1 Peter 2:4-10 Living Foundation for a Living Home

This passage presents a picture of the various ways people respond to Jesus. Especially given salvation in Christ is brought about by simple, Humble means. Humanly speaking, there is some foolishness to the Cross as the foundation of our salvation. How are we to respond, and what are some implications for us as a Church?As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:4–10 ESV)We’ll be answering three questions this morning. There are no clean verse divisions because Peter states his points and then supplies his scriptures verses and then restates everything a second time. Basically, we are asking 3 things:* What does it mean that Christ is our Cornerstone?* What does it mean to stumble over Jesus?* We are called living stones, so as living stones who have received mercy, How then do we live as God’s people?Let’s answer these things in Summary: These verses reference many places in the scriptures where we have the image of Christ as this anchoring cornerstone. A Cornerstone is the first stone that is carefully laid in a building’s foundation. The entirety of its foundations, the stability of its walls all depend on the quality, the strength, and the presence of this stone. The entire building is being entrusted to this precious stone. So it is a wonderful image of Jesus, and it naturally leads to the image that in Christ Jesus, we no longer come to physical stones and temples to worship. But instead, we, in Christ Jesus, are the body of Christ, the living temple of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. So we gather not for sacrifices but for Spiritual Worship, especially our prayer, praise in song, and the Reading and Preaching of the Word. And further, the new testament church is now the true and spiritual fulfillment of all the promises, names, and titles for physical Israel, the physical temple, nation, and priesthood find their fulfillment (continuation) in Christ and the Church, according to this scripture text.Back to the first question: #1 What does it mean that Christ is our Cornerstone?Peter is doing good biblical theology here. First, he knows that Jesus’ death and resurrection is the true fulfillment of the entire temple and sacrificial system. And so, both Jesus and his people fulfill these things.In John 2:19 standing next to the physical temples says,“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” [20] The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” [21] But he was speaking about the temple of his body. [22] When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.Ok, So Jesus says, I am the true temple And Further, eventually Paul and Peter say you are the true Israel, the true temple in Christ Jesus as well. That is God’s presence with his people on earth, for worship, and to proclaim salvation that sin is atoned for. No longer by a physical sacrifice and priesthood but by Jesus and simple spiritual worship (See John 4 and the woman at the well, no longer a physical temple? But what? Worshipping in spirit and in truth.There are Three References Peter quotes (if you have a reference bible you should be able to spot these), Isaiah 8:14, 28:16, and Psalm 118:22. First the two chapters of Isaiah speak of how the both the houses of Israel the north and the south ignored the word of God, ignored calls to repentance, and specifically mocked the simplicity of the call of the prophets to repent, turn back to God, and to trust in his teaching and protection of them. All these references show how the people and The leaders were believing or trusting in human rescue, trusting in the wisdom of alliances with Egypt, the security of the physical city of Jerusalem.Ed Clowney says, “God declares that their pride is no refuge…only one [thing] can stand against the storm of destruction: God’s building, established upon one sure foundation stone.” Whom both chapter 8 & 28 follow with wonderful promises of the sure foundation of the Messiah, of Jesus. And then Isaiah and Psalms go on to make messianic promises about Jesus as the cornerstone, the Child born, the son of David, the prince of peace etc…All the Christmas promises that sayCease trying to save yourself through manmade ways, rest in the rescue of God that is coming by the Christ, the anointed Savior..In the Psalm reference Psalm 118:22…The Psalmist speaks of the REJECTION of the Cornerstone.…Despite The LORDS wonderful works to save his people…some still rejected what the Lord was doing and ultimately they would reject God’s people, and God’s salvation.Jesus quotes from this psalm in Matt. 21:33 in the parable of the vineyard and of the wicked Tenants. (Note: Israel’s leaders historically killing prophets)Jesus talks about how they beat the servants, and want the vineyard for themselves, and eventually the owner will send his son, and they will in turn kill the Son of the owner of the Vineyard…And the pharisees knew Jesus was talking about them.All these references are warnings not to trust in ourselves, to not trust in human alliances, human wisdom, human striving, trying to work our own way out of our human messes and sins. Even by external religion.But it takes us removing our gaze from what we are physically trusting in, to trusting in something that externally appears physically, philosophically, and religiously foolish, but in reality is spiritually certain.Acts 4:11-12 says that Jesus is a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,[12] And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.The Pharisees rejected that. He was too humble, he dined with sinners, he didn’t agree with their wisdom and human driven efforts to be saved. If they followed Jesus their reputation would no longer be attached to the glories and splendor of the physical temple, the physical priesthood, the ceremonial laws that externally made them appear holy, separate, and clean. They should’ve been looking for the messiahAnd instead, their salvation is shown to have always relied on Christ who came in humility, who died, who humanly appeared weak and defeated.Jesus being our cornerstone is founded in his death. He left heaven. He humbled himself. Ransomed us with his precious blood by dying on the cross and being laid in the tomb.The cornerstone image is foundational. It is chosen and precious but at the same time the most humble and lowly of the stones being sunk down into the ground in order for everything else to be built on it.But if Jesus had to be humbled in his death for us. We also must be humbled and die a kind of death if we are to experience becoming living stones, members of God’s family.Take encouragement here…Peter is writing to living exiles he is saying, if Jesus can suffer being rejected by men when in fact he is precious to God. Can you not also accept exile and rejection by others if it means your life is founded on Christ Jesus?But what about Jesus makes some reject him?Question #2: What does it mean to stumble over Jesus? To be offended by him. (See verse 8 stumble and v. 4 – rejected).Why do we stumble over Jesus? Remember The Foolishness of the Cross.The Cross makes us admit that it was our sin that held him that. That the wages of sin are death, and that Christ had to die. (If just for my sin alone).That is to say, The Cross of Christ means we must admit that we cannot save ourselves, Jesus didn’t come as a self-help coach, he didn’t come so we could, like the Pharisees, live somewhat improved lives. He came to bear our guilt and our shame and the true consequences of our sin: Death on the Cross. The Wrath of God in our place.So we stumble over admitting the depths of our sin and that our righteousness is actually filthy rags. To come to Jesus we must die to ourselves, admit our sin, and turn from it.We remember the foolishness of the cross in our Membership Vows here. This is the reason our church membership vows are they way they are.1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy? – Yes.2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel? – Yes.3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ? – Yes.4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability? – Yes5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?This is the earlier implication of Chapter 1 we are rescued so we will be holy. And Peter will begin explaining this and what living in a church family looks like as we move through 1 Peter.This says that if we are to be living stones founded on Christ the cornerstone, we must humbly admit our sin and need for grace, look in trust and Faith in Christ alone for salvation, and in dependence on the Holy Spirit for Christian living in a community.Therefore, we recognize that the Church is not a building; we are the living stones. And we need each other to grow.Dr. Karen Jobes points out that we are not stones scattered around a field that we are not so much individually the temple of God. But that the Christian view is always of us together forming this spiritual house. Every member matters. Paul here would remind us that Christ is our Head and we are his body.” Coming to Christ means coming into relationship with others, not only in one generation but also by being united with believers of every generation.” (Commentary 1 Peter).#3 This brings us to our final question: Who are we now as living stones and how does that mean we live as God’s people? What are some further implications for us: if we are in Christ look in Verse 5, 9, and 10?[5] you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ[9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.First, We are God’s People a people for his own possession – because we have received MERCY (when we were once not a people). Partly this means that God has called people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to be his people.It is what Paul argues in Ephesians 2:14-22 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15] by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.God has enfolded everyone who has faith in Jesus as spiritually a part of his people. So no longer a physical temple, priests, and nation. But all who have faith in Christ Jesus have the faith of Abraham. It is all because of the mercy of God.This means that no longer are we to look for a future physical temple in Israel, but instead for the gospel to go forth to every tribe, tongue, and nation. Now, there is a living Temple of God where people hear the gospel of Jesus. And build their lives on the word of God, proclaiming Christ Jesus as their cornerstone.This gives a great simplicity to being a follower of Jesus. Everywhere the word of God goes forth and people repent of their sins and follow Jesus. That gathered group of people is gathered by the Holy Spirit, and they don’t need to start building a temple, and following the ceremonial laws, and finding a descendant of the Aaronic Priesthood, no.The only question is how have they responded to Jesus and his word? Remember, the great commission: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)What Paul and the New Testament show is not priests offering sacrifices. But ministers of the Word. That we all are gathered around the Word, the sacrifice of Prayer, the fragrant offering of our singing, the Table Fellowship of the Lord’s supper.All you need for a Church is the Word read, prayed, preached, sung, and seen in the Lord’s Supper with some bread & juice from grapes in some form…And Water. This means that while God certainly gives Teachers, Elders, Deacons, various gifts and callings. There is a much greater and active participation of every member of a Church than there was in the Temple.So how can you apply that? We are God’s Spiritual temple: Living Stones, A Living home built on a living foundation. Therefore, Every member matters. Everyone together forms the living stones of the temple. We serve each other with our gifts and graces.We are now a spiritual house. You no longer take a back seat to a priest who does it all, giving physical sacrifices. (verse 9). No we believe in the priesthood of believers. That we all offer from the heart, indwelt by the spirit, our prayer, our singing, and our adoration of God in worship and that it is holy and acceptable in Christ Jesus.We are built on the Cornerstone of Christ. We avoid stumbling by admitting we are sinners of need of Grace. We continue by being joined to our brothers and sisters as fellow living stones, and the kingdom of God goes forth in simplicity as those who have received MercyKeep looking in in Verses 5, 9-10 Again there are a few more traits of how we are called to think about the various ways people respond to Jesus.They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. (Verse 9) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.Verse 5 and verses 9-10. Have a difficult contrast some stumble and disobey the word as they were destined to do….And some are v. 9 chosen, verse 10, were not a people but now are because they have received Mercy. The reason Peter is saying these things is not because he is overly philosophical and wishes to debate election and predestination.The reason the bible usually mentions the Election of God is either to defend the Justice and Honor of God or to showcase his mercy. Because Mercy is available in Christ Jesus, and he is freely offered. All people will either accept the mercy found in Christ…and Peter wants the Christian community to call many more to Christ…Or people will stumble over Christ, not admit their sin, not admit their need. They will disobey the word. But Peter says that this stumbling disobedience is destined or appointed.The reason Paul mentions that some disobey the word as they were destined to do is to give sober warning about the reality of rejecting Christ and to give praise to God for showing undeserved mercy to those in darkness, who are not his people, who indeed are rebel sinners. All of us naturally, apart from the mercy of God would stumble over Christ.None of us in our pride wish to admit our sin and need of Christ. The seriousness of our sin…As R.C. Sproul says, everyone either receives Justice for rejecting Christ or the Undeserved mercy of the work of the Spirit in our lives, the redemption of Christ, and the Call of our heavenly Father. we received undeserved mercy…because if we are trusting in Christ, Justice has fallen on Christ in our place. Justice always happens with sin. No one receives Injustice, no one receives anything other than how they have responded to the offer of Christ in the gospel….However, in the mystery of the will of God we are also told of the choosing of God in mercy, in sending Christ, and the Holy Spirit to save a specific people for himself. It is a mystery held forth in scripture We could turn to Ephesians 1 or Romans 9 but I think less frequently turned to is Titus 1:1, 3:5-7 states it this way [1] Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect [God’s Chosen.]Chosen because we had the wisdom to not stumble over Christ? We had the humility on our own to admit our sin? Because we were just the living stone to make the temple look perfect? NO! Titus 3:5..[5] he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, [6] whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.Titus 3, highlights that it is undeserved mercy from God that rescues us from darkness and brings us back into his marvelous life. The Holy Spirit calls us, makes us living stones, he works us into the temple of God. Such that we are now sons and daughters of God who offer back our grateful praise.Look in Verse 5 again: you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.Peter is using an image and metaphor to tell us of spiritual reality. We are a Spiritual House. Well the word house there is also the same word for household. We are a spiritual household. Adopted into the family of God. I think if you translated verse 5 into the also very biblical adoption metaphor it would read, “You yourselves are have been brought together as sons and daughters of your heavenly Father by Jesus your elder brother, you are being built into the family of God, Holy sons, holy daughters.Two Application questions: First, How do we show God gratitude for this gifts to us?Offer your love, prayers, service, your singing as a sacrifice of praise with Joy as your elder brother Christ Jesus leads you into everything acceptable to your Father in heaven. Gratefully take your shame to God and trade it for Christ’s Honor. Your guilt for His forgiveness. Gratitude for the gift means clinging to Christ all the more when you don’t feel that gift. This will lead you to offer sacrifices of prayer, and praise, and crave the word.Second question: How can we practically share the gift of mercy and grace to others? First, humbly tell others that for us to be in Christ is to admit our sin and need. Freely admitting to others that the Church is a hospital for sinners.Second, we are adopted into a family. When we are seeking to point others to Christ, the cornerstone, they need to be brought to see the fellowship of the family of God, in the church family, and pointed to Christ by the living community. We can do this by having Sunday lunch with the other church families and including guests who are not following Jesus. We can include others on Wednesday nights and at any place where the church family gathers. (whether formally or informally)Praise God that he mercifully brought us into his family. Let us sing his praise in response. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com