Living Stones (1 Peter 2:2-12)
Rev. Leland Beaudrot, May 14, 2017Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
The Church of Christ is a picture of the temple; a spiritual house, occupied by rejected misfits whom the Father draws to Himself. The foundation of this house must be secure, and those who live within must live by God's rule in His house. Christ fulfilled the law, and all promises are fulfilled in Him. Christ as the cornerstone has become the stumbling block to those who are unworthy by means of a lack of faith. Christ is the mortar by which the living stones are held together. These stones become a priesthood. The Good News makes for transformed lives. We must share that and present our bodies as living sacrifices, abstaining from passions of the flesh. We must honor Christ in word and deed.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « The Effects Of A Single Sin | None | Paul's Prayer For The Ephesians » |
1 Peter 2:2–12 (Listen)
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 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.”
7 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,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
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.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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.
(ESV)