Pilgrims in a Fallen World: Live the Good Life! I Peter 2:11-12

Pilgrims in a Fallen World: Live the Good Life!

I Peter 2:11-12

Introduction: When we speak of “living the good life” in our American context, it is not a moral or ethical “goodness” that we refer to, often it focuses on our comfort and self-indulgence: our home, our possessions, our excesses. But don't get too attached. As a friend used to say, “It’s all going to burn!” Sometimes we think more deeply and in those moments everyone wants their life to have meaning, to make a difference, to be “good” in a more enduring sense. That is God’s plan for those who follow Him. He chose you, He chose you on purpose, for a purpose. We were created for eternity. And we are deployed on a mission.  Our missionary Tim Pierce reminded us when he was here a few years back, that we are God’s undercover missionaries right where we are at. These verses are a summary of much that we have looked at in I Peter 1 and 2, and at the same time they prepare the reader for some practical application of “how” we can live as pilgrims and exiles in a fallen world.  One of the key points we’ll see in this passage if that, like it or not, our life is truly a “living epistle, seen and read of men.” Alexander Maclaren said,

“The world takes its notion of God, most of all, from the people who say they belong to God’s family. They read us a great deal more than they read the Bible. They see us; they only hear about Jesus Christ...”

Does our life reflect something of the grace and goodness of God? Can people see enough of a difference in the way we live to find it attractive and inviting, wanting to know more about the God we serve and claim to love?  Or, God forbid, does our life conform so much to the world that we give them an excuse not to believe?

The Maine* Idea: As a pilgrim in this fallen world live your life for the glory of God.  

I. Life in the Shadowlands: As pilgrims and exiles in a fallen world we will face a spiritual struggle. C.S. Lewis’s series “The Chronicles of Narnia” pictured the great metanarrative of history in the story. In the “Last Battle” he titled the last chapter, “Farewell to the Shadowlands.” The unicorn famously said,

"I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia so much is because it sometimes looked a little like this...” [Then the chapter concludes...] ...All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

The best is yet to come! We were created for eternity. The New Creation is alive in us, but our old fallen nature still struggles, like a chicken with it’s head cut off, refusing to die.  So we strive, day by day, to live more like Jesus (11)! Peter says,

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from

the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”

         Know whose you are: loved by God. The word “beloved” is translated in some versions as “dear friends,” which could be the sense the writer intended, but I don’t think so. The word “beloved” means “ones who are loved.” In Greek it is another word based on the word agape, in this case, agapetos. John MacArthur suggests that Peter is not emphasizing his own love for his readers, but rather is pointing to the fact that they are loved by God. He writes,

...they, as objects of God’s immeasurable love, had a duty to obey the One who loved them. On that basis he could urge... them to reciprocate God’s love by living for Him...

How do we know that Peter is referring to God’s love for his readers? Remember the context. We read in verses 2:9,10...

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.

Having said that Peter begins verse 11, “Beloved...” In other words, since God has chosen you, and loved you, and made you his own, since you are His “beloved,” this is how you should live.

         Know where and what you are: For the third time in this letter Paul reminds his readers that they are “sojourners and exiles” and that they should conduct themselves in light of that truth.  He opened the letter saying, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion...” (I Pet 1:1).  And he said in 1:17 that they should “...conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile...”  Our citizenship is in heaven. Because that is true, if we live in the light of the absolute truth that our King has revealed, we will clash with what is culturally acceptable and popular in the world. We are not called to be popular. We are called to be salt and light. We get in trouble when we lose sight of what is really important and get too comfortable in the world. The things we are most drawn to are “shadows” of what will be. The best is yet to come! Our hope is in a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

         Live like an alien: “Abstain from the passions of the flesh...”  What passions of the flesh are we talking about?  A good text to look at is Galatians 5:17-21 where the Apostle Paul is contrast the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit...

¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

These things that are inconsistent with our life in the Spirit, if they dominate our lives it is cause to question whether we truly belong to Christ.  What we should see, are the things that Paul describes as “fruit of the Spirit” in the next verses in Galatians 5:22-25...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

         Because we are at war: Peter says that we are to abstain from the passions of the flesh “...which war against your soul...” Do you have any doubt that we are in a spiritual war?  The Enemy would exploit our weaknesses – he has been around for a long time and he is an expert on leading us away from the Lord, of whispering his lies into our ears and inviting us to question God’s goodness.  Avail yourself of God’s armor. Remember that the battle is the Lord’s. Yield to the indwelling Spirit and then, as a pilgrim in this fallen world, live your life for the glory of God.  

II. We are called to be Light in the darkness: By living differently we shine the light of Jesus into the world.  Peter writes in I Peter 2:12,

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.

         The first thing that Peter addresses is the question of our “...conduct....” [I.e. our way of life, which speaks more loudly perhaps than our verbal profession]. The word “conduct” [anastrophe] appears 13 times in the New Testament, 8 of those in Peter’s two short letters. The English translations render it “life,” “way of life,” or “conduct,” depending on the context. In most cases it is referring to the visible outworking of our life.

Galatians 1:13 “For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.”

Ephesians 4:22 “...to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires...”

1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

Hebrews 13:7 “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”

James 3:13 “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

The idea seems to be the practical outworking of our life, the visible things that characterize us. “Religion” that shows itself by action.  Peter uses the same word eight times! Here are a couple we’ve seen...

1 Peter 1:15 “...but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct...”

I Peter 1:18 “...knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold...”

And a couple of more references in the next chapter...

I Peter 3:1-2 (ESV) “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives when they see your respectful and pure conduct.”

1 Peter 3:16 (NLT) “But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.”      

        So Peter is telling them how they should live “among the gentiles.” He is not saying that they should form Christian communes and separate themselves from the world. They are to live “among” the gentiles. The point is that they are in the world, they are dispersed among the nations, they are salt sprinkled among the heathen nations, seeds scattered in the world. They are not to be conformed to the world. Or, as J.B. Philips translated Romans 12:2, “Don’t let the world force you into its mold!” Rather, right where they are, Peter is encouraging them to live differently, as God’s representatives to the world.

         The admonition is straight forward, “Live the good life!”  The ESV translates “...honorable...” which makes sense in the context, the ideas are certainly closely connected. The word itself literally means “good” [kalos] and is translated that way hundreds of times. The same word is used by the translators of the Septuagint who use it seven or eight times in the first chapter of Genesis to translate the Hebrew word tov, or “good.” God created the universe purposefully, by design. It was morally and spiritually excellent, without fault, without sin. It was “good.” And God has revealed throughout history his commitment to His design for creation. Sin corrupted the “good” that God had created. God sent the Son to make it possible for fallen humans to be justified and reconciled to our Good God. And so Paul could say to Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.” (Gal 2:20).  The old nature is defeated, the problem is it doesn’t always know it. I saw this story this week...

One Sunday morning the pastor noticed little Alex was staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it. The seven-year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly, "Good morning Alex." 

       "Good morning pastor," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. "Pastor McGhee, what is this?" 

       "Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service." Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Alex’s voice was barely audible when he asked, "Which service, the 9:00 or the 11:00?"

Paul asked the Romans “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom 6:1,2). Your old nature is crucified; it just doesn’t know that it is dead!

          Our life has a high purpose: “...so that...” This is the purpose of so living: Our conduct will “win over” the unbeliever. They will see something real, something authentic, something they long for, even though they don’t know why. We’ll gain a hearing.  That is the idea we see in the next chapter when Peter talks about the influence a godly wife can have on her unbelieving husband. We read in 3:1-4,

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives-  ² when they see your respectful and pure conduct.  ³ Do not let your adorning be external- the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing-  ⁴ but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”

The beauty of a life that reflects the presence and grace of God will impact those who are closest to us.  We’ve talked quite a bit over this last year about the “oikos” principle. The Greek word means “household,” but I am using it to refer to those 8 to 15 people in our close sphere of influence, family, neighbors, co-workers, people that we interact with on a regular basis. Some of them don’t know Christ, and they are our first mission field. Over time they know us. They are watching us. And those who don’t know Christ can either see in us an example and motivation to believe, or they can be given an “excuse” not to believe.  We are not perfect.  Do you see any perfect people in this room? The person next to you?  My Dad, who was not a believer, used to quote a song that said, “It’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way!”  None of us is perfect. But, believer, by God’s grace you are forgiven.

        Our conduct is evidence that God is at work, and He gets the glory!  Paul said to the Corinthians, “...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God...” (I Cor 10:31b).  How do we do that?  For one thing it means that we intentionally focus on living a Christ centered life. Elizabeth Eliot wrote a book on the life of Amy Carmichael.  She said of her that,

“[Amy Carmichael's] great longing was to have a "single eye" for the glory of God. Whatever might blur the vision God had given her of His work, whatever could distract or deceive or tempt other to seek anything but the Lord Jesus Himself she tried to eliminate.”

A little later in this letter Peter will spell out some details about what a life looks like that brings glory to God. We read in 1 Peter 4:8-11 (ESV)...   

⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  ⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  ¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:  ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.                   

          We live the “good life,” and God gets the glory. If find our joy and our purpose for living in Him, if, as Peter has reminded us, He is more precious than anything this world could offer, if we find our contentment in Him regardless of circumstances, God will be glorified. So, even if for a little while we suffer, let’s persist in doing good, in “living the good life”! Peter will also say in chapter 4,

¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.  ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.  ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name... ¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good...

What is God saying to me in this passage?  As a pilgrim in this fallen world you are called to live your life for the glory of God.  

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?  Are you “living the good life”?  I don’t mean to ask what car you drive or what house you live in, or how big your bank account is. I mean are you living the abundant life, the life with meaning, for which you were created? If you know Jesus as your Savior you can be assured that God chose you on purpose, for a purpose. He knew you before the foundation of the world and He planned your part in His story.  And yes, you are an alien and an exile. You are in this world, but you were created for something better. This world is not your home, you are passing through. As you seek to discover your part in God’s story and then live in submission to his lordship, God will be glorified.  To God be the glory,  AMEN.

Pilgrim Men, Shepherd Fathers: Fathers’ Day 2016 Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Pilgrim Men, Shepherd Fathers: Fathers’ Day 2016

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Introduction: Someone observed,

To our forefathers, our faith was an experience.

To our fathers, our faith was an inheritance.

To us our faith is a convenience.

To our children our faith is a nuisance.

I don’t believe that kind of decline is necessarily our experience, or that it  inevitably will be our experience. However, it is the story that will likely unfold if we don’t take seriously our responsibility to diligently teach the next generation the way of the Lord. It’s been well said that “God doesn’t have any grandchildren—only children.” Our faith is to be shared, and taught and lived out before our kids if we would hope for them to walk the narrow path to life.

       I decided to break from our I Peter series this week to look at what I view as one of the foundational passages for family, and especially for fathers.  The passage, called the “Shema” is so foundational to the message of the Old Testament that pious Jews to this day recite the paragraph, in Hebrew, daily.  The title for the message today is “Pilgrim Men, Shepherd Fathers.” First, as we have been talking about this year from First Peter (and in the Psalms of Ascent on Wednesday evenings) about the fact that we are pilgrims in a fallen world. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we are foreigners and exiles in the world. As Moses wrote Deuteronomy the people had been traveling in the wilderness for almost 40 years. They were heading toward the land but they had not yet arrived. They weren’t home yet, they were just passing through. We too are exiles and pilgrims, living in a fallen world. Our citizenship is in Heaven. We were created for eternity.

       There are also many parallels between the role of a Pastor, (which actually means “shepherd”) and the calling of fathers as they lead their families. What does a shepherd do?  Shepherds know the sheep, they feed the sheep, they protect the sheep and they lead the sheep. In our church we believe that God has called the pastor and elders to share in that ministry to the church.   From a certain perspective God has delegated that same authority and responsibility to fathers: they know their families, and are to provide for (feed) them, protect, and lead them.  The passage we’ll look at this morning in Deuteronomy shows the necessity of teaching the next generation and leading them to the Word that gives life. They need to be led to their own faith in Jesus, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 

       The Creator has established certain principles for being an effective and godly parent – we’ll see several in this text.  None of us have fulfilled our calling as men perfectly. Honestly I know that I could have made many better choices. I am blessed by the many positive examples that I see in our church, young men who have their priorities right, much better than I ever did.  All of us, regardless of age, still have a role to fulfill in impacting the next generation for Christ, and we can all hear the Word and determine to be the positive influence God intends us to be starting today.  His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness! 

The Maine* Idea: We need to teach our children the truth about God, and show by our example the reality of our faith.

I. The Goal of a godly Father: Helping our Children to experience the abundant life God intends for them (1-3).  

"Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it,  ² that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.  ³ Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.”

            God had spoken, and listening and carefully obeying the Word God had spoken through Moses would give the Israelites the abundant life of blessing in the Land which had been promised by God.  Obedience to God’s revealed Word was the means to his blessing – the way to discover and experience God’s best for his chosen people.  We need to be in the Word if we are going to teach the Word. There is a tremendous ignorance of the Bible today.  Have you ever watched “Jeopardy!”?  Brilliant people – often ignorant of basic Bible facts. There was a report of a New England teacher who quizzed a group of college bound High School juniors and seniors on the Bible. The quiz preceded a class on “Bible as Literature” he planned to teach...  Some of the answers he received:  “Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers.” “Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey.”  The Four horsemen appeared “on the Acropolis.” The New Testament gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, LUTHER, and John. “Eve was created from an apple.” Jesus was baptized by Moses.  A student in the top 5% of his class won the prize though when asked “What was Golgatha?” He replied, “Golgatha was the name of the giant who slew the apostle David.” The lack of Bible reading and ignorance of what the Bible teaches is endemic in our society.  Consider that the God who is, the creator of the universe and only Savior of humans, has spoken, and so few are listening!  But before we are too hard on unbelievers, we should be sure to look in the mirror and ask how much time we spend in the Word. We believe it to be the Word of God, do we treat it that way?

            Jesus said “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  We can experience God’s best as well, abundant life, life with meaning.  It starts with taking God at His word. Believing God and obeying him are tied together in the Bible.  I think the ESV translation gets the sense of John 3:35,36 and illustrates this truth:

“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.  ³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:35,36a; see also John 10:27,28).

It’s not enough to know what it says – Nate Saint said his life didn’t change until he came to grips with the fact that “obedience is not a momentary option: it is a die-cast decision made beforehand…” As James puts it, we are to be “...doers of the Word, and not hearers only…”

            Deuteronomy 6:2a hints at the generational impact the Bible can have on our families: “...so that you, and your son, and your grandson…” Knowing the word, obeying it, teaching it diligently would be the means of experiencing blessing, and also for impacting the next generation(s) for Christ.  It is true that a Father’s teaching may not be appreciated in the short term, but it will have an impact on a child’s life.  Mark Twain reportedly said:

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in just seven years.” 

The Proverb says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it...” (Proverbs 22:6). Nothing can impact a family more powerfully than the teaching and example of a godly father: one who is in the Word and under the Lordship of Christ. We need to teach our children the truth about God, and show by our example the reality of our faith.

II. The Foundation of our mission: Authentic faith.  You cannot impart what you do not possess (6:4,5).  It’s a simple fact that you cannot impart what you do not possess. Moses writes here about knowing and loving God:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  ⁵ You shall love the LORD

your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

            An exclusive commitment to the true God: First of all we see the absolute necessity of a commitment to God, an clear cut, exclusive commitment to the Lord as our God (v.4).  I am convinced that many traditional translations of this verse miss what the writer intended to emphasize. The Hebrew construction leaves a little ambiguity as to the translation, but the context should clarify what the writer meant. Chapters 5-11 of Deuteronomy are an affirmation of the Lord’s exclusive claim to Israel’s devotion and love.  He alone is God!  The NLT is the only English version I have found that gets it right. [The NIV notes in the margin, as a possible translation: “Hear O Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone!”]. That makes the most sense in this context.

            First, the first word, “Hear!” “Listen well to what I am about to say!” It’s like the preacher who ways “If you take one thing away from the sermon today let it be this!” He is putting an exclamation point at the beginning of the sentence and saying “Whatever you do, don’t miss this!”

 “[The LORD] Yahweh, is our God, Yahweh alone.”

This verse is not a statement about God in his “Tri-unity” (that is certainly taught elsewhere in the Bible).  Rather this is a statement that despite the false gods the Israelites would see worshipped in the promised land only Yahweh is the true God, the God of their fathers, and only He is to be worshipped.  As Moses was writing the nation was poised on the plains of Moab as they prepared to enter the Land, they needed to know that it was not Ra of Egypt, not Baal of the Canaanites nor Marduk of the Babylonians, nor any other pagan deity, but only the Lord, Yahweh, the God who is, the One who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush and who brought the fathers out of Egypt, only He was to be worshipped. 

             Well – that is no problem for us right?  I mean we don’t see idols or false gods that we might be tempted to worship, do we? D.L. Moody said over a century ago, “You don’t have to go to heathen lands to find idols, America is full of them.  Whatever you love more than God is your idol.” Remember, the context is the foundation of the faith that we are to pass on to the next generation. Are we making it clear that the one true God, our creator and savior, is the one and only thing that we worship? Is it He alone sits on the throne of our lives?

             The call here is for an authentic commitment to know Him intimately and to love Him passionately. Notice verse 5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  (6:5).  Notice the repetition “…all …all …all…” The writer is saying in the most emphatic way possible that we need to love God whole heartedly. That is the heart of the Christian life. That kind of Commitment will be evident in how we live.  Augustine said, “Love God, then do as you please…” If we really love him, we’ll want to live a life that is pleasing to him.  Our kids will see that there is something real, something authentic in our relationship with God.  It’s been said that a child is not likely to find a Father in God, unless he finds something of God in his father. We need to teach our children the truth about God, and we need to show by our example the reality of our faith.

III. The Means of fulfilling our mission:  Life is our classroom (6:6-9; cf. 4:9).

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  

            V.6 says “These words… shall be on your heart…” In order to teach the Word by example and through our words, we need to know it!  George Washington said “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” That’s true of nations, it’s also true of families.  Psalm 1, the righteous man “delights in the Law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night…”  Paul told the Colossians, “Let the Word of Christ dwell richly within you…” (Col 3:16).  John 15:7 Jesus told his disciples,  “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Joshua 1:8 says we are to “mediate day and night” on God’s word.  Does all of that sound radical?  Maybe, but that is normal, healthy Christianity. Does it sound maybe too “religious”?  It’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship that is real and alive.  We are called to radical commitment, and that means for us God’s Word is not a suggestion, it is not one way to live, it is not an option, it is TRUTH, and the only way we can live and experience the life God wants for us and for our family.

            A godly father will teach God’s Word diligently and consistently (v.7). NB. The repetition is affirming that always, at every opportunity we need to look for opportunities to affirm God’s truth. It’s not just Sunday School, this is true “home schooling” at its best! “…impress them upon you children…” (NIV). 

       According to vv. 8-9, a godly father is distinguished by being centered on the Word.  Proverbs 6:20-23 expresses this same idea,

“My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;  ²¹ Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.  ²² When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.  ²³ For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life...”

These verses were surely intended metaphorically, the idea being to stay in the Word always, to constantly be aware of and reminded of God’s truth.  At some point orthodox Jews began to literally tie phylacteries on the left arm and forehead during daily prayers, and put a mezuzah on the doorpost of their home.  Far more important is to allow the Word to transform our mind (Rom 12:1,2) which will change the way we live, and then ultimately our family will also begin to be changed.

       By the way, teaching in life, teaching by example, will require time, giving priority to our family…

Kenneth Chaflin, a seminary professor who often speaks and writes about building stronger families was home getting ready to eat supper before heading off to a speaking engagement. His 5yr old daughter came and said, “Daddy will you stay home with me tonight?” Her plea pierced his soul. He thought within himself, “How could I tell her no because I have to go and speak and tell others, “How a Good Father Ought to Be”?

       It was too late to cancel the meeting, so he tried to soften her disappointment and make her feel important by asking her to help him with his speech. He asked her to describe what she thought it meant to be a good daddy. He jotted down her response: “To catch a fish, Build a fire, Fly a kite, Catch a butterfly, Plant a flower, Get a kitty out of the mud.”

He folded the paper, went to his meeting and while he was sitting on the platform waiting to be introduced, he looked at this list and suddenly it hit him. Nothing that his daughter wanted in an “ideal father” required money. What she wanted was his time.

Nothing can impact a family more powerfully than the teaching and example of a godly father: one who is in the Word and under the Lordship of Christ. That will take investment, especially time. Some of you ladies don’t have a present or involved Father helping you raise your child. God knows. It is good to have men in your extended family, and men here in your church family involved in helping as mentors and examples.  Fathers, grandfathers, men, consider how you can encourage the children in our extended church family by your faith and example.

What is God saying to me in this passage?  We need to teach our children the truth about God, and show by our example the reality of our faith.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Make certain of you own commitment to the Lord. Commit yourself to being filled and controlled by God’s Word. We need time in the Word.  We have a guidebook from the Maker! You can’t do this on your own!  If our rising up and our laying down, if every moment of our life is going to reflect the fact that we believe God, and that we take Him at His word, our children need to see us open the Book, they need to hear us read it like we believe it!  We live in troubled times, but we needn’t despair.  You are not alone.  With God in us, with his Word (which is absolute truth) to guide us, with our wives to stand by us and the church to support us, you have what it takes to be the family Shepherd God intended you to be.  Know your kids, and shepherd them (invest time!): feed them (spiritually as well!), lead them, and protect them. Take the responsibility that has been delegated to you by your Maker to lead your family and to teach by word and by example.                 AMEN.

Pilgrims in a Fallen World: Who is Your King? I Peter 2:6-10

Pilgrims in a Fallen World: Who is your King?

I Peter 2:6-10

Introduction: The passage this week builds on verses 4 and 5, and gives the Scriptural basis for Peter’s thesis. Last week we saw that “Jesus is the precious cornerstone of our faith and our greatest privilege is to know Him and to serve Him.” This week Peter points to the Scriptural basis of that truth. Jesus IS the Son of God. He is not on trial. Every one of us is. We will be judged on the basis of our response to Him. Do you acknowledge Him as your king? I couldn’t help but reflect on Psalm 2 this week as I studied this passage. The psalm begins with the world in rebellion against the Lord and against his rule.  Listen to it in the ESV translation:

¹Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  ² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,  ³ "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 

⁴ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.  ⁵ Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,  ⁶ "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."

 ⁷ I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.  ⁸ Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.  ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 

¹⁰ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  ¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  ¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The World is in rebellion. Even so God is in control, He is Lord, He is the Sovereign ruler of all creation. God is not on trial, we are... Is Jesus your king? We started this series in I Peter on Palm Sunday asking that same question. The people proclaimed him as the One who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel. Yet a week later the leaders rejected him saying, “We’ll not have this man to be our king!” Which is it? Are we so at home in the world that we reject (or ignore) the sovereignty of the One whose kingdom is not of this world?

The Maine* Idea: Our response to Jesus reveals our heart and our standing with God. Is He the most precious thing in your life? Is He your King?

I. Jesus is not on trial! Every human will be judged on the basis of their response to Jesus (6-8). We read in I Peter 2:6-8,

“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.’  ⁷So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’  ⁸ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”

         The invitation: Come in Faith to the Precious and Chosen Cornerstone. By the way, faith is about believing God, taking Him at His Word. At the outset of the passage, in case the reader might miss it, he makes it clear that he is quoting from the bible.  “It stands in Scripture...”  I hope that is what we try to affirm every week from this pulpit.  It is why we preach through books of the Bible. We are not called or commissioned to preach our ideas or thoughts or vision or plans to the church. Pastors are called to “preach the Word.” The apostles had unique authority to speak for the Lord, to bring new revelation. But much of what even they did was based on preaching the Scriptures, and especially showing how the Law, the prophets, and the Writings pointed to, and found their fulfillment in Christ (Luke 24:45).  For us, we have the whole Bible, the Old and New Testament, all of which points to Jesus.  The whole Bible fits together, from Genesis to Revelation.  It is HIS story. We take God at His word. So we submit to his Lordship, we “come to Him.” So “honor” is for those who believe. We recognize who He is, and so submit to His lordship in our lives.

        “...a cornerstone chosen and precious...”  The same adjectives were used in in 2:4, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious...” Peter now shows the Old Testament Scriptures that he is alluding to, first by quoting the Greek version (LXX) of Isaiah 28:16 that refers to an “elect” and “precious” cornerstone being laid in Zion.  700 years before His coming, the prophet spoke of God’s plan to send the elect and precious cornerstone, the One upon which God’s Temple, the church, would be constructed.  He is the ultimate foundation, yet, as Psalm 118 predicted, he became the “stone the builders rejected.”

       “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame...” The phrase “be put to shame” occurs with frequency in the Old Testament Scriptures in reference to the judgement that God brings to those who reject Him. It occurs multiple times in the book of Jeremiah, in reference to the humiliating defeat that God would allow his people to suffer. Essentially “to be ashamed” is the opposite of being saved – it implies suffering a humiliating defeat rather than the joy of salvation.  The criteria for escaping that shame and humiliation is “believing in Him.”  As we look at the New Testament there are two aspects of that. First, recognizing who He is, acknowledging his identity as Messiah and Son of God. The second aspect of “belief” is trusting in His finished work. He is who he claimed to be, He did what he said He would do. In other words, we take Him at His word.

       Jesus came to save, to build His church...  “So honor is for you who believe...”  God’s story is being worked out in history. The problem is sin, the truth is all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. By one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all humans because all have sinned... We live in a fallen world. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, not because we deserved anything, but because of His great love with which he loved us, made a way. He sent the Son. He made possible reconciliation. So we esteem Him, honor Him.

       The Verdict: Our response exposes us—it shows if we have faith or if we continue in unbelief  (7-8). 

            “...but for those who do not believe...” Our first thought might be, “How, or why, could someone not believe?” It seems shocking to us to think that some who saw Him and heard Him eventually rejected Him. When we consider that even of his closest followers, Judas betrayed him, Peter denied Him, and Thomas said he would NOT believe unless he saw the nail prints in his hands for himself! And here we are 2000 years later telling people to trust Him!  That is why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen, but yet believe!” The call is to take him at His word, the hear His voice in the Bible. And He is still building His church! He still, at the right time, prompts faith in the hearts of His sheep when they hear His voice.  But some will not listen, they will not hear, they refuse to believe. For them and in them the scriptures cited here are being fulfilled. He has become to them not the “chosen and precious cornerstone” that He is to God, but the “stone rejected by the builders,” and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” In other words they have chosen to take their stand with the “kings of the earth” and the “peoples” who are plotting in vain against the Lord and His anointed. They are saying with Jesus’ tormenters, “We’ll not have THIS MAN to be our King!” That is unbelief, stumbling over the precious cornerstone.

       The response to God’s word: Some manuscripts in 2:7 say “disobedience” “...apeithountes...” from apeitho (as in Jn 3:36) while others say unbelief  “...apisteuo...” The ideas are so closely related it really doesn’t impact the meaning. In fact in v. 8 it says, “They stumble because they disobey the word…”  Remember at the end of John 3 belief and obedience were also connected,

“Whoever believes [pisteuo] in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey [apeitho] the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Jesus is the Son of God. He is the King of Kings. He is the only way for sinful humans to be reconciled to a holy God. Those are facts. He needs no defense. He is not on trial. Remember the exchange between Jesus and the Jewish leaders in John 10:24-31,

²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."  ²⁵ Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me,  ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.  ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.  ³⁰ I and the Father are one."  ³¹ The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.

Jesus is the truth and He only spoke the truth. Our response to Him reveals our heart and our standing with God. Is He the most precious thing in your life? Is He your King?

II. Chosen for His glory: That you might be God’s chosen possession  (9-10).

“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.”

       “But you are...”  After talking about those who don’t believe, those who continue in disobedience, those who by their action demonstrate they are on a path  toward destruction (only God knows if they will one day repent), we see this beautiful contrast: that is them, that is where they are heading, that is what their choices reveal about their hearts, BUT YOU...  Aren’t you thankful for what that is saying? We were by nature children of wrath, but now, in Christ, by grace, we are children of God.  Here Peter uses a series of phrases and allusions from the Old Testament to describe our position, our new standing, in Christ.  What was applied to Israel, applies to the church.  Let me say, I don’t view this as so called “replacement theology,” i.e. the idea that God is done with the physical descendants of Abraham and all the promises now are for the church.  I believe all the promises apply in some way to the church, all scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for training in righteousness, right? But Romans 11 and other passages say that before this story is over there will be a turning of Israel to Christ. There is a partial blindness for Israel, a veil, until the fullness of the gentiles comes in. Here Peter is talking about the unity in diversity of the church.

              A chosen race – A New Race, from every race... A little further down he says you were not a people, but now are God’s people. Here he implies the diverse ethnicities of the planet, the color of our skin or our national origin, are not what matters most. What matters most is God’s grace, to be chosen of Him. He is assembling a people from every race and nation to be His. Not because we are good or because we are better than someone else. Because he chose us as His own.  In fact, He loved us from before the foundation of the world.

            A royal priesthood – Peter is alluding to Exodus 19:6, “...you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation...”  These ideas were merged by Peter back in 2:5 when he used the phrase, “...a holy priesthood...”  Here a “kingdom of priests” and “...a holy nation...” describe God’s people.  Melchizedek was one who is described as a priest and a king. He is pointed to by the writer of Hebrews as a type of Christ.  In Christ, we are destined, somehow, to reign with Him. Now, as pilgrims in a fallen world, we are also priests, who offer sacrifices of praise, our bodies as a ‘living sacrifice,’ our possessions and our finances as thanksgiving offerings to God. We all, by faith, have access into His presence!

         A people for his own possession – The allusion here appears to be to Deuteronomy 7:6, a word which spoke of God’s gracious election of Israel, but now is being applied to this new entity called the church...

“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth....” (Deut 7:6).

Think about the idea of being God’s treasured possession. That is true of Israel as God “chose” them for His purpose and glory, here Peter is saying it is true of the church, those who were not a people, but now, in Christ, are God’s people.

      As recipients of God’s illumination... that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him... He called us, a His people, out of darkness into the light for a purpose. To proclaim His excellencies to the world. We want to seek every means possible to tell our neighbors and friends about the greatness, the majesty, the love of God manifested in Christ.   We want to proclaim the riches of His grace to the world.  How do we do that? We bear testimony, we are witnesses who can talk to others about the difference God has made in our lives. We were in darkness, until He shined the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in our hearts. He illuminated our understanding!  We traveled so much as missionaries, especially during our home assignments, going from church to church, that occasionally it would happen that I would wake up at night or in the darkness of the early morning, and it would take me a minute to figure out where I was. I remember once, during  a flight to or from Brazil, waking up in the middle of the night. It was a rare situation with empty seats available and I woke up in the darkened cabin – and I said it aloud – “Do you mean to tell me I am STILL on this blasted airplane?” It’s like for a moment I forgot where I was and where I was going!  We are in a fallen world. We are still on the airplane. But we know where we are going! Those outside of Christ are in the dark. As John says in his gospel, “Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.” Our minds, if we know Him, have been “illuminated” by God, we’ve been called out of the darkness into the light. God did that. People from every race and nation will surround His throne according to the Book of Revelation,

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb...” (Rev 7:9).

What a beautiful picture! Here Peter contrasts what we were, before believing in Christ, and what we are, as His redeemed, called out people. We were in darkness, now we are in the light.  We were not a people, we were dispersed among the nations, nothing unifying us or setting us apart. We were without God, and without mercy. Now we have experience His grace, His love, His mercy. We are His!

What is God saying to me in this passage? Our response to Jesus reveals our heart and our standing with God. Is He the most precious thing in your life? Is He your King? 

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? If you refuse to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior, you are without excuse. He has provided for you what you desperately need, a means to be reconciled to God. If you know Him, if you have received Him as savior, you are called to walk with Him, to follow Him, to obey Him. He is the precious and chosen cornerstone. As we live in the light of that truth, as we have seen in this context, it will impact the way we relate to one another. We’ve been called to a sincere brotherly love, to love one another from a pure heart. That brings glory to God, and it testifies to the world that we are His disciples. It’s not a suggestion, it is a command. And Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments. Think about those in your sphere of influence, pray for those who don’t know the Lord or are not walking with Him. Ask God for an opportunity to give a reason for the hope that is in you. Read Psalm 67...              

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah  
2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.  
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!  
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah  
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!  
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.  
7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! 
             Amen.

Pilgrim Living in a Fallen World: "Jesus is the Cornerstone" 1 Peter 2:4,5

Pilgrim Living in a Fallen World, Part 9

“Jesus is the Cornerstone”

I Peter 2:4,5

Introduction: We tend to use certain terms to describe our church building: “The Church,” or “The House of God,” or maybe for the main meeting room, “The Sanctuary.” There is nothing particularly wrong with those designations, except that they are not precisely biblical!  In fact there is almost nothing in the New Testament to describe the building in which we worship. All the attention is on the people of God as “the Church” and as God’s “temple” in this age. Paul said it twice to the Corinthians, “Don’t you know that you are God’s Temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”  (I Cor 3:16; cf. 6:19; Eph 2:21; etc.).  The theme of the “House of God” is an important one in the Bible. God was present with humans in face-to-face fellowship in the Garden, but sin brought separation between His Holiness and fallen humanity.  Jacob deceived Esau, and when he was sent away by his father to get a wife he laid his head on a rock to rest and had a dream. God promised his presence and reaffirmed the promise he had made with Abraham and Isaac. We read in Genesis 28:15-19,   

¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."  ¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."  ¹⁷ And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."  ¹⁸ So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.  ¹⁹ He called the name of that place Bethel...

Beth-El, the house of God. The place where God revealed his presence. During the wilderness wandering God instructed Moses to have a movable tent built, the Tabernacle.  It was to be the place where God would reveal his presence in the midst of the camp, until finally, once in the land, Solomon would build the Temple in Jerusalem.  It served as the place where God’s presence would be revealed to the people. Only the high priest could enter the holy of holies, once a year, on the day of atonement. All of that changed when Jesus came into the world. "The Word was made flesh and 'tabernacled' [dwelt] for a while among us...” (John 1:14).  And we are His sheep, ransomed at a great cost: His precious blood. So, because He so loved us, we love Him, and we choose to love one another, we “put off” the things that would divide, we guard our tongue and our hearts, and we choose the way of love.  We are the body!

The Maine* Idea: Jesus is the precious cornerstone of our faith and our greatest privilege is to know Him and to serve Him.

We’ll look at that truth from the perspective of three emphases in these verses:

     1. Our Precious Cornerstone (4).

     2. Our Privileged Position (5a).

     3. Our Priestly Calling (5b).

I. The Precious Cornerstone: JESUS (4). 1 Peter 2:4  “⁴ As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious...”

       First of all, we “come to Him,” and no other – He is the way, the only way to the Father, there is salvation in none other. This idea is something that we could easily pass over, but it is really foundational to the whole passage. Notice also, “We come to Him.”  We have access; Not only access, but an invitation! We are invited into the presence of the elect and precious One who is the Way.  As the new generation was preparing to enter the land, Moses recalled to them how their Fathers, because they could not approach God, requested of Him that he “go near” to God on their behalf and to hear His word,

“Go yourself and listen to what the LORD our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey...” (Deut 5:27).

The writer to the Hebrews reflected on the radical contrast between what was, under the Old Covenant, and what is, in this present age, in Christ...  In Hebrews 12:20-24  he says,

 ²⁰ For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned."  ²¹ Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear."  ²² But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,  ²³ and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,  ²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel...

The transcendent, holy God of the Old Testament, the awesome Creator who shook the Mountain with his presence when he revealed himself there in cloud and fire, made a way for us to approach Him in Christ. As Jesus was crucified the veil of the Temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom, humans once again were permitted into the Holy of Holies.  Adam fled from God after the Fall. Because of Jesus, the second Adam, we come to Him.  We read at the end of the Book of Revelation:

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."  ¹⁷ The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price...” (Rev 22:16,17).

       And so we come to Him, “a living stone...” He was crucified, His blood was shed, but he is alive!  We want to take every opportunity to celebrate that adjective, He is a living stone. Christ died for our sins, and he was buried. Those are facts of history. And He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Back in I Peter 1:3, Peter pointed to the importance of the resurrection when he said, “...he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...”  We don’t go to a cemetery outside Jerusalem to pay our respects at the grave of our beloved leader. For decades the tomb of Lenin was a popular pilgrimage in the Soviet Union. He was enshrined in a glass coffin for all who would come to see. I am not sure if that has changed in recent decades. But one thing hasn’t changed: he is still dead. Jesus’ tomb is empty, He conquered death, He is a living SAVIOR, the Cornerstone of our faith.

       He is a living stone – The imagery of Jesus as a “Rock” is present in the Bible, it seems often alluding to Rock in the wilderness that Moses struck to provide water for the people. That is a beautiful picture, but that is not what is in view here. The allusion here is to a stone used in constructing a building.  In those days it was the practice to carefully select and set the cornerstone of the building.  It needed to be square and true and set perfectly level, since the entire building would be oriented to it. If the cornerstone was not true the building would not be true.  What kind of “building” is in view here?  The church as God’s Temple.

       First of all, this “Stone” was Rejected of men (Ps 118:25). There is a legend told in connection with the building of Solomon’s temple that perfectly illustrates this prophecy...

...The stones for the temple were prepared in advance in a nearby quarry. As they were needed, they were raised up to the building site. One day the workers in the quarry sent up a stone of unique shape and proportions. The masons saw no place for it in the building so they carelessly pushed it over the hill where, in time, it became overgrown with moss and surrounded with weeds. As the temple neared completion, the masons called for a stone of certain dimensions. The men in the quarry replied, “We sent that stone up to you long ago.”  After careful search, the discarded stone was found and was set in its proper place in the temple. 
     ...The Lord Jesus presented Himself to the nation of Israel at His First Advent. The people, and especially the rulers, had no room for Him in their scheme of things. They rejected Him and delivered Him to be crucified. 
       Because Jesus Christ is the perfect, exact, precise One on whom God has built His church, all the lines coming from Him in every direction complete the perfect temple of God. No one is ever out of alignment. No one ever falls from the structure. It all fits exactly and permanently together (cf. Eph. 4:16).

That is the imagery that Peter alludes to in this context. He was hated and rejected – in fulfillment of the Scriptures, but He is the perfect, unshakable cornerstone.  And He is alive!

       Men might have rejected the Stone, but His is “Chosen and precious in the sight of God...”  The builders rejected the cornerstone. But God is the Architect. So before the foundation of the world the faultless perfect Stone was chosen.  He is precious in the sight of God. Daniel and Terri have a sticker on the back of their car that says, “Jesus is more precious than life!”  That should be our attitude! Our vision statement says that “We envision a community of Christ followers, rooted in the Word, treasuring God as supremely valuable, proclaiming the riches of His grace to the world.”  If you know Him, He is the “pearl of great price” that is more precious than anything else that has ever been or will ever be in your life. If that attitude is really in our heart, people will see how important He is to us.    Jesus is the precious cornerstone of our faith and our greatest privilege is to know Him and to serve Him.

II. Our Privileged Position [in His presence] (5a). 1 Peter 2:5a  “...you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house...”

       We are described as “Living stones” in His Temple. It is one thing to think about Jesus as the ultimate foundation and cornerstone of our faith, ok. That is fine.  But we, and that includes you and me, are “living stones” in His temple. What? That’s what Paul meant when he said to the Corinthians, “You are the temple of God...”  We have been chosen by the wise master builder, and included in his design as he builds His church.  We have been “made alive,” saved by God on purpose, and for a purpose.  One of the apartments we lived in during our time in Brazil had a beautiful stone wall in the living room. It was made by an expert stone mason. The stones were fit together so precisely, there were no gaps, and no mortar that was visible. I wish I could have seen it being built, each stone fit together, each one unique, each one filling a gap that it seemed none other could precisely fill.  That is us. We are all living stones, alive with Christ, created by God and chosen to fill a gap in his church. None of us is independent or complete by ourselves. But together we fit together to make something beautiful.

       “You are being built...”  The “spiritual house” that God is building is dynamic, it keeps on growing, and by grace we are a part of it. I was the second child of my parents. My dad bought a piece of property, and had a fifty by twenty foot army barracks moved to the property which he converted into a house for our family of four.  As our family grew over the years, the house kept growing!  An addition on the back gave three bedrooms. Then another addition on one side, then a second story. Then a pool house connected by a breeze way. By the time he was done a 1000 square foot army barracks was 5000 square foot monstrosity!  God’s design is perfect. And we are included!

       It is interesting that the building that we are a part of is described by Peter as “a spiritual house.” I think the church is a “spiritual house” because it houses “the Spirit of God.” How should that impact our choices when we are tempted to sin? How should it empower and encourage us when we have an opportunity to witness?  It expresses our faith in Him, and it is our thank you to him. Jesus is the precious cornerstone of our faith and our greatest privilege is to know Him and to serve Him.

III. Our priestly calling: To worship Him (5b). 1 Peter 2:5b  “...to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” This goes beyond the idea of “presence” and extends it to include our service. Priests mediate, and we are stewards of the mysteries of God (the Gospel). And we minister, our ministry, given as an act of worship.

       [For this reason, or to this end...]  “...To be a holy priesthood...” I was not raised in the Baptist tradition, but in another tradition that had “priests” who were the intercessors between the people and God.  We weren’t even encouraged to read the Bible, only the priests could interpret it for us.   Offering worship in Spirit and in Truth is the goal in this context. But what can we offer to God?  A few things the Bible points to specifically...

     Our praise and worship. Hebrews 13:15 says “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” God is worthy of our praise and somehow he “Inhabits the praise of His people.” We want to lift up His name at every opportunity. We sing, first of all, to Him. We want to share our joy in knowing Him. We want to spread His fame, here (this peninsula, our Jerusalem), there (Portland, Lewiston, Boston), and everywhere (to the ends of the earth)!

       Our material possessions - Hebrews 13:16 says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Our homes, all that we have He has given, in love we surrender all to Him!  Making your home available for meetings, for discipleship, for hospitality. Using our car to give rides to those in need, or our truck to haul something for a friend or neighbor. Always being sensitive to what He is asking us to do.

       Our finances – Paul said in Philippians 4:18, “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.” He describes their gift as an “offering” and an “acceptable sacrifice.” Not an atonement for sin, but a demonstration and expression of thankfulness.  Some people may wonder when the “offering plate” is coming around in our service. We’ve decided to try something different in putting boxes at the front and rear. It is still an opportunity for worship. You might think, “Well, I can’t give very much, my little gift won’t made a difference.” Jesus saw a widow putting two small copper coins into the offering, and he said it was more than the large gifts that were given with poor motives. Little is much when God is in it!  I read this week the story of the pastor who founded Temple University...

“A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it ’was too crowded.’ "I can’t go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.
    Two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School."
     For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.
     But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands of dollars. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents.   Church members made large subscriptions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00 - a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century).[Equal to $7.25 million today]. Her unselfish love had paid large dividends. 
     That caring Pastor was named Russell H. Conwell. He became the founder of what is now known as Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The little girl was named Hattie May Wiatt who died in 1886.
     In a sermon on December 1, 1912, which honored Hattie Dr Conwell reminded his congregation of the impact of that 57 cents – “think of this large church,” he wrote, “think of the membership added to it – over 5600 – since that time. Think of the institutions this church founded. Think of the Samaritan Hospital and the thousands of sick people that have been cured there, and the thousands of poor that are ministered to every year. Think of how in that Wiatt house (by which 54 cents of that 57 cents was used in the first payment) were begun the very first classes of the Temple College.”
     If God can do that with 57 cents think what He can do with $5.70, $57.00, $570.00, and even $5700.00. When we use the tool of treasure, of money, that God has provided us, and give, we don’t give it to programs or buildings we give it to a cause – the cause of God...

Yes, and so we give of our possessions and our finances, knowing all that we have we owe to God.  The Lord loves a cheerful giver. So we hope to be generous with what God has given us.

       Finally, or perhaps most of all, we give our whole self – In Romans 12:1 Paul said, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  The language here is of a gift being placed on an altar as an act of worship. The priests presented offerings on behalf of the people in times past. In this age, we are “a royal priesthood.” And so we have access to the throne room. And we present our bodies as a living sacrifice.  Someone said, “The problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar!”  So we keep on presenting ourselves to him.

What is God saying to me in this passage? Jesus is the precious cornerstone of our faith and our greatest privilege is to know Him and to serve Him.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Is Jesus the precious cornerstone of your faith?  If He is, and He should be, how should we respond? It should mean that we are generous with what he has entrusted to us, including, first of all, supporting the church of which we are a part. 

       It means that we strive to live with an attitude of worship, recognizing his presence as we live as pilgrims in a fallen world. It means giving ourselves completely to Him – after all, He gave Himself for us.   This is a first Sunday, which means we take time to remember and celebrate that act of love, done for us.

       We don’t want to merely “go through the motions” in our Christian life. We want to live with an attitude of worship. The word “worship” has the idea of bowing down or prostrating oneself in submission to another. It means He is Lord, and we owe Him our obedience, our very life. His love for us is so undeserved, and so lavish, that we can’t help but love him back when get glimpses of understanding.  And that love should overflow in our love for one another.                                                              Amen.