Recently a man from our community stopped by our church, asking to see the architecture of our sanctuary. He had just moved here from Turkey, where historic churches fill the cities. We walked him through, and he joked that our building was not nearly as impressive as what he was used to back home. We talked for a good while, and after he told us about his Muslim background, we had the chance to share the gospel with him.

What struck me afterward was how, much like this Muslim gentleman, many of us picture church as a building first. We look first at appearances rather than considering the spiritual reality of the Church. A building can serve a congregation, but it is not the Church. The Church is a family of believers we belong to.

First Peter 2:4–10 gives us a beautiful picture of what the Church is. I am guessing my church looks a lot like yours: ordinary people from different generations, cultures, personalities, and circumstances who have come to know the same Savior. All of them have received God’s mercy, and all of them are being built together in Christ.

Jesus Is the Center of the Church

A church may have a physical address, but the Apostle Peter redirects our eyes. He shows us that Jesus is the center of the Church: “As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God” (1 Peter 2:4). God established Jesus as the cornerstone of His people. He was mocked, beaten, and cast aside. He died the death we deserved and rose from the grave. But He is central to the Church’s identity.

So Jesus is not merely one of the important things about the Church. He is the cornerstone—its most important thing. We should not build churches around architecture, a pastor’s personality, worship style, or a style of kids ministry. If the foundation of a church is anything but Jesus, we have distorted what the Church is.

That should change how we look at a local church. Instead of asking, “Does this church check all my boxes?” we can ask, “Does this church put Jesus at the center of all it does?” The second question frees us to trust that God will build His Church through imperfect people, even when our preferences go unmet.

A correct view of the Church must begin with Jesus at the center.

The Church Is a People Being Built Together

After describing Jesus as the Living Stone, Peter turns to believers: “You yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built” (verse 5). Because believers are united to Christ, they have been made spiritually alive. Those who put their faith in Jesus become living stones in the house God is building.

One of my toddler’s favorite activities is building structures out of magnetic tiles. Being a toddler, he has no feel for structural integrity, so key pieces always end up missing. The tower looks solid at first, and then it collapses. Why? Because each piece has to be attached to the others to hold anything up, let alone become a beautiful and strong tower. The picture presses into how we view the church. We can read our Bibles at home, stream sermons in our free time, and work through a podcast in the car, but none of these things replace the local church.

You are a living stone being built up by God, and you need other believers to encourage you, challenge you, and equip you to live out your faith. Without the Church supporting us, we will all eventually find ourselves spiritually crumbling like my son’s tower. You are also called to support others in the Church just as they support you. What happens inside the Church is not a product you receive but a ministry you share in. As Christ builds His Church, He desires your faithfulness and your unique gifts to be used for His glory.

The Church Is Made Up of Those Who Have Received Mercy

Peter continues, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession” (1 Peter 2:9). Each of these descriptions is corporate. Peter does not merely call each Christian a chosen individual; he calls all believers a chosen people. He does not speak only of an individual priest but of a priesthood. His emphasis is not simply on who I am because of Jesus but on who we are because of Jesus.

The Church includes people of every nation, tribe, and language (Revelation 7:9). It includes men, women, and children. It includes the believer who has walked with Jesus for decades and the one who trusted Him last month. It includes people of different jobs and social standings. On paper these people have little in common. The gospel unites them anyway because they have been redeemed by the same Savior and brought into the same family. Our unity is in Christ, not in agreeing about everything.

Peter explains how we became God’s people: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). The Church is made up of people who desperately needed mercy and received it through Jesus. Because of what He has done, anyone who turns from sin and trusts Him enters this family. We are all broken people in need of God’s mercy. How wonderful is He who grants such a gift!

That should humble how we see ourselves and one another. God’s family is impartial, without care for whether we deserve inclusion. We had nothing to offer, and Jesus made a way for us anyway.

Every Member Has a Place in the Church’s Mission

Because we have all received the mercy of Jesus, the Church has a shared purpose. Peter says God made us His people, “so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). He has made us His people so that we might display and declare His greatness.

When the church gathers, believers proclaim God’s greatness to one another through singing, praying, the preached Word, giving, and remembering the gospel. When the church scatters at the end of a service, each believer walks into a mission field, proclaiming God’s greatness at home, at work, and in their neighborhood—where they live, work, and play. Peter’s point is that the Church is not best described as an audience to spiritual activities happening on a stage. Every believer has been called to worship. Every believer has been called to serve. Every believer has been called to be a witness for Jesus. Every believer has received the mercy of God and been placed into this mission.

So who makes up the Church? Not perfect people, and not people who have everything in common. Peter tells us the Church is made of people who have come to Jesus, received His mercy, and been made alive through Him. So we do not merely attend church. Through faith in Jesus we have been made part of it. As you gather with your church this week, come expecting God to change you and use you for His glory. Remain centered on Jesus, committed to His Church, and be ready to proclaim the mercy that made you His own.

If you liked this article, check out the related resources linked below!

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Author Bio

Matt Duckett serves as the Lead Pastor at First Southern Baptist Church Lawrence in Kansas. He is passionate about seeing lives transformed by the life changing message of the gospel. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Sarah, and their two sons. He enjoys coffee, reading, and quality time with his family.

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