Growing Churches, Living Stones, and A Family of Families 1Peter2:1-8

You citizens of Heaven, naturalized by the ransom paid which freed you from your sin debt, the death of Jesus Christ in your place, since God has known you and chosen you and has, by the Holy Spirit, begun to make you holy like He is and has provided the power for obedience here (in this life) and a title to an inheritance in the “here-after;” since you now have the ability and the command to love one another; since this good news has been proclaimed (gospelled) to you, do not just pretend to be good. Use the word of God to be built up ... into workmanship that increasingly displays the image and glory of God ... into ministers who more and more perfectly depend on Jesus and therefore progressively conform to His plan for you and those you encounter ... and into a family of families who becoming famous by making God, their Father famous.

GROWING CHURCHES

To whom the letter is written: chapter 1 verse 1; chapter 5 verse 1 - churches as well as individual believers must desire to grow.

• Purified lives. Without:

  • malice (1Corinthian5:1-8) Be intolerant of sin. 1Cor 5 There is fornication among you...

  • deceitfulness (2Corinthians12:16-17) Don't just court the rich or talented. 2Cor 12 Paul says feciously, I caught you with guile.. but I did not make a profit off of you.

  • hypocrisy Don't be fake.

  • envy (Job5:2) Wrath kills the foolish but envy slays the silly one Don't try to stay ahead of the folks down the street.

  • Backbiting/evil speaking (Romans1:28-32) among list of evils – backbiting When you grumble, you grumble against God.

• Pure nourishment.

  • Unadulterated/sincere – without mixture of untruth

  Like a baby – When you get hungry, eat. Carry food. Redeeming time Eph 5:15-16 dont walk like fools – Redeem the time. Don't let a Mexican Doctor or Plumber or gardener take your time and opportunities captive.

• Piquant grace. (Psalm34:8) O Taste and see that the lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him The Lord's grace given to you is good and good to you and good for you.
  

LIVING STONES

• Jesus, the Stone – lithos – a carved/shaped/building stone who is the foundation and who sets the angles for all building. Ephesians 2:20-21 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

  • Living – quality of life and character of Jesus

    • living for ever and giving life

  • Rejected by men

    • Refuse to accept His standard/angles – 10 Commandments instead disobey and call it “normal”

    • Refuse to acknowledge His value – instead take credit to yourself

    • Refuse to build upon Jesus – instead plan to approach God in your own righteousness

    • Refuse to rest on Him rather than yourself (believer)

  • Choice and precious in the sight of God (Matthew3:17) This is my beloved Son (Isaiah28:16=1Peter2:6)

    • Peter preached the perfection of Jesus - Acts2:22; 2:32; 4:10-12

• Believers become living stones

  • Coming to Jesus in faith to share His life. Colossians3:3 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

  • United with Jesus as stones in His house. Ephesians2:19-22 see above

  • The household of God, which is the church of the living God 1Timothy 3:15 (house, family, home, household) know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth

HOLY PRIESTS A Family of Families

• God-chosen 1Peter2:9 - Some who were not chosen by God but who decided to act as priests - Numbers 16:1-40 = Korah; 1Samuel 13:8-14 = King Saul; 2Chronicles 26:16-21 King Uzziah
  

• God-cleansed Leviticus 8:6-36 / Titus 2:14; 3:5 2:15 Jesus redeems us from all iniquity and purifies us 3:5 Not by works of righteousness, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
  

• God-clothed Exodus 28:40-43 / Romans 13:14 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill it lusts

• God-commissioned to offer sacrifices Exodus 29:10-19 / v.5

  • Yourself Romans12:1-2 Present your bodies a living sacrifice

  • Praise/worship Hebrews 13:15 By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

  • Doing good and sharing Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate(KJV = share) forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

  • Sinners reconciled to God Romans 15:15-16 ...the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable...

  • Love for one another Ephesians 5;1-2 be followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.

  • Prayer Revelation 8:3-4 Read it

Have you accepted or rejected the Living Stone?

Are you intent on growing?

Are you being built into a spiritual dwelling of God?

Do you live as a priest who can dwell in the house of the Lord forever... who feasts at a table spread for you in the presence of Holy God through the sacrificial death of Jesus which atones for your sin?