The Hope of a Spiritual Home
Scripture Readings:
Ps 118
Luke 20:9 He went on to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
Luke 20:13 "Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.'
Luke 20:14 "But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,' they said. ‘Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
"What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others."
When the people heard this, they said, "May this never be!"
Luke 20:17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
" ‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone''?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."
Luke 20:19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Matt. 16:15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Matt. 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Matt. 16:17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
1Pet. 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by men 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 capstone,'"
8 and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the message-which is also what they were destined for.
Through out the centuries, people have desired to come to God
Regardless of culture, people desire to come to him.
Many people today are challenging the church, asking ‘what is it, and why do I need it.
God - they are ‘good with' 80-95% people ‘believe in God'
Jesus 62% Canadians would say Jesus
I believe that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God provided the way for the forgiveness of my sins.
62% AGREE
But our culture is really not into the church- only 17% across Canada would regularly attend church, and here in Kitsilano that drops to 2-3%. When I look at the popular books today, listen to questions seminary students are asking, I am concerned, we have lost sight of what the NT church is.
Peter knew what the church was, Jesus established it starting with him. And in this passage He tells us what the church is to be:
‘Come to him' - draw near to God -
to hear from him
to offer sacrifices
to worship
to find healing, forgiveness, restoration
Heb 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Peter says that now, because you have been born again, of an imperishable seed (1:23); because you know that the Lord is good (2:3);
Now, as you draw near to him - Peter is saying that now all believers have something that was only previously reserved for only the priests of the Old Testament,
But now, instead of coming to an alter or even some holy place like the temple in Jerusalem, now we come to him in whom the whole fullness of the diety dwells in bodily form (Col 2:9)
This verse is packed with much action, that as you come, you are also being built into something quite incredible, things are changing in and around you as you come to God through his son Jesus.
Peter implies a continuous activity of coming to God through Jesus. Initially you come to him in faith and continually come to him in worship and prayer. As you do this - you yourselves are being built into a spiritual house.
Christ is called the "living Stone" a daring metaphor - stones do not live - but Jesus himself suggests he is the fulfillment of Ps 118:22
Luke 20:17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
" ‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the corner stone''?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."
Peter is about to quote 3 OT ‘stone' prophesies:
Isa 28:16, Ps 118:22, Isa 8:4
The fact that Jesus is the Living Stone shows he is superior to the OT temple made of dead stones, and should remind Christians that we can no longer approach God in that old way, for there is a far better way now.
Peter understands that his message is in stark contrast to how the world would respond to Jesus. Rejected by men,... chosen by God, precious in his sight, is all taken from the vocabulary in Ps 118 and Isa 28. Peter knows that to side with Jesus is to side with God and it will mean being ‘opposed' by men. To assume you can satisfy both God & man is a fantasy.
We must remember, Peter was writing to churches who were living in very secular settings. Cities that opposed the idea of a singular truth found in Jesus. Cities that rejected the idea of a singular, holy, just and loving God, revealed through ancient scriptures. These churches were experiencing pressure to conform to societal norms, which would by societal pressure, reduce the esteem of Jesus, and Peter says reminds us that in God's view, Jesus, the living stone was chosen and precious to Him, ‘highly valued, esteemed by God, and therefore we too should esteem him above all else.
Now comes an amazing part, Peter extends his imagery to the reader, not only identifying Christ but also Christians as stones that live and likens these ‘little Christs' to the temple building.
These ‘people-stones' are being built into a spiritual house. The word house (oikos). As you come to God in faith, in worship, in prayer, you - yourselves are being built into a spiritual house, a temple, the place God dwells.
As we draw near together in Christ, God makes us, into the gathering where we hear from God, make sacrifices, pray and worship.
The church is not a building or a place but the gathering of people influenced and being transformed into the image of Christ and bearing the glory of God.
The church is not a fixed structure, but an amorphous collection that continually takes on the changing dimensions of Gods assembled people.
The beauty of the church is not found in the beauty of the people or their abilities, but in the holiness and faith of their lives which more effectively reflects the glory of God.
The beauty of the church is not found in the creativity, friendliness, or talents. It is not found in our poetry or singing, or painting. The beauty of our church is not found in how we have fun together or in our moral character.
The beauty of the bridge is discovered when God's people are responding to Him in worship, sacrificing our lives, and allowing Him to increase our faith so He is receiving greater glory.
We become the gathering where His people are functioning as a holy priesthood.
As priests, believers are not offering animal sacrifices as in the OT, but spiritual sacrifices which the NT identifies as
offering our bodies - our lives for God's service -
Rom 12:1 offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.
Offering Hearts ready to the spread the gospel -
Rom 15:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Offering Our praise & worship to God
Heb. 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Offering actions of doing good and sharing possessions
Heb 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Where we are encouraged to think that anything we do in service to God can be thought as a spiritual sacrifice - acceptable and pleasing to God
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We are a continual & sweet aroma that ascends to His throne and brings Him delight
2 Cor 2:15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
These spiritual sacrifices must be offered through Jesus Christ for only through Him are Christians qualified to be priests of God, able to do anything that pleases God
From this passage the church receives the doctrine of the "priesthood of the believer" where all can come to Jesus and become a holy priesthood, able to draw near to God through Jesus. We no longer rely on an elite priesthood with claims of special access or special priviledge. Every Christian can draw near to Christ with confidence
Heb. 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Corporate worship amoung Christians should always be a wonderful entrance into the very presence of God
God knew, the OT prophets knew and Peter knew that not everyone will accept the message that through Jesus we collectively become the temple of God
Exclusive yes, but welcoming through a gospel of love and peace. God has never - nor will he now - dwell in every temple that has graced the earths landscape, and there have been many. He dwells in his temple, the place of His choosing, now found in His people
From the beginning people have come to God to hear from him
To make sacrifices
To pray and worship
To find healing and grace
This morning as you come to God, you are in His temple because you are among His people ‘ people-stones', little living stones.
You are in the temple of God, because God is building a temple for himself of the stones he has brought to life. These ‘people stones are held togther by the mortar of Jesus Christ.
Mortar is finely crushed stone - Jesus was the stone that was crushed for us so we can become the people God dwells with.
This morning as you worship in the temple of God
If you seek to hear from him - what has he said to you - will you do it? ~ in order to hear from Him, you may need to share your concern with the priest sitting next to you.
As you make sacrifice to him - what would he have you do? ~ you may need to serve someone sitting in front of you, or neighbor
Kathrine & John Tso
As you worship and praise him - how freely would you worship? Your genuine and free worship gives evidence of God's presence
As you find his mercy and healing and grace - how transforming is that in your life?
To find forgiveness you may need to share something with the priest next to you; to find healing you may need someone to pray with or for you.