Why I Love The Church Pt 3 Series

Why I Love The Church

Part 3

March 19, 2000 AM – Danny L. Williams

1 Peter 2:4-8

Thursday evening I took my dog for a walk in a field behind our house. And I like those times when I can get away and just enjoy the air and see the sunset. Not to mention chase my dog and keep demanding for him to come back…

Some of you are saying your Dog? Man my kid’s do that to me….. I understand….but we must have walked for about 2 miles from the house and I noticed in the middle of this creek bottom was a huge pile of Stones(Rock’s) and most of them looked like the next. But as I looked closer I saw a stone that really stood out. Man I mean this stone was beautiful. But I began to wonder why it was so different that the others..

1 Peter 2:5 says that we are living stones….

I want to tell you this morning what makes living stones different.

Aspect # 2: Stones can be Shattered , smashed and sawn into.

It is a painful process, Not for the stone,

I took another stone and smashed it also to see what was in side…. but I want you to know I didn’t hear it say Ouch and ooh..

But can I tell you that there are times in our lives when things are not going like we want them to go and it is pretty painful…..

But I want to tell you something this morning,

“For the real Jewel to come out, God is going to have to get rid of the junk that is all around us.

And sometimes it is a very painful process…

In Matt.21:44 – Jesus said that on who ever he falls, it will break that individual… he refers to himself as a stone.

“And he who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces”

Matthew 21:44

I want you to know that when I was preparing this aspect of my message This portion really hit home with me.

Because I feel like there are so many people who feel like

their lives are being shattered. Your being smashed and cut into.

But I want to tell you this morning that as livley stones God loves us so much that he will cut away everything in your life that is not of him….

And it is painful……and it hurts…….

But in your notes there are three things that happens as God shatters and smashes us to bring out our real beauty….

· Recognize His greatness

Can I tell you this morning that if Jesus is the Lord of your life, He is in control……

Number Two….

We need to

· Realize who I am In Christ – I’m a stone.

And I want to tell you that there are some rough edges in my life….and there are things in our lives that God has to cut away…that is not of him..

You know things I try to hold on to, We need to realize that we are a stone…..

Now we are a precious stone , an important stone, we are valuable to God but we are a stone….and some times I even think like a stone, I’m about as hard headed as a stone….

Thirdly as we recognize who God is and realize who we are and .

You understand in your notes that God is

· Refining me.

There is a refining process that takes place

And something beautiful like this comes out…

But can I tell you? You never get beauty until you are broken.

And I want to tell you this morning that God loves you enough to let you break….

In fact God loves you enough to break you..

So that he can produce, a beautiful stone out of your life…

See: it is only after a stone has been broken that we can enjoy the benefits and allow others to enjoy them also….

Do you remember what Jesus did when he feed the 5000?

The bible say’s that he took the bread before he gave it to his

Disciple and he looked up to heaven and bless it and then he ____??? Broke it.

SEE: Multiplication takes place after breaking…

Do you remember Peter’s rejection and denial of Jesus? Do you remember what happened to him after? He was broken and then later we read that he stood up and preached and 3000 were saved, but can I tell you he had to be broken first..

He loves you enough church to break you and to strip away the areas that hinder us from being all that God has called us to.

It is painful, See we all want to look like this , but it is so stinking HARD!!!!