Cornerstone
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TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE WHEN PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER
People who religiously follow instructions
People who throw the instructions away before starting
I am a very big instructions person. So much so that even if the instructions are wrong I will keep going cause that's what the instructions said.
[GRILL STORY, END OF INSTRUCTIONS]
YOU SEE SOME INSTRUCTIONS LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE YOU ARE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. ONLY TO CHANGE THE RULES AT THE END.
This is what the world is like. When you look to culture for your instructions you end up with pieces in the wrong place. When you follow social media for your instructions you will be left laking what you really needed. When you look to society for your instructions, they may even say to just throw away the instructions. Trust your feelings. Go where you feel you should go, put it together how you feel it needs to be put together. Shape your life based on what you feel today and if it changes tomorrow so be it.
But I came to tell you today that Jesus has the real instructions for your life. He has the real plan. one that will never leave you lacking.
But right now we are living in a world that tells you the opposite. Tells your kids the opposite.
We are even living in a time where there are churches and believers who have bought into this lie. It has infiltrated churches, small groups, christian books and podcasts. That Jesus is no longer the cornerstone you should align your life to. They may not say it out loud or explicitly. But they live it. They breathe it. and they want you to buy into it.
Church we have to stand up for the fact that Jesus is meant to be the cornerstone for our lives. Not because it's one of the best options, or an option that could help your life but because He is worthy of it. Because it is THE option.
Who or what is the cornerstone of your life?
The apostle Peter was one of the boldest most outspoken people in the Bible especially after the resurrection. If you remember, Peter is the one who denied Jesus. But peter let his past fuel him into his future. He took that past and used it to make him even more bold. In fact he preaches the very first church sermon ever at the very first church gathering ever. At it his sermon goes like this "yall killed Jesus. you were wrong. God raised him. You should follow him" and 3000 people get saved.
Afterwards he goes on to write 1 & 2 Peter and in 1 Peter chapter 2 he writes about putting Jesus as the cornerstone of your life. He wants them to know who they are following. What it really means to follow Jesus. He wants them to be real followers.
Like when people move to the south you gotta become southern. You want to be a real tennessean then you have to be ready to wear a hoodie and shorts in the same day sometimes because the weather is as bipolar as your neighbor. You really wanna be southern you gotta get ready for college football season. If you have not been in a southern state in the fall you have not really experienced fall. If you prefer unsweet tea we will pray for you because that's not really southern.
So Peter is looking out for these people and wanting them to know what it means to really follow Jesus and here is what he says.
1 Peter 2:4 (NLT) — 4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
Peter wants them to know that if you are going to follow Jesus then you need to understand that He alone is the Cornerstone. of what? Of everything.
A cornerstone was the first stone laid. When you were building a new building it was the reference point. in fact, many older buildings you can see in the corner a large brick that is a different color sometimes and often inlaid or engraved with the date the building was built, who built it etc.
This stone would be used as a reference point for the rest of the building. Every stone laid would reference that stone to make sure it was on track. To make sure it was level. To make sure it was in the correct position so that the entire building could be even, level, settled correctly. able to withstand weight, and weather and time.
You are building your life on something. The question is what are you building your life on? Because only one foundation is able to truly keep you steady. Your favorite social media influencer wont be there for you when your life crumbles. Your favorite tv show cant put your marriage back together. Your favorite politician cant bring your kids back to the faith your raised them in. Only Jesus can be the foundation that changes everything. ARE YOU LOOKING TO THE WORLD FOR SOMETHING ONLY JESUS CAN DO? We have an entire generation that is looking to the world to do what only Jesus can do. They are looking for hope, for identity, for purpose, for meaning. And these are things that only Jesus can truly bring.
YOU SEE WHEN JESUS IS YOUR CORNERSTONE IT CHANGES THINGS. When Jesus is my cornerstone it changes who i date, why I date, how I date. It changes where I go, what I say, what I do. It changes my priorities, it changes my influences. It changes who I allow into my life. It changes who I allow to influence my life. It changes everything. Because im trying to line up my life with the cornertone. And anything that throws me off has to be cast aside.
You've got to understand as well that people will not like that you have Jesus as your cornerstone. They wont. It will cause conflict. It will cause some struggle. it will create some friction. Because people may not understand why you wont do what they do. Why you do things they dont do. Why you value things they dont value. Why you dont value what they value. Why your standard is higher. But we are not here for the approval of man but to hear "well done good and faithful servant"
JESUS ISN'T JUST WANTING YOU TO BUILD YOUR LIFE ON HIM WITH HIM AS THE CORNERSTONE. HE WANTS TO BUILD SOMETHING WITH YOU!
1 Peter 2:5 (NLT) — 5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
You are living stones that Jesus is placing carefully to build something that cannot be shaken. That cannot be moved. Building something that can change everything. That can bring hope to a community. That can help people find Jesus. Help them find purpose.
The church is not a building, its a people. And a church that makes a difference for the kingdom is a church made up of a group of people that say "Jesus is my cornerstone". Jesus is my reference point. Jesus is what I look to for how my life should look.
We also need our church to have Jesus as our cornerstone. And sadly so many have moved away from that. And ill be honest with you. When I was in youth ministry I felt the pressure to replace Jesus as the cornerstone. Because there is this pressure to be current, this pressure to draw the numbers, this pressure to make christ as cool as you possibly can so that culture will want Jesus.
But can we all agree that we don't need cool in our culture today we need change. I think we all can agree that the world has gone a little crazy over the past couple years and the answer is not that there is a PR problem its that there is a void that can only be filled by Jesus and the CHURCH is meant to be on the front lines.
This is what we are here to do New Purpose Church. We are here to bring Jesus to the world that so desperately needs Him. To your family, to your neighbor, to your co workers. We are here to bring Jesus to the world. And we only do that when we actually BE the church. And not just A church but THE church with Jesus as the cornerstone.
WE HAVE GOTTEN SOMETHING WRONG WHEN IT COMES TO CHURCH.
Our thoughts when it comes to the Sunday morning gathering of believers is "what can this church do for me?". "What can I get out of this" "Is this place going to meet my needs" "I hope they play that song I like" "I hope Cody doesn't yell too much" " I hope they don't go much past 11"
And what we fail to see and to remember is that the church does not exist for me it exists for God. And the local gathering of believers first and primary job was not "What can I receive" but "What can I give". It was never meant to be "what can I get out of this" but rather "what can I give to God". it was never meant to be "i hope they play the worship song I like" and was supposed to be "I can't believe I get to worship the Lord today"
We have got to have Jesus as the cornerstone of the church. Not a charismatic leader. Not a great worship team. Not a cool logo, or a mission statement, or a million ministries it has to be Jesus.
I remember many years ago spending the weekend at my dads. And this new comedy special had just come out. It was called the blue collar comedy tour. I dont know if you remember it but i guarantee you remember one of its most popular punch lines. One of the comedians had an entire section that went viral before viral was a thing where he would say a statement and then follow it up with a sentence. And the bit was called "you might be a redneck". He would say a statement that sounded like something someone from the country might do and then follow it up with the statement "you might be a redneck".
I want to do a little remix on that today called "you might have the wrong cornerstone".
If you cannot remember the last time you consistently read God's word
If you've skipped church more than the lake this summer
If you give more consistently to directv, comcast, and netflix than you do to God
If you rationalize sinful patterns in your life so that you don't have to change
If you have been at a different church every 6-18 months because "you just werent getting anything out of it"
If you have ever used the phrase "i'm stepping back from church because it's a busy season"
If you think the church is an outdated institution that cannot be a force for change in the world
If you believe your life doesn't have a greater purpose than your 9-5
If you think your kids are too far gone
If you believe its too late for your marriage
If you think God can't heal
If you think God can't break the chains of sin in your life
WE HAVE TO RETURN TO THE REAL CORNERSTONE
Isaiah 28:16 (NLT) — 16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.