1 Peter 2:4-10
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 3,448 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
— 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
There are many pictures of the church in the New Testament. Sometimes it is described as a vine with many branches. Sometimes it is shown as a shepherd with many sheep. Sometimes it is a holy city being ruled over by a king. On occasions it is seen as a mighty army with its captain at its head. But here, in chapter 2, it is described as a spiritual house—a temple having a chief cornerstone.
We need to remind ourselves that Peter is not talking about the literal temple of the Jews which was in Jerusalem. He is writing about a spiritual temple which is still being built today. Indeed the Bible never means a physical building when it talks about ‘the church’; it always means the whole of God’s people or a group of them in a particular area.
The foundation of the church
The foundation of the church
Jesus is called ‘the living stone’ in this portion of Scripture.
— 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
‘The Stone’ was one of the titles used to describe the Messiah. What are the qualities of stone?
When we think of stone the idea of permanence comes into our mind.
The mountains and hills stand certain and sure.
Until the end of all things they will remain as a reminder of the certainty of God.
We sing, ‘Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.’
God is like that and his Son, Jesus, obviously has the same attributes, for he is God.
But this stone is not dead.
It is a ‘living stone’.
Jesus is the one who died to pay the punishment of our sins.
However, he did not remain in the grave; he rose up, victorious over sin and death, and he is alive for evermore.
God the Father has appointed Jesus to be the foundation-stone of the church.
Peter quotes three Old Testament scriptures to substantiate this (; ; ).
— 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
God says, ‘I lay a stone in Zion.’ By Zion the Lord means the church. The Lord has done this. Jesus Christ has been given this task by God the Father—to be the cornerstone. Jesus Christ is the head of the church by God’s divine decree.
Peter tells us that Jesus has been ‘chosen by God’ (2:4–6).
— 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore anyone who rejects Christ’s authority is a fool. Anyone who says, ‘I will not have this man to reign over me’ is rejecting the Lord God Almighty himself.
Next we read that Jesus is ‘precious’ (2:4, 6). This means that he is valuable. He is highly prized. Anyone who sees nothing precious in the Lord Jesus Christ is to be greatly pitied, because if he carries on in this same frame of mind then Jesus will see nothing valuable in him on the Day of Judgement.
Verse 6 tells us that Jesus is the cornerstone, or foundation.
The cornerstone was the first, and most important, stone to be selected and laid in place when a building was being erected.
It was laid at the intersection of the corner and the other foundation-stones were placed alongside it, and at an angle to it, on the same level. As the building grew all the other stones were put in place in relation to the cornerstone.
Each course of stones was built up from these main foundational ones.
If the chief cornerstone was ‘out of line’ then the whole building would be unsound.
We can understand, then, why Jesus is called the foundation-stone, the head of the church.
The members of the church
The members of the church
They are people who have come to Jesus, and who keep on coming to him. Peter says, ‘As you come to him’ (2:4).
‘Coming’ is a term used for approaching the place of worship in the Old Testament.
Therefore the members of the church are those who want to draw near to God.
They are prepared to leave their own ways and submit to God’s way.
They are willing to give up their independence and surrender everything to God and to His purposes.
In other words, they want to be like Jesus.
Peter says that Jesus is ‘the living Stone … chosen by God and precious to him’.
Then he goes on to say, (v5) ‘You also, like living stones …’ It is as though Peter were saying to these believers,
‘Everything that Jesus underwent
“you also” want to experience.
You want to suffer with him. You want to share in the work of the kingdom. You want to be part of the living church of Jesus. You want to be prepared even to give your life for him.’ I wonder if Peter wanted to say to them, ‘Do you remember I once said that I would never let Jesus down, and a few hours later I was even cursing and swearing and denying that I ever knew him?’
You want to suffer with him.
You want to share in the work of the kingdom.
You want to be part of the living church of Jesus.
You want to be prepared even to give your life for him.’
I wonder if Peter wanted to say to them,
‘Do you remember I once said that I would never let Jesus down,
and a few hours later
I was even cursing and swearing and denying that I ever knew him?’
These scattered Christians of the early church may well have been feeling very feeble at the time when Peter was writing to them,
but he says, ‘You are like living stones.’ Peter was saying, in effect,
‘Jesus saw me as a weak, hasty fisherman; and
he turned me into a rock.’
Jesus had said to Peter, ‘I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church’ ().
Peter did not believe, just because he had been given the name Peter, the rock, that Jesus meant that he would be head of the church. This could not have been, because Jesus Christ himself is the head of the church.
But why does Peter say here that God’s people too, are living stones being built into the church?
Peter realized that Jesus meant that
it was the kind of faith that Peter displayed upon which Jesus would build his church.
God’s people were like dead stones before they were born again.
Before they became Christians they were dead to the things of God.
Jesus held no beauty for them.
He was not precious to them.
They would not give up anything to serve him.
This was all because, spiritually, they were dead towards him.
They were just like cold, hard stones lying deep down in the darkness under the ground.
They needed to be quarried and shaped before they could be of any use to God.
However, having once ‘come to him’—to Jesus in repentance and faith—having already been born again we are made living stones in His spiritual temple.
Jesus often used this figure of something which is alive when speaking of himself.
He has life in himself (; ).
He is living water (; ).
He is living bread () and
the living way ().
And now these people, who were once dead in trespasses and sins, have been turned into living stones.
They have been made alive. They have been changed by God himself.
As living stones, they are being built into a spiritual house. They do not remain as isolated believers.
They did not just say,
‘Isn’t it wonderful to know Jesus as my Saviour?
Isn’t it great to feel no condemnation because my sin problem has been dealt with by Jesus?’
and leave it at that.
No, they are cemented together with many other believers. They are ‘being built’ by God into a spiritual house.
The moment anyone is converted he or she becomes part of the universal church of Jesus Christ.
But the New Testament nowhere gives the impression that a believer can just be content to be a member of the universal church and never link up with a local church.
But the New Testament nowhere gives the impression that a believer can just be content to be a member of the universal church and never link up with a local church. It is important to join a local church which is alive to God. No one will find himself left to his own devices in heaven. No one will be able to say, ‘Oh, I am thrilled to be a follower of Jesus, but I don’t want to be tied down to a particular body of Christian believers.’ All those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ should become part of a local church fellowship. They should join it and they should be active in it. They should seek to become involved in the life of the church because they are living stones being built into a spiritual house.
It is important to join a local church which is alive to God.
No one will find himself left to his own devices in heaven.
No one will be able to say,
‘Oh, I am thrilled to be a follower of Jesus, but I don’t want to be tied down to a particular body of Christian believers.’
All those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ should become part of a local church fellowship.
They should join it and they should be active in it. They should seek to become involved in the life of the church
because they are living stones being built into a spiritual house.
God’s people are to be ‘a holy priesthood’.
Every true believer is a priest.
This passage teaches the priesthood of all believers.
Churches run upon New Testament lines do not have priests in charge of them.
They have elders (who shepherd and guide), but every born-again believer
who is a member of the church is ‘being built into a spiritual house to be [part of] a holy priesthood’. (v5)
In what sense are believers priests?
They are like priests because they are to reflect the holiness of God and their High Priest—Jesus (1:15).
Christians are to offer spiritual sacrifices (2:5).
Christians are to intercede for man before God and to represent God before man.
If we are seeking to live a life which is holy and pleasing to God, then we are doing priestly work.
If we are offering to God the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, then we are performing priestly duties.
If we are offering to God the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, then we are performing priestly duties.
If we are praying for our fellow men and women, then we are engaging in priestly work; and
If we are praying for our fellow men and women, then we are engaging in priestly work; and if we are explaining God’s plan of salvation to people whom we meet, then we are doing priestly work.
if we are explaining God’s plan of salvation to people whom we meet, then we are doing priestly work.
Peter is concerned that these sacrifices which are being offered to God must be undertaken seriously in v5.
He says that they must be ‘acceptable to God’. And they will be if they are offered ‘through Jesus Christ’.
Paul says a similar thing in I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Are Christians different?
Are Christians different?
What is the difference between Christians and non-Christians? There most certainly is a difference and that difference ought to be evident to everyone who pays close attention to religious people. So often everyone is thought of as a Christian. But a Christian is not just someone who has been baptized as a baby. A Christian is not just someone who says his prayers, or who attends church services regularly. A Christian is someone who has had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, and has come to believe in him for salvation. This must result in a clear change of attitude and life-style.
A Christian finds Jesus precious. ‘Now to you who believe, HE (this stone) is precious’ (2:7).
— 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”
Sadly, many people reject Jesus. gives us a picture of builders who reject a stone.
They look at it and they say it is not good enough. It does not suit their purposes.
This is how men treat the Lord Jesus Christ.
He does not measure up to their standards.
He does not meet their need.
The reason for this is because they only think about the here and now.
They are only looking for material blessings. They have a ‘live now, pay later’ mentality.
Because of this, they reject Christ as being irrelevant to them, and what they want out of life.
However, the amazing thing is that God has chosen the one whom men rejected and
elevated him to be the capstone, or cornerstone.
How sad it is that people stumble at the Lord Jesus Christ! He is the foundation stone and yet,
instead of seeing that he is the basis for the whole of life and eternity, they trip over him and fall.
We all need to re-examine our own personal lives and ask ourselves some fundamental questions about the Lord Jesus Christ.
We all need to re-examine our own personal lives and ask ourselves some fundamental questions about the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must not go through our lives thinking that we are part of the church of Jesus Christ
when all the while we may be those who are stumbling.
This passage raises some very important questions.
Is Jesus precious to us?
If he is then are we following him and obeying his commands as we should?
Is it our constant delight to serve the Lord and do we desire to do this all our days?
Have we ever gone back to basics and asked ourselves if we have ever ‘come to him’?