INTRODUCTION:
Today, we conclude our series on things that should make you feel uncomfortable. We have talked about a church that is preaching God’s Word should make you feel uncomfortable because it ought to be confronting the sin in your life; and that church ought to be challenging you to share your faith with other. And that getting out of that comfort zone should make you feel uncomfortable.
Then in week two, we talked about the Cross of Jesus Christ should make us uncomfortable because a commitment to Christ is a commitment to pick up our cross and follow Him.
Then last week, we talked about how we are living stones and because we are living stones, we cannot pick a church based upon how comfortable that church makes feel. We are to plug into and get busy working in a church based upon where God put us even if that church does not hit all our comfort buttons.
Today, I want to expand on the idea that we are living stones. And the very fact that we are living stones should make us feel uncomfortable. Let me explain as we read our Scripture today from 1 Peter 2:4-7.
So, if you have your Bibles turn with me to:
1 Peter 2:4-7 (NIV)
4 As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--
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.
6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious...
BODY:
I should be uncomfortable because as a living stone, I am unique.
5 you also, like living stones ...
A. Living stones: there is an oxymoron for you. A stone might be described in many ways: by its size; by its shape; by its color, but to describe it is as living is most unusual. It does not seem like those two words (living and stone) would go together. In fact, you would have to say that such a stone is truly a rare and unique stone. In the world of common, this stone would stand out as so vastly different; so incredibly special; so unique. And that goes against who we like to be. We want to fit in. Not stand out. But if you are follower of Christ, you will stand out. Jesus followed His Father and He stood out.
B. You and I are Living Stones. We are to stand out and not blend in with this world. Jesus described it this way: no one lights a lamp and then hides it under a bushel for no one to see it. Truthfully, sometimes we try to hide that light by trying to blend in with the world. We are valuable and rare but we try to make ourselves as common. Peter says as he starts this book that we are "strangers in this world." Have you ever been to a place where everyone is speaking a different language but you don't know that language. Boy, do you stand out! As Christians we speak a different language and live a different way and so we stand out. The Apostle Paul puts it this way. This world is dead to the things of God, but God called you out from this dead world into a glorious life.
C. When do I blend in with the world? The simple answer is when there is no tension or conflict between me and this world; I have blended in. In that case I have taken something that is rare and has made it as common. In that case I am not feeling uncomfortable, I have settled in to being comfortable in this world.
SECONDLY, I SHOULD NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I NEVER ARRIVE, I AM ALWAYS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house
A. Peter says I am being built into a spiritual house. I am not a finished house; I am one under construction. So, what should you see? Progress.
B. Now progress does not mean that you do not have setbacks along the way. Just like in any construction projects, you make some mistakes along the way. You cut a board wrong. You put the light switch in the wrong place. You hung the door improperly, so it doesn't shut just right. But, in a construction project, once you noticed that you have made a mistake you correct it. Well, as a Christian along the way you are going to make some mistakes and we call them sin and your job is to correct them when you notice them.
C. So if you take a look at the construction project, even with mistakes that have been made along the way there is progress at the end of the week if the worker or worked continued to work at it. Now, the question we ought to ask ourselves on a weekly basis is: "Even with the mistakes that I have made along the way have I made progress in my Christian life this week?" And the answer ought to be yes. But it is uncomfortable progressing but never finishing.
THIRDLY, I NEVER GET THE CHANCE TO BE SERVED BECAUSE AS A LIVING STONE, I AM ALWAYS THE SERVANT.
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.
A. A priest served at the pleasure of God in the Old Testament and we as New Testament saints and priests are to serve at the pleasure of God. Interestingly, to me that the New Testament church has got this concept backwards. Today's church believes that God is to serve at the pleasure of the people and yet Peter says we are the ones to be offering the spiritual sacrifices. It sounds like to me that we ought to be the ones serving God and not the other way around.
B. What are some spiritual sacrifices that we can offer to God. How about surrender? Is that spiritual sacrifice? How about obedience? Is that spiritual sacrifice? How about Praise and Prayer to God? Is that spiritual sacrifice? How about how you use your material possessions? Is that spiritual sacrifice? How about witnessing? Is that spiritual sacrifice? The answer to all of them is yes, they are spiritual sacrifices to God if you are doing them not for men to see but from a pure motive of wanting to please God then these are spiritual sacrifices.
D. My question to you this morning is: "How has your service to God been lately?"
FINALLY, BEING A LIVING STONE IS UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE I HAVE TO PUT MY TRUST TOTALLY IN THE ONE LAYING THE STONE.
6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
A. Verse 6 has a promise- I will never be put to shame. But how do I get there? I must trust totally in the One laying the stone. It is not trust in the stone layer and my family; it is not trust in the stone layer and my good friends; it is not trust in the stone layer and my material possessions. It is 100% percent in the stone layer. And that makes us uncomfortable.
