How to Measure Up In the Spiritual House.
Grace Christian Fellowship
1 Peter 2: 3-10
Fallen Condition Focus
We must be believe on Jesus to be united in his Kingdom. He is the standard by
which we measure ourselves.
Introduction: (Show Picture of Airplane Assembly)
If you have your Bible this morning I would ask you to go ahead and turn with me
to 1 Peter chapter 2, as we continue our study of that book today.
Notice on the screen I have a picture of an airplane assembly, I remember back in
2011 when I moved to Charleston to take a job in this very building to work on
this very airplane in the photograph. It was the first 787 assembled right here in
Charleston.
And one of the things I didn’t have an appreciation for was the complexity of how
all these parts came together. While as engineer, I understood many of the
technical challenges, I think maybe one of the even greater challenges was
logistically getting all these pieces in place.
How many of you have ever seen the Dreamlifter flying over Charleston? Well
there are four of those giant airplanes and their sole purpose is to fly all over the
globe to collect these parts, and bring them back to Charleston for assembly.
Can you imagine the complexity of wings built in Japan, fuselage sections built in
Italy, a cockpit made in Wichita, the parts literally scattered around the globe.
And when they arrive in Charleston they have to be assembled to exact
specification. Everything has to fit. It’s an overwhelmingly complicated system.
This morning Peter talks about an assembly, in this case a building that has to
come together. How can Christ’s church scattered all over the world be arranged
exactly the way God has designed. In fact this morning we are going to see that it
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is not designed carelessly, but in a way it is engineered perfectly, designed
thoughtfully by God himself. Beginning in verse four let’s look together.
[1Pe 2:4 ESV] 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
I think it is interesting that Peter begins with a stone analogy. After all Peter name
was changed from Simon to Peter which literally is translated rock. You may
remember back to Matthew 16 when Jesus asks the disciples a question, “Who do
you say that I am?” Peter has the famous answer, “Thou art the Christ the Son of
the living God”. And do you remember what Jesus says.
[Mat 16:17-18 ESV] 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-
Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in
heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus reminds him firstly that his knowledge of Christ was first and foremost a gift
of a grace from the Father. And secondly, the Church would be built on Jesus
Christ.
The verse uses 2 words to describe how God views Jesus, chosen and precious.
God views Jesus as precious. As a treasure to be lifted high, to be praised and to
be adored. Peter also notes that he is “chosen” the word is eklekton which literally
means to be selected. More on that later, but for now think back to the airplane.
The dreamlifter does not just stop at a random spot on the globe, grab a couple of
wings and head back to Charleston to slap them on an airplane. No the wings are
carefully chosen or selected to fit.
So if we see Jesus rightly as we sit here today we see Jesus in the same way God
does. We see him as a treasure worthy of all praise and worship. But many people
do not see Jesus this way at all do they. In fact, many people curse his name, and
treat him with supreme disrespect. We saw that in the book of Matthew, but I
think we see it all around us today. Those who are not born again don’t see the
treasure in Jesus.
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Perhaps even as believers it is good for us to be reminded, we should rightly see
Jesus as the Father sees Jesus.
[1Pe 2:5 ESV] 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
In verse 5 Peter continues his stone building analogy. Peter says not only is Jesus a
living stone, if you are born again (chapter 1), you too are a living stone.
Every year about this time of year, I go to Brooke’s STEM class and talk to the
kids about engineering and about airplanes. And one of the things I always like to
ask he kids is this. If you were going to build an airplane what are some materials
that you might use and why? And then we kind of walk thru the pros and cons of
different building materials; things like weight and strength and corrosion
resistance its always a great conversation.
So one thing I notice as I’m reading Peter’s metaphorical spiritual house is the
building material that he chose for his house is STONE. Jesus is a living stone, we
are living stones. I think Peter is pointing to something here about the significance
of this structure. Jesus is not putting together a tent or a hut. Jesus is a great
powerful stone and he makes great stones out of us. This spiritual house will not
be destroyed.
We know that the Jewish temple was destroyed, and in that destruction they had
no way to continue practicing Jewish religion in terms of sacrifices.
Jesus built a better temple, one not made with rocks, but one made with living
human stones.
Then we have Holy Priesthood. When I think about the Priesthood two things
come to mind. First of all is sacrifice. Did you know you are a priest if you are a
believer? In the old physical temple we know that the primary role of the priest
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was to perform animal sacrifices. But in what way are we now priest? We are
called in this new spiritual temple to offer up “acceptable sacrifices”.
But we don’t offer up animal sacrifices do we? Our sacrifices are our affections to
God. Our true worship is a sacrifice. In fact in how we choose to live our lives we
choose to make (living) sacrifices each and every day.
[Rom 12:1 ESV] 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual worship.
The second thing that comes to mind when I think about the priesthood is access
to God. Remember how the temple was constructed. It was a series of walls. And
in the very center of all of the walls was the arc of the covenant. Now any person
could not just waltz in to the center of the temple. If you were a woman you had to
stop on the outside, men could get a little closer, but then priest could go even
another layer in. Until finally the most high priest on a certain could go all the way
inside to the mercy seat and the ark. He has access to God. Remember the veil that
was in the Holy of Holies the curtain that shielded the ark was torn when Jesus
was crucified signifying that the access to God is now open.
So when Peter says here that we are a Holy Priesthood, he is saying now you can
come in to the most holy place and commune directly with God. And the only way
that was ever possible was because of Jesus!
[1Pe 2:6 ESV] 6 For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and
precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
Peter goes on now to quote Isaiah here as he continues with his analogy of this
spiritual building.
There are some things I want to pull out of verse 6. First of all, notice who is
doing the action. Who is laying the stone? “I” is the Father. It is the Father who
initiated the building of the house. The Father sends the Son into the world to
build this house.
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The son is the supreme stone he is called here the “cornerstone”. The cornerstone
is the most important stone in the structure. The cornerstone would be the
reference by which all the other stones would be laid. The cornerstone would
establish where the foundation would start. What would be vertical what would be
horizontal. All other stones in the structure would be compared to the cornerstone
to ensure they were correctly place.
So many get this wrong today. They think that they themselves will establish what
is right and what is wrong, and then they will just get a version of Jesus that lines
up with their own wicked ideas. We have to be very careful, if indeed we are part
of this magnificent structure that we align ourselves with Christ the cornerstone.
[2Ti 4:3 ESV] 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound
teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to
suit their own passions,
Paul speaks here of those who have no interest in alignment with cornerstone but
instead have found false teachers who will distort horizontal and distort vertical so
that this false cornerstone lines up with their own sinful desires.
One thing that you should always look for when studying a passage of scripture is
things that are repeated. If something is repeated it is probably important. And
here in verse 6 we see a repetition of “chosen and precious”. To those who are in
this house, there is nothing more precious, more treasured than the cornerstone.
Peter says this most sacred stone was “chosen”. I think what Peter has in mind
here is something from 1 Kings. In 1 Kings we see the building of the Temple. In
this book we get a good look at the physical process that Peter is speaking to in a
spiritual sense.
[1Ki 6:7 ESV] 7 When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the
quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the
house while it was being built.
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The perfect stone was selected at the quarry. And can you imagine that the stone
was so perfect, that after the stone arrived at the temple no tool was even required.
This is the opposite of how I do carpentry work. Sometimes I will cut a board take
it hold up its to long. Back to the saw. Cut it. I may do that several times before I
get a perfect fit. Jesus was the perfect stone who was chosen because he did not
require shaping are correction he just fits perfectly.
[1Pe 2:7 ESV] 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for
those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,"
[1Pe 2:8 ESV] 8 and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the
word, as they were destined to do.
We talked about those who try to shape scripture to shape Jesus into fitting their
personal distorted view right. Remember as we studied the book of Matthew we
saw time and time again the religious leaders try to reshape the cornerstone
because he didn’t line up with what they wanted.
The Jews were looking for a messiah that would be a warrior, who would lead
them and free them from the oppression of Rome. The wanted a messiah who
would validate their corrupt authority, their disgraces at the temple, and their
religious system that crushed the poor and elevated them.
Do you see that the house that they had built was not plumb, it was not level
because they had lost the reference that was given to them in Scripture.
They didn’t look at Jesus and see a treasure or anything precious, but they were
filled with sin and hate to the point of murder. They are the “builders that
rejected” him.
And what does Peter say is the ultimate end of this rejection? They didn’t align
themselves with the cornerstone, but they tripped over the stone and met the
“stone of offense”. Which to the Jews of that day would be to trip over and to be
crushed or fatally wounded by the stone.
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There really is no middle ground. We either see the infinite value and preciousness
of Christ or he becomes the stumbling block for our ultimate judgement and
destruction.
[1Pe 2:9 ESV] 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,
that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Here we have our repetition again. Do you see it? Underline that word “chosen”.
Now Peter shifts from Jesus being a chosen stone and he says YOU are a “chosen”
race. Who is you? You are those in the Spiritual house. Those who have been born
again (1 Peter 1). Those who see the preciousness of Christ. Those who have not
stumbled over him. Those who have aligned with him. YOU are a chosen race.
Doesn’t that just make your heart want to burst? Why me Lord? Why have you
extended such amazing grace to me? I don’t deserve it! No you don’t. Let that be
the essence of your worship.
It’s interesting that Peter uses the word race here. Because a race of people share
genetic characteristics. And he we sit as the body of Christ, made up of all
different races, nations, cultures you name it and Peter says you are now all a
chosen race. Because you are my children. The Spiritual DNA of our heavenly
father has bonded us all together in such a way that we are now a common race of
people in all our diversity.
We are now a royal priesthood. Earlier we talked about the significance of being
priest but Peter extends that now and says not only are you a priest but you are a
royal priest because you belong to the King! You worship the King and you are
his possession.
If we find ourselves as part of this Spiritual building then we can worship so
wonderfully this morning and every morning because our cornerstone allowed us
to assemble.
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We have been called from darkness and into marvelous light. I don’t have to tell
you that the world is a dark place. When you walk outside those doors and into the
world you can see darkness all around. But in Christ we have the light.
(Call the musicians and Lord’s Supper folks)
My prayer this morning is for those this morning who maybe have never trusted in
this Stone. For those maybe who have stumbled over the stone for whatever
reason. Today, you have heard that God is calling people to him. Today maybe he
is calling you to join in this great building.
Maybe you have been a part of the spiritual house and you know that when you
look over at the cornerstone your life is not level. You are not plumb. You don’t
line up with the reference. This morning is your opportunity to confess those sins
and repent or align with him.
Let’s Pray.
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