Living stones

Ephesians 2 and Romans 9 l Peter 2:4 to 8

Last week the analogy was of babies drinking pure milk. This week it is a different analogy, the building of a spiritual body, a temple. Many of those he wrote to were Jews by birth, they knew of the temple, that it was the centre of the nation, built by them where they met to worship God. It is now no more, no more visible place, the people were the building, it would last through all generations. It was built on Christ of living stones. Peter shows that our salvation must be lived out by being built upon Christ and in Christian community. We must focus on important things, the most important is that we are built on Christ as a community. We must build together in Christ.
JESUS CHRIST - THE CHOSEN CORNERSTONE – verse 4
A rock is a common picture of God, it is solid, dependable, lasting – Isaiah 26:4, Psalm 3l:2, 6l:2 and 78:5. God is their rock, their redeemer. We call some people a rock, they are dependable and reliable. People want and need a rock to build upon. The Old Testament recognised God could be turned to, to protect them as a permanent source of help and strength. Our lives change, we sometimes go through deep disappointment, who can we turn to, a rock. The New Testament takes thought further, it identifies the second person of the Trinity as that rock who is dependable. That Christ is a solid foundation on which to build our lives. When we build a house it needs a solid foundation, we often have it checked. It is important to make sure it is deep and solid. It must not let us down. We need the power of Jesus for us to build on.
a) Peter refers to Jesus Christ as a stone people come to – verse 4. We live in a restless world where people are confused and anxious, where guilt burdens us. Jesus is the answer to a messed up world. We can go to Jesus for sustenance and nourishment. We keep coming for personal fellowship, help and forgiveness. The Christian life is a continual coming. He has the answers. He is the only foundation.
b) Peter also identifies the Lord Jesus Christ as chosen. He is chosen by God but rejected by men. The Old Testament tells us much about God’s plans and how Jesus was sent to a world prepared – the Roman Empire.
c) Peter also says that Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Not A cornerstone, but THE cornerstone – Isaiah 28:l6 and Ephesians 2:20. It is the actual starting point in the building, it sets the horizontal and vertical lines for the rest of the building – Ephesians 2:2l – 22. It establishes the precise symmetry of the building. Today they are usually ceremonial, ancient buildings had it as their most important stone, it was of critical importance. It was irreplaceable. Jesus is irreplaceable, he sets the angles of God’s house and its purpose and place.
JESUS CHRIST – THE REJECTED STUMBLING STONE – verse 4
For some it means they reject him. People stumble because they disobey the message, they were destined for this. For believers Jesus is their cornerstone. Unbelievers reject him and stumble over him. Psalm ll8: 22 describes Israel as the cornerstone of God’s purposes, they were special in God’s plans. But they were despised by other nations, God defended Israel again and again so it was preserved. Attackers stumbled and fell. Israel’s leaders rejected him. He preached the parable of the tenants. This rejection is nothing new. Why rejected He showed them up as people who needed to change their ways, he told them truths about God they did not like, he warned them of things to come they did not want to think about, he made them feel guilty, he exposed the inadequacy of their beliefs, he was so convincing that they had either to accept Him and submit to Him, or else stumble on headlong to destruction – Acts 4:ll. The people had no excuse, his perfect life, his miracles, all attested to his divine nature yet they rejected him. Pride prevented them building on him. The Jews threw the cornerstone away. Their temple was destroyed and their nation scattered. Their nation has been persecuted and murdered. This is all parts of God’s judgement. God’s church has been persecuted, it has had internal heresies and suffered decline but it remains and causes people to stumble if they do not believe in Jesus. These people were destined to stumble.
JESUS CHRIST – THE PRECIOUS LIVING STONE – verse 4
There is nothing more dead than a stone, it seems incongruous to liken Jesus to a stone. Jesus called Peter a rock. It says that the church is an ever growing collection of stones. Far more important than the world and the buildings they worship. A church and its pastor and officers can seem very weak, but if they are united as one they can be very solid and lasting. When we come into contact with Jesus Christ, we are made alive with him. That tells us that the church is more than a human organization. The true church is an ever growing collection of living stones. We don’t go to church, we are the church. God never intended that we live as Lone Rangers. We are made to fit together, one with another. Peter wants us to see that not only must believers trust Jesus fore square on what his word says but we must fit together in the face of the individualism of the world. There is a need for community in the church. We need other believers. We are a body together. If we take a tile off or a brick out of a wall it weakens the building. We all have a part to play in the wall of God’s church. Absences do matter. We must play a role in the church. We must be joined one to another. The more we play a role, the more effective the church will be. The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. He will never prove faulty. If we hide in him he will never expose us. We cannot lose.
a) He gives us stability and security. He is our stability, our firm foundation, the solid rock of our strength.
b) He sets the standard for us. The cornerstone became the basis for determining every measurement and alignment. We live in a world of gadgetry, then they had the cornerstone to set the standard. We should ask what standard has Jesus set for us?
c) He is precious to us, our relationship to God must be at the centre of all we do, both individually and corporately – verse 7. Our wedding rings are precious to us. Can we say Jesus is precious to us? He gives us a love that cannot fail. Paul lost so much when he became a believer – status, income and family. He did not regret it because he found so much, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ also was so precious to him.