- Opening Prayer -
Text: 1 Peter 2:4-10
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,"
8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
4
ACTION POINT 1: COME TO HIM
It is only through coming to Him that we can be regarded as precious. Follow the world? You have a different master. It's time to renounce that in every area of our lives.
Living Stone
Rejected -> just as Jesus was
Chosen by God
-- What matters: The opinion of people, or the opinion of God?
Blue chairs -- if God says they're Purple, they're Purple, and we would have to abide by that. He is Sovereign, and His definitions matter.
If God says we're made new, we're made new.
He established the world by His very voice -- we need to put more weight on His declaration over our lives, and not those given to us by people.
So if people declare us useless or hopeless or less valuable, we have a greater word from One who matters saying that we have great use, purpose, hope, and value.
The world -- rejects Jesus
God -- delights in His Son
The world -- rejects us
God -- delights in us (we are precious to Him!)
"Jesus loves the little children…all are precious in His sight" -- to some of us, it's so cliché. But God sees us as precious.
5
Together, we are precious stones, forming a house together.
Unity of the Body
// 1 Corinthians 12-14 -- each of us have different functions, but we are all one in Him. Some of us may be part of the kitchen wall, others may be near a window, but we all are in this to enjoy our foundation (Jesus) together.
Sacrifices: Acceptable to God…through Jesus Christ
As God prunes us, as cut stones, we are shaped to do our part in the Body of Christ.
ACTION POINT 2: BE ACCEPTABLE TO HIM
We are compared to a Holy Priesthood, offering up sacrifices for Him.
Let's offer ourselves as living sacrifices before Him, letting Him have control in all things and leading us to blessings and growth in Him.
6-7
Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone
Nowadays: Poured concrete foundations
Back then: The most important stone in a house would be the cornerstone -- other stones would press down and be set on this cornerstone. The cornerstone had to be the best, most level, perfectly cut and measured stone in the house or building, otherwise the building would be out of balance, could topple, could crumble or crack, etc.
ACTION POINT 3: BELIEVE ON HIM
Precious or Rejected?
Those who disobey God's command to follow Jesus see Him as rejected.
- Is Jesus the only way?
- Did Jesus even exist?
- Was Jesus just a 'good teacher' as many resort to saying out of laziness, or was He the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?
To those who follow Jesus, He is precious
- Worthwhile
- Useful
- Beautiful
Remember the story that Jesus told of the man who found a treasure in a field, and sold everything he had to buy the field so he could get the treasure?
Matthew 13:44 - "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
Jesus is precious, and in Him we can trust for forgiveness and everlasting life.
8
Stone of stumbling (to the Jews)
Rock of Offense (to the Greeks)
Isaiah 8:13-15
13 The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread.
14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken."
We need to turn away from unbelief.
9
Chosen Generation
Royal Priesthood
Holy Nation
His Own Special People ("Peculiar")
Called out of Darkness
Called into His marvelous light
We have been very privileged, and again, we are esteemed as 'precious' by God. Just as Jesus is our precious cornerstone, God sees us as forgiven and precious through faith in His Son.
10
Allusion to Hosea
Hosea 1:8, 1:9, 2:23
The calling of the Gentiles to redemption is foretold
We have hope! We can be precious in His sight! It's only through Jesus. Let's follow Him today.
Application:
1. Come to Him
…be precious in His sight
2. Be Acceptable to Him
…walking in holiness before Him
3. Believe on Him
… in every area
Closing Prayer
Bibliography
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
