ABUNDANT GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH
  • Home
  • Welcome
    • Gallery
  • Statement of Faith
    • Message Blog
  • Directions
  • Contact Us

July 13th, 2014

7/13/2014

0 Comments

 
1 Peter 2:1-12
Apostle Peter draws our attention to some important spiritual factors in our Christian life.
The new born baby grows day by day depending on pure milk of the mother or powder milk.
When we first accept the Lord into our hearts we are like new born babies and need pure spiritual food to grow in our Christian walk.
But there are many common character flaws that hinder the growth of a Christian.
We have to get rid of all such “wrong attitudes of heart”.
These are moral imperatives named in the first verse like malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 
Like junk food they make us to lose the real taste for pure milk, the Word of God.
No Christian is born fully grown – as we see stages of growth in a baby so also in a Christian
We need to see day by day spiritual growth as a baby - 'Peter says that growing in your salvation'
We have tasted that the Lord is good – we have experienced HIS grace, His love, HIS mercy – HIS free gift of salvation.
For this reason Peter puts us as Lord’s privileged people – taking the place of Levites as priests without any temple.
Lord Jesus is described as the chosen stone, corner stone, precious stone, foundation stone and living stone.
HE was chosen by God and but the world has rejected HIM.

The Church, in Peter’s view has been built on the Living Stone – in the process we also become the living stones offering spiritual sacrifices through our lives.
Apostle Peter says that since we have come to the Living Stone and we will become like HIM, our Lord as living stones.
We all become the priests serving and offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.
The Church of Lord Jesus Christ is the spiritual house with Christ as the foundation stone.
Every Christian is a privileged priest to serve the Lord not in a temple but in his/her own heart.
Every individual Church is the designated place to bring sacrifices – our life is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord – we are the living sacrifices.
Like people of Israel, we are also the chosen people because faith in Lord Jesus.
We become that special possession of God Almighty.
This puts us under the spot light as our position in Christ demands that we have to live a separated life for Christ.
All those who did not know the Lord as their Savior are literally living in darkness.
Apostle Peter is quoting from Scripture:
Verse 6 is from Isiah 28:16, one of the Messianic prophecies. 
Verse 7 is from Psalms 118:22 referring to the Messiah.
Verse 8 is also from Isiah 8:14
Apostle Peter cautions us to avoid getting lost in our Christian walk because of those sinful desires that always corrupt and contaminate our soul.
We are required to live a life that attracts the non-believers and our life should impress them to have the desire to know more about the Lord but not to discourage them.
Our personal lives will always be a testament and witness to glorify God.
The Christian lives in the world but not the world in a Christian.
The world should not change us but we change the one we influence with our life.
Pastor Wiersbe says “Separation is not isolation but it is contact without contamination” “Live a godly life in this godless world”
We have to keep in mind that we are chosen people, separated for God, privileged people and priests of the Holy God.
God always works through our lives to bring others to the living hope we have.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Pastor John Sesham
    Abundant Grace Community Church, Hayward.

    Archives

    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.