INTRO.- A stone. How about a headstone on a grave? Guess what is the largest cemetery in the US?
ILL.- The largest cemetery in the United States is Arlington National Cemetery, situated on the Potomac River in Virginia. It covers 612 acres, and more than 240,000 members of the armed forces are buried there.
Among the many famous and distinguished people buried in the cemetery are presidents William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy; a number of supreme court justices, including Chief Justice Earl Warren, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., and Thurgood Marshall; explorers Robert Peary and Matthew Henson, etc.
ILL.- As Mr. Smith was on his death bed, he attempted to formulate a plan that would allow him to take at least some of his money with him. He called for the three men he trusted most: his lawyer, his doctor, and his preacher. He told them, "I’m going to give you each $30,000 in cash before I die. At my funeral, I want you to place the money in my coffin so that I can take it with me."
All three agreed to do this and were given the money. At the funeral, each approached the coffin in turn and placed an envelope inside. While riding in the limousine back from the cemetery, the preacher said, "I have to confess something to you fellows. Brother Smith was a good member all his life, and I know he would have wanted me to do this. The church needed a new baptistery very badly, and I took $10,000 of the money he gave me and bought one. I only put $20,000 in the coffin."
The physician then said, "Well, since we’re confiding in one another, I might as well tell you that I didn’t put the full $30,000 in the coffin either."
"Smith had a disease that could have been diagnosed sooner if I had this very new machine, but the machine cost $20,000 and I couldn’t afford it then. I used $20,000 of the money to buy the machine so that I might be able to save another patient. I know that Smith would have wanted me to do that."
The lawyer then said, "I’m ashamed of both of you. When I put my envelope into that coffin, I put in my personal check for the full $30,000."
Today, we want to think about the living....THE LIVING STONE! Obviously, thinking about headstones of those who have passed is not a pleasant thing to think about. BUT THERE IS A LIVING STONE WHOM WE MUST CONSIDER, THINK ABOUT, DWELL ON, AND LIVE FOR!
PROP.- Let’s see what is significant and important about this stone.
1- He was rejected by men
2- He was chosen by God
3- He was accepted by saints
I. HE WAS REJECTED BY MEN
4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him.
7 But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," 8and "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
ILL.- A young woman teacher with obvious liberal tendencies explains to her class of small children that she is an atheist. She asks her class if they are atheists too. Not really knowing what atheism is but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like fleshy fireworks.
There is, however, one exception. A beautiful girl named Lucy has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different.
"Because, I’m not an atheist." Then, asks the teacher, "What are you?" "I’m a Christian."
The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Lucy why she is a Christian. "Well, I was brought up knowing and loving Jesus. My mom is a Christian, and my dad is a Christian, so I am a Christian."
The teacher is now angry. "That’s no reason," she says loudly.
"What if your mom was an idiot and your dad was an idiot. What would you be then?" Lucy paused, smiled and said, "Then, I’d be an atheist!"
Obviously, there are plenty of people in our world who reject God and atheists are just one group. There are others! There are those, however, in every sphere of society that reject God and Christ! Many more reject Christ than God. And we know that if a person rejects Christ, they also reject God the Father.
I John 2:22-23 "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
I John 4:1-3 "1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
ILL.- In the early 80’s I decided it was time to search for a different church to serve. I just felt like the people were not responding to my ministry as I felt they should so I started sending out resumes. One church seemed to respond well. It was the First Christian Church in Cabool, MO. A small town of 2000 people but the church was very solid.
I went and preached what I thought was one of my better sermons. The service and day went well and I returned home later than evening. I was told they would vote on me the next Sunday and the elders would give me a call. The next Sunday afternoon I expected that phone call and it never came. I waited and waited. Finally, on Sunday evening I called one of their elders to find out what was going on. SILENCE SPEAKS, YOU KNOW.
He said the elders were very disappointed with the vote. In fact, it was the lowest vote I’d ever received. It was only 66 percent. as I recall. However, those elders blamed themselves because they had me come to preach that trial sermon while their preacher, whom they loved, was still there. In fact, they were giving him a "going away" party that Sunday afternoon. WELL, NO WONDER THAT DIDN’T WORK.
No matter what or who, it’s hard to take rejection, isn’t it? And how do you think God and Christ feel about people on earth whom He has created and blessed when they totally ignore them or reject them? HE WAS REJECTED BY MEN.
II. HE WAS CHOSEN BY GOD
4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him.
ILL.- Many years ago, this ad appeared in an English publication for six men to go to China: Six courageous young men are needed at once to go to China for the Chinese Industrial Co-Ops which trains technicians for a democratically industrialized China.
They are to take the place of George Hogg, brilliant 31-year-old Oxford graduate, who died of tetanus in Northwest China beyond reach of medical aid. If willing to risk disease, endure discomfort, eat only Chinese food, talk Chinese, he may apply immediately at the Anglo-Chinese Development Society. Anyone not prepared to take similar risks need not apply. Over 600 young men applied!
It’s somewhat surprising to me that 600 young men applied for that job, however, people will apply for a job that pays big money before they will apply for many other jobs; LIKE GOING TO THE MISSION FIELD!
And, of course, as we know, not everyone who volunteers for a job or a service, gets chosen. We’ve all probably been turned down a time or two.
ILL.- Baptist preacher, W. A. Criswell once wrote: I can’t describe the excitement I felt that day when Brother Whaley, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Memphis, Texas, began his two week revival, assisted by his energetic music leader, the young John R. Rice. “I’m going to invite everyone of you who feels called to full-time service to come forward this morning,” Brother Whaley said at the close of his message. “Give God your life right here, right now.”
The music played. The people sang. And suddenly, I was moving out into the aisle, walking down to the platform, and standing directly in front of John R. Rice and Pastor Whaley.
As I stood alone at the end of that sawdust trail, what did happen was disappointing to say the least. No one even looked in my direction. Brother Whaley had jumped down from the platform and was rushing to embrace another man who had responded to the invitation.
Our guest preacher’s blood brother was a hard dirt farmer, who lived in New Mexico. “All my life I have run from God’s call,” the elder Whaley said as tears streamed down his weather-beaten face. “But today I’m going to quit running. Pray for me.”
Criswell said: I stood near the platform alone and feeling really quite awkward. I was twelve years old. The elder Whaley must have been close to seventy. He was thin and haggard. His skin was wrinkled and burned from too many years of following the plow beneath the open sky. He walked with a severe limp, and his arms and hands trembled.
That Sunday morning, everybody gathered to hear the preacher’s brother, elder Whaley, preach his first, and probably his last, sermon. He stood before us creaky and rheumatic. His voice was weak. His body bent. Never once did he look up at us. It was impossible to hear him past the front row, but the congregation strained to listen. It was moving, and, at the same time, it was tragic.
It was a lesson that I will never forget. If you’re going to serve the Lord, you sure better do it now. Don’t wait another day, or you’ll end up like that poor old farmer looking back at what might have been but now can never be.
Boy, isn’t this the truth? If you’re going to serve the Lord in any form, you’d better do it now because you may not get another chance.
Doesn’t this make you wonder a bit about Jesus leaving heaven for earth to seek and save the lost? Why did He do it? How could He do it? And perhaps many other questions.
God, in essence, said, "Jesus, my beloved Son, I have chosen you and you alone to be the Savior of the world. You alone can bear the sins of the world. GO!" Chosen by God.
III. HE WAS ACCEPTED BY SAINTS
5You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.
ILL.- Have you ever been to Elvis week in Memphis? It happens every year in August. Every year during that week (August 16, 1977 - 32 years in 2009) surrounding the anniversary of his death, Memphis celebrates the music and life of Elvis Presley. In 2007 - 30th anniversary of his death, despite temperatures reaching 100 degrees, fans began lining up on Wednesday evening - many waiting hours - to file up the drive of the estate and past his grave in a candlelight vigil.
Mike Meridian, a 46-year-old builder from Houston said: "We’re doing our best to keep cool," said Meridian. "Elvis blows the wind our way every now and again."
His wife, Shirley Roberts, said she had been coming to Graceland to pay tribute every year since Aug 16, 1977, when Elvis died aged 42. Near the line, hand-painted signs offered tributes to the man: "I will always love Elvis."
Inside the air-conditioned visitors’ centre, Elvis impersonators compared notes on self-made costumes. Souvenir stands did a brisk business in commemorative T-shirts for the anniversary that featured Presley’s image and included a note thanking fans "for 30 great years!"
Graceland attracts up to 600,000 visitors each year, making it the second most-visited residence in the United States after the White House. AND HERE’S MORE ON ELVIS.
ILL.- On April 25, 1994, the news section of Christianity Today, reported that some fans of Elvis Presley were actually revering the king of rock and roll as a god.
Pockets of semi-organized Elvis worship had taken hold in New York, Colorado, and Indiana. Worshipers raised their hands, spelled and then chanted Presley’s name, worked themselves into a fervor, and prayed to the deceased star.
At the First Presbyterian Church of Denver, a Reverend Mort Farndu said that Elvis worship was spreading. Followers believe Elvis watches over them. If someone reports seeing Presley, the high priests at the Church of the Risen Elvis in Denver hold Elvis worship services. They enshrined a look-alike doll of Elvis in an altar surrounded by candles and flowers.
Can you believe this? Can you believe how many people worship people in our world? People are crazy about the people of Hollywood!
But what about Jesus? I want to know whatever happened to Jesus? Where is the world that worships Jesus? I want to know and I bet God wants to know even more than I do.
People come and go, even Hollywood stars, even Elvis. People may be good, admirable, honorable and all that good stuff, but there’s only one star of the universe! There is only one true, Savior of the world!
ILL.- There are about 306 million people in the Unites States and about 75 percent or 229 million claim to believe in Jesus Christ. That sounds pretty good until you find out how many of those so-called believers worship on any given Sunday. I have read anywhere from 24 to 43 percent attend on any given Sunday in the US. Of course, this doesn’t mean EVERY Sunday!
I’m not sure you would find even 20 percent of the US population faithful in their worship. Still, I believe that there are those saints or believers in Christ who have truly accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord who are faithful and committed to Him. ACCEPTED BY SAINTS.
CONCLUSION----------------
Win some - lose some. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Some days people can be devout and other days, they can be quite devoid of faith.
Acts 4:10-12 "10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is " ’the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Jesus: rejected by men. Chosen by God. Accepted by saints.
