Jesus Is Precious

Introduction: Peter has real grasp on the subject that Jesus is precious. In our text, he mentioned the word three times. He says several more times in his two epistles. I know that the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write these two epistles but I believe that Peter really tried to express how he felt about the Lord Jesus in these two epistles. He used that word "precious" in that it sincerely expressed how he felt about Christ. To think that Christ would take a fisherman who by the way was a cussing fisherman and cleaned him up and used him in a mighty way on the day of Pentecost. To boldly proclaim Christ in a way that would have struck fear in his heart just a few days before that day is a marvelous picture that our Saviour is precious.

Before looking at the verses that I have selected as my text, I want to read you an article that makes you think where or not Christ is precious to us. It is worth the time to ponder.

Funny how we set our clocks to arise at 4 AM or 5 AM to be at the job by 7:30, yet when Sunday comes we can't get to church for 11 AM to praise the one who gave us the jobs!

Funny how we call God our Father and Jesus our brother, but find it hard to introduce them to our family.

Funny how small our sins seem, but how big "their" sins are.

Funny how we demand justice for others, but expect mercy from God.

Funny how much difficulty some have learning the gospel well enough to tell others, but how simple it is to understand and explain the latest gossip about someone else.

Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, but don't have any difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

Funny how we are so quick to take directions from a total stranger when we are lost, but are hesitant to take God's direction for our lives.

Funny how so many church goers sing "Standing on the Promises" but all they do is sit on the premises.

Funny how people want God to answer their prayers, but refuse to listen to His counsel.

Funny how we sing about heaven, but live only for today.

Funny how people think they are going to Heaven but don't think there is a Hell.

Funny how it is okay to blame God for evil and suffering in the world, but it is not necessary to thank Him for what is good and pleasant.

Funny how when something goes wrong, we cry, "Lord, why me?" but when something goes right, we think, "Hey, it must be me!"

Oh wait...maybe all this isn't so "funny" after all.

How do we lay aside all malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies and evil speaking? The answer is relatively simple but the practice is seemingly impossible. The answer is desiring the milk of the Word. If I understand this correctly, these sins and that is exactly what they are, should be some of the first to depart from our lives. The problem is that we do not desire God's word as we ought. Our appetite is found in other taste.

One of the downfalls of the "informational age" is that we do not read or study the Word as men who did not have the equipment and technology as we have today. Peter tells us in verse three that if we would take the time for the sincere milk of that Word, then we would find that the Lord is gracious.

Christ is that stone that is precious. Because of the work of Calvary, He has made us as lively stones. We are built up so that we can and should offer spiritual sacrifices unto the Lord. Hebrews 13:15-16 gives us the sacrifice that is pleasing to God. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." He has never as interested in the item that was offered upon the altar than He was in the person who was doing the offering. A good example of this can be found in Genesis chapter four when Cain offered up vegetables. It was the person that more important to God than the sacrifice. The vegetables were the fruit of Cain's own labor. That is the reason why his offering was rejected. When a person refuses to do God 's work God's way, then his/her heart is not right with God and all the sacrifice will not please or be honored by Him.