Briefing on “A People Belonging to God” by Pastor Joy Matos

Executive Summary

This document synthesizes the core themes of a sermon by Pastor Joy Matos, centered on the scripture 1 Peter 2:9-12. The central argument posits that a believer’s identity is fundamentally redefined in Christ, superseding all worldly affiliations. This new identity is articulated through four key descriptions from scripture: “a chosen people,” “a royal priesthood,” “a holy nation,” and “a people belonging to God.” Pastor Matos elaborates on these identities, explaining their historical roots in the Old Testament and their fulfillment through Jesus Christ. The sermon contends that this divinely-given status is a gift of grace, offered to individuals without any prerequisite of self-improvement. Consequently, this new identity carries a profound ethical imperative: believers are called to live transformed lives, abstaining from worldly desires and acting as “aliens and strangers” whose good deeds serve as a witness to the world, ultimately glorifying God. The church, therefore, has a missional purpose to be a collective reflection of God’s character and wisdom.

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1. Central Thesis: Redefining Identity through Christ

The sermon’s foundational argument is that membership in the body of Christ provides believers with a paramount identity that is “very important” to God, far surpassing the prestige of secular affiliations.

• Contrast with Worldly Affiliations: Pastor Matos begins by noting the pride people take in their associations, citing examples such as being a descendant of a Mayflower pilgrim, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the U.S. Senate, or the Patriots football team.
• The Under-Appreciated Identity: In contrast, she observes that most people do not feel a similar sense of pride or public excitement about their church membership, often taking it for granted.
• The Divine Perspective: The sermon asserts that despite this worldly view, “membership that we can lay claim to as the body of Christ” is one that “almighty God deems very important.” The core of the message is to unpack what this membership means and who it makes believers into, according to scripture.

2. The Fourfold Identity of Believers (1 Peter 2:9)

The sermon is structured around the four descriptions of the church found in 1 Peter 2:9. These titles, originally applied to the people of Israel in the Old Testament, are now given to the church through Jesus Christ after Israel “strayed from their calling.”

2.1. A Chosen People

• Historical Context: This description was first given to Israel, as stated in Deuteronomy 7:6: “The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.”
• New Covenant Application: Through Jesus, this identity is now bestowed upon the church. The Apostle Paul is quoted from Ephesians: “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters in Christ Jesus.”
• Analogy of Adoption: The pastor emphasizes the intentionality of this identity using the analogy of adoption, where parents specifically choose a child. Believers are described as being chosen by God and thus are “the apple of his eye.”

2.2. A Royal Priesthood

• A Unique Combination: This phrase is described as a “weird combination” because in the Old Testament, the roles of royalty and priesthood were distinct and held by different lineages.
  • Royalty: Associated with kings and queens, specifically descendants of King David from the tribe of Judah.
  • Priesthood: Associated with service in the temple, held by descendants of the tribe of Levi.
• Unification in Christ: Jesus is presented as the “first king priest,” uniting these two roles. As king, he reigns; as priest, “he intercedes for us” in heaven.
• Implications for Believers:
  • Royalty: As “God’s children,” believers are of “royal descent” and are “children of the king.” The pastor uses the personal example of a crown charm on her bracelet as a reminder of this status, urging congregants not to feel like “nothing” because they are royalty.
  • Priesthood: Believers now have the privilege of approaching God directly through prayer (“going before the throne of grace”). This direct access eliminates the need for intermediaries, a system required in the Old Testament where priests made sacrifices on behalf of the people. This privilege is made possible by “Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.”

2.3. A People Belonging to God

• A Fundamental Transformation: This identity marks a complete change from a believer’s former state. 1 Peter 2:10 is cited: “Once you weren’t a people, but now you’re the people of God.”
• Past State of Sin: The sermon quotes extensively from Ephesians to describe the previous condition of believers as being “dead in your transgressions and sins,” following “the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Satan). They were “by nature objects of wrath.”
• The Grace of God: The key theological point is that God acted out of “great love” and “rich mercy” to make believers “alive in Christ” even while they were dead in sin.
  • No “Clean-Up” Required: This refutes the idea that individuals must “clean up their act before they come to Christ.” God “didn’t wait for us to clean up our acts for us to be good enough.”
  • A New Position: God “raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms,” placing believers in a position they do not naturally deserve or feel worthy of.

3. The Ethical Imperative: Living Up to the New Identity

After establishing the new identity given by God, the sermon pivots to the required response. While God did not require good works beforehand, He now “requires that we live up to his name.”

• The Call to a New Lifestyle:
  • Believers are urged to “abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
  • This is described as a “tall order,” but one that believers do not face alone, as they are “filled with the Holy Spirit who helps us.”
  • A passage from Galatians 5 is used to illustrate “living according to the flesh,” citing the example of ancient churches where members were “biting and devouring each other.” The alternative is to “live by the spirit of God.”
• Living as “Aliens and Strangers”:
  • Peter’s instruction to “live such good lives among the pagans” is applied to the modern context. The goal is that non-believers “may see your good deeds and glorify God.”
  • This world is not the believer’s “true home.” This requires a conscious detachment from worldly things.
  • A warning is issued against becoming too comfortable or allowing worldly things to take first place over God: “homes, our cars… our jobs, our bank accounts, our investment… portfolio… IRA, 401ks.”

4. The Missional Purpose of the Church

The final theme is the collective responsibility of the church to be a witness to the world, reflecting the God to whom they belong.

• Being a Reflection of God: The world “need[s] to see what the church who the church really is.” The church is called to be “God’s hands, God’s feet, God’s mouthpieces.”
• Healing and Relationships: The pastor notes positive evidence of this calling being lived out in the congregation, citing “relationships were mended” following a study on “conflict transformation.” The sermon emphasizes that “the relationships we have with one another will last forever.”
• A Cosmic Witness: The purpose of the church extends beyond the earthly realm. Quoting Ephesians 3:10, the sermon concludes that “God’s intent was that now through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”
• Call to Action: The closing prayer is a call for the congregation to live up to this high calling, for God to be glorified in and through them, and for the Holy Spirit to work in them to “show forth your goodness, your grace… your love to the world around us.”

5. Key Scriptural References and Quotations

Scripture Reference	Key Concept / Message	Notable Sermon Quote
1 Peter 2:9-12	The foundational text defining the believer’s fourfold identity and the resulting call to live as witnesses in the world.	“I think it would behoove us to look at First Peter 2:9 from time to time to be reminded of who God how God sees us who we are so that then we too could live up to the calling of God.”
Deuteronomy 7:6	The original application of the title “chosen people” to the nation of Israel.	“All these descriptions were first how God described… The people of Israel.”
Ephesians	Cited multiple times to explain the concepts of being chosen by God before creation, the believer’s past life in sin, and God’s grace in making them alive in Christ.	“He chose us in him before the creation of the world… God who is rich in mercy made us alive in Christ… even when we were dead in transgressions.”
Galatians 5:15, 19	Used to illustrate the “desires of our sinful nature” (the flesh) versus living by the Spirit, with a specific reference to internal church conflict.	“If you keep on biting and devouring each other watch out… thousands of years ago there were still churches where people .. were at odds with each other.”
Ephesians 3:10	The sermon’s concluding verse, highlighting the cosmic purpose of the church to display God’s wisdom.	“It was God’s purpose that through the church God’s manifold wisdom would be shown not just here on earth but in the heavenlies. Are we living up to that calling?”