1pe 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1pe 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
1pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
INTRODUCTION: 1 Peter was written at a time when it was dangerous to declare one’s faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Christianity had been outlawed, and Nero was doing all he could to stop Christianity.
Thank God for our freedom. Freedom is not cheap..ask any soldier ...ask any parent who has lost a son or daughter..in war
But, persecution will be more and more...in these last days.
Apostle Peter is writing this letter to encourage and give Christians hope in times of persecution, trials and troubles….its still in effect today.
Verse 4.5….Peter says, that Jesus is a living stone rejected by men But, chosen by God and precious.
He also says that we are living stones…so we are precious to God also
We are precious to God because of what Jesus has done for us
If we are precious to God and he calls us a living stone so, we must be a precious stone…
A diamond would be an example of a precious stone
..chuck of coal..not worth much at all...God saw something different in all His children.
He saw us before there was coal...even before there was ground...God saw something precious. He sees the finished product. Because our God is the first the last there is no other.
The day we ask Jesus into our heart…a miracle happened…even more of a miracle than a chuck of coal turning into a Diamond over time.
We became a stone in the spiritual house ..a holy priesthood acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
2co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
reconciled: dictionary says.. restore to friendship or harmony b : SETTLE, RESOLVE
A living stone that will never die again. A living stone that rest upon a corner stone by the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. There is none greater.
No matter how righteous we think we are , we can never be good enough to come into the presents of God without Jesus Christ our Lord.
THE BIBLE SAYS IN:
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
But, Peter said in 1Peter 2:5 acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
When we accept Jesus into our life, we become a precious stone in the eyes of God
How does something like a piece of coal that is only worth a few cents become a Diamond and become valuable?
What does it take to make a piece of coal into something that becomes precious?
It takes pressure and chipping away at its deformities.
As God applies the pressure the stone starts to take on a transformation. And when its chosen as a Diamond it goes to the stone masters hands to chip away the rough edges until it becomes a precious stone called a Diamond.
One wrong blow and it becomes worthless..thats why we call him the master.
Bible says in:Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
God does the same with us …to those who belong to Christ….those who’s names are written in the Lambs book of life.
He chips away at our iniquities and flaws by way of trails and troubles.
Peter says in
1pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
CHIPPY ILLSU: Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully singing in his cage. The next it was a rough day for Ol Chippie The problems began when Clippie's owner a sweet little Ol Lady decided to clean Clippie's cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She'd barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked into the vacuum
The little Ol Lady was horrified, she put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie -- still alive, but he was a mess He was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering,. . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the with hot air.
Poor Chippie never knew what hit him. A few days latter, a neighbor call to see how Chippie's was getting along after his ordeal. "Well," the little Ol Lady said, "Chippie doesn't sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares."
That’s the way we are aint it?...trials take the song out of our life sometimes...but when we come around...we become stronger…
Log chain..is stamped with a limit.....God knows us...
Sometimes He takes us to the very limit…..then is when there's nothing left but God you find that God is all you need.
Sometimes we go through a trial or trouble and cry woo as me..
Sometimes we cry out to God when our foundations start shaking, just to find that its God that doing the shaking
Just like cutting a Diamond ...He's cutting away at our iniquities and flaws
Chipping away at our deformities ...making us fresh and ready for whatever comes along
…………..CodFish…..CatFish…In the Northeastern part of the USA cod fishing is a big business. The fishing industry wanted to sell codfish all over America but they had a problem.
The problem was shipping the codfish from the Northeast to other parts of the country.
First, they tried freezing the fish but after transporting them a long distance the fish lost their taste.
So, they tried filling up big tanks with codfish and shipping them. However, because the fish were inactive they were soft and mushy and tasted horrible.
One day a fisherman had an idea. The fisherman put some catfish in the tank with the codfish.
Catfish are natural enemies of the codfish. So, as the codfish traveled to all parts of the USA they had to stay alert or the catfish would eat them.
When the tank of codfish arrived thousands of miles from the Northeast they were as tasty as if they had been caught in the Northeast.
The point is .… when your satisfied, content,…in the place your in…God might drop a catfish in your tank
But, God keeps a watchful eye on our every move to keep us safe while we are in the storms. Because we are precious to Him because of what Jesus Christ done for us.
You remember when Jesus and His disciples were crossing over Galilee and Jesus was asleep and the Bible says:
Lu 8:24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Lu 8:25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
He is in control...we are in the hands of the Master.
Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller
www.themillersbiblestudy.com
