1 Peter 2:4-10
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1 Peter 2:4-10
A young man wanted to prove to his new father-in-law who was a building contractor that he was not a klutz. The newlywed couple had bought an old house and they planned to renovate it by themselves. The young man thought he’d begin by painting two of the rooms. He worked all through the night painting. The next morning his father-in-law stopped by to see how he was doing only to find the young man collapsed on the floor in a pool of sweat wearing a ski jacket and an overcoat. When the father-in-law asked why he was dressed like that he replied, “The instructions on the paint can said for best results to use two coats.” I don’t think the he impressed his father-in-law.
Turn to the second chapter of 1 Peter. Peter started the letter talking about our living faith in Jesus. Our faith is alive because Jesus is alive. Next, Peter talked about living holy lives that reflect our living faith. Now Peter is going to talk about Jesus and our relationship to him. A holy life is not just a matter of what we don’t do; it’s a matter of what we do for God. We are to put off sin and grow in our salvation. We grow by feeding on God’s word.
In our passage tonight Peter compares our growing to that of a building. Remember, Peter is writing to primarily to Jewish Christians who had been scattered throughout the Roman Empire because of persecution. They had been suffering because of their faith. They would remember the temple in Jerusalem. It was the center of their worship. The first temple had been built by Solomon. After the Babylonians destroyed it, the temple was rebuilt and then remodeled under Herod. If they had never seen the temple they dreamed of traveling to Jerusalem to see it.
That temple had been built under the covenant God made with his people at Mount Sinai, but there was a new covenant that had been made with the death of Jesus. You’ll remember what Jesus said in the upper room:
1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Under this new covenant a new temple or spiritual house was being built one not made by hands but by the Lord himself. And the building material wasn’t wood, stones, silver, or gold, but it is being constructed of living stones – the lives of those who have placed their faith in Jesus.
In our passage Peter gives three pictures of the church.
First, we are stones in the same building.
1 Peter 2:4-6 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Peter emphasizes that each of us is a stone – you are a stone. Each of us who have come to Jesus and accepted him becomes a stone for God’s temple. While each of us individually is a stone, everything Peter is going to say he says of us corporately and not individually. Peter says that we are stones and together are we being built into the temple of God. We saw this same idea in Ephesians where Paul wrote:
Ephesians 1:19-22 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.
Both men are saying that together we are being made into a temple for God. And they aren’t referring to each individual congregation but all of the congregations around the world. Together we are a temple for God.
Peter says that we are “living” stones. I think it’s interesting that the KJV translates it as “lively” stones. We’ve all known some lively people, but a better translation is “living.” Like our living faith we are living stones. The word for stone designates a hewn or cut stone. We were designed to fit together into this building that Jesus is constructing. Because we are living are still moving and occasionally we’re going to bump into each other. When that happens we’re not going to appreciate it. But we’re still being built into one temple.
I can’t remember if I’ve shared this illustration with you. In premarital counseling I remind the couple how God says that in marriage they become one. I illustrate it with my hands bringing them together interlocking my fingers. It looks easy, but there’s a lot of banging that goes along with it. It’s the same as we are being built together as the temple of God.
There are too many people who think they can go at it alone. They don’t think they need the church. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. God’s word teaches that we need each other. People may say they don’t like the church, but God likes the church and gave his only Son to die for the church. The church is the body of Christ in the world today and it will be the bride of Christ when he returns. It is impossible to grow in Christ apart from the word of God or apart from the family of God. When we neglect either of these we are neglecting what God has given us to help us grow our faith. We need each other as together Jesus is building his church.
If you want to know what God is doing in the world today you need to look at the church. Jesus is building his church as people are being saved. Sunday we looked at the story of Jesus asking the disciples who they thought he was. After Peter gave the good confession of faith Jesus replied:
Matthew 16:17-18 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Who does Jesus say is building the church? Jesus says that he is building it. Sometimes we get the idea that we are building it. There are things we can do and that Jesus has commanded us to do like share the gospel, but he is the one doing the building. So when it grows we don’t take the credit, it all goes to Jesus.
A second picture Peter paints of the church is that we are priests in the same temple.
We passed right by this one in the verses we read earlier.
1 Peter 2:4-8 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
In the Old Testament God established the Levites to be priests for the nation of Israel. As priests they represented God to the people and the people to God. They went between the people to God. However, the entire nation was to be as priests to the nations around them.
Exodus 19:5-6 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.
The Israelites were to represent God to the world and go to God on behalf of the world. In the New Testament that role shifts to the church. We are a holy priesthood and as we’ll see in verse 9, a royal priesthood. As a result we can come directly into the presence of God through Jesus.
There was a process in the Old Testament when someone officially became a priest. First, they were chosen. They had to be a part of the family of tribe of Levi. We too have been chosen. We read in Ephesians:
Ephesians 1:4a For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Second, they were washed. They were given a bath. As believers we too have been washed.
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Third, the priests were given special clothing that identified them as priests. God has given us special clothes as well. Do you know what they are? They are the righteousness of Jesus. As Paul wrote to the Galatians:
Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
And lastly, the priests were anointed. Oil was put on the priest’s right earlobe, thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot. The oil was placed in these specific places signifying that the priest would hear with his ears the word of the Lord, do with his hands the work of the Lord, and walk in the ways of the Lord. So God has anointed us to hear his word, do his work, and walk in his ways.
We might wonder why God has chosen us to be priests. Peter answers the question at the end of verse 5, we are to offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” We are to offer spiritual sacrifices as opposed to physical ones like bulls, goats, and sheep. What are the spiritual offerings we make to God?
1. Prayer
Psalm 141:2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
2. Praise and worship
Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
There is this attitude that we come to church for what we can get out of it. We come to worship God for what we can give to him. Praise and worship are our spiritual sacrifice. That also means we give it to God regardless of how we feel.
3. Service
Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Helping others – helping those who are unable to help themselves – is a spiritual sacrifice to God.
4. A broken spirit and contrite heart
Psalm 51:17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
God wants our hearts. Too many just want to give God some money, or some time, but God wants their hearts. God even complained about the worship of the Israelites saying:
Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
It doesn’t do much good to sing songs of praise if our hearts are far from God. God looks at our hearts. Do we humble ourselves before God?
5. Our bodies
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
God wants us. He wants all of us.
Peter notes that these spiritual sacrifices are acceptable through Jesus. We must come to God through Jesus. It is all for his glory. It’s all by, in, and through Jesus.
So Peter has told us that we living stones being built together to form a temple or dwelling place for God. The church is a holy priesthood that offers up spiritual sacrifices to God.
The third picture Peter gives of the church is we are all citizens of the same nation.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Peter uses four phrases to describe our citizenship: a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special possession.
A chosen people can also be translated as a chosen race. We are a chosen race. To be an Israelite you had to be a descendant of Abraham. But now, to be a part of the church, you don’t have to be from any particular race. You can be from any race, any tribe, or any background. It is no longer about Jews and Gentiles; it’s about the children of God who have placed their faith in Jesus. Everyone is welcome.
That wasn’t true in the Old Testament. There only Israel was a privileged nation. We read that of all the nations of the world God chose Israel to be his own and to Israel alone God gave his law. Now the church has become privileged people. This does not mean that the church replaces Israel, but that like Israel we have been chosen by God. All we have to do is read Romans 9, 10, 11 and see that God isn’t finished with the Israelites yet.
We are now a chosen people.
Second, we are a royal priesthood. Verse 5 says we are a holy priesthood and now we’re called a royal priesthood. That’s because we serve Christ the King.
Third, we’re a holy nation. That means that we are a people set apart and dedicated to God and his service. That’s not talking about morality, though God expects that of us too, but it refers to the fact that we have been set apart for God’s glory. God chose Abraham and through his descendants the nation of Israel to be a holy nation for him. But that wasn’t enough for Israel. They wanted to be like all the other nations. The nations around them had a king so they wanted a king. It wasn’t enough that God was going to battle with them, they wanted a king they could see who would lead them into battle. So God gave them Saul warning them that they would regret it. The nations around them worshiped idols they could see and touch so the Israelites too started worshiping idols. They wanted to be like the other nations. But in becoming like the nations they were no longer a light to the nations. The same thing is true of the church. If we become like the world we will no longer be a light to the world. We shouldn’t seek to be like the world. If we’re like the world why do they need us? We have to be different from the world, separated for God. We don’t need entertainment, we need God.
Fourth, we are God’s special possession. Once again the KJV gives an interesting translation when it says that we are a peculiar people. I’ve certainly known some peculiar Christians but I don’t think that’s what Peter was saying. Out of curiosity I pulled out my 1828 copy of the Webster’s Dictionary to look up the work peculiar. It gives this definition:
Exclusive property, that which belongs to a person in exclusion of others
And that’s what the Greek means as well. It refers to someone’s personal property. Peter is saying that the church belongs exclusively to God. We belong exclusively to God. Before coming to Jesus we belonged to the devil, but now we belong to God. As we saw last week, we were bought with a price which was the precious blood of Christ. Therefore, we belong to God. As we sit with each other in church we need to remember those sitting around you are God’s people. Even Christians who might give you a hard time are also God’s people. He gave his Son for them.
So we are:
Chosen people
Royal priesthood
Holy nation
God’s special possession
All of this comes with responsibilities. Peter says God has made us like this so that we might declare his praises. We are to tell others about how great God is. We’re to tell them what he’s done for us and will do for and that he will do it for them if that will only place their faith in Jesus. We’re to tell others about God’s love, his grace, and his mercy.
Peter then ends with this:
1 Peter 2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Peter is wrapping up everything he’s said about the church in the opposites.
Once you were not a people but now you are
Once you had not receive mercy but now you have
As the church we are:
We are stones in the same building
We are priests in the same temple
We are citizens of the same nation
We understand this. We understand just how valuable Jesus is. But Peter says not everyone does. He says that Jesus is like a cornerstone that the builders rejected. I don’t think we don’t use cornerstones today, but at that time they were extremely important for construction.
The cornerstone was at the base of the building and was typically the largest and heaviest stone. In Israel you can still find the cornerstone for the temple mount at the southeast corner. It measures 7’ 10” wide, and 3’ 7” tall, and 39’ 4” long. It’s estimated that the stone weighs eighty tons and it’s not the largest stone used for the temple mount.
The ability to choose the right stone would determine the success or failure in a construction project. So picking the right stone was important. It set the angels for the rest of the building. If this were a cornerstone, every other stone would be laid in relation to this one. As the stone went up they would line up with this one. As they went out they would line up with this one. But what if the stone wasn’t right? What if it was crocked? The rest of the stones would be laid incorrectly.
Peter says that Jesus is a cornerstone. He’s what we build our lives on. But, some people have rejected that stone. They have rejected Jesus. They are going to build their lives on something, but it won’t be the truth God and they’re bound to have problems. Jesus is the truth. That’s why we come to him and build our lives on him.