Bible Study - Authentic (1) - Built on CHRIST - 1 Peter 2:1-12 - April 14, 2024

 

Bible Study – Authentic (1) – Built on CHIRST – April 14, 2024

Our focus scripture is 1 Peter 2:1-12

Everything in the church centers on JESUS CHRIST.

JESUS THE CHRIST is foundational established by GOD, “I AM.”

There is only One True GOD (I AM) and only ONE TRUE SON (JESUS THE CHRIST), WHO PAID THE SIN DEBT FOR ALL PEOPLE, WHO place their faith in HIM. JESUS willingly left HIS home in Glory to come to earth to be the only pure, acceptable sacrifice to GOD to pay, in full, for the sins of all humanity for all who will accept HIS PASSION and place their faith in HIM.

GOD established JESUS as the corner stone of the Christian church. The corner stone is the stone that is used to align all the walls of the building being built. The cornerstone determines the future of the final building.

In Ephesians 2: ²⁰ Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

JESUS is the foundation and The ONE upon which all true Christians build. Do you recall last week’s study regarding building upon the solid foundation which has been laid by JESUS? We either choose the building materials as we work in GOD’S Vineyard or as led by the Holy Spirit, to guide us as we work in GOD’S vineyard.

All of the building materials we use, as Christians, will be tested by fire. Certain building materials will combust, but others will withstand the fire. Those that withstand the test of fire will be our heavenly reward which will be used to fashion our crown which, in turn, we will lay at the feet of JESUS.

 

Let’s read 1 Peter 2:1-5:

The Living Stone and a Holy People

2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. ² Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word (Truth),^[a] so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, ³ if you have tasted that the Lord is good.^[b] 4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by^[c] God— ⁵ you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood^[d] to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

Be genuine and realize that as new Spirit-born Christians, we are like newborn babies. We have so much yet to learn.

We are just like newborn infants, and we are totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit to teach us in these formative years to Spiritually grow into mature Spiritual adults, fully equipped to serve and fully equipped for Spiritual battle.

FATHER, we ask YOU to lead and guide every Spirit-born Christian to a fellow Spiritually mature Christian who can teach them the magnificence of serving YOU through the good times and the not-so-good. But it is in the not-so-good times that we get to experience YOU and learn to trust in YOU as YOU carry us through the rough spots in life.

We as Spirit-born Christians are building upon the foundation that JESUS has laid, the church also is building upon the foundation that JESUS has laid. That is why there are so many denominations which are still being modified today. Where do we draw the line?

JESUS gave HIS sinless life for all people.

Let’s read 1 Peter 2:6-8:

⁶ For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored^[e] cornerstone,
and the one who believes in him (JESUS)
will never be put to shame.^[f]

⁷ So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—
this one has become the cornerstone,^[g]

⁸ and

A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.^[h]

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.

What is the importance of the cornerstone of any building? It determines the future alignment of all the walls of the building. The cornerstone dictates the final building but if people decide a different building, it will become the vision of people and not GOD.

The Bible describes Jesus as the cornerstone that HIS Church would be built upon. JESUS is foundational. Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it. As the cornerstone of the building of the true church, not the brick-and-mortar church, JESUS is our standard of measure, direction, and alignment. The leadership of the church and the individual church body decide whether or not the church is headed in the right Spiritual direction as guided by the Holy Spirit.

In the early 19th and 20th centuries, cornerstones were hollowed out and placed in a prominent location on the front of a building. These stones often had an inscription, such as the name of the owner, the name of the builder, or the year the structure was built. Often, the cornerstone was hollowed out, and important documents, newspaper clippings, books, or photographs were placed into a metal receptacle and then placed inside the hollowed-out area in the cornerstone before it was put in place.

You may pass by cornerstones without ever noticing them; however, you can find a great deal of information about the building from these inscribed stones. They are often found on historic buildings and homes in communities around the world.

JESUS is the CHRIST and is the Chief Cornerstone of HIS Church. Often the cornerstone was hollowed out and excellent information was placed inside. Such information about JESUS has been placed in the Bible and authenticated by the life, death, passion, resurrection, ascension of JESUS and confirmed by the Holy Spirit. In 1 Peter 10:24:

He (JESUS) personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. JUST THINK JESUS DID THIS JUST FOR YOU AND ME!

What did JESUS tell Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin who helped Joseph of Arimathea bury JESUS after HIS crucifixion. We read in John 3:1-21:

3 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴ “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water (Physically) and the Spirit (Only from GOD), he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. ⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “Truly I tell you; we speak what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven —the Son of Man(JESUS).^[c]

¹⁴ “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him may^[d] have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God loved the world in this way:^[e] He gave^[f] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. ¹⁹ This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it,^[g] so that his deeds may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Everything a Denomination or Church builds upon must be governed and guided by JESUS THE CHRIST/The Holy Spirit. HE establishes the current and future direction of a Denomination or a Church. But do we look to JESUS for direction and the leadership of the Holy Spirit? Or do we lean upon our own understanding? What do we learn from proverbs 3:5-6? Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not rely on your own insight.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

Why does GOD do this for HIS chosen? Let’s read on ----

Let’s read 1 Peter 2:9-12:

⁹ But you are a chosen race,^[i][j] a royal priesthood,^[k] a holy nation,^[l] a people for his possession,^[m] so that you may proclaim the praises^[n][o] of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

My, my look what we are as Spirit-born people through faith in JESUS:

-        A Chosen Race

-        A Royal Priesthood

-        A Holy Nation

-        A people of HIS possession

WHY? so that you may proclaim the praises^[n][o] of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. How did we receive mercy? Through the shed blood of JESUS.

A Call to Good Works

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. ¹² Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,^[p] so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.

Live so that others will see JESUS in you. May our lives be a witness to others but caution, Christians have an enemy but as we read in 1 John 4:1-6: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³ and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. ⁴ Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ⁵ They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

In the latter days we who are the truth must know how to deal with the unholy spirit world. JESUS IS OUR DEFENDER AND OUR PROTECTOR. Blessings!!!