Another Brick in the Wall
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Importance of family
Parents are moving
Trying to get Kevin
My sister is going to be harder
Why? Family is important
YouVersion - Another Brick in the Wall - In 1 Peter 2:1-2
Not sure why I name all of my sermons after songs...
This week we’re honoring Pink Floyd (for real)
Discussing 4 points in this story to paint one big picture
1. We are Pure
1. We are Pure
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Nurses shunned Tasha...
Milk is best!
Babies don’t want chili dogs
What we put in is all about purity and nutrition
Talked last week about what people are doing
Netflix, pornography, alcohol, video games...
How much more are we reading the word of God?
Praying? Fasting? Reading good books?
Have you tasted and seen the Lord is good?
Sometimes we’re to stubborn to taste
I love to try weird stuff
Sea urchin, snake, crickets, snail, octopus...
Try it, you’ll like it!
Ronnie and the pudding
Growing up I didn’t go to church
Remember wanting to know Scripture, but didn’t
I can’t imagine a life without the word, without prayer, without the church
Open the bible, set aside time, go to church (eventually)
Taste and you will see
Try it, you’ll like it!
Then Peter mentions what happens when you do that
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 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.
2. We are Holy
2. We are Holy
Jesus is the cornerstone
First stone for a brick building
Important because all other stones laid in reference
Just did flooring
Manny will tell you - first piece matters
If it’s off, it changes everything for the rest of the floor
May not know till the last line!
Spent time finding right spot - thank God it worked
Jesus is cornerstone, Peter says we are the bricks
Hence the title
Warren Hill - record collector
Bought old vinyl at garage sale for 75 cents
Unreleased 1st album for The Velvet Underground
Sold for $155,000 on eBay!
Peter says Jesus, our cornerstone, men threw it away!
But God said, “Okay, let me build something with it then!”
He has built something that is infinitely valuable
6 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.”
7 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,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Peter is quoting from Psalm 118
Because Jesus first quoted it in Matthew 21:42
Notice who is doing the rejecting… the builders!
God’s contractors didn’t want to use the cornerstone!
So the builder owner says, okay - I’ll bring in some new guys that will...
Remember what we just read:
for those who do not believe, they stumble as they were destined
That brings us to an important lesson
2. We Are Family
2. We Are Family
We become a part of God’s family
We are supposed to be a family!
Gang members aren’t blood related
Their family is built on something bigger than them...
So is God’s family
What does that look like
9 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. 10 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.
Anna used to say
Explain Jewish transition
Lot’s of questions about Jewish role in God’s plan
They’re chosen, so Christianity is false?
Jesus came so they’re done?
We’re all Jewish now?
We can see the story in Isaiah and Romans
Taught before Isaiah uses image of tree
13 And though a tenth remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
whose stump remains
when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump.
The tree was chopped and purified
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
New branch grew from same tree (Jesus from Israel)
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
The unbelieving Jews were “broken off”
Then gentiles (you and me) were grafted in
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
It is Judaism that supports this system
This is why we have to be reverent toward Jewish people
Beautiful picture God has painted
19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
Broken off because of their unbelief
Remember what I said to keep in mind
For those who do not believe, they stumble as they were destined
Their unbelief breaks them away from God’s family
Now WE are God’s family! Adopted through Christ
Bob Constantine (writer) said, “I have four children. Two are adopted. I forget which two.”
That’s how God looks at us!
Finally, we look at this:
4. We are Representatives
4. We are Representatives
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
The church represents Christ
Remember that as you live
There are things at war with your soul
I know you can think of one or several
Can’t stop gossiping at work
You’ve become THAT person
Can’t stop watching porn
It’s always sneaking up at the worst moments
Can’t stop getting angry and screaming
Something sets you off and you can’t stop
What are those things at war with your soul?
George R.R. Martin says, “The unseen enemy is always the most fearsome.”
Identify them, what battles are you fighting that you don’t think about?
We have two choices
1. Fight for victory
2. Fight from the mindset we already have victory
Jesus died, it’s already handled
Realize there’s nothing you need to do
That sin does not have control over you
From that, you can do what Peter says
Keep your conduct honorable
Closing
Closing
In Malbork, Poland is a structure
Malbork castle is 13th century Teutonic castle and fortress
Built by German Catholic crusaders
1,154,300 sq ft - largest brick building by ground coverage
Each individual brick does it’s part to create the beautiful building
Louis Kahn - American architect said, “Even a brick wants to be something.”
We’re all just little bricks - what do you want to build?
You want to build your own little one brick kingdom...
Or a part of God’s magnificent structure called the church?
Prayer
Prayer