May 9, 2012
And
you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. -- 1Peter
2: 5a (NLT)
Unfortunately in modern Christianity some have twisted the
faith into a "what can I get out of it" mentality instead of realizing that
once we are saved it is no longer truly about us. It must become all about Him
and His kingdom. At its core this is what is wrong with prosperity doctrine. It
teaches people that they can use their Christianity to gain for themselves in
this life instead of making their life about Christ. Inevitably most do not
prosper to the level they were promised and they can then blame God or fall
away from the faith because it was rooted in the things of this world instead
of eternal values. Even worse, because they have now made their faith about
themselves -- they often do very little for the
The key verse today is one that most believers know but may not have considered the meaning of. God considers us living stones that He intends to use to build His spiritual temple -- His kingdom. There is an oppositional thought to prosperity doctrine! God is supposed to use us! Not the other way around. And what comes to mind when we think about stones? What qualities is God looking for in order to be able to use us?
First of all, stones are strong. They are strong throughout. It is not a temporary strength -- it is what they are by nature. As believers we cannot have transitory strength. If a builder finds a stone that has a flaw running through it he will recognize that he cannot build with it. Why? Because at some point that flaw will expand and the stone could crack. If that happens the failure affects every other stone that is reliant upon the flawed one. Likewise our faith cannot have flaws running through it if God is going to be able to use us. Why? Because Satan will certainly attack us where the flaws are. He will use what we give him. If we are weak in lust -- he will use that against us. If we are weak in pride, he will use that. He will keep pushing the same buttons over and over again until we fix the flaw and strengthen who we are in Christ.
Secondly, stones are durable. They stand the test of time. They last. It does not matter what the season is. It does not matter what the weather is. They are built to endure. The Bible says that trials produce fruit in our lives that lead to perseverance. It builds our endurance as Christians. We are not in a sprint -- we are in a walk. Far too often we see new believers on fire for God and soon that fire burns them out too quickly and they fall away. They had no durability. They had no endurance. God cannot use stones such as that because they simply will not last and when you do not last as a believer you can end up taking other people with you.
Thirdly, stones must work together if anything is going to be built. One stone alone is just a stone. It may be strong and durable but it has relatively no functionality. It isn't usable for much alone. Likewise as believers there are no super men. There are no super-spirituals. We are all supposed to be on the same team. Now be careful here because there is a false theology out there that cries for unity at every turn but they are not rooted in Christ and the uncompromised Gospel. The Bible is very clear that light can have nothing in common with darkness. Just saying the name of Christ is not enough. Claiming to be a church is not enough. Jesus teaches that not everyone who says "Lord Lord" enters the kingdom of heaven. Get this deep down in your Spirit today. The reality is we are not all on the same team. I am not teammates with someone who compromises the Gospel on fundamental issues of doctrine. I am not on the same team with false teachers, wannabe prophets, motivational speakers and self-help gurus. Why? Because they have massive flaws running through them and I do not want to be next to them when they crumble. I do not want to be reliant upon them. Broad is the path that leads to destruction beloved. Do not take off the belt of truth for anyone!
This leads us to the last quality of the living stones God seeks. We must all be centered upon the chief cornerstone -- Jesus Christ. We know the Bible describes Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone and the dictionary defines a cornerstone as:
"Essential, indispensible
and the starting point of a monumental building."
That is what Jesus Christ should be to us if we are to be living stones God can use. Our work is not independent or reliant upon us -- only Jesus. This is the central problem with accepting the false "kumbya" calls for unity. We are not all working off the same foundation. Unity must be centered upon the chief cornerstone and nothing else. No seeker-friendly nonsense that compromises the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No purpose driven heresies. And also, not just in name but in deed. In fruit. A church that preaches Jesus but behaves in direct opposition to what they preach is just as flawed. They are building too -- don't get me wrong -- but they are not building for the kingdom they think they are.
God is creating a monumental building and He has chosen us as the living stones He will use to build off of His Son, Jesus Christ. I am not talking about the man-made machinations of ministry but rather the Great Commission we are all called to. To preach the uncompromised Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples of all nations. To be strong throughout and durable as living stones for God. To work together with those who are properly centered upon the Chief Cornerstone -- Jesus Christ. What an honor. What a privilege. Hallelujah to His Name!
Rev. Anthony
