1 Peter series – “Holding onto Hope in a Hostile World”

1 Peter 2:4-12

⁴ You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. ⁵ And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. ⁶ As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” ⁷ Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him.^[d]But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” ⁸ And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. ⁹ But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” ¹¹ Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. ¹² Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

After calling us to live confident, consecrated, and committed lives, and to be cravers and consumers of God’s Word, Peter now reminds us of both the riches and the responsibility we have as the Redeemed. Its here that Peter reminds us first of who we are and second what we do. But in order to understand who we are we need a better understanding of who we are in Him. Peter starts first by painting a portrait of the Savior, you will never have an accurate picture of yourself separate from the Savior.

1. Redeemer

Peter starts by painting a portrait of Christ and then points out the privileges for those who come to and follow Christ. He begins in Verse 4 with a continued exhortation to come, for us to be intentional and determined in our daily devotion. In the Old Testament the word “come” was used to depict drawing near to God in worship. Are you coming to worship Christ?  This phrase is in the present tense, meaning that we’re to come continually. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus invites us to come regardless of our condition, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Maybe today you feel weary and worn Jesus invites you to come. Why are we to continually come to Christ, because our Redeemer is the Rock. Peter calls our Savior the stone, which in Bible times stones spoke of stability. Peter points to three types of stones as he quotes from three different Old Testament passages.

1. “Living stone” in verses 4-5. This literally means, “a stone that gives life and provides sustenance” like the rock smitten in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4). We don’t perform a bunch of dead rituals for a dead Savior. We serve a living Savior.
2. “Chief cornerstone” in verses 6-7. A corner stone was the first stone laid down, it set the direction both vertically and horizontally. Not only did it supported the weight of the structure but it tied the whole structure together. Understanding this will be critical as we look at what we are called to do. 
3. “Stone of stumbling”

in verse 8. The word, “stumbled,” literally means to strike or slam, it carries with it the idea of suffering harm, taking offense, and being annoyed or enraged. Peter is telling us that we can’t be neutral about Jesus. Jesus will either save you or he will shatter you, there is no third choice. Verse 6 says: “and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced” To trust means to rely on Him and stands in sharp contrast to verse 7: “But those who reject Him” You either respond to the Redeemer and receive the gift of eternal life or you will reject the Redeemer and experience ruin. The dividing line is between belief and disbelief. Either we will be humbled and broken so that we believe in Him or we will be hardened and end up being crushed by Him. But you can’t stay the same, you will either stumble and fall over Him or become humble and call on Him. Either you will be offended by Him or you will obey Him. Where are you at, are you saved from sin and secure in Him or are you a slave to sin and far from Him? 

1 Peter series – “Holding onto Hope in a Hostile World”

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

²² You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.  ²³ For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. ²⁴ As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. ²⁵ But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. 2 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. ² Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, ³ now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

 If you want to increase your appetite for the Bible then third:

• Refocus on the grace of God.

Look at verse 3 “now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness” Peter once again calls us to look at and lock into the grace that was given to us when we were saved. Are you going to go after God’s grace or the garbage? Sin may start out sweet but it soon sours. Some of us have such a faulty view of God that we’re almost afraid to get into His Word because we think God is just out to get us. Here’s the truth, God wants to meet with you not beat you. Be motivated by grace not guilt, read based on the relationship not rules. In order to put it into practice you need to first recognize you: 

Need the Word – BIBLE has been called Basic instruction before leaving earth , but in reality its Basic Instruction Book for Living on Earth. God’s Word is not optional its obligatory. Not only do we need it we must:

Read the Word –Are you drinking from the Bible on a daily basis?

Feed on the Word – Not just reading the word but feeding on the word with fellow believer’s. Take time to meditate and memorize the Word. It’s not just about being in the word it’s about the word being in us. For when we feed on the Word we:

Heed the Word – As James 1:22 says: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Pay attention and put principles into practice. Joshua told God’s people in Joshua 1:8 “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Without the study and application of scripture there is no success. Are there any areas where you are walling off the Word? Sometimes we spend more time fighting the Word than letting it fill us. What we fill the holes in our heart with will determine our happiness. Many of us are trying to fill the emptiness with the earthly and the external instead of the eternal. Ultimately what we are full of will determine how free we are, the problem is that most of us are so stuffed with self, society, and sin, instead of the Savior, that we have become slaves. It’s no wonder that we are never satisfied. What goes into your life will determine what comes out, praise or poison. Now when studying the Scripture it’s helpful to keep the acrostic S.P.E.C.S. in mind by asking these five questions:

Is there a Sin to confess?

Is there a Promise to claim? 

Is there an Example to follow?

Is there a Command to obey? Don’t delay to obey, don’t put off what the Lord is prompting you to do.

Is there a Stumbling block to avoid?