"God is Building His House – His Temple"
 I Peter 2:4-10

Peter is very methodical in his writing of this epistle as we are seeing a progression here of themes. He began with hope (1: 1-12) which leads to holiness (1:13-21) which leads to harmony (1:22-2:3). If we have been made holy, then we will live in harmony with the brethren.

To live in harmony with other brethren leads you to be involved in the spiritual house that God is building. We see this in 2:4-10. The house. We’ll actually speak more plainly next week about the house and its priest and people, but today I want to examine the house God is building.

God as always had a house in which to dwell. First, it was Adam. Then it was the Tabernacle followed by the magnificent Temple. Then it was the person of Jesus. Today God does not dwell in stone

Acts 7:48 However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands,

Hebrews 3:6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

Center of Judaism was the Temple in Jerusalem which was earthly, stone

Center of Christianity is a Temple in our hearts which is spirit.

I. The foundation on which God is building.

God is who Jesus says He is. For God’s building, Jesus is the cornerstone. Like a plumb line – the cornerstone set the direction lines for the building horizontally and vertically.

A. He is chosen by God.

He was chosen – ordained by God. "My beloved Son in who I am well pleased."

Verse 6 – elect

The cornerstone is the stone that was first set so it was carefully chosen.

B. He is very precious to God.

He was costly - precious – highly prized – rare – without equal.

If the cornerstone was wrong, everything else would be wrong. If it was off, everything else would be off. So you wanted the best, the most prized, the most precious and durable stone as the cornerstone.

C. He is perfectly fashioned.

Here Jesus is referred to as a Stone. Three OT passages refer to him as a stone. Isaiah 28: 16; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14

Stone fits perfectly – chiseled, hammered, sawed.

John 3: 16 "Only begotten of the Father." Unique – none other like Him. Unique.

For what God was doing, Jesus fit perfectly.

D. He is the very essence of what the house is about - life.

The definite article is missing here. Its "coming to living stone." The very essence of what he is – life.

II. The purpose of the house God is building.

The purpose of coming to Him is for spiritual worship.

- coming to Him because we have been invited and enabled

- but the word also refers to remaining (John 15:4-5, 7, 9-10)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

- The OT idea of drawing near to God was for continuing worship. Hebrews 10:1, 22

- The one who was far off but now draws near – like Gentile who were outside the covenant

Thus, our sense of being church is our coming near to Him – abiding in Him. Life does not come from without, but within. A church is not determined by a program or personality. It is the life within us.

III. The personal value to you of God’s building.

A. The value of experiencing life.

Because He is a living stone – you are also living stones.

B. The value of total trust in God.

The promise is that He is trustworthy – vs. 6. You will never be disappointed who put their trust in Christ.

Isaiah 28: 16 "will not be in a hurry." Interesting – you can linger near Christ with no fear. Total trust and being comfortable in Him.

C. The value of fulfilling your purpose.

Vs. 8 – "you were appointed."

Application:

1. Choose Jesus.

The essence of judgment is here simply because any place that the clear attributes of who Jesus is are exposed, there is always judgment. To choose the side of heads on a coin is to automatically to reject the side of tails.

He was rejected. He was examined but rejected. He did not live up to their calculations. As they were examining on how to build their lives, Jesus did not fit what they were looking for. But the judgment is not about Him, but you.

He was not rejected – they were. John 5:23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

John 5: 24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

John 12: 47-48 "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.

Isaiah 8: 14-15 predicted what is revealed in verses 8-9. Two word pictures is used to describe what the stone that God made the cornerstone becomes to those who reject Him. It is a "stone of stumbling" and a "rock of offense."

Stone of stumbling – a stone in the road that caused someone to trip and fall.

Rock of offense - A mass of rock like a cliff that could crush a man.

The point here is that if you "stumble" over Jesus it will result in a dreadful crash.

He is either your cornerstone (life by which everything else is measured) or a rock of offense (death). Choose this day between life or death.

Acts 4: 11-12 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

2. Build your life on the truth of Jesus and His word – vs. 8

3. Focus that the church is built on the person of Jesus