- August 12, 2020
To all the saints of Grace Baptist Church of Dallas, Oregon
Greetings in the mighty and merciful name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
A number of our people are out on vacations—going to see friends and relatives; or to just get away for a while. My wife and I are also looking to take a vacation soon, we hope. She has about 4 weeks of radiation therapy ahead of her, and has now completed her third session. When she is done, we hope to get away and rest. In the meantime, we are so appreciative of those who signed up to bring a dinner by our home. That is really sweet. And it helps me since dinners have fallen on me during this period. The Body of Christ is known for its kindness toward one another, carrying out the Bible’s command to care for one another and bear each other’s burdens. I think I am one of the most fortunate pastors in the country, and I really feel blessed being here. This month I begin my 18th year, and I am so amazed at how the time has flown by. I pray for this church every day, asking God for direction, compassion, blessings and assistance for our people. Thank you for being a part of it.
With the political frenzy kicking into high gear as we approach the November election I thought it would be good to remind ourselves just who we are according to the Bible. We can lose sight in the midst of the heated partisan vitriol. Our citizenship is ultimately in heaven and we need to be acting and thinking accordingly. So let’s consider what the Apostle Peter had to say toward the end of his ministry. You’ll recall that when Jesus was arrested by the authorities that he took out his sword and was ready to defend the Lord. In the process he cut off a guy’s ear. I wonder how he felt when Jesus told him to put his sword away and then He healed the guy’s ear? It was an exercise in futility. In all of this we can see that Peter had on his mind an earthly kingdom—and earlier that night he had be arguing over who would be the greatest in it. No doubt he thought he was a candidate for that position—and maybe the sword attack would clinch it? But, there was much for Peter to learn—and he did. There is much more for me to learn, and us, as well. Let’s go now to Peter 2:4-10.
“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.”
First off we see Jesus portrayed as the Living Stone. The very stone that was rejected by humans, and the nation of Israel. To me, I’m reminded of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2. In that chapter you will recall that the King had dreamed of a great statue made out of all kinds of precious metals. And while the King was watching, “A rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the earth,” Daniel 2:34-35. That stone represents Christ laying waste all the kingdoms of the earth and becoming a huge mountain that fills the earth. The little kingdoms of mankind will look small and pathetic in light of the Kingdom of God. They will all confess one day that Jesus is Lord. Understanding this the hymn: “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” takes on a whole new meaning.
But then Peter goes on to teach that we are like living stones. No doubt we are a chip off the old block. Christ is now dwelling in us and we are His people who are called to carry out His work in the world. And these stones are not to be separate. No, they are being built (present tense) into a spiritual house. God has called us to work together. In the anatomy of a house, a roof isn’t much good without walls. Neither are walls much good without a foundation. A house is tied together and it only makes sense in the context of the whole. But then, Peter changes the imagery a bit—going from a house to a holy priesthood. This speaks of a brotherhood called by God to do something. And what are they to do? This brotherhood is to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In other words it is Christ in us (as living stones) that are joined together (into a spiritual house) that qualifies us to be priests (holy ones at that) who can then offer the appropriate spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God. It is Christ in us, doing His work through us that is acceptable to God.
Peter then quotes Scripture to make his point about Jesus being this stone. First Peter goes to Isa. 28:16. The point here is that this stone is precious to God. And in 1 Peter 2:7 we see that this Stone is also precious to us who believe. This Stone represents our life and joy. But to those who do not believe it is just another old stone that isn’t worth much. In fact it is rejected. And Peter illustrates this fact be another Scripture, this time going to Psalm 118:22. So we shouldn’t be surprised when people reject Jesus and His people because this fulfills the Scripture. Then in verse 8, Peter alludes to another Scripture, Isaiah 8:14, that reinforces that fact that this rejected Stone is going to do something. This Stone will cause people to stumble and fall. Why do they stumble and fall? Simply because they disobey the message about Christ. They reject Him and so in the end will they also be rejected. I think that is sad. I would like everyone to embrace Jesus and put their trust in Him. But they won’t. The Bible says that in the end they were destined for a fall which refers to eternal destruction.
When we come to verse 9, the Apostle reminds us about who we are. (Those who believe in Jesus.) He identifies four things. The first is that we are a chosen people. This is a good thing because personally I would not want to be one of the ones destined to fall. God made a choice, and He chose you, and me, and every believer who has ever put their trust in the “Rock of Ages.” In Ephesians we are told that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight,” Eph. 1:4. I think it is a good thing that God chose me before the foundation of the world, because if He would have waited until now He might have changed His mindJ The Israelites were always referred to as “God’s chosen people,” but here we see that it has to do with those who have placed their trust in Jesus.
We are also called a royal priesthood. Now that is something, because royal refers to royalty. We aren’t just any kind of priest—we are “royal priests.” A priest is someone who represents God to the people, and also represents the people to God. As a designated official, they were to carry out the rituals prescribed by God in order for God to accept the people. Jesus became our Great High Priest. He prayed for us, He represented God to us. And finally Jesus sacrificed Himself for us to bring us to God. Since He is crowned King of kings, and Lord of lords… He is the most “royal” of all. Therefore, since we are chosen by Him and redeemed by Him and have become coheirs with Him—we now become together with Him a “royal priesthood.”
Thirdly, Peter uses the analogy of “a holy nation.” In the account of Moses, in Exodus, God set out to call the children of Israel out of Egypt to become His holy nation. A people set apart by God. They were slaves in Egypt, but now they had a new designation of becoming a free people set apart to serve God. In the same way believers now have a new King, and a new nation—the Kingdom of God. They are known as those who were called out to become this new entity. One day all the nations of the earth will perish—as we saw in Daniel 2, replaced by a mountain. We are a part of that kingdom even now and we look forward to our Rock to become a mountain that fills the whole earth.
You see, we are God’s special possession. The idea here is that we are to God: exceptionally good or precious to Him. Why? Because we were lost, but Jesus found us. We were blind, but now we can see… all because of God’s amazing grace. We are not our own. The Bible says that we have been bought with a price. And that price was the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He purchased our salvation, and that purchase defines how special we are to God.
As God’s special possession we are supposed to do something according to verse 10. We are to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Imagine that! We, the chosen people of God, who are a royal priesthood together; forming a holy nation, are to declare God’s praises. Why? Because He called us out of darkness, bondage, blindness, and certain death and destruction—into His wonderful light. We went from death to life; from bondage to freedom; from darkness to light all because of God’s mercy. We didn’t deserve it. God did it! He says He will show mercy to whom He will show mercy, (Exodus 33:19) and praise God He showed it to us through Jesus Christ. When we come together in Christ, let us not forget to sing His praises well. When we are representing Christ in the world—let us declare His praises to any and all who will listen. Jesus came to seek and save the lost—and He has called us to assist Him in this great work. I love to tell the story. Don’t you?
Now in verse 10 Peter summarizes this up. Simply, “Once we were not a people.” That is true. We were lost and without God in the world. We weren’t part of any enduring people group. Sinners all, each going our own way. But now, through what Christ has done, we ARE the people of God. Going from nobody to somebody in the time it takes to trust in Jesus Christ as Lord of our life. Before, we hadn’t received mercy! Jesus says in John 3:17-18, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, (why?) because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Jesus is God’s mercy, and if you don’t receive Him there will be no mercy for those who reject Him. Of course if you have believed Jesus and put your trust in Him—then you have received mercy. How much mercy? A ton! Unimaginable mercy! You have crossed over from death to life essentially. Now you are redeemed and a member of God’s chosen people; royal priesthood; holy nation, and God’s special possession. If that is the case, then we have some praises to declare, don’t you think?
In the words of H. Ernest Nichol,
“We’ve a story to tell to the nations That shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy, A story of peace and light, A story of peace and light.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning, And the dawning to noon-day bright,
And Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth, The kingdom of love and light.”
Benediction:
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:10-11
Pastor Russ Hilsinger
Grace Baptist Church of Dallas, OR
P.S. I pray the Lord will keep you all well during this pandemic. May you be filled with joy when you are able to return to worshipping with the Body of Christ. Until then, keep declaring His praises wherever you can.