Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

[Illus] Imagine that you have a nativity scene set up in your house, probably not as large as the one in front of this pulpit, but one that people admire when they come by to visit you.

One day, a family member of yours that doesn’t believe in Jesus comes by to visit.

He’s admiring your nativity scene, when he says, “You know, I don’t believe all that stuff the Bible says about Jesus, but I like Christmas.

I like the angels, the wise men, even baby Jesus in the manger.

It’s all so festive.”

How shocked do you think your unbelieving family member would be if you said, “Well, I’m glad you like Christmas, but just so you know, that Jesus in the manger is going to crush you one day unless you believe all that stuff the Bible says about Him.”

At Christmas, we like to relegate Jesus to the manger.

He’s a cute baby.

Harmless.

Or so we think.

The truth is, the Jesus born to Joseph and Mary, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and laid in a manger is the very same Jesus who one day return and crush us if we do not believe all that the Bible says concerning Him.

We don’t like to think about that at Christmas.

It doesn’t make for a very heartwarming HallMark Channel movie.

But it is true.

That’s why this month we are focusing on the Names and Titles of Jesus.

I hope that by the end of the month we have a greater understanding of just who was born to us when Jesus—that child in the manger—was born unto us.

This morning we turn our attention to 1 Peter.

[Context] In 1 Peter, Peter wrote to fellow Christians who were being persecuted.

He gave them hope by reminding them that they were elect (1:1), God had caused them to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1:3).

Peter also reminded them of their inheritance, which was presently being kept for them in heaven (1:4), and the fullness of their salvation, which would be revealed at the return of Christ (1:5).

These are glorious realities that the prophets of old spoke about (1:10); glorious realities that had been preached to Peter’s recipients (1:12a); glorious realities into which angels long to look (1:12b); glorious realities that could not (and cannot) be touched by persecution!

He encouraged them with hope from their past

There’s power in choosing.

On the surface of things, it seemed He was from no one and nowhere.

Therefore, in the face of persecution, they were to set their minds on the return of Christ (1:13), pursue holiness (1:14-21), and love one another (1:22-2:3).

This is how those who have come to Jesus Christ keep coming to Him even when this wicked world tells them to stop or they will be killed.

He wasn’t wealthy or internationally known

But as we come to Him, it will give us hope in knowing that Jesus was also rejected.

He was rejected by men, but in the sight of God He was chosen and precious (2:4).

[Reading: ]

[Prayer]

are lifeless, but Jesus isn’t.

He is a living stone by way of His resurrection from the dead.

[Peter said that Jesus was a living stone (2:4).

Stones were (and still are) used in the construction of houses and other structures.

Stones don’t breathe, don’t speak, don’t think—they are lifeless, but Jesus isn’t like that.

He is a living stone by way of His resurrection from the dead.

As Peter references in 2:5, stones were (and still are) used in the construction of houses and other structures.

Peter said that Jesus was a living stone (2:4).

Stones were (and still are) used in the construction of houses and other structures.

Stones don’t breathe, don’t speak, don’t think—they are lifeless, but Jesus isn’t like that.

He is a living stone by way of His resurrection from the dead.

Peter said that Jesus was a living stone (2:4).

Stones were (and still are) used in the construction of houses and other structures.

Stones don’t breathe, don’t speak, don’t think—they are lifeless, but Jesus isn’t like that.

He is a living stone by way of His resurrection from the dead.

The world, however, looked at Jesus and decided that He wasn’t worth building upon.

They would not build their lives upon Him, their happiness upon Him, their future upon Him, their salvation upon Him—they would build nothing upon Him.

He was rejected by men (2:4).

But in the sight of God He was chosen and precious (2:4).

Major Ideas

#1: Jesus is The Chosen One ().

[Exp] These words are quoted from .

When God first delivered those words through His prophet, Isaiah, Israel—the northern kingdom of His people—was in danger of being overtaken by Assyria.

Israel had rebelled against God by refusing to believe in Him, by despising His Law, by worshipping idols, and by not turning back to Him and trusting Him to deliver them from the Assyrian threat.

Instead of trusting God, they turned to Egypt for help.

In the nation that once held God’s people as slaves, Israel thought they had found a savior.

Instead, they were carried off by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

God, however, would still save some.

He said in , “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”

Some in Israel would wait on the salvation from God and believe that it—that He—was coming.

That promised salvation, that chosen and precious cornerstone came in Jesus Christ!

The cornerstone served as the foundation stone for a building under construction in the ancient world.

By being perfectly square itself, it also ensured that the rest of the building would be square as well.

It the cornerstone was not “chosen and precious”—i.e., if it was not perfect, the rest of the building would be misshapen and unstable.

But Jesus was perfect!

He was chosen and precious!

And the temple of God—the church—would be built on Him! Listen to what says...

[Exp]

Ephesians 2:19-22

[Illus] I’m sure that you’ve heard of the leaning tower of Pisa in Tuscany, Italy.

It’s been around for hundreds of years and has been leaning for almost the entirety of its existence, which makes sense when you realize that “pisa” means “marshy land”.

It began to lean so severely in the 1990s, that officials closed it to the public so a team of experts could try to save the tower from collapsing.

They removed soil from underneath the tower to allow it to settle more evenly.

They weighted and anchored the tower to try to pull the tower closer to straight.

And it worked!

The tower’s lean was reduced by 19 inches!

It may fall one day, but the tower is expected to be stable for another 200 years unless there’s an earthquake or some other disaster.

[App] Think about The Leaning Tower of Pisa in comparison to The Church—The Temple of God.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa’s foundation was off from the beginning.

But the foundation—the cornerstone—of the church is Jesus Christ and He couldn’t be more perfect!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa’s foundation had to be corrected.

But the foundation—the cornerstone—of the church is Jesus Christ and He has never and will never need correcting!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa’s foundation is stabilized for the foreseeable future.

But the foundation—the cornerstone—of the church is Jesus Christ and He is sure forever!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa’s foundation will eventually give way to time and decay, an earthquake, or some other destructive force.

But the foundation—the cornerstone—of the church is Jesus Christ and He will never give way!

[TS] Jesus is The Chosen One—the precious cornerstone—and there is no other!

He is the sure foundation of our salvation as members of the household of God!

That’s why we must believe that Jesus is The Chosen One!

#2: You must believe that Jesus is The Chosen One ().

[Exp] Peter reminds his readers that it is not enough to mentally agree with the fact that Jesus is the chosen and precious cornerstone.

They must believe on Jesus as that chosen and precious cornerstone—as that only perfectly sure and stable means of salvation.

Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame, which means that whoever does not believe in Him will be put to shame.

The honor of belonging to the Church—the Household of God—the Temple of God is for those who believe.

[Exp]

Those who don’t believe, however, will stumble over Jesus.

Peter quotes from when he writes, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” is a praise to God for the salvation He has brought to His people.

Jesus is the salvation that God has brought to His people!