Text: 1Peter 2:4-10
OPEN:
I'm not sure of the origin of the term "chip off the old block," but I'm sure most of us are familiar with its meaning. The metaphor refers to a child imitating a parent or grandparent, or any person imitating another.
Keep that idea in mind as we consider this text from 1 Peter, because it gets to the heart of the text.
The focus on these verses is verse 5: "like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
This is a word from the Lord to his church, not primarily to individuals. We know this because the "yourselves" in verse 5 is plural and refers back to 1:1 where Peter addresses his audience: "To the exiles.... who have been chosen and destined by God the Father." That's us! We are a holy priesthood.
This text was used by Martin Luther to reject the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. He coined the phrase "priesthood of the believer." Western individualism has taken this slogan and turned it into a license for personal freedom in belief and lifestyle. But this context is corporate, not individual. To view this priesthood as providing us direct access to the Father is accurate, but it's not the purpose of the metaphor. This refers back to the Old Testament system of priesthood.
As an Old Testament priest stood between a needy people and a holy God, so holy priests advocate not their own position, but the needs of the people to God, and the expectations of God to the people. So, we as a church in the 21st Century are expected by God to represent Him accurately to the world and in turn to offer acceptable spiritual sacrifices to Him.
Let's look at these two responsibilities in turn:
I. WE ARE TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT GOD TO THE WORLD.
To understand our role we must begin at the right place--focus on Jesus Christ.
(v. 4) "Come to him, a living stone...."
1) There are many biblical references to Jesus Christ as a stone:
A rejected stone (Ps 118:22)
A building stone (Isa 28:16)
A stumbling stone (Isa 8:14-15)
An overcoming stone (Dan 2:45)
2) Notice that Christ is the living Stone, and we are living stones.
It is no accident that Peter uses the same image to compare us to Christ.
The similarity is intentional.
The small pebbles are to be miniature replicas of the larger rock, chips off the old block.
2. The way we represent God to the world is by being like, looking like, sounding like, living like Christ.
Eph 5:1,2: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ...."
As Christ's church, we must make sure that we are Christlike in all things at all times. Too many people artificially separate their church life from real life. That's why we can appear to be saints at church, and live like hell the rest of the week.
William Law (1686-1761) wrote in A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life:
"There is no reason why we should make God the rule and measure of our prayers, why we should look wholly unto him and pray according to his will, and yet not make him the rule and measure of all the other actions of our life.... For there is no other reason why our prayers should be according to the will of God unless our lives also be of the same nature.
This is the reason that we see such ridicule in the lives of many people. Many people are strict when it comes to times and places of devotion, but when the service and the church is over, they live like those that seldom or never come there. In their way of life... they are just like the rest of the world. This leads the world to make light of those because they see their devotion goes no further than their prayers."
If any member of this church leads such a blatant lie, he or she makes everything we do as a church a mockery in this community. Our criteria for success as a church is never how many people attend or how much they give, but how we narrow the gap between what we profess and what we practice.
The simple application is that either Christianity prescribes clearly the way to live our daily lives, or it is practically useless.
This is what it means to be a holy priesthood-- accurately represent Christ to the world.
II. WE ARE TO OFFER ACCEPTABLE SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES TO GOD.
"to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (v.5)
What are these acceptable sacrifices?
1. Our bodies.
(Rom 12:1) "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship."
Everything you do with your body is to be done as an offering of worship to God (hammer nails, drive car, prepare a meal, program a computer, read a book, throw a baseball, etc.).
(1 Co 10:31) "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
2. Praise and Thanks.
(Heb 13:15) "Through Jesus Christ, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-- the fruit of lips that confess his name."
Our praise should be regular and genuine spiritual activity, not sporadic and hollow.
3. Acts of Love.
(Phil 4:18) "I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God."
This is an unmistakable word to us as a church. Are we offering acceptable spiritual sacrifices to God?
Do we sing in the power of the Spirit according to the will of the Spirit as a manifestation of the Spirit of Christ?
Do I preach in the power of the Spirit, according to the will of the Spirit, as a manifestation of the Spirit of Christ?
Do we leave this place and live like Christ in the power of the Spirit, according to the will of the Spirit, as a manifestation of the Spirit of Christ?
CLOSE:
You and I are not isolated rocks, doing our own thing, disconnected from God and God's people. According to 1 Peter 2:5, we are part of something larger than ourselves. We are each an integral part of what God is building, a spiritual house.
The stones are meant to fit together (like my friend who built a fireplace).
We are more than an occasional gathering of individuals who happen to be in the same building at the same time. We are God's temple, His dwelling place. This is true of each of us (1 Co 6:19), but there is more of God to be known and enjoyed than may be expressed and experienced in isolation.
So, what kind of church are we? Are we imitating Christ in such a way that our church is an accurate representation of God in this community?
Is our worship acceptable to God or a mockery? Only holy priests make spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God.
Your attitude/ actions/ sins are never private matters. They affect all of us. There is no such thing as secret sin. You can never say, "I'm not hurting anybody else."
"Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ."
(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)
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