Cornerstones and Stumbling Blocks - Pt 3

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. (1 Peter 2:6-8 ESV). Some of the “quiet walkways” (I can no longer do the longer, more strenuous hikes) have somewhat of a climb to them. They are often built with “stepping stones” like those of our picture today. I have often found that to be both beautiful and much more easily navigated.

Yesterday I raised the question as to why Peter mentions the negative effect of unbelief. I believe it was to stress that it simply cannot win. It can't frustrate God's ultimate purposes. Peter goes on to say (quoting Isaiah 8:14) that Christ, became 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. Peter's words at the end of this verse are intended to sever the last strand of self-reliance: "to this [this stumbling, this disobedience] they were appointed." In other words if any proud unbeliever should boast and say, "I have chosen my own destiny, my own disobedience and my own stumbling, to show God that I have the final and ultimate say in my life; I have the power of ultimate self-determination; and I can frustrate the purposes of God with my own self-determining will", Peter responds with the awesome words: No, you can't; you only think you can. But you will discover sooner or later that whatever you choose, and mark this, your choice is real and crucial, whatever you choose, "unto this you were appointed." God and not man will have the last say. No mere human can thwart the ultimate purposes of God—not by belief or unbelief. The reason Peter does this is for our encouragement. What he means is that human choices cannot destroy the temple of God. They are not ultimate. A person can reject the chosen and precious Stone of Jesus Christ. But if they do, two things are still true: the stone will not be rejected by God, but will still be put in the place of honor and glory forever and ever as the chief corner stone; and the one who rejects the stone will never be able to boast over God that he frustrated God's ultimate design for his temple. Even unbelievers fulfill God's appointments. He cannot be defeated. He triumphs even in his own rejection. God's great purposes for the building of his church often come through seasons of rejection, but in the end he remains triumphant and none of us can bring his purpose to ruin. If we reject his way, we cannot destroy his plan. C.S. Lewis said once: "We all serve God inevitably, but it makes a great difference whether you serve like Judas or serve like John." In the end God is triumphant in our belief and our unbelief. He is triumphant in our obedience and our disobedience. Human beings, whether good or evil, rejecting or accepting, believing or unbelieving, cannot thwart the ultimate purposes of God.

Cornerstones and Stumbling Blocks - Pt 2

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. (1 Peter 2:6-8 ESV).

If you have known me for long, you know that one of our special places is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We have spent many weeks in the Smokies during all of the seasons of the year. Honestly, I cannot imagine a place more endearing to us. Throughout the park the Little Pigeon River runs through the mountains. There are some places where the water looks shallow and easily navigated. That is often deceiving. The water can be rushing much faster than it appears, and the holes much deeper. Walking across the rocks is most often a very bad idea! Spiritually the same is true. If we disbelieve the “Stone,” we simply cannot win. This is the reason Peter writes about the negative effects of this same stone. For some it is a cornerstone and for others a stumbling stone. He says, "But for those who disbelieve, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone.'" (v. 7b). Here he's saying that not believing in Jesus is like rejecting the stone that God has laid as the corner stone. God sends his Son to be the main stone in the building of his church, his people. But some do not trust him; they reject him. The effect of that on the purpose of God is clear. It does not defeat God's purpose at all; however, it destroys the unbeliever. The point is: If you believe on this stone, you can't lose; and if you disbelieve on him, you can't win. Human unbelief does not frustrate or defeat the ultimate purposes of God. If God plans for Jesus to be the chief corner stone, humans can betray him, desert him, deny him, mock him, strike him, spit on him, hit him with rods, crown him with thorns, strip him, crucify him, and bury him, but they cannot stop him from being what God destined him to be, the Living Corner Stone of a great and glorious people. The great news is that it is not too late for you. If you are reading this, you can respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit and believe in Him who is the Corner stone of life! Regardless of how badly you may have stumbled; regardless of the injuries you have sustained in your fall; it is not too late to cross the rushing stream before you successfully. Trust in Jesus… He is the Cornerstone for you today!

Cornerstones and Stumbling Blocks - Pt 1

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. (1 Peter 2:6-8 ESV).

Not long ago Mary traveled with her sister to Venice, Italy, and cruised the Mediterranean. While they were there she visited the master glass blowing artisans of Murano, Italy. Venice and Murano are famous for more than the canals. All along the old town are artisans who have taken glass blowing to an incredible art form. Because it is an ancient city, the streets are cobblestone. There are plenty of opportunities for stumbling! We have been looking through the first letter of the Apostle Peter over the past few weeks. We have seen how coming to Jesus, God's “Living Stone” causes us to be living stones and shapes us into a spiritual house for God's dwelling and makes us a holy priesthood so that we can offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and obedience that will be acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The key was Christ. He is the Living Stone which is the foundation of this house and his life is imparted to all the little stones—us believers—who are built into a temple that throbs with life. Today we begin to see the three Old Testament references where Peter got this idea of Christ as a Stone that God set down in Zion. But there is something remarkable about the way Peter quotes these three texts. He doesn't just quote them; he interprets them and gives them a tremendously encouraging twist for people in our situation. The first truth we find is that believing on the “Stone” guarantees our victory. Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16: "Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed." The point here is that if you trust Christ, God's corner stone, you will not be disappointed. This stone will not prove faulty. If you build your life on this stone, your life will not crumble in the storm. If you hide behind this stone, you will be safe. If you stand on the truth of this stone, you will not be ashamed. If you join with others in the spiritual house built on this stone, you will be proud of your foundation and your fellowship will stand. Then Peter draws out the lesson in his own words: "This precious value, then, is for you who believe" (v. 7); he further says that the preciousness is for believers. If you believe on this stone then he is precious, because you will never be disappointed in him or ashamed of him. Jesus will never let you down. Others may, but Jesus never. Now that is a great encouragement. If there were a way never to be disappointed or a way never to be ashamed, wouldn't you want to know that way? Peter says: the way is to trust what Jesus will be for you as God's "chosen and precious corner stone." God says, "You cannot lose. You cannot be disappointed in having done this. You cannot be put to shame." That’s good news indeed!

Sojourners and Exiles - Pt 2

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV).

The fact that we are exiles on the earth (v. 11) does not mean that we don’t care what becomes of culture. However, it does mean that we exert our influence as very happy, brokenhearted outsiders. What does this really mean for us in regard to our behavior? We must learn to deal effectively in our culture, especially in America where technology has become a significant challenge to godly behavior. It follows the old adage that we should seek to “bloom where we are planted.” Let me make four suggestions: 1. First, we ought to live faithfully by participating. Our first response to discomfort is to remove ourselves from it. This was probably why God commanded the Jews to stay put and actively participate in what he’d ordained for them. This means hardship is never wasted time, for it can be used in redeeming ways by the Redeemer. Live faithfully in exile by being an active participant. 2. Second, live faithfully by pursuing the Lord. There is wonderful fellowship with Christ in times of exile. Paul’s prayer was to know Jesus in both his resurrection power and in the fellowship of his sufferings (cf. Philippians 3:10-11). Seasons of exile challenge us to pursue the only one who can satisfy when all else fails and changes abound. 3. Third, we live faithfully by submitting to the Father. In times of exile there is so much we cannot understand. Our suffering, then, is an opportunity to release our tight grip on “the way life should be” and yield control completely to the Father’s hands. God may send us directly into the storm to produce in us what we cannot for ourselves. But that is grace! There is profound peace in realizing he is Lord over every circumstance and that we need only to trust him with our welfare. 4. Fourth, live faithfully by responding in Christ. People are always watching us. And how we respond during exile reflects the true state of our hearts. We can grumble and demand our “rights.” However, by seeking Christ during hard seasons and submitting to him anyway, even though we don’t understand his ways, we live radically different than the world does. We live in hope.

Sojorners and Exiles - Pt 1

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV).

Peter now directs his attention more behaviorally. He has described who we are, now he is setting the stage for material that will give his readers “how we are to act.” He starts with the declaration that we “sojourners and exiles” (v. 11). Mary has just returned from a trip to Europe and parts of Asia. She and her sister flew into London and then traveled to Venice, ultimately making their way by cruise ship to some other Mediterranean countries. Of course, it was essential that she have her passport in order. She is not a citizen of any of those nations. She was a “sojourner.” Peter uses this reference in our reading today. We are pilgrims. We are called exiles. We are refugees. We are sojourners. The Apostle Paul says the same thing whe he writes, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3). So the question is framed rightly. We are citizens of heaven. We are sojourners and pilgrims on the earth. And that is owing to the fact that this world is fallen, not the fact that it is created. We are going to spend eternity in a created world. But Satan won’t be the god of that world anymore. That is what makes us feel so alien here is that the god of this world is Satan. He holds such extensive sway. The world is permeated with sin. It makes us feel like we are not at home. We are just aching that we be done with sin and be in the presence of holiness. So when I say we are aliens and exiles and sojourners and pilgrims, I don’t mean that the earth is a placed we despise. I mean that the structures we find ourselves in are so permeated with sin. We want something new. In a profound sense, this world is not our home. The Apostle Paul reminds us that when we are away from our bodies we will be “at home with the Lord” (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:8). We are also encourages to not be “conformed to this age” (cf. Romans 12:2). Our lives “are hid with Christ in God” (cf. Colossians 3:3). And, we have been “transferred out of the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved Son” (cf. Colossians 1:13); and, we have “passed out of death and into life” (cf. 1 John 3:14). We are sojourners and exiles here. Tomorrow we will see how that affects our behavior in this world. Today, embrace the truth that we are not anchored to this world of trouble and trial; we are merely passing through!

Who Am I? - Pt 7

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 2:9-10 ESV).

What we saw was that our identity led directly to our destiny: we are chosen, pitied, possessed, and holy all for the sake of being a royal priesthood. However, Peter is more specific when he tells us the precise reason for our existence. He says that we exist for this reason: "that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (v. 9b). This is the full-time destiny of a royal priest—to make the glories of the king known. There is a lot of discussion in our day of self-concept or self-identity. How do we view ourselves? It is an important question. And what I hope you hear today is that the biblical truth is that Christian selfhood is not defined in terms of who we are in and of ourselves. It's defined in terms of what God does to us and the relationship he creates with us and the destiny he appoints for us. In other words as a Christian you cannot talk about your identity without talking about the action of God on you, the relationship of God with you, and the purpose of God for you. The biblical understanding of human self-identity is radically God-centered. We are a God-chosen one, a God-pitied one, a God-possessed one, a God-sanctified one. The very language of our identity in this text necessitates that God be included as the one who acts. Our identity is not an end in itself, but for the sake of priestly service, which Peter defines as proclaiming the excellencies of the One who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. God made us who we are so that we might proclaim the excellency of his freedom in choosing us. The excellency of his grace in pitying us. The excellencies of his authority and power in possessing us. The excellencies of his worth and purity in making us holy. In other words he has given us our identity in order that his identity might be proclaimed through us. God made us who we are so we could make known his glory. Therefore being a Christian and making the greatness of God known are almost identical. We can do it in a thousand different ways of love that suit our situation and personality. The key is in acknowledging this truth and behaving accordingly. This is who we are!

Who Am I? - Pt 6

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 2:9-10 ESV).

Today we come to the fifth and final description Peter uses to explain the characteristics believers have been given in the redemptive act of Christ. He says: we are “… a royal priesthood" (v. 9). Let’s review before we dive into this truth. He has said that we are chosen by God and pitied by God and possessed by God and holy like God. Now he says we are royal priests to God. The point here is first that you have immediate access to God. We don't need another human priest as a mediator. God himself provided the one Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. We have direct access to God, through God. And, second, we have an exalted, active role in God's presence. I remember when I was in an active role as a pastor that one of the children’s programs we used was “RA’s.” All three of my boys spent many Wednesday evenings in the activities of “Royal Ambassadors,” which is the designation of the acronym “RA.” The concept which was the basis of the name was in the truth we have in our reading today. We are royal in our adopted lineage; and, we are the representatives of the King to the peoples we are sent to. It was a good program and good theology. In many churches today it has been replaced by “AWANA.” This program is so named as it is derived from the first letters of "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed.” It is also a good program and undergirded by clear Scripture. However, I wonder if we have somehow lost the concept of our royal lineage and with that the privilege of the “priesthood.” You are not chosen, pitied, possessed, and holy just to fritter away your time doing nothing. You are called now to reflect the glory of God in all that you do. All your life is priestly service. You are never out of God's presence. You are never in a neutral zone. You are always in the court of the temple. So you can see that your identity—the question, "Who are you?"—leads directly to the question, "What are you here for?" Your identity leads to your destiny. You are chosen, pitied, possessed, and holy, all for a purpose, to minister as priests. And the heart of that ministry Peter describes for us very clearly in the last verse of verse nine: “… that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Today, commit yourselves to being who you already are!