Rev. David Holwick S
First Baptist Church [re-organize with Jesus=Rock first?]
Ledgewood, New Jersey
May 25, 1997
1 Peter 2:4-10
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I. A rocky start.
A. Digging out oil tank, finding stones. [hold one up]
B. Gathering field stones for 1916 church.
II. Living stones. 2:5
A. The best church stones are actually people.
1) God is not too keen on buildings. 2 Chr 2:5-6; Acts 7:48-50
2) Disciples are the real mortar of a church.
B. Christians need to be solid.
1) Peter called a rock. Matt 16:18-19
a) (Is rock his confession of faith?)
b) Ironically, he crumbled easily.
2) When we are based on rock, storms can't destroy us.
III. Built into a spiritual house.
A. "Spiritual" in sense we are God's church.
B. Hell cannot prevail against church. (Jesus)
1) Lots of criticism of church.
2) Justification, but acknowledge benefits.
Growing up on the Atlantic Coast, Gregory Elder spent long
hours working on intricate sand castles.
Whole cities would appear beneath his hands.
One year, for several days in a row, he was accosted by
bullies who smashed his creations.
Finally he tried an experiment: he placed cinder blocks, rocks,
and chunks of concrete in the base of his castles.
Then he built the sand kingdoms on top of the rocks.
When the local toughs appeared (and Gregory disappeared),
their bare feet suddenly met their match.
Many people see the church in grave peril from a variety of
dangers: secularism, politics, heresies, or plain old sin.
They forget that the church is built upon a Rock (Mt. 16:16),
over which the gates of hell itself shall not prevail.
#1992
C. We need other Christians.
1) Do other Christians know us, or are we isolated from
them?
2) If you lost your job or had a calamity, is there
another Christian you could ask to pray for you,
who would give you strength?
IV. Entering the priesthood. 2:4,9
A. Who is a priest?
1) (Guest at wedding with original Spencer Tracy tux.)
Tracy was famous in portraying a priest in films.
2) All of us are actually priests.
a) Reformation highlight: priesthood of all believers.
b) Faith is not monopolized by experts.
c) Everyone has a part to play in worship & life of church.
B. The benefits of being a priest.
1) Direct access to God.
2) Serve God personally.
3) Minister to other people.
4) Each has something to give/offer.
a) (Doesn't mean each one is adequate as a preacher!)
C. Presenting sacrifices. 2:5
1) OT - offerings of prayer, thanksgiving, praise, repentance.
(vss in Expositors)
2) NT - faith, money offerings, our bodies, praise.
V. A chosen people. 2:4,10
A. Peter's readers were on fringe of society.
1) Rejected by people. 2:4
2) Even alien to God - not a people, no mercy.
a) (Allusion to Hosea 1:6,9-10.)
B. Now they are accepted by God. 2:4,9
1) Israel motifs applied to Gentile Christians.
a) Royal priesthood.
b) Holy nation.
c) Chosen people.
2) Importance and joy of being accepted by God.
a) Available to anyone.
b) Based on one factor alone.
VI. Jesus is the Boulder.
A. Cornerstones. Isa 28:16; 1 Pet 2:6
Cornerstones are important.
They are also missing from the Capitol, the White House,
the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Institute.
But not from Ledgewood Baptist.
We have TWO of them.
#125
1) Faith needs a foundation. 2:7
a) (House on rock or sand)
1> (reason Manhattan buildings are low in middle -
bedrock is too far down to reach)
b) People put their foundation on humans or God.
Years ago Harvard University was erecting Emerson Hall, the
new home for the philosophy department.
President Charles Eliot invited psychologist and philosopher
William James to suggest a suitable inscription for the
stone lintel over the doors.
After some reflection, James sent Eliot a line from the
Greek philosopher Protagoras:
"Man is the measure of all things."
James never heard back from Eliot.
His curiosity was piqued when he spotted artisans working on a
scaffold hidden by a canvas.
One morning, the scaffold and canvas were gone.
The inscription over the door?
"What is man that thou art mindful of him?"
Eliot had replaced James's suggestion with words from Psalm 8.
Between these two lines lies the great distance between the
God-centered and the human-centered points of view.
#4082
2) What is your foundation?
B. Stumbling block. Ps 118:22; 1 Pet 2:8
1) Jesus confronts us with a decision.
a) For him or against him.
b) Decision motif found in Peter's sermons in Acts.
2) Jesus never been easy.
a) Much opposition.
b) (discussion with Moslem - must believe in Jesus,
but don't accept godhead.
His humanity is a problem.)
3) Predestination? 2:8
a) Sounds like rejectors don't have much to say about
it. (but they do)
b) Everyone has a real choice.
VII. Are YOU a rock?
A. Founded on the Rock, Jesus.
B. Solid in faith, unwavering.
C. Built into church, committed.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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