Ep 414 | The Stone That The Builders Rejected - Frank Brancato 9/2/21

It's wonderful to be here with all of you.

It's a great day because it's the Lord's day and we have an

opportunity to worship God today in spirit.

And in truth, as always is the case, I do consider it a

privilege to speak, concerning the word of God.

And I hope that what we have to consider for a little while this

morning would be encouraging to you and edifying to you in some

way before my introduction. Though, I'm just going to put

the verses on the screen and will read these at this time.

First Peter chapter 2 To beginning there in verse 4.

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

Coming to him as to a living Stone rejected indeed by men but

chosen by God and precious. You also as living stones are

being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to

offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus

Christ. Therefore, it is also contained

in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a Chief Cornerstone

elect precious and he who believes on him, will by no.

Means be put to shame, therefore, to you, who believe

he is precious. But to those who are

disobedient, the stone, which the builders rejected has become

the Chief Cornerstone. Now, here's the reason for the

lesson. I usually have a reason, and

sometimes people have a question about a passage or whatever, or

there's usually, a reason that I just decide to present something

from God's word. And here's the reason for this

lesson, Last Sunday in between Services after lunch.

Several of us were in a bookstore and as I was walking

through, I always go and bookstore.

I always go to the religious section and I was going to the

religious section. And as I came around the corner,

there was a book. They're right on the end and the

title of the book was, saving God from religion and I didn't

read the book, but I did pick it up and read a little bit about

the book, read the back of it. And then I got home and I

googled the title of the book. And evidently it was written by

a man who did not believe in organized religion.

And, you know, really, that is a very prominent position today

where people want to have a relationship with God but you

don't have to be practicing anything religiously.

And it really is a very common theory today.

And in this book, what he was saying is he was saying, I don't

believe in organized religion. And if you do and you limit God

to organized, religion, your kind of mission Whole point.

So he writing is, though, he was enlightened on the subject wrote

this book. And he was saying that you don't

have to practice Christianity to have the Lord Jesus Christ or

God in your life. And, you know, shortly after

that, I thought about these passages of scripture and Jesus

Christ is referred to us as precious.

He is the precious Cornerstone. Now, I'll just say this by way

of introduction, will get back to these things in detail, just

a moment. But Jesus was the foundation and

those religious leaders those Builders, as Peter calls, them

religious leaders that rejected Jesus.

They rejected the Cornerstone, they rejected the foundation

because they didn't believe that Jesus was worthy to be the

foundation upon which the house of God would be built.

So they rejected Christ But what we're going to find in these

passages though is the preciousness of the foundation

and that's Jesus is equal to the preciousness of the structure

built on that foundation and that's the church.

And at the end will prove that these two are one.

They are together and you can't have one without the other.

So as we begin, let me just say Jesus.

Christ is the Cornerstone and those that are saved.

Are his chosen? People by way of an

introduction, let me say also. in the beginning, portion of

First, Peter chapter 2 and the first three verses You've heard

me preach on this in times past, when I have said that when you

obey the gospel you come from, the Waters of baptism, you

become a Christian, your life just begins and it doesn't end

there. It's the very beginning you

become a child of God. You are born as a child of God

spiritually speaking and when you do that you have a

three-fold responding obligation.

Number one, we all have a responding obligation to God and

that is that we serve him with every fiber of our being, he

Nerves to be served. He wants to be served.

He wants to be worshiped. He has commanded that we do so

so when I come from the Waters of baptism, I have a responding

obligation number one to God. Number two, we also have a

responding obligation to each other.

The Bible would say that we bear one another's burdens and so

fulfill the law of Christ which is the law of Love.

Thirdly though we have a responding obligation to our

self that we might grow. And in the first three verses of

First Peter Chapter 2, Peter describes, there's a negative

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

side or an aspect and there's a positive side or aspect the

negative side. Is this, he said you got a cast

aside, all the negative stuff like evil speaking Envy jealousy

hypocrisy, all those things and you do away with those things.

But from a positive perspective, you have to feed on the word of

God. You have to have a hunger for

the word of God, that you might grow.

Row then in verse 3, the tone shifts to the Lord and speaks of

his graciousness or his kindness then.

And it comes to verse four and Peter describes Jesus as a

chosen Stone. As we look at verse 4, and as we

begin, the Bible says they're coming to him as to a living

Stone rejected indeed by men. But chosen by God and precious

in this verse we have a change of figures and As we break down

this passage. Let's begin with this phrase

right here, coming to him. Now, a couple of foundational

passages that show what this means about coming to him and

Luke chapter 9, and verse 23. Jesus said this, anyone who

Luke 9 · chapter mention

desires to come to me, must do what must deny himself must take

up his cross daily and follow me.

Second foundational passage is found in Hebrews chapter 11, and

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

verse 6. When the Hebrew writer says

without faith, it is impossible to please him.

For he that comes to God must believe that he is and that he

is a rewarder of them, get this that diligently seek him.

So when Peters referring to coming to him or coming to

Jesus, it's not specific to the first time one comes to Christ

in obedience to the gospel. It's talking about something

entirely different. It is actually talking about

this, a continual action, a continual Reliance on.

Jesus Christ in the Kingdom. Why?

Because Jesus is a living Stone, and we are ever coming to the

stone of life and energy. The Lord is the raised never

again to die Stone. That's Lord's day.

I think it was Carl waited on the table and he said and he was

right. He said that Jesus when he rose

from the dead. He was he rose from the dead,

never to die again and therefore has become the firstfruits and

that's true. Now it doesn't mean that Jesus

was the first one to ever die and raise again because there

are others in the Bible before Jesus did.

So they died and they rose again.

In fact Jesus himself raised Lazarus from the dead.

So what does it mean? It means this every one of those

other people that died and were risen from the Dead had to die

again. Not Jesus.

He's not only a foundational Stone.

He's a living Stone and we continually go to Jesus in a

continual action and we rely on him in the Kingdom.

He is the source of life and energy.

Let me give you some more passages, Isaiah 28:16.

Isaiah 28:16

Therefore thus says the Lord God behold I lay in Zion a stone for

a foundation. Notice.

What Jesus is called? called he's called a tried

Stone, a precious, Cornerstone, and a sure Foundation now

interestingly You know, Peter who wrote this divinely inspired

by the Holy Spirit, the word, Peter comes from the word pets

Roos and it means fragment or a part of a stone.

Now, we understand this to that Jesus is a different one though.

Jesus is this Stone here, a living Stone, the word Stone.

There comes from the word lethal dose.

And it means tremendous rock shaped out and fitted for

eternity. Why cause he's a living Stone?

He was raised never to die again and we find a source of energy

and strength through that. Now notice what Peter says this

Livingstone was rejected by men, you know this is figurative

language here and really the language is this If somebody's

building something you do and you you come to the stones and

you say well this one's worthy of being in it and this one

isn't and somebody's hastily making those decisions.

You know I thought about I thought about my old, buddy,

Darrell my father-in-law. And I remember what he said.

One time about building fireplaces before he was a

painter. He was a brick, man, who was in

The Brick trade and he would tell me about building

fireplaces. He would say, you know what we

would do, we would go, and we'd have all the materials will be

delivered to the job but what we would do is we take a look at

the bricks and we very hurriedly, and very quickly

decide which one was not worthy of being in the fireplace.

This one has some blemishes, this one's got a hole in it.

This one over here. He has a chip in it.

This one over here has a bad color and they would make the

decision quickly as to, what was worthy of being in the structure

and what was not, that's the language that's being used here.

When it comes to Jesus. In fact, the word, they're

literally means to be cast aside rejected.

And just as it was so that building a fireplace, you didn't

spend a whole lot of time examining each one.

You just briefly made the choice.

That's what the religious leaders did when it came to

Jesus, when they rejected him, they said, wait a minute, he's

not worthy of being the foundation on which the house of

God will stand. So we're just cast him aside

rejected by men unworthy. But notice what the Bible says,

Peter says, even though he was rejected by men, he was chosen

by God and he was precious. You know, the word precious is

an interesting word, it means to be held in high honour or

priced. And, you know, I when I think

about this, I think about the Jewish Passover.

And I think about the lamb. That they had to have for the

Passover and it was one lamb for one house.

And it had to be a lamb that was without spot and without blemish

sounds like something else, doesn't it?

It had to be precious and the reason it was called precious is

because it was of high value because those that were precious

or those that were without spot and without blemish, they were

the ones that were used in the in the breeding process.

So they were precious and held in high honour or very expensive

and Worth a lot. The reason for that is it

represented future life? Jesus in like, fashion is also

precious the precious lamb of God because he also represents

spiritual life Lamb, that was precious literally.

Physical life Jesus from a spiritual perspective, spiritual

life. And because there is power in

the blood, you know, we used to sing that song all the time.

There's power in the blood. The reason there's power in the

blood is not only is their life-saving in the blood but

there's also I'm talking about spiritual life, but also because

there is future Life In The Blood.

Notice what he says in verse 5 now.

Peter says you also as living stones Um, so now the tones

going to change just a little bit, he went back here and he

talks about how Jesus is a living Stone.

And then he says this, you also as living stones are built up a

spiritual house. A holy priesthood to offer up

spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

So who is it talking about? It's talking about Christians.

It's talking about Christians. They are living stones in

Ephesians chapter 2, beginning there in verse 20 listen to

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

this. Having been built on the

foundation of the Apostles and Prophets.

Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Cornerstone in, whom the

whole building being fitted together, grows into a holy

Temple in the Lord in whom you are also being built together

for a Dwelling Place of God in the spirit.

Here Paul says this. You are living stones in

Ephesians 2 and verse 20. That we just read, we find that

these living stones are in a spiritual house.

Now, the spiritual house, a temple, the church makes up the

superstructure. I'll get back to that in just a

moment. Christians are the temple, both

individually and collectively in first Timothy chapter 3 and

1 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

verse 15. Listen to what Paul said.

They're writing to the young evangelist Paul said, but if I I

am delayed. I right.

So that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the

house of God which is the Church of the Living.

God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Now, what else are? We were a holy priesthood.

Now, under the law of Moses in the Old Testament, the spiritual

Temple was the nation of Israel and they had one special chosen

group to officiate from the tribe of Levi.

Under the New Testament though. All Christians constitute a

priest Hood where every worshiper has access to God

through Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter 9, verses 11

Hebrews 9:11–28

through 28 and together not separately, we constitute a

priesthood. Now may I say This to we are a

kingdom of priests. Therefore, we have access to God

through Jesus Christ, our high priest.

And may I just say this as a little aside, because we are a

kingdom of priests and we're all the same in that and all have

access to God, through Jesus Christ.

If you sin, you don't have to call somebody on the phone and

pray for you. I don't have to call somebody in

the middle of the night and have them pray for me.

Because I've sinned as a kingdom of priests, that means all

Christians are priests. We pray to God through Jesus

Christ. I have access to God through

Jesus Christ. We are part of that.

We are all a holy priesthood and what do we do together?

Not separately. We offer spiritual sacrifices.

How do we do that with our lips? Our lives and our worship.

Our lips, our lives and our worship.

And Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15.

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

Therefore by him. Let us continually offer the

sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of our lips

giving, thanks to his name. I want to say something about

what we say with our lips. And we don't hastily come before

God. We do.

So reverently and respectfully and may I say this too.

And again you've heard me say this to you in the past when

you've been here as long as I have, you've heard a lot of

things that I've said over the years and I have always said and

I still believe that if the only time that you pray is when we

assemble or when you're going to eat or maybe even when you're

going to go to bed at night. That's not enough, that's not

being instant in prayer, being ready to pray.

All the time, we have a wonderful relationship with God.

Let's use the blessing and we, as a kingdom of priests can go

before God. And you know what, we get to do.

We get to sing praises or say praises to God.

And what else? Giving thanks to his name.

And they also suggest. That God is worthy of your

prayers and your praise, and your Thanksgiving, even if you

have a lot of bad stuff going on in your life.

Even if the circumstances of your life are really negative

and awful, God is still worthy to be praised when something bad

happens. He's worthy to be praised.

When something bad or negative happens in your life, he's

worthy to be thanked for all that your been blessed with and

just maybe to just maybe we spend a lot of time and maybe

too much time asking for Relief instead of asking for strength

to get through and endure and just maybe we don't thank him

for the trial that life has brought our way.

It's made us better and stronger for the future.

Regardless of your circumstances.

Oh, we praise God with our lips. We do so.

Absolutely. And we give thanks to his name

and I'm going to say one more thing about this that we're

good, go to our next passage. When you say praise God, those

words, praise God. You have to mean those very

words. It's not something that you just

say flippantly and passing, what, praise God, I know people

you do to that as part of their vernacular as part of their

regular speech, they're always saying, praise God, praise God.

Praise God. You know, it's a wonderful thing

to praise God. But ask yourself if you're

saying praise God all the time, are you really praising God?

Or is it just something that you say?

Because if it's something that you say, with no meaning, you

can take something that is wonderful and make it in

significant because there's no meaning or feeling or heart

behind it. So is God worthy.

Absolutely of our praise and our Thanksgiving.

But more than that, how about Romans chapter 12 and verses 1

Romans 12 · chapter mention

and 2. Paul said, I beseech you,

therefore brethren By the mercies of God, that you

present, your bodies, a Living Sacrifice, holy acceptable to

God, which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed

to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect

will of God. So, not only do we come to him

and honor him with our lips of praise and thanksgiving.

But Even our bodies, Our sacrifice a Living Sacrifice to

God. You know, that's more than just

worship. We have come together today and

worship. But this is more than just

worship, you're presenting your bodies a Living Sacrifice, that

means in your daily life. Your daily Walk of Life.

Now how do you gonna do it? I like passengers that give us

specifics and practical ways to do what the word of God tells

us. We must do.

So what Paul says is he said you present your body as a Living

Sacrifice be holy acceptable to God.

And you know what? It's not something that you

deserve extra credit for because Because F actually it's your

reasonable service, you know why?

Because that's how got great God is.

It's your reasonable service. Then don't be conformed to this

world. This is how you're going to do

it but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

There's no other way to do that than to the word of God.

That's how you constantly renew your mind.

It's your in the word of God, all the time, you're studying

the word of God. You're reading the word of God

and it's changing how you are. And then you can show that you

have proven that you what is acceptable and perfect will of

God now. What else?

Jesus is our high priest, okay? He's our high priest.

As we mentioned, just a moment ago, we are members of the

church are a kingdom of priests in verse in First Peter chapter

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

2. Now, in verse 6, notice

therefore, it is also contained in the scripture.

Behold, I lay in Zion a Chief Cornerstone elect precious and

he who believes on him will, by no means be put to shame.

Mmmmm. So notice this phrase here also

contained in the scripture I'm talking about in the Old

Testament and in the New Testament.

And what do we find? Well, first of all, we find that

Jesus Christ. What's contained in?

The scripture is the foundation. He's the foundation.

Isaiah 28:16 once again. Therefore thus says the Lord God

Isaiah 28:16

behold I lay in Zion a chief stone for a foundation.

A tried Stone, a precious Cornerstone, a sure Foundation,

another passage Romans 9 + 33 as it is written.

Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone, and a rock of

offense and whoever believes on him will not be put to shame.

All right, Jesus is Cornerstone. What is that?

We know what that is. A Cornerstone is something that

unites two different walls. It brings them together, two

different walls. It's the Jesus is the chief of

the corner. He's the Chief Cornerstone.

Now, the two walls were Jew and Gentile and this is really

beautiful here, because in Ephesians chapter 3, it tells

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

us, as I paraphrase that it always existed in the mind or

plan of God that both Jew and Gentile alike would be in one

body, the church and all of those Old Testament prophets.

They were not given the right, they were not given the

blessing. They were not given the favor in

describing, what the mystery was in fact in Ephesians chapter 3?

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

It says, the mystery was that Jew and Gentile alike would be

in the church together as one body.

As one of God's people, all one in Christ, Jesus.

And the Jew and Gentile would be in one body and it would be made

known through the church. Also we find that it was laid in

Zion. This is the foundation.

Again, Jesus was true was tried and laid in Zion, that's the

foundation. Now we also find in Ephesians

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1, beginning in verse 18, let me just read a few of

these passages to you. This is very beautiful and that

Jew and Gentile are the great people of God.

Now in Ephesians chapter 1, beginning in verse 18, Paul said

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may

know what is the hope of his calling.

What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints

and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward

us? And Believe according to the

working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ.

When he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand

in Heavenly places, far above all principality and power and

might and dominion and every name that is named not only in

this age but also in that, which is to come Okay.

Now verses 22 and 23. And he has put all things under

his feet and gave him to be the head, over all things to the

church, which is his body. The fullness of him who fills

all in, all in John, chapter, 14 and verse 6, when Jesus says, no

man comes to the father, except by or through me the only way

you can go through. Jesus Christ is to be in his

body. The Bible says that his body is

the church, so the structure that's built on the Patient.

Does matter, does it not? It's the body of Christ.

We must come to God through Jesus Christ.

The only way you can do that is through his body, the way you do

that is to be in his church, but there's more Zion was to be and

indeed the place where the stone was tried and laid, Hebrews 5.

And 8 9 though, he were a son, yet, he learned obedience by the

things which he suffered. And having been perfected, he

became the author of Eternal salvation, get this to all

those. Those that obey him.

What are we talking about? We're talking about that in

Jerusalem, it would all happen. When Jesus died on the cross,

the Old Law, he took the Old Law of Moses and he nailed it to his

cross and we are no longer under the Old Law of Moses.

But in Zion, in Zion in Jerusalem on the day of

Pentecost, because of Jesus, what Jesus did with his death

burial and resurrection. And when the Holy Spirit came to

those Apostles to preach that very first gospel, sermon with

the opportunity to respond. Jew and Gentile alike.

Now have access to one body, that's the church.

And that would be God's people. What a great Eternal blessing,

that is, and that opened the door of One Faith.

What else is Jesus called? He's called the elect.

And that literally means from the Greek word to be picked out

and chosen. He is precious as we mentioned,

just a moment ago to be held in honor a great value.

He is dear to us. Okay.

Also though in verse 6, as we just read a moment ago, listen

to this, he who believes on him Him will by no means be put to

shame or the King James says confounded, it was important for

the Apostle Peter and it's important for us today, you

know, they were suffering, great persecutions as being a

Christian. And I just want to make a point

about a little comparison here. These Christians were

undergoing, tremendous persecution.

Oh about four years or so Scholars.

Tell us before the destruction of Jerusalem, by the way, that's

why the Hebrew letter written Hebrew Christians was to

encourage them because the day approaching was the destruction

of Jerusalem and they would have some horrible persecutions and

the persecutions were so great, that many of them turn their

back on Jesus and went back to the laws of Moses because after

all there was no persecution if they did that.

So, the writer of Hebrews is telling them, don't do that,

hang in there, keep in there every step of the way as you see

that day approaching the persecution is coming upon them.

Well, guess what, Peter is writing to the same kind of

people that had tremendous persecutions.

So let me just say we don't have persecutions like that today.

Okay. And even with covid and all

that, we were not persecuted, you've heard me say we were

inconvenienced. There may come a time though.

When we're Persecuted in life. There may come a time, we pray

that's not the case, but it may happen.

It may be that we are persecuted.

Like they were persecuted very strongly but even if we're not,

here's the similarity as they had tremendous persecution.

The Christian today, has trials But there's a great promise.

I Love This Promise. The promise that Peter is giving

is this, whether it's great persecution or whether it's just

a trial, we will never be put to shame for trusting Jesus.

A, we will never be put to shame for trusting Jesus.

You know, sometimes we want to have the trial removed. you

know, what Peter also says, the trying of your faith Is more

precious than gold that perishes.

When you have a tremendous trial in your life is doing some

positive things if you would just look.

And I will do the same and I'll just look be honest with it.

Sometimes these trials are making us better and stronger

for the future. In fact that's what patients is.

Let it have. It's perfect work.

And it's difficult. Sometimes it's hard.

Sometimes, but you know what it's doing.

Its polishing us its refining us.

It's the fire that hardens. The clay and not just melting

the wax. That's what the trial is, what

else? Here's a another great blessing,

great benefit. It's proving to us, or putting

on trial, our faith. And sometimes life has a way of

putting our faith on trial, and when we do that, and when we

persevere, you don't get to prove, we prove that our faith

was, as it should be. It's exactly what it should be

and you know what that is, that's more precious than gold

another benefit when you hold up and you don't check it out and

you don't quit, you don't back off and you're going through a

difficult thing and everybody that knows you knows you're a

Christian but she don't blame God and you don't quit guess

what? God gets the glory immediately.

He just appraised. Everybody knows that's why you

stood strong in the face of adversity because your Christian

God gets the glory. Secondly, Peter would also tell

us another passage will have a reward in heaven one day too and

it will be worth it all but you will never ever be put to shame

for trusting Jesus. All right.

Now, we shift. If there's the foundation, a

Cornerstone is Jesus Christ. He's the elect, he is precious.

If there's a foundation, there has to be a super structure

there. Has to be or else is just a

slab. Just a foundation notice in

First Peter chapter 2 and verse 7, therefore to you, who believe

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

he's precious. But to those who are

disobedient, the stone, which the builders rejected has become

the Chief Cornerstone. So what he says, the being of

that passage is you who believe he is precious to you, who

believe he is precious. There is a superstructure.

Now, what is that? What is a superstructure

obviously, it's that which is built on top of something else.

That is the super structure that is built on the foundation.

Notice this too. If that's the case, then the

foundation and the superstructure are one.

Okay, you get this. You go build a house.

You pour slab. Okay.

You poor slab. You build your frame, it you

build the walls. From that point forward after

the slab, is poured, in the structure is being built the

slab and the structure are now described as 101.

The foundation and the superstructure are one.

The same is true with Jesus and the church, the foundation of

the superstructure are one. You can't have one without the

other. Notice Foundation.

Jesus Christ. Structure is the church.

Now. Let me also say this too because

this is important to, somebody would say well how really

important is the church. And how important is it that I

practiced Christianity in my life as a Christian, can't I

just have a relationship with Jesus?

Can I just have that? Because after all Jesus was

precious absolutely health and high-value died for my sins, all

that's true. Notice, the foundation is Jesus

Christ. The structure is the church.

We've already learned that the foundation, orgy.

This Christ was hand selected by God and His precious Helgen,

high value. If they're one, that means this,

that as precious as Jesus is, its equal to the preciousness of

the structure, which is the church, that means that the

structure, the church is also equally precious All right, but

then Peter says this to those who are disobedient and In this

passage here, the word disobedient is used against the

word belief. Now a person might say, no, wait

a minute. What does belief have to do with

obedience? One scholar said at this swept

up, this is great. I just here's a direct quote

because faith is more than intellectual assent Faith or the

absence of it is the eminent is evidenced in the life.

It's evidenced in the life. In fact, the word belief or

believe in the Bible literally means having the force to obey.

Sometimes people say I'm a believer, I'm a Believer, but

being a Believer, doesn't just mean, I believe in God and it

doesn't mean I just believe in Jesus Christ.

Being a Believer means that you had it has to force to obey.

That's what Jesus said in Mark 16:16.

Mark 16:16

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

He that believeth not shall be damned.

The word belief, there is having a belief that has the forced to

obey another words practically, I find out in the word of God,

what Jesus has done for me, I find out in the word of God.

What Jesus wants me to do in my life, I believe so strongly that

I'm willing to obey that begins with your obedience to the

gospel. Be baptized for the remission of

your sins but not just that your life was transformed and you

begin as a baby in Christ and he start to serve God all the days

of your life you believe. If so much, it has the force to

obey, that's what that means. Now.

In verse 7. It says the stone.

Which the builders rejected has become the Chief, Cornerstone.

now, the stone that the builders rejected, They rejected Jesus.

Because they rejected him as the foundation.

Okay. But please get this. if you

reject the structure, and that's the church, You also reject the

foundation. You know, why?

Because the foundation and the structure are equally precious.

And you can't have one without the other.

Great blessings to be a child of God.

Peter said even though the Jews the builders, they're rejected.

Jesus as being unworthy, by the way there's this is also very

powerful. Peter says God made him the

Chief Cornerstone. In other words, God will not be

thwarted. His plans will not be thwarted

and by the way, whether I believe it or not, Has nothing

to do with whether it's true. If a person doesn't believe, it

doesn't mean it's not true, or didn't happen.

And just because the builders rejected Jesus, as being the

foundation, does it mean that he isn't?

Because he is God selected him, God elected him and he is

precious. In Matthew 16 and 18, very

familiar passage and I also say to you that you are Peter and

Upon This Rock, I will build my church and the Gates of Hell

shall not Prevail against it. So to have Jesus the foundation,

you got to have the structure and that's the church and

remember once again, the preciousness of the foundation

is equal to the preciousness of the structure in closing and I'm

finished I know that a lot of times people, Want to remove the

religious aspect of a person's life and a lot of times that's

just because they don't want to be committed to anything.

Well they don't want to have to do anything.

I think that's really a sign of the times with the way things

are in general. People want the benefit without

the work, right? So they want we remember when I

was going to the gym all the time years ago, and there was

this supplement to take this, you can lose weight.

If you take this pill, you could do this.

If you all these shortcuts and the idea was I want the benefit

now, but I'm not willing to do anything.

That is not a religious status. Not you scriptural position,

when it comes to your salvation, we got work to do.

Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone. Jesus was tried and laid in Zion

and Jerusalem. The church was established.

And as precious as Jesus is, is, as precious as the church is,

there's no salvation outside the body of Christ.

So my question is this today? Are you a Christian?

Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb, that precious

blood, that gives spiritual life, the blood of Jesus that

will wash your sins away? The same blood of Jesus that

once you contact that blood at baptism, Jesus will add you to

his church. That's the super structure that

sits on the foundation. All one all at the same time,

you've never obeyed the gospel. Please do that today.

We will assist you in that we would love to do that.

That come believing in Jesus with the forced to obey, repent

of your sins, make a change in your mind.

I want to serve Jesus today. I want to change my life be

willing to confess the precious name of Jesus Christ.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and be baptized

in water for the remission of sins.

Rise to walk in newness of life and Let Jesus add you to that

superstructure the in the church.

We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you

would like any additional information or you would like to

receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.

Please email us at info at search of Christ.

Bakersfield.com, our service times are on Sundays at 10:30

a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our

honored guest.