Living Stones

As Peter penned this letter challenging the church to live in unity in verses 1-3 of chapter 2, I wonder if he paused and reflected back to that day he stood with Jesus in Caesarea Philipi at the very heart of pagan worship… a place were it was believed that a cave there was the gates of Hell… as he recalled Jesus’ words “I will build my church...”

What passion must have beat in his heart as the Spirit of God gave him these words to bolster and fortify God’s church

With words and figures of something majestically and carefully built up… he describes not a structure with walls but something much grander!!!

Read with me in 1 Peter 2:4-12 as we look at what God has in store for His church!

1 Peter 2:4–12 NASB95

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Christ as our Corner Stone

Peter rightly describes Christ as the Living stone … He is Resurrected!

He is a precious stone because He is chosen of the Father.

Chosen because He met every demand of perfection you and I could not.

Not only chosen but precious… invaluable

Everything in the building was built off of this corner stone and it had to be perfect!

“coming to Him”… there is a drawing close to Him… an active ongoing, this is not pertaining to our salvation rather our relationship.

You & I as the Living Building Stones

“You also...” there is a shift that occurs in the same line of thinking

Christ said in Matthew 16:18 “I will build my Church” this is the work of Christ

Believers are living stones in His building.

Each time someone trusts Christ, another stone is quarried out of the pit of sin and cemented by grace into the building.

It may look to us that the church on earth is a pile of rubble and ruins, but God sees the total structure as it grows (Eph. 2:19–22)

Ephesians 2:19–22 NASB95

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

There is the shaping, scrapping away to fit

We are being built up. There is work still being done! (Illustrate with the cathedral… ongoing work)

There is one Spiritual House

The church is a household of faith

Family terms are frequently used when describing Christ Church

A family shares many things in common yet has unique personalities

Unity does not eliminate diversity. Not all children in a family are alike, nor are all the stones in a building identical. In fact, it is diversity that gives beauty and richness to a family or building. The absence of diversity is not unity; it is uniformity, and uniformity is dull. It is fine when the choir sings in unison, but I prefer that they sing in harmony.

Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter —2:4–8—

Please understand that becoming a stone in a building of countless stones doesn’t detract from your significance. In fact, it enhances it! You represent a vital part in the outworking of God’s plan. Without you, something would be missing. The wall would be weakened. Never underestimate your important part in the larger community of Christ.

We are a Priesthood…

It is important that we, as God’s priests, maintain our separated position in this world. We must not be isolated, because the world needs our influence and witness; but we must not permit the world to infect us or change us.

Separation is not isolation; it is contact without contamination.

In the OT there was a priesthood you would have to go to in order to have a mediator before God…

Now we have Christ as our mediator and as His chosen people we are a priesthood able to go to God as our Father because of Christ!

Each one of us has the opportunity to come into His presence!

As a priesthood we offer spiritual sacrifices (Verse 5 states what type…acceptable)

As individuals and as His Church

This is all that is done for him and through him

We are unable to do it on our own

Romans 12:1-2 we are a living Sacrifice

Hebrews 13:15 we offer praises to Him

Hebrews 13:16 our doing good and sharing is a sacrifice to Him

It is God’s Plan…

Has always been for His chosen to make a difference an impact

Israel was to live so others would see and believe in God

Do it God’s way and you won’t be disappointed verse 6

God desires all to believe

Disbelief in God’s Word is the reason they cast Christ aside Verse 8

Pride makes us want to do this life our way

John 3:17-18 Christ didn’t come to judge us because in our sin we stand convicted already, He came to save us in our sin.

John 3:17–18 NASB95

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The Purpose of the Stones

To Understand Who We Are vs 9-10

A Race

A Priesthood (representative to God)

A Nation (a Holy people group) … NOT REPLACING ISRAEL

A People (recieved mercy)

ALL Singular… we are to work as one while remaining the individual God made us to be.

The Strength of the Stones

To Proclaim Christ Who has done this work verses 11-12

This life is not our hope… just our opportunity to proclaim Him!

Why.. because we have received MERCY (Not getting what we deserved)

This is the work of His church.

We do not and should not be doing this alone.

Each citizen of heaven is a living “advertisement” for the virtues of God and the blessings of the Christian life.

Our lives should radiate the “marvelous light” into which God has graciously called us.

We must present to the world a united demonstration of what the grace and mercy of God can do.

We as a body of believers need to work as one as the church is built up BUT what hinders us?

Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter —2:11–12—

Warren Wiersbe illustrated these points with the following story:

In the summer of 1805, a number of Indian chiefs and warriors met in council at Buffalo Creek, New York, to hear a presentation of the Christian message by a Mr. Cram from the Boston Missionary Society. After the sermon, a response was given by Red Jacket, one of the leading chiefs. Among other things, the chief said,

“Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again of what you have said.”[37]

Christ is building up His church, the Household of Faith!

We have tasted His kindness when we accepted His kindness given to us a Calvary.

Now we need to crave Him and His word (the blueprints) as a baby craves his mother’s milk.

Are you satisfied with something else or do you Crave His Word?

If we are being built up I want to know how He wants to build up His Church so I am not considered a hindrance.