Holy Rolling Stones

Belief Needs Becoming

Over the last few weeks, we have been reminded of the love of God that sent our savior to be the sacrifice for our sins, we touched on the wonder of a resurrected ascended Lord, the question of waiting for the power of the spirit and the pouring out of God’s spirit upon his followers to give the power of testimony to share with the sinful world in need of a Savior.

Today, we will hear from Peter’s instructions about how to become what God wants us to be. What I am calling “Holy Rolling Stones” for the sake of a title this morning.

I will open by reading the passages as a whole, so we can start to get a mindset to see where I am going with this message:

1 Pet 2:2-10 “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. 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. 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. 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 …”

Matt 28:18-20 “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Familiar concepts to the Church-taught Christian, but not always deeply considered by the casual believer, these are important passages to help us know what it means to be used by God for His purposes.

The opening verses I shared are the Apostle Peter’s pointers to becoming mature in Christ.

First, he says,

Suckle on Spiritual Food

As If a Nursing Baby

1 Peter 2:2–3 ESV

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.

The directive is to earnestly seek what will make you strong: the pure spiritual milk of the the Holy Spirit’s work in you, through prayer and discipleship and time with God.

Grow up, from infant to toddler to tyke to tot to student to teen to adult, until the garment of salvation fits you.

If the spiritual milk is tasteless, make sure you are truly seeking the Lord’s goals for your life.

Some seek salvation selfishly, and what should sustain them becomes stale.

Never really seeking the Lord, only wanting their own goals to be met.

Not knowing what the goodness of the Lord Jesus is trying to work in them, they reject the spiritual food they need.

Come to the Cornerstone

1 Peter 2:6 ESV

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.”

A Cornerstone set by God’s design, taken from the refuse of of our rejection, the Only Begotten Son of God is

The Living Stone Precious to God

1 Peter 2:4 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,

the first stone of the building, from which all the measurements are taken.

The cornerstone which binds the rest to the design God intends.

Since our Cornerstone is the Living Rock of our souls, we can’t stay the same as before our belief in Jesus.

To become a part of the building of God, it is important that we are continually

Becoming a Brick with a Heart Beat

In the presence of the Cornerstone, become a building block of His spiritual house.

A living stone that becomes a holy stone

1 Peter 2:5 ESV

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.

Becoming that living stone in God’s spiritual house means that God is forming each of us into members of a

Holy Priesthood

What are the duties of the priest in God’s house?

Raising prayers and worship to give God glory.

Inspecting and presenting the sacrifices of God’s people.

Sharing the word of God with those who need to know it.

As a holy priesthood, we are to raise prayers and worship for God’s glory.

We are designed to be priests over our own sacrifices of self to be pure, acceptable to God, giving God glory because our sacrifices of ourselves are only possible through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Some of us bring gifts that are not appointed as sacrifice.

We bring our time but not our tithe.

We bring what is left but not what is best.

We bring the work of our hands not the work of God’s plans.

The Cornerstone is Laid by God

1 Peter 2:6 ESV

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.”

When we offer ourselves as acceptable sacrifices, God has a new building block for his Spiritual House.

Romans 12:1 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

God’s house is built of stones, shaped and dressed and laid in place by his design.

1 Peter 2:7–8 ESV

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.

Disbelief in God’s Design turns the cornerstone into a stumbling block. What should be our foundation, our starting point, our model, becomes something that is just in the way of what we want to do.

Who is wrong in that case? I dare say the problem is not with God’s cornerstone. It is with those who want to be identified with God but not quite willing to sell out to God.

God does not borrow bricks to build his spiritual house.

Every living stone must be. . .

God’s Own Possession

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

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.

Chosen to be:

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation

Voices of Praise of God, Living in the Light of God

God’s People Knowing God’s Mercy

1 Peter 2:10 ESV

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.

I could stop it there, but one things would be missing, and that is mission.

We might be holy stones, but it is important that we are part of God’s mission, which means we have to be part of the movement of God and not just a monument to God.

Holy Stones, Get Rolling!

Peter said, 1 Peter 2:9 “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.”

Jesus Gave Us the Mission to Move

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So what will it be? Will we leave a monument to God or be on a mission for God?