Fiddling around and spaghetti for dinner ** Living stones...

1 Peter 2: 4 - 6

    As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

From our perspective today it’s very easy to think of the church as a building made of wood, bricks, and mortar. 

But when the New Testament speaks of the church, it is always talking about people.

In fact, I read that the earliest evidence of a house being converted architecturally into a place of Christian worship is not until approximately around 241-256 AD.

Yet, in Peter’s description of the church, he describes people as “living stones” who are “built up as a spiritual house” with Jesus as the “cornerstone.”

When we think of stones, we consider them as dead, without life.

But in Christ we have been born again through the imperishable, living, Word of God.

And we are like living stones—lasting, precious, and permanent, because of Christ.

Peter viewed the church… not as a physical building or even an institution… but as “people” …that God is developing and bringing together in Jesus.

It’s important to remember that what makes us as “living stones” that are fit together as a unit… is by making sure that the “cornerstone” is in place.

In the construction of a building, the cornerstone is set first in the foundation and then all the other stones are positioned in reference to this cornerstone…

If the cornerstone is weak or not set in the right place, everything else in the building will be off. [thus, it will be weak and structurally unsound].

And our understanding of the church will greatly influence us in how we approach ministry and how we see ourselves as the church…

So often the goal becomes building bigger facilities instead of developing people who love and follow Jesus…

You see the issue is not where we meet… …but how and why.

The purpose was… and still must be, for worship of God… for the teaching of the Word of God… for encouragement… and for the mutual edification of other believers.

Buildings were never meant to be the goal or the focus of church gatherings…

The church has nothing to do with buildings. Although buildings are used by the church, they are not required to “be” the church.

Buildings are meant to help the church accomplish its mission…

but we must not allow the building that we call church to hinder the mission of God’s Spiritual church…

It is vitally important that the place where you gather together with other believers… is built on the only foundation that can stand… that is… Jesus Christ our Lord!