1 Peter 2:4-10

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 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. 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.” 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,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 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. 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.

Introduction:

We live in a world that is confused over many things.

Trying to make it on our own without living under the reality of a sovereign God who created all things leads to this confusion.

It doesn’t help that those who are supposed to be guides of the truth are confused as to what the truth is.

Our churches, as a whole, have become a place where we go to hear positive things, to be encouraged.

And that would be fine if what we considered positive and encouraging were the things that were given to us by the author of life.

But we have twisted the truth, and as to not offend, we have looked to ear ticklers to assure us we are ok as we are.

This may surprise you, but we are not the first generation to deal with this.

There has always been a false prophet, an alternative to the truth.

There are always those who see the truth, and turn away from it.

For whatever external reason, there has always been those who thought their way was better.

It was no different in the early church.

It may have looked different, they had their own problems with those who rejected the truth.

They were persecuted by Jew and Gentile alike, for different reasons.

From the Jewish side, they were considered an errant sect that followed a false Messiah.

The Jewish leaders didn’t consider Jesus to be the Christ, and all those who followed Him to be sinning against the true Jewish faith.

They had set up their own system, and Jesus didn’t fit into that system.

But God had determined that Christ would be born at that time for a reason.

And He put the Christians that Peter was writing this letter to in that time for a reason.

They may not have been able to see that reason clearly from their perspective, but that was the truth.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, saw that God was building something magnificent in their day.

He wrote to encourage the believers, and us by extension, to carry on, in spite of all the hardships.

He could do this, because he knew the truth.

This truth that was not believed by the Jews or the Gentiles of the day, was that God was building a church.

Not a church building made of wood and bricks, but a spiritual building made up of worshippers from every tribe and tongue, brought together under the cross of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Son that the Jews had rejected, and the Romans had murdered.

We are to recognize what God is doing in the world and throughout all of history.

Therefore….

Every believer must recognize their part in Christ’s Living Work.

By coming to God’s Chosen Living Stone v. 4-8

1 Peter 2:4–8 ESV

The first thing we should notice about this text is that the beginning of verse 4 says "as you come to him", or in the NASB, "And coming to him".

Peter is not talking necessarily about the first time we came to Christ, but a continuation of us coming to Him.

As a constant in our lives, we keep coming to Him.

This us a call back to the first 3 verses where Peter is teaching us to grow in our salvation.

1 Peter 2:1–3 ESV

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

In other words, as you are growing up in the truth, you put away all those old, false ways you were used to.

You are to grow up and mature in the truth, by coming, continually, to Christ.

And whenever you come to Christ, you are coming to what he calls the Living Stone, the foundation of our faith and your salvation.

This isn’t just a personal growth system, this is what God is doing in His believers for a reason.

Peter is drawing a picture of a building being constructed by God.

He is not only the architect of the building, but the foundation as well.

This illustration of Christ being a Living Stone would be a familiar one to ancient believers.

They would recognize the imagery of the ancient building technique of using a cornerstone to create a standard by which the rest of the building would be built upon.

The builders of a building would find a stone that's sides were remarkably straight and that would be simple to shape into a perfect corner so that the rest of the masonry would line up with the cornerstone and make a straight wall.

If the cornerstone was off by even a little bit, as you would get farther down the wall, it would be impossible to keep straight and the whole structure would be compromised.

Peter tells us that the builders (the rulers of Israel) rejected Christ as the cornerstone of truth, but their measurements were off!

They were looking at standards of straightness that weren't based upon God's standards of straightness!

Peter goes on to say that Christ, although rejected by men, was the chosen foundation of God.

Where they looked at Christ and saw crookedness, the Father saw straightness; when they looked at Christ, they saw a common man, but God saw a chosen and precious Son!

In verse 6, Peter goes back to Old Testament prophecy and connects the dots for us.

He quotes Isaiah 28:16 to how that Christ was God's plan from the beginning for us to have as our foundation.

Listen to the prophecy of Isaiah.

Isaiah 28:14–17 ESV

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”; 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.’ And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”

The rulers had come up with their own system. They thought they were good.

They set up a whole system of religion in order to protect themselves, but they were thinking crookedly.

In verse 7 and 8 he contrasts the blessing it is to have Christ as your foundation with those who do not have the Living Stone.

1 Peter 2:7–8 ESV

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,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Isaiah prophesied that God's cornerstone would be the one that sinful man would reject and that this would be an offense to unconverted man!

To the believer, Christ is Lord. He is Messiah. He is the One and Only.

To be His is to be honored and blessed, whoever believes in Him will not be but to shame.

But to those who do not believe;

Verse 8 Peter quotes Isaiah 8:14, which says,

Isaiah 8:14–15 ESV

And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

And this is so true.

How often in the gospels have we seen the most amazing miracles performed by Jesus Christ or His apostles in the presence of the people of Israel and their rulers, and it just made them more angry and increased their unbelief!

When Christ spoke to the crowd about His coming death on the Cross in John 12:27–43

John 12:27–29 ESV

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

What an amazing display of the hard heartedness of man! God the Father speaks from heaven and the people say, "It thundered!"

Jesus told then told them

John 12:36–40 ESV

While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Earlier in chapter 12 we see the aftermath of Christ's miraculous raising of Lazarus from death.

John 12:9–11 ESV

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

Instead of bowing the knee to Jesus Christ and bending their stiff-necks in worship, the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus!

Peter finishes verse 8 by explaining why they stumble. They fall because they disobey the Word.

THE GOSPEL THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT

It’s not like the truth was not there for them to see.

They had the Old Testament, and it was clear from the beginning what God’s plan was.

After our first parents fell in the garden the plan was laid out,

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

And on this promise of God was built the history of the Hebrews.

God revealed more and more, not only of who He was going to be, but also our need for Him.

And although the Jews were proud experts of the Law and the Prophets, they missed the mark when it came to Christ.

They thought they knew the truth, but they were off plumb.

And this caused them to disobey the word.

The end of disobedience is to stumble, and that end was fore told from the very first words of the scriptures.

The ruler's stumbling was spoken of year's before they stumbled by the prophet Isaiah and, yes, all the way back to the garden in the prototype gospel where Satan will bruise Christ's heel.

These were the children of their father as Christ said to them and they were being used to fulfill these prophesies.

1 Peter 2:8 ESV

and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

The balance of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility is maintained by Peter, they stumble because they disobey and that is what God has decreed to happen.

One commentator said it this way,

“Through the same Christ whom sinners rejected, they shall be rejected; unlike believers, they are by God appointed unto wrath as FITTED for it. The lost shall lay all the blame of their ruin on their own sinful perversity, not on God's decree; the saved shall ascribe all the merit of their salvation to God's electing love and grace.”

We recognize our place in being a part of God’s building, by coming to His precious, living stone, unlike those who are offended by Him, and…

By being like God’s Living Stones vs. 9-10

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

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. 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.

Backing up to verse 5 again, we now see that Peter takes this illustration that is used throughout scripture and expands upon it.

1 Peter 2:5 ESV

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.

If Christ is the Living Stone used for the cornerstone, what is He building and with what material?

He is building a spiritual house.

The church is a miracle of God.

All of history and everything that has been accomplished in the Old Testament and the New were building up to this magnificent spiritual structure.

This isn’t just a meeting place of a bunch of friends, or a club for common interests.

This is a group of people called out together by the Holy, Almighty God of the Universe and everything past it!

We don’t just come in here and do things because we like them and they make us happy, we do these things because we follow a line of other called out believers that we are connected to by something much bigger than traditions or sentimentality, namely, Revelation given by that Creator God.

He has revealed how He is to be worshiped.

From the fellowship, to the singing, to the giving, to the preaching of His word, He has shown us what His people do when they get together on His day.

And when we do these things that others throughout history have done in reverence and in truth, we are expressing the glory of our Savior to the whole world.

Ephesians 3:8–13 ESV

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

This is what we are doing this very day: displaying God’s glory, in this little corner of Baton Rouge, LA!

And we are connected to millions who have done this throughout the years, even those who have gone through great trial and suffering.

Church is important, that is why I cringe a little at professing Christians who have quit church or are going it alone.

I have met with people who have spurned it all together to start Bible studies on there own, usually out of frustration over something wrong with how they perceive churches.

Although, I might agree with them on some of the theology they have that isn’t shared by others and may be the source of pain between them and gathering under the authority of a local church, I can not agree and tear myself apart from the body that God has called me to and the accountability and fellowship that it gives while showing the world the the Glory of the God who bought me!

There are several things that we probably disagree on, but we agree on the primary things and there are revealed ways of dealing with the others that if I can’t put myself under that authority than the problem is with me and I need to strive for repentance and reconciliation with my brothers and sisters.

And lastly, the diversity that is here that can be found no where else.

There is no male or female, no rich or poor, no status or class, jew or gentile… nothing can compare to the power of God’s love to erase all boundaries and divisions that we may have.

Praise the Lord for including us in the spiritual building made of living stones that He is building for His glory.

Consider the material that He is using.

One of the most amazing things about these truths is that to build His church, He uses people! Sinful, messed up people!

First, let’s consider the audience. Converted Jews who may have been present in Jerusalem during that dark passover that Christ was crucified.

Then consider us here today, Gentiles who have done nothing at all to merit the great gift of grace that we have been given.

All walks of life, all kinds of testimonies, all kinds of pain and sin, all brought together.

Justified, being sanctified, and one day glorified together from every tribe and tongue, from all across this world and from all parts of history.

This is what God uses to build His church.

Let’s read our two verses again

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

It is an amazing fact.

And by this grace, He has enabled us to be priests.

In the Old Testament, the priest was the man appointed to go between the people and God. He was given the duty of performing the sacrifices that God had prescribed.

Before Moses, as we see in Genesis and in Job, the head of the family performed these sacrifices.

After God made the Mosaic Covenant with the Jews, He set up the Aaronic Priesthood.

These men were of a certain lineage and performed several sacrifices and rites given by God in representation of the people and for His worship.

Finally, Christ came and was the final High Priest in our place.

He made the final sacrifice needed for our redemption, and the only one that was efficacious for the removal of sins.

He made this final sacrifice in our place.

This once and for all gift has blasted open the doors of priesthood.

When the veil was torn between the Holy of Holies in the Temple and the outside, where anyone by faith can approach, the priesthood became universal for all believers.

There is no longer a need for a go between to bring you into the presence of God.

Christ has become the mediator by His perfect sacrifice in our place.

And it is now our duty as priests, who can go boldly before the throne of grace ourselves to offer spiritual sacrifices.

We find here that we are to offer ourselves to God, not only in death, but with our lives.

As verse 5 says we

1 Peter 2:5 (ESV)

…to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Paul uses similar language in Romans 12

Romans 12:1 ESV

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.

The New Testament gives us many examples of Spiritual Sacrifices.

Philippians 4:18 teaches that our monetary gifts are acceptable spiritual sacrifices.

Hebrews 13:15 and 16 teach us that giving praise and doing good to one another are as well.

Calvin said,

“Of the spiritual sacrifices, the first is the offering of ourselves… for we can offer nothing, until we offer to him ourselves as a sacrifice; which is done by denying ourselves. Then, afterwards follow prayers, thanksgiving, almsdeeds, and all the duties of religion.”

Peter goes on to tell us that these sacrifices are to be acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

It is that last phrase through Jesus Christ that makes the acceptable to God possible.

Without Christ’s gracious work in us any of the spiritual sacrifice’s that we make will fall short of being acceptable to God.

Conclusion:

And so we today, because of Christ’s grace, because of His love, because of His sacrifice, because He is the only cornerstone that is worthy of building our lives together on, are a part of His great building project.

We don’t give up on each other, because He hasn’t given up on us.

All of these means of grace we have, the teaching in Sunday School, the meals together on Wednesday followed by praying together, the worship we are doing right now, are there so that we can encourage each other by His truth, and by that truth we can be molded and shaped into a spiritual house that points all glory back to Him, individually and corporately.

We were called together for a reason and a purpose.

The last part of verse 9 and 10 says

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light and made us who were not a people, a people!

And so we gather together as a people that are being built together with Christ.

This thing we do on Sundays and Wednesdays is not just something that we do because of tradition or emotion, it is the way that God works in the world to show His glory to the world.

We are humbled and blessed to be His church, that He gave His Son as ransom for.

He brought us together on purpose. This very day, on this spot, in this time, to be a witness to His goodness, to shape us into Christ’s image, and so that we would encourage and bless each other, we hold each other accountable.

Life is hard, trials are difficult, but church is where the culmination of the work of God happens.

Not this building, but this people. Called out of the world together on purpose.

To treasure Christ, chosen and precious to the Father, to be built up by the power of the Holy Spirit, under the ministry of God’s word, to proclaim the excellencies of the One who called us.

We are God’s church built upon this living stone, although rejected by some, precious to God and to us.

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

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