The Building Process of a Living Stone

¹Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. ⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house^[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 ⁷ 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.

 

• Simon is now Peter – Peter is Aramaic for “The Rock”
• Persecution – to harass; to punish to injury; attacked because of your belief; attacks; to pressure; to pester; like bullying; an affliction that won’t end.
• There’s no substitute to the process
• We are being built into the Spiritual House
• Enough is Enough
• No more judging

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Resetting for a reason – sometimes God allows things to take place.

1 Peter 2:1 – Therefore. rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

• Rid yourself of malice (being ill intentioned)
• Rid yourself of deceit (misrepresenting the truth)
• Rid yourself of envy (wanting what someone else has)
• Rid yourself of hypocrisy (claiming to have standards but representing something else)
• Rid yourself of slander (evil speaking)

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1 Peter 2:2 – Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

• Know the word
• Be a follower of Jesus Christ
• Know that Gods hands are on you
• Become durable

We are living stones (being made into) what God is going to use to build something great.

While we are going through the process and being made new, we should do the following things.

• Eat Right
  Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

• Praise
  Hebrews 13:15 – Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

• Witness
  Hebrews 13:16 – And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

• Love Others
  Ephesians 5:2 – And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

• Pray
  Revelations 8:3 – Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.

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1 Peter 2:7 – 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.

• Jesus is the chief cornerstone
• He has plans for our lives
• He’s building us
• He’s creating us
• He’s making us
• He’s pressing us