You Are God’s People

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Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Deuteronomy 7:6-10 & I Peter 2:9-12
This Sunday we are coming to the close of the series on prayer during Lent. Each week we have been addressing different questions that people have about prayer. This Sunday we are addressing the question, “Isn’t prayer a private matter? Shouldn’t my prayers be private and not public?” This question is certainly one that most people would answer, and the culture would affirm, that prayer is a private matter. But as our text on which the sermon is based indicates we are not merely individuals seeking private blessings, but we are God’s people. We are chosen to be a particular kind of community, to do a specific work, with an inescapable goal. This occurs in the context of God speaking to the community and the community responding. And this is the essence of being a praying community. The gospel of Jesus Christ shapes us into a community of praying people. We pray because we are God’s people. We pray because of the work God has given us. We pray because of the hostile environment we are in. We pray because God will be glorified.
Being God’s people means we don’t have private prayer lives that suit our needs. Rather, as a praying community we are not looking for a product, but we are looking for participation that benefits the community of God’s people for the glory of God. As followers of Christ there shouldn’t be an expression of our faith that isn’t aimed at loving God by loving his people.