1 Peter 2:4-10 - Standing and Stumbling - Part 1

Longing for the word so that we take and see that the Lord is good means that we come to Christ - the "Living Stone." Longing for pure spiritual mike is the means in approaching the Lord. Verse 4 tells us that the way anyone can approach God is through Christ the living stone, who will build us up as a spiritual temple. Sanding on the Word means that we will be built up by the privileges God gives to us in His Self-revelation. You can see 4 privileges in verse 4-10 including:
1. Drawing near to God,
2. Dwelling in the place of God's presence,
3. Being called out of Darkness to live in the Light, and
4. Receiving mercy

If the church is to grow today we need to proclaim Gospel privileges and blessing rather than "life enhancements" in order to entice people into a faith (an impossibility). God is telling you that our benefits are of eternal nature and in this life we may loose some comfort and friends because of our faith. God from before time, planned that Jesus Christ would be the cornerstone of the spiritual temple of believers. The plan includes the rejections and stumbling of the disobedient and rebellious.

Christians share the blessing of God's chosen people in the Old Testament. God has chosen a race of people, Christians, who have obtained membership in this new chosen race not by physical descent from Abraham but by coming to Christ. As a result we are to declare the excellencies of God in His Gospel and not "life enhancements." You must decide which Gospel you want to give your life to. The Gospel of Christ crucified and risen, or a gospel of "life enhancements." Do you want people to have a better life now or a better life for eternity? If you want the power of the true Gospel, then preach about the eternal privileges of God great mercy and grace.

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Education

Tags:

• Drawing Near
• God
• Gospel
• Christ
• 1 Peter
• blessings
• privileges
• Bible
• Sermon
• Living Stone
• Built Up
• Growing
• Mercy
• Light
• Temple
• Priest
• priesthood
• Cross