Togetherness!!! Shalom Brothers and Sisters, there are many people who think that they are with God/Yahweh, Jesus/Yeshua and the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh... But are they really? You know many believe in God/Yahweh, Jesus/Yeshua and the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh. But are they in a real relationship with them? The truth is all about: Togetherness!!! The passage from the Word of God/Yahweh for today is 1 Peter 2:4-12; “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 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. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” Peter, in this first letter of his, shows how we are not alone. Peter establishes our identity as being God/Yahweh’s own people in a special relationship with Him. That identity gives us grounds to live lives of holiness, which means restraining our impulses toward evil and indulging our instincts for the good. Our new identity as God/Yahweh’s children and our calling to holiness are sufficient reasons enough not to be overwhelmed by the isolation and loneliness. Because we are in a faith relationship with God/Yahweh, we are never alone even in the most trying circumstances. This intimacy with God/Yahweh is beautifully explored in Psalm 139:1-4, 11-12; “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely... If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” It’s a wonderful assurance. Sometimes God/Yahweh wakes me up in the middle of the night and I can’t get back to sleep it’s taken me a while to realize that God/Yahweh intends me to pray during those times. So, now I get up and pray, I confess, I thank God/Yahweh, I pray for my family and friends, I pray for all of you, I pray for specific people who God/Yahweh brings to mind. And then I pray my way through Scripture. This is a terrific Psalm to pray your way through. Read a verse or two and stop and chew on it and pray it back to the Father/Abba. God/Yahweh created us not just to be in deep relationship with Him, but also one another. God/Yahweh hasn’t called us together here as individuals, but as a group as a body. We have the myth of the rugged individual hero, the Lone Ranger, John Wayne riding off into the sunset, Clint Eastwood as the gunfighter with no name. We have this idea that our heroes are tough men who can handle any situation on their own and can stand on their own. But in reality, we’re not made that way. We are made to rely upon and trust in one another. We’re made to lean on one another and to bless and be blessed by one another... Today’s passage reflects that design. From today’s passage, we get two pictures of our life together... we are a family with a foundation and we are a people with a purpose. With that in mind, let’s dig into the text. First: We see that we are a family with a foundation. Look at verses 4 -5... Here Peter uses the metaphor of us being living stones brought together to be built into a “spiritual house.” In other words, God/Yahweh brings us together and joins us together into a structure. The key thing in this picture is the foundation of the structure: Jesus/Yeshua!!! Here Jesus/Yeshua is referred to as the chosen and precious cornerstone. The cornerstone in ancient times was the most important stone in architecture; it was a foundation stone that held the pressure where two walls joined. So we are quite literally built on the foundation of Jesus/Yeshua!!! Peter brings together these three Old Testament and quotes, all of them talking about the coming Messiah/HaMashiach... the King who would deliver Israel... The thrust of these passages is that we either come to the stone in faith, or we are broken against the stone in rebellion. Peter learned this use of the Old Testament passages from a pretty good teacher... Jesus/Yeshua in Matthew 21 makes the same point using one of the same passages: Jesus/Yeshua was in Jerusalem and was being tested by the Pharisees. So He told a story about a landowner who planted a vineyard, he purchased all the equipment and tended the vines until they were ready to produce fruit. And when all was ready, he entrusted the whole operation to some tenants so he could go off on other business. When the time came that he should be expecting the first bottles, he sent one of his people back to see what kind of return he was getting on his investment, perhaps even to get a bottle of the early pressing. The tenants just abused this messenger. He sent another messenger... no answer. And another... Finally he sent his only son, his beloved boy. And do you know what those tenants did? They killed the boy, abused his body, and left it out in the open for the crows. What did the owner of the vineyard do? He roused up all his security forces and destroyed the wicked tenants and found new tenants. After telling this story, Jesus/Yeshua then quotes; “Haven’t you read the scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the capstone, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Jesus/Yeshua is the Son... He is the one that God/Yahweh sent, and by rejecting Him, He becomes the stone against which we are broken. In Matthew 21:44, Jesus/Yeshua said; “Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” So we’re joined together as a family through our faith in Christ/Yeshua. Now being a part of a family is a wonderful thing. We get that sense of connection and intimacy. We have that sense of togetherness, like we can rely upon one another and take our hurts and cares for one another. However, like all families, it can also be maddening. (Example): I am the second youngest in a family of five; I had two older sisters and an older brother with a younger sister. The two older sisters had left the house, so there was my brother, the youngest sister and me. My mother was ill with cancer, and my older sisters did not come to help out in the house. My older brother, well lets just say was a waste of time to explain... I would get up in the morning before school; cook breakfast for everyone while mother was preparing lunch boxes for all at work or school. Before school also I would do a quick tidy up in the house, leaving clothes to be washed in the machine by mother. I would return from school and help prepare dinner for everyone and then do my homework. As time passed (about 4 years) the time came when our mother was in her dying bed, I broke off from work to take care of her, she was given at least 6 months to live. At this time I was glad to see that my older sisters had a spine after all, as they came to help out. They took care of doing things in the house, as mother wanted me by her side. I washed her, gave her medication and cleaned up after her. In this time period we built a relationship that was much closer than we ever had before. We laughed, we cried together as we spoke of times gone by. I asked her forgiveness for all I had done wrong, and she told me we will be together again one day. She died in my arms with a smile on her face. However, my dad was angry as she died in my arms and not his. He to this day still has this chip on his shoulder and we have not spoken for over 30 years, (not on my part as I have tried many times)... The moral of this is that even though all the family were not together with all that happened, my mother and me had togetherness as she looked on me always as the foundation cornerstone!!! Life as a family can be maddening at times. That’s why it’s so important that we are a family with a foundation. With Christ/Yeshua as our cornerstone, we have security. Even when we let one another down, even when we drive one another crazy, we are still secure in Jesus Christ/Yeshua. Why, because our relationship is not based on what we do for one another, rather our relationship is based off of the fact that Christ/Yeshua has put us here together for a reason. Being a family of God/Yahweh with a foundation means that Christ/Yeshua has measured each one of us up and put each one of us here in this time and in this place. It doesn’t matter if you’re a member of this congregation or not. Being a member of the family has little to do with official membership and everything to do with Jesus Christ/Yeshua. God/Yahweh brought you here among us today. God/Yahweh has a purpose for you and that leads us to our second picture... Second: We are also a people with a purpose. We get this picture in verses 9-12. Here, the compelling image is that of being a kingdom of priests remember that the priests were those who offered the sacrifices in the temple; they were the ones who stood between the people and God/Yahweh. God/Yahwehs vision was always that the whole church would be a kingdom of priests that we would all be in direct relationship to Him and serving one another. Back up in verse 5, we see that we are to offer “spiritual sacrifices” these spiritual sacrifices are what David talks about in Psalm 51:16-17; “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” A broken and contrite heart. Our spiritual sacrifice is our own heart, our very own being offered up to God/Yahweh!!! From this broken heart arise two main things that we do together as priests. And again, remember that the picture here is that we do these things not in isolation, but together... Praise in verse 9... Good works in verse 12... So we are called to these positive works of praise and good works together. That’s why we should have worship together everyday. That’s why we should have programs like Bible Study Night, Get Together Night (for films or theater), Barbeque Night or other events; this is where we tangibly show the love of Jesus Christ/Yeshua in Togetherness!!! Some of you are called to be leaders and organizers of ministries. Others are called together to help us take our existing ministries to new levels. Realize also that the church of God/Yahweh’s ministry isn’t limited to the official programs of our organization. Some of you do ministry through developing relationships in your neighborhood or at the workplace. Some of you are gifted at one-on-one discipleship and are even now taking someone to a deeper understanding of faith. Some of you are not sure yet why God/Yahweh has brought us together, perhaps it is for healing some hurt in your life so you can engage in the adventure of faith. Perhaps God/Yahweh brought us together here so we can make a new commitment to studying the Scriptures and knowing Him better!!! We are a people!!! What is your calling as a part of this people? We have a purpose that we are living out together!!! What is your role in fulfilling that purpose? God/Yahweh has given you unique gifts, interests, and passions. How are you going to use them? Finally, we are a family with a foundation!!! Jesus/Yeshua has brought each one of us together. A people with a purpose... Jesus/Yeshua brought us together here for a reason. Look around. These people are God/Yahweh’s gift to you. Now let’s go be the church of God/Yahweh together with God/Yahweh, Jesus/Yeshua and the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh in full: Togetherness!!! Be Blessed in the name and shed blood of Jesus/Christ/Yeshua and be in Togetherness with all three as One...Hallelujah, Amen!!! Pastor Jeff Walker
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 13:52:04 +0000
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