Living Stones

Remember that we are Living Stones

1 Peter 2:4-5 Come to Him as living stones, rejected by men (John 1:11), but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
    —Do I want to be choice and precious in God’s sight or man’s sight*****
This picture is that of a structure in Heaven being built by the hands of God and not by man.  The construction material is of living stones, the lives of His people, fitted together in unity, beauty and peace.  God is building a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices.  (Romans 12:1-2…we are the temple of the Holy Spirit)
1 Kings 6:7 Describes the building of the earthly temple at the time of Solomon.  All the work of cutting and perfecting happened at the quarry.  Then the finished stones were carried to the temple site where they were set in place without the sound of hammer or chisel.  The work was complete before the work started!  This describes the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives on earth so that we are properly fit together in our heavenly designated place of rest.  Useless material left in the quarry—the flesh profits nothing.

Isaiah 51:1-2 “Listen” you who pursue righteousness.  You who seek the Lord.  “Look” to the rock you were hewn from and the quarry from which you were dug.  Look to Abraham your father and Sarah who gave you birth, etc.

Here, the scripture says that if we are pursuing righteousness and seeking the Lord, we should look to Abraham the rock who was our father and Sarah who was the quarry out of which we were birthed.

The picture is that of dead stone but somehow alive because the stone and quarry are people who had children as many as the stars.

Romans 4:17 Abraham’s faith was to believe that God raises the dead and calls into being what does not exist.  That is to be our faith also, if we seek righteousness and God.  God’s work in us is impossible for us.

We now know our destiny.  It is to be part of a Heavenly Building in which God dwells and out of which we make pleasing offerings to God.

1. Do I know where I fit into this spiritual dwelling? No.
2. Therefore, do I know what is necessary to cut me from the quarry, shape, finish, and polish for being properly and perfectly set in heaven? No.
3. Do I know where I am going to be set or who I will be next to? No.

Therefore, I do not know what is necessary in my life in order to remove what is worthless in order to be properly shaped and formed for my destined place in heaven.  That leaves me with trusting the Lord to do His work and to seek Him.
Hebrews 3:5-6…confidence that God can take care of everything
Colossians 3:1-4 Since you have been raise with Christ, seek things above where Christ is.  Set mind on things above, not things of earth.  You died to this place and your life is hidden in Christ.  When Christ, who is your life, returns, you will be revealed with Him. I need a revelation of where my life really is
Galatians 6:14-15…there is nothing useful to me in the world.  I am useless to the world.

Colossians 3:5-7 Describes what God is cutting off in order to properly shape us: Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed

1 Timothy 6:1-3  Paul says slaves that are believers are to serve their masters wholeheartedly without motivation being self gain.  This is godliness.

1 Timothy 6:3-8…There are some who think that godliness is a means of gain.  This is using Christianity for a pretext for gaining something in this world.  But godliness is great gain when accompanied by contentment.  We came with nothing, we will leave with nothing.

The only thing you can take with you is godliness.
Philippians 4:15-17—Paul is seeking the Philippians’ gain.
Acts 20:35—“it is more blessed to give than receive”

1 Timothy 6:9-10  Seeking riches in this world rather than the one to come has led some into ruin and destruction.  Money is the root of all kinds of evil.  Some even have wandered from the faith.

The Lord is working in our lives to chip off worldliness and desire for riches here so that we can be suitable for the Temple of God.

Job 1:20…”Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.”  Job knows that all belongs to God and the most important possession on earth is submission.  Godliness was Job’s true wealth

Ecclesiastes 5:15  He came naked from his mother’s womb and so he will return as he came.  he will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand

Philippians 3:18-19  Many walk as enemies of the cross, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

Philippians 3:20  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for our Savior who will transform our bodies to be as His glorious body.

We are not from here.  We do not belong here.  This is only a temporary place where all that is worthless is removed from our lives in order to be finished and polished in godliness so as to fit in our ordained place in the Temple of God.  This is all of life, learning to allow God to do whatever is necessary to accomplish this goal.