Untitled Sermon

INTRODCUTION

Peter is continuing with the metaphors. Two weeks back, he used the metaphor “laying aside.” The phrase “laying aside” means “to take off clothes”. These scattered Christians, who were living out their faith in the most extreme ways, still needed to remove some sinful traits from their life so that they could continue to develop as Christians. Peter said take off malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies, and evil speaking. No church could successfully grow if these traits exist within her membership.

Our development in the faith is never completed. As we will see in a few moments, we will always be a work in progress.

Notice these attitudes that the scattered Christians were told to take off was universal, not parochial. Meaning that, malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking did not apply to believers only but to everyone. These attitudes should not exist in relationship to saved or lost people. Whether they are politicians, owners of companies, unruly neighbors, offenders of the faith or enemies to this country, we must show them God’s love.

Why is taking these things off so important?

(KJV 1900)

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. 12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. 13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

If we are not taking off malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, or evil speaking then it means:

We do not fear God. The terror of the Lord - it is where we get our word phobia. We fear God and fear coming to the Judgement Seat of Christ empty handed.

We do not want to contribute to the development and growth others.

The love of Christ is not constraining us - The word “constraineth” means to “hold together.” The love of Christ is keeping me together.

We are living for ourselves and not for Christ.

This morning lets look at the second metaphor that Peter used. And we will see this in three ways:

CONTRAST V.4, 7, 8

The first thing I want us to see this morning as we make our way in understanding the metaphor and its significance is contrast. This metaphor has no impact if there is not a contrast.

In verse 4 there are two contrasts - contrast between the saint and the sinner and contrast between the sinner and God.

There should be a contrast between us and world. This contrast does not show our superiority over the world but our dependence upon God.

SAINT

The saint is coming - The words "to whom coming" in the Greek text do not refer to the initial act of the sinner coming to the Lord Jesus for salvation, but indicate a close and habitual approach and an intimate association made by faith when the believer realizes the presence of and seeks communion and fellowship with his Lord.

Consider three reasons why the Christian habitually comes to Jesus Christ:

He or she has tasted the Lord to be gracious v.3. Why not continually go back to the source of grace.

He is precious - Honor; value; price - the state of being highly respected or revered. The estimate which was put on him by those who believe. In other words, we put a price on things we see as value. The reason we continually come back to Jesus is He has the highest value.

SINNER

He is as a living stone - This is an odd metaphor Peter used to describe Jesus Christ for our day but not for the 1st century. Stones in the first century told stories. They told of political, social, religious or military victories. In the O. T. we find the use of stones several times.

Jacob set up stone pillars at Bethel in order to remember his powerful dream, in which God reaffirmed his covenant with him (, ).

Moses built twelve standing stones at the foot of Mount Sinai after receiving the Ten Commandments and other laws ().

Moses built twelve standing stones at the foot of Mount Sinai after receiving the Ten Commandments and other laws ().

The Israelites erected standing stones to remember their miraculous crossing of the Jordan River (, ).

The Israelites erected standing stones to remember their miraculous crossing of the Jordan River (, ).

Joshua built a standing stone when the covenant was renewed at Shechem ().

Joshua built a standing stone when the covenant was renewed at Shechem ().

Yet, there is something unique about Jesus as a living stone.

This stone cannot be toppled

This stone changes lives

This stone tells a story of resurrection

This stone is life

It was not that Jesus was their memorial but their life!

Sinner

The saint makes a regular practice to come to the Living Stone but the world disallows the Living Stone to have an active participation in their society.

The word “disallowed” means - They rejected God on the basis of putting God through a series of test and examinations. The results of these tests and examinations proved that God is unfit and the wrong answer so that He is not worthy and cannot have their approval and be received.

The saint regularly comes to the living stone because this living stone changed their lives. He is the answer to all life questions. Jesus is an uncreated and eternal living stone. He is the one who created life. Yet, the world rejects Jesus because they are living in denial.

(KJV 1900)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

For us Jesus is the Living Stone but for the world He is:

Stone of stumbling - Even at the word of God - “stumbling” something that threatens a fall. Notice, in the eyes of the world who is causing the stumbling

Jesus

the Word of God

Rock of offence - The word rendered “offence,” (σκάνδαλον skandalon) means properly “a trap-stick - a crooked stick on which the bait is fastened which the animal strikes against, and so springs the trap,” (Robinson, Lexicon) then “a trap, gin, snare”; and then “anything which one strikes or stumbles against; a stumbling-block.” It then denotes “that which is the cause or occasion of ruin.”

Do you see why the world rejects Jesus and believes they will be ruined by Jesus? They will lose their position and priority in life.

SUPREME

Consider this contrast with God. Keep in mind, God is the only one that matters. Our pain, passions, prosperity, purpose, pursuits etc…are inferior

Consider this contrast with God.

Consider this contrast with God.

Keep in mind, God is the only one that matters. Our pain, passions, prosperity, purpose, pursuits etc…are inferior. Why? God is the judge of the earth!

Keep in mind, God is the only one that matters. Our pain, passions, prosperity, purpose, pursuits etc…are inferior

CHANGE V.5

“.....Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

“.....Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

CHANGE V.5

Several years back, Michael Jackson was tried for child molestation. Within the public, many people viewed him guilty of the charges against him. The problem for the public was they were not in the grand jury or sat in the trial. They did not listen to all the facts for or against Micheal Jackson. They determined his guilt or innocence based upon their disposition towards him. Yet, for all the public opinion polls the only opinion that mattered was the jury. The world rejects Jesus because of their disposition towards Him. Yet, regardless what the poll numbers, the only opinion that matters is the God of all the earth. What is His view of Jesus?

Chosen - The word “chosen” means a chosen-out oner, favored. God did not chose a man to reconcile the world to Him; He chose Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ. God did not favor any man for this task - He favored His Son! History is filled with this desire to be the chosen. Yet, God has already chosen and the person He chose was Jesus. God chose Jesus to be the suitable foundation to save sinners and rest the local church upon.

Precious - Honored, valuable - of high worth or cost - - someone who is dear to another.

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

CHANGE V.5

As much as v. 4 is a contrast, v.5 shows there is a relationship with parts of v.4 and v.5. The relationship is between those who come to the living stone and the change that takes place in their lives.

As we habitually come to the living stone, we become lively stones. This is more than resembling the living stone. This is not us becoming a Christian, which is to be like Christ. This is us possessing the same quality of life as the living stone.

WORK IN PROGRESS

“Are built” is in the passive voice, meaning the one receiving the action.

Several years ago when I started going to college, I wrote my essays on Microsoft Word. Back then, my grammar was pathetic. I had so many red lines under words and sentences. One of the main culprits for the red lines was I wrote in the passive voice. My professor would tell us that writing in the passive voice makes for a dull read. Rarely use the passive voice; instead use the active voice for a more dynamic read. So you can be assured that “are built” is designed to be in the passive.

When we habitually come to Jesus, we transform into lively stones in which God is able to use in a masterful way. God is constructing us into a spiritual house. Now there may be those who apply this to the local church or the mythological universal church but neither is the case. God is building each one of us up, individually into a spiritual house.

Notice the kind of house that it is: a spiritual house. He is not working on us externally; rather internally. Much of modern day Christianity, the work is external but biblical Christianity the work is internal. We become more like Jesus Christ form the inside, not the outside. The connection of a spiritual house is worshipping God.

Why is this a work in progress? Are built” is in the present — The verb tense where the writer portrays an action in process or a state of being with no assessment of the action’s completion. Another way of putting it is God is still working on us. What would be really sad is if God is no longer working on us but is busy chastising us because we are not coming to Jesus!

WORK OF THE PRIEST

present — The verb tense where the writer portrays an action in process or a state of being with no assessment of the action’s completion

Work of Priest

Heiser, M. S., & Setterholm, V. M. (2013; 2013). Glossary of Morpho-Syntactic Database Terminology. Lexham Press.WORK OF THE PRIEST

In the OT, the only people who could go into the tabernacle or the Temple offering sacrifices were the priest. Consider David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel etc... could not go into the holy of holies and be in the very presence of God. Yet, we are being built up into a spiritual house so that each one of us can come into the presence of God and offer sacrifices that are acceptable to God.

The sacrifices that we are offering up is us!

We can offer acceptable sacrifices because it is by Jesus Christ

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

COMMITMENT V.6

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

COMMITMENT V.6

The commitment is from God to us who habitually come to the Living Stone.

SCRIPTURES

The commitment comes from God’s word. Jesus Christ being this chief corner stone is not something out of the blue. There are passages in Psalms, Isaiah, and Daniel that reference Jesus Christ as the chief corner stone.

God has committed His word to be our validation. The world views God’s word as their ruin but we view God’s word as our validation. God is completely committed to His word.

Peter used the scriptures to validate the truth he taught these scattered Christians to make them free. How could people running for their lives be free?

(KJV 1900) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

“Continue” - means to stay or abide

This proves that we are disciples of Jesus Christ

This truth makes us free - free from what? Free from the devices of Satan.

SUCCESS/SPIRITUAL

To the person who believes Jesus is the chief corner stone, elect and precious before God, shall not be confounded.

“Confounded” - to shame down, that is, disgrace or (by implication) put to the blush - because of what we are believing is false.

CONCLUSION

The person that will be is the person who is saved but not habitually coming to Jesus Christ.

(KJV 1900) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Those who rejoice now will rejoice at the coming of Jesus

Those who are habitually coming to Jesus through their manifold temptations will sing praise, glory and honor at the appearing of Jesus.

Yet, those who are not habitually coming to Jesus. They are not trusting in God’s word. They will be shamed at His coming.

CONCLUSION