Coming to the Living Stone

41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:47 NIV

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 5:14 NIV

14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

Acts 11:24 NIV

24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Today we have received Natalie into the church, but let’s remember that addition is by the Lord.

The Lord adds to himself by adding to the number of an existing group of baptised believers who have been called out and gathered together (that is what a local church comprises).

This is recognised by the elders of a local church receiving a person into church fellowship. We’ve delighted in doing so this morning.

Ephesians 2:21–22 NIV

21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

As individuals are added, built into a local church, so those local churches of God are being built together to form the spiritual house of God today - one of the collective entities under the New Covenant. The house of God is the sphere in which priesthood service is enjoyed.

1 Peter 2:4–10 NIV

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.

That's what we've been involved in this morning - holy priesthood service.

So, the step of addition is profoundly significant. In short, the step of addition should be seen as bringing a person in among a worshipping priestly people who have the awesome privilege of participating in the collective spiritual experience of entering heaven.

Cornerstone

The “Stone” is surely a humbling title for the Son of God. And yet, he is not just a stone but a Living Stone.

Surely the point of this title is that he is the one to be built upon. Indeed he's the Cornerstone, that is the foundation stone - the one from whom the entire building takes its line.

Yesterday, at Natalie’s baptism, we gave thanks to God that "you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance" (Rom 6:17). Isn’t this what it means to come to the Cornerstore, by which the pattern of the building is maintained? As we are laid upon him, we are aligned to him - the pattern of his teaching has claimed our allegiance.

Addition by the Lord is, of course, a one time only action. But our coming to the Living Stone to be built upon him is a continual process. So, how do we do it?

Look at where this Stone has been laid. He has been laid in Zion - that’s heavenly Zion, the dwelling place of God.

Is not our coming to him, the continuation of our priesthood service (holy and royal) in which we draw near to him in heaven as we have this morning?

This then connects back with Acts 2:42. It's what is represented by the “continuing steadfastly” of that verse: devoting ourselves to the apostles' teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers. As we continue in these things, we are coming to him the Living Stone to be built up a spiritual house.

Have you ever consider that this house is an upside down building!

Its foundation stone is in heaven and yet we are being built up on that stone here on earth. So, this is a building which reaches from heaven to earth. It's the means by which and (in this dispensation) the sphere in which God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

Stones laid down

The Cornerstone has been laid, set, placed (1 Peter 2:6). It's the same root word as “added” (which is a laying on top of).

The Living Stone is a building stone, a dressed stone, a cut stone. The Old Testament speaks of him as a tested stone.

He was also a rejected Stone - rejected by those who should have been the builders in God's kingdom in his days on earth.

Our coming to him is a laying down on his foundation. Bricks aren't usually stood on their ends; they’re more stable laid on their sides.

And, if the Son of God can subject himself to the will of the Father to be laid down in Zion then, surely, I can humble myself to be laid on his foundation!

The Living Stone was rejected by men and shaped by God. That was a painful process. It will be no less painful for us at times as we seek to continue steadfastly, coming to him to be dressed, shaped and built up.

But remember God's view of the Stone - “chosen and precious!”

He was laid in Zion in resurrection, having been given all authority in heaven and on earth. No wonder the result for those who are willing to be built on him is that we will “never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6).

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