God’s Commitment Day

This is the manuscript of the first sermon in the series "Stewardship is Everything"

Many churches have or use to have what they call an annual commitment day.  It was usually connected with giving. People would commit to give a certain amount monthly or annually. That is good planning tool but, in my opinion, the only reason that churches can dare ask people to make a commitment of their lives to God is because God has already made a commitment to us. His commitment day was marked by weeping and sorrow, darkness, and angry curses. During all the pain of a Roman crucifixion, God committed himself to us.

1 Peter 2:9 AMPC But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 

For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript.

Scripture Reading: 

1 Peter 2:1‭-‬10 NIV Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 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. 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.

Text: 

1 Peter 2:9 AMPC But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 

 

Introduction

Many churches have or use to have what they call an annual commitment day.  It was usually connected with giving. People would commit to give a certain amount monthly or annually. That is good planning tool but, in my opinion, the only reason that churches can dare ask people to make a commitment of their lives to God is because God has already made a commitment to us. His commitment day was marked by weeping and sorrow, darkness, and angry curses. During all the pain of a Roman crucifixion, God committed himself to us.

Our text today was directed to a people who had been scattered by the persecution of the Roman government. The writer, Peter, was giving encouragement and direction to the believers who were living in exile.

In chapter one he says.

1 Peter 1:1‭-‬2 NIV Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

1 Peter 1:6 NIV In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

1 Peter 1:17 NIV Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

In chapter 2 he writes 

1 Peter 2:11 NIV Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

Then in chapter 4

1 Peter 4:12‭-‬19 NIV Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

These early Christians were living in fear for their lives. They needed to know that God had made a commitment to them.

 

I. These were people who belonged to God.

A. In the midst of the terror and loneliness of exile, it must have been a great encouragement to know they were “God’s own people”—that they belonged to him. The King James Version translates our text like this.

1 Peter 2:9 KJV 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 marvellous light:

It says that people chosen by God and who God has made a commitment to are “a peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9). The old Latin word translated "peculiar" is "peculium" and it referred to property. So the proper translation is not that they were an odd people but that they were people who were God’s property.  Being God’s property doesn't mean you are a slave because God is our Father not a slave master.   It means that He is responsible for your protection, your life, your wellbeing your peace.

God is still committed to His people today.

There's a story about a small boy who was found on a busy city street.  He was dirty and obviously lost. A kind man stopped to see if he could help. When he asked the little boy who he belonged to, the little boy looked up with defiance, angry and hurt and replied, “I ain’t nobody’s nothing!”

We may know many kinds of pain, but we never have to experience the pain of believing they are “nobody’s nothing,” because we are God’s peculiar people, we belong to him.

B. Some people however do not belong to God. 

To say, “You are God’s people,” is to remind us that though some are God’s people, everybody is not. Some people don't belong to him. That doesn't mean that they were not created by God or that he doesn't love them. It simply means that some are not willing to come to him. God’s love is not exclusive about race, social status, or nationality He will accept and call everybody to become part of His family and be included, but some people are not willing to accept his love. We talked about that in a sermon a few months ago when we talked about Jesus telling us to "not throw our pearls to pigs"

Matthew 7:6 NIV “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

We are to share the gospel, but, when it becomes apparent that the gospel is not welcome, we are to move on. We are responsible to share the good news; we are not responsible for people’s response to the good news. 

People may go to hell unsaved, but they can never go unloved. We can all be God’s people. But we must be willing to respond to him.

John 3:16‭-‬18 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

 

II. To show that God has committed himself to his people He didn’t send a substitute to do what he had to do himself. 

If he had remained only God, he could not have touched us because to Him our righteousness is as filthy rags. 

Isaiah 64:5‭-‬7 NIV You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins.

If he had been only man, he could not have saved us. So He had to be both God and man.  No  substitute could take his place it had to be God Almighty who is God the Father, God the Son,  and God the Holy Spirit. 

Hebrews 1:1‭-‬4 NIV In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

He didn’t send an angel to save his people either. Angels are messengers of God and they move at his will to speak urgent words to his people, but they could not die for the redemption of mankind.

Hebrews 2:5‭-‬9 NIV It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Hebrews 2:14‭-‬15 NIV Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

A president can send ambassadors to plead the cause of his country. Though they often can be highly effective, if the president himself chooses to go, the whole world stands at attention.   We saw a little of this last week when President Biden went abroad for meetings last week.

Is it any wonder, then, that when the God who gave himself asks for our commitment, he asks us and not a substitute.

There's the story of Miles Standish who sent John Alden 

plead for the beautiful Priscilla's hand in marriage. It is reported that she said, “Speak for yourself, John.” She gave her love to the one who came himself not the substitute. 

 

III. God has committed himself to his people so they may declare His praises 

1 Peter 2:9 NIV 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.

Verse 9 clearly says that God has chosen us that we may declare the strong, virtuous, or wonderful deeds of our Savior. 

God’s action always has a purpose. He does not save us simply to count us. He calls us to be his people so that we may share aloud the glory of his deeds done on our behalf and the radiance of the light that has penetrated our darkness.

Last week we talked God's light radiating through us giving His guidance to the world. 

A. We are to declare God’s wonderful deeds (v. 9). 

The deeds we praise are God’s creation of the world and everything in it; the coming of Jesus, God’s Son, our Savior, born to save his people from their sins; the death and resurrection of Jesus, who is our hope of eternal life; the building of a new people, the church “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people”; and the anticipation of the final act when Christ will return to call his people to the fulfillment of the kingdom of God.  These are the deeds we are to declare. 

When the power of those mighty deeds surges through our hearts by the Holy Spirit, we can witness to a cynical world with voices and lives that are expressions of the joy and victory that He has given us.   

B. We are to make our bold declaration with humility and amazement. We can't declare the glory of God’s deeds or the radiance of his light if we draw circles around our own religious, racial, or economic groups. We must never yield to the easy call to speak only to those who are like us. 

2 Peter 3:9 NIV The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God’s commitment to us at Calvary is that He has given the opportunity for all who believe to become the children of God.  

John 1:9‭-‬13 NIV The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

 

Conclusion

Because God has committed himself fully to you, he can call you to commit your whole life to him—your tithes, abilities, and time. He has held nothing back. He gave himself wholly that you might be his people. 

He now calls you to commit yourself to declare his wonderful deeds and marvelous light to a world in darkness. He has come that you might go; he has loved you that you might love; he has given that you might give. Our commitment, therefore, is both our privilege and our responsibility. The one question that remains is: Will we permit God’s commitment to us shape the nature of our commitment to Him?  We are going to talk about that over the next few weeks. 

Sermon Audio