The Living Stone

1 Peter 2:4-5. "The Living Stone". Safe Haven Community Church. Palm Sunday. Sunday March 28th, 2021. Luke 19:28-40 28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.' " 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34 And they said, "The Lord has need of it." 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near-already on the way down the Mount of Olives-the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." 40 He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." (ESV) Christians remember on Palm Sunday the triumphal entry of Christ to Jerusalem-the King of Glory riding to the ostensible seat of his political and religious power, received as victor and Lord with shouts of Hosannas. Holy Week begins with cries of adoration to the victorious Lord whose entrance into Jerusalem was his entrance into suffering and death, the climax of his low condition. And this true king ushers in his kingdom in this way, on the back of a donkey. He inaugurates and establishes his dominion by taking upon himself the form of a servant. And he is exalted on high because he was lifted up on the cross. The excited throng on Palm Sunday was filled with Galilean pilgrims and the larger group of disciples, yet neither they nor the Jerusalem crowd in general (see Luke 19:37; Mark 15:40-41; John 12:12, 17) would understand the relationship between the worship of Christ and the imagery of stones being built upon him as the cornerstone. Please turn to 1 Peter 2 We think of stones as being inert, as having no vitality flowing through them. Yet when Peter speaks of coming to Jesus, he says it is like coming to a living stone. On Palm Sunday, when the disciples were rebuked for praising Christ, He responded, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:40). What could be more impossible than that? Stones do not speak, because they are not alive, but here Peter says that when we come to Christ, we come to a stone that is alive. (Sproul, R. C. (2011). 1-2 Peter (p. 62). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.) 1 Peter 2:4-5 [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. (ESV). As Christ entered Jerusalem that Palm Sunday, the people sought deliverance from Roman Rule and Christ to usher in the Kingdom of God. But what Christ came to build through His kingdom was not an immediate overthrow of governmental tyranny. As the chief cornerstone of the kingdom, Christ is building His Church, with His Priests and bringing about new sacrifices. Palm Sunday reminds us that what Christ is building cannot be prevented. Even though evil ones will despise the kingdom, and what is being built, those committed to Christ's task are living stones. Believers in Christ have been chosen for such a time as this. We are previous in the Father's eyes and what He is building is glorious. Palm Sunday is the worship of the one who is the cornerstone of God, and the celebration of His construction. Followers of Christ are living Stones that He uses in His construction. God's construction involves 1) Living Stones (1 Peter 2:4-5a), functioning as 2) Living Priests (1 Peter 2:5b), offering 4) Living Sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5c). The Palm Sunday announcement of Christ, shows God building using: 1) Living Stones (1 Peter 2:4-5a) 1 Peter 2:4-5a [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). (ESV). It is as you come to Christ that believers enter the realm of spiritual privilege. Jesus Himself, with Peter and the other apostles as eyewitnesses, called people to abandon the turmoil of their sin and come to Him in faith and experience true soul rest (cf. Mt. 11:28-29). When Peter talks about coming to Christ, the compound verb to come (proserchomenoi), however, conveys more than a mere drawing close to Christ for salvation. The preposition pros is a prefix to the normal verb erchomai and adds intensity, denoting a drawing near to Christ in intimate, abiding, personal fellowship. There is encouragement in these verses, then, in this sense: 'As you (keep on) coming to Christ (in worship, in prayer and praise), you are (continually) being built up into a spiritual temple, a place in which God more and more fully dwells.' (Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 106). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) * As the crowd entered the gates on that Palm Sunday, they thought they were coming to Jerusalem to change everything. Jesus is saying, come and dwell with me, and everything will be changed. Peter now uses the metaphor of a living stone to identify the One to whom believers come-Jesus Christ-and to launch his discussion of spiritual privilege. Stone (lithos) sometimes refers to a carved precious stone, but usually it means "building stone." The Old Testament designates God as the only rock (Deut. 32:3-4, 31), the foundation and strength of His people. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the rock (2:8; 1 Cor. 10:4) and the stone on which the church rests. Here Peter's image is of a stone that was perfectly designed, shaped, and hewn out to become the cornerstone of the church, the foundational corner stone support. The fact that Christ is the living stone shows at once His superiority to an Old Testament temple made of dead stones, and reminds Christians that there can be no longing for that old way of approach to God, for this way is far better.( Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 104). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) Even though Christ is the source of all spiritual privileges, He has been rejected by men. Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22 ("The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone") to indicate that although he would be rejected by men he would, in the purpose of God, become the capstone of the kingdom. ( Mounce, R. H. (2005). A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter (p. 25). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers.). Initially, the rejection referred to the Jewish leaders and the Jewish people who followed them in demanding Christ's crucifixion. But Peter's words also encompass everyone who has rejected Christ since that time. Your response to Christ determines your destiny. That is why Peter and John red the charge before the council of the Sadducees in Acts 4:11-12 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (ESV) (Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 146). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.) * As Christ came into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday, He inaugurated a kingdom that did not put people at the center, but God. It is that same kingdom demand that Jesus makes today that causes people to turn from Him. * As we deal with the construction of a new auditorium as a congregation, we need to consider our cornerstone of our building. It must not be our names or effort, but it must be Christ. Without Him as the support of all our efforts, they shall crumble. That Christ has been rejected (apodedokimasmenon) means "rejected having been examined or tested." Because the Jewish leaders were looking for the Messiah, when Jesus claimed to be the Christ (Matt. 26:63-64; John 1:49-51; 4:25-26; cf. Matt. 16:13-20; Luke 4:14-21) they examined His claim. Based on their blind hearts and false standards (Matt. 12:2, 10, 38; 15:1-2; 16:1; Mark 12:13-34; John 8:12-27), they concluded that He did not measure up, so they rejected Him (John 19:7, 12, 15; cf. 7:41-52; 12:37-38). This rejection refers to the people of the first century who ultimately crucified Christ and to anyone since that time who has not (repented of their sins to Him) and embraced him as...Savior (and Lord). (Walls, D., & Anders, M. (1999). I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude (Vol. 11, p. 29). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) * In the entry into Jerusalem, when the crowd shouted Hosanna! They were literally calling for Him to save them from all external oppression now. Most people today do not reject the facts about Christ but a misinformed Character of Him. Our job is to be a faithful image bearer of Him and clarify misconceptions. Please turn to Ephesians 2 It is to the unique living stone that has been rejected by men, that everyone must go to receive the spiritual privileges that accompany salvation (cf. Mt. 11:28; Jn. 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:17). When sinners come in faith to Christ, the "living stone," they too become as verse 5 describes them, living stones; when they believe in Christ (cf. John 17:21, 23; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:15-16; 1 John 3:2). To be living stones means that believers have the eternal life of Christ. They are united with Him, as stones in a spiritual building of which He is the cornerstone. The Cornerstone is called "living" by virtue of his resurrection; the same resurrection life enlivens the stones that come to him and take their place in the new temple. The image of the living stones of the new temple also has implications for the conception of the Christian's relationship to other believers. Notably, these living stones are not lying about in idle isolation or disorder in Peter's description. God intends His people to live out their lives in a constructive relationship with one another. Scattered bricks do not constitute a building. Scattered believers do not make a church. (Mounce, R. H. (2005). A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter (p. 26). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers.) Paul told the Ephesians: Ephesians 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV).(cf. 1 Cor. 3:9) * Those who trust Christ for salvation become themselves living stones like their Savior and Lord and are privileged to access the spiritual power that resides in Him. As a believing Jew, the apostle Peter realized the New Testament economy was different from the Old in terms of God's presence with believers (John 1:17-18; Heb. 8:7-13). In the old economy, God's temple, representing His presence (1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chron. 5:13; 7:2-3), was a temporal, material house (Luke 21:5; John 2:20); but in the new, believers are being built up as a spiritual house that supersedes any material building (Eph. 2:20-22; Heb. 3:6). They constitute God's spiritual temple (cf. Acts 17:24; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:16; 1 Tim.3:15). Believers therefore have access to God "as living stones," and they commune with Him as His spiritual dwelling. The Christian community is portrayed as a temple, implying that now it-not a literal stone building-is the place of God's earthly dwelling by the Holy Spirit, a place of true worship and of acceptable sacrifice. The image of living stones being built into a spiritual house whose cornerstone is Christ also speaks of the unity, significance, and purpose of all believers... The imagery of the living stones being built into a single unit implies that the significance and purpose of the individual Christian cannot be realized apart from community with other believers. Coming to Christ means coming into relationship with others, not only in one's own generation but also by being united with believers of every generation, who likewise have been built into God's grand building project. The structure will be completed only when the scaffolding of human history comes down and the kingdom of Christ is revealed in all its glory. (Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 148-149). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.). Illustration: The Monarch of a foreign nation accustomed to great cities and walls once visited the King of Sparta. As the visiting king looked around, he could see no walled city and asked, "Where are the renowned walls of Sparta?" The Spartan king pointed to his army and replied, "These are the walls of Sparta, every man a brick." Although the image in 1 Peter is of a building and not a wall of defense, the idea remains that each living stone has a role to play for the integrity and well-being of the whole. God's true house is "spiritual" in the sense that it is constituted by the lives of those who come to Christ. (Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 148-149). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.). * As People came to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, for Palm Sunday they would have been impressed with the grand city and formattable walls. But Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was that of a King of a different Kingdom. For Safe Haven, we are not so much trying to build a building, but recognize the king of our Church, Jesus. Our construction efforts are to have a place to invite people to come and worship the King. The Palm Sunday announcement of Christ, shows God building using: 2) Living Priests (1 Peter 2:5b) 1 Peter 2:5b [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.) (ESV). Believers also function as a holy priesthood. Unfortunately, many people associate "priesthood" with the unbiblical model found in the Roman Catholic Church. But when the Bible speaks about believers being "priests," it does not refer to the Roman Catholic system, nor to the old covenant priesthood in which only a single tribe of priests could officially serve God in sacred ceremonies. The beauty of this new and living 'temple made of people' should no longer be expensive gold and precious jewels, but the imperishable beauty of holiness and faith in Christians' lives, qualities which much more effectively reflect the glory of God (cf. 1 Pet. 3:4; 2 Cor. 3:18) (Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 105). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.). Please turn to Leviticus 8 In the Old Testament only the high priest could actually go into the Holy of Holies once a year (Lev. 16:2, 29-34; Heb. 9:1-10, 25). Exodus 28-29 lays out God's commands regarding the priesthood, such as the standards and principles for the office, as well as the functions of the office. Exodus 28 first of all reveals that God sovereignly chose the priests (Ex. 28:1). Likewise, the New Testament priesthood of believers is an elect privilege. Jesus told His disciples: John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (ESV) Leviticus 8 points to a very important characteristic of the priesthood that enabled priests to perform their duties, that is reflective in the New Testament. God cleansed them from sin before they embarked on their duties. Leviticus 8:6-36 says: Leviticus 8:6-10 says: [6] And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. [7] And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band. [8] And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. [9] And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD commanded Moses. [10]Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. (ESV) "Keep your place in Leviticus 8" * Paul provided insight into Christ's cleansing work: Titus 2:14 (He) who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (ESV)If God has saved you from Wrath, cleansed you from sin, do you ever wonder why? Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, (ESV). Jesus cleansed His people by His blood (Mark 14:24; Acts 20:28; Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Eph. 1:7; 2:13; Heb. 9:11-15; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5) and by His Spirit (John 3:5; Eph. 1:13-14; cf. Matt. 3:11; Acts 11:16) so they could become His priests. Back to Leviticus 8, look down to verse 30. God through Moses anointed the Levitical priests for service. Leviticus 8:30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons' garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him. (ESV) "Keep your place stillvin Leviticus 8" * That anointing identified God's power and presence as resting on the priesthood; it symbolized empowerment from the Holy Spirit (cf. Ex. 30:23-25, 29; 40:13-15; 1 Sam. 16:13). In similar fashion, new covenant believers are priests who have received a divine anointing (cf. John 7:38-39; 14:26; 16:13; Acts 1:5, 8; Rom. 15:13; 1 Cor. 12:13; Titus 3:5-6). The apostle John reminded the recipients of his first letter: 1 John 2:20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. (ESV) God has anointed His own with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence. * Because God had granted them His special authority, Israel's priests had privileges none of the other people had: they could go where no one else was allowed to go and do things no one else was permitted to do. Christians today have the similar but far greater spiritual advantage of entering God's holy presence at any time, a privilege that unbelievers never have. Looking down to verse 33 of Leviticus 8 we see how God prepared its members for service. Following the ceremonies described earlier in Leviticus 8, Moses commanded Aaron and his sons, Leviticus 8:33 [33] And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. (ESV) * Although outwardly everything was in order by the conclusion of Leviticus 8, before Aaron and his sons could function as priests (cf. Lev. 9:2-4, 22-23), God required them to spend a time of heart preparation (cf. Ezra 7:10; Ps. 10:17), represented by the seven days. As we see Christ entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, we must make the intentional preparation of our hearts for remembering His death, burial and resurrection. Illustration: 5641. Reformation's Two Martins In the 16th century, one of the defining issues of the Reformation, was the consideration if the New Testament expected a distinct priestly class. Reformers looked to passages like 1 Peter 2:5, and declared the Priesthood of all believers. But the understanding of how this Priesthood should be lived was not understood by all. At the beginning of the Reformation, Martin of Basle came to a knowledge of the truth, but, afraid to make a public confession, he wrote on a leaf of parchment: "O most merciful Christ, I know that I can be saved only by the merit of thy blood. Holy Jesus, I acknowledge thy sufferings for me. I love thee! I love thee!" Then he removed a stone from the wall of his chamber and hid it there. It was not discovered for more than a hundred years. About the same time Martin Luther found the truth as it is in Christ. He said: "My Lord has confessed me before men; I will not shrink from confessing Him before kings." The world knows what followed, and today it reveres the memory of Luther; but as for Martin of Basle, who cares for him? (-Sunday School Times) * The Priesthood of every believers means that we are all equipped for holy service. The only issue is if we hide from this fact or publically serve. Finally, the Palm Sunday announcement of Christ, shows God building using: 3) Living Sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5c) 1 Peter 2:5c [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. (ESV). The primary function of the Old Testament priests, as they ministered in the tabernacle and then the temple, was to offer animal sacrifices to God (Ex. 29:10-19; 2 Chron. 35:11). But when Christ inaugurated the new covenant, animal sacrifices were no longer necessary (Heb. 8:13; 9:11-15; 10:1-18). Now the only sacrifices remaining for the priesthood of believers to offer, according to Peter, are spiritual sacrifices. The New Testament identifies the spiritual sacrifices as the offering of our bodies to God for his service (Rom. 12:1), the giving of gifts to enable the spread of the gospel (Phil. 4:18), the singing of praise (Heb. 13:15), and the doing of good and sharing our possessions (Heb. 13:16). These varied examples encourage us to think that anything we do in service to God can be thought of as a 'spiritual sacrifice' acceptable to God, a continual sweet aroma that ascends to his throne and brings Him delight. (Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, pp. 106-107). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) The Old Testament priests were to offer sacrifices that met God's requirements. The animals they offered were to be the best-blameless, spotless, and without defect (Ex. 12:5; Lev. 9:2-3; 22:19; Num. 6:14; Deut. 15:21; 17:1). They also were to offer the animal sacrifices and use incense consistent with God's requirements. (Failure to strictly follow the divine requirements cost Nadab and Abihu their lives.) New Testament priests have a corresponding responsibility. Even though they enjoy the privilege of unrestricted access to God's presence (Heb. 10:19-22), Christians still have the serious responsibility of offering spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Christ alone is the mediator (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5-6), the One who gives believers true access to the Father (Heb. 4:14-16; 9:11-15). The priestly calling of the church is understood from 2:9 to be evangelistic, a praising of God's name so that people from all over the world will join in worshiping him...Peter spoke generally and comprehensively of all that believers do by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15-16). Indeed, not any and every sacrifice is pleasing to God, but only those offered "through Jesus Christ."( Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, pp. 107-108). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) This is how Jesus explained how something acceptable to God. During His Upper Room Discourse, Jesus told His disciples: John 14:13-14 [13] Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14]If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (ESV) * Whatever His followers ask, consistent with His person, will, and kingdom plan, He will accomplish it. (1:15-16; 2:21-22; 1 John 2:6). All such offerings must be pure acts of sacrifice, deriving from pure motives, and focusing on the pure goal of honoring God. * What the exuberant followers of Christ asked for in shouting Hosana, "save now", as Jesus entered Jerusalem, was not consistent with the plan/will of God. They wanted immediate earthly deliverance. Christ entered Jerusalem to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice to save His people from their sins. Please turn to Romans 12 The New Testament sets forth basic, acceptable spiritual sacrifices for Christians: their bodies, their praise, their good works, their possessions, their converts, their love, and their prayers. The spiritual sacrifices in view may be understood as all behavior that flows from a transformation of the human spirit by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit (1:2). "The whole of life is the offering up of sacrifice" (Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 151). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.) The apostle Paul's familiar and practical exhortation to the Romans says: Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. [2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV) * God-honoring spiritual sacrifice begins when believers offer God all their human faculties, including their minds and every part of their bodies. The unregenerate yield the members of their bodies to sin, but the redeemed yield their members as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13). * When we offer up holy spiritual sacrifices, God expects the first of our time, talent and all our resources, not just whatever we have left after work and play. Quote: A.W. Tozer said something quite insightful in terms of overall service: Before the judgment seat of Christ my service will not be judged by how much I have done but by how much of me there is in it...No (one) gives anything acceptable to God until (they have) first given (themselves) in love and sacrifice. (A. W. TOZER (1897-1963) When Jesus entered Jerusalem the people misunderstood His Kingdom He was inaugurating and the priests that would serve in the Kingdom. It would demand a lot but have great privileges. Believers' spiritual privileges begin the moment the Holy Spirit draws them into a saving union with Jesus Christ. They then have access to the very presence of God as priests who are privileged to offer up a variety of spiritual sacrifices, which are really just the essential characteristics of the Christian life. One of the primary functions in the church's mission to advance God's kingdom is to stimulate its members to fulfill their priestly duties. That fulfillment, above any external representations, is the divine measure of the church's success. (Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2004). 1 Peter (p. 103). Chicago: Moody Publishers.) Closing Hymn "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna" (3 Verses) 030 Benediction Therefore, since you have received a kingdom, which cannot be shaken by the Lord who said, 'My cities will again over flow with prosperity, the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem'. May the same Lord fill you with gratitude by which you may offer service acceptable with reverence and awe. Through Christ we Pray. AMEN. (cf. Hebrews 12:28 Zechariah 1:17) 2