Born into Community

Surviving Times of Suffering
1 Peter 2:4-10

“There can be no maturity in the spiritual life, no obedience in following Jesus, no wholeness in the Christian life, apart from an immersion in, and embrace of, community. I am not myself by myself.”
-Eugene Peterson, “A Generous Savior”

There are many pictures of the church in the New Testament: a vine with many branches, a shepherd of many sheep, and a holy city being ruled over by a king.  Here in 1 Peter 2, it’s described as a spiritual house – a temple having a chief cornerstone, who is Jesus.  That temple, the church, is still being built today.

1.   The foundation of the church: (v 4-7)

A.   Jesus is the Stone that the builders rejected

Matthew 21:42

Psalm 118:22

Isaiah 8:13, 14 and Isaiah 28:16

Matthew 16:18

 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:11

B.   Jesus is to be our
Luke 6:46-49

C.   Jesus has to be the (v. 7)

2. The Nature of the Church (v 5)

A.    The Christian is also like (v 4, 5)

 “The free-lance Christian, who would be a Christian but is too superior to belong to the visible Church upon earth in one of its forms, is simply a contradiction in terms.”                                          -C. E. B. Cranfield

B.    He has made us into the (v 10a)

C.    He has called us into (v 10b)

3.   The function of the church (v 9)

A.    A

B.    A

C.    A

D.    A People (v. 9)

Matthew 21:42-44

Daily Meditations

Memory verse: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”                                                                                                                                                                1 Peter 2:9

Monday
Read 1 Peter 2:1-10.  According to 1 Peter 2:4, how did God and people treat the living Stone (Christ) differently?

How is Christ still being rejected by people today? Why?

Tuesday
Read 1 Peter 2:1-10.  In what way are we like living stones? See verse 5.

Explain in your own words what means to you: “and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame [nasb: disappointed].” (v. 6b)

Wednesday
Read 1 Peter 2:1-10.  According to verse 6, what will happen to those who trust in the “Cornerstone”?

In verse 7, how was Christ treated differently by believers and unbelievers?

How is Christ precious to you? Why?

Thursday
Read 1 Peter 2:1-10.  In what way did the “Stone” (Christ) cause some people to stumble? See verse 8.

How could being disobedient to God cause someone else to stumble?

Friday
Read 1 Peter 2:1-10.  According to verse 9, what status did Peter ascribe to believers in Christ?

How does being chosen by God for a special task make you feel?

Saturday
Read 1 Peter 2:1-10.  How does our past compare with our present condition?  See verse 10.

What are the implications of believers being a chosen people, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation?