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Constable said the following, and here I quote him, here Peter began to give the basis on which the four preceding exhortations rest, and Andrew taught this and so did Roger, and I think I touched on one or several of these sections. These exhortations were to be holy, verses 13 through 16 in chapter 1, to be fearing, 17 through 21 in chapter 1, to be loving, 22 through 25, and consuming the Word, the first three verses that Carolyn read for us here today, they grow out of our relationship to God who's begotten us. So I think ultimately, you know, the foundation that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ was really now subsequent to what Peter has already outlined as exhortations that relate to our position. Somebody have something to say? Okay? And don't you find the following verses in Matthew of great interest? We're going to the next slide now.
Matthew 16, 16-18, Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bardona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." So why has there been so much confusion interpreting this verse? What rock? Because they think... Christ is alluding to here. Go ahead, Andrew. They think it's relating to Peter, right?
As the rock on which the church is built. That's correct. Yeah, for the misinterpretation of it. Right. And of course, I think if you would simply read this out of context, you would think that maybe since he said, I say to you that you are Peter and on this rock, well, except that What I highlighted above is he's the living God, and we've just revealed the fact that we have a living or lively or prepared stone. What, Roger, what was the term you used? Prepared, that's right. Prepared stone.
So anyway, obviously Peter, or at least those who have followed him, may have misinterpreted this and continue to reply today that Peter, and I'm not sure there's any evidence historically that Peter was ever in Rome, right? So this comes up for a part of discussion too, but clearly scripture unequivocally indicates that the rock and the cornerstone is that of the Lord Jesus Christ. The second part of this verse indicates that this cornerstone was rejected, which means disallowed in perfect tense. That means today we continue, the world system continues to reject this living stone. indeed by men, and that's all of us, that the flesh itself disallows this or does not accept the fact that this is the Lord Jesus Christ. Did someone have something to share? All right, again, please interrupt. I can't look at everybody to my right and also look at the slides. So Peter here is reiterating what Christ himself had proclaimed in all three of the synoptic Gospels. Matthew and Mark and Luke all describe this, you know, this text of him being rejected. And also what Peter himself shared with the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter 4 verse 11.
Have you never read in the Scripture? So all this issue about him being the cornerstone and ultimately being rejected has been clearly stated elsewhere in Scripture and in the synoptic Gospels and Peter and as he presented the gospel truth to the Sanhedrin. So, all of this is preceded, have you never read in the scriptures? What does that imply? If it's in the synoptic gospels and also in the early apostolic age, have you never read the scriptures? Are they talking about the New Testament? No, it's everywhere and they should have, they should know this.
I mean, who knows why the Catholic Church did what they did. Well, we're not talking so much about Peter being the rock and the church being in Rome. I think we're thinking too about more of the prophetic position that Christ ultimately would fulfill of that being the living stone, who in fact is the cornerstone for the church to follow. Other thoughts about that?
Yeah, they had the Old Testament scriptures, which is what they were looking at. They should know the Old Testament scriptures. At least if they were interested in knowing them, right? I mean, Margaret and I were talking about this last night. We were looking at the Ten Commandments about, you know, the Passover season is upon us, is it not? And, you know, how many Jews in today's age really look at the Passover as just another time to gather together and have kind of a holiday, if you will? I mean, what the Passover really represents, I know many, many Jews who in fact don't even believe that the Passover represents what the Bible claims it does.
And of course, the Red Sea never departed, all the plagues on Egypt did not occur. These are just nice stories to tell your children. I mean, it's amazing how rejected this whole truth of the gospel really is from start to finish. Any further comments on that? Yeah, no, all I'll say is that it means much more to us than it does to most Jews that I've ever known or been in contact with. They're just stories that have been handed down that are just not true at all. It's pretty amazing.
Like Aesop, etc. And then Peter does what he does frequently in his epistles, is quote from scripture. Psalms 118 22 and 23 we see this repeated in verse 4. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone and this was the Lord doing and it is marvelous in our own eyes. Again the reference to the stone in a different part of Scripture.
And the terminus of this verse looks at a very interesting phrase called he was chosen and which means elected by God and precious, held in high honor. So I think the question I'd have for the group today, but because the Trinity has existed eternally, how do we interpret chosen or being elected here? Christ had a mission, right? The agreement between the Father and the Son, eternity passed, so he was chosen And he agreed to that mission, that he would take on the sins of the world and the Father would raise him up on the third day. So I guess I was looking at chosen in that sense. So this was something that took place in eternity past, right from the very inception. Right.
So this was not something that later God decided, hmm, we got a man who needs to be ultimately forgiven and relieved of his sin and his sin nature, and ultimately, how about you going down there to earth and taking part in this task for me? We messed up, right? We didn't foresee what was going to happen, so now this is plan B. Clearly elected for a task, wasn't he? And chosen for this task, and that was in full agreement, was it not?
Isaiah 8.14 and he will be, we're going to look at two verses that relate to the fact that the whole world is saved by this eternal relationship between God and his son.
In Isaiah chapter 8.14 it says, and he will be as a sanctuary, both a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Okay, that's for the Jew. And then also in Isaiah, very interesting, in verse 1 of chapter 42, Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, again the chosen one, in whom my soul delights.
I have put my spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth judgment. To whom? To the Gentiles. So this elected and chosen role for the Lord Jesus Christ is eternally in place. to bring all the salvation, not simply to Israel, although stated repeatedly in the Old Testament and ignored by the nation of Israel, but also beyond the nation of Israel, the chosen people to the Gentiles, which are entirely the group that's on this First Peter lesson today. All right, let's turn now to verse 5.
You, meaning ye, all of you, including as living, again, or lively stones, as I mentioned earlier, are being built up as a spiritual house, again, a group or a body, not just simply us as individuals. And we're a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. A metaphor, how often do we think of ourselves as living stones? Has anybody pondered that in the last 24 hours, that you're a living stone?
Well, I want you to start thinking about this. And in next week's lesson, which I think I've already been assigned, is that correct? Yes, you're assigned the next two weeks. I'm curious how many people have thought of themselves as living or lively stones this week. Anyway, let's keep going here.
The thing that came to mind when I looked at this, thinking of us as a living stone or a lively stone, or a prepared stone, Roger. You know, if we look at the verse that preceded this in terms of Christ is described as a living stone, how's this for identification truth?
Yeah, it is pretty amazing. And the plural of verse 5 is neat. You know, that's all of us. Right. He's a singular living stone or prepared stone, but we are the plural. We're his body, which is pretty cool. And that's really dealt with in the verse, isn't it, Roger?
Because we're being built up as a spiritual house. So everyone on this digital format that we're having Sunday School for today is part of the spiritual house, and the fact that we're gathering together is an evidence that we believe as living stones, that we tie into the one and only living stone as a body of believers. 1st Corinthians 311, for no other foundation, think of the church now, can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in verse 16 in the same chapter, do you not know that you're the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? We are the church of living stone and the temple of God that's indwelled by the Holy Spirit. So here the Trinity shows up as we expand the The living stone is spirit-led, is the body of Christ.
Did somebody want to volunteer something? Looking over at all you beautiful people. Okay. And many of you are hidden. I can't see. All right, let's go ahead. And as I tried to point out the last few minutes, and this is not only for each one of us individually as a living stone, but for the church as a spiritual house, stated in the second phrase of verse five.
Hebrews 3.6, I think, really personifies this, but Christ is a son over his own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope.
I didn't drill down on the if in that verse, maybe Roy can help us out here, but I think the if is a sense, since we hold fast and confidence in the rejoicing of the hope. Remember, if sometimes is if, meaning subjunctive, we're not quite sure whether it's true or not, or other times it means since. And I think we could perhaps interpret that either way. You know, if we don't hold fast with confidence and we rejoice in the hope, maybe we do fall short a little bit and feel less a part of the spiritual house. But I think since we hold fast the confidence, we do rejoice in the hope, and we know that that house is part of the body that we're currently experiencing.
Other thoughts on this? All right. I love this next phrase, being built up a spiritual house. Built up is passive and indicative. Indicative, of course, means it's factual. Passive, how do we interpret the passive tense? We're going back to grammar 101 here. God is acting upon us, the whole experience performing the action. We can't build ourselves up. He has to build us up. We don't have to do this. Amen.
Yay. And this reminded me of something I read in the Hungry Heart a couple of days ago on April the 3rd. And hopefully you're all tying into this. Every day I think it takes three minutes to read this, but it kind of has a lasting benefit and continues to build us up in the identification truth. I love this.
A ministry of life, whether it be at the kitchen sink or at the Holly Hills Bible of George Pulpit, it's not what it says, but this must flow from the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and dot dot dot. There's a lot of intervening segment there. Our Lord is more concerned for a testimony than for a work. And that's the passive process by which the Spirit grows us in grace and truth.
Being built up. And by the way, we have a responsibility here in being built up. What is that? Faith. Believing it can happen. Absolutely. We are called by faith to have this passive experience of the Spirit growing us in grace to be a spiritual house. And that's individually as living or lively stones and also as a body working together to bring glory to God.
Ephesians 2.20 continues to remind us of the chief cornerstone, having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
Colossians 2.6-7, as you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, and by the way are being built up at him, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith. Look at that.
We're being built up in Him. And by the way, as we grow by this passive responsibility that the Spirit has by our faith, we're further established in the faith. So as we continue to trust Him more and believe what He's revealed more, we are increasingly established in faith, as you've been taught in Abounding with Thanksgiving. I think I have one more verse here. No, don't. Other thoughts on this passive process. We have a responsibility, and that's living by faith. And what's faith? Believing what the Lord's revealed. And who told you that, Margaret? You did. Oh, okay. As a living stone, right?
You know, Hebrews 11 gives you a beautiful verse of what faith is, but I think the simple version of Scoprio kind of summarizes believing what God has revealed. That's what faith is. I like that a lot. Yeah. Well, I like to use some of the synonyms of faith, because they kind of, faith is a big topic. You know, trust, you know, trust is part of faith. Believing, there's all these words in English, but they kind of drill down to a to a word pistis in the Greek, which can be translated various ways. So faith and trust and belief, all are ways of expressing how we're to interact with God. So I like to use all three. And behind me is another one.
It's interesting, you start looking at all these words, and wow, they all kind of have focus on basically having faith in what God has revealed to us. And so with their different expressions that scripture uses, I think it's really pretty cool. What's so important in our faith is rightly dividing the word of truth too, right?
Yes. I mean, the covenant or neo evangelistic theology is that the Old Testament is equally applicable to us today. No, the Old Testament is for us. But the Old Testament, as we've seen today in these verses, is prophetic. and not for us as a body. Other thoughts about that? In fact, this next phrase in verse 5 really brings us to this kind of truth. We're a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And Peter refers to us as being part of a holy priesthood. What do you make of that? We're part of a holy priesthood.
Isn't he doing a comparison, you know, like with the Old Testament where the The priest brought physical sacrifices, lambs and goats and whatever, but we're a priesthood in a different sense, we're bringing spiritual sacrifices. So the analogy is that you can go back and look back and forth between the old and the new and draw some interesting comparisons. Okay, let's proceed, Roger. Good setup for what follows. I like what Macaulay said here a little bit because it took me down a little bit different understanding about this priesthood. You know, in Hebrews it talks about this, but he refers to this here.
The priesthood of believers is also referred to in Revelation, chapters 1, 5, and 20. And note that in these passages, Macaulay says, we are king priests. A believer could not be merely a priest. The reason is found in the book of Hebrews, and we could turn to that, but I don't think we have time and space to really go there right now. Jesus Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, who is king and priest. So those connected with Christ are therefore king-priests.
Do you buy into what Macaulay is doing here in terms of interpreting us as king-priests rather than part of a holy priesthood? Did somebody say something? Well, yeah, I think that, I was just reading that in Genesis yesterday, I think, you know, Abraham, this Nachizedech from Salem came to him, and since Christ is related to that Nachizedech, we by association, right, and identification are identified with that Melchizedek, king-priest too, because we're in Christ, right? Right, okay, so because Melchizedek is referred to here by Macaulay as, who is king and priest, we're being king-priest, is that a lower level of administrative structure than in fact being a priest?
Or is it a higher kind of level of admiration in terms of this role? Well, we know it's different. It's much higher. Andrew, go ahead. Oh, I just said it's much higher. It's also different from Aaron's priesthood. Melchizedek is a different order, and that's what the Hebrews is pointing out to us there, about how it's a different order. And it's the order of Christ, not the order of Aaron.
All right, good. All right, so according to what Macaulay is defending from particularly the John's Book of Revelation, we ultimately should consider ourselves not only as priests, but king priests after that order. So the question on the next slide at the beginning is what kind of spiritual sacrifices are these and do they relate to our everyday lives? So when we're asked to give spiritual sacrifices, what's that all about? Everybody is unmuted. Maybe I should just mute you all. I keep talking, right? Well, your first, yeah, I don't know. It's interesting.
Well, we know, if we go back to the spiritual gifts that the believer has, we see there are very practical gifts that the believer has in the Lord Jesus Christ. So do we consider those sacrifices? I don't know, I just... I'm not sure. I mean, you know, there's very practical gifts of helps and, you know, teachings, all kinds of wonderful spiritual gifts that we get as believers, but do we consider those... Is that in the term of spiritual sacrifices? I don't know. I've heard the phrase, sacrifice of praise. I don't know if that relates to this. Yeah. How sacrificial is that?
If we think about the lot of bulls and goats can never take away sin, but obviously the Lord Jesus Christ was very effective in taking care of sins and the sin nature. When we sacrifice something, well, let's mature this in the next few comments. And aren't we glad that the spiritual sacrifices of the Lord ask of us are not those done by the Old Testament priests? So in Hebrews 7 27 it puts up this this theme, who does not need daily as those high priests did to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the people's. For this he did once for all when he offered up himself, something we all know well.
Now when I think about sacrifices, don't we so often think of such sacrifices as being in the flesh? So why do I need to give up? So let's ponder a little bit more about what the Lord's asking us to do about spiritual sacrifices. This isn't the flesh of giving up covetousness, is it?
I mean, that's part of the spirit-led new nature, but I mean, Anything that's done in the flesh is worthless before the Lord. So what are these spiritual sacrifices? How about this being passively built up in faith that the Lord's called us to? Is that a spiritual sacrifice where the leading of the spirit would in fact cancel the flesh in terms of operation? and allow us just to be dependent on that being built up?
I think that relates in part. But I think whatever these sacrifices are, they must be acceptable to God by or through the Lord Jesus Christ. So again, I think that we're not going to label these this, that, and the other. But these sacrifices, I think, are being increasingly dependent on the new life being energized and lifted up by the power of Spirit.
That's a passive process. So if you will, the spiritual sacrifices are being available to allow this building up to be. Other thoughts? This reminds me of Hebrews 13, 14 through 16, where it says, For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that openly profess His name. And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Like a sacrifice of what? I would prefer to do, but do I need to take time and use my energy for someone else?
I've seen a lot of that happen for us, people offering to shop for us and people bringing us meals. It's a delight to watch the body of Christ reach out and you see that God is working in their lives. and encouraging you to continue to rest in him and know that he's going to bring all of this to a final conclusion of glory for him and building us up. Thank you and I think you've hit the nail on the head and again this is being built up by the power of the Spirit in our lives. So let's look at some verses that relate to this.
Romans 12.1 is one we often quote but I think we missed the living sacrifice component of this. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. So are we talking about works? Are we presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice that's wholly acceptable to allow us to make our list and do all these good things?
No, it's a working of God being built up. So the sacrifice is that presentation. to the Lord to allow Him to do that work through us. Hebrews 13, 15 to 16, therefore by Him let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise. I think that's what you just stated. There's the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name to do good and to share. So I think we've already been through that. Thank you.
And in Colossians 3, 17, and whatsoever you do in word and deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks. What's doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus being spirit led? and having a peace and a rest about how he's working out that life in each and every one of us. So the sacrifices, I think, are not individual things that we're giving up, but it's ultimately what we're gaining through our faith and rest in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All right, well, we're going to wrap up here in the next few minutes to prepare for the service to follow, but 1 Peter 2.6, now, therefore, it is also contained present active tense contained meaning it's it's still ongoing in the scripture and here we're turning again to Isaiah 28 16 behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame this is in the verse itself so it's referring to this but it's in Peter's text where I think what I shared in Psalms earlier was simply what was being quoted and referred to So Zion, of course, represents the heavenly Jerusalem to the nation of Israel, and to us it ties us into the chief cornerstone to be building that heavenly Jerusalem that they're expecting. And the fact that this is precious makes us turn back to verse 4 again, and again refers to none other but the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 21 14, now the wall of the city, the New Jerusalem, had 12 foundations, again Israel in mind here, and on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb tying us in to in fact New Testament theology. First Corinthians 3 11, for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ, and we've used that verse previously. Notice it's he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame. And by the way, being put to shame is not simply being put to shame, but it's also the atmosphere of being disappointed or ultimately perplexed and confounded by the truth.
And the question that comes up then, how would this have been interpreted by those in the Old Testament? Did they have any excuse? Who is Him? I think they're looking for the Messiah, right? Is that what this refers to? And Him is capitalized, of course, for us New Testament believers, but perhaps it wasn't to them. But I think Paul addresses this with his chapter 9, which was really directed to the nation of Israel. I mean, this is the body of Christ he's talking about. that he's relating chapter 9 mostly to his Jewish colleagues.
As it is written, Isaiah 8.14, which is really a duplication of 28.16, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whosoever believes on him will not be put to shame.
I mean, in a sense, it's a duplication of Isaiah 28.16, but now he's talking to the church and perhaps to some unbelieving Jews in chapter 9.
But remember, the epistle to Rome was written to the church. And here he's saying, look, you guys missed it. You missed it before. And to some extent, you're missing it now entirely or partially. And let's end with another prophecy that relates to this.
In Zechariah chapter 10, verse 4, from him comes the cornerstone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every despot together. How's that for the cross and everything it represents in terms of the cornerstone and the Lord Jesus Christ? So I'm going to conclude there. Are there any final thoughts about these three verses in 1 Peter which I think establishes us that we in fact are living stones that are founded on the chief cornerstone the Lord Jesus Christ And we're being constantly built up by him, by faith, in the truths that he's revealed to us. Any closing thoughts? All right, Roger, will you close us in prayer, please?
Sure. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time today, Lord. We thank you for the blessings we have, Father. Thank you for your care for us, as we're apart, in a sense, but we can be together and talk to one another, and we pray just for the upcoming message. I pray that people would hear it and maybe some new people that we haven't heard before. We trust you for your spirit working as we present your word. In Christ's name, amen.