His Glorious Church

HIS Glorious Church

1 Peter 2:1-12

SELECTED READING 1 PETER 1:13-16

INTRO-

LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT PENTECOST- THE HOLY SPIRIT COMING AND FILLING BELIEVERS. WE SAW HOW MUCH ALL OF US NEED TO BE FILLED AND REFILLED. HOW MUCH WE NEED MORE OF THE LORD IN OUR LIVES.

I AM GOING TO CONTINUE THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT AS IT APPLY’S TO THE CHURCH. PETER, AFTER HE SPENT TIME WITH THE LORD WENT OUT INTO A HEATHEN CITY AND REACHED 3000 FOR CHRIST. THE WOW FACTOR FOR HIM IS THAT HE DID WHAT GOD CALLED HIM TO DO AND MANY PEOPLE WERE SAVED. WE NEED TO PREPARE OUR MINDS, BE SELF-CONTROLLED, SHOW PEOPLE THE HOPE WE HAVE IN JESUS. FOR THE MOST PART, THAT IS NOT THE CHURCH TODAY- THE CHURCH TODAY HAS A DIVORCE RATE AS HIGH OR HIGHER THAN THE WORLD. WE ARE NOT ABSTAINING FROM THE WORLDLY PLEASURES, WE HAVE BEEN FOUND OUT TO BE OF LITTLE DIFFERENCE ACCORDING TO THE BARNA GROUP THAN ANYONE ELSE. PETER SAYS; V 5- “BUT JUST AS HE WHO CALLED YOU IS HOLY, SO BE HOLY IN ALL YOU DO; FOR IT IS WRITTEN: BE HOLY, BECAUSE I AM HOLY. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COMING BACK, THAT HE DIED AND WAS RESURRECTED FOR EACH ONE OF US, AND IS LOOKING TO COME FOR HIS CHURCH WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE. WE NEED TO BE READY AND PREPARING OUR MINDS AND BE SELF-CONTROLLED, SETTING OUR HOPE SQUARELY ON JESUS CHRIST. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT EVEN THE ANGELS LONG TO LOOK INTO THESE THINGS OF GOD. THEY ARE AMAZED IN WHAT GOD IS DOING IN HIS PEOPLE.

1 PETER 2:1-12 READ

THEREFORE, WHAT IS IT THERE FORE? IT IS THE THINGS WE JUST LOOKED AT, IF WE ARE TO LIVE THAT HOLY LIFE, WE MUST GET RID OF A FEW THINGS.

JESUS IS COMING BACK FOR A CHURCH THAT IS SERVING HIM.

WE CAN ONLY BRING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY WHAT GOD HAS FIRST WORKED IN US. JESUS MUST BECOME A REALITY IN HIS BODY BEFORE HIS BODY CAN TAKE THAT REALITY TO THE CITY HE CALLED US TO. THE CHURCH IS TO BECOME LIVING STONES, THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD. TO CARRY THE MESSAGE OF GOD TO THE LOST.

I. THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH

V4- PARAPHRASED

COME TO HIM(JESUS) THE LIVING STONE, REJECTED BY MEN BUT CHOSEN BY GOD THE FATHER. WE ARE TO BE THE LIVING STONES, BUILT IN TO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE(CHURCH) TO BECOME A HOLY PRIESTHOOD TO OFFER SPIRITUAL SACRIFICE.

TO SOME THAT IS A STUMBLING BLOCK, JESUS IS A STUMBLING BLOCK TO SOME. THEY CAN DO CHURCH, BUT THEY CANNOT GET PAST THIS JESUS., WHO TELLS THEM TO LIVE HOLY AND PLEASING LIVES TO GOD. ONE WHO SAYS NO TO THE FLESHLY DESIRES WE HAVE. AGAIN “ IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH AMERICAN CHURCHES HAVE DONE WITHOUT GOD.”

NOT TO TAKE THIS OUT OF CONTEXT;

THE SURE AND PRECIOUS STONE IS GOD’S UNFAILING RELATIONSHIP TO HIS PEOPLE (ISRAEL) A RELATIONSHIP WHICH WAS TO CULMINATE IN THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH JESUS CHRIST. WE ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT! JESUS HAS ALREADY COME, AND THE EARLY CHURCH HAS APPLIED IT TO JESUS CHRIST AS THE PRECIOUS AND IMMOVABLE FOUNDATION STONE OF GOD.

TO THOSE THAT ACCEPT HIM- JESUS IS SAVIOR AND FRIEND. TO THOSE WHO REJECT HIM, HE IS JUDGEMENT AND CONDEMNATION.

JESUS SAYS TO PETER- UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT OVERCOME IT. IT IS ON THE FOUNDATION OF JESUS CHRIST THAT THE CHURCH IS BUILT.

ILLUSTRATION-

THERE IS A FAMOUS STORY OF SPARTA. A SPARTAN KING BOASTED TO A VISITING MONARCH ABOUT THE WALLS OF SPARTA. THE VISITING MONARCH LOOKED AROUND AND COULD NOT SEE ANY WALLS. HE SAID TO THE SPARTAN KING, “ WHERE ARE THESE WALLS ABOUT WHICH YOU BOAST SO MUCH; HE JUST POINTED AT HIS BODYGUARD OF MAGNIFICENT TROOPS. THESE, HE SAID, ARE THE WALLS OF SPARTA, EVERY MAN A BRICK.

POINT:

AS LONG AS A BRICK LIES BY ITSELF, IT IS USELESS. IT BECOMES OF USE ONLY WHEN IT IS INCORPORATED INTO A BUILDING. SO IT IS WITH CHRISTIANS. TO ACHIEVE THEIR DESTINY, THEY MUST NOT REMAIN ALONE BUT MUST BE BUILT INTO THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH.

CHRISTIANITY IS COMMUNITY- CHRISTIANS TAKING THEIR PLACE AND BUILT INTO THE STRUCTURE OF GOD. THE FREE LANCE CHRISTIAN WITHOUT STRUCTURE IS IN DANGER OF BEING SWALLOWED UP BY THE WORLD AND IT’S TEMPTATIONS . ONE MAN , I CAN DO THIS MYSELF MENTALITY.

WE ARE TOLD TO BE A HOLY PRIESTHOOD V 5

THE PRIEST IS THE PERSON WHO HAS ACCESS TO GOD AND WHOSE TASK IT IS TO BRING OTHERS TO HIM. IN THE ANCIENT WORLD, THIS ACCESS TO GOD WAS THE PRIVILEGE OF THE PROFESSIONAL PRIEST, AND IN PARTICULAR OF THE HIGH PRIEST, WHO ALONE COULD ENTER THE HOLY OF HOLIES.