Hey y'all, you're listening to the Join the Journey podcast.

To learn more about today's reading or to read along with us, check out jointhejourney.com.

Hey, y'all, glad you're choosing to join the journey today.

I'm Trevor Evans, and I have the privilege of serving Gather and Oasis, our single adult ministries here at Watermark.

A few months ago ago I taught on this

passage we're looking at today, which is 1st Peter 2, and I want to take a short portion of what I

shared with them and share it with you, because when I think about what we're going to talk about,

I get really encouraged, which is a huge reason Peter wrote this letter. His aim is to encourage believers dispersed throughout

the world and spur them on to endure during a time of persecution and suffering, all coming from a man

who had been thoroughly persecuted, put through the ringer, beaten, punish, jailed, and this is coming

from his pen, his words. And where I want to spend time is in verse 9,

and this is what it says. 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 caused you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

And there are two things that I want us to focus on today.

The fact that you have direct access to the Holy God of the universe and that you have a purpose.

Zoom in on those first few words.

Chosen race, royal priesthood,

a holy nation, people for his own possession.

When you think about what is a royal priesthood?

Well, a priest was someone from the tribe of Levi in the line of Aaron.

And once a year on the Day of Atonement,

the high priest would go through all these ceremonial cleansing and sacrifices

...