WEBVTT 00:00:01.569 --> 00:00:06.250 Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we're thankful 00:00:06.250 --> 00:00:08.330 to be your children. We're thankful to be under 00:00:08.330 --> 00:00:10.769 your care. We're thankful for all that you've 00:00:10.769 --> 00:00:13.310 done in our lives and all of the opportunities 00:00:13.310 --> 00:00:16.289 that you give us to be useful in your service. 00:00:17.489 --> 00:00:20.570 We ask now that you would own this time for your 00:00:20.570 --> 00:00:24.309 glory and our good, that you'd enable us to hear 00:00:24.309 --> 00:00:27.530 and apply the word to ourselves, that you'd remove 00:00:27.530 --> 00:00:30.780 all distractions. that you would enable me to 00:00:30.780 --> 00:00:33.280 speak the word of God and only the word of God, 00:00:33.460 --> 00:00:35.420 all the word of God that you've given me through 00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:38.899 the week, that I would hold back nothing and 00:00:38.899 --> 00:00:43.039 I would add nothing to it. We ask for the lost 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:45.140 Father that they might be found of you today, 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:47.659 that this would be the day of salvation for some 00:00:47.659 --> 00:00:50.759 of your people who are yet in their sins. Help 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:57.170 them. We ask it all in Christ's name. Well, we're 00:00:57.170 --> 00:00:59.829 going to be looking at a couple of verses, passages 00:00:59.829 --> 00:01:03.969 this morning. Hopefully you got the email earlier 00:01:03.969 --> 00:01:06.890 in the week that listed them out and have an 00:01:06.890 --> 00:01:10.150 opportunity to read them ahead of time, look 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.950 them over perhaps. But we're going to begin in 00:01:13.950 --> 00:01:18.450 Acts chapter 2 this morning. We're looking at 00:01:18.450 --> 00:01:26.650 the church, continuing the journey. So you remember 00:01:26.650 --> 00:01:31.250 this is the day of Pentecost that Jesus has promised 00:01:31.250 --> 00:01:33.769 his disciples that they would receive another 00:01:33.769 --> 00:01:37.530 comforter after he leaves them. He's told them 00:01:37.530 --> 00:01:44.370 to go to Jerusalem and wait until that comforter 00:01:44.370 --> 00:01:48.109 comes when they will receive power from on high. 00:01:50.030 --> 00:01:52.870 And lo and behold what the Lord said was true, 00:01:52.890 --> 00:01:57.349 they did. but spirit was poured out, they received 00:01:57.349 --> 00:02:00.930 exactly what they needed, and they became bold 00:02:00.930 --> 00:02:05.069 men for the glory of God, for the soul of the 00:02:05.069 --> 00:02:10.069 lost, proclamators of the great gospel of God. 00:02:10.129 --> 00:02:12.669 So that's what happened on the day of Pentecost. 00:02:13.729 --> 00:02:17.889 And so as a result of all of those goings on, 00:02:18.509 --> 00:02:21.210 and of course as we learned last week, the Lord 00:02:21.210 --> 00:02:24.990 brought a whole ton people that he had prepared 00:02:24.990 --> 00:02:30.110 to hear the gospel to that gathering in Pentecost. 00:02:30.930 --> 00:02:37.090 And so we read then in verse 41, they that gladly 00:02:37.090 --> 00:02:40.169 received his word were baptized and the same 00:02:40.169 --> 00:02:43.750 day there were added unto them about 3 ,000 souls. 00:02:45.009 --> 00:02:47.849 And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles 00:02:47.849 --> 00:02:50.650 doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread 00:02:50.650 --> 00:02:54.580 and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul, 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:58.419 and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 00:02:59.259 --> 00:03:02.020 And all that believed were together, and had 00:03:02.020 --> 00:03:05.280 all things common, and sold their possessions 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:08.819 and goods, and parted them to all men as every 00:03:08.819 --> 00:03:12.800 man had need. And they, continuing daily with 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:16.360 one accord in the temple, and breaking bread 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:19.300 from house to house, did eat their meat with 00:03:19.300 --> 00:03:22.889 gladness and singleness of heart. praising God 00:03:22.889 --> 00:03:25.990 and having favor with all the people. And the 00:03:25.990 --> 00:03:29.030 Lord added to the church daily such as should 00:03:29.030 --> 00:03:32.389 be saved. So it's just a little snapshot here 00:03:32.389 --> 00:03:37.569 of the result of the gospel and what exactly 00:03:37.569 --> 00:03:42.590 did transpire. Multitudes were saved. Now, again, 00:03:43.409 --> 00:03:47.629 that was a special day. And the Lord was working 00:03:47.629 --> 00:03:51.080 to encourage these apostles that the Preaching 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:54.060 of the Gospel was, in fact, the thing that God 00:03:54.060 --> 00:03:57.340 was going to use to bring men to Himself. So 00:03:57.340 --> 00:04:00.039 you would expect that a large number of people 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:02.419 would have been saved, and that's exactly what 00:04:02.419 --> 00:04:04.759 did happen under the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:08.039 The Word was preached and the authority of the 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:11.400 Holy Spirit and men gladly received it, because 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:14.199 they were prepared by the same Holy Spirit to 00:04:14.199 --> 00:04:17.839 receive it. So it's the beginning of the Church. 00:04:18.500 --> 00:04:22.709 Some thousands were saved. And it tells us what 00:04:22.709 --> 00:04:27.269 they did. And we looked at this somewhat a couple 00:04:27.269 --> 00:04:31.850 of weeks ago, and so today we're just going to 00:04:31.850 --> 00:04:34.350 mention just a couple of things. But they did 00:04:34.350 --> 00:04:38.189 continue steadfastly in all the teaching of the 00:04:38.189 --> 00:04:42.769 apostles and the fellowship. Fellowship with 00:04:42.769 --> 00:04:46.990 God, with the apostles, with each other, the 00:04:46.990 --> 00:04:50.790 breaking of bread. The Lord's Supper, as we now 00:04:50.790 --> 00:04:57.009 call it, and in prayers. And fear came upon every 00:04:57.009 --> 00:05:01.389 soul. Many wonders and signs were done by the 00:05:01.389 --> 00:05:04.490 apostles. And all that believed were together 00:05:04.490 --> 00:05:09.529 and had all things common. So I want to make 00:05:09.529 --> 00:05:12.529 clear this is not a political statement. They're 00:05:12.529 --> 00:05:16.480 not talking about an economic system. In other 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:19.579 words, capitalism is not in view here as a form 00:05:19.579 --> 00:05:24.959 of economic government, nor is communism or socialism 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:28.639 in view here of what we're reading here. What 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:31.699 is in view is the love of God shed abroad in 00:05:31.699 --> 00:05:35.480 the hearts of these new converts to share what 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:39.720 they have with others. It's not compulsion, it's 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:45.110 not taxation, it's none of those things. It is 00:05:45.110 --> 00:05:49.129 an outpouring of love one to another. They cared. 00:05:50.170 --> 00:05:53.610 Did these people, did they know each other? I 00:05:53.610 --> 00:05:55.389 mean, there's a lot of things here that we could 00:05:55.389 --> 00:05:57.430 speculate. We don't really know anything about 00:05:57.430 --> 00:05:59.790 these thousands of people that were brought together, 00:05:59.790 --> 00:06:02.129 but we do know that they had a love for one another 00:06:02.129 --> 00:06:06.269 that allowed them to call what they had not their 00:06:06.269 --> 00:06:10.689 own. But it was God's, because it was God who 00:06:10.689 --> 00:06:14.519 has given them that what they have. So they willingly 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:18.439 shared what they had with one another. So we're 00:06:18.439 --> 00:06:21.139 not looking at a compulsory thing. We're not 00:06:21.139 --> 00:06:24.660 looking at something that should be done continually, 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:27.439 all over, everywhere. We're looking at what happened 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.600 on this special day when the Spirit was poured 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.899 out and the love of God abounded in these people's 00:06:33.899 --> 00:06:36.959 lives and they expressed that love that they 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:41.620 had received from God by giving that love one 00:06:41.620 --> 00:06:46.110 to another. So that's the lesson for us. What 00:06:46.110 --> 00:06:52.910 are we? How are we considering one another? Are 00:06:52.910 --> 00:07:02.209 we family? Are we loved ones? How is it that 00:07:02.209 --> 00:07:05.149 we view ourselves? And how is it that we view 00:07:05.149 --> 00:07:07.670 ourselves in the midst of all these other people? 00:07:09.230 --> 00:07:11.529 Are we the least of the saints when we think 00:07:11.529 --> 00:07:16.589 of ourselves? Are we the ones who possibly could 00:07:16.589 --> 00:07:19.589 help somebody else? Are we the ones that need 00:07:19.589 --> 00:07:25.170 help? Somehow, you know, they had to know who 00:07:25.170 --> 00:07:30.370 needed what. So as a sharing of information about 00:07:30.370 --> 00:07:33.569 themselves and about one another, gladly receiving 00:07:33.569 --> 00:07:37.629 it, gladly helping, that's the Church, folks. 00:07:37.810 --> 00:07:40.089 That's just, you know, this is the beginning. 00:07:40.540 --> 00:07:43.279 So it's very fitting that the Lord would put 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:49.000 this in the very beginning of His Church. The 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:51.079 love of God should have brought in our hearts 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:55.420 should enable us to love one another and be willing 00:07:55.420 --> 00:07:58.899 to give of ourselves for the benefit of each 00:07:58.899 --> 00:08:07.839 other. So, I'm going to continue on then in 1 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:25.800 Peter. Now here we have a picture of the church, 00:08:26.060 --> 00:08:29.819 lo and behold. It's a picture of the church. 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:35.460 And we'll read these first three verses first 00:08:35.460 --> 00:08:43.679 in 1 Peter chapter 2. So we read, Wherefore, 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:48.159 laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:52.549 and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn 00:08:52.549 --> 00:08:55.870 babes desire the sincere milk of the word that 00:08:55.870 --> 00:08:59.750 ye may grow thereby. If so, be it ye have tasted 00:08:59.750 --> 00:09:04.110 that the Lord is gracious." All right, so he's 00:09:04.110 --> 00:09:09.409 writing to a church here. And it's evident that 00:09:09.409 --> 00:09:13.309 he doesn't just assume everybody that he's writing 00:09:13.309 --> 00:09:19.269 to is a Christian. Did you get that? He says, 00:09:19.370 --> 00:09:23.309 if you have tasted. that the Lord is gracious. 00:09:24.190 --> 00:09:27.309 These things apply to you, then, if you have 00:09:27.309 --> 00:09:32.470 had this taste, implying that if you have this 00:09:32.470 --> 00:09:37.509 taste, you will desire more. You'll desire the 00:09:37.509 --> 00:09:40.690 pure milk of the word if you have tasted that 00:09:40.690 --> 00:09:44.690 the Lord is gracious. If you've never tasted 00:09:44.690 --> 00:09:46.990 that the Lord is gracious, you have no taste 00:09:46.990 --> 00:09:49.750 for the Lord himself. That's all. That's what 00:09:49.750 --> 00:09:58.860 he's saying. Don't miss it. It's a very meaningful 00:09:58.860 --> 00:10:06.379 description of the church. In other words, coming 00:10:06.379 --> 00:10:10.919 to church doesn't save you. Thousands of people 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:13.279 come to church every Sunday and they're as lost 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:19.840 as my dog. Don't forget it. There's only one 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:22.299 way of salvation and it's sure not walking through 00:10:22.299 --> 00:10:28.279 the building called a church building. So if 00:10:28.279 --> 00:10:32.340 you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, you 00:10:32.340 --> 00:10:40.440 have this desire as newborn babes to devour the 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:45.379 milk of the word of God and to grow. Christians 00:10:45.379 --> 00:10:48.720 are always maturing. They're always growing. 00:10:50.059 --> 00:10:53.059 That's what he's saying. When do you ever become 00:10:53.059 --> 00:10:55.720 mature? Well, you become mature, but you never 00:10:55.720 --> 00:11:02.139 stop growing. It's not like you become a so -called 00:11:02.139 --> 00:11:06.440 teenager and you stop your growing. It's not 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:10.000 like that. You become a teenager and you want 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:13.370 to grow more. And you become an old man like 00:11:13.370 --> 00:11:17.210 me and you're still after God to grow more. You're 00:11:17.210 --> 00:11:20.070 still after usefulness. You still want to know 00:11:20.070 --> 00:11:23.409 and experience more. That's just the way it is. 00:11:23.610 --> 00:11:27.509 Or that's the way that it should be. I know we 00:11:27.509 --> 00:11:29.870 have ups and downs and all of that. You know 00:11:29.870 --> 00:11:34.149 all that too. But the overall tenor of our lives 00:11:34.149 --> 00:11:36.889 is one after striving after growth. So that we 00:11:36.889 --> 00:11:41.149 can know and experience God more and more. After 00:11:41.149 --> 00:11:43.169 all, we're being prepared for heaven, are we 00:11:43.169 --> 00:11:47.129 not? We're leaving all this stuff behind, right? 00:11:48.169 --> 00:11:50.629 Everything that occupies our minds and our hearts 00:11:50.629 --> 00:11:53.250 and our emotions now, we're leaving all that. 00:11:56.470 --> 00:12:00.409 Is that going to be a glorious thing? It sure 00:12:00.409 --> 00:12:03.409 is. Hopefully you realize it. When you leave 00:12:03.409 --> 00:12:06.049 this whole earthly toys behind, you're going 00:12:06.049 --> 00:12:09.700 to go even further on with the Lord. You're going 00:12:09.700 --> 00:12:13.200 to experience more of them than you ever could 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:20.519 have this side of the river. And then we're told 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:23.679 here also that what? We're supposed to lay aside. 00:12:25.080 --> 00:12:29.179 We're supposed to lay aside malice, guile, hypocrisies, 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:31.919 envies, and evil speaking. Is that what the verse 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:39.110 says? No. It says all. In this one little verse, 00:12:39.129 --> 00:12:43.990 we've got three alls. We're not to lay aside 00:12:43.990 --> 00:12:48.269 some of these things. We're to lay aside all 00:12:48.269 --> 00:12:53.149 of these things. Again, the battle's long and 00:12:53.149 --> 00:12:56.309 it's hard and it goes on and on. But that's what 00:12:56.309 --> 00:12:58.549 we're called to. We're called to the battle. 00:12:59.710 --> 00:13:02.990 We're called to lay all of these sins aside and 00:13:02.990 --> 00:13:08.210 not just these, but any. Obviously... The apostle 00:13:08.210 --> 00:13:13.970 couldn't list every single sin here. So we're 00:13:13.970 --> 00:13:17.269 to get the idea that it's pretty important for 00:13:17.269 --> 00:13:22.110 us to strive after holiness. The Lord is holy. 00:13:23.830 --> 00:13:27.669 We are supposed to be His children. Children 00:13:27.669 --> 00:13:30.149 take on the characteristics of their fathers 00:13:30.149 --> 00:13:36.490 or their parents. normally wind up too far from 00:13:36.490 --> 00:13:44.470 the tree. All sin is to be shunned, to be put 00:13:44.470 --> 00:13:51.470 aside. So those are wonderful things. Hopefully 00:13:51.470 --> 00:13:54.370 you can receive them as wonderful things. The 00:13:54.370 --> 00:13:57.070 Lord didn't tell us to put sin aside if we couldn't 00:13:57.070 --> 00:14:01.669 do it. Right? Hopefully you're bothered by sin. 00:14:02.090 --> 00:14:09.429 I know I am. I want to put it all aside. And 00:14:09.429 --> 00:14:12.230 again, when we cross the river, it will be all. 00:14:13.029 --> 00:14:20.710 Sin will be aside. This side is the battle. Okay, 00:14:20.830 --> 00:14:23.230 so there's more good news. There's a more glorious 00:14:23.230 --> 00:14:27.629 description here of the church. But that's, I 00:14:27.629 --> 00:14:32.379 mean, that's pretty good. That's a wonderful 00:14:32.379 --> 00:14:35.519 group to be associated with, is it not? That's 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:39.220 a wonderful thing, that you can have good, intimate 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:42.279 fellowship with people who are all striving after 00:14:42.279 --> 00:14:47.039 the same thing. All people who are all indwelt 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:51.220 by the Holy Spirit of God. People who have tasted 00:14:51.220 --> 00:14:55.320 that the Lord is gracious. Is God good to us? 00:14:56.039 --> 00:14:59.220 He doesn't call us to be alone. He doesn't call 00:14:59.220 --> 00:15:02.879 us to go through this life alone He calls us 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:07.379 to go through this life together Together as 00:15:07.379 --> 00:15:12.960 his body Now this this is that's great, and this 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:18.000 is even better, so I'm going to read I'm going 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:21.779 to read the parts of this description of the 00:15:21.779 --> 00:15:25.299 church that pertain to Jesus Christ primarily 00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:29.980 So in other words, I'm skipping verse five and 00:15:29.980 --> 00:15:35.600 I'm skipping Well, I'm gonna read through five 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:43.000 four through eight But not verse five To whom 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:46.679 coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:50.840 of men but chosen of God and precious who also 00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:55.990 is Is contained in the scripture behold I lay 00:15:55.990 --> 00:15:59.929 in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, 00:16:00.289 --> 00:16:04.049 and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 00:16:05.330 --> 00:16:08.789 Unto you, therefore, which believe, he is precious. 00:16:09.549 --> 00:16:12.629 But unto them which be disobedient, the stone 00:16:12.629 --> 00:16:16.450 which the builders disallowed, the same is made 00:16:16.450 --> 00:16:19.909 the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, 00:16:20.370 --> 00:16:23.740 and a rock of a fence. even to them that stumble 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:28.399 at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:33.799 they were appointed." Now that's talking all 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:37.500 about the Lord Jesus Christ. And you noticed, 00:16:37.740 --> 00:16:40.159 maybe you didn't notice, but there's three Precious 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:44.440 in there. The Lord is called Precious three times. 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:48.000 So that's the first thing that we can notice. 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:50.879 The second thing we notice is that He's a cornerstone. 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:55.039 He's the cornerstone of the building He's the 00:16:55.039 --> 00:17:04.940 cornerstone of the foundation So really those 00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:10.039 that's enough That's the church folks Christ 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:13.640 Christ is in his church Christ is building his 00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:16.740 church That's a description of the church that 00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:20.369 I just read to you The church is full of people 00:17:20.369 --> 00:17:23.569 who will not be confounded, who will not be ashamed, 00:17:23.730 --> 00:17:27.450 who will not be disappointed in their chosen, 00:17:27.990 --> 00:17:32.650 appointed, precious head of the church, the Lord 00:17:32.650 --> 00:17:37.829 Jesus Christ. That's who should fill up the church. 00:17:39.529 --> 00:17:41.710 So in other words, we see that there's some people 00:17:41.710 --> 00:17:43.970 that don't, right? They were disobedient. They 00:17:43.970 --> 00:17:46.549 don't believe the Word. They don't pay any attention 00:17:46.549 --> 00:17:53.099 to the Word. And they're not in the church. They're 00:17:53.099 --> 00:17:57.059 doomed. As all men are apart from Christ. As 00:17:57.059 --> 00:17:59.339 we would be if we were out of Christ. They're 00:17:59.339 --> 00:18:03.339 doomed. They're destined for hell. That's all. 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:07.519 There's two types of people in the world. There's 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:10.940 those who believe and there's those who don't. 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:15.039 And they are appointed to both of those destinations. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:19.279 The scriptures make it clear. Not my word, but 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:24.920 God's So he said he's the cornerstone we all 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:27.519 know hopefully we all know that the cornerstone 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:30.160 of the foundation is the most important thing 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:34.740 It's the basic beginning element of the building 00:18:34.740 --> 00:18:40.400 Everything must align with the cornerstone If 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:42.700 you're not in alignment with the cornerstone 00:18:42.700 --> 00:18:49.940 the building will collapse It won't stand You'll 00:18:49.940 --> 00:18:54.839 have the stones all out of order, all out of 00:18:54.839 --> 00:19:05.160 joint. Do you get the idea here without even 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:12.960 me having to tell you? Christians are those who 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:18.970 are in alignment with Christ. They're stones. 00:19:19.150 --> 00:19:23.430 They're not bricks. You never see it in the Bible 00:19:23.430 --> 00:19:27.529 talking about bricks. Why? Because stones are 00:19:27.529 --> 00:19:31.569 unique. They're not all the same. They don't 00:19:31.569 --> 00:19:34.009 all look the same. They don't have the same shape. 00:19:34.450 --> 00:19:37.950 They're not the same colors. They're unique in 00:19:37.950 --> 00:19:42.269 and of themselves. But they're not so unique 00:19:42.269 --> 00:19:45.410 that they can stand on themselves. They have 00:19:45.410 --> 00:19:49.400 to be polished. They have to be knocked off. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.839 Those sharp edges, the rough edges have to be 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:56.779 smoothed over to be made into this house. That's 00:19:56.779 --> 00:19:59.680 the same thing he's talking about growing, desiring 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:05.160 the milk, wanting more. So we're Christians and 00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:08.880 we're being built, it says, into a house. And 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:11.680 Christ is doing that work also through the power 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:15.640 of His Holy Spirit. He's knocking off our rough 00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:18.359 edges. He's polishing us up. He's aligning us 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.680 with Christ more and more. The house is going 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:27.480 up. The Christians are united, aligned with Christ. 00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:30.539 We're in agreement with Christ, in other words. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:35.180 We want this building. We want this knocking 00:20:35.180 --> 00:20:41.900 off of our rough edges. Hopefully I don't have 00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:48.140 any sharp edges anymore. But I got some edges 00:20:48.140 --> 00:20:52.400 that have been knocked several times. But they're 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.640 still not quite there. How do I know that? Because 00:20:55.640 --> 00:21:01.960 I'm alive. Do you know that you have sharp edges 00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:07.339 that need to be smoothed over? Are you counting 00:21:07.339 --> 00:21:09.799 on the Lord to do that work through the power 00:21:09.799 --> 00:21:13.430 of the Spirit? conforming you more and more to 00:21:13.430 --> 00:21:17.650 Christ, aligning you with the cornerstone? That's 00:21:17.650 --> 00:21:20.809 what we're about. That's what the church is about. 00:21:25.289 --> 00:21:28.190 How does God do it? Well, He does it in any number 00:21:28.190 --> 00:21:32.210 of wonderful ways. He can do it while you're 00:21:32.210 --> 00:21:34.549 sitting in your study, or your chair, or wherever, 00:21:34.589 --> 00:21:37.509 reading a word. And He can bring it to your mind. 00:21:37.849 --> 00:21:41.599 He can use people. He can use discipline. He 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:46.960 can use sickness. He can use calamity. He can 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:51.420 use prosperity. He uses all manner of things, 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:54.859 but he is accomplishing his purposes in his people. 00:21:57.180 --> 00:22:00.059 He is fulfilling his promises. He is fulfilling 00:22:00.059 --> 00:22:05.220 his word. He's bringing it to pass. It may be 00:22:05.220 --> 00:22:10.759 imperceptible at times. As slow moving as it 00:22:10.759 --> 00:22:16.279 is, it is moving. We are being conformed to Christ. 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:22.299 Now that's a glorious thing, folks. And that's 00:22:22.299 --> 00:22:26.740 how we can rejoice in suffering. We can rejoice 00:22:26.740 --> 00:22:32.680 when we have setbacks. Because it's going to 00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:35.599 bring us closer to Jesus Christ. It's going to 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:41.619 make us more like Him. That's what it says. And 00:22:41.619 --> 00:22:44.960 it says he's precious. He's precious to God, 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:52.119 and he's precious to his people. Is he? You have 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:57.440 to answer. He's extremely precious to me. Or 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:01.720 is he precious to you? If we're just comparing 00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:04.259 it to earthly things, do you have any earthly 00:23:04.259 --> 00:23:10.539 things to you that are precious? I mean, our 00:23:10.539 --> 00:23:15.480 kids, do we say they're precious? If you're a 00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:20.720 kid, do you call your parents precious? Probably 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:25.500 not, but you should. Well, in other words, what 00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:29.440 do we do? Do we just ignore those things that 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:33.809 are precious? Do we try to... remain as close 00:23:33.809 --> 00:23:36.589 to them as we can? Do we try to impart as much 00:23:36.589 --> 00:23:39.829 wisdom as we can? Do we love them, in other words? 00:23:40.269 --> 00:23:44.289 Do we get into their world and relate to them? 00:23:44.910 --> 00:23:48.269 Preciousness. They're precious to us. We don't 00:23:48.269 --> 00:23:51.109 need to even hardly be talked about. We have 00:23:51.109 --> 00:23:54.309 to normally, this is a normal case, you have 00:23:54.309 --> 00:23:57.569 to be discouraged from counting your children 00:23:57.569 --> 00:24:03.009 precious. Because you're overestimating it. You're 00:24:03.009 --> 00:24:07.390 spending too much time with it. That's the normal 00:24:07.390 --> 00:24:13.650 course of events in young families. But you can 00:24:13.650 --> 00:24:18.650 never say that about Jesus Christ. He is precious. 00:24:21.549 --> 00:24:27.049 He's beyond measure precious. You can't possibly 00:24:27.049 --> 00:24:30.049 devote too much time and energy to the Lord Jesus 00:24:30.049 --> 00:24:35.490 Christ if He's precious to you. The only thing 00:24:35.490 --> 00:24:40.789 you can do is not spend enough time with your 00:24:40.789 --> 00:24:47.269 precious one. That's the danger. You can get 00:24:47.269 --> 00:24:50.269 so tangled up in today's affairs that He leaves 00:24:50.269 --> 00:24:52.609 your mind. You don't even give Him a thought. 00:24:55.500 --> 00:24:59.579 He's precious. He's precious to God. He's fulfilled 00:24:59.579 --> 00:25:04.539 God's plan of salvation the gospel He's the head 00:25:04.539 --> 00:25:10.660 the cornerstone of the church He's the only faithful 00:25:10.660 --> 00:25:15.900 church member folks The rest of us fall far short 00:25:15.900 --> 00:25:20.440 But he is a member of the church. He's here with 00:25:20.440 --> 00:25:25.130 us right now. Do you believe it? He knows what 00:25:25.130 --> 00:25:30.009 you're thinking right now. Isn't that amazing? 00:25:33.089 --> 00:25:38.650 That's how close He is. He's ready. He's receiving 00:25:38.650 --> 00:25:44.890 our worship. Or He's offended, if I can use that 00:25:44.890 --> 00:25:52.240 word, at our lack of worship. He's precious. 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:55.539 He's precious to all of us who know Him. All 00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:59.140 of us who have tasted that God is gracious. All 00:25:59.140 --> 00:26:03.359 of us who are trusting Him alone for our salvation. 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:07.019 Are trusting that indeed He will do what He said 00:26:07.019 --> 00:26:09.440 He was going to do and that is save us from our 00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:13.039 sins and take us to glory. He's already proved 00:26:13.039 --> 00:26:17.839 that at Pentecost He never disappoints. We'll 00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:22.839 never be disappointed. He will accomplish his 00:26:22.839 --> 00:26:26.579 purposes. Okay, so here's the description of 00:26:26.579 --> 00:26:30.180 us in the church. Those who are in the church, 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:35.319 only those who are in the church. In verse five, 00:26:35.640 --> 00:26:39.539 ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual 00:26:39.539 --> 00:26:43.400 house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual 00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:47.700 sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 00:26:48.700 --> 00:26:51.640 And then in verse nine, But you are a chosen 00:26:51.640 --> 00:26:55.720 generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, 00:26:56.279 --> 00:26:59.460 a purchased people, that you should show forth 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:03.500 the praise or the virtues of Him who hath called 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:09.000 you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:14.259 I don't think anything gets any better than this. 00:27:14.680 --> 00:27:18.859 Describing some people like we are, church members. 00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:22.660 those who were in Christ. I mean it lays it all 00:27:22.660 --> 00:27:27.940 out there for us. It leaves us all without excuse 00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:31.000 actually. We know what we're supposed to do. 00:27:31.180 --> 00:27:36.039 We know what we can do to honor God, to show 00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:41.799 forth His praise. We know all this. We also are 00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:44.940 those who have the Holy Spirit that are empowered 00:27:44.940 --> 00:27:49.789 to do these things. In other words, this is the 00:27:49.789 --> 00:27:56.309 purpose of our existence. Right here. We're lively 00:27:56.309 --> 00:27:59.089 stones, we're living stones, the same as Jesus. 00:27:59.390 --> 00:28:04.109 The same description, the same words. The stone 00:28:04.109 --> 00:28:06.910 that we're coming to. Remember, don't forget 00:28:06.910 --> 00:28:13.849 that in verse four. To whom coming. We're coming. 00:28:14.210 --> 00:28:19.859 It doesn't say who you came to. as if it was 00:28:19.859 --> 00:28:23.480 a one -time act and now it's all over. It's who 00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:27.440 we are coming to, continually coming to, continually, 00:28:27.740 --> 00:28:31.839 continually until we die. We're coming to the 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:35.460 Lord Jesus Christ. Is that true of us? Hopefully 00:28:35.460 --> 00:28:40.339 so. I mean, it was grand privilege. It's a wonderful 00:28:40.339 --> 00:28:44.599 experience to come. We're coming to Him continually. 00:28:46.099 --> 00:28:50.160 We come to Him through prayer and His Word. We 00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:53.539 read the Word. We pray. We're coming. We're always 00:28:53.539 --> 00:28:56.859 coming. We're always needing. We never get filled 00:28:56.859 --> 00:29:01.859 up. We always want more, more, more. We want 00:29:01.859 --> 00:29:04.420 to grow more, more, more. We want to honor Him 00:29:04.420 --> 00:29:07.200 more, more, more. We want to tell everybody more, 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:11.140 more, more about Him. That's the picture here. 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:17.420 we're built up we already talked about the spiritual 00:29:17.420 --> 00:29:24.119 house all these things are spiritual folks we're 00:29:24.119 --> 00:29:27.579 not constructing buildings we are the building 00:29:27.579 --> 00:29:39.700 so it says then we're a holy priesthood so is 00:29:39.700 --> 00:29:44.759 that is that something that you aspire to No. 00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:53.799 It says you already are. By virtue of being united 00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:59.000 to Christ, coming to the Christ of the Church, 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:03.039 you are a holy priesthood. There's nobody else 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:05.400 that's going to do it. The world can't do it. 00:30:05.400 --> 00:30:08.299 It knows nothing about it. You are a holy priest. 00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:13.769 Are you fulfilling your holy priesthood? That's 00:30:13.769 --> 00:30:16.309 what the question is, not whether you are or 00:30:16.309 --> 00:30:21.809 aren't. Are you fulfilling it? Are you being 00:30:21.809 --> 00:30:25.410 obedient? What does a priest do? Well, a priest 00:30:25.410 --> 00:30:30.049 represents people to God and God to the people. 00:30:30.269 --> 00:30:34.950 It's an intermediary. So that's what we're supposed 00:30:34.950 --> 00:30:38.970 to be doing with one another. We're supposed 00:30:38.970 --> 00:30:41.230 to be taking these prayer requests home, just 00:30:41.230 --> 00:30:45.130 making it as simple and easy. and praying. That's 00:30:45.130 --> 00:30:47.829 the royal priesthood. That's what we're called 00:30:47.829 --> 00:30:51.730 to do. We're to bring other folks before God, 00:30:52.150 --> 00:30:58.730 intercessors, intermediaries. Are you one that 00:30:58.730 --> 00:31:01.609 allows people to be an intermediary? Have you 00:31:01.609 --> 00:31:05.490 ever requested prayer? People can't pray for 00:31:05.490 --> 00:31:08.930 you without your requesting it. It's that simple. 00:31:11.580 --> 00:31:18.099 the holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices. 00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:22.339 So in other words, there's all sorts of sacrifices 00:31:22.339 --> 00:31:26.299 that we are to offer up to God. He just generalizes 00:31:26.299 --> 00:31:30.099 it, spiritual sacrifices. How do you offer up 00:31:30.099 --> 00:31:36.980 a spiritual sacrifice? Well, sometimes we don't 00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:40.890 even consider it very spiritual. When you go 00:31:40.890 --> 00:31:44.990 to work, if you work and you go to work, you 00:31:44.990 --> 00:31:48.170 have the opportunity to offer a spiritual sacrifice. 00:31:51.089 --> 00:31:55.009 How, in other words, how you do your job will 00:31:55.009 --> 00:31:58.670 determine whether or not it is a spiritual sacrifice. 00:32:00.549 --> 00:32:04.670 Do you do your job to the best of your ability 00:32:04.670 --> 00:32:07.930 to the glory of God when the boss isn't looking? 00:32:09.369 --> 00:32:11.910 Or do you take an opportunity to slough off? 00:32:13.930 --> 00:32:16.269 Well, if you do, that's not a spiritual sacrifice, 00:32:16.309 --> 00:32:20.190 but if you don't, it is. Do you do it to the 00:32:20.190 --> 00:32:23.029 honor of God? It's a spiritual sacrifice. Anything 00:32:23.029 --> 00:32:25.569 in our lives, we're to be worshipping, in other 00:32:25.569 --> 00:32:29.869 words, 24 hours a day, or as many hours as those 00:32:29.869 --> 00:32:33.589 who are awake. It's not just when we come here. 00:32:34.650 --> 00:32:37.490 When we come here, we've got all kinds of opportunities 00:32:37.490 --> 00:32:40.650 also. But we have opportunities all throughout 00:32:40.650 --> 00:32:44.009 the day. How are you as a parent? What are you 00:32:44.009 --> 00:32:47.089 doing? Are you making an idol of your kids? Or 00:32:47.089 --> 00:32:50.089 are you raising your kids to the honor of God? 00:32:51.089 --> 00:32:56.109 In other words, are you doing it God's way? In 00:32:56.109 --> 00:32:59.109 the hopes that they come to honor God with their 00:32:59.109 --> 00:33:05.819 lives. I might pause here and say that... I've 00:33:05.819 --> 00:33:10.000 got about two more weeks after this to preach. 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:14.380 And then Tim's coming. And Tim's going to be 00:33:14.380 --> 00:33:19.160 preaching on the family. Family leadership. Family 00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:22.059 submission. The whole gamut. I think he's going 00:33:22.059 --> 00:33:24.920 to preach the rest of the year. Just kidding. 00:33:29.119 --> 00:33:31.799 So I know I'm looking forward to that, so hopefully 00:33:31.799 --> 00:33:34.359 you are too. He's going to go into a lot more 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:36.920 of the detail here on all of these areas that 00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:42.880 I'm broaching this morning. So I feel some relief 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:50.200 that I can be as brief as I am being. But a spiritual 00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:55.099 sacrifice is the tenor of our lives. Present 00:33:55.099 --> 00:33:58.500 your bodies a spiritual sacrifice, Romans says. 00:33:59.629 --> 00:34:03.289 We're to subdue these bodies. We're to use them 00:34:03.289 --> 00:34:07.609 for the glory of God, not to the disgrace of 00:34:07.609 --> 00:34:13.909 sin. We are in our bodies. God expects us to 00:34:13.909 --> 00:34:19.289 use our bodies for Him, in His service. Spiritual 00:34:19.289 --> 00:34:23.469 sacrifices. Remember? They sold all. They gave 00:34:23.469 --> 00:34:26.730 everything away. They were concerned with one 00:34:26.730 --> 00:34:30.239 another. They were helping each other. They loved 00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:34.960 each other. Remember? This is the same thing, 00:34:35.019 --> 00:34:38.000 it's a different wording. But then we're assured 00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:41.340 with these sacrifices that they are acceptable 00:34:41.340 --> 00:34:50.079 to God by Jesus Christ. Remember? Nobody's perfect 00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:53.599 here. Even when we attempt to do good things, 00:34:53.699 --> 00:34:58.360 good works, we're imperfect. We have sharp falls. 00:34:58.829 --> 00:35:03.909 We can't possibly serve God perfectly. But what 00:35:03.909 --> 00:35:09.449 does God say? It's all right. I am going to receive 00:35:09.449 --> 00:35:13.389 your spiritual sacrifices that are made acceptable 00:35:13.389 --> 00:35:17.949 by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is going to make 00:35:17.949 --> 00:35:21.570 up for all of our imperfections, all of the mistakes 00:35:21.570 --> 00:35:25.849 that we make. When we're striving to please Him, 00:35:26.110 --> 00:35:29.389 When we're giving of ourselves to the glory of 00:35:29.389 --> 00:35:33.269 God, we have full assurance that God is pleased 00:35:33.269 --> 00:35:37.469 and God accepts those sacrifices because of Jesus 00:35:37.469 --> 00:35:41.210 Christ. It's the continuing intercession of Jesus. 00:35:43.630 --> 00:35:46.409 He's there right now making intercession for 00:35:46.409 --> 00:35:51.690 us. He made intercession on the cross. He continues 00:35:51.690 --> 00:35:55.900 to make intercession now. He's making an intercession 00:35:55.900 --> 00:35:58.239 for all the misstatements and everything that 00:35:58.239 --> 00:36:04.380 I've already made. I have confidence in that. 00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:06.559 He's going to bring some good out of His Word 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:11.079 being proclaimed. Not because of the glorious 00:36:11.079 --> 00:36:14.159 way I'm doing it, but because He is my intercessor. 00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:18.079 He's called me to do this. And He's owning this 00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:20.699 Word for His own glory and for all of our good. 00:36:22.329 --> 00:36:40.530 That's how we should view this Well, I'll sum 00:36:40.530 --> 00:36:45.329 it up with this in verse 10 I know I didn't send 00:36:45.329 --> 00:36:49.369 any of this out which in time past were not a 00:36:49.369 --> 00:36:53.179 people but are now the people of God, which had 00:36:53.179 --> 00:36:56.719 not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 00:36:57.119 --> 00:37:00.420 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and 00:37:00.420 --> 00:37:04.639 pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust which war 00:37:04.639 --> 00:37:08.900 against the soul, having your lifestyle honest 00:37:08.900 --> 00:37:14.179 among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against 00:37:14.179 --> 00:37:18.300 you as evildoers, They may by your good works 00:37:18.300 --> 00:37:23.300 which they shall behold glorify God in the day 00:37:23.300 --> 00:37:28.860 of visitation. So there you have it. That's a 00:37:28.860 --> 00:37:32.039 picture of the church. It all centers around 00:37:32.039 --> 00:37:36.420 Jesus Christ. But it goes out also into the world. 00:37:37.179 --> 00:37:40.239 And it does good works that men can see and identify 00:37:40.239 --> 00:37:43.639 you as Christian. Can see God at work within 00:37:43.639 --> 00:37:46.980 you. will come to repentance and faith in the 00:37:46.980 --> 00:37:51.360 day of visitation. It's a glorious arrangement 00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:54.460 that God has given. It's a glorious privilege 00:37:54.460 --> 00:37:57.699 that we have to share Jesus Christ with others, 00:37:58.539 --> 00:38:01.340 to be the encouragers of one another, to honor 00:38:01.340 --> 00:38:05.800 God in our thoughts, words, and deeds, to have 00:38:05.800 --> 00:38:12.030 this practical purpose to all of our days. We're 00:38:12.030 --> 00:38:15.090 never aimlessly wandering through this life in 00:38:15.090 --> 00:38:21.050 a fog We know things we live according to what 00:38:21.050 --> 00:38:26.210 we know we make assertions with confidence We're 00:38:26.210 --> 00:38:30.809 following our King We've submitted our ways unto 00:38:30.809 --> 00:38:34.750 him You know, that's another way the Bible puts 00:38:34.750 --> 00:38:40.460 it we want God's way to be our way We want God's 00:38:40.460 --> 00:38:44.739 will to be our will. We don't want this clanging 00:38:44.739 --> 00:38:48.579 and busting of heads. We want to be so in line 00:38:48.579 --> 00:38:52.300 and attuned to God that everything that God wants 00:38:52.300 --> 00:38:57.900 for us, we want. And life is glorious when that's 00:38:57.900 --> 00:39:02.300 the case. And that's how He's designed it. He 00:39:02.300 --> 00:39:06.059 knows we're dopes. He knows we need help. He 00:39:06.059 --> 00:39:08.699 knows we need guidance. He knows we need light. 00:39:09.070 --> 00:39:14.570 He provides it, He is it. Why would we want to 00:39:14.570 --> 00:39:19.210 go our own way? Come unto Jesus, continuing to 00:39:19.210 --> 00:39:23.110 come unto Jesus for all that you need, for all 00:39:23.110 --> 00:39:28.489 that you desire. He's a glorious Savior, He's 00:39:28.489 --> 00:39:31.869 a glorious intercessor. It's a glorious life 00:39:31.869 --> 00:39:34.809 that He's called us to, communion with Him and 00:39:34.809 --> 00:39:36.909 each other. Amen.