Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION:

My original intent for this passage—1 message

Difference between Paul and Peter epistles

Theme of this passage: A Living Stone and a Privileged People

Privilege means in essence a special treatment given to a certain group of people.

Passage contains a “rainbow” of different doctrines that allow us to gaze on Christ and relish the privileges we have in Him

We just finished a section with a great deal of exhortation and commands.

This passage contains no commands and no exhortations.

(Peter jumping around again)

THE FOUNDATION FOR THIS PASSAGE (4)

Our union with Christ begins with our coming to Christ (As you come to him…)

Certainly it begins at the time of salvation when you come to Christ, when you come in faith.

This made me think of the numerous statements in the Gospel of John:

My, what a great truth that is!

We often say as Christians, "I came to Christ, I

Matthew 11

came to Him," and that is exactly the expression that Peter has in mind.

Certainly it begins at the

time of salvation when you come to Christ, when you come in faith.

Matt 7:37

Matt 7:37

Interesting...Peter heard Jesus say all of those things, he being one of the disciples there when Jesus taught.

And so he says here it all begins with coming to Him.

In coming to Christ we enter the realm of spiritual privilege, not only the realm of spiritual duty but the realm of spiritual privilege.

Do you remember, I'm sure you do, that wonderful portion in the letter of Paul to the Ephesians where he says in chapter 1 verse 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ"?

When you came to Christ, you entered the realm of spiritual privilege, yes, spiritual duty but also spiritual privilege.

In fact, you have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.

disciples there when Jesus taught.

And so he says here it all begins with coming to Him.

In coming to Christ we enter the realm of spiritual privilege, not only the realm of spiritual duty but the realm of spiritual privilege.

Do you remember, I'm sure you do, that wonderful portion in the letter of Paul to the Ephesians where he says in chapter 1 verse 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ"?

When you came to Christ, you entered the realm of spiritual privilege, yes, spiritual duty but also spiritual

Now the idea here, as I said, is that initially you come to Christ in salvation.

But that is not the total meaning that is conveyed in the verb.

Now the idea here, as I said, is that initially you come to Christ in salvation.

But that is not the total meaning that is conveyed in the verb.

The verb here with its pronoun means to come with the idea of remaining, or to come with the idea of staying.

Or to use the words of the apostle John both in John chapter 15 and 1 John chapter 3, "Coming and abiding, coming and remaining."

So the idea here then is of coming to Him to stay in His presence, coming to Him to remain in intimate personal communion, fellowship and abiding.

In fact, this word, proserchomai, is used of drawing near to God for continuing worship.

It's used that way in Greek translations of the Old Testament.

One form of this verb is the noun “proselyte” which means a person who was afar off who drew near.

It's used in the Bible to refer to a Gentile who was outside the covenant, outside the promises, outside God's law who draws near.

And as I said, its import is that it refers to someone who comes to God and remains, a conscience...rather a conscious drawing near.

It is the normal word used in the book of Hebrews for coming near to God to remain there and worship Him.

The verb here with its pronoun means to come with the idea of remaining, or to come with the idea of staying.

Or to use the words of the apostle John both in John chapter 15 and 1 John chapter 3, "Coming and abiding, coming and remaining."

privilege.

In fact, you have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.

So the idea here then is of coming to Him to stay in His presence, coming to Him to remain in intimate personal communion, fellowship and abiding.

In fact, this word, proserchomai, is used of drawing near to God for continuing worship.

It's used that way in Greek translations of the Old Testament.

One form of this verb is the noun “proselyte” which means a person who was afar off who drew near.

It's used in the Bible to refer to a Gentile who was outside the covenant, outside the promises, outside God's law who draws near.

And as I said, its import is that it refers to someone who comes to God and remains, a conscience...rather a conscious drawing near.

It is the normal word used in the book of Hebrews for coming near to God to remain there and worship Him.

So what you have here then is that spiritual privilege begins when you come to the Lord Jesus Christ and it is sustained as you remain there.

We could say it this way: Coming to Him is a phrase in which Peter implies the whole movement of the inner life toward communion with Jesus Christ.

The whole movement of the inner life toward communion with Jesus Christ, that's where spiritual privilege begins.

That's what makes us have the advantage over all the rest of the world.

We are the privileged, we are the favored, and we are the blessed.

privileged, we are the favored, and we are the blessed.

Jesus is a LIVING stone

Jesus is a LIVING stone

Now he identifies the one to whom we come.

Notice in verse 4, he says, "And coming to Him as to a living stone."

He is using an analogy here, quite an interesting one, by the way.

And with this title he begins to touch an amazing combination of images revealed from different Old Testament texts.

This idea of the living stone sort of launches his thoughts about this matter of spiritual privilege.

Now he identifies the one to whom we come.

Notice in verse 4, he says, "And coming to Him as to a living stone."

And he is using an analogy here, quite an interesting one, by the way.

And with this title he begins to touch an amazing combination of images revealed from different Old Testament

texts.

This idea of the living stone sort of launches his thoughts about this matter of spiritual

Having mentioned the living stone, Peter will eventually recall three Old Testament texts that refer to Christ as a stone, and he shows what spiritual privileges are related to Christ in the image of a stone.

And those will unfold for us as we study through the passage.

But here he introduces the idea, he says as you come to Christ you are coming to a living stone.

privilege.

And also I might add, he will, having mentioned the living stone, recall three Old Testament texts that refer to Christ as a stone, and he shows what spiritual privileges are related to Christ in the image of a stone.

And those will unfold for us as we study through the passage.

But here he introduces the idea, he says as you come to Christ you are coming to a living stone.

The word stone, lithos, the common word for stone is the usual word — mark this now — for a stone used in a building.

It is sometimes also used for a carved, precious stone.

But it is commonly the word used for a stone used in building a building, a stone that is chiseled, that is hammered and that is sawn in order that it might perfectly fit in the building of an edifice.

And of course you know in ancient times they built buildings by stone.

The way they did it was not necessarily with mortar but simply stones that were so perfectly fit together and so heavy that they simply stacked upon each other and were immovable.

The word stone, lithos, the common word for stone is the usual word for a stone used in a building.

It is sometimes also used for a carved, precious stone.

But it is commonly the word used for a stone used in building a building, a stone that is chiseled, that is hammered and that is sawn in order that it might perfectly fit in the building of an edifice.

And of course you know in ancient times they built buildings by stone.

The way they did it was not necessarily with mortar but simply stones that were so perfectly fit together and so heavy that they simply stacked upon each other and were immovable.

So here you have a stone used for building, a stone that is perfectly shaped, perfectly designed, perfectly hewn out to accomplish its purpose.

The curiosity, however, is that he calls it a "living stone."

In fact, we think of a stone we think of something that is not living, we even say that something is as dead as a stone, or something is stone dead.

Stones are not living, and that's the paradox.

A stone has no life but this stone is a living stone.

With all the solidarity of the stone it is yet alive.

And though this stone is the perfect stone that becomes the cornerstone in the building of the edifice of the church, it is nonetheless not just a stone but a living stone.

This stone lives.