Peculiar People 3: A Living Stone and a Holy People

Intro

Would you please turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2:1-10

We are continuing our series called Peculiar People that takes us through the book of 1 Peter.

You’ll remember from when we began this series a couple of weeks ago,

that we are peculiar people.

If we are in Christ we are weird, we are different;

in who we are,

in how we live,

and in what we hope for.

Our passage this morning focuses on how we are different from the world in our identity, in who we are.

1 Peter 2:1-10

Exposition

Put Away (v. 1)

V. 1 one of our passage this morning continues the exhortation that Peter gives in vv. 22-23 of c. 1. where he tells us:

to “love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again,”

Those who have been born again through saving faith in Jesus Christ are to love one another earnestly,

doing good to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and not just doing good to them, but doing so earnestly, genuinely, from the heart.

Peter continues that thought here in v. 1 where he says,

1 Peter 2:1 ESV

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

When you look at each of these sins: malice (that is wickedness or hostility),

deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander,

you’ll notice that all of these work directly against the kind of love and unity that brothers and sisters in Christ ought to have for each other.

It is these works of the flesh that, not only poison our own souls,

but also cause division amongst the people of God.

This is why Peter tells us to put them away, lay them aside, take them off of ourselves.

The same word is used in Hebrews 12:1, where we are told to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Spiritual Milk (vv. 2-3)

Peter then goes on to say what we should do instead in vv. 2-3,

1 Peter 2:2–3 ESV

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.

What Peter refers to as “the pure Spiritual milk” here in v. 2 is generally understood to be the scriptures, the word of God.

For the Christian, those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, it is the word of God that nourishes and strengthens the soul.

As Jesus says in Matthew 4:4, “Man [does] not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

The word of God nourishes us, it strengthens us, it is a good thing to long for.

When I first became a parent, I was shocked at how much a baby’s life revolved around feeding.

It’s basically all newborn infants care about,

and it doesn’t matter what time of day or night it is,

if a baby feels even the least bit hungry, you and everyone else within earshot knows.

And there is only one thing that satisfies that longing, there’s not much else they care about.

The desire for what nourishes them is strong.

And it does nourish them,

it’s incredible how a steady diet of mother’s milk takes a newborn that just lay’s there completely helpless,

and turns them into a toddler that you cant take your eyes off for even a minute.

You’ll remember from our first sermon in this series, that Peter’s primary audience was several first century churches in Asia minor, in modern day turkey.

Like us if they were to grow up into spiritual maturity, they would need to have a steady diet of the word of God.

But that was not an easy thing for them to achieve.

Something that we should remember is that in the first century, the scriptures were not something that were readily accessible.

The New Testament was still being written so believers for the most part did not have complete Bibles as we have.

There were also no printing presses, so each and every word of the scriptures had to be carefully and painstakingly copied by hand.

This made the manuscripts that the churches had very uncommon, when a church did have them they were a treasured possession.

We can take an awful lot for granted nowadays; having the completed word of God,

having the ability to have our own printed copy in our hands or on our phones,

electric lights so we can read the scriptures any time,

or even widespread literacy so that most of us can read the very words of God.

But I want to ask you: do you take advantage of these countless blessings?

Do you make good use of the ease with which we can read the very words of God?

Or do you take them for granted?

We have the ability and the means to take in this spiritual milk that nourishes our soul at whatever time and in whatever quantity.

Do you long for it?

Point 1: Despise Sin, Devour the Word

This takes me to my first point this morning and it’s this,

Despise Sin, and Devour the word.

Peter’s challenge to us here in these verses is that, if we have indeed tasted and seen that the Lord is good;

that we would despise what poisons us on in the inside, and divides us on the outside.

That we would throw off sin, those works of the flesh.

And that instead we would hunger for and feast upon the word of God that nourishes us.

Despise sin, and devour the word.

And the word of God not only nourishes us as individual believers,

in our personal walk with the Lord,

but it also nourishes us collectively, corporately as the body of believers.

When we devour the word of God, and by the power of the Spirit obey what it teaches,

it strengthens our bond with each-other.

God’s word exhorts us to, and instructs us in, loving one another earnestly as born again believers.

Despise sin, and devour the word.

That’s something that I pray for both you and I,

that we would desire to throw off of ourselves that which poisons our love and unity,

and that we would instead develop a craving for the spiritual milk that builds us up, as individual believers, and as the body of Christ.

Because we are being built up into something great and glorious.

Being Built Up (vv. 4-6)

Peter goes on to write in vv. 4-5

1 Peter 2:4–5 (ESV)

“As you come to him” (This is talking about Salvation through faith in Christ) “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.”

Here we see exactly what we are being built up into as believers.

And as with everything, it begins with Christ himself.

Christ the Living Stone (v. 4, 6)

We see in v. 4 that Jesus is a living stone.

When Peter says that he was “rejected by men,” he is referring to Jesus’ crucifixion

at the hands of the gentile Romans and at the command of his own people Israel.

Though he was rejected by men, in the sight of God he is chosen and precious.

Peter here is using language from Isaiah 28:16, from which he quotes directly in v. 6, it says:

1 Peter 2:6 (ESV)

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.”

The image that Peter is painting for us is one that is referred to throughout the scriptures,

and that is the image of a temple being built.

So often when I have come across this imagery of a stone in the scriptures,

I picture sort of an uncut basketball-sized stone,

like one that would get in your way when your digging for a fence post.

But that is not the kind of stone that Peter or Isaiah have in mind here.

In 1 Kings 7 we are told about the kind of stones King Solomon worked with in building the first temple and his own house,

in modern measurements the foundation stones were cubes with each side between 12 and 15 feet long.

In the examples that we have from the building stones of Herod’s temple,

the largest stone that has been found is 12’ high, 14’ wide, and 40’ long.

These huge stones are the kind of rocks that can be built upon.

And that is exactly where Peter is going with this imagery.

Jesus is the chosen and precious corner stone.

The stone from which the length and width of the temple, would be measured out.

And the stone on which the rest of the building stones would be laid.

And we are those building stones,

as he says in v. 5,

1 Peter 2:5 (ESV)

you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.

Point 2: We Are Being Built Up.

This takes me to my second point this morning. It’s that,

2. We are being built up.

Those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good,

those who have come to Christ, those who have believed in him,

are being built up into a spiritual house, a temple, the church.

Faith in Christ means salvation for the individual Christian,

but it also means that you are a part of something.

You are built into a spiritual house, the church, of which Christ is the corner stone.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples who they said that he was.

Peter, who was called Simon at the time, spoke up for the rest of the disciples in that moment,

and said in Matthew 16:16, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Then we see Jesus’ fascinating response in Matthew 16:17-18, it says:

Matthew 16:17–18 (ESV)

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon [son of] Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

First of all Jesus says that Simon’s confession of him as the Christ, the Son of God was revealed to him by God the Father in heaven.

But then Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter,

Πέτρος, which means - “Rock”.

Then he says, “and on this rock I will build my church.”

Now our Roman Catholic friends take this to mean that the church would be built on Peter as they believe him to be the first pope.

I’m inclined to disagree with that.

Rather, it’s better to interpret Jesus’ words as referring to Peter’s confession of as the Christ,

or to Peter’s role as an apostle.

I think both are appropriate here.

Peter’s Confession

Peter’s confession of Jesus as “the christ, the Son of God,” is the foundation of the Christian faith, and the church.

If someone does not confess that, you don’t have a Christian.

And without that confession, you don’t have a church.

So when Jesus says, “on this rock”, he could be talking about the truth of Peter’s confession of who Christ is.

Christ is the cornerstone after all.

Peter’s Role as an Apostle

Jesus could also be speaking about Peter himself, but not in a papal sense, which is not consistent with scripture.

Instead, Jesus could be referring to Peter’s role as an apostle, which is consistent with what we see in the scriptures.

In Ephesians 2:19-20, we again see the image of believers being built into a house,

but we also see what that house is built on. It says,

Ephesians 2:19–20 (ESV)

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”

In Revelation 21, the Apostle John shares his vision of the new Jerusalem,

a symbol of the church as it is called the Bride of Christ,

John says of the city in Revelation 21:14,

Revelation 21:14 ESV

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Whether the rock that Jesus speaks about is Peter’s confession, or Peter himself,

we are being built up into a spiritual house,

and the beginning of that house, that temple, that city,

is the cornerstone of Christ himself.

“And whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

A Stone of Stumbling (vv. 7-8)

Peter continues in vv. 7-8,

1 Peter 2:7–8 (ESV)

“So the honour 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.”

For those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, they can rest on the cornerstone,

the honour of being a part of the spiritual house is for those who believe.

But for those who do not believe, the cornerstone becomes something to stumble over.

What is a firm foundation to some, becomes a tripping hazard to others.

See, the question of who Jesus is demands a response.

There is no neutrality.

If Jesus is who he says he is, and he is.

If Jesus is who Peter said he is, and he is.

Then he cannot be ignored.

You either recognize him as the Christ, the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again - you believe.

Or you reject him and all that he has said.

Becoming disobedient to the word,

because that pure spiritual milk is all about him.

If you reject Jesus, the cornerstone, you disobey the word of God.

Because the key command to all of us in the word of God is: repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ for your salvation.

To reject the cornerstone, is to inevitably stumble on him.

To reject Christ’s salvation is to inevitably heap up further sin and disobedience.

Romans 2:4-8 tells us,

Romans 2:4–8 (ESV)

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

This is a warning to take seriously, if you have not yet put your faith in Jesus Christ I want to speak to you directly.

For those who reject Jesus and the salvation that he offers,

you will receive what is due for your sin and that is the just wrath of God - we call it hell.

But God in his kindness, offers you and I mercy, and forgiveness, and eternal life when we turn to him in repentance and faith.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

No longer under God’s wrath, but under God’s mercy.

No longer stumbling in the darkness, but walking in the light.

No longer wandering alone, but belonging to a holy people, chosen by God.

A Holy People (v. 9-10)

Look at what Peter writes about those who believe in vv. 9-10 of our passage.

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.

Point 3: We Are A Holy People

This takes me to my final point this morning - that for those of us who have put their faith in Jesus Christ for our salvation:

3. We are a holy people.

You’ll remember that Peter’s original audience was Christians in Asia Minor,

If you look back to c. 1, he addresses the letter in v.1,

1 Peter 1:1 (ESV)

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

Because of it’s history, Asia minor was a melting pot of different peoples and ethnicities in Peter’s day.

There were Greeks, Romans, Persians, Jews, and Scythians, and many other smaller groups.

Galatia actually got it’s name from the Gauls, who were celtic people from mainland Europe who had settled there.

But Peter is saying to all these believers, from different nations, ethnicities, backgrounds

that through faith in Christ, they have been given a new identity.

And he uses descriptions that were used of old testament Israel to describe that new identity that they share her in v. 9.

Israel had been described as a chosen people, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.

But now through Christ, people of all nations have been grafted into the vine.

People from every nation, and tribe, and tongue,

have become a people for God’s own possession.

As v. 10 of our passage says, 1 Peter 2:10

1 Peter 2:10 ESV

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.

But our passage tells us that we are also made holy, not just in the way of being distinct or separate,

but in the way of being made pure, through the blood of Jesus Christ.

We have received mercy, and through that mercy,

God has taken what was unholy and sinful, and made it holy and pure

We are holy, distinct from the world, and we are holy - made pure through the blood of Christ.

This is our shared identity in Christ, we are a holy people.

Application

Purpose to the Identity

But there is a purpose to our new shared identity,

We see it in v. 9, it says so…

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

…”that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

We have been made a holy people,

we are being built up,

so that we might bring glory to God.

This is the purpose of the church, to bring glory to God.

To proclaim the excellencies of him who saved us, who had mercy on us, who called us out of darkness into marvellous light.

To offer up spiritual sacrifices through our worship, and through our lives.

This is the purpose of our new identity,

to bring glory to God in everything.

This is why God has made us a holy people,

this is why he is building us up.

Conclusion

The word identity has sort of become a buzzword nowadays.

Everyone is trying to find themselves, or trying to become who they truly are.

But if you notice, a lot of the identity talk nowadays has to do with the individual, how they are unique, how they are special, how they are different.

But the Christian faith is not just one more thing a person can adopt in order to craft their unique character.

The Christian faith is something that one has to enter,

something one becomes a part of,

something one is built into.

What I want you to know this morning is that if you are in Christ,

you have become a part of a holy people,

and you are being built into a spiritual house to bring glory to God.

For the last 2000 years that house has been being built by the Lord,

generation after generation of faithful men and women, from every tribe, tongue and nation,

have been laid layer by layer on top of Christ the cornerstone.

And after our layer is laid on the house, more and more layers will be laid on top, generation upon generation,

until God determines the spiritual house is complete.

I love the thought of that, and I find it an encouragement in my own life to live a life that is worthy of that building I’m a part of.

So let’s live like as a holy people,

let’s throw off sin and build ourselves up with the pure spiritual milk of the scriptures,

so that we can be encouraged and instructed in how to bring glory to God.

We are a holy people, being built up into a spiritual house, so lets despise sin, and devour the word.

Let’s live in light of this identity, because with us God is building something beautiful.