1 Peter chapter 2 verse 4. As you come to Him, a living stone, rejected by men, but in the sight of God, chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious. And whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do. Our Father, as we come to You this morning, having laid in Zion a precious cornerstone, Father, give us eyes to see Him. Give us hearts to respond to Him this morning. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Well, I wonder, what is the most important part of a building project? What would you say? I'd imagine all of the builders in the room would tell us it's not the windows. It's not the cladding. It's not the steel framing, no. The most important part of the building, of a building project, would have to be the foundation. And why? Well, because if the foundation isn't rock solid, the entire building is compromised. You may have the best plumbing. You may have the best and strongest wooden beams, the most beautiful paint, but if the foundation is unstable and begins and begins to give way, the entire building is compromised. And Peter picks up this image of this of the absolute necessity of this firm foundation in the passage we just read this morning. But he applies it to something far greater than any building that's been built with human hands. You see, he describes the greatest building project of all time. A building project that God Himself is undertaking. He's the architect. And we'll see this morning that He's gathering a people to Himself to be part of this greatest, of the greatest building project that will endure into eternity. And so Peter begins by inviting these Christians to conduct a, a building inspection, so to speak. He first invites them to inspect, to look down at this foundation of God's building project and to see that God has chosen Jesus Christ to be the all-important foundation stone. Would you look with me again at verse four? He says, “As you come to Him, a living stone.” Now, why, now, why would Peter call Jesus a living stone? It's quite a strange image if you take a moment to think about it. When you consider a stone, you don't often think of a living stone, do you? They kind of just sit there. But you see, Peter, for Peter, Jesus is the living stone simply because of pretty well all of the songs that we've just started our morning by singing together. Jesus is the living stone because He is the resurrected, He is the resurrected King. He's the only one to have conquered the grave with resurrection power. No longer is He just a teacher, just a historical figure, a miracle worker. No longer is He just a crucified criminal on a cross. No, Christ is the resurrected one. He's the living Lord of glory. And so Peter calls Him the living stone. If you read through the book of Acts, and you read any of the early apostles’ writings and of their, of their sermons, you will see that the central, that central to their proclamation of this great gospel is this historical fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. All of Christianity hinges on this foundation, that Jesus has defeated the grave. He has risen with resurrected power. He is the living one, or as Peter calls Him, the living stone. But why a stone? Well, there are two words in the original language for, for stone. There's *petros* and *lithos*. *Petros* is a stone you might see out in the countryside or by the road. It's the generic, it's the generic term for a stone or a rock. But the word *lithos* and the word Peter chooses to use here is, is more specifically an architectural stone. It's a stone that's been specifically chosen, often cut, chosen for construction purposes in particular. If you were to walk around the ancient world back in Jesus's day, you would see that every single building was made up of stone being placed upon stone, being placed upon stone. Especially if you came to a large building, perhaps the temple, you would see one stone in particular that would capture your eye. You couldn't miss it. The most important stone of the entire structure, situated at the corner of the building, was the cornerstone. The cornerstone takes prime place. It would have been specially set aside and chosen by the architect Himself. It was considered the most important stone of the entire building because if you're building a stone, if you're building a building of stones, the cornerstone sets the foundation for everything else to come. You see, all of the stones that were to come are to be placed upon, connected to, aligned on, and built up on top of this cornerstone. The orientation, the, the alignment, the integrity, the, the structural integrity of the entire building depends upon this cornerstone. And this is why Peter quotes the words that we read this morning from Isaiah the prophet, claiming that this Jesus isn't only a living stone, the resurrected one, but He is God's chosen and precious cornerstone. Did you see that there in verse six? He says, “For it stands in Scripture, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.’” See, in ages past, God promised that one day He would set aside and begin the greatest building project that the world has ever seen. He, he was going to choose and lay in Zion of all places, a chosen cornerstone. That's to say God is building a new temple, a new place for His Spirit to dwell. And do you see the promise attached to the end of the prophecy there? “Whoever believes in Him, whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” This foundation that God is laying is so secure, it is so firm, it is so rock solid that whoever places their trust in this one will not be put to shame. And this is exactly where Peter goes next. If you look with me at verse five, where Peter moves from fixing his eyes and fixing our eyes upon this cornerstone, this Christ, and he begins to speak of the Christian's identity in the exact same phrase. He says in verse five, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.” You see, as a person comes to Jesus, the living stone, they themselves become a living stone. It's the same word. It's the same phrase. Remember how Peter opened his letter all the way back, if you can, to 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3? As he opens this letter to these scattered exiles under persecution, he says that God has caused people to be born again to a living hope. And listen to this, “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” This is his claim. When an, when an unregenerate person who doesn't know Christ living for the pleasures of this world comes to Jesus the living stone, something happens. The spirit that raised Christ from the dead causes that lifeless, dead soul to be born again, to be made alive by the resurrection power of Jesus Himself. So much so that they themselves might be called as He is, a living stone. And it's with us, these living stones, that God continues His building project. Peter says that God begins to join people together as stone upon stone, living stones to form a spiritual house. This is what God is doing. He's building a, a spiritual house, a new temple where His Spirit might dwell, not with bricks, not with concrete, but with broken, sinful people made alive by the resurrection power of Jesus. This is what it means to be a Christian. To be made alive by the Spirit's power, united to one another in community. Peter goes even further. Do you see it there in the second half of verse five? He says, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” You can see he begins to mix his, his metaphors here. If you're an English student, you don't do this, but for Peter, I think it's okay. He says that you are the new temple of God like living stones connected to Christ. You are the building, and you are the people of God. You are the holy priesthood, those who serve and function within the temple itself. And this is, this is Old Testament imagery. God's people were not ever able to approach God directly, and so the Levitical priesthood were there to serve as priests, especially set aside to mediate between the people of Israel and God Himself. So this is a miraculous claim that Peter is making, that that as you come to Jesus, the living stone, and are made alive, that you yourself join this holy priesthood. Men and women, slave and free, regardless of your age, regardless of your status or your power, your social standing, the people of God are made part of the holy priesthood with full access into the presence of God. And this is what Luther called the, the priesthood of all believers. And what do priests do? What is their, their role to play in this new temple? Peter tells us, it's, it's to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Now, what are these spiritual sacrifices? What does it look like for us as the holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices? Well, I know a couple of us, not me, but a couple of guys here like to go hunting, I think. Maybe we ask them to bring a deer or some goats back, and maybe we can offer a burnt offering next Sunday. Maybe not. Maybe not. No, we don't, because we, as we, as Josh so hopefully pointed out, the Lamb of God has been slain for us. The ultimate sacrifice has been paid. We no longer bring burnt offerings, but what about these spiritual sacrifices? What does it look like for God's people to offer these? Well, Peter's just finished speaking of these spiritual sacrifices all through his letter so far. Has he not just finished calling these believers to live such holy lives, to live holy lives just as their Heavenly Father is holy? To abstain from sin, to put away all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, and envy, and slander. He's going to go on in, later on in his letter to speak of how Christians respond and relate to the political authorities, how they're to function within the, the family unit, to submit to God's way in that, in that part of their lives. And his point is this: all of the believer's life, every single aspect, is to be given over as a living sacrifice of praise to God. Whether eating or drinking, whether working, or gardening, raising children, writing an email, as part of the holy priesthood, God's people are to offer up all of their lives, every aspect, as a living sacrifice of praise to their God. As Peter says in verse seven, “This is the honor of you who believe.” This is your honor. As the, as the holy priesthood of God, this is your joy. To be counted as part of God's temple with Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone, to be living stones made alive by the resurrection power of Jesus Himself. To be part of the building project that God is doing, to spend our lives as living sacrifices of praise to God. But what of those who do not believe? If you read with me from verse seven, Peter tells us, “But for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do.” Peter's saying, “Yes, there are those who have come to the, to the Lord Jesus, the living stone, has been built up part of his temple, have been made the priesthood of God offering their lives as living sacrifices of praise.” He says, “But make no mistake. There are also those who see the very same cornerstone and reject Him.” There are those who hear the good news that God Himself took on flesh, that the living Lord of glory came and died and hung upon a tree for their sin. They hear the gospel call to come to the one who alone can offer them resurrection life, and they refuse. They refuse and they reject Him. The very stone God has chosen to be the foundation of His people becomes the very stone that they stumble over. Peter says they stumble because they, they disobey the word. That is, they reject and refuse to submit to the gospel. They will not believe. They will not believe. And why? Why would anyone reject Christ's, Christ as the cornerstone, God's chosen and precious stone? Well, John's, John's gospel, I think, is helpful here as Jesus Himself explains to a man named Nicodemus why it is people reject this cornerstone. In Jesus's words, speaking of Himself as the light that has come into the world in John 3, he says, “For light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light lest his work should be exposed.” Jesus says the reason why people stumble over this cornerstone is because they love the darkness rather than the light. People don't want their sin exposed, nor do they want to submit to the lordship of Christ as king over their life. And so they reject the very one God has chosen and appointed to be the foundation of His people. Perhaps nowhere is this more vividly seen than in Acts 4, shortly after the resurrection. Peter and John are dragged before the Jewish leaders and authorities to give an account for a man, a crippled man, who has been miraculously healed by the resurrection power of Jesus. Listen to what Peter says to these Jewish leaders. He says, “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved.” These well-respected Jewish leaders who, who knew the Scriptures, who had read and poured over the Scriptures their whole life, they did not come to Him for fear of what it would mean for their lives. They feared losing their standing in the community. They feared losing control. They would not come out of the darkness of their own deeds into the light of Christ lest their works should be exposed. They stumble over the cornerstone. So if you are a believer here this morning, let me encourage you to do a, to do a building inspection of your own. Would you take time to consider and inspect, as we've done in, in the songs that we've sung so far this morning, and in the Lord's supper that we've taken, to fix your eyes upon Jesus? Would you inspect this, this marvelous, chosen cornerstone that the Lord has laid before the foundation of the world? There is no other rock. There is no other foundation that will stand in that final day. There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. He alone is God's chosen and precious way of salvation. So, church, let your heart praise Him as the living stone this morning. The very source of resurrection life that has caused and made you alive. And as we've seen, Peter depicts two kinds of people in this passage this morning, separated by how they respond to Jesus as the cornerstone. And Jesus Himself presents this, this same picture in His own teaching, right at the end of perhaps the most famous sermon of all of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount. After preaching and teaching about the way of the kingdom, after declaring to the people the way of salvation, what it will cost them, and all that they have to gain by coming to Him, Jesus finishes His final sermon by telling a story of two builders. The first builder, Jesus says, was a wise builder because he built his house upon the rock. And so when the rain came down and the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house, it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But the second builder, Jesus says, was a foolish builder because he chose to build his house upon the sand. And when the, and when the rain came down and the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house on the final day, Jesus says the house fell with a great crash. And great was its fall. Why? Because it did not have its foundation as the rock. The second builder, Jesus says, is anyone who hears his, his words, his invitation of eternal life, and does not put them into practice. Those who hear the very words of Jesus and refuse to come are those who stumble over this cornerstone. Friend, may that not be you this morning. Choose this day which foundation you will build upon. Choose Christ. Those who are built upon God's chosen and precious cornerstone will endure into eternity. Run to Him, the living stone who, who will give you new and everlasting life that will transcend the grave. He will cause you to be made alive, a living stone, rather than building your life in vain. God will use you as a living stone as in part of His great building project. He will add you to the community of His people. He will build you up to be a house where His presence dwells. He will make you into a priest in His house, and your life will overflow with spiritual sacrifices of praise all your days. Friend, this is what you were made for. You'll, you'll have no need for fear. And as Peter says, you will not be put to shame on that final day. Do not stumble over God's chosen cornerstone this morning. As Josh preached last week, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart this morning. Would you come to Him, the living stone, and be made alive? And if you have come to Him, if you have been made alive into a living stone, well, I hope you see this morning that you are a part of something much larger than yourself. God is building His church, and He's doing it through uniting living stones like you and me together, stone upon stone to be a temple filled with His presence. And just as a cornerstone sets the, the orientation, the alignment of the entire structure that is to come, church, our lives will become aligned and structured according to the will and ways of Jesus. As you observe your life, do you see and notice that your priorities are beginning to become aligned with His priorities? Your desires slowly becoming more and more aligned with His desires. The comforts that you once sought after, church, isn't it beautiful when they start to become replaced with, rather than comforts, a desire to see others grown in their faith. The drivenness that you once had and lived to make, lived with to make a name for yourself. Isn't it beautiful when that begins to diminish as you seek to make His name known? Built upon Christ as the cornerstone. And this happens as we are connected together stone upon stone, as one another in a local community. The Christian life was never been meant to be lived in isolation. You were never meant to be a stone on the side of the road. No, God's intention for His people has always been to unite people together to be a dwelling place for His Spirit. Perhaps even you've, perhaps you've been someone who attends church, but you, if you're honest with yourself, your life isn't a rock that is interconnected with others as the temple of God. Friend, it is God's intention for us to be, to share in such deep fellowship, to share our lives with an intimate connection like brothers and sisters in Christ. That is his intention for His church. Kanden Valley Baptist Church is a, is a small reflection of what God is doing all across the world in this way. He's gathering believers together into local communities, grounded upon Christ as the cornerstone. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German minister during World War II, who was faced and fraught with so many pressures around the community of God's people that he lived in, he says this, he says, “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this.” Friend, is this, church, is this not exactly what Christian community is meant to be? Saved sinners doing life together, sharing with one another, bearing one another's burdens, ministering to one another's needs. As we live these transformed lives empowered by God's Spirit, church, do you see how we start to become and function as the priests in God's temple? And just as the Old Testament prophets would offer physical sacrifices, church, is your life a living sacrifice of praise to God? Let me leave you with two examples to consider this. Firstly, with our hands. Paul the apostle having received financial support during his missionary journeys from the church in Philippi, he says this at the end of his letter. He says, “I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gift you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.” Church, this is what the holy priesthood does, isn't it? God's people can't help but support the work of, of mission and ministry globally, globally focused. It really is an organic overflow of who we are. Having received everything in Christ, we can't help but begin to long to see the gospel that, that saved us, this gospel of grace go forward into a lost and dying world that don't know Christ. To supply the needs of those who labor in preaching and teaching, to send missionaries to, to unreached and unengaged and unengaged parts of the world, to see schools and hospitals and churches built where Christ might be proclaimed as the living cornerstone. God's people really can't help but give not only their finances, but their time, their efforts, their energy, all of their resources in the service of others to the glory of God. It's who we are. I'm always blown away by the amount of food that we have during a church lunch like today. What a wonderful expression of God's holy priesthood offering up their time, their resources, in service of one another to the glory of God. It's beautiful. God's people really can't help but reflect the, the generous heart that they have received in the gospel to brothers and sisters in Christ and to the dying world. And so as a holy priesthood, we offer sacrifices of praise with our hands and also our lips. Hebrews 13 says, “Through Him,” speaking of Jesus, “let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.” Isn't that beautiful? As we pray and sing with hearts of gratitude and thanksgiving, we offer up a sacrifice of praise to our God. Church, would you please never think that what we do here on Sunday mornings is trivial? That we sing songs just because we like to sing songs. We do love to sing. But, church, what we are doing as we gather as the Lord's people together is that we are coming into the very throne of God Himself. And His, as his holy priests, we are offering up to Him the, the, the, the lips, the praise of our lips which call upon and praise His holy name. It is a sacrifice of praise to Him. And so as you lift up your voice at home or in the car, especially in gathered times of worship like this together, I want to encourage, I would encourage you to meditate upon the words that you speak and that you sing. Let them fill your heart with all joy and peace in believing. Focus upon God as his, Jesus as God's chosen and precious cornerstone, who before the foundation of the world was laid for your salvation. Praise Him for the resurrected life that has now become yours through Christ the living stone. Praise Him for adding you as a small part of, as a small stone, as part of God's building project, what He has been doing since the foundation of the world and building a people for His own possession. Praise Him for making you a holy priest in His house, that your life might be forever a, a living sacrifice of praise to God. Praise Him always for Christ, for whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame. Let me pray.