Rise Daily: April 28

Rise Daily: April 28

THIS WEEK’S THEME & PASSAGE

A Movement – 1 Peter 2:4-12

This week’s sermon from the series “Where We are Going: The City and the Mission“

THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE

Memorizing scripture is a way to keep God’s word close to our hearts. Each week we will select one verse of scripture to remember as a community.

1 Peter 2:9

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

THE WORD

Each day’s devotion will focus on one part of the week’s passage.

1 Peter 2:9 (same as this week’s memory verse)

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

MEDITATION ON THE WORD

In our busyness and distraction, it is easy to skim through our reading rather than taking it in. Yet we believe this is the inspired word of God. Take a moment to pause, thank God for the scriptures and ask him to speak to you through them today.

We continue today to consider the apostle Peter’s description of the Church at the dawn of Christianity as a movement. Peter draws from God’s word to his people in Exodus 19:5-6a, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Peter is therefore speaking to the Church collectively, not as individuals. This is significant. In describing Christians as a ”holy nation” the emphasis is on what they are together, and the particular focus regards their “holy” status.

To be holy means to be set apart: set apart by someone for some reason. The someone in this case is obviously God (they are his possession), and the reason for being set apart is given in the context: “that [Christians] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

How does the Church proclaim the excellencies of God? Certainly by proclaiming his gospel outwardly to the world: that through the sacrifice of his Son on the cross, there is the means of reconciliation between God and humankind. But there is more. The key focus of the letter from which today’s passage is taken concerns the conduct of Christians in a world hostile to them.

For Christians to bless their enemies is a command of Christ. It was also the manner of Christ. From the cross, Jesus implored the Father to forgive those who were torturing and killing him. One who was complicit in those offenses was a certain Roman Centurion who heard Jesus utter that prayer. Seeing the gracious manner in which Jesus died, he proclaimed his excellencies saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54; cf. Luke 23:47).

When the community of Christians reflects the kind of loving self-sacrifice that their Lord embodied, their conduct sets them apart. Light overcomes darkness. The excellencies of God are proclaimed.

THIS WEEK’S RISE REFLECTION

Far more than a campaign about money, this season is an invitation to be part of what we believe God longs to do in bringing flourishing to all–starting with you and stretching across the city. How will you answer this call?  Will you take this opportunity to invest yourself more meaningfully in this vision for gospel renewal for New York City?
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” – Isaiah 6:8

TODAY’S PRAYER

For your Heart: Pray that God would work holiness in your heart. Pray that God would help you to seek holiness in a world that may be hostile to us

For your Church: Pray that our church would collectively seek holiness and the loving self-sacrifice that Christ embodied. Pray that our church our love for each other, and the embracing of all, would set us apart.

For our City: Pray for the many in our city who don’t know the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Pray for friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers to come to know the freedom and joy in being reconciled to God through Christ.