A CHOSEN GENERATION
Join your Calvary Chapel family on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the main sanctuary or online through our website (www.calvaryinv.com), Facebook, or YouTube (Calvary Inverness). We will gather to exalt Jesus, encourage one another in love, and prepare to share the gospel as we continue our detailed study of 1 Peter (2:6-10).
An outsider—this has been a label placed on God's people from the very beginning. For example, Pharaoh tried to eliminate a Jewish deliverer by ordering the death of all male babies under two, and Herod issued a similar decree when Magi arrived from the East searching for the King of the Jews.
Persecution appeared to grow more severe after Jesus' resurrection, as His followers' numbers expanded into the thousands. The religious leaders despised them, and Rome would not accept them. As their community grew, so did their hardships.
Their perceived crime varied: for the Jews, it was the sin of being God's chosen people; for Christ, it was claiming to be God; and for the church, as Gentiles, it was believing they could reach heaven through faith in Christ.
Peter, a Jewish man, one of the original disciples of Jesus and a leader in the fledgling church, understood that no matter what he or any of the church scattered throughout the Roman Empire could do, they would be unable to change their standing or quell the unquenchable hatred toward them.
The Apostle knew that the hatred and bitterness toward Jews and Christians were Satanic. Later in this letter, he warned God's people to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (5:8-9).
To encourage his readers, Peter reminded them of their identity in Christ. Even though the world would never accept them, they could take heart because they are "A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (2:9-10).
Despite facing suffering and persecution, they will ultimately stand before Lord Jesus Christ not as victims but as victors. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Revelation 12:11). Consider how this promise of eventual victory can motivate you today to stay faithful and hopeful during current struggles.
In His Strong Love,
Pastor
An outsider—this has been a label placed on God's people from the very beginning. For example, Pharaoh tried to eliminate a Jewish deliverer by ordering the death of all male babies under two, and Herod issued a similar decree when Magi arrived from the East searching for the King of the Jews.
Persecution appeared to grow more severe after Jesus' resurrection, as His followers' numbers expanded into the thousands. The religious leaders despised them, and Rome would not accept them. As their community grew, so did their hardships.
Their perceived crime varied: for the Jews, it was the sin of being God's chosen people; for Christ, it was claiming to be God; and for the church, as Gentiles, it was believing they could reach heaven through faith in Christ.
Peter, a Jewish man, one of the original disciples of Jesus and a leader in the fledgling church, understood that no matter what he or any of the church scattered throughout the Roman Empire could do, they would be unable to change their standing or quell the unquenchable hatred toward them.
The Apostle knew that the hatred and bitterness toward Jews and Christians were Satanic. Later in this letter, he warned God's people to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (5:8-9).
To encourage his readers, Peter reminded them of their identity in Christ. Even though the world would never accept them, they could take heart because they are "A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (2:9-10).
Despite facing suffering and persecution, they will ultimately stand before Lord Jesus Christ not as victims but as victors. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Revelation 12:11). Consider how this promise of eventual victory can motivate you today to stay faithful and hopeful during current struggles.
In His Strong Love,
Pastor
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