3 Things God Wants for Your Life

1 Peter, Week 3 — Baptism Weekend

Big Idea

God didn’t save you from something and leave you there. He saved you into something and for something.

Ever finish putting something together and find a bolt left over? That piece was made to go somewhere. You’re not a leftover piece — God has given you a people and a place. Baptism doesn’t earn you that place; it celebrates that Jesus has already given it to you.

1. God Wants to Build Something with You

1 Peter 2:4-6 (NLT) — “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.”

Jesus was rejected by people but chosen by God — sound familiar? A cornerstone is the reference point for the whole building: every other stone is squared against it. Every part of the structure is only as strong as its alignment with the cornerstone.

Our alignment is Jesus — not culture, not politics, not my preferences. One stone out of place is a weak spot in the whole wall.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NLT) — “…You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.”

Following Jesus is personal, but it was never meant to be private. God’s home isn’t the building — it’s the people in the room.

2. God Wants to Be Seen Through You

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT) — “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

Notice the words “as a result.” Everything God says you are leads to something He wants you to do. He didn’t choose you just so you could feel chosen — He chose you so others could see Him through you.

Israel’s story follows the same pattern: the sacrifice of the lamb, faith, rescue, water, then mission. Jesus said the same thing:

Matthew 28:19 (NLT) — “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Baptism doesn’t save you. It shows what Jesus has already done to save you. The water says: my old life has been buried, Jesus has given me a new life, I belong to Him, and I’m not hiding it. Not everyone is waiting on a better argument for God — some are waiting to see what Jesus looks like in someone they know.

3. God Wants to Keep You Clean and Holy

1 Peter 2:11-12 (NLT) — “Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”

If I’m already His, why does He care? Because He loves you — Peter says “dear friends.” Sin does damage two ways:

• It ruins what people see on the outside. When our lives contradict our words, our life gets louder than our message.
• It rots what nobody sees on the inside. Like mold behind a wall, it doesn’t announce itself.

Daniel shows the alternative: his life was so clean that the only thing his enemies could attack was his prayer life — and when God delivered him, a pagan king honored God.

Application

If you’re not yet a follower of Jesus: God is willing to put anyone who repents into His family. Anyone.

If you are a follower of Jesus:

• Take your place. You weren’t saved to stand alone. Plant yourself in a local church family and place your brick.
• Show your faith. Bury your old darkness, and live fully in the light as His representative in every area of your life.
• Live your faith. Put fences around the sin you struggle with. If it’s already crept back in, name it and confess it.

Your Next Step

If you’ve never been baptized under water as a follower of Jesus, this is your next step.

Romans 6:4 (NLT) — “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

Live as a living stone, aligned with the cornerstone. You were made to go somewhere. You’re not a leftover piece — God has a place for you.

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