Sermon Central
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Come To The Living Stone. Series
Contributed by Chad Bolfa on Oct 23, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Today we want to look at another stone the bible describes as a Living Stone. In this passage that we will consider today the apostle Peter in writing to this group of people who are severely persecuted wants to remind them and us as well we need to check
Come to the Living Stone.
Introduction
The Bible is full of stories about stones: Jacob used a stone as a pillow, Joshua set up memorial stones, David chose 5 smooth stones to fight Goliath, Elijah took 12 stones to build an altar.
Today we want to look another stone the bible describes as a Living Stone. In this passage that we will consider today the apostle Peter in writing to this group of people who are severely persecuted wants to remind them and us as well we need to check and make sure what foundation we are building our lives on.
I am reminded of a passage in the scripture in the book of Luke 6:46-49 “Why do you call me, ’Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
This is the idea of this message today, I really want you to do a major heart check up today and figure out what is the foundation of your life, then I will invite you to come to the Living Stone.
Read Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-8
I. Jesus is the Living Stone.
Vs. 4 “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him.”
Jesus Christ is the Living Stone. How can a stone be living? It cannot. This is simply a picture of how God looks at Christ and His followers: they are like a building that is being built by God Himself. The foundation of God’s building is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If a person wants to be a part of God’s building, he has to place his life on the foundation Stone, Christ Himself. But note what this verse says: “the living stone was rejected by men.” When men looked at the Stone (Christ)...
• it was not wanted.
• it did not fit in with their plans.
• it was useless and unsuitable for what they were building.
• it was not worth the price.
People reject Christ because they want to build their lives like they want. They want to do their own thing. Therefore, they cast the Stone of God aside. What we must understand is the stone has been chosen of God. It is the very stone that God has chosen to be the foundation stone for life. It is the only stone that can support and bear the weight of life.
The stone chosen by God is a living stone. What does this mean? God is eternal; so, the building of God will last forever and ever. Therefore, the cornerstone laid by God is bound to be eternal; it will never deteriorate or waste away. The cornerstone is living and will exist forever and ever.
The cornerstone is the supportive stone. All other stones are placed on it and held up by it. They all rest on it. It is the preeminent stone in position and power. So it is with Christ; He is the support and power, the Foundation of God’s new movement called the Church.
II. When we come to the Living Stone, then we become living stones.
Vs. 5-6 “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. 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.’”
When we place our lives on the living stone of God, the living stone supports and holds us up eternally. We become living stones, stones that will exist forever and ever. I want you to notice three important facts.
A. Believers are being built up into a spiritual house. This is a picture of the church that God is building all over the earth. It includes all believers of all generations. What does this mean? It means that God’s house is spiritual as opposed to physical. A physical house is not permanent; it ages, deteriorates, and wastes away. But not God’s spiritual house.
When we turn to God and lay our lives upon the foundation stone of Christ, we become a part of God’s spiritual house. We will never die or waste away, but we will live permanently, forever and ever in God’s spiritual and eternal house.
