Living Stone

Introduction

Our lesson today is about

being a part of something BIGGER than you

to understand that we are not FINISHED — but being refined daily

in the times prior to Christ --

GOD called a Nation and a Specific Group of People to be His People

But in God’s perfect timing -----

He sent HIS SON to earth though a perfect and sinless conception, into our dirty of sin world to live a perfect life --- to be ridiculed, persecuted - not believed, not seen as WHO HE IS

BUT in God’s perfect love HE PAID THE PRICE— so that we could be THE CHOSEN — WE COULD BE HIS

HE would call ALL of US out of DARKNESS and into the LIGHT

WE SIMPLY NEED TO ANSWER THAT CALL

Living Stones

What a great concept to be a LIVING STONE

one must ask how can that be --- Stones are not living — they don’t breath or move

YET a stone is able to be useful, it is able to be shaped

and can go from lying in the sand alone

to being shaped into part of something BIGGER than itself

to be part of a wall, a house, a cathedral

in our text today

Peter is linking the concept of the CORNERSTONE OF CHRIST to US being LIVING STONE

SO we build our church — the body not the building — by focusing on the CORNERSTONE

Lets remember that the CORNERSTONE is the KEY to the FOUNDATION

the determiner of the direction of the foundation in WHICH ALL must stand

our text today is 1 Peter 2:1-12

JESUS THE CORNERSTONE OF ALL and US a part of HIS HOLY TEMPLE

our journey this morning is from:

Reality of our need for Spiritual Nourishment — like a new born baby

To clarity on what our role is to grow

To understanding of the PLAN of GOD has come in CHRIST

To a reminder of WHO we are with CHRIST as our PERSONAL LORD.

to a reminder that we are not of this WORLD

Desire for Growth

1 peter 2:1-3 “1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

We have another connective word in the start of our study today.

Last week it was THEREFORE in verse 13

today we have the WORD ---- SO

Paul starts this section with a DIRECTIVE

PUT AWAY

in his letter he has just finished telling us to :

Prepare our minds

Set our hope on grace

be obedient

and to be HOLY

We are to LIVE our life a certain way BECAUSE of the Blood of Christ

We are having our SOULS PURIFIED by adherence to the TRUTH

THAT we love others because of the PURE HEART

that we are building because of CHRIST in our LIFE

and the WORK of the HOLY SPIRIT

Peter loves the people who are hearing this letter

Peter wants the BEST for THEM

SO he reminds them ----

PUT AWAY things that don’t belong in our lives as CHRISTIANS

Malice (hostility) — do not hold grudges

Deceit — Be honest in all things

Hypocrisy — match your walk to CHRIST and stay on that PATH — BE REAL

Envy - God has blessed each one of us, enjoy and praise HIM for what you have.

Slander - LIFT up others, never put them down. Telling lies convicts you, not them

NEWBORN BABIES

There is a life path for CHRISTIANS with the goal being maturity

Newborn - treat with extreme GENTLENESS, and INSTRUCTION.

FEED THEM — CARE FOR THEM — INSTRUCT THEM

Child

Teenager

Young Adult

Mature Adult

I have found this very truthful in my CHRISTIAN LIFE

Newborns are pretty easy to identify

Children are able to be spotted after a few conversations

Teenagers can be combative and seeking to find their place in their NEW WORLD

Young adult start to calm down and accept the ways of CHRIST

Mature Adults are teaching and leading others as the BIBLE commands.

We are all in one stage or the other

and our next verses give an amazing illustration of our ROLE with CHRIST

Living Stones

1 Peter 2:4–5 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Have you ever longed for PURPOSE?

One of our biggest needs in life is to fit in

to be part of something bigger than ourselves

and that frankly in our LIFE with CHRIST as LORD is living a life that honors HIM

Wondered what God wants from you?

in the most GENERAL SENSE --- Peter explains

we are to build up the HOUSE of GOD — HIS CHURCH

We are LIVING STONES

Each of Us with a place in the Kingdom of God

our old self is like a rough, raw, dirty rock in the desert

yet as CHRIST enters our life we are cleaned by HIS BLOOD

WASHED clean so that we are able to see and be seen as BEAUTIFUL

IT reminds me of the rocks GEODES in the store that are broken open and then we see the beauty of the crystals inside.

WHAT A PICTURE OF HOW GOD SEES US

Then God through CHRIST, THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT work on US

bringing that beauty to the FRONT

and then placing us in the WALL of HIS TEMPLE

SPARKLING and GLEANING

with HIS GLORY FROM HIS WORK

Illustration:

there is a connection that can be described with a triangle

GOD at the TOP

You on the right bottom corner

and others in the left bottom

in our CHRISTIAN WALK - the working and growing of the Holy Spirit

We move up

as we move closer to GOD

and Help others to move CLOSER

we move CLOSER together

and then become one with HIM and ONE with OTHERS

I love that illustration because in the END we are FULLY CONNECTED with GOD and OTHERS

Exactly what Peter is reminding us of in this LETTER

What a beautiful picture that is comfort to our INNER BEING

we all want to be part of something, something bigger than ourselves

and WE ARE ---

ARE A LIVING STONE IN HIS KINGDOM

a part of HIS PLAN, HIS CHURCH, JOINED WITH HIM FOREVER

Cornerstone

1 peter 2:6-8 “6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”

Peter connects various verses here to make a STATEMENT

combining Isaiah, Romans, 2 Cor, Psalms, and again Romans and Isaiah to speak TRUTH

Peter goes into another TRUTH of our Faith

God laid the STONE in ZION

HIS PRECIOUS SON as the CORNERSTONE

Some will REJECT HIM - and possibly most will

God plan was THROUGH CHRIST to RESTORE US to be PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER

CHRIST -Our Cornerstone — Our LORD - the source of all direction and wisdom

WILL BE REJECTED BY SOME

Friends we receive the HONOR and the GLORY

We are part of HIS BUILDING — HIS NEW JERUSALEM — HIS ETERNAL GLORY

Peter hits the JEWISH PEOPLE pretty hard here in this verse

God told the Jewish people through the prophet Isaiah that Jesus would come

Isaiah 28:16 ESV

16 therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’

Peter is saying simple --- God had a plan you chose not to follow it GET WITH THE PROGRAM

you are still wanted, desired, and GOD wants you to be a part

BUT like the rest of the world you MUST accept JESUS,

Set your life on HIS FOUNDATION.

Our New Identity

1 peter 2:9-10 “9 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 called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Here is the Good News ---

When we accept Jesus CHRIST — Proclaim HIM Lord of our LIVES, we are adopted, HEIRS to HIS KINGDOM --- we are the CHOSEN --- WE ARE THE HIGH PRIEST — ABLE TO COME INTO HIS PRESENCE

WE ARE HIS

out of the Darkness and ONE with the LIGHT

Saved by Faith, Saved by Grace

You were once LOST, but NOW are FOUND

Honoring our Position

1 Peter 2:11–12 ESV

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

as we leave here this morning

LET US lift our heads HIGH

Not out of selfish PRIDE

but because of NOBLE POSITION

We are visitors in this WORLD where we breath today

We honor the rules and authorities around us

We abstain from worldly things that are NOT of GOD

We find the PEACE of CHRIST, not the WAR of the WORLD

We take responsibly for OUR CONDUCT among those not YET SAVED.

We do GOOD to honor HIM

Jesus did many GOOD WORKS and was KNOWN for THEM

we do GOOD WORKS so that we are KNOWN TO HIM, and to OTHERS

May be GLORIFY GOD by GROWING OTHERS IN CHRIST.