It is good to be with you all this morning, both those of you who are here in person and
those of us who are joining us on the live stream.
Before we come to God's Word this morning, there's one more thank you that needs to be
given.
Pastor Nick has spearheaded from a staff and elders point of view this process the whole
time, and we just want to acknowledge him and Beth for the many late nights and extra
meetings that it took for this project to happen.
And so we just want to give thanks especially to Pastor Nick for his leadership in the building.
So let's...
It's...
I've had the privilege of being around Trinity for long enough to know what it was like when
we were moving out of the Humphrey Street building, that we were renting and looking for a spot
and seeing God provide and seeing God continue to provide as we looked and prayed that the
God would give us the right spaces in the right places to continue the ministry that he's
called us to.
And it's taken a long time to get here, to address needs that we saw from the very start
of moving into this building to actually get to this place.
And it's exciting.
But you know, buildings are not the point of the church as God defines it.
They're useful tools.
They're important markers for the presence of God's people in a community.
They can be wonderful aesthetic pointers to the beauty and grandeur of God.
They serve an important role in providing a place for the church to function in a community.
And they have served as architectural centers for towns and cities and mark the spiritual presence
here on earth in important ways.
But as we turn to God's word this morning and we look at 1 Peter chapter 2, we're taking
a break from our series in the Psalms to look at 1 Peter chapter 2 if you want to look there
on your phone or in your Bible.
God is building something better than just a building.
God is building something better than just edifices.
And that's what we're going to see as we look at this passage this morning.
So we're going to read and I'm going to pray and then we'll look at this for just a few minutes this morning.
1 Peter chapter 2 verse 4 says this.
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.
Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.
So the honor is for you who believe, but to those who do not believe,
the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone
and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do.
But you, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for his own possession,
that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people.
Once you have not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Let's pray.
Lord, we thank you for this word.
Lord, we thank you for the gathering that we are able to do this morning
to celebrate your faithfulness and goodness to us.
Lord, we pray that as you speak to us through your word this morning by your spirit,
Lord, that you would give us receptive hearts
and that we would be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving
for all that you have done and are doing and will do
in and through your church for your glory.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
God is building a better building.
It's not a building made out of stones,
but it's a building made out of people.
People who will last forever
and a people that God has called to display his glory here on earth.
What does God say about this building?
This passage gives us three ideas.
This is a rich passage.
We're not going to do deep exegesis of all of it,
but simply three quick thoughts
as we reflect on our thanksgiving for this morning.
What does God say about this building that he is building?
The first thing is that you see in the very beginning of verse 4,
he says,
As you come to him,
come to whom?
Come to Jesus Christ,
a living stone rejected by man,
but in the sight of God,
chosen and precious.
This is the one we come to.
And then in verses 6 through 8,
we see Peter unfolding from the Old Testament,
who he is,
quoting from Isaiah 28 and Psalm 118,
to say,
This is the cornerstone.
Now, what is a cornerstone?
We didn't lay a cornerstone next door.
They used laser levels
and some really cool technology
to pour concrete instead.
But in the old days,
they would put in a cornerstone.
And what a cornerstone would be,
the first stone that was laid
that would set the frame of the building.
It would make it plumb by being level.
It would create the right angles of the walls
by its shape.
And it would be heavy.
It would be weighty, typically,
so that it would not be moved easily.
And on this cornerstone,
all the other building blocks,
all the other stones that were added on top of it,
found their place and their lines
in order that they might build
a solid building that would stand and withstand.
And Peter says,
God has laid the cornerstone of his building
in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ,
the one rejected by man
as he came to earth,
and yet chosen and precious to God.
chosen as the one before the foundations of the earth
that God would send to be the architect
of his salvation and his plan.
Chosen because he is the son of God,
precious and loved by the Father.
Chosen to be the one through whom,
as we see at the very end of verse 6,
whoever believes in him
will not be put to shame.
Pastor Nick laid out earlier
the truths of the gospel.
Jesus' life,
his death and his resurrection
have done all that we need
for our salvation
so that we might be able to come
to God
and be a part of his building
that he is building.
It is Jesus' work
that is his salvation
that builds this building.
And not only is Jesus
chosen for this purpose,
but he is also precious.
He is precious in the sight of God.
And he is precious
in the sight of God's people.
Because he is the one
we are called to adore
and to worship,
to serve,
and to cherish.
He is the one
precious
because he has shed
the ultimate price
for us.
He came and gave up
his very own life.
He shed his own blood
for us.
And this is why
he is precious
to us.
As he has come,
as we enter into
the first week of Advent
and as we think
about Christmas,
we think this is the one
who has come,
this precious child
who will be the Savior
of the world
and bring joy
to all people.
And he didn't just die,
but he rose from the dead
so that he might be
the first of many
living stones.
This cornerstone
is the one
on whom we,
his church,
stand.
And even if this building
and the brand new one
next door
falls apart,
which it probably will
at some point,
even if those
crumble and fall,
the church that God
is building
will stand.
That's why we're
going to sing
after the sermon
the church's
one foundation.
The church's
one foundation
is Jesus Christ
her Lord.
She is his new creation
by water
and the word.
From heaven
he came and sought her
to be his holy bride.
With his own blood
he bought her
and for her life
he died.
So God is laid
for the church broadly
and for the church
individually.
Jesus Christ
is the cornerstone,
the basis upon which
he's building something.
But he is building
something on top of that.
He is building
people.
People made
in his image.
People called
by his grace.
People who have come
to experience him.
And so this is what
we see in verse 5
as Peter outlays this.
You yourselves,
he says,
you,
you the church,
you who are
following Christ,
you are being built up
as a spiritual house.
And this is God's
plan A.
The church is not
about programs.
It's not about policies.
It's not about
aesthetics.
All of those things
can be good and helpful
parts of church life.
But that's not the point.
The point is people.
People.
And God wants
to make a people.
A people who are
a royal priesthood
offering spiritual sacrifices
as Peter goes on
in verse 5.
He's bringing up
temple imagery.
And remember what the temple
was in the Old Testament.
The temple was
the meeting place
of God
where God manifested
his presence
on the earth.
The place where
God and man
could meet.
The place where
sacrifices were given
so that
unholy people
could approach
a holy God
and actually know
the God of this universe.
And this is what
the temple represented
in the Old Testament.
And the amazing thing
that Peter says
is now in the New Testament
with Jesus Christ
this cornerstone
the new building
is not a place
where you have to go
in Jerusalem
but the new building
is the people of God
scattered throughout
the earth
and this is the presence
of God
among his people.
And this is what
he calls us to be.
And not only that
but he reminds us
as you look down
to verse 9
and he has these
this list of titles
almost
of chosen race
a royal priesthood
a holy nation
a people
for his own possession.
This is all language
that comes from
the other great story
of the Old Testament
that every believer
would know
the Exodus
as God delivered
his people
the Hebrews
from slavery
in Egypt
and brought them
through the Red Sea
and to the
to the brink
of Mount Sinai
he spoke these words
to his people there
out of all the peoples
of the earth
I have chosen you
and I will be your God
and you will be my people
and you will be
all of these things
in this covenant
relationship with me.
And now we know
that Jesus
worked a greater salvation
for us
and is building
a greater people.
The fulfillment
of those promises
in Exodus 19
are fulfilled
in the church
and the salvation
that we have
is greater
it's not just
from slavery
in Egypt
but it's from
the slavery
and bondage
of sin and death.
And what God
is calling his people
to be
is to be
a distinct people
a people who will be
fully his
in every way
and this is what
we get to participate
this is why we gather
and this is why
we scatter every week
as God's people
so that we can be
distinctively
and fully his people
in this world.
You see God
is not impressed
with buildings
that stand
empty
and beautiful.
He's looking
for living stones
people
who will carry out
his purposes
in the world.
Friends,
we hope
that this is what
Trinity
will always be about
and I think
I can speak
for the elders
to say
we want you
to hold us
accountable
if we ever
get too caught up
in buildings
and programs
and we forget
about people
remind us
rebuke us
call us back
to what 1 Peter
tells us
God is building
this building
of people
for his glory
but even now
Peter's not done
he said
God has laid
a cornerstone
of Jesus Christ
and now he's building
this edifice
this building
of people
but this people
now has a purpose
this is what
we see in verse 9
in the second half
you are all
these wonderful
things
so that
that might be
a clear translation
that you may
proclaim the excellencies
of him
who called you
out of darkness
into his
wonderful light
friends
the living stones
that God raises up
have a story
to tell
each one
of us
in his church
have a story
to tell
of how God
has met us
and how God
has shown us
the darkness
of our own sin
and the lostness
that we have
apart from him
and he has brought
us into his
marvelous light
the marvelous light
of his son
and we have
this story
to tell
and this is what
his purpose is
for us in this world
is to be a place
where
we now have
a mission
to broadcast
the good news
of what God
has done
in Jesus
to all people
we who have
experiences
deliverance
are now
to be a clarion
bell
ringing out
resounding
across the city
of New Haven
and the region
of New Haven
County
and the state
of Connecticut
and to the ends
of the earth
stones
and boards
and drywall
cannot speak
but living stones
can
and we must
this is God's
purpose
and we pray
that it might
be true
we pray
that this pulpit
every Sunday
would proclaim
the good news
of Jesus Christ
we pray
that as we gather
we would be
strengthened
and deepened
in our experience
and our richness
and our appropriation
of that
and then as we get
sent out
to live our lives
in schools
and homes
in workplaces
and in leisure times
in everything we do
that the living stones
might then be scattered
and not only
would the message
be proclaimed here
but it would be
proclaimed as we
as my seminary
professor would call
we would gossip
the gospel
have you heard
about this
have you heard
the latest news
Jesus Christ
died on the cross
and rose again
from the dead
this is the most
important thing
you'll ever know
better than
People magazine
that we would be
so captured
by this
that we would be
gossiping it
for others
because we know
that as God
has called us
on this mission
he is building
a building
that one day
will have
its completion
and the vision
that we see
in Revelation
chapter 5
where God
gathers his people
from every tongue
and tribe
and nation
across the globe
that he's going
to gather people
from every people
group
because he is
the creator
of all things
deserves the worship
of all
of his creation
and as he gathers
this incredible
collection
of people
the living stones
they will worship
him
and glorify him
and that's why
he has us
on this mission
because that's
where we're headed
and that's where
we're going
we're on this mission
so that God
would be rightly
worshipped
by all of his
creation
we're on this
mission
so that more
may know
his saving
power and grace
we're on this
mission
so that God
may be glorified
and so that Jesus
the cornerstone
might also be
lifted up
as the capstone
so that he might
be seen
in all of his
glory
and so as we
come this morning
to dedicate a
building
we remember
that God
is building
a bigger building
this
physical space
is not for
our glory
it's not so
that we can have
a bigger footprint
in the city
but it's
that in this
in the halls
of this building
the people of God
may be built up
that children
and adults
will be trained
and equipped
to know
more deeply
the grace of God
in Jesus
and sent out
on the mission
that God has
called us to
as his church
this
is our prayer
and our hope
that this building
might be a place
where the song
of the gospel
would be so
deeply planted
in our heart
that it would
burst forth
in all that we
do
for his glory
amen
let's pray
Lord we thank you
for
calling us
to this
and we thank you
for the amazing
work that you
have done
in Jesus
for us
Lord we pray
that as we
continue to
give thanks
to you
this morning
Lord that our
hearts would be
full
of gratitude
for the work
that you
have done
and are doing
and Lord we pray
that we would be
fervent
both in prayer
and in service
to continue the work
that you are doing
in this church
and through this church
for your glory
we pray this
in Jesus name
amen