HOHC Sermon- “Living Stones” Dr. Joel C. Gregory

0:07 For bless the Lord, O my soul. Let all that is in me bless his holy name. Giving thanks to God and in honor and recognition of your beloved pastor and my friend, Dr. Chad Rankin, thank you for letting me come by on this auspicious anniversary occasion, the fourth anniversary of the House of Hope. It's interesting in biblical numerology different biblical numbers have a related metaphorical significance like three is the number of the Holy Trinity or twelve is the number of fullness. In the Bible, four is indicative of the four corners of the earth when it's used.

1:07 The four points of the compass points to the encompassing nature of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. and I trust that's true for this blessed congregation celebrating four years. Pastor, thank you for inviting me to come here and thank you for that overly generous introduction. That was far too kind. My mother in heaven wouldn't believe all that. That was most gracious of you. I want you to open the word of God with me to the first letter, the first epistle of Peter. Peter, the first name in all four lists of the apostles in the New Testament. Peter, that apostle that said at Caesarea Philippi, you're the Christ, the son of the living God.

2:05 Peter, the preacher at Pentecost. decades later he wrote this letter to churches that were scattered in what is today the nation of Turkey then called Asia Minor they were persecuted Christians it wasn't easy for them and he wrote it to encourage them and I want us to drop our anchor in the second chapter as we have it and the fourth verse If I were to write a title over this message, this Lord's Day, it would be Living Stones.

2:43 Join me in 1 Peter 2.4. Come to him a living stone, though rejected by mortals, yet chosen and precious in God's sight. and like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ for it stands in scripture see I'm laying in Zion a stone a cornerstone chosen and precious and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame to you then who believe he is precious but to those who do not believe the stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner and a stone that makes them stumble and a rock that makes them fall they stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do this is the word of God for the people of God may we pray eternal God our triune God we've sung your praises lifting our voices up as a spiritual sacrifice now we wait before your word your God breathed word beyond these walls

4:51 around this planet by the billions other people are hearing this word this very day and so we also hear it. Lord, speak. We pray you will anoint these words and they'll slip the bonds of ink on paper and become a living word for this church. In Jesus' name, amen. Please be seated. Living Stones. what do you suppose is the deepest foundation of any building on this planet as far as I can tell it's twin towers in Kuala Lumpur they have a foundation that is 400 feet deep that's deeper than a football field is long they're towering buildings and they needed a deep foundation.

5:54 What do you suppose is the oldest foundation on this planet? Evidently in Syria near Aleppo archaeologists have found a foundation of a building that is 12,000 years old. As far as we know it's the oldest foundation. What about the strongest foundation? Well the strongest foundation seems to be that of Roman buildings and roads. The ancient Romans discovered concrete and the strongest existing foundation. Here you are at the house of hope. Four years as you time chronologically. But that's not your foundation. even though this is a new gathering of God's people your foundation your only solitary foundation the singular significant foundation is the one mentioned here come to him the living stone although you love your pastor and leader and under shepherd he's not the foundation all leaders and elders are not the foundation no denomination is the foundation no creed is the foundation your foundation as a church is what peter calls here the living stone but i wanted to come by here not only to note the foundation but also look who's building this today living stones let's take a look at this a moment i won't keep you long i'll take my seat but look at the foundation peter uses this incredible expression come to him meaning jesus the living stone evidently peter became something of a theological geologist. His very name changed from Simon to Peter, which in Greek petros means a

8:08 stone. In our language today, they probably called him old Rocky. Jesus said, you are a stone. Six months before the cross, they're in the highlands of Galilee, close to what is today Assyria and Lebanon, Jesus asked this question. Remember, who do men say them? Who do you say them? And Jesus told Peter, upon this rock, I will build my church. Now, he didn't mean Peter. Peter was a very shaky rock. He meant upon the confession that he was the Christ, and hence this word come to him the living stone. Now if you're an English teacher or you listen in English you know that's what's called an oxymoron. Two words that don't belong together. Here in Texas if somebody's really dead we say they are stone dead. Not living stone.

9:08 It's a contradiction in terms like saying high lowness or hot coldness or near fireness. Living stone. Isn't that an interesting statement, that oxymoron? You see, no one thing says enough about him. He is the great stone laid down in the middle of history. Even if you don't believe on it, you have to confess every time you sign the date, 2025. 2025 what? Years since he came. he's the centerpiece of history he cleaved bc and ad right down the middle he's durable even people that hate his name still have to deal with him they seem fascinated with him he's durable and that makes me want to ask you today right here now, urgently, significantly.

10:05 What's your foundation? what is your foundation? The only sure foundation is this one called the living stone. He has all the durability, all of the fixedness of a massive stone, but look at this, a living stone. In this very book, in the first chapter, Peter doesn't call him a hope, he calls him a living hope. There's something very sad about people whose hope dies before they do. You put all of your hope in anything or anyone other than him, it can go away. He calls him a living hope. He calls this the living word of God. You remember over in the gospels when Peter fed the 5,000, they liked the menu. They followed him around the lake and they said, feed us again. And he turned to them and said, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you'll have no part in me. And they didn't like that menu. And everyone left. And he turned to the 12 and he said, will you also leave? And what did Pete say? Where could we go? You alone have the words of life. That's why we call him the living stone. Like a stone, he's fixed in the middle of history. But that's not enough. He is vibrant with life. Let me put it this way, House of Hope. I don't have to call on her because Jesus is too busy. I am a holy what?

11:44 priest with direct access. One of the most interesting of all editorial photojournalism cartoons in history, some of you old enough will remember it was in Book Magazine when President John F. Kennedy, other than Theodore Roosevelt, the youngest president in history, had a little baby, John Jr., now tragically gone too. But in that famous, famous picture, he was crawling around under his father's desk in the Oval Office. And someone said, how can he do that? And so what doesn't make a difference? Who's there? Doesn't make any difference if a king, prime minister, cabinet member, senator, congressman, or a CEO, he has access. He has access because he is the son. And I want you to come close to me. If you're built on that foundation and you are a living stone, You have access.

12:40 To the Son of God, you are holy. You remember when Jesus died on the cross? There were phenomena. There was this midnight at midday. It got dark. There was an earthquake. But all four gospels say the veil of the temple was rent. Now, veil doesn't mean a thin, gossamer, bridal veil. That word means really what we'd call a Persian carpet. It was thick, 30 feet tall, 60 feet wide, wide as a man's hand, and rip, the veil was ripped. Before that time, only Levitical priests could go in, and only one of them on the Day of Atonement. But the moment our Lord said, it is finished, an invisible real estate angel flew over that, and it had a sign, out of business.

13:39 now you have direct access. And can I tell you this? You're not going to be disappointed ever with that direct access. I know now it's invisible, unseen, but it's very real to those of us who know him. You remember that famous American movie, The Wizard of... That movie just doesn't go away. Keeps coming back to every generation. Remember Dorothy? Remember who joined her on the road? They got to the Emerald City, and when they looked behind the curtain, there was a great disappointment. Just a little old man, didn't much know what he was doing. Remember that? Listen, when we get behind that curtain, there's no disappointment. You remember what her friends needed? I'll just give a brief movie review here. What did the lion need?

14:33 Courage. What did the tin man need? And what did the straw man need? and Dorothy just wanted to what? Now listen, did you know the Bible's got an answer for all of that? I needed courage and I found it in Christ. I needed a new mind and he gave me a new mind. I needed a new heart and I just want to get home and I'm on the way. You are a Now wait a minute, look again. This is like one scene dissolves into the other. Priests bring sacrifices. You're a living stone built on the stone foundation. Bless you.

15:26 You're a holy priest. But look in your hands. What does it say? Right here. You're a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices. Now remember the background of Peter. Peter was a Hebrew, he was a Jew. Some of these Christians were, some were Gentiles, but they all knew that priests brought sacrifices. That ancient world, that meant an animal, bull, goat, lamb. It meant vegetables. You'd bring the first wheat and wave it before God. Or a liquid libation. You would take the premier crew, the best grapes of the wine, and give those to God. That's kindergarten.

16:12 The God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills doesn't need another bull. The God who makes every grain that ever grew great doesn't need a grain. No, that's kindergarten, getting ready for what God wants. Spiritual sacrifice. what does it say in Romans 12 when Paul wrote those Christians be not conformed what but give him what yeah a living sacrifice you say well what does that mean well I can tell you just a couple of pages before this over in the letter of Hebrews over in Hebrews 13 it tells you what they are two things it says first of all give him the sacrifice of praise for a living stone a holy priest when we gather like we did this morning and sing of the holiness of god that's a spiritual sacrifice giving up praise to god and you know you're the only thing in all this universe that can do that he stars shine but they can't praise him like that nature's beautiful but this tree no it only born again renewed living stones what did oh jesus told the woman at the world worship in spirit and truth and then he said what the father seeks such now stay with me that means the living god of all the cosmos bends over to hear you sing holy holy holy that's a spirit praise him praise him it'll do you good c.s lewis said he used to worry about this god who always before he was a christian so why does this god always have to have praise we don't like we don't like people who have to have praise all the time no no no no it's not what it does for him it's what it does for you when you praise him Look at the other spiritual sacrifice.

18:18 Hebrews. There's just two of them. It's not hard. It says praise him and then it says do good. Do good. Look at Hebrews. That's a spiritual sacrifice. Praise and do good. Tell you what the house of hope needs to be known for in this community. Doing good. That reaches right back to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. when he said, don't put your light under a bushel basket. Let it shine in the very face of people so that they'll praise you. No, no, no, no, so that they will see your good works and praise God. House of Hope, you need to be known here in this league city area. When people think of you, they need to think these are a bunch of folks doing all the good they can. Now, who do you need to do good for?

19:12 Now, a lot of our good doing is reciprocal. If I invite you to my party, maybe you'll invite me to yours. You know what I'm saying. All this reciprocal. No, no, no, no, no, no. What he's talking about here is going out and finding the last, the least, the littlest, the disempowered, the marginalized, the stigmatized, the person couldn't do anything for you and without telling anybody. Do good. and your father who sees in secret, what does he say? Will ultimately reward you openly. All right? Now let me recap this. I'm going to sit down. There's a foundation, the living stone. You, if you've come in touch with him, are living stones. You're a stone in the wall. You're a priest in the house.

20:05 And you're offering him the sacrifices of praise. Praise. and going about doing good. Now I know sometimes we try to do good, it doesn't work out. Don't worry about that, because I must sit down, but I want you to notice what caps all of this off. It says acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. I know what you're thinking. If you have the Holy Ghost, same thing I'm thinking. Me? A stone in a spiritual house? that preacher don't know what this stone's been up to me a holy priest i've got days when i've been less than holy or a priest look what it says acceptable to god through jesus christ all of our half-hearted praying all of our awkward attempts to do good, all of that is made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

21:26 We pray every time, what? In Jesus' name. That means, Lord, this poor, half-sleepy, self-centered, egotistical prayer of mine, Lord, take it and make it acceptable. anybody here remember cuckoo clocks I don't see as many as I used to pastor when I first started preaching a lot of people had in their house cuckoo clocks servicemen brought them back after World War II every hour that little bird came out and said what cuckoo I used to stay in people's house when I was a young preacher when I preached and they'd drive me cuckoo all night I'd hear that. There was a famous old cuckoo clock carver in Germany in the forest. Famous for carving the beautiful face. His son was his apprentice and lived up in a loft.

22:24 But the famous cuckoo clock carver, his eyes began to dim, his hand began to shake. It's one of those sad things in life. He was messing up his very work and he didn't know it. His son honored his father's career.

22:44 In the middle of the night, when the old man was asleep, the sun would come down. And with a few sure, swift strokes of his practice hand, make everything perfect. Now, if you're a step ahead of me, another sun came down. all of my half-hearted praise all of my self-conscious praying all of my hoping to do good when i don't do it right he came down and with a few sure swift strokes of a crucified hand makes it perfect that's how you can be a living stone and a holy priest I got to take my seat but I also can't play with this did you notice at the very end of it he's a stone on which you build or a stone over which you will stumble and I'm addressing here or beyond here anyone who has yet to come to the living stone confess Jesus is Lord and believe God has raised him from the dead.

24:08 You, please hear me, you will either build on him or ultimately stumble over him. Is there anybody in this beautiful setting on this sunny September? You'd have to say, you know, I've never one time in my life stood up, stepped out and said Jesus is Lord on the thought of God's word if you confess that and if you believe in your heart that is not a mask your person in the center of you God raised him from the dead you must believe that that those eyes closed in death those hands still in death those feet frozen in death on that first Easter morning got up and walked out living if you'll just say Jesus is Lord and believe that you become a living stone in the house that he's building that's the first person in a moment the pastor is going to come open the doors of this church but here's something else do you have a church home now I don't mean do you visit here and there like you're going to a smorgasbord every Sunday I called it pastor the Christian cafeteria no no you need a church home if you claim you have a heavenly home you need a church home oh let me plead with you and I'm pleading now in times like these you need a savior but in times like these you need an anchor and you need to be covered by the ministry of a pastor.

26:08 the first person to respond to me ought to be that person say let me tell you about house of hope nobody here got drafted everybody volunteered look around you you see volunteers nobody will draft you everyone came and said pastor rankin i'm going to stand with you god wants to add another living stone to the house of hope that he's building yeah and you know who you are there are several of you here today this is the time to say this place is my place if you say you have a heavenly home he wants you to have a church home i'm going to pray the pastor's on his way now we're going to open the doors not just of the house of hope but that great spiritual temple that God has built eternal God our heavenly father oh lord of the church great living stone cut out without hands our foundation send your spirit to speak now Lord don't let anything this moment be an impediment oh Lord bind bind the power of the evil one stop every distraction and speak with power Lord speak to that person who says I I I Heh!

27:49 I don't have a foundation. Draw them. Pull at them. till they come to the living stone. Help that father, that mother, or one somebody who needs a church home for a family or just for one somebody to say this place is going to be my place. We ask you to do it, Lord. In the name and power of our Lord Jesus Christ and all his people said, the pastor's coming in prayer. An expectation that we will be.