Privileges for God's People, Part 3a

If you have your Bible, turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 2. We'll pick up our narrative tonight in verse number 6. But as you're turning there, I want to read you a story that was given to me a number of years ago about a man named Fat Albert. It goes as follows. See Fat Albert, the world's fattest man, blared the pre-recorded sales pitch. He is real and he is alive. And he weighs 870 pounds. I walked up the platform's well-worn steps, half expecting Fat Albert to be a stuffed doll or some other deception.

I was truly surprised as I peered behind the three-sided partition and saw an enormous man sitting on a small seat. Fat Albert said he was born in a small town in Mississippi. A genetic defect caused him to accumulate his abnormal weight, and yes indeed, he did weigh 870 pounds. I stepped to the side as other people came into the booth. He patiently answered their questions and had a ready humorous reply for the taunts a scoffer hurled. I was about to leave when one of the teenagers in the group asked him how he felt about being the world's fattest man.

Well, we're all made in God's image, aren't we, Albert said, and we all come in different shapes and sizes. God made me the way I am for a purpose, and he made you the way you are for a purpose. The Bible says that the body is going to die and the spirit is going to live on.

So it is more important how we live than how we look. As others came in, he described how he became a Christian when he was 16. In the process, in a warm, low-key manner, he presented God's plan of salvation. Some stood blank-faced, but most listened politely. Stepping closer, I noticed a sticker on the wall behind him, Life is God's Gift, so fight abortion. I read you that story because fat Albert did not have an identity crisis. Most of us do. Fat Albert understood what God was doing in and through his life, and he used every opportunity he could to proclaim his God.

He was not worried about what other people thought about him. He wasn't worried about how people perceived him. He just wanted to make sure that he was able to do what God had purposed for him. Unfortunately, for most of us, we do have an identity crisis. We don't weigh 875 pounds or 870 pounds, and we don't find ourselves in some circus by people coming by and peering at us. But instead, we find ourselves having some kind of crisis in terms of who we are, what we are to be doing, and how we are to act.

Peter does something we all need to hear. He helps us understand who we are in Jesus Christ. And by giving us the description of the privileges of God's people, he boosts our identity in Christ. He helps us understand who we are, what we're to be doing, and why we are to be doing that. We began by looking at the fact that we are living stones being built up for a spiritual house. We call that union with Christ. Because of our union with him, we are a unique breed of people. Not only that, we are a holy priesthood.

We are a royal priesthood. We have admission into his presence. We, like no other group of people, can actually access the throne of grace. We can actually go into the presence of God at any moment because we are a royal priesthood. And because of that union and because of that admission, we are a special people. We have a unique identity in the kingdom of God. Thirdly, the Bible says in verse number six to eight that we are a people who will not be disappointed.

That means that we are a people of supreme satisfaction. Unlike the world, unlike the unbeliever, we as Christians are the satisfied. We are the ones who are truly blessed. And Peter explains to us why we are satisfied and nobody else is. Listen to what he says. We'll pick up our narrative in verse number six because this is where we left off last week. For this is contained in Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and he who believes in him shall not be disappointed.

This precious value then is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, the stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. For they stumble because they are disobedient to the word and to this doom. They were also appointed. Peter says that we who are the living stones, we who are the holy nation or the royal priesthood, have one key element that sets us apart from everybody else. We will never be disappointed. We live a life of supreme satisfaction.

We will never be ashamed. We will never be disillusioned. We will never be, as Isaiah 28, 16 says, never be disturbed. And we'll look at that here in a moment.

Why? Because of this precious cornerstone, this chief cornerstone, this choice stone, this precious stone. Peter helps us understand that this cornerstone, he quotes from Psalm 118 and Isaiah chapter 28, and in doing so we find that Paul also in Romans chapter 9 quotes from Isaiah chapter 28 as well. But Peter wants to bring into perspective for these Jewish readers what we are as the people of God. He says, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone. Now you know about the cornerstone.

It was the key in the building process. All the stones laid vertically and horizontally had to be built around the cornerstone, the chief stone. And Christ was and is that chief stone. In order for the spiritual house to be built properly, it has to be built around the chief stone, the cornerstone, and that is Christ himself. And this stone, as Peter says, is a chosen stone, a choice stone. It's chosen by God. It's specifically chosen by God. And once you understand how this stone was chosen by God, you'll understand how you yourself were chosen by God.

We'll talk about that in a moment. But each stone in the building process was shaped and cut and numbered so that it would be properly placed in the right location. With this cornerstone was the choice stone, and this choice stone is what Peter calls the precious stone, the valued stone, the stone that was extremely costly. The stone is without equal. The stone that sets all the angles in God's spiritual temple is a precious stone. Because of this perfection of God's chosen stone, the great privilege we possess is that as living stones, we will never be disappointed.

We will never be disillusioned. We will never be disturbed. The word disappointment carries the idea of having one's confidence misplaced or having one's hope in someone or something disappointed. Now all of us would have to agree that there are times in our lives where somebody has disappointed us. They haven't come through at the right time. They were late. They were unable to do what they said they were going to do. And because of that, we were disappointed. They failed us in some way. And our dependence upon them caused us to be disappointed.

Peter is saying that our dependence upon Christ, the precious stone, the cornerstone, the chief stone, will keep us from being disappointed, disillusioned, or disturbed. The text is Isaiah 28, verse number 16, and this is where Peter is referring to. Notice he doesn't say, it is written.

He says that it is contained in Scripture because he didn't quote it verbatim. But this is what it says, Behold, I am made in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. Literally, the Hebrew reads, he who believes in it will not be in a hurry. And this is where we left off last week. How is it for those of us who believe in this chief cornerstone and depend upon this stone, we'll never be in a hurry? In a hurry to do what?

Listen, in a hurry to run away in fear. This is how you know that the believer never turns his back on God, never does. Because the Bible tells us that he who believes in this costly cornerstone is never in a hurry to leave, to run away, because they're ashamed, or because they're fearful, or because they were disappointed, or because Christ didn't come through for them. Why? Because He always does. Listen to Isaiah chapter 50, verse number seven, For the Lord God helps me, therefore I am not disgraced, therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

That was the way the believer understands his relationship with God. He's never going to be disappointed, Isaiah 54, verse number one, Shout for joy, O barren one, you have born no child.

Break forth into joyful shouting, and cry aloud, you who have travailed. For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman, says the Lord. Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwelling, spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess nations, and they will resettle the desolate cities. Fear not, for you will not be put to shame, neither feel humiliated.

For you will not be disgraced, but you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your husband is your maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth. For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected, says your God. For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you.

In an outburst of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting love and kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer. For this is like the days of Noah to me, when I swore that the waters of Noah should not flood the earth again. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor will I rebuke you, for the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but my lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and my covenant of peace will not be shaken, says the Lord who has compassion on you.

That's God's promise to Israel, and that's how God shows His compassion to Israel. You know, He made a covenant with them. He will never forsake them. He will always be there for them. And you see, Peter says those of us who believe in Him, this precious cornerstone, have supreme satisfaction because we're never disappointed. We can count on Him. We can trust Him. He says that in verse number 7 of 1 Peter chapter 2, Therefore, this precious value is for you who believe. He is precious to you who believe.

You got to ask yourself the question, is Jesus Christ precious to you? Listen, if somebody never disappoints you. If someone is always there for you, if you can count on someone, they become very valuable to you because you know they're always going to be there. You can bank on them. Well, there's nobody on earth you can bank on because of our human sinful frailty. You can't count on us, but you can count on God. You can count on the Lord Jesus Christ because He is trustworthy, and therefore He's precious to us.

And you got to ask yourself the question, is Jesus Christ precious to me? If He's not, why not? How can He not be? If He's the choice stone, the precious cornerstone, the chief stone, then He must be precious to you because those who believe in Him and put their trust in Him will never be disillusioned, disturbed, will never be disappointed. To us, He is personally precious. He is completely valuable. But, but, Peter says, for those who disbelieve, the stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone and the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense.

Peter here quotes Psalm 118.22, very valuable psalm when it comes to understanding the Messiahship of Christ. But, to the world, He's not precious. Would you not agree that the unbelieving world does not look at Christ as a precious, valued person?

They don't look at Christ as someone they treasure. They don't look to count on Him, to believe in Him, to commit their lives to Him. Why? Because, you see, to them, He's nothing what they expect Him to be. But to us who believe, He's more than what we expect Him to believe. But to the world, they reject Him because He didn't do what they asked Him to do. And Peter says they, they, they stumble over Him. He is a stone of stumbling. He is a stone of offense. He is a lithos and a petra. He is a small rock as well as a massive rock to them.

He is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. And these people stumble over Him. Now, if you've got your Bible, turn with me to Luke chapter 20 for a moment.

Luke chapter 20 becomes a very important passage when you come to understanding Psalm 118.22 and what Peter's saying as he helps us understand that He's precious to us. But to the unbelieving world, they could care less. Luke 20 follows Luke 19. That's the way it always is, right? So Luke 19, you have the triumphal entry, you have the temple cleansing, and you have the temple teaching, okay? That's what you have. Christ is demonstrating His great authority. You remember the triumphal entry? There's a quotation in the triumphal entry from Psalm 118.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. They are blessing this one, looking to Him as their Messiah. And they quote Psalm 118. That's very important, because Christ then goes and cleanses the temple, and He begins to teach in the temple. And when you come to chapter 20, verse number 1, it says, And it came about in one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, that the chief priests and scribes of the elders confronted Him, and they spoke, saying to Him, Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave you this authority?

Now we'll stop right there for a second. Remember in Matthew chapter 7, when He gave His first sermon?

They said at the end of Matthew chapter 7, that everybody was astonished at what He said. Why? Because He spoke as one having authority. He didn't speak like the other scribes spoke. You see, they would go, and they would quote Rabbi so-and-so, and Rabbi so-and-so said this, and Rabbi so-and-so said that, and Rabbi so-and-so did this, and Rabbi so-and-so did that. And that was their authority. And they would quote another rabbi who had gone before them, and that was their authority. And so the scribes say, Well, you know, here you are teaching, but you're not quoting anybody.

You know, Jesus doesn't have to quote anybody, because, you know, He's Jesus. But who's your authority? Who gave you the authority to come in here and do what you do? This is what Jesus says, He answered and said to them, I shall ask you a question, and you tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, Well, if we say from heaven, He will say, Why did you not believe Him? But if we say from men, all the people will stone us to death. For they are convinced that John was a prophet. And they answered that they did not know where it came from. They lied. They're cowards. Christ says, Let me answer your question with a question.

That's always a good way to talk to people who want to debate you. Always answer their question with a question. And Christ says, Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?

You see, if they say that John's baptism is from heaven, and John is a prophet, and John said this one, Jesus, is the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world, and everybody believed what John the Baptist said, we will have to agree that Jesus is the Messiah. But if we say that what John did was not from heaven, the people are going to stone us. They're going to think we're wacko. So we're just not going to answer. They're cowards. Listen to what Jesus says.

Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. And He began to tell the people this parable. A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine growers. It went on a journey for a long time. At the harvest time, he sent a slave to the vine growers in order that they might give him some of the produce of the vineyard. But the vine growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he proceeded to send another slave, and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed.

And he proceeded to send a third, and this one also, they wounded and cast out. And the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him. But when the vine growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, This is the heir. Let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy these vine growers and will give the vineyard to others.

And when they heard it, they said, May it never be. No. He gives a parable about the vineyard. Israel knows about the vineyard. All you got to do is go back to the book of Isaiah, where Israel is the vineyard. And their God is that great vine dresser in that vineyard. Here he uses a parable where he looks to help us understand that the vineyard is Israel. The owner is God Himself. But the vine growers are the religious leaders. Servants are the prophets. And the son, of course, is Jesus Christ. Helps them understand that these servants, these prophets would come and they'd kill them.

They got rid of them. They beheaded John the Baptist. They dealt with Zechariah by stoning him to death. They realized that Elijah was a threat, so he was thrown out by the monarchy. They went against all of God's prophets. God sent a son. They killed him. And these people said, May this never be. But listen to what Christ says.

He says, He looked at them and said, What then is this that is written? This is important. The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone. What's He doing? He is quoting Psalm 118, the Messianic Psalm. He's quoting the same Psalm that was quoted in Luke 19 by the people when He rode into Jerusalem during the triumphal entry. For in that same Psalm, in Psalm 118, it says that this cornerstone was going to be rejected by men. And then He says this, Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.

It will shatter him. It will destroy him. Whoever doesn't believe in this stone will be broken to pieces, and that stone will then fall on them and shatter them into dust. It's the destruction of the people of God who don't believe in Him. You see, what Christ was doing was helping us to understand something very significant. To those who believe in Him, He is precious. He's valuable. But for those who don't, they could care less about what they do to Him. They disbelieve. They reject Him. They rebel against Him.

They refuse to submit to His authority. And Christ would quote the same Psalm that the people would quote in Luke 19 about us coming in to show these people that this parable is true. It's going to happen just like He stated it. He's going to die, but even though He dies, He will rise again, and He will come and destroy all those who oppose Him. Now, turn back with me to 1 Peter chapter 2. And Peter says this, for they stumble because they are disobedient to the Word. They won't believe the Word.

They disbelieve the truth. And then let's look at what Peter says. He says, and to this doom they were also appointed. Now, we need to stop right here for a second, because there are some people who believe that the people who disbelieve were appointed to disbelief, and therefore, they were doomed.

What was appointed is the destruction, not the unbelief. The destruction appointed for unbelief was appointed in ages long ago.