A Spiritual House HOTL 2011
Release to Purpose II Series
Open with a thank-you….For showing up. For being faithful. For giving, caring, praying, gathering… For putting up with each other…(bearing with one another)…We love and like our church family…
1 Peter 2:4-6 (NASB95)
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
As we continue with our series on “Release to Purpose”, it may be the most important discovery in your journey with Christ…
Have you ever stumbled on a piece of machinery laying in the road and not recognize what it was? (Robie & I on our walk kept seeing this metal piece & wondering what it was)
Now we picked it up, but it’s just laying on a shelf because it was created for something….And outside of that “purpose” it’s just on a shelf…Art or clutter…
The bible defines our purpose overall. Not necessarily telling us we are to be electricians, salesmen or educators, but giving us an overall picture of the Kingdom purpose of our lives.
Vs 5 says we are being built up as a spiritual house…
Couple thoughts on that…
Living stones, not “new stones”
Nehemiah used burned stones to rebuild the wall to enable worship
Type of Holy Spirit and shows the character of God to us today
Are being built up. No Lone Ranger stones. (Foundations are not built using single stones, but stones cemented and integrated together. Every person is important as “God sets members into the church as He wills”)
1 Peter 2:6-10 For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. (NASB)
To be released in biblical purpose:
Important to understand the word ‘believes’
Not just about thinking of Him every once in awhile.
If you believe something you have a mental persuasion that absolutely effects your action, opinions, values and decisions, examples – wars have been fought, things have been invented, breakthroughs in medicine etc.
‘An inward persuasion that affects the outward behavior’
Belief opens the door to faith, hope and the love of God in our lives
Belief opens up the divine.
Belief in Jesus and His Word is the mortar that sets us in the spiritual house
Unbelief shuts the door of entry that is shut to the grace and mercy of God to us.
Unbelief is also an inward persuasion affects the outward behavior.
Scripture does not say that by being disobedient to the Word that your life will be just a bit harder – it says that to this doom they were also appointed – ouch
It is much easier to disbelieve than to believe.
How many times when something magnificent, miraculous happens in our lives that our first exclamation is ‘I don’t believe it’ Even when overjoyed that slips out.
If those who believe are not disappointed, then those who do not believe are not only disappointed, but they stumble, AND they stumble because they are disobedient to the word.
Last week we taught on how we were “chosen to obey” and that opens up the bridge to the Kingdom in our lives….
Unbelief and disobedience is the bomb that destroys that bridge, door or gate!
2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (NASB)
(tools to build the house)
Expound on the practical application of God’s word
Being obedient to the word in regards to our:
Marriages – that marriage is in sickness/health and until death parts Submitting and honoring one another, gift from God
Children – honor parents and live a long life/fathers do not exasperate or embitter your children
Finances – giving/tithing/stewardship issues
Disappointed in any of these areas? Then ask ‘am I being disobedient to the Word of God
1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. (NASB)
Isn’t it awesome that we don’t have to worry about establishing our own identity? We already have one through our belief and destiny in God.
So then when you “believe” and begin to walk in obedience there is a process that also builds us into the family of God…
God is tribal….12 tribes of Israel, local church…
We live in a culture that emphasizes the individual…We even use language like “personal Savior”…. Our goals are our comfort, personal needs etc…
But these things can be anti-family (how does that work in your family if it’s all about you) and are non-biblical…
1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
And He is building us up into a spiritual house to fulfill that destiny. Are we aware and embracing that part of our purpose…That it is not just about ourselves individually, but about the family, the Kingdom, the “spiritual house”?
He isn’t looking for ‘new stones’ but ‘living stones’ chipped, the burned, the ones with stuff growing on them.
Our belief in Christ qualifies us as ‘living stones’ and He renews us
Expound on someone missing in action
Expound on responsibility of being part of the spiritual house
Example of seeing so and so without their spouse or children…Coming to church and notice something missing?
Seeing people without Jesus – something missing.
We invite you to be part of this “tribe” that God is building…There is a future ahead of us…To reach out, to train, to plant, to care for our community, region…
