LOVING THE BRETHREN-VI—1Peter 1:22—2:12
Attention:
Memorable Student
"Mom, the teacher was asking me today if I have any brothers or sisters who will be coming to school."
"That's nice of her to take such an interest, dear. What did she say when you told her you are the only child?"
She just said, "Thank goodness!”
Just as it is somewhat trying to love certain people, it is also difficult to love our brothers & sisters in Christ!
So far in our study of 1Peter we have examined the fact that
Christians are...CONSIDERED ALIEN(:1-2)...
We’ve examined...WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD—(:3-12)
And discovered God’s means of...UNLEASHING Your SPIRITUAL VITALITY/Vigor—(:13-21)
Today we will continue applying the above truths toward LOVING THE BRETHREN(1:22—2:12).
Regarding LOVING THE BRETHREN, we are instructed from the word that...
:22—“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,”
Peter exhorted the aliens to love their brothers & sisters in Christ as they were also loved by God.
Christians are to love as they are loved by God.
How are Christians to live out God’s love?
12(?) encounters thru which Christians are to live-out God’s love.
We had previously found that
God’s love is lived out thru an encounter with...
1. CLEANSING(:22a)“Purified”
2. OBEDIENCE(:22b)“Obeying”
3. SINCERITY(:22c)“Sincere”
4. INTENTION & DEPTH(:22d)“Fervently with a pure heart”
5. REBIRTH(:23a)
6. GROWTH POTENTIAL(:23b)
7. THE INVINCIBLE WORD(24-25a)
8. THE INESCAPABLE / AVAILABLE WORD(:25b)
9. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION(2:1a)
10. UNADULTERATED SUITABLE SUSTENANCE(2:2)
11. The FLAVOR Of GRACE(2:3)
12—God’s love is lived out thru an encounter with...
APPROACHING(:4-5)
Explanation:(:4-5) Choice & Offering/Both God & man
:4—“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God & precious,”
“Him” is a reference to “the Lord” of the previous verse— “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
Our desire will be for the “pure milk of the word” &, thru the growth produced, our manner will be to lay aside divisive ruminations, thoughts, & actions(:1).
We will also make a personal priority & pilgrimage of “coming to” our Lord. We approach Him as approaching “a living stone”. Jesus is a living stone—the source & strength of our being— in the sense of His being the “chief cornerstone”(:6).
A majority of men willfully reject Him outright as that “living stone,” yet the reality is that He is both “chosen of God” & thus a “precious” unchanging stone. Mankind regularly & readily rejects what is meant for his well-being, by God.
In what sense is He a stone? He is the chief cornerstone in that the cornerstone sets the course for the rightness(squared & plumb) of the remainder of the house. He is “living” in that this stone is not monolithic, cold & unfeeling but that His vast love is the premise upon which this building of God is constructed. His ‘house’ is thus built to endure the cleansing fires of God’s determinations.
His foundational presence is what makes Jesus “precious” both to man as well as to God the Father.
“Coming”—prosercomai—1) To come to, approach; 2) Draw near to; 3) To assent to. Strong—To approach, i.e. literally--Come near, visit, or figuratively--Worship, assent to.
From—prov—a preposition of direction; Forward to, i.e. Toward(The side of, i.e. Pertaining to; By the side of, i.e. Near to, i.e. Whither—&—ercomai—To come or go.
“Living”(See :5)—zaw—1) To live, breathe, be among the living(not lifeless, not dead); 2) To enjoy real life; 3) To live i.e. Pass life, in the manner of the living & acting—3a) Of mortals or character; 4) Living water, having vital power in itself & exerting the same upon the soul; 5) metaph.--To be in full vigor—5a) To be fresh, strong, efficient, 5b) as adj.--Active, powerful, efficacious. Strong—a primary verb; To live(literally or figuratively). “Stone”(See :5, 6, 8)—liyov—A stone—1a) Of small stones, 1b) Of building stones, 1c) metaph.--Of Christ. Strong—apparently a primary word; A stone(literally or figuratively). RWP—Liyov is a loose stone in the path, whereas a Petra(“rock”-:8) is a ledge rising out of the ground.
“Rejected/Disallowed”(See :7)—apodokimazw—1)To disapprove, reject, repudiate. Strong—To disapprove, i.e. by implication--To repudiate. Used 9X.
From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)—&—dokimazw—To test (literally or figuratively); by implication--To approve. ‘To separate thru testing, examination or proving for genuineness.’
“Indeed”—men—Particle—1) Truly, certainly, surely, indeed. Strong—a primary particle; properly, indicative of affirmation or concession--In fact; usually followed by a contrasted clause with de --This one, the former, etc.
“Chosen”(See :9; :6—“Elect”)—eklektov—Adj.—Picked out, chosen—1a3) Choice, select, i.e. The best of its kind or class, excellence preeminent: applied to certain individual Christians. Strong—Select; by implication--Favorite.
English=‘Eclectic’
From—ek—From, out of—&—legw—1) To say, to speak—1d) To point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say, 1e) To call by name, to call, name. Strong—a primary verb; properly--To "lay" forth, i.e. figuratively--Relate; by implication--To mean.
“Precious”(See :6; :7—timh)—entimov—1)Held in honor, prized, precious. Strong—Valued(figuratively). Used 5X.
From—en—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality(medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest(intermediate between eiv & ek); “In,” at, (up-)on, by, etc.—&—timh—A value, i.e. Money paid, or concretely & collectively--Valuables; by analogy--Esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself.
: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.”
“Living stones”—When we belong to Christ, we share His very life
Jn. 1:4—“In Him was life, & the life was the light of men.”
Col. 3:3-7—“For you died, & your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, & covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.”
We ourselves(the Lord’s children) are analogously “as living stones” “being built up” or laid to form the walls of a “spiritual house.” This spiritual house is in actuality, “a holy priesthood.” The holy priesthood is here in order to “offer up spiritual sacrifices” to/for God.
The whole intent of the “spiritual sacrifices” is Godward direction & acceptability. The acceptable aspect of these sacrifices is begun only thru Jesus Christ.
Ours are sacrifices which are spiritual in nature(supernatural/not of-flesh) & are “offered” in a “spiritual house.” Such spiritual offerings are those sacrifices which are “acceptable to God.” In order to be accepted & offer acceptable service, the priesthood, which offers them must be “holy”(separate from or uncharacterized by sin) Such holiness makes them acceptable, as such holiness can only be attained “through Jesus Christ.”
“Living”(See :4)—zaw—
“Stones”(See :4, 6, 8)—liyov—
“Built up”—oikodomew—Present Passive Indicative—1) To build a house, erect a building—1a) To build(up from the foundation), 1b) To restore by building, to rebuild, repair; 2) metaph.—2a) To found, establish, 2b) To promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness, 2c) To grow in wisdom & piety. Strong—To be a house-builder, i.e. Construct or figuratively--Confirm. “Spiritual”—pneumatikov—Adj.—1) Relating to the human spirit, or rational soul, as part of the man which is akin to God & serves as his instrument or organ; 2) Belonging to a spirit, or a being higher than man but inferior to God; 3) Belonging to the Divine Spirit; 4) Pertaining to the wind or breath; windy, exposed to the wind, blowing. Strong—Non-carnal, i.e. humanly--Ethereal(as opposed to gross), or demoniacally--A spirit(concretely), or divinely--Supernatural, regenerate, religious.
English=‘Pneumatic’
“Holy”—agiov—Adj.—1) Most holy thing, a saint. Agiov has probably as its fundamental meaning separation, i.e., from the world to God's service. If not the original meaning, this at any rate is a meaning early in use. This separation, however, is not chiefly external, it is rather a separation from evil & defilement. The moral signification of the word is therefore the prominent one. This word, rare & of neutral meaning in classical Greek, has been developed in meaning, so that it expresses the full N.T. conception of holiness as no other does. Strong—from agov(an awful thing) [compare, yalpw]; Sacred(physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated).
“Priesthood”—ierateuma—1) The office of a priest; 2) The order or body of priests. Strong—The priestly fraternity, i.e. Sacerdotal order(figuratively). Used 2X.
“Acceptable”—euprosdektov—Adj.—1)Well received, accepted, acceptable. Strong—Well-received, i.e. Approved, favorable. Used 5X.
From—eu—neuter of a primary euv(good); (adverbially--Well—&—prosdecomai—To admit(to intercourse, hospitality, credence, or [figuratively] endurance); by implication--To await(with confidence or patience).
!What a reminder of God’s incomparable graciousness toward us who are totally undeserving!
Argumentation:
**Heb. 4:9-16—“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living & powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, & of joints & marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked & open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy & find grace to help in time of need.”
**Mat. 11:28—“Come to Me, all you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest.”
**Jn. 5:39-40—““You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; & these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
**Jn. 6:37—““All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, & the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”
Isa. 28:16-17—“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place.”
Ps. 118:21-24—“I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice & be glad in it.”
**Lk. 20:9-19—“Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, & went into a far country for a long time. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him & sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant; & they beat him also, treated him shamefully, & sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent a third; & they wounded him also & cast him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ “But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ “So they cast him out of the vineyard & killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come & destroy those vinedressers & give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!” Then He looked at them & said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone’? “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” And the chief priests & the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.”
Will you fall on Jesus or will He fall on you?!!
**Acts 4:9-12—““If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, “let it be known to you all, & to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””
**Eph. 2:4-9—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Faith in the Christ of God is all about approach & acceptance & continuing that approach as long as we have breath!
2Thes. 2:16-17—“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, & our God & Father, who has loved us & given us everlasting consolation & good hope by grace, comfort your hearts & establish you in every good word & work.”
**Ps. 34:4-9—“I sought the LORD, & He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him & were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, & the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste & see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”
Illustration:
One day my wife & I were driving thru the Publix Supermarket parking lot on Thomasville Rd. just north of I-10 in Tallahassee/A major part of it was empty, so in order to save time, I decided to cut across the parking spaces themselves instead of following the designated lanes for traffic/As I was to cutting across the third lane my wife screams at me, “Byron STOP!! You pulled right in front of that person!”/Sure enough, I had not seen the car coming toward me(very legally I might add!) properly down the lane!/The lady approaching us saw my error & stopped in time/She threw her hands in the air & scowled at me sternly!/She was gracious enough to allow me to fail but made it plain in no uncertain terms that what I had done was wrong/My approach was miscalculated/APPROACHING
?Do you have love for others that is driven by God, or is it skewed by being formed without God?
Application:
?What has Your encounter with APPROACHING yielded?
?You Live Out God’s love?
13—God’s love is lived out thru an encounter with...
CONSTRUCTION(2:6-8)
Explanation:(2:6-8)Worship/Building
: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.”
For the above reason, Scripture contains these words/truths of assurance & exhortation. That God Himself is the One who sets/lays a particular Stone. He lays this Stone in a particular place.... “in Zion.” This is a quote from...
Isa. 28:13-17—“But the word of the LORD was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” That they might go & fall backward, & be broken And snared & caught. Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.” Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place.”
The Stone which God lays in Zion is “A chief cornerstone”(A stone set in the chief corner). There is a building of God’s intention which must be built to His own honor. Due to its nature & intended purpose, this Stone is both “elect” & “precious.” As elect it is chosen with right reason. It is thus fit for the task & design of the Father, which is to rescue mankind from his sin.
The Stone is thus also “precious” for the obvious reason that He is foundational. The salvation, which man so desperately needs, is determined & wrought in this elect cornerstone & thus He is “precious.”
This is an unqualified offer to anyone that they “believe on Him.” Belief secures acceptance of the elect, precious cornerstone. Belief assures that whoever centers it upon Jesus will not be put to shame. Trust in Christ is never a matter of shame before God. He is immune to it. It may bring a believer personal shame in men’s eyes but only because they reject Him(:4, 7).
“Contained”—periecw— = ‘to hold around’—1) To surround, encompass—1a) To contain: of the subject-matter, contents, of a writing, 1b) To take possession of, to seize. Strong—To hold all around, i.e. Include, clasp(figuratively). Used 3X.
“Stone”(See :5, 6, 8)—liyov—A stone—1a) Of small stones, 1b) Of building stones, 1c) metaph.--Of Christ. Strong—apparently a primary word; A stone(literally or figuratively). RWP—Liyov is a loose stone in the path, whereas a Petra(“rock”-:8) is a ledge rising out of the ground.
“Chief cornerstone”(See :7)—akrogwniaiov—1)Placed at an extreme corner, the corner foundation stone. Strong—Belonging to the extreme corner. Used 2X.
From—akron—Farthest, uttermost, end, highest, extreme—&—gwnia—Corner or external angle.
“Elect”(See :4, 9—“Chosen”)—eklektov—
“Precious”(See :4)—entimov—
“Believe on”(See :7)—pisteuw—1)To think to be true, to be persuaded of, place confidence in; 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. his Fidelity. Strong—To have faith(in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. Credit; by implication--To entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ).
“Shame”—kataiscunw—1)To dishonor, disgrace; 2)To put to shame, make ashamed. Strong—To shame down, i.e. Disgrace or by implication--Put to the blush.
From kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along—&—aiscunomai—To disfigure & thus be shamed.
: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,”
Due to the believer’s immunity to shame, Christ is “precious”. This for the same reason He is precious to God Himself(:4)...He is the innoculator against eternal shame.
However, those who are “disobedient”—the rejectors(not good enough for their purposes)—are not immune to the shame of God. They are rather like builders who have rejected as faulty, a stone given for their consideration & acceptance. Their building will not be founded upon the precision of God’s righteousness.
Their walls will neither be square nor plumb & their building will offer no sanctuary or shelter in the end...Because:
Ps. 118:18-24—“The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice & be glad in it.”
“Precious”(See :4; :6—entimov)—timh—1) a valuing by which the price is fixed—1a) Of the price itself, 1b) Of the price paid or received for a person or thing bought or sold; 2) Honor which belongs or is shown to one—2a) Of the honor which one has by reason of rank & state of office which he holds, 2b) Deference, reverence. Strong—A value, i.e. Money paid, or (concretely & collectively) valuables; by analogy--Esteem(especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself.
“Disobedient/Disbelieve/Unbelieving”(See :8)—apeiyew—1) Not to allow one's self to be persuaded—1a) To refuse or withhold belief, 1b) To refuse belief & obedience; 2) Not to comply with. Strong—To disbelieve (willfully & perversely).
From—apeiyhv—from A(as a negative particle) & peiyw[ to convince, to pacify or conciliate, to assent, to rely]; Unpersuadable, i.e. Contumacious.
“Rejected/Disallowed”(See :4)—apodokimazw—1)To disapprove, reject, repudiate. Strong—To disapprove, i.e. by implication--To repudiate. Used 9X.
From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)—&—dokimazw—To test (literally or figuratively); by implication--To approve. ’To separate thru testing, examination or proving for genuineness.’
“Chief/Head”—kefalh—1) The head, both of men & often of animals. Since the loss of the head destroys life, this word is used in the phrases relating to capital & extreme punishment; 2) metaph.--Anything supreme, chief, prominent—2a) of persons--Master lord: of a husband in relation to his wife, 2b) of Christ:--The Lord of the husband & of the Church, 2c) of things:--The corner stone. Strong—from the primary kaptw(in the sense of seizing); The head(as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively.
“Cornerstone”—gwnia—1) Corner—1a) An external angle, a corner, 1b) Internal corner, i.e. A secret place. Strong—An angle. Used 9X.
:8—“& “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
Peter completes his rebuke of the “disobedient” by applying a quote from Isa. 8:14:
Isa. 8:13-15—“The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling & a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap & a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall & be broken, Be snared & taken.”
For the rejectors, Jesus is both “a stone of stumbling” & “a rock of offense”. An obvious & conspicuous rock that one is offended at. I think of Stone Mtn, GA. & the relief sculpture on it. Blatantly undeniable. Offensive to some.
Some do not see Stone Mtn's commemorative character as worthy. Some would see the natural face of the rock as disfigured at the hand of man.
Those who “stumble” were appointed to their views thru their lack of genuine love of the Lord’s design.
The stumbling occurs because one is “disobedient to the word” written of God or unpersuaded by it, as well as disobedient to the Word of God, Jesus Christ. This state is one to which they “were appointed”. This cannot be a blind “appointment”...It is a willing choice made by each individual. Stumbling is an “appointment” based upon one’s obedience or lack thereof. Therefore those who stumble over Jesus—the “cornerstone”— are not in league with those who are “chosen”(:9).
Example:
My weed-eating adventures in ‘the lower forty.’ I’m always tripping or getting hung up on the stub of a small tree or bush.
Those who “stumble” upon & are “offended” by Christ, are “appointed” to the very “word” they find wanting & refuse. God’s “word,” & thus Jesus’ “word” condemns them.
“Stone”(See :4, 5)—liyov—RWP—Liyov is a loose stone in the path, whereas a Petra(“rock”-:8) is a ledge rising out of the ground.
“Stumbling”—proskomma—Noun Neuter—1) A stumbling block—1a) An obstacle in the way which if one strikes his foot against he stumbles or falls, 1b) That over which a soul stumbles i.e. By which is caused to sin. Strong—A stub, i.e. figuratively--Occasion of apostasy. Used 6X.
From—proskoptw—To strike at, i.e. Surge against(as water); specifically--To stub on, i.e. Trip up(literally or figuratively). From—prov—a preposition of direction; Forward to, i.e. Toward(with the genitive case--The side of, i.e. Pertaining to; with the dative case--By the side of, i.e. Near to; usually with the accusative case the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. Whither or for which it is predicated)—&—koptw—a primary verb; To “chop”; specially--To beat the breast in grief.
“Rock”—petra—A rock, cliff, or ledge—1a) A projecting rock, crag, rocky ground, 1b) A rock, a large stone, 1c) metaph.--A man like a rock, by reason of his firmness & strength of soul. Strong—A (mass of)rock (literally or figuratively).
“Offense”—skandalon—1) The movable stick or trigger of a trap, a trap stick—1a) A trap, snare, 1b) Any impediment placed in the way & causing one to stumble or fall, (a stumbling block, occasion of stumbling) i.e. A rock which is a cause of stumbling, 1c) figuratively applied to Jesus Christ, whose person & career were so contrary to the expectations of the Jews concerning the Messiah, that they rejected him & by their obstinacy made shipwreck of their salvation; 2) any person or thing by which one is (entrapped)drawn into error or sin. Strong—("scandal"); probably from a derivative of kamptw[to bend]; A trap-stick(bent sapling), i.e. Snare(figuratively--Cause of displeasure or sin).
English=‘Scandal’
“Stumble”—proskoptw—1) To strike against—1a) Of those who strike against a stone or other obstacle in the path, to stumble, 1b) To strike one's foot against a stone—1b1) i.e. To meet with some harm;, 1c) To rush upon, beat against, 1d) To be made to stumble by a thing—1d1) i.e. metaph.--To be induced to sin. Strong—To strike at, i.e. Surge against(as water); specifically--To stub on, i.e. Trip up(literally or figuratively) Used 8X.
“Disobedient/Disbelieve/Unbelieving”(See :8)—apeiyew—1) Not to allow one's self to be persuaded—1a) To refuse or withhold belief, 1b) To refuse belief & obedience; 2) Not to comply with. Strong—To disbelieve (willfully & perversely).
From—apeiyhv—from A(as a negative particle) & peiyw[ to convince, to pacify or conciliate, to assent, to rely]; Unpersuadable, i.e. Contumacious.
“Appointed”—tiyhmi—1)To set, put, place; 2)To make; 3)To set, fix, establish. Strong—To place(in the widest application, literally & figuratively; properly--In a passive or horizontal posture, & thus different from isthmi, which properly denotes an upright & active position, while keimai is properly reflexive & utterly prostrate).
Argumentation:
**Mat. 7:21-27—“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, & done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, & does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: & the rain descended, the floods came, & the winds blew & beat on that house; & it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, & does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: & the rain descended, the floods came, & the winds blew & beat on that house; & it fell. And great was its fall.”
Lk. 14:25-30—“Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned & said to them, “If anyone comes to Me & does not hate his father & mother, wife & children, brothers & sisters, yes, & his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. “And whoever does not bear his cross & come after Me cannot be My disciple. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first & count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--lest, after he has laid the foundation, & is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, “saying, ‘This man began to build & was not able to finish.’”
**1Cor. 3:10-17—“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, & another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; & the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God & that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
Illustration:
Anything mechanical—Any engineer produces pieces producing specific results/It takes many smaller machines to make a large one operate/A jet cannot function without an engine that works & a wing that works & an incorporating balance to all that works...to safely transport passengers to their destinations/You can’t put something together unless you know the pieces used/God’s word is meant to be a consistent whole/CONSTRUCTION
A jigsaw puzzle/Though there are many pieces they are interlocking & are meant-designed to be a consistent whole/Likewise, God’s word is meant to be a consistent whole/It may seem disjointed, but the more time you spend with God(in prayer & written word), the clearer His design becomes/CONSTRUCTION
You are in the market for a new home/Content to build your own building your own way/You use some of your Great-Grand-Daddy’s tools/You decide to use his level to set all your corners & angles/The level at least 100 years old—It has become warped & pitted due to overuse/But its a family tradition—You know of six family members who have died due to home construction failures(who used the same level!)/But its a family tradition/CONSTRUCTION
What you put into the construction brings either failure OR success!
Beach umbrella—Cheap & fragile or more expensive & useful/Why?...We go to the beach partly because of the ‘balmy breezes’—Those ‘balmy breezes’(the wind) is what an umbrella fights/It must be stalwart enough to stand opened in the wind!/If not it will not provide needed shade/CONSTRUCTION
Application:
?What has Your encounter with CONSTRUCTION yielded?
?You Live Out God’s love?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Teacher to the ‘only child’ upon discovering he had no brothers or sisters who would be following in his footsteps.”—“Thank goodness!”
Sometimes difficult to love our brothers & sisters in Christ!
Action:
God’s love is lived out thru an encounter with...
12. APPROACHING(2:4-5)
13. CONSTRUCTION(2:6-8)
1. OBEDIENCE(:22a)
2. CLEANSING(:22b)
3. SINCERITY(Sincere)(:22c)
4. INTENTION & DEPTH(:22d)“Fervently with a pure heart”
5. REBIRTH(:23a)
6. GROWTH POTENTIAL(:23b)
7. THE INVINCIBLE WORD(24-25a)
8. THE INESCAPABLE/Available WORD(:25b)
9. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION(2:1a)
10. UNADULTERATED SUITABLE SUSTENANCE(2:2)
11. The FLAVOR Of GRACE(2:3)
Pts. 12-13 presented 08/21/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(A Ave. SE)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 10-12 Presented 08/15/04pm to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 39897
