THIS OLD HOUSE
1 Peter 2:4-10
INTRODUCTION:
If you’ve ever visited (or studied historic places of worship), then you know there’s something awe-inspiring about them. I’ll never forget traveling with my parents to Europe as a young man (just having entered my high school years), and being able to see first hand the great Norte Dame Cathedral in Paris. It stands over 200 feet tall.
Or, being able to enter the Vatican City in Rome — and witness the beauty and architecture at St. Peter’s Basilica. It’s an incredible Renaissance styled house of worship. Filled with the craftsmanship of Michelangelo and Raphael, and others. It stands nearly 450 feet tall. And is absolutely amazing.
Or even, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. It too is breath-taking. It’s gothic towers and statues stretch into the sky. It’s incredibly beautiful. It’s massive as well — at almost 400 feet long, and 330 feet tall (at it’s highest point).
To see any of these is a treat — and you’ll never forget them.
Yet, on their best day — they are still just fixtures made of stone. A shell really. Nothing of genuine life. Just hard, cold, stone.
TRANSITION:
However, there is a great contrast given to us in 1 Peter chapter 2.
If you have your Bible — turn there with me.
It’s here that Peter describes another fixture of worship — a temple, worthy of consideration. And beginning in verse 4, he writes:
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
MESSAGE:
Peter tells us, in the full, biblical sense of the word — God’s people are His temple. And more than that — we are His priests, called upon to present spiritual sacrifices.
Consider this:
— In the Old Testament, God had a temple for his people.
— But, in the New Testament, God has a people for his temple.
I realize, tonight may a bit of a review for some of you — but the truth found in this text are foundational to the way we view ourselves and the way we live our lives for Christ. Beyond that, I’d say — the implications found here are deeply life-changing.
So, the first point Peter makes here is this:
1. YOU ARE A STONE IN GOD’S TEMPLE.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
So, at the cornerstone of our lives — our spiritual sanctuary, these living temples of who we are — is Jesus.
Peter says, Christ is the great living Stone of our lives.
And, while we know that to be true, I just want to focus for a moment on the paradox of that statement. He calls him “the living Stone.”
And this sounds like a massive contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? A “living Stone”
Typically we we the word picture or symbol of a stone to be something dead. Something without life. Think about it. We say things are “stone cold.” Or “stone dead”
But this idea of a “living Stone” seems to communicate something that we’re not used to saying.
But the Bible speaks often in this way when it describes Jesus. As the Christ, He is our Rock and our Life.
As our “living Stone,” He possesses the qualities of both strength and life. Like a massive stone: fixed foundation, a fortress — He gives us something solid, steadfast, strong, massive, and immovable, upon which we might build our lives.
Yet there’s another side to His strength — and it’s depicted by the word living. So, not only is He solid, but He’s also warm, giving us vitality, and life.
He is the “living Stone” — He is personal; He is a life-giving.
Again, He is a paradox.
But He’s always been that way. Consider what John says in John 1 about Him. He is the God (Spirit), who became flesh. He is both God and man.
- He’s our wounded healer.
- Our dying life-giver.
- Our strict liberator.
- Our meek master.
- He gives us a yoke — but it’s light.
But, in addition to who He is — Peter tells us who we are. As he says, we too are living stones.
When we come into faith — and are connected to Jesus, we become transformed from being hardened and lifeless stones into something wonderfully alive. And, we’re made into something useful — becoming integral parts of God’s temple!
Peter offers us something truly amazing to see. Our lives as Christ’s own, are transformed into something BIGGER than who we were. Now, together we are the Church. Stones coming together to be one in Christ. And in this picture, we’re offered both dignity and a new destiny.
Peter says, God is building a spiritual temple with each of us as the living stones forming the place where He dwells.
We go from a being something small to something grand.
And Peter chose this picture for a purpose. Remember, His name meant small stone. But, Peter meant Rock!
And so, He also calls us to the same. To have a grand purpose to represent Him on this planet.
Listen: you are God’s temple!
In the noblest sense, God is building a temple of living human stones, of which you are a part.
And nothing compares.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
I read today that “every believer has become a spiritual edifice with a royal resident.”
That means, that every Christian is a divine temple.
And together, we form the most beautiful and colossal temple the world has ever known.
So, while I love our local church — it is simply the visible scaffolding surrounding an invisible temple!
APPLICATION:
If we could really get that vision, it would totally transform our view of life in the local church.
Think about it — every Bible study would become a quarry for hueing living stones.
Every children’s worker would view the children they serve as future blocks laid in the wall of God’s great Living temple.
Well, Peter continues with another thought. He says, not only are you a stone in God’s temple, but…
2. YOU ARE A PRIEST IN GOD’S TEMPLE
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
So, here — Peter changes images, and picks up a new picture to define our relational connection to God. And he says, through the power of Christ, you are not only LIVING STONES — but you and I are also DIVINE PRIESTS in God’s temple — a distinctly HOLY temple. And because of it’s nature as being SACRED or HOLY, we too (as priests unto God), must also be HOLY!
In the Old Testament, you might recall — the priests were those men who had been selected from among the people (the crowd) to serve for a limited time in a limited space as the representatives of God to man — and man to God.
— The priesthood of ancient Israel was a role specifically reserved for men, who were to be descendants of Aaron (the elder brother of Moses).
— They were called or commissioned to serve in the Tabernacle (during those days of migration), and then later to serve in the temple in Jerusalem.
— Their temple roles included overseeing the sacred practices of sacrifices and offerings (among other things). They were required to stay and serve in one location — to dress a certain way, and to do specific things.
— They were quite literally, the bridge between God and mankind.
But now…in great contrast to these, Peter gives us a glimpse into a new time, and a new covenant environment — one changed by the power of Jesus (the messiah) and His death, burial, and resurrection.
And in this new season — WE are ALL called to serve as God’s priests. This includes everyone — men and women, young and old, those born of impressive gene-pools (and those who have no lineage of which to speak).
It is a new dimension. A new paradigm. A new space. And here, as Paul describes, nothing discounts our potential for service unto God.
This past week Saddleback Community Church (where Rick Warren used to pastor) was removed from their denominational affiliation because they recognized and ordained the ministry of someone in their church — a woman. And when they laid hands on her and commissioned her to be one of their teaching pastors, the church was removed.
I won’t get into it tonight — but I will say, their reasoning is based upon a misrepresentation of God’s Word (or at least a few specific passages). What they done is pulled a text out of context in a way that violates the original author’s intent.
But here, Peter reminds us ALL — that we have a HOLY CALLING to represent God to Man and Man to God.
So, now — in Christ, you have become a priest.
– You are a priest in the factory,
– A priest in the sales office.
– A priest working at the hospital nursing station.
– A priest working at the restaurant.
– A priest everywhere and always.
And what are you to do as a believer-priest?
Well, the Greek word for priest is He-ir-ous (He-er-oose). It means “one who serves God alone.”
When the scriptures were later translated into Latin — the translators chose the word pontifex to define this role. And it to reflects the nature of serving God — but it also carries with it the complexity of connecting others to God. It actually defines the role of the priest as one who builds a bridge — connecting God and man.
And, we know — there is really ONLY ONE who does this at the depth of the soul. And that is Jesus — He is our great HIGH PRIEST.
But in another sense, God has left us here — as his under-priests, as bridge-builders for him on earth. And our role is to both SERVE HIM, but also connect others to Him.
And while the Hebrew priests were limited to a place and time, we are not. We are not confined simply to representing Jesus on certain days or in certain places.
So, we are not confined to only representing Him on Sunday or even only at church.
We are all portable temples and mobile priests.
And so, everywhere and anywhere we find ourselves, we are to be bridge-builders for God.
So, no matter who were are, or what we do — we have a DIVING CALLING on our lives. This means every position an every job has value. No job too low — no vocation too elevated.
From the the common laborer working outside, to the distinguished professor working in a classroom. From the butcher, to the baker, to the candlestick maker — every person (who knows Jesus) is to be a HOLY PRIEST for the Lord Jesus Christ!
As Peter reminds us — we are stones, and we are priests, and along with these roles — we also we have a divine purpose to fulfill. Peter tells us:
3. YOU PRESENT SACRIFICES IN GOD’S TEMPLE
Listen again to the words of verse 5. It says,
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Peter tells us that as believer-priests, we are to offer up “spiritual sacrifices”.
This idea of making or offering sacrifices is often lost within our modern world.
It seems to be more archaic language than current language. But, the truth is we all offer sacrifices to something. It’s just a matter of what — and to whom. For most, we offer ourselves up as a sacrifice to the pagan gods of materialism, or of prestige, or notoriety, or sexuality.
My point is simply that we all offer sacrifices to something. Because, we all serve something or someone. And whoever or whatever has our heart — has our soul — has our attention, and gains our sacrifices.
In the Old Testament, we’re told of how the priests offered sacrifices of bulls, goats, and lambs on the altar of God.
Hebrews 10:1–11 tells us,
10 The law is only a shadown of the good thingso that are coming—not the realities themselves.p For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfectq those who draw near to worship.r 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.s 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.t 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goatsu to take away sins.v
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world,w he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;x
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scrolly—
I have come to do your will, my God.’ ”a z
8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”a—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”b He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holyc through the sacrifice of the bodyd of Jesus Christ once for all.e
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices,f which can never take away sins.g
Simply put, sacrifices are given when we say YES to something. As we do, we give of ourselves, our thoughts, our time, our talents, our treasures.
And to say yes to something demands that we say NO to something else.
So, if I say yes to God — I am saying no to the other “false gods”, vying for my attention and worship.
— I’ve tried to teach this principle to each of my children as they’ve grown up.
— If you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else.
That’s just the way it goes. Because saying yes is giving away (making sacrifice) of yourself, or your resources.
And here, Peter is calling us to say YES to God. To give Him our worship, our sacrifice. That we give Him our lives as a living sacrifice.
So, how can we do this:
Well, spiritual sacrifices are certainly different than the things that Old Testament priests would have given.
For us, these are more personal. They include our heart, our prayers, our praise and worship, our choices and will, the way we use and steward our bodies, our time, our talents, and our treasures.
Such sacrifices are made acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ.
So let’s talk about a few of these — and then let’s commit to giving attention and intentionality to the making of these kinds of sacrifices to God.
- The sacrifice of prayer:
Prayer is a spiritual sacrifice.
Under the law, incense, often associated with prayer, was offered on the altar of incense in the tabernacle and temple.
David even prayed in Psalm 141, “May my prayer be set before you like incense” (Psalm 141:2).
In Revelation 8, John said — our prayers offered to God ascend as the smoke of the incense ascended in the sanctuary.
So, the fact that the incense was always burning (in the temple, and tabernacle before that) really indications that we should always pray (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
And isn’t that Paul says? “Pray without ceasing.”
So what does that look like? Any thoughts?
- The sacrifice of penitence: (Repentance, Brokenness for sin, Sorrow for sin).
Psalm 51:15-27 says,
15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
I once read, “To err is understandable; to admit it is unlikely”
One of the ways we can offer our lives as living sacrifices to God — is to acknowledge our sin and be responsible for it. Reveal our brokenness over it. And seek His mercy and grace.
3. The sacrifice of praise: (Our worship and honor of Him)
Hebrews 13:15 says,
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
One of the refreshing winds blowing through the church today is the renewed emphasis on giving God praise. This sense of celebration and honor is one of the driving forces of this current revival.
And that’s good — moreover, it’s Godly. It is the act of giving God a worthy sacrifice.
The question is, are you offering it?
Or are you allowing others to do this for you?
4. The sacrifice of our possessions.
The bible is clear that giving is a reflection of our worship — it’s another spiritual sacrifice.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7,
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Or what about 2 Corinthians 9:11,
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Benevolence, Missions, Love offerings to others, tangible gifts given to God…and in the name of God.
Caring for the needs of others — as Proverbs 19:17 reminds us,
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
Jesus said, what you’ve done for the least of these — you’ve done for me. The OT required a tithe — the NT requires everything.
Simply put — our worship ought to involve a giving to the Lord from our possessions. This may be the truest measure of our sacrificial act of worship.
So live open handed.
Say yes to God! And say no to selfishness, self-centeredness, and wordiness.
CONCLUSION:
We are to be living stones
We are to be Holy Priests.
We are to give living sacrifices to our great God.