Chosing the Right Path
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Choosing the Right Path
1 Peter 2:4-10
Online Sermon:
http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567
It seems like all our lives we are trying to build
something. Some fueled by their longing to connect, love, and
receive love from others, are motivated to actively build
meaningful relationships with those in their midst. Others are
constantly driven by
the
never-ending
desire to amass wealth
and build the nicest
home possible. And
there are still those
who find motivation to
build a sound mind and
fit body through a
regimen of proper
nutrition and regular
physical activity. As we witness wars on the television, witness
the devastating impact of diseases like Covid-19 across the
world, and as we mourn the loss of loved ones at funerals; we
cannot help but wonder whether King Solomon was right when
he said there is truly nothing new under the sun, and that all
things are ultimately without lasting significance, as the deeds
of previous generations gradually fade from memory
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(Ecclesiastes 1:9). Once this generation passes away, for
instance, who will remember that we had lots of friends, were
excessively rich, or had buff bodies? Does this imply that
endeavoring to construct something enduring and of substantial
value is ultimately a futile endeavor? After all, are not our
attempts to obtain significance merely dust chasing after dust?
Though our lives are like the “mist that appears for a little while
and then vanishes” (James 4:14), surely those created in the
divine image who hold infinite value in the eyes of God are also
beckoned to leave a lasting imprint on those around them on
earth and in realms of heaven! In today’s passage (1 Peter 2:410) Apostle Peter offered a reminder to those dispersed all
throughout Asisa Minor.
Although they were not physically present at the
great temple of Jerusalem to worship God, they
were still to rejoice because, through the living
Stone, they were being built into a spiritual
house, destined to become a royal priesthood
capable of offering sacrifices to God that not only
pleased Him but were also eternal!
To establish a house that never fades it must have a
strong and permanent foundation. Let’s now take some time to
reflect on the primary cornerstone of our spiritual dwelling,
which is Jesus.
The Living Stone
particularly Rome, but rather to lay down His life for the many
(Mark 10:45).3
Centuries after the passing of the last great Old
Testament prophet Malachi an “impoverished itinerant preacher
from Galilee named Jesus” came along and took the imagery of
the stone passages and
applied it to Himself,
“instead of to Judaism,
the city, or the temple.”1
God’s chosen people
found this offensive, for
in the Old Testament,
the term “stone” or
“rock”
symbolized
God’s faithfulness. In
Isaiah, God was referred to as “the Rock eternal” (26:4) and
“Rock of Israel” (30:29), while in Psalms, God was described as
a “rock of refuge and a strong fortress” (31:2) and “my
Redeemer” (19:14).2 The long-awaited Messiah had finally
arrived among His people, but they rejected Him as their king
because His mission was not to vanquish Israel’s enemies,
As prophesized in Psalms 118:22, Christ faced rejection from
humanity, but the ultimate judgement did not come from
humans; it was God’s divine verdict.5 Though His own rejected
the authority of the vineyard’s own son over their lives
(Luke20:9-18),6 He in whom all the Old Testament “promises
were being fulfilled” 7 offered all to come to Him, the living
Stone. “This Stone is not, like the stones of earth, an inert mass;
it is living, full of life; nay, it gives life, as well as strength and
coherence, to the stones which are built upon it: for the Lord hath
life in Himself—He is risen from the dead and is alive for
evermore.”8 For those who reject Him, He becomes a source of
1
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 74.
5
2
J. Rawson Lumby, “The Epistle of St. Peter,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation,
ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 694.
6
3
J. Rawson Lumby, “The Epistle of St. Peter,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation,
ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 695.
7
4
8
J. Rawson Lumby, “The Epistle of St. Peter,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation,
ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 695.
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Only the God-man had the power to satisfy God’s
righteous wrath and pay the price for human sins
and that is why “God exalted Him to the highest
place and gave Him the name that is above every
name” (Philippians 2:9).4
Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 61.
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 74.
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 74.
H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., 1 Peter, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk &
Wagnalls Company, 1909), 69.
confusion and a stumbling block. 9 However, for those who have
faith in His redemptive sacrifice, He serves as the gateway to
becoming part of a “new people of God,” inheriting all the
blessings of the Old Testament Israel and enjoying the privilege
of approaching the Father in worship and adoration.10
Reflection. What an honor it is to come to the living Stone and
receive salvation and spiritual blessings. What are some of the
blessings that you are thankful for and why? Imagine for a
moment what our plight would be without the incarnate Son of
God!
Building a Spiritual House
To the many individuals scattered throughout Asia
Minor, distanced from the religious activities of Jerusalem’s
grand stone temple,11 Peter’s proclamation about the rebirth
leading to believers becoming living stones, in which God
resides,12 would have been Good News indeed. In Matthew
16:18-20, Jesus tells Peter that he is the rock upon which He will
construct His church, signifying a transformative shift where the
spiritual community known as the church now serves as God’s
dwelling place. Church, for Peter, “is the antitype of the ancient
temple—a building not material, but spiritual, consisting, not of
dead stones, but of sanctified souls, resting on no earthly
foundation, but on that
Rock which is Christ.”13
While God’s intent on
Mount Sinai,14 that His
people would be a
“kingdom of priests and a
holy nation” (Exodus
19:6), was not fulfilled in
the OT, it has been
fulfilled in the Christian church. Individually and collectively
believers are the temple in which God’s very own Spirit resides 15
and, therefore, they are meant to serve as the “very heart and
center of God’s activity in the world.”16 Embracing their
interdependency on one another while bowing to the Chief
cornerstone, akin to the Israelites of the OT, “the people of Jesus
Christ are to be God’s light unto the nations (Isaih 49:6), by word
9
Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Hebrews to
Revelation., vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 132.
13
10
14
Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New
Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 103.
11
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 75.
12
Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 61.
H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., 1 Peter, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk &
Wagnalls Company, 1909), 70.
J. Rawson Lumby, “The Epistle of St. Peter,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to
Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co.,
1903), 695.
15
David A. deSilva, “1 Peter,” in John’s Gospel, Hebrews–Revelation, ed. Craig A. Evans and
Craig A. Bubeck, First Edition., The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary (Colorado
Springs, CO; Paris, ON; Eastbourne: David C Cook, 2005), 300.
16
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 75.
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and deed.”17 While the “once and for all” sacrifice of the “great
High Priest upon the altar of the cross”18 has forever fulfilled the
requirements of the OT law, this does not mean believers no
longer need to give sacrifices unto the Lord. In our roles as
ambassadors and royal priests, we are called to continuously
offer sacrifices such as “praise (Heb. 13:15), prayer (Rev. 5:8),
self-consecration (Rom. 12:1; Phil. 2:17), benevolence (Rom.
15:27; Heb. 13:16), and giving (2 Cor. 9:12; Phil. 4:18).”19
Each of us has unique spiritual gifts and specific
role inside the church. As we carry out God’s
purpose, let us not forget to express our
gratitude to the Chief cornerstone, through
whom all things are made possible.
Reflection. Imagine standing outside the gates of the temple,
only being allowed to view the building where God dwelled, but
not permitted to enter! We ought to rejoice for as the temples of
God’s Spirit He dwells within us and has commune with our
souls.
Choosing or Rejecting Christ
All of us face a crossroad in which our choice determines
our eternal destiny. Even before the beginning of time the divine
plan was that God would appoint Jesus as the living Stone
through which one’s salvation would be determined. Christ
stands as the bedrock and cornerstone of the new temple,20
where God resides,
with faith in His
atoning sacrifice as the
admission
requirement. To build
something in life of
eternal value is “not
due to an individual’s
status, worthiness, or
achievements, but it is solely the consequence of being made a
member of God’s family through Christ Jesus.21 Just as the
Cornerstone holds unmeasurable value to God, so too are
believers eternally precious in His sight! Those who have been
“bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20), the precious blood of
the Lamb (1 Peter 1:19), share in the inheritance of being
adopted into God’s family.22 And while faith in the living Stone
17
Paul Barnett, 1 Peter: Living Hope, ed. Paul Barnett, Reading the Bible Today Series (Sydney,
South NSW: Aquila Press, 2006), 34.
20
18
H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., 1 Peter, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk &
Wagnalls Company, 1909), 70.
21
19
22
Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 62.
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Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 62–63.
Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 63.
Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 63.
brought many spiritual blessings to the lives of those who had
faith in Him, Peter warns that rejecting Christ would lead to dire
consequences!23 Those who have heard the “Gospel-word” and
have found Christ unworthy of their devotion and submission,24
in their human pride25 that they have a better way to obtain
salvation will be greatly dismayed for salvation comes only from
the Stone in which God has chosen. 26 “The leaders of Israel have
been given great promises, symbolized by the stone laid in Zion,
but they have chosen disobedience, apathy, and indulgence.”27
Since salvation is found in “no other name” (Acts 4:12), Christ
has become for them a stumbling block and a sign of their
impending judgement and doom!28
In essence, using the OT quotations of Isaiah 8:14, 28:16,
Psalms 118:22 Peter masterfully conveys a message to the
scattered believers across Asia Minor, urging them to find
joy in the realization that one’s inclusion in God’s family
did not hinge on the Temple, adherence to the Torah, or
lineage, but rather on their faith in the risen Savior!
Reflection. You stand at a crucial crossroad. Choosing to do
nothing or outright rejecting God is like constructing your
dwelling in the shifting sands of time, ultimately leading to
eternal damnation upon your passing. On the other hand,
building a spiritual house pleasing onto God necessitates placing
your faith in its cornerstone, Jesus. Which path have you opted
for?
Our Identity and Service in Christ
Peter joyfully proclaims the truth to all those dispersed
in Asia Minor and the Gentiles excluded from the Jerusalem
temple: God’s calling and consecration are not contingent on
culture, age, or ethnic distinctions.29 Instead, they are rooted in
faith in a risen Savior rather than circumcision. The Gentiles
nations who were aliens30 and “not a people” have now received
mercy and have the same opportunity as Israel to be included as
God’s chosen people as His “inheritance and His personal and
23
Paul Barnett, 1 Peter: Living Hope, ed. Paul Barnett, Reading the Bible Today Series (Sydney,
South NSW: Aquila Press, 2006), 36.
27
24
Paul Barnett, 1 Peter: Living Hope, ed. Paul Barnett, Reading the Bible Today Series (Sydney,
South NSW: Aquila Press, 2006), 35–36.
28
25
Edmund P. Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter: The Way of the Cross, The Bible Speaks Today
(Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 86.
29
26
30
Scot McKnight, 1 Peter, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1996), 108.
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Scot McKnight, 1 Peter, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1996), 108.
Edmund P. Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter: The Way of the Cross, The Bible Speaks Today
(Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 85.
Norman Hillyer, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 68.
Edmund P. Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter: The Way of the Cross, The Bible Speaks Today
(Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 90.
prized possession!”31 The fulfillment of the OT law is found in
Christ’s atonement on the cross as the once and for all sacrifice
(Hebrews 10:1-18) became the chief cornerstone of the new
spiritual temple, “God’s sacred space.”32 Since the Spirit of God
lives inside the believer there is no requirement to reconstruct
the temple at Jerusalem.33 This is because “we can’t get any
closer to God than through faith in Christ!”34 Furthermore,
being part of this new church that encompasses both Jews and
Gentiles results in a profound transformation of one’s identity
and ministry!
In the OT it was only the priests were the “most
intimately acquainted with God.” 35 However, in
the NT covenant, those who were once bound by
their sins have been liberated through their faith
in the redeeming blood of the Lamb.
Consequently, God now recognizes them as His chosen people,
a royal priesthood, and part of His holy nation (2:9). Those
grafted into the vine should not take their position in God’s
kingdom for granted. Rather, they should approach it with
prayer, supplication, and gratitude, leading lives as consecrated
priests
by
practicing
righteousness and engaging
in good deed that direct
attention to the heavenly
Father (Matthew 5:16)!
Therefore, let us then not
become lukewarm spiritual
giants sleeping on the pews
of “comfortable churches.”
Instead, as exquisite manifestations of God’s grace and mercy,
may we fearlessly live and declare, “God rescued a sinner like
me, and He is both able and eager to rescue you as well!”
Conclusion
All our lives we are trying to build something. For some
it is healthy relationships, for others it is to amass wealth and yet
for others it is to obtain power and notoriety. Considering the
truth that dust we are and dust we share return, King Solomon
was correct in saying that striving to obtain temporal things truly
is an exercise in futility! When this generation passes away, our
achievements may naturally recede from collective memory, but
31
Edmund P. Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter: The Way of the Cross, The Bible Speaks Today
(Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 92.
34
32
35
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 76.
33
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 76.
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David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 76.
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 76.
that does not render them inconsequential! Our Creator attaches
great importance to the way we lead our lives. God sent His Son,
Jesus, for a singular sacrifice, enabling us, the bearers of His
image, to make the choice regarding the kind of dwelling we
become part of. For those who chose to build a life without faith
in Jesus, while their “success” on this earth might appear
impressive, the shifting sands of time will inevitably crumble
their build and lead to their damnation in hell. For those who
chose to have faith in Christ they will be built into a spiritual
house that will lead to their eternal inheritance as being part of
God’s family. I want to finish this sermon with a challenge to
both groups. If you have chosen the path that leads to
destruction, I implore you on Christ’s behalf be reconciled unto
God through faith in His Son Jesus! And if you are already in
the process of being built into a spirit house as part of God’s
family, then I implore you, as God’s chosen people, honor and
glorify God through your thoughts, words, and deeds! You have
but one life to live, so I ask: Are you constructing the right
house?
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