1 Peter Part IV-iRock

1 Peter 2:4-10

If you were to come to the King of the Lawnmowers, what would you expect to do as his subject? What about the King of Chickens or the King of Jumping Jacks? I think we would all (and all probably do at one time or another) come to the King of Laziness and bow down before his as loyal subjects.

But, what about Christ? He has called us to himself as King, and when we come to Him as King we become "little Christ's" who please him by obeying His word. Remember his expectation...holiness, and his provision to meet that expectation, the Spirit an the Word.

But, how do we please God? What happens when we accept him, and what are the results of rejecting Him and His Word?

Define the word Precious.

Go ahead...try and define it...

Here's a definition for you: Cherished. Characterized by feeling or showing fond affecton for.

What is precious to you? Maybe your family, your pet, a favorite blanket or book. Will what is precious to you always be precious to other people too? Probably not because we do not all hold affection for the same things. Do you think the things that are precious to you are precious to God?

To answer that last question, you have to ask the question, "What is precious to God?" Peter answers that question for us in 1 Peter 2:4. The living stone is precious to God. Who is the living stone? Jesus! Read what else it says: "rejected by men." So...

Truth 1: What is precious to God is not always precious to man.

We often reject Christ even though he is "it". He is the One we've been looking for! He is a LIVING stone. Jesus is alive! He is someone unique, choice and precious. Since he is something unique we should respond to him differently than we respond to the people we see every day. Remember the respect and awe of worship and praise that comes from a heart of gratitude for the holiness of God? Jesus is alive. He's choice. He's precious. Receive him as precious.

In verse 5, those who come to Christ are compared to living stones, just like Christ is in verse 4. We are made alive when we come to Christ. Where does that life come from? CHRIST!

Truth 2: Life comes from life. We are made alive by the life of Christ.

These living stones are not going about life on their own, they are coming together to be built up into a spiritual house and temple of God.

Truth 3: You are God's House!

Not only are the little stones built together, they are built together for a purpose. This purpose (to be a holy priesthood to make acceptable sacrifice to God-v6) cannot be attained as an individual. The living stones (us) need to be in fellowship and communion with other living stones. For the sacrifices of our life to be acceptable, however, we have to remember the expectation of God for our lives in chapter one-holiness! Holiness is made possible by the Word of God, the cornerstone Jesus Christ.

Truth 4: Holiness is an essential element of an acceptable sacrifice (v5)
Truth 5: The only acceptable worhsip is through Jesus (v5)

Why is this worship acceptable? Because Jesus is PRECIOUS to God and his is the CORNERSTONE of faith. Because God has CHOSEN Jesus to be the foundation of worship. All other worship is an abomination before God. So, make sure your worship is directed appropirately.

There is great benefit to building our lives and our worhsip on the cornerstone, Jesus.

Truth 6: If you build on Jesus, you will not have your hopes dashed. (v6)

However, not building on Jesus and rejecting him as the cornerstone has unfavorable consequences. Verse 7-8 are clear that those who reject Jesus as the cornerstone stumble and are offended, disobedient to the word, and appointed to doom.

But Jesus IS the cornerstone. Just because someone rejects Jesus doesn't change the reality that He is still the chief cornerstone, it just changes how someone relates to Him. Instead of great hope, there is appointed doom.

Truth 7: Man's rejection doesn't change the reality of Jesus (v7)

But God has rescued us! We don't have to stumble around in disobedience and doom. He has called us out of darkness, so let's come to the cornerstone as little stones in worship of the foundation of true faith.