Talk

People with Purpose

Ben Stuart
May, 29, 2022

“We all want to be part of a community that loves us and have a cause that is worthy of our life.”

Ben Stuart is back this week as we continue in our Take Heart series through 1 Peter! Life is difficult, and while suffering it can be hard to have hope. But Peter reminds us that we can find hope in our God-given identity: we are part of a community that is built on Christ with a shared cause.

Key Takeaway

We are a community built on Christ that has a cause. We are meant to belong and to matter. Jesus is the cornerstone that is using us to build His House so that more can come to know Him and be brought into that belonging.

1) We are a community

The "you" in 1 Peter 2:4 is plural, like "y'all". Peter is acknowledging that they are in it together. They have been rejected by men, yet they are chosen, loved, and honored by God. Our rejection is consistent with Our King. He went through it too. Rejection by humanity does not mean rejection by the Almighty.

Jesus is the living stone, we are little living stones. God uses us individually and communally to build us together. Sometimes, we feel like fighting that, but behind the resistance to obligation is a deep desire for association. We're meant to belong. Jesus is knitting together formally hostile parties. See Ephesians 2:14-22. He's a cornerstone of a house for the Spirit of God. It's not just me and my, it's us. The desire for community is strong in us and points to the fact that we were made to know God and He is building a house.

God is building you up to be something and to do something. We are all to be priests, meant to connect people to God and God to people. We do that by offering spiritual sacrifices; we gather together and have something to offer the world. Peter goes back to the firm foundation of God's House. Building our lives on Jesus won't embarrass or harm you. We're asking things to hold the weight of what we need when it's not strong enough or meant to maintain that burden. God has established a Rock, you're either going to build your life on Him or trip over Him.

2) Built on Christ

We are a community built on Jesus Christ. He is the cornerstone. When Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem, which was a proclamation that He is King, the religious leaders got upset. So Jesus told them a parable about tenants and a vineyard. Jesus grabbed Old Testament imagery; they were supposed to be caretakers of God's vineyard, but they had blown God off. He sent them prophets and teachers, but they dismissed and mocked them. They beat some and murdered others. So God now had to send His Son. Jesus says to them that if they reject Him and kill Him, "the stone that the builders rejected will become a cornerstone".

Jesus is the fork in the path of humanity. You choose to build your life on Him or you choose to reject Him and He becomes a stumbling block.

Psalm 118 was the last song during Passover. Therefore, the last song that Jesus sang was about the stone the builder rejected (vs 22), blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (vs 26) and binds the sacrifice with cords up to the horns of the altar (vs 27). Jesus is singing about Himself.

Acts 4:10-12, the stone being rejected was seared in Peter's mind from the teaching of Jesus. It is the same analogy Peter used against the religious rulers. They continue to reject Jesus, even after His death and resurrection, but He has become the cornerstone. Peter proclaims there is no other name under heaven by which you can be saved...which sounds so narrow, and narrow means judgemental and wrong...except when it means true. For example, it's narrow to say if you jump off a building you won't fly, but it's loving if it's true. It's narrow to say you have to have this surgery to save your life, but it's loving if it's true. It's narrow to say Jesus is the way to the Father, but it's loving if it's true.

Jesus forces a choice. You either build on Him or trip over Him. God is building a community with Jesus as the cornerstone, where God doesn't just reign over us, but sacrifices for us. He's the King who lived His life and poured out His blood for us. The Gospel is going out. You are beautiful in the image of God, but you're broken because of sin. God has sent a solution, someone who can pull you back out of slavery and domination. He can form you into a community through Jesus. He is the cornerstone. Do you believe Him?

Those that disobey this message, those that mock Him, reject Him, say no thanks to Him: they trip over Him.

3) That has a cause

Our cause is to shout that God's grace is for all and that Jesus came for everyone. Peter calls them a chosen race, though they had messed up repeatedly, God was doing something new. Most religions only had one or two humans, usually leaders, that could connect with God. Christianity dared to say anyone can know God. It was a scandal to say women, slaves, different cultures and races, children, anyone can know God. Anyone! Over time, the Romans slowly came to know Jesus because of the way Christians treated others and lived their lives. Rome is no more, but the Kingdom of God stands.

The way we worship, love, forgive, and show kindness to each other is our best argument for the cause of Christ. People should come around us and say that if God is real and Jesus is true, this community makes sense. We proclaim it through our holy conduct: how we treat people in our homes, at our jobs, and in government. God touching our lives changes how we touch others' lives. How we serve our community is a huge way we proclaim Jesus. Jesus serves us, so we serve others. We have been touched by the mercy of God, so we extend that mercy.

“
"We're a bunch of nobodies telling everybody about somebody who'll save anybody."
”
Jim Elliot

Discussion Questions

  1. Are you plugged into a local body of faith where you know you belong and feel like you matter?

  2. What does Peter mean when he calls Jesus the living stone and we are also like living stones? What is being built? 1 Peter 2:4-5

  3. How are our sacrifices made acceptable? (vs 5)

  4. What is the role of a priest? How do we, as believers of Jesus Christ, do that today?

  5. Jesus is the cornerstone and can bear our biggest burdens. What things are we asking to hold up the weight of our need that it was never made to bear?

  6. What choice does someone have to make when they come to the stone? See 1 Peter 2:7-8

  7. The is the cause of the community built on Christ?

  8. Why was/is the Christian claim that anyone can know God so audacious?

  9. In what ways do Christians proclaim Jesus to the world around them?

  10. What can you participate in, make a practice, or adjust this week to show God's grace to someone?

Scripture References

4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
5you 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.
6For 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.”

7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”

8and,

“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.

9But 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.
10Once 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.
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
16and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,
20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Psalm 118

1Give thanks to the

Lord
, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

2Let Israel say:

“His love endures forever.”

3Let the house of Aaron say:

“His love endures forever.”

4Let those who fear the

Lord
say:

“His love endures forever.”

5When hard pressed, I cried to the

Lord
;

he brought me into a spacious place.

6The

Lord
is with me; I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?

7The

Lord
is with me; he is my helper.

I look in triumph on my enemies.

8It is better to take refuge in the

Lord

than to trust in humans.

9It is better to take refuge in the

Lord

than to trust in princes.

10All the nations surrounded me,

but in the name of the

Lord
I cut them down.

11They surrounded me on every side,

but in the name of the

Lord
I cut them down.

12They swarmed around me like bees,

but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;

in the name of the

Lord
I cut them down.

13I was pushed back and about to fall,

but the

Lord
helped me.

14The

Lord
is my strength and my defense;

he has become my salvation.

15Shouts of joy and victory

resound in the tents of the righteous:

“The

Lord
’s right hand has done mighty things!

16The

Lord
’s right hand is lifted high;

the

Lord
’s right hand has done mighty things!”

17I will not die but live,

and will proclaim what the

Lord
has done.

18The

Lord
has chastened me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19Open for me the gates of the righteous;

I will enter and give thanks to the

Lord
.

20This is the gate of the

Lord

through which the righteous may enter.

21I will give you thanks, for you answered me;

you have become my salvation.

22The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

23the

Lord
has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24The

Lord
has done it this very day;

let us rejoice today and be glad.

25

Lord
, save us!

Lord
, grant us success!

26Blessed is he who comes in the name of the

Lord
.

From the house of the

Lord
we bless you.

27The

Lord
is God,

and he has made his light shine on us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar.

28You are my God, and I will praise you;

you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29Give thanks to the

Lord
, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

1Jesus then began to speak to them in parables:
“A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.
2
At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
3
But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
4
Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.
5
He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
6
“He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7
“But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8
So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
10
Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“ ‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

11
the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’
?”

12Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
11Jesus is

“ ‘the stone you builders rejected,

which has become the cornerstone.’

12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
14“Therefore I am now going to allure her;

I will lead her into the wilderness

and speak tenderly to her.

23I will plant her for myself in the land;

I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’

I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’;

and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ ”

16So this is what the Sovereign
Lord
says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;

the one who relies on it

will never be stricken with panic.

14He will be a holy place;

for both Israel and Judah he will be

a stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.

And for the people of Jerusalem he will be

a trap and a snare.

Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.