light”

• Peter grounds this purpose in your story.
• You don’t proclaim God’s excellencies in the abstract.
• You proclaim them because you’ve experienced them.
• He says, “He called you out of darkness.”
• Darkness in the Bible is shorthand
• For sin,
• Ignorance,
• Confusion,
• Death.
• That’s where we all started.
• Lost, blind, stumbling.
• But God didn’t leave you there.
• He called you out
• That’s the language of rescue.
• The gospel is God’s voice
• Breaking into your darkness saying, “Come to the light!”
• And notice what kind of light it is:
• Marvelous light.
• The word means wonderful,
• Astonishing,
• Breathtaking.
• It’s the light of forgiveness
• When you knew only shame.
• The light of freedom
• When you felt chained.
• The light of hope
• When you were despairing.
• The light of Christ Himself,
• The Light of the World (John 8:12).
• So then

How do we proclaim?

• With our words —
• Telling others what God has done.
• Sharing the gospel.
• Speaking of His goodness.
• With our worship —
• Singing, Praying, lifting high His name.
• With our works —
• living in such a way
• That people see our good deeds and glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

In other words: your life is meant to be a loudspeaker for God’s glory.

• Think about your daily routine this week.
• At work.
• In your neighborhood.
• With your family.
• You will have moments
• Where you can either blend into the darkness
• Or shine the light of Christ.
• When you choose integrity over compromise
• You proclaim His excellencies.
• When you forgive instead of holding a grudge
• You proclaim His excellencies.
• When you speak of Jesus with humility and courage
• You proclaim His excellencies.
• When you love in a way the world can’t explain
• You proclaim His excellencies.
• John Piper said it best
• Don’t waste your life…You have something worth while to do
• Go and Proclaim Jesus
• So this week,
• As you live out your faith,
• Remember:
• You don’t need to have all the answers.
• You don’t have to be a theologian.
• You just need to be ready to share the hope you’ve found
• You just need to know your story of darkness to light
• And point people to Jesus.
• So do you see the flow so far?
• Peter says: Here’s who you are
• A chosen race,
• A royal priesthood,
• A holy nation,
• A people for God’s possession.
• And here’s why you are
• To proclaim the excellencies of the God who saved you.
• But then in verse 10
• He takes it even further.
• He reminds us of our past and our present.
• He says, “Don’t forget who you once were,
• And don’t forget who you are now.”
• That’s where we go next.

Movement 3: Our New Story: Mercy People (v. 10)

1 Peter 2:10 (CSB): “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

• Peter drives home the contrast in verse 10
• By reminding us of our past and present.

“Once you were not a people”

• Apart from Christ,
• We were isolated,
• Without identity,
• Without belonging.
• Like spiritual orphans,
• Cut off from God and His promises.
• But then he says,

“now you are God’s people”

• In Christ,
• We’ve been gathered into a family,
• Given a name,
• Given a place to belong.
• This is covenant language.
• In the Old Testament,
• Israel was called

“my people.”

• They were chosen,
• Redeemed,
• And marked by God’s mercy.
• But Peter takes those words and applies them to the church
• Jews and Gentiles together
• Saying,
• That’s you now.
• You’re God’s people.
• Then he adds:

“You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

• Mercy means God didn’t give us the judgment we deserved.
• It means forgiveness instead of wrath,
• Restoration instead of rejection,
• Life instead of death.
• This is who we are at the core:
• A people made by mercy.
• And notice how Peter frames it

“once … but now.”

• That’s the story of every Christian.
• Once, we were wandering in darkness,
• Enslaved to sin,
• Separated from God.
• But now,
• Because of Jesus,
• We are His people,
• Marked forever by His mercy.
• This truth grounds us as exiles.
• When the world tells us we don’t belong,
• God says,

“You belong to Me.”

• When the culture says you’re nothing,
• God says,

“You are Mine.”

• When shame tells you you’ll never be enough,
• Mercy speaks louder:

“You are covered, cleansed, accepted in Christ.”

• So, what does this mean practically?
• It means
• That mercy should shape the way we live
• And the way we treat others.
• If we are a people of mercy,
• Then bitterness and grudges don’t belong in us.
• If we are a people of mercy,
• Then forgiveness should flow from us.
• If we are a people of mercy,
• Then humility should mark our words and actions.
• When we truly grasp that we have received mercy,
• We can’t withhold it from others.
• Mercy received becomes mercy displayed.
• This also changes how we see ourselves.
• In a world obsessed with achievement and performance,
• Our identity isn’t in what we do,
• But in what God has done.
• We belong because of mercy, not merit.
• That frees us from the endless treadmill
• Of trying to prove ourselves
• And invites us into rest, gratitude, and worship.

So let’s step back and see the whole picture.

• Peter has shown us who we are in Christ:
• We are a chosen race
• God picked us,
• Not because of our merit,
• But because of His grace.
• We are a royal priesthood
• Not kept at a distance,
• But welcomed daily into His presence,
• Through the blood of Jesus,
• Our great High Priest.
• We are a people of mercy
• Once lost,
• Now found;
• Once condemned,
• Now forgiven.
• This is our identity as exiles.
• Not defined by this world,
• But by the God who called us
• Out of darkness into His marvelous light.
• And notice
• All of this
• Is not just for us to keep tucked away privately.
• Peter says God gave us this identity
• So that we may declare His excellencies.
• That word “declare”
• Means to proclaim, to announce, to put on display.
• Our lives are meant to be living billboards of God’s greatness,
• Pointing people to Jesus.
• But here is what I know and have learned about us as Christians
• It is not natural for us to be proclaimers
• To step up and out of our comfort zones to share Jesus
• Yet as we have heard and seen today
• Now more than ever does the world around us need Jesus
• We must let this truth sink deep
• Your family
• Your Friends
• Your Neighbors
• Your co-workers – The ones you like and the ones you don’t
• All of these and more
• Are going to hell without Jesus
• Though the Apostle Paul
• Jesus says it this way:

Romans 10:14-15

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

• So then what do we do?
• If we know it does not come naturally
• And yet we know the only way they hear is if we go
• How do we fix this?
• It’s time to Pray!
• What do I mean?
• It was through Prayer
• That Jesus gave his followers what they needed
• To be bold enough to share the Gospel
• With a lost and dying world around them
• Let me show you

Acts 1:1-3

1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach

² until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

³ After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

• They had a revelation of Jesus by the Holy Spirit
• But the revelation was not enough to make them Bold to share the Gospel

Acts 1:4-8

⁴ While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about;

⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”

⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

• He gave them a command to wait for what they needed
• What did he say they needed?
• The Power to be witnesses
• How did he tell them they would get?
• When the Holy Spirit Comes on them
• Or when the Holy Spirit Supervene’s them
• Supervene means- An Action that takes place in such a way that it changes the situation
• What needed to change about their situation
• From fear to Boldness to witness
• The scripture then tells us that the waiting was a prayer meeting

Acts 1:12-14

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away.

¹³ When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

¹⁴ They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

• What happened when they Prayed?

Acts 2:1-11

² Suddenly, a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.

³ They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them.

⁴ Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

• The scripture goes on to describe a supernatural event where they spoke in languages they did not know
• But those around them from other countries could understand them
• These verses tell us that
• Their prayers were answered
• God did what he said he would do
• God showed up and gave them Boldness to proclaim the Gospel
• How do we know?

Acts 2:14

¹⁴ Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words.

• God, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, caused Peter to do something he could not do in himself
• Remember the last time Peter tried to do something for Jesus, he denied him
• Look at what God does
• 1. He stood up – to make to stand
• 2. He raised his voice – To exalt – Exalt who – Jesus!
• 3. He proclaimed to them-
• What was he proclaiming?

1 Peter 2:9b (CSB):
“…so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

• And then look what happened

Acts 2:37-41

³⁷ When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!”

⁴¹ So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

• People Got Saved
• Lost People Turned to Jesus
• The only way we are going to See People Saved and not go to hell
• Is by the Power of the Holy Spirit
• Church, it is time to pray!
• (Explain: Invite to the prayer meeting)
• God called us to it
• Will we obey?
• Can we remain comfortable with a lost world around us?
• How will you respond?
• Will you join me?