June 21 – Father’s Day, 2026
1 Peter 2:4–10
“Driven by Mission”
Overview: Scripture describes the church as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, on a holy mission… to serve as God’s hands and feet in the world. This week we’ll explore what it means to be “on mission” with Jesus through His church.
Memory Verse for the Week:
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.”
Background & Miscellaneous Insights:
- In a change of metaphors, Peter now speaks of individual Christians as living stones from which is built a spiritual temple founded on the “chief corner stone.” This is one of Paul’s favorite illustrations (1 Cor. 3:10-11), and he uses the same Old Testament quotations (2:6-Isa. 28:16 [cf. Rom. 9:33 and Eph. 2:20]; 2:8-Isa. 8:14 [cf. Rom. 9:33]). (W. T Purkiser, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol 11, 186)
- The Greek word for house, oikos, is often used to refer to the temple in Jerusalem. Peter was using words that normally described the activities in the temple to describe God’s new house on earth, the “spiritual house” made up of all believers. (Bruce Barton, 1 2 Peter and Jude, 68)
- It is fitting for Peter to use the analogy of the living stones since Jesus had called him Cephas, which means “a stone” (John 1:42). And it was to Peter that Jesus said, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it’ (Matt. 16:18). And Peter was the human instrument, the rock, that Jesus used to lay the foundation for His Church. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and preached in the streets of Jerusalem on the day of the birth of the church with some three thousand coming to faith in Christ on that very day (Acts 2:1-41). (Paul A. Cedar, James, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, 142)
- All three Synoptic Gospels record that Jesus applied Psalm 118:22 to himself: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17). Peter quotes the Psalmist’s words in Acts 4:11, as well as here and in verse 7. (Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter Jude, 80)
- Using a new metaphor here, Peter employed Old Testament imagery to describe believers’ relationship with God. Believers can constantly come to (or approach) Christ. The words “come to” do not refer to initial salvation, but to constantly drawing near and coming into Christ’s presence. (Bruce Barton, 1 2 Peter and Jude, 66)
What does being “on mission” with Jesus entail?
- Living distinctly.
(Matt. 5:13-16; Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Pet. 1:14-16)
All true Christians are a chosen generation; they make one family, a people distinct from the world: of another spirit, principle, and practice; which they could never be, if they were not chosen in Christ to be such, and sanctified by his Spirit. (Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the NT, 1389)
- Serving sacrificially.
(Ex. 19:5-6; Mark 10:43-45; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:3-8; Heb. 13:15-16)
Worship is not entertainment. Worship is when the people of God lift up their praises, adoration, and affection to God. Just as the priests lifted up the blood offering in the Old Testament, we lift up our reverence and adoration to God in praise. We do not come to church to watch the minister do that. We are all to do it. (R. C. Sproul, 1 2 Peter, 67)
- Belonging completely.
(John 17:20-23; Acts 2:42-47; Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 2:19-22; Phil. 2:1-4; 1 John 1:7)
When we enter into the “in Christ” existence we become one with those who are in Christ. Eternal life is received individually, but it is lived out in community. (Ajith Fernando, The Supremacy of Christ, 183)
What is true for the human body is true for the body of Christ: The various parts cannot exist on their own, but they depend on the life of the whole body. To put it very simply, we need each other. (Phillip Graham Ryken, City on a Hill, 84)
Being a Christian is not an individualistic or isolationist activity. Believing also involves belonging. (Sinclair Ferguson, Devoted to God’s Church, 1)
- Declaring courageously.
(Ps. 96:2-3; Matt. 10:32-33; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16; Col. 4:2-6; 2 Tim. 1:7-8)
Christians were not redeemed just so they could enjoy their redemption and proclaim their own praises; they were redeemed with a special purpose—to glorify and praise the one who has called them out of the darkness of sin and of their hostile surroundings into the light of eternal life. (Bruce Barton, 1 2 Peter and Jude, 74)
How do we become the church Hillsdale needs in light of this?
- Through conviction in our conduct.
(Josh. 24:14-15; Ps. 119:9-11; Matt. 5:16; Eph. 5:8-11; Col. 1:10; Titus 2:11-14)
Each citizen of heaven is a living “advertisement” for the virtues of God and the blessings of the Christian life. Our lives should radiate the “marvelous light” into which God has graciously called us. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Hopeful, 54)
We cannot give what we do not have. We cannot impart values we do not hold. We cannot do until we are. To be the church—our highest calling—depends on understanding the very character of the body of Christ on earth. Only then can we understand what it means to live as the people of God, serving God in today’s world. (Charles Colson, The Body, 33)
Because Christ is supreme, we must constantly trust him and exalt him in our lives. (Bruce Barton, 1 2 Peter and Jude, 71)
- Through commitment in our service.
(Matt. 20:26-28; Luke 9:62; Rom. 12:11; 1 Cor. 15:58; Gal. 6:9-10; Col. 3:23-24)
Jesus said, “I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). If Jesus is committed to the church, should we be any less committed to it? (Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 145)
When Jesus gave the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18—20; cf John 17:18), He was not talking about something that some Christians do in some places; He talking about what every Christian does in every place. (Phillip Graham Ryken, City on a Hill, 144-145)
- Through courage in our witness.
(Josh. 1:9; Ps. 27:1; Isa. 41:10; Matt. 10:19-20; Acts 4:19-20; Eph. 6:19-20; Phil. 1:20)
What the next generation needs is what every generation needs: the kind of caring community that can only be found in the church of Jesus Christ. (Phillip Graham Ryken, City on a Hill, 75)
Here’s the great evangelical disaster—the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word for this—namely, accommodation. (Francis Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Distaster, 37)
Gospel Connection:
Because Christ brought us out of darkness into His light, we now live to make Him known.
(Isa. 9:2; Matt. 4:16; John 1:4-5; 8:12; Acts 26:17-18; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 5:8; Col. 1:13-14)
To every human being, Jesus will either be the chief cornerstone—the very Lord of his or her life—or He will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. We cannot be neutral concerning Jesus. To ignore Him is to reject Him. (Paul A. Cedar, James, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, 141)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions during your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with your friends, family, or Life Group.
- Peter describes believers as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house. What do you think this image teaches us about God’s design for the church?
- Which of the four characteristics of being “on mission” with Jesus do you find most natural: living distinctly, serving sacrificially, belonging completely, or declaring courageously? Which is most challenging for you right now?
- In what ways can Christians be distinct from the world without becoming isolated from the world?
- Peter calls believers a “royal priesthood.” How does that change the way you think about serving God and serving others?
- Can you share a time when someone in the church sacrificially served you or your family? What impact did it have on you?
- Why do you think many Christians today struggle with the idea that believing also involves belonging? What are some barriers that keep people from fully engaging in the life of the church?
- Peter says we are chosen and called “that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” What are some practical ways we can declare Christ’s praises in everyday life?