23. The Centrality of Jesus in the Believer's Life

The Centrality of Jesus in the Believer’s Life: Coming to Jesus

Introduction:

I am thankful to have my wife Connie home. She and Noah went to GA for a trip and while I had planned to go, I was unable to due to storm damage in our area and having to work. Whenever we are apart, it doesn’t feel right. When I am in Haiti or a work trip no sooner than I arrive than I start counting the days until I come home. And the moment I see her after a trip I feel whole again. It isn’t odd. Genesis 2 says to two shall come together and become one flesh. And marriage rightfully is a picture of the relation of Christ and the Church as Paul said in Ephesians 5:32 after discussing wives and husbands in the previous verses. We just studied how we are to long for the pure milk of the Word, but we also long for Christ. Why? Because He is central in every aspect of our life. Without being in right relation to Him absolutely nothing is as it should or could be.

This morning we continue in our study of 1 Peter. We begin a new section in chapter 2. In chapter 1 we see Jesus as central in our redemption and salvation. And as Peter used verses 1 and 2 in the first chapter as a thesis statement, really for the whole letter but especially for the section 1:1-2:3; he uses verse 4 of chapter 2 as a thesis statement and expands in the following verses to verse 10. There the theme of the centrality of Jesus is continued. He is central in our redemption and salvation, but He is essential also in the building if His church. There would be no church without Him.

As we read this text I want you to see 1. the centrality of Jesus in the Believer’s life, 2. the centrality of Jesus as the church’s foundation, 3. The centrality of Jesus in the church’s building, 4 the centrality of Jesus in the church’s worship and service, and 5. The centrality of Jesus in the unbeliever’s life. This morning we will cover ‘The centrality of Jesus in a Believer’s life’.

1Pe 2:4-10  Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,  (5)  you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  (6)  Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHIEF CORNERSTONE, ELECT, PRECIOUS, AND HE WHO BELIEVES ON HIM WILL BY NO MEANS BE PUT TO SHAME."  (7)  Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE,"  (8)  and "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.  (9)  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  (10)  who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

The centrality of Jesus in the believer’s life is seen in the first phrase ‘Coming to Him’. In our salvation Jesus comes to us through the Spirit regenerating and renewing granting faith and repentance. In the free exercise of that faith, born again, having been justified by faith, brought into the household of God, being united with Christ our desire is to come to Him. The mark of the true Christian is a desire for Him. Paul said, Php 3:10  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Congregation, is that your heart this morning?

There are four questions to answer from this text.

1.When do we come to Jesus?

2.How do we to come to Jesus?

3.With what do we come to Jesus?

4.Why do we come to Jesus?

1. When do we come to Jesus? V4

The verb literally means to draw near to. It is a present tense verb that indicates it is a continuous nonstop action, a way of life. It indicates progress as you are continually coming to Jesus there is a drawing nearer to Him. So when do we come to Jesus? All the time, any time.

Something to note: This verb as it relates to the people of God can be either middle or passive voice. What does this mean? Middle voice means that the subject takes the action upon itself. Ex. 1Pe 1:6-note In this you (yourselves) greatly rejoice (2PPMI) (5736) even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. The passive voice means that the subject is the recipient of the action. 1Pe 1:15-note but like the Holy One Who called you, be (2PAPM) (5676) holy yourselves also in all your behavior.

What does this mean? I take it to mean that the Holy Spirit is the underlying cause and we are outward affect.

We see the approachability of Jesus implied here. The savior is not far off or remote from His people. He is near and His invitation is clear. Mat 11:28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He ate with tax gathers and sinners. He touched lepers, laid hands on the dead to bring to life, had His garments touched by the woman with the flow of blood. All of these would have rendered Him ceremonially unclean and yet He did not hesitate, He did not chastise or rebuke. To all who would come to Him He welcomed. Jn 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me. And he who comes to Me I will never cast out. I am reading a book by Dane Ortland called Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. It is about the approachability of Christ. Jesus in His humanity was tempted in every way we are and yet was without sin. And Jesus has taken His humanity with Him and stands forever as the Godman. Heb 4:15-16  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  (16)  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The character of Jesus on the earth, every act of compassion, every mercy shown, every grace dispensed is the same Jesus who is seated at the right hand of God the Father. He wept with Mary and Martha even though He knew what He was going to do. Why? Because Jesus Himself enters into the sufferings of His people. Read the gospels. Was there ever one whom Jesus refused to see? The Roman centurion, the Syrophoenician woman, lepers, all came to Him.

He is as approachable now as He ever was, more so. He is not now limited in space and time. In His humanity he could be in one place and one time but now, in glory we have full access at any time. In Matt. 11:29 Jesus says for I am gentle and lowly of heart He is speaking of His approachableness.

This Jesus, who is according Paul in Col 1:15-17  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  (16)  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  (17)  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And Heb 1:2-3  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;  (3)  who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

You know, I thought I might insert some example about some leader, or celebrity, that is approachable but how can you compare that with Christ? There is no comparison, there is no example on earth that would or could ever measure up.

How do we come to Jesus?

First and always by Faith .v 7 Therefore, to you who believe

Faith is the noun form of the verb believe.

Typically when we speak of faith I cannot help but picture the full rich, mature grain of faith. That faith which is spoken of in Hebrews 11. But when Jesus speaks of faith He calls it mustard seed. It is one of the smallest seeds of the garden. It is planted, the seed is watered and it is germanted, it spreads its roots downward into the soil and breaks through the surface of the soil under the watch care of the One who planted it. It is fertilized and as it grows, pruned when needed until it reaches maturity. It is not the full mature fruit of faith that is required but the mustard seed that has been planted and has begun to grow. From our perspective we may have seasons of little growth before it becomes mature. It is the process that makes the plant what it is. Remember it is not faith itself that saves, but the object of faith Jesus.

1Pe 1:21  who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

I emphasize the smallness of faith required because there are seasons when it is difficult to see through the pain and anguish of suffering, whether it is physical or spiritual. It at times appears we cling to the shred of faith when the world is screaming curse God and die. But Christ is there in the smallness of our faith because He is faithful even when we are faithless.

How do we come to Jesus when He is in heaven? We do so in three ways 1) In prayer. It is mentioned 374 times in the OT either in example or command. There have been more books written on prayer than I can count. But it is simply talking to God, your Father in private. Php 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 2) in His Word as we have seen in the previous verse. 3) In His church The church is His body, His hands and His feet. It is within the context of the body of Christ that we minister and serve one another. We bear one another’s burdens. We hold one another up not only in our prayers but reaching out, serving and helping where we can. Looking out in our congregation some may say we are an old church, but what I see is a congregation full of people who have lived a life of faith for decades, married, having raised children and having a wealth of Christian experience for us all to draw upon. I would not be surprised if we had over 500 years of Christian experience among us.

Ex: New Parents

With what do we come to Jesus? V6

We come to Him in our weakness and with our sin. Because we are all weak and we all sin. We as those who have had all the blessings of chapter one conferred on us.

Elect aliens under the umbrella of the Triune God.

1.By the foreknowledge of God

2.By the sanctifying work of the Spirit

3.To obedience of Jesus and to the Sprinkled blood. OT people were sprinkled for 3 reasons.

-Cleansing from leprosy/ our cleansing from sin

-Institution of the Mosaic Covenant/institution of the New and better covenant

-Service as priests/ Service as priests in the New Covenant.

4.4 Imperishable and Incorruptible gifts

-An inheritance v4

-Our faith v7

-Redemption v18,19

-The word vs. 23-25

5.Privileges

-Revelation – v12, 25 – preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven v12. See God’s pursuit of His people. We see here the HS being sent and that the gospel was preached by those sent to them. There is no cost too high that will not be born to bring His people in. Rom 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Acts 27,28 Paul in his journey to Rome endured storms on a ship that was eventually wrecked and then bitten by a venomous snake, so that he might stand before Caesar. Acts 27:24. Consider all the he endured to fulfill God’s purpose of bringing the gospel to Rome, And this the word which was preached to you. V25.

-V17 Father/child relationship – the Father’ watch care of his children.

Even after all that we sin and it breaks the believers heart and yet. Jesus died for all of our sins not just the one committed before we were Christian. Isa 53:4-6  Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.  (5)  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.  (6)  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Paul cried at the end of Romans 7 who will save me from this body of sin and death? Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember the context of this letter. These Christians were persecuted from without and afflicted within as they dealt with sin in their own life.

We come to Him in our weakness. 1Pe 5:6  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

We acknowledge our weakness and our sin, we don’t hide it or deny it. 1Jn 1:8-9  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Where do you find yourself this morning? Are you burdened this morning with a heavy weight on your heart that causes it to ache? Is there concern for a child that is without Christ or in spiritual declension? Perhaps it is your spouse or your parents.

Are you burdened with financial responsibilities? With providing for a family and living pay check to pay check? Perhaps you are out of a job and looking for one.

Are you burdened with a family member whose health is a constant source of concern?

Or is there the weight of temptation that whispers seductively in your ear. Come with me.

Pro 7:21  With her many persuasions she entices him; With her flattering lips she seduces him.

In our anxiety we come to Jesus 1Pe 5:7  casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

In our temptation we come to Jesus. 1Co 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

Mat 11:28-30  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  (30)  "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."

Why do we continually come to Jesus?

Coming to Jesus is not a drawing closer to Him in location but in relation. Christ’s love for us is sure, steadfast, and never changes in quantity or quality given. But we, on the other hand, grow in our love for Him. As we know Him in His word and understand the redemption He has procured for us; as we understand the depths of our own sin we love Him more.

Because He is the living stone, the corner stone which the prophets spoke of in the OT Peter proclaims Jesus has fulfilled in the NT. He is the rock upon which the house that is built upon it stands in the storm. Mat 7:24-25  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.  (25)  "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.

Living in the sense that He is life and from Him flows life. In Him we live and move and have our being. The gospel of John uses life 47 times in Jesus giving life and laying down His life. Just as the Hebrews drank water which flowed from the rock in the wilderness, we drink the spiritual water that flows from the Rock who is Jesus. It is a well that never runs dry with water that is never stale or stagnant.

And what is a corner stone? It is a rock that has been chiseled and shaped to be carefully placed. All other stones will be shaped and placed in accordance to the cornerstone so it is important that it is not flawed. Otherwise the whole building may fail.

So we come to Jesus because He learned obedience in that which He suffered. Heb 5:8-9  Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.  (9)  And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

Heb 2:17-18  Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  (18)  For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

As He is the source of all life He is also the source of comfort for the afflicted. 2Co 1:5  For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

He is our peace. 2Th 3:16  Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!

I will close with reading the 3rd stanza of a hymn by Henry Burton called Come for the Feast in Spread.

3 Come to the throne of grace,

boldly draw near;

he who would win the race

must tarry here.

Whate'er thy want may be,

here is the grace for thee,

Jesus thine only plea;

come, Christian, come.