1Peter 2:4-10
What Are We?
Back in \\#3\\, Peter setup a conditional command. IF we have tasted
of God’s grace (salvation), then we should obey God’s commands. In
this section, Peter begins to list some of God’s commands and will
continue doing so literally through the remainder of this book.
We began looking at them last week.
1. \\#1\\ Discard Some Things
2. \\#2\\ Digest Some Things
3. \\#4-10\\ Dedicate Ourselves
We did not finish with that last one so let’s look more at verses
4-13.
I. \\#4\\ Jesus is OUR ROCK.
A. Jesus is the LIVING STONE.
1Peter 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God, and precious,
1. What does that mean? Jesus is the LIVING STONE to which
we have come.
a. That Stone was disallowed by men.
b. DISALLOWED means REJECTED.
2. But the Stone that was rejected became the chief Corner
Stone.
1Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the
scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner
stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth
on him shall not be confounded.
a. The chief corner stone is the most important stone i
n the structure.
b. It creates the line upon which all the others will
be aligned.
c. Like the stones set on the corner stone will not be
out of alignment, so those who believe on Jesus will
not be confounded or confused.
3. All of this makes it clear that Jesus is the Living Stone.
B. However, Peter was not preaching on Jesus’ but on what
believers are to be.
1. He was emphasizing the need for the believers to be
dedicated to Jesus.
2. To do that, Peter will compare us to Jesus and to other
earthly elements.
3. These comparisons are not to flatter the Christian but to
challenge the Christian.
II. \\#5, 9\\ We are to be like Jesus!
A. Peter was showing the relationship we have with Jesus.
B. He continues to do so.
C. Let’s ask the question, "What are we?"
1Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built
up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ.
1. We are stones like Jesus.
a. "lively" is the same word that is used to describe
Jesus \\#4\\.
b. So we are a "chip" off the Solid Rock.
c. Once we come to Jesus, then we made like Jesus.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but
we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together,
and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus:
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
d. That change is the key test of our Christianity.
2. We are joined like a "spiritual house."
a. Not only have we been changed, we are also connected
or joined together.
b. Like bricks in a house, the individual Christian has
been joined to the whole to make something far more
beautiful, powerful, and purposeful than the
individual.
c. This is a reference to individual Christians being
joined to Christ’s body.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the
wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:
and he is the saviour of the body.
1Cor 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many
members, and all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
d. Consider the advantage of having a house made of
stones as opposed to just having a stack of stones.
(1) A house provides shelters, comfort, a home.
(2) Stones just clutter the yard.
(3) The whole point of Peter’s image is to emphasize
that we are MORE TOGETHER than we are separated.
(4) While the body of Christ is made up of
individuals, its power comes from the fact that
all the parts are joined together.
e. The connection to one another may or may not as
obvious as the change, but if we have tasted that the
Lord is gracious, the connection is there.
(1) Some people seem to perceive the connection
between the other believers while others do not.
(2) I am sometimes surprised at how little value some
place on their relationship with the remainder
of the body; but then I remember that if God had
not called me to pastor, I probably would not
either.
(a) That is a problem with us introverts. We do
mingle. We aren’t comfortable with others
so we avoid it.
(b) It is also the problem with self-sufficient.
They do not think they need anyone else so
they try to do everything on their own.
(c) Both are wrong and miss the ministry that
the church provides to all of the
believers.
(d) The church is:
i. A witness to the lost…
ii. A delivery room for the convicted…
iii. A nursery to the new born…
iv. A school for the student…
v. A resource for the minister…
vi. A hospital for the injured…
vii. A rest area for the weary…
viii. A bastion against evil…
ix. A place of encouragement for the
discouraged…
x. A fellowship for the lonely…
xi. A clinic for the confused…
xii. A standard to the world…
xiii. A haven for the persecuted…
xiv. A supply to the serving…
xv. A rehab to the fallen…
xvi. A rebuker of the saints…
xvii. A refuge to our aged…
xviii. A support to the struggling…
xix. A well to the thirsty…
xx. A revival to the backslidden…
xxi. A map to the wonderer.
xxii. It is the quitter’s second chance.
xxiii. It is the lost person’s only hope.
xxiv. It is God’s church!
3. We serve like a "holy priesthood."
a. Once together, as a body, we become "a priest" to the
whole world.
b. Peter was not emphasizing the effect that the individual
has for God, but the impact that all Christians—
joined together—have for God.
(1) As individuals, a Christian can speak for Christ,
win souls to Jesus, build a local church, and
impact a city or community for God.
(2) But the whole church can win the world to Christ,
be a global church, and change the course of an
entire planet.
c. Just the presence of the church has a cleansing and
purifying role in the world.
2Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity
doth already work: only he who now letteth will
let, until he be taken out of the way.
(1) The church makes the world self-conscious.
(2) They think twice because we are here.
(3) Our very presence impacts the world.
d. But priests don’t just exist. They serve. Notice
what Peter said the church was to do.
(1) We "offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ."
(2) This again refers to the work of the believers as
a whole.
(3) Some explain the phrase to mean that we do good
works.
(a) I won’t argue that the church should be
known for doing good works: feeding the
hungry, educating the ignorant, comforting
the lonely, clothing the naked, and so
forth.
(b) But those are works that even the lost could
do.
(c) Peter says we offer "SPIRITUAL sacrifices."
(d) SPIRITUAL sacrifices can only be offered by
SPIRITUAL people.
i. prayer
ii. speaking for God
iii. demonstrating God’s love
iv. glorifying God
4. We live like a different kind of people.
2Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvellous light:
a. Notice the adjectives no the nouns.
(1) We are chosen. We have been chosen because God
knew we would choose Jesus.
(2) We are royal.
(3) We are holy.
(4) We are peculiar.
b. There is nothing like the church, the body of Christ,
on the entire planet or in the history of mankind.
c. None of these are to flatter us but to challenge us to
dedicate ourselves to fulfill God’s expectation.
III. Notice another effect that God should be having on us.
1Peter 2:9 …shew forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness
A. We are to praise the Lord God Almighty!
B. And why not? We are a people that…
1. \\#9\\ walked in darkness but have now obtained mercy.
2. \\#10\\ that were not a people at all but now we are the
people of God.
1Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a
people, but are now the people of God: which
had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy.
Have you tasted of Him? Our power over sin, our desire, our work in
His body, and our appreciation of Jesus are the proofs.
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