Untitled Sermon (3)

Introduction

Background to Text

Last week we started looking at chapter 2 in our book study of I Peter, how we can find hope even in our suffering. We saw how as a believer, we should have a great appetite for the Word of God.

This appetite was described as a newborn baby desiring milk. As we take in the Word, we grow in the Word. When we taste the grace of God through the Word, we have even more of an appetite for it.

As our appetite for the Word increases, the things in verse 1 of this text just don’t seem so appealing anymore.

Now we look into another metaphor Peter uses. The first being the baby desiring milk, as we should desire the word. The second, what we’ll look at today, the need to build our lives on Jesus.

This morning I want us to look at a sermon entitled: “Find Your Purpose in Christ.”

READ I PETER 2:4-10

PRAY

-Tom Brady, quarterback who led the New England Patriots to victory, at this particular point in his career, to three Super Bowls, told 60 Minutes, “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, it’s got to be more than this. I mean this isn’t, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be.”

-“What’s the answer,” asked interviewer Steve Kroft.

-“I wish I knew,” Brady replied. “I wish I knew.”

Sadly, there are many who have fallen into the same trap as Brady. They have tried to find their meaning and purpose in life through the things of this world.

For the Christian, however, we understand that our identity and purpose is wrapped around the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we live our lives in light of that, we find great joy.

But living for the Lord is not always the easy or convenient path. There are times that living for Christ can bring direct opposition from others. Rejection from others.

Peter recognizes that here, and is going to remind these suffering Christians that although they may experience persecution and rejection because of their faith in Jesus, that their acceptance in God is greater than their acceptance from others.

Transition

This morning I want us to look at Four Realities in these verses that help us to live for the Lord even in the midst of persecution.

We Might Be Rejected By Man, But We Are Accepted by God (v. 4-5)

God’s Acceptance Is Shown through Jesus (v. 4a)

We are reminded here of Jesus and the opposition He went through on this earth. He, the living stone, and later called the cornerstone, was rejected by men.

John 1:10–11 KJV 1900

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

The Creator was rejected by His own creation. When we pause and consider that Jesus was rejected of men, why would we be surprised that we as well are rejected by others on this earth?

Matthew 10:23–25 KJV 1900

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

Just as Christ the cornerstone was rejected by men and by the builders, we as lively stones are rejected by men as well!

In the context in which this book was written, Peter wrote to the strangers in Asia minor. He uses words like exiles, sojourners, pilgrims, scattered, to describe the state that these people were in.

It all had to do with this central theme of not feeling at home in their homeland. They were the outcasts. The rejects of society. They were the throw aways. They were the nobodys.

But I love what the second part of verse 4 says of Christ: “but chosen of God, and precious.”

Jesus was rejected by man, but He was accepted by God the Father. He was chosen, He was precious, He was highly valued in His eyes.

Although these believers were rejected by their society in this era and they were seen as worthless, the God of heaven looked down on them and accepted these people as His children and saw the great value of their souls.

In chapter 1 and verse 2 it says that these people were elect, chosen by God through foreknowledge.

What I’m getting at this morning is this. There may be those this morning in your life and mine that reject us due to our stand for Christ. Our society may not accept our beliefs and embrace our faith in Christ.

We may be persecuted for our faith. We may be ridiculed for our faith. It seems the way things are headed that to be a Bible-believing Christian is not a badge of honor like it may have been in the past.

Your family may push you away because of your faith in Christ. Your coworkers may make fun of you. Your friends may go a different path because of you following the path of Christlikeness.

It may get to the point where we have legal allegations thrown at us because of our faith or even physical persecution come our way. And we will feel the heavy rejection of men.

But friend, what I would remind of you this morning and challenge you to find hope in is that although you may be rejected by man, you haven’t been rejected by God.

If you’re His child, God accepts you. And you are highly valued and favored in His sight.

So if you’re rejected this week by others because you take a stand for Christ.

If you’re not the most popular person in the lunch room because you don’t live like everyone else. If you’re made fun of by your own family because you abstain from certain family functions.

You are in great company. A servant is not greater than his master. But your acceptance in God is greater than any rejection this world may bring.

God’s Acceptance Is Shown in that He Has A Purpose for Your Life (v. 5)

Here our identity is linked to Christ. In verse 4 it says, “to whom coming,” or in essence, “as you come to Him.” This has the idea of coming to Christ, and abiding in Him as John 15 would describe.

So Christ is the cornerstone, we are lively stones. A cornerstone is the first stone laid in a masonry project. Every stone is built off of the cornerstone. If the cornerstone is wrong the whole project will be wrong. We build our lives on the Lord Jesus Christ.

As it shows here in verse 5, we are built up a spiritual house. This is the metaphor Peter gives. That we collectively as believers are built up as a spiritual house.

And in this house, or temple if I may, we offer spiritual sacrifices to the Lord as believer priests.

Just think about it for a minute. These exiled, cast away, no goods, are now being used as lively stones to build something. These people may not have had a purpose in society’s eyes, but they had purpose in the eyes of God.

Their purpose was that they build their lives on Jesus and serve Him. May we as believers realize our purpose in this life. May we get passionate about Jesus being our goal and desire!

I love the last part of verse 5, it says: “to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

It’s amazing to me that God would accept my sacrifice to Him. But we’re told why He accepts it, it’s done “through” Jesus. You know why God accepts us? You know why we can do things pleasing in His sight? It’s very simple: Jesus.

If I had to gain the acceptance of God by what I did, I’d be a goner. Even on my best days, I could never do good enough to get God’s favor and love. But through Jesus, the little I do offer to God is acceptable in His sight.

Friends, let us be reminded and humbled by the fact that if it weren’t for Jesus, we’d be hopeless. My acceptance does not come through my own merit, it comes through Jesus and His finished work on the cross.

We might be rejected by man, but we are accepted by God.

When We Put Faith in Christ, We Won’t Be Put to Shame (v. 6-7a)

Here Peter refers back to the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 28:16 KJV 1900

Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, A tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: He that believeth shall not make haste.

When we put our faith in Christ, the cornerstone, we won’t be put to shame.

These believers were ridiculed by others. They were shamed by others. They no doubt heard the voice of hatred and slander from neighbors, family members, and masters.

But here Peter refers back to the prophets to remind them that their faith ultimately would not bring shame.

Even though it felt like what they believed brought shame at the moment, there would be a day where the record would be set straight. And they would enter into an eternity in heaven with the Lord.

Instead of focusing on how others may have tried to bring shame to their lives in the temporal, Peter challenges them to remember what will happen in the eternal because of believing in Christ.

This is my challenge to you. If you have put your faith in Christ, you don’t need to live in shame because of that. The world we’re living in wants us to apologize for being a Christian.

They sometimes act like we are the enemies. If we’re not careful, we’ll start believing what others say about us, over what God says about us. Could I challenge you, stop being ruled by the opinions of others and start believing what God already says of you!

Stop trying to please everyone else and gain their acceptance, and focus on pleasing Christ.

I think this is where this passage ties in with verse 1 of this chapter. Because it would be easy to fall into the trap of living a hypocritical life. Of believing in Jesus, but then acting a different way around others so that we can be accepted by “the crowd.”

Almost to be ashamed to be called a Christian because of the negative connotation it brings. But we don’t have to live in shame, because we won’t be put to shame. We will live eternally with the Lord.

We must keep that in mind instead of allowing the temporal slanderings to cause us to cower.

Those Who Reject Christ, Reject His Word (v. 7-8)

When we consider the truth of Christ being the cornerstone, we see Jesus as precious, or His position as valued, honored. But for those who are lost and reject God’s Word, it is a stumbling stone.

Peter brings out the reality that those who reject Christ as the cornerstone, reject His Word as well. This should be no surprise to us because as it says at the end of verse 8, this was already appointed.

This was prophesied of:

Isaiah 8:14 KJV 1900

And he shall be for a sanctuary; But for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, For a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

What they stumble over is the word and disobedience of it.

1 Peter 1:22 KJV 1900

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

In rejecting the Word, they reject the Gospel. This morning I ask you, have you put your faith in Christ or not?

Is He the cornerstone to you, or a stone you stumble over? Do you know Christ as your personal Savior?

When someone rejects Christ, they reject His Word. They reject the word of the Gospel.

Others Can Accept Christ, Because We Shine His Light (v. 9-10)

What we must remember is that we were once where they were. We once were on the other side of the gospel like those in verses 7-8. We at one time stumbled over that stone. We at one time were in darkness.

But Christ called us out of that darkness. He gave us purpose. He gave us meaning. He gave us identity. And we should show forth His praises because of that! We should live to serve Him!

Look at how these people are described! Chosen generation. Royal Priesthood. Holy Nation, Peculiar People, God’s own special people. This is a lot different than probably what the outside world was calling them at this time!

God reminds them of who they are in Him. He reminds them of their purpose. To show that light to those in darkness. At one time they were nothing, but now they were children of the living God!

And as they lived out their purpose as chosen, royal, holy, peculiar people, this light would point others to Christ. Instead of stumbling over the stone, they’d see the stone clearly.

They would be led to Jesus because these people lived out their purpose in life and found their identity in the Lord.

For those of us who are saved, we should live in this same way. People need to know the Lord. There are many stumbling in darkness. They stumble over the stone. They reject the word.

And may we live according to what God describes us by in verse 9. Yes, people will reject us. Yes, ridicule will come. Persecution is evident. We probably won’t be real popular.

But our purpose is not wrapped up in what other people think of us, it’s wrapped up in what God says of us. When we focus our lives on our position in Christ and the purpose He has for us. We will point others to the Lord.

If we believe the answer to this world is Jesus, we need to live like it. The next time you start to feel embarrassed, ashamed, rejected by men.

Remember, you’re accepted by God. You won’t be put to shame. One day your faith will become sight. You’ll spend eternity in heaven with the Lord. Remember, others can be led to the light, because you shine it forth.

May we find our purpose in Christ!