GLOW – Rock and Role Ministry
1 Peter 2:4-14
If you’ve ever flown on an airplane, you’re familiar w/ the mandatory announcements – sometimes you’ll hear some funny comments – like these actual comments:
• Welcome aboard Southwest flight 245. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and
pull tight. If you don’t know how to operate one, you really shouldn’t be out in public unsupervised.
• Delta Airlines is pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry – unfortunately, none of
them are on this flight!
• In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab
the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling w/ you, secure your mask before
assisting w/ theirs. If you are traveling w/ more than one small child… pick your favorite.
• (After a hard landing) ”Ladies/gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo. Remain in your seats w/ your seat belts
fastened while the Captain taxis what’s left of our plane to the gate!”
• “We’d like to thank you for flying w/ us today. The next time you get the insane urge to blast thru the skies
in a pressurized tube, we hope you’ll think of US Airways.”
• In the event of an emergency water landing, your seat bottom can be used for a flotation device. In such an
event, please paddle to shore and feel free to keep the seat bottom w/ our compliments.”
After hearing these statements it is interesting that an American Airlines pilot was fired b/c he asked the Christians on the plane to identify themselves so anyone interested in talking to them could do so. Some passengers were offended and he lost his job.
Why do people get upset over the mention of the name Jesus or Christian? The reason is found in our text today. Peter explains that for some people Jesus is a stepping stone and to others He is a stumbling stone.
I GOD’S ROCK
Peter is writing about spiritual growth and begins this section by writing, “As you come to him (Jesus), the Living Stone…”
Peter employs a participle when he communicates the idea that you don’t simply come to Jesus over and over again.” He identifies Jesus as a living stone. Isn’t that an oxymoron?
An oxymoron is a combination of two seemingly contradictory words, such as: jumbo shrimp; freezer burn; pretty ugly; athletic scholarship; living stone.
A stone isn’t alive! But just as Jesus is a wounded healer; a meek master who gives us a light yoke, there is a width and depth to His character that’s impossible to fully comprehend. Peter goes on to describe the rock-like character of Jesus by providing three powerful word pictures:
A Jesus – the CORNERSTONE
Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised to choose and lay a precious cornerstone in Zion. Zion is a word for the temple area of Jerusalem.
cornerstone (lithos) means rock and (akrogoniaios) which means the best cornerstone.
A cornerstone provided the foundation for a building. It was the first stone to be placed and all the other stones related to it. If the cornerstone was not perfectly square and perfectly laid, the entire building would be flawed.
In Matthew 16:17, Jesus was talking to Peter about the foundation of the church. Peter had just confessed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. After which Jesus said, I tell you that you are Peter (petros – pebble) and upon this rock (petra – stratum) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Now some people assume Jesus was talking about Peter being the foundation of the church. Millions of people believe Peter was the first pope based on these words. But it’s clear when you study the words, Jesus was not calling Peter the foundation. He was making a contrast. Jesus had given Simon the nickname of Peter, which means “rock.”
We would probably have called him Rocky. But that word petros means a small rock. It is the kind of rock you pick up and throw at a dog. You wouldn’t use a pebble for a foundation. Jesus used another word, petra to describe the foundation of the church. It was a word that meant a stratum of rock. I think if you had been there that day you would have seen Jesus point His finger to Peter when He said, “You are Peter.” Then He’d have pointed at Himself and said, “and upon this rock, I will build my church.”
I Cor. 3:11
It’s amazing to consider the construction genius of ancient builders. They didn’t have computers and heavy equipment. A few years ago, as a project for PBS, some builders decided to try to duplicate the building of an Egyptian pyramid, using only the methods available 3,000 years ago.
It was to be built on a ¼ scale to the actual pyramids. The group took measurements and made calculations. They took great care in chiseling and laying the 1st stone, the cornerstone b/c they knew all the other stones would be cut and placed in relation to it. They were 25 days into the project when it was apparent they had miscalculated the angle of the cornerstone, and as a result, the project was a failure.
In life, like in construction, it is important to have a good foundation. Jesus is the only true foundation upon which you can build your life.
B Jesus – CAPSTONE
In verse 7, Peter quotes Psalm 118 to give us another rock picture of Jesus. In this description, Jesus is seen as the capstone. A capstone was different from a cornerstone. A cornerstone was used for a foundation guide, and was the first stone laid, but a capstone was the last stone laid.
By law, the tallest structure that will ever be built in our nation’s capitol is the Washington Monument, which is 555 feet tall. On Dec. 6, 1884, the capstone for the Washington Monument was set in place. A scaffold had been built so the dignitaries could participate. The winds were gusting to almost 60 mph the day of the ceremony making it a dangerous endeavor. The capstone is a 9” pyramid containing 100 ounces of pure aluminum. In the 1880’s aluminum was a rare metal, and it was installed as part of the monument’s lighting protection system. At the time, this capstone was the largest piece of aluminum produced and it was displayed in Tiffany’s jewelry store in New York City before it was installed. On the eastern face of this capstone are two words in Latin, “LAUS DEO” which means “Praise Be to God.” In other words, overlooking the 69 square miles of the most powerful city on earth is a capstone that offers praise to God!
When Solomon’s temple was built, all the stones were quarried at a remote location so there was no sound of chiseling heard on the holy ground. A powerful Jewish legend tells the story of a strange-shaped stone being brought to the construction site early in the process. The head builder looked at the stone and couldn’t figure out where it fit, so he figured it was a mistake, so the stone was rolled away to the side and forgotten. It took several years to build the temple, and when the building was almost finished, the builder sent word to the quarry that he was ready for the capstone. The quarry master sent word back that he sent the capstone years earlier. The capstone was the stone that had been rolled aside and by now it was covered with dirt and vines.
That’s what the Bible means when it speaks of how “the stone which the builders rejected has become the capstone.” You may wonder how Jesus can be both the cornerstone and the capstone. He is both the foundation and the crowning achievement of life. He is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.
C Jesus – the STUMBLING BLOCK
The third picture of Jesus, the Rock is that of a stumbling stone. Verse eight says to those of us who believe, the rock is precious. Jesus is more precious than diamonds, emeralds and gold to those of us who know Him. Peter quotes Isaiah 8 to show the other side of the rock. He says to those who disbelieve, Jesus is a stone which makes them stumble and a rock that makes them fall.
fall (skandalon) we get our English word scandal.
When the American Airlines pilot asked his passengers to talk to Christians on board the flight, it created a scandal. I have been in places where I was asked to pray publicly and because I prayed “in the name of Jesus” it created a scandal. The Bible explains there is no neutral ground concerning Jesus. He is either a precious stone or a stumbling stone.
You can love Jesus and accept Him, or you can reject Jesus, but you can’t ignore Him.
Jesus will either be a precious stone to you or a stumbling stone. Have you ever heard the phrase, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure?” That’s why yard sales and garage sales are so popular. A few years ago, an 85 year old widow in Wisconsin died. Her only living relative was a niece who came to dispose of her possessions. It was mostly junk, so she decided to have a garage sale. One item was a box of miscellaneous papers that had been in the attic for over 50 years. One man looked at the contents and asked the price. She said, “One dollar.” With trembling hands he paid her. Inside the box were dozens of mint-condition baseball cards from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940’s. Included were rookie cards for Babe Ruth and other baseball legends. The value of the cards was estimated to be $475,000. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, indeed!
II Our ROLE
Jesus is the rock, but now let’s consider our role. Who are we and what are we to be dong in light of the fact that Jesus is the cornerstone, the capstone, and the stumbling stone? The Bible answers this question in verse 5: you also, like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the living stone and we are chips off the old block – we are living stones. The adjective can mean “lively” stones. God is using these living, lively stones to build up His church – a spiritual building. God is looking for exciting, excited enthusiastic stones to build up His house. That’s our role. Let’s examine (3) aspects of your position in the building.
A SELECTED by God
There are (3) dynamic pictures of the church in the New Testament that start with the letter “B.”
1 The BRIDE of Christ – Jesus is the Bridegroom who is coming to take us to God.
2 The BODY of Christ – Christ is the Head and we are like the different body parts.
3 The BUILDING of God – Jesus is the cornerstone and we are the living stones.
Don’t be confused, the church is not a building like we’re sitting in – we, the people, are like a building. But one stone doesn’t make a building. We need to connect with other stones to make the house of God. As you can see in this picture of a stone church, the stones are all different shapes and sizes. God loves variety – if you don’t believe it, just look around. But like the stones in this building, we are joined together through the mortar of the H.S. The stone mason carefully chooses each stone to fit w/ the others. That’s exactly what God does w/ us.
We need each other. Where I’m weak, you may be strong, and where I’m strong, you may be weak. God is using us to build His spiritual house.
B SHAPED by God
When the temple in Jerusalem was being built, David hired stonecutters to shape the stones for the temple. In the same way, God is the stonecutter who is shaping you. Unlike stones that are dead and cold, we are living stones. Have you ever seen a brick mason take a brick and break it w/ his trowel in order to make it fit? That’s what God is constantly doing in our lives. He chisels on us to conform us to the image of Christ. The church is being built up as God keeps shaping the stones. The critics are saying the church of Jesus has lost touch and it will soon be extinct. That’ll never happen, B/C of the One who is doing the building.
All kinds of prophets of doom wonder about the condition of God’s building. They see it as condemned property, worn out, dilapidated and derelict rather than as a magnificent edifice that is being constructed on schedule. The truth is, God is the master architect, and every stone is being placed exactly where He designed it to fit. His project is right on schedule. Swindoll
Our church is a nice building, but there’s something 1,000 times stronger than this facility – it is the faith and commitment of the men, women, students, and children who make up the church. You can visit all the wonderful temples and cathedrals on earth, but you’ll never see the power of the church in stone and steel.
During the days of Greek power, the Spartan king boasted to a visiting monarch about the walls of Sparta. The visiting monarch looked around and saw no walls. Puzzled, he asked the king, “Where are the walls about which you boast so? I see no walls!” The king pointed to the Spartan soldiers and said, “These are the walls of Sparta and every man is a brick.” We could point around to the people here who are followers of Jesus and say, “Here is the building of God, and every person a brick.”
C SACRIFICED for God
Peter changes metaphors as he writes that we are “a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” We are not just living stones, but a royal priesthood.
We are priests who offer sacrifices to God. In the O.T. only a select few were priests. The common people would bring their offerings and sacrifices to the temple, but only a priest could offer them to God. The people could not even approach the inner court of the temple. The common priests could only approach the holy place on rare occasions, and only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies for a few hours one day a year!
There were many “middle men” b/ God and an average person. But when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain between the Holy of Holies and the rest of the world was torn apart. It was ripped from top to bottom to signify that God was removing the barrier. Today, you do not need any priest to approach God except our High Priest the Lord Jesus.
We are all priests before God! You can approach God and make sacrifices to Him. But these sacrifices are only acceptable when offered through the Lord Jesus Christ. There are different kinds of sacrifices we offer to God. In Romans 12:1, we are told we should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. In the O.T., the priest offered dead animals as sacrifices. Today, God is looking for living sacrifices. And everything we offer should be a sacrifice to God.
Well, that is our rock and that is our role. The question is, “Is Jesus your stepping stone to heaven, or are you stumbling over the truth about Jesus?
Back in the days when the Old West was being settled, pioneers were flocking across the country to California and Oregon. In one particular spot on the Eastern slopes of the Rockies there was a large dirt encrusted lump in the middle of the trail. Wagons rolled over it and men tripped over it. Finally, someone dug up the lump and rolled it off into a nearby stream. The stream was too wide to jump over, but by using that lump, people could “two-step” over the water. It was used for years, until finally one settler built his cabin near the stream. He carried the lump out of the stream and placed it in his cabin to serve as a doorstop. As years passed, railroads were built and modern cities sprang up. The old settler’s grandson went east to study geology. On a visit to his grandfather’s cabin, the grandson happened to examine the old lump of stone and discovered that within that lump of dirt and rock was the largest pure gold nugget ever discovered on the Eastern slope of the Rockies. It had been there for three generations, and people looked at it in different ways. To some it was a stumbling stone to be removed. To others it was a stepping stone, to others it was just a heavy rock. But only the grandson saw it for what it really was – a lump of pure gold. Jesus is the precious rock God has given us to be the foundation of our lives. Will you come to the rock today? Will you build your life upon Him? One day, you will discover that Jesus will either be a stepping stone that gives you access to God, or He will be a rock that causes you to stumble. The choice is yours.
