Sermon Tone Analysis

Babies and the House: Continuing to Understand Our identity and function

1 Peter 2:1-10

Malice - non-goodness, wickedness

Deceit - misrepresenting truth for your gain

Hypocrisy - non-integrity, duplicity; the hiding of interior wickedness under the appearance of virtue

Envy - a grudging regard for the advantages of others

Slander - one who whispers, the giving out of an evil report

As Newborn Babes

1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

o -> Here is where we are (We are big boy's, grown-ups, practitioners in these things)

-> Here is where we are (We are big boy's, grown-ups, practitioners in these things)Malice - non-goodness, wickednessDeceit - misrepresenting truth for your gainHypocrisy - non integrity, duplicity; the hiding of interior wickedness under the appearance of virtueEnvy - a grudging regard for the advantages of othersSlander - one who whispers, the giving out of an evil reportThese things you have so craftily and skillfully mastered over your time on earth - hone them no more, grow in them no longer - let these "skill sets" be gone from you as if you had no use for them

· Malice - non-goodness, wickedness

2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

· Deceit - misrepresenting truth for your gain

Newborn BabiesAre you willing to be a baby in respect to anything, much less salvation?

Is this an attitude you are willing to have?Being new at anything is so humbling, being new often means being badJohn 3:7 - "You must be born again" (NASB95)

· Hypocrisy - non integrity, duplicity; the hiding of interior wickedness under the appearance of virtue

3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Long forCrave, develop an appetite forThis has to do with discovering something's worthThe mental picture is of having something, really liking it, missing something, and then wanting to have it again real badThat is the reason for the qualification in verse 3 - "if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord"Pure Milk of the WordPure Milk of the WordFor many our relationship to the word is strained or confusing - we like the idea of something that has great wisdom, we like to know where to find said wisdom, but it is not something we feel we need to survive.We like what it says about God for the most part, we like what it says about grace and forgiveness, we like what it says about Jesus - but there are lots of things we don't like, such as 2:1 or 2:2.They make us think about those 5 things, and how we do them, and how that makes us feel bad, and how I don't like to feel bad.

I want my hypocrisy and my Jesus.

That is what I thought I signed up for.

I have both right?

Wait is that ok?" we think.Yes and No! Right now, hypocrisy is your reality.

And while being called a hypocrite is not something we would welcome, outside of that you may not think it is that bad.

But it is that bad.

Many of you hate one of your parents because they are a hypocrite.

Being a hypocrite is great for the person who is one and terrible for the person who is not.

That is why it is not ok!It is ok if you know that you are one, have turned to ChristMay grow in respect to salvation1 Corinthians 14:20 (NASB95) - 20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

(NASB95) - 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

· Envy - a grudging regard for the advantages of others

3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

· Slander - one who whispers, the giving out of an evil report

As Living Stones (v.5 and v.9)

o These things you have so craftily and skillfully mastered over your time on earth - hone them no more, grow in them no longer - let these "skill sets" be gone from you as if you had no use for them

2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

4 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,

5 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.

Newborn Babies

The metaphor here is richLiving StonesSpiritual HouseSpiritual Sacrifices

· Are you willing to be a baby in respect to anything, much less salvation?

Is this an attitude you are willing to have?

Being new at anything is so humbling, being new often means being bad

6 For this is contained in Scripture:

3 Applications

“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,

Put away our old skill sets and grow in your salvation through being "nourished" by God's truth

And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

Understand what it means to be a living stone and to offer spiritual sacrifices

7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

Act according to your new identity and not according to your old one

“The stone which the builders rejected,

This became the very corner stone,”

8 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.

Foundation/CornerstoneWhether you know it or not your daily activities are producing and reinforcing a foundation for you to live from.

What we consume mentally, what we choose to value, how we react to situations act both to lay a foundation and build upon it.

Verse 6 taken from speaks of God placing a stone in Zion from which people can build their lives.

If you choose to use this precious cornerstone to build your life, you will not be disappointedThe Corner stone was the stone that was set in place, off of which every other stone was to be placed.

If it was true then the rest followed.

This pictured carried great weight in helping the Israelites understand Jesus' place in their lives.StumblingBut it also come with a warning that those who reject the stone by not building their life from it but choosing something else will find that they will stumble as a resultObedience to God is often spoken of as walking with Him (Noah, Job, Enoch, others) and when we do so scripture describes God as making our path straight and illuminating our way.The reference to stumbling is an allusion to not walking with him, because he is not leading us, we don't know where we are going - we stumble when we are lost

9 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;

Chosen race/royal priesthood/holy nation/people for God's own possessionObject lesson - let's say that these tables and chairs represent the world in which we all live, and you are representative peoples scattered throughout this world.

Each of you has their own allegiances and agendas, backgrounds and heritages.

But then News comes…saying that the world is not supposed to be as it is (and we agree) and that there is a King that made the world, and wants to set it right (if this is good news to us) then through the Holy Spirits power and calling, some respond.

Have a few people get up from each table while the rest stay seated.

See these people (who represent you) they are the "eklesia" or the church - "the called out ones"

Ok so I have been called out, now what…God names you and gives you a new identity,

you are a chosen racea royal priesthooda holy nationa people for God's own possession

What then is our function - Proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of His darkness into His marvelous light

For the world of which we were a part is "darkness" the new kingdom of which we are now a part is the light.We proclaim His excellencies through both word and deedHis Excellencies - what makes God so great

10 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.

By virtue of the mercy/grace you have received you are a new peopleAnd it is as this new people that we gatherWe gather as the "eklesia"Don’t be alarmed that you didn’t know this or never understood this - that is why we here, not simply to remind you of things but to help you understand things you might not have knownSegway into something about what this new group does and how the we are supposed to operate in this

3 Responses

Put away our old skill sets and grow in your salvation through being "nourished" by God's truthUnderstand what it means to be a living stone and to offer spiritual sacrificesAct according to your new identity and not according to your old one