INTRODUCTION
It has been three years since this church started. There have been a lot of changes since then. This congregation has moved from meeting at a campground, to services in a used Desert Storm tent, and now, finally, into a beautiful new building. It took a long time to get here. The building program itself has taken longer than first anticipated, but God has blessed and now the people of Community Harvest have a church building they can worship in.
Now that the building is finished, what about the people inside of it? Has this congregation been growing spiritually over the past three years, or has every ounce of energy gone into making sure this building was ready for use? I’m not sure of everyone’s spiritual condition, but I do know that it is easy to place other things before God, especially when it has to do with building a church. With that thought in mind I would like for us to forget about the building around us and concentrate on our individual spiritual conditions. You see, the building program isn’t over yet. In fact, it is still in the beginning stages. Let’s look at a few scriptures and find out how God builds up the most important church there is, the body of Christ.
I. THE BLUEPRINTS – I Peter 1:18-20
Buildings aren’t just haphazardly thrown together. There is a lot of planning that takes place long before the first block is ever laid. Initially a set of blueprints is drawn up so that the builder knows exactly how to put the building together. The blueprint for our salvation and the foundational truth behind the church is the fact that Jesus Christ shed his blood for us.
A. The blueprints are not corruptible or perishable (v.18).
B. The blueprints are precious (v.19).
C. The blueprints are not blemished or spotted. They are perfect (v.19)!
D. The blueprints were laid out long before the foundation of the world (v.20).
II. THE FOUNDATION – I Peter 1:3-5
The only foundation that a church should build upon is Jesus Christ himself. I Corinthians 3:11 says this,
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ.
A. Why should we want to build upon the foundation?
1. We have been brought into a lively hope (a hope that is alive) by the resurrection of Jesus (v.3).
2. We have been given an incorruptible inheritance (v.4).
3. We are kept by the power of God (v.5). See also John 10:27-29
III. THE MATERIALS – I Peter 2:1,2
Anyone who has ever built any type of structure knows that it is important to choose good materials. Crooked 2x4s or cheap plywood may get the job done, but eventually the building will begin to suffer and repairs will have to be made.
We are the materials that God uses to build his church. Unfortunately, because of our human nature, we are not grade A material. We are ridden with all kinds of flaws. In this respect the analogy breaks down because Christians are not grade A material at the time of their salvation, rather, over time God shapes and molds us into something better.
The only reason we are even worthy of being used is because God sees us clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. In that sense we are perfect in his eyes. If we had to rely on our own strengths God would never even try to use us to build up his church.
In order for God to shape and mold us we must learn how to deal with others and how to deal with ourselves. Scripture tells us how.
A. When dealing with others (v.1)
1. Lay aside all malice – vicious character, a desire to hurt others.
2. Lay aside all guile – a bait, snare, deceit.
3. Lay aside all hypocrisy – “play acting”.
4. Lay aside all envies – the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the prosperity of others.
5. Lay aside all evil speakings.
B. When dealing with ourselves (v.2)
1. I Peter 2:2 – “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, so that ye may grow thereby”. SINCERE – the absence of fraud or deceit.
a. Newborn babies take their food seriously. When they get hungry they let you know, and nothing but milk will satisfy them. That’s the way we should be about God’s word. We should be serious and desire the Bible just like that little one desires milk. We should have a voracious appetite for the Word of God and nothing else should satisfy us.
b. Why should we desire the milk of the word? Scripture tells us, “so that ye may grow thereby”. We need the word of God so that we can grow spiritually.
IV. THE CORNERSTONE – I Peter 2:4,6
A. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. A cornerstone is the formal beginning of a building. It literally holds the walls together. Verses 4 and 6 tell us four things about Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone.
1. He was disallowed, or rejected, by men (v.4)
2. He was elected, or chosen (v.4 & 6) – this refers back to the blueprints. It was always in the plans for Jesus to be the cornerstone of the church.
3. He is precious (v.4 & 6) – Nothing can be more precious than the thought that Jesus Christ gave his life for sinful man.
4. Whoever believes on him will not be confounded, or, put to shame (v.6) – we will never be put to shame by anything that Jesus Christ did. On the contrary, we have committed many shameful acts. The amazing thing is that he still accepts us.
V. THE BUILDING – I Peter 2:5,9
A. I Peter 2:5 refers to Christians as stones that have life. The building itself, the church is made up of these stones. Together they form a spiritual house and a holy priesthood sharing one divine purpose.
1. “To offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”.
a. What kind of sacrifices would be acceptable to God?
- Psalm 51:17 – The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God thou wilt not despise.
Without a doubt, Christians should come before God with a humble, broken spirit. They should come before God recognizing that they are nothing without him.
B. I Peter 2:9 tells us some other things about the church.
1. We are a chosen generation.
a. Every Christian has been individually hand picked by God. Every single person is special in the eyes of God.
2. We are a royal priesthood.
b. Again God reminds us that we are members of the priesthood.
3. We are a holy nation.
a. How do we become a holy nation, or a holy church? Look at I Peter 1:13-15.
- Gird up the loins of your mind (v.13) – prepare your minds for action (NIV).
- Be sober (v.13) – be self-controlled (NIV). We can find another use of the word sober in the KJV over in I Peter 5:8. In this scripture God warns us to beware of the devil that roams about seeking whom he may devour.
- Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ – set your hope fully on the grace… (NIV).
Both versions tell us to look for the grace that is going to come from the revelation of Jesus Christ. We are to look forward to that day when we will understand just what grace really is. We could not get into heaven without it. We have experienced it now to some extent, but on that day we will receive true GRACE - God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
- Do not fall back into your old, evil ways (v.14). This is a reference II Corinthians 5:17, “…old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”.
- Be holy because God is holy (v.15). We should strive to live holy lives because that is what pleases God.
4. We are a peculiar people.
a. We are a purchased people. Purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.
5. We should show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness.
b. Because we have been purchased and called out of darkness we should give praises to God.
CONCLUSION
God is the master builder behind building up the church. He drew up the blueprints, he poured the foundation, he set the cornerstone, and he is shaping the materials into the building. Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church, and every part of the church involves him:
Jesus Christ shed his blood and that blood is the blueprint of the church.
Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church.
Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the church.
Jesus Christ rose again and because of that we have been saved from our sins. It is those who are saved that make up the materials, or stones, that the church is built out of.
Jesus Christ works in our lives daily to form the building. We are to come with a contrite heart and offer praises to God by him.
We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, and we should show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness.
