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Power Point with Jack Graham

Jack Graham - Christ Alone Our Cornerstone

June 1, 2025 | S25:E22

Jack Graham - Christ Alone Our Cornerstone
Dr. Jack Graham's mission is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to all people.
#Salvation #Faith #Prayer #Religion #Truth #WordofGod #Perseverance #inActive #PresenceofGod #Rejection #Mercy #Foundation #PowerPointwithJackGraham #JackGraham #Hypocrisy #1Peter2

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Power Point with Jack Graham | Jack Graham - Christ Alone Our Cornerstone | June 1, 2025
  • ♪♪♪
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  • There is no person that god cannot save!
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  • There is no promise that god will not keep!
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  • There is nothing that our god cannot do!
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  • Political division is at a fever pitch, of course, in the
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  • United states. the divisions are deeper than ever and the
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  • Rhetoric is more rabid. and paths forward... what happens
  • 00:00:50.707 --> 00:00:55.578
  • Next is more uncertain than it's ever been. yet in these
  • 00:00:55.578 --> 00:01:01.451
  • Hostile times there is hope. there is living hope in a
  • 00:01:01.451 --> 00:01:07.023
  • Hostile world. in a world in which people are becoming more
  • 00:01:07.023 --> 00:01:10.493
  • And more hostile towards christians and people of faith.
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  • But we know that there is a way through as we navigate this
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  • Season of cultural war, with grace and strength, and on the
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  • Firm foundation which is jesus christ. "christ alone is our
  • 00:01:24.107 --> 00:01:29.946
  • Cornerstone." and that's the title of this message.
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  • I love the song, "christ is my firm foundation; the rock on
  • 00:01:33.550 --> 00:01:39.122
  • Which i stand." "i put my faith in jesus." and then the
  • 00:01:39.122 --> 00:01:44.427
  • Question is asked, "will he ever fail?" the answer is "he
  • 00:01:44.427 --> 00:01:47.263
  • Won't!" and whatever you're going through in your life, if
  • 00:01:47.263 --> 00:01:50.767
  • You build your life upon christ, the rock of ages, the
  • 00:01:50.767 --> 00:01:54.871
  • Solid rock... "on christ the solid rock i stand. all other
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  • Ground is sinking sand." i love the story of the little irish
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  • Lady. she said christ is my solid rock, all other rocks are
  • 00:02:03.947 --> 00:02:08.885
  • Shamrocks. [laughter]
  • 00:02:08.885 --> 00:02:11.087
  • And we know christ is the solid rock. and we're building our
  • 00:02:11.087 --> 00:02:15.191
  • Lives upon his truth and his word. and his truth is marching
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  • On. and we want to shine as bright and beautiful lights in
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  • World filed with darkness. we want to do as jesus said, to be
  • 00:02:23.499 --> 00:02:27.537
  • Salt and light. “what good is it,” jesus said, “if the salt
  • 00:02:27.537 --> 00:02:32.108
  • Loses its saltiness, its savor? it's nothing good except to be
  • 00:02:32.108 --> 00:02:36.012
  • Thrown on the pathway and trampled on.” no, we are to be
  • 00:02:36.012 --> 00:02:39.482
  • Salty, and salt preserves and salt protects and salt can
  • 00:02:39.482 --> 00:02:44.087
  • Sometimes sting when there is a wound, and yet we are a
  • 00:02:44.087 --> 00:02:48.124
  • Preservative as salt.
  • 00:02:48.124 --> 00:02:49.492
  • And we are light in the darkness. we overcome evil with
  • 00:02:49.492 --> 00:02:52.929
  • Good. and it is our prayer... and our prayer in these days,
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  • These important days is that god will enable us to preserve
  • 00:02:55.565 --> 00:02:59.869
  • Our freedoms and protect our families and persevere in our
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  • Faith and proclaim the gospel of jesus christ. that's who we
  • 00:03:04.707 --> 00:03:09.679
  • Are and that's what we are about.
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  • It's imperative in order to do this that christians unite and
  • 00:03:12.915 --> 00:03:19.055
  • Ignite! unite and ignite in the power of the holy spirit. that
  • 00:03:19.055 --> 00:03:23.559
  • We be together and stronger together and better together as
  • 00:03:23.559 --> 00:03:28.498
  • We pursue these godly goals in prayer. c. s. lewis once said,
  • 00:03:28.498 --> 00:03:33.369
  • “the only thing christianity cannot be is moderately
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  • Important.” i'll say it again. to quote brother lewis: “the
  • 00:03:38.007 --> 00:03:46.149
  • Only thing that christianity cannot be is moderately
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  • Important.”
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  • It is important! vitally important and eternally
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  • Important! this is a time... this is not a time for
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  • Confusion in the church, this is not a time for division in
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  • The church; it's time to stand up, to rise up, to be bold and
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  • Strong and courageous with our biblical conviction! to be
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  • Brave like esther who saved a nation because she said, or it
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  • Was said of her, she had come to the kingdom for such a time
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  • As this. because what happens now in christ, our children and
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  • Our children's children... this generation and the generations
  • 00:04:31.127 --> 00:04:35.131
  • To come. thomas paine once said, "these are the times that
  • 00:04:35.131 --> 00:04:38.401
  • Try the souls of men." indeed! these are trying times. but we
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  • As god's people have the opportunity and the
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  • Responsibility to influence our culture.
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  • So it's time to get together god's way. and that's what this
  • 00:04:51.047 --> 00:04:56.419
  • Passage in front of us is all about. it is about getting
  • 00:04:56.419 --> 00:05:02.425
  • Together on christ alone, our cornerstone. so let's begin
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  • Reading. it's a beautiful passage of scripture and i want
  • 00:05:07.630 --> 00:05:10.433
  • To read all of it from chapter 2, verses 1 through 10. and so
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  • Stay with me. we're going to walk through it.
  • 00:05:15.204 --> 00:05:17.073
  • 1) so put away all malice (see, this is a very good word for us
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  • As believers right now) so put away all malice and all deceit
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  • And hypocrisy (which means to wear a mask, fake) and envy and
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  • All slander. (and do what?) 2) like newborn infants, long for
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  • The pure spiritual milk...
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  • Now this is milk for the mind. this is milk for the soul.
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  • Spiritual milk. it is the word of god. it is the jesus book.
  • 00:05:48.838 --> 00:05:54.644
  • And like newborn babies, we are to crave this pure spiritual
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  • Milk. it's not polluted milk.
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  • When i was a little boy, i was told i was allergic to milk. i
  • 00:06:03.119 --> 00:06:08.858
  • Know i didn't like milk that much; to drink that milk, it
  • 00:06:08.858 --> 00:06:12.295
  • Was a task. so my mother would buy all kinds of things to put
  • 00:06:12.295 --> 00:06:15.765
  • In the milk to try to get me to drink it. nestle's quik. god
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  • Only knows what was in that stuff. [laughter] and syrups
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  • And strawberry. i still didn't like drinking milk.
  • 00:06:25.875 --> 00:06:30.847
  • But it's kind of sad in the church today... churches today
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  • You have to put a lot of stuff, entertainment... a lot of stuff
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  • Just to get people to come to church when we're to crave...
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  • Like newborn babes, like little children, we're to crave the
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  • Nourishment and the nurturing of god's word. that's... that's
  • 00:06:46.395 --> 00:06:50.233
  • What we're to do. and then he says:
  • 00:06:50.233 --> 00:06:52.902
  • 3) if indeed you have tasted that the lord is good.
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  • Got milk? ha, well, "taste and see," the psalmist said, "that
  • 00:06:57.273 --> 00:07:01.410
  • The lord is good." and once you taste... once you experience
  • 00:07:01.410 --> 00:07:06.616
  • The goodness of god... how many believe that god is good to
  • 00:07:06.616 --> 00:07:09.819
  • You? yes, he is. god is good. the goodness of god follows us
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  • All the days of our lives. so if you have tasted the goodness
  • 00:07:15.057 --> 00:07:20.763
  • Of god, the grace of god in your life... one of the marks
  • 00:07:20.763 --> 00:07:24.233
  • Of the believer is that you have an appetite for god's
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  • Word. before you became a christian you cared less
  • 00:07:27.703 --> 00:07:30.973
  • Probably about the bible. you didn't understand it at all.
  • 00:07:30.973 --> 00:07:35.077
  • The scripture says the natural man, the person outside of
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  • Christ, doesn't receive the things of the spirit. so if
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  • You're not a christian, you have little if no interest in
  • 00:07:41.884 --> 00:07:45.021
  • The bible. but once you become a believer, you have this
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  • Insatiable appetite to feast on the word of god.
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  • And not only is it called milk but also in scripture called
  • 00:07:53.229 --> 00:07:57.366
  • Meat... the meat of the word. so this is how we grow up into
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  • Our salvation. this is how we grow in our faith and mature as
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  • Believers in christ.
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  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:08:09.812 --> 00:08:16.819
  • Whenever angels are mentioned in our culture today, it's
  • 00:08:17.954 --> 00:08:20.790
  • Usually at a new age, bizarre, and honestly kind of a freaky
  • 00:08:20.790 --> 00:08:24.894
  • Way. but the bible tells us that that's not an accurate
  • 00:08:24.894 --> 00:08:28.631
  • Picture of angels at all. and that's exactly why i wrote my
  • 00:08:28.631 --> 00:08:32.368
  • Book, angels. after all, angels announced christ's birth to the
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  • Shepherds. angels ministered to jesus during his temptation.
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  • Angels were present when he rose victoriously from the
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  • Grave.
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  • I believe, in fact, i know angels exist and they surround
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  • Us today.
  • 00:08:47.450 --> 00:08:48.718
  • In my book angels, i reveal how to see beyond the very thin
  • 00:08:48.718 --> 00:08:52.588
  • Veil separating our reality from the angelic realm.
  • 00:08:52.588 --> 00:08:55.758
  • Understanding what scripture truly teaches about angels
  • 00:08:55.758 --> 00:08:58.561
  • Equips you to share biblical truth with your family and
  • 00:08:58.561 --> 00:09:02.498
  • Friends who are asking questions.
  • 00:09:02.498 --> 00:09:04.500
  • Angels is our gift to you as a thanks for your financial
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  • Support that keeps powerpoint broadcasting on this station.
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  • Texting angels to 59789
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  • Or visiting jackgraham.org.
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  • Every contribution goes directly towards the gospel
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  • Message which so many people need to hear, and it enables us
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  • All to fulfill the great commission of jesus. when you
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  • Discover the real power and presence of angels in your
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  • Life, you will never be the same.
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  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:09:48.210 --> 00:09:55.518
  • Verse 4: 4) as you come to him...
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  • I like that! in just a few moments i'm going to give an
  • 00:09:59.288 --> 00:10:02.191
  • Invitation and invite you to come to jesus. we say it again
  • 00:10:02.191 --> 00:10:07.530
  • And again.
  • 00:10:07.530 --> 00:10:08.397
  • 4) as you come to him, a living stone
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  • Now when you think of a stone, you probably don't think of
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  • Something as living, even your pet rock is not living. you
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  • Think of something as being stone cold dead, or dead as a
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  • Rock. but here peter who built his life of the firm foundation
  • 00:10:27.950 --> 00:10:35.691
  • Of jesus christ, he said "you are now coming to a living
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  • Stone. the stone at the tomb was rolled away, and christ
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  • Came out of the grave, and he lives, and he is this living
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  • Stone... and he's illustrating from the building of the temple
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  • And the building of some of the great walls of the ancient
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  • World.
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  • 4) as a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of god
  • 00:10:56.846 --> 00:11:01.851
  • Chosen and precious... (the precious stone, the rock of
  • 00:11:01.851 --> 00:11:06.889
  • Ages. and then, watch this, verse 5) 5) you yourselves like
  • 00:11:06.889 --> 00:11:13.729
  • Living stones...
  • 00:11:13.729 --> 00:11:15.064
  • So now you who were once dead, you were once like stone-cold
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  • Dead. you know, because of christ are being built up as a
  • 00:11:20.002 --> 00:11:25.040
  • Spiritual house. this is why we say at prestonwood,
  • 00:11:25.040 --> 00:11:28.944
  • Prestonwood, the church, is a place to call home. because
  • 00:11:28.944 --> 00:11:32.381
  • This is a spiritual house. not these buildings but it is
  • 00:11:32.381 --> 00:11:35.785
  • 5) ... a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices
  • 00:11:35.785 --> 00:11:39.755
  • Acceptable to god through jesus christ.
  • 00:11:39.755 --> 00:11:42.124
  • We're doing that today. we're offering spiritual sacrifices
  • 00:11:42.124 --> 00:11:46.028
  • Whether it is our person as living sacrifices to the lord,
  • 00:11:46.028 --> 00:11:49.532
  • Whether it our possessions as we offer what we have to the
  • 00:11:49.532 --> 00:11:53.169
  • Lord, or whether it is not only our person, our possessions,
  • 00:11:53.169 --> 00:11:57.907
  • But it is our very presence in the lord, our praise as we lift
  • 00:11:57.907 --> 00:12:04.046
  • Up praises to god. it's the spiritual sacrifices of
  • 00:12:04.046 --> 00:12:07.216
  • Worship. this is our devotion. this is why we come; it's our
  • 00:12:07.216 --> 00:12:10.519
  • Dedication. and then verse 6:
  • 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:13.189
  • 6) for it stands in scripture...
  • 00:12:13.189 --> 00:12:15.991
  • It's a good word to describe the conviction, the commitment
  • 00:12:15.991 --> 00:12:21.530
  • Of the bible. “it stands [tap] in scripture.” this is what
  • 00:12:21.530 --> 00:12:26.402
  • Stands. remember, he said, “the grass withers, the flower
  • 00:12:26.402 --> 00:12:30.639
  • Fades, but the word of our god will stand forever.” it's
  • 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:34.643
  • Stands! it's always true and trustworthy in scripture.
  • 00:12:34.643 --> 00:12:37.546
  • 6) behold, i am laying in zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen
  • 00:12:37.546 --> 00:12:42.685
  • And precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put
  • 00:12:42.685 --> 00:12:46.155
  • To shame.” 7) so the honor is for you who believe, but for
  • 00:12:46.155 --> 00:12:54.463
  • Those who do not believe, “the stone that the builders
  • 00:12:54.463 --> 00:13:00.436
  • Rejected has become the cornerstone, 8) and “a stone of
  • 00:13:00.436 --> 00:13:04.940
  • Stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
  • 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:08.711
  • Jesus christ alone, cornerstone. he is either the
  • 00:13:08.711 --> 00:13:12.848
  • Stepping stone into heaven or the stumbling stone into hell,
  • 00:13:12.848 --> 00:13:18.153
  • Based on what you do with jesus. whether you receive him
  • 00:13:18.153 --> 00:13:21.423
  • As the chief cornerstone... build your life upon him, or
  • 00:13:21.423 --> 00:13:24.460
  • You reject him as he was often rejected. and this literally
  • 00:13:24.460 --> 00:13:30.065
  • Happened in hebrew history where the cornerstone of the
  • 00:13:30.065 --> 00:13:33.335
  • Temple was tumbled down into the kidron valley and when it
  • 00:13:33.335 --> 00:13:36.705
  • Came time to lay the cornerstone for the temple,
  • 00:13:36.705 --> 00:13:38.974
  • They were looking for it. "where's the cornerstone?" "oh,
  • 00:13:38.974 --> 00:13:41.877
  • We sent it." they called down to... well, they didn't call
  • 00:13:41.877 --> 00:13:45.047
  • Down. they sent word down to the quarry and "send the
  • 00:13:45.047 --> 00:13:49.351
  • Cornerstone! we're ready to lay the cornerstone." they said,
  • 00:13:49.351 --> 00:13:52.688
  • "we don't have it. we sent it years ago." in fact, they did,
  • 00:13:52.688 --> 00:13:55.824
  • And somebody had rejected the cornerstone and threw it down
  • 00:13:55.824 --> 00:13:59.128
  • Into the kidron valley which is still there... not the
  • 00:13:59.128 --> 00:14:01.196
  • Cornerstone, but the valley. and so this literally happened.
  • 00:14:01.196 --> 00:14:04.967
  • And so the hebrew listeners would have known exactly what
  • 00:14:04.967 --> 00:14:10.105
  • Peter was talking about, how the cornerstone was rejected
  • 00:14:10.105 --> 00:14:13.809
  • And how christ then was rejected. and so he is either
  • 00:14:13.809 --> 00:14:19.014
  • The one you build your life upon or reject and lose your
  • 00:14:19.014 --> 00:14:22.051
  • Life because of it.
  • 00:14:22.051 --> 00:14:23.285
  • 8) ... a rock of offense. they stumble because they disobey
  • 00:14:23.285 --> 00:14:28.958
  • The word, as they were destined to do. 9) but you (now stay
  • 00:14:28.958 --> 00:14:33.829
  • With me because this is a beautiful word from god.) but
  • 00:14:33.829 --> 00:14:37.566
  • You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
  • 00:14:37.566 --> 00:14:44.440
  • People for his own possession, that you may proclaim the
  • 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:48.177
  • Excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and into
  • 00:14:48.177 --> 00:14:51.947
  • His marvelous light. (say amen) [amen!] 10) once you were not a
  • 00:14:51.947 --> 00:14:56.085
  • People... (you were not a people! you were nothing. you
  • 00:14:56.085 --> 00:15:01.357
  • Were abandoned) ...you were once not a people, but now...
  • 00:15:01.357 --> 00:15:06.762
  • Now you are god's people; once you had not received mercy, (we
  • 00:15:06.762 --> 00:15:15.070
  • Were on our way to judgment. we have no mercy) but now (in
  • 00:15:15.070 --> 00:15:21.143
  • Jesus christ) you have received mercy.
  • 00:15:21.143 --> 00:15:25.881
  • What a wonderful passage of scripture. [applause] so what
  • 00:15:25.881 --> 00:15:32.488
  • Does this mean... all of this?
  • 00:15:32.488 --> 00:15:34.923
  • First, it means that we belong together. i said we need to
  • 00:15:34.923 --> 00:15:38.727
  • Come together. we need to get together right now. so how do
  • 00:15:38.727 --> 00:15:43.165
  • We do that because we belong together, in that we are
  • 00:15:43.165 --> 00:15:46.602
  • Birthed together. we are born again together. 1 peter 1:23
  • 00:15:46.602 --> 00:15:52.441
  • Says that we are born again by the word of god. it is vital
  • 00:15:52.441 --> 00:15:57.579
  • That the church be filled with born again believers. we've
  • 00:15:57.579 --> 00:16:00.849
  • Regenerated. church membership should be a regenerated church
  • 00:16:00.849 --> 00:16:04.887
  • Membership. i do believe in church membership. i believe
  • 00:16:04.887 --> 00:16:09.291
  • Every christian should be a part of a local body of
  • 00:16:09.291 --> 00:16:12.828
  • Believers... the church, serving the lord in our own
  • 00:16:12.828 --> 00:16:14.797
  • Community and reaching the world with the gospel.
  • 00:16:14.797 --> 00:16:17.966
  • Some people in life choose to what we used to say shack up
  • 00:16:17.966 --> 00:16:21.737
  • And not get married. and just hanging out at church and not
  • 00:16:21.737 --> 00:16:25.441
  • Being a part of the church family in commitment is sort of
  • 00:16:25.441 --> 00:16:27.943
  • Like shacking up. i want to challenge you if you are not a
  • 00:16:27.943 --> 00:16:33.449
  • Member of this church or a church like prestonwood...
  • 00:16:33.449 --> 00:16:38.020
  • Exalting christ, preaching the bible, growing in faith,
  • 00:16:38.020 --> 00:16:40.522
  • Reaching the world... that you get yourself engaged in the
  • 00:16:40.522 --> 00:16:43.559
  • Body of christ, that you are... because we are birthed
  • 00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:46.061
  • Together, we belong together.
  • 00:16:46.061 --> 00:16:50.566
  • We... you know, there's no such thing as an unchurched
  • 00:16:50.566 --> 00:16:55.804
  • Christian. some of you may say that's not right. yes, it is
  • 00:16:55.804 --> 00:17:02.211
  • Right. there's nothing in the new testament that would
  • 00:17:02.211 --> 00:17:06.982
  • Suggest that you could be an unchurched christian. there are
  • 00:17:06.982 --> 00:17:09.985
  • A lot of unchurched people and there are people i guess who
  • 00:17:09.985 --> 00:17:14.456
  • Are de-churched... they're not in church; they're out of
  • 00:17:14.456 --> 00:17:17.860
  • Church. but if you are a christian, then you will love
  • 00:17:17.860 --> 00:17:22.531
  • The bride of christ who is the church of the lord jesus
  • 00:17:22.531 --> 00:17:26.201
  • Christ. "christ loved the church and gave himself for it."
  • 00:17:26.201 --> 00:17:30.572
  • No doubt, peter was remembering the day when jesus asked in
  • 00:17:30.572 --> 00:17:35.777
  • Matthew chapter 16, “who do men say that i am?” and peter
  • 00:17:35.777 --> 00:17:41.517
  • Confesses in the power of the holy spirit, “you are the
  • 00:17:41.517 --> 00:17:44.286
  • Christ, the son of the living god.” and then the lord
  • 00:17:44.286 --> 00:17:48.724
  • Responded, “upon this rock i will build my church and the
  • 00:17:48.724 --> 00:17:55.998
  • Gates of hell will not prevail against my church.”
  • 00:17:55.998 --> 00:18:01.970
  • So jesus established the church. the church is not an
  • 00:18:01.970 --> 00:18:04.840
  • Afterthought. it's not an accident of human history. the
  • 00:18:04.840 --> 00:18:09.278
  • Church has been in the heart and mind of eternal god from
  • 00:18:09.278 --> 00:18:12.981
  • Eternity past and will be the church triumphant in heaven
  • 00:18:12.981 --> 00:18:16.718
  • Forever and ever and ever. in the meantime, we're to give
  • 00:18:16.718 --> 00:18:20.122
  • Ourselves to christ and follow him in his footsteps into the
  • 00:18:20.122 --> 00:18:24.593
  • Fellowship of god's church. i challenge you, if you say
  • 00:18:24.593 --> 00:18:29.031
  • You're a believer in jesus, that you would connect and
  • 00:18:29.031 --> 00:18:32.634
  • Belong to the ministry of the local church.
  • 00:18:32.634 --> 00:18:36.905
  • So god's design for the church, we are believing together. we
  • 00:18:36.905 --> 00:18:41.810
  • Believe together, and therefore, we belong together.
  • 00:18:41.810 --> 00:18:46.048
  • Titus 2:14 says, "he has saved us in order to purify for
  • 00:18:46.048 --> 00:18:51.520
  • Himself a people that are his very own..." don't you love
  • 00:18:51.520 --> 00:18:55.891
  • That? his very own people! and what are we to do? "...eager to
  • 00:18:55.891 --> 00:19:01.330
  • Do what is good!" the bible says is i know something, it's
  • 00:19:01.330 --> 00:19:05.801
  • A good thing and i don't do it, that's sin! so we are eager to
  • 00:19:05.801 --> 00:19:10.706
  • Do what is good.
  • 00:19:10.706 --> 00:19:13.075
  • At times we may be disappointed in church or churches. it's
  • 00:19:13.075 --> 00:19:18.280
  • Possible even to be disillusioned with the
  • 00:19:18.280 --> 00:19:21.984
  • Institutional church or churches that we see around us.
  • 00:19:21.984 --> 00:19:26.021
  • But in spite of the failures and flaws of the institutional
  • 00:19:26.021 --> 00:19:31.526
  • Church, the living church of the living god is alive and
  • 00:19:31.526 --> 00:19:35.864
  • Well. and we're to be called and committed. why? because we
  • 00:19:35.864 --> 00:19:39.868
  • Believe together. we don't get together just because we like
  • 00:19:39.868 --> 00:19:43.772
  • Each other. i hope we love each other. i want to talk about
  • 00:19:43.772 --> 00:19:45.974
  • That in a moment, but that's not why we're here. we're here
  • 00:19:45.974 --> 00:19:48.510
  • Because we love god and we want to worship him and we want to
  • 00:19:48.510 --> 00:19:54.516
  • Welcome him into our lives by believing him. so we are
  • 00:19:54.516 --> 00:20:00.989
  • Believing and belonging together.
  • 00:20:00.989 --> 00:20:03.825
  • But the second thing is, we are built together... we are built
  • 00:20:03.825 --> 00:20:08.230
  • Together. believing together, belonging together, built
  • 00:20:08.230 --> 00:20:10.866
  • Together. and that's that whole illustration that peter is
  • 00:20:10.866 --> 00:20:14.069
  • Giving us about the cornerstone, building your life
  • 00:20:14.069 --> 00:20:20.075
  • On christ. and when peter said, "you are the christ, the son of
  • 00:20:20.075 --> 00:20:28.684
  • The living god", that's the great confession, and jesus
  • 00:20:28.684 --> 00:20:32.154
  • Replied, "upon this rock..." peter wasn't the rock, he
  • 00:20:32.154 --> 00:20:37.059
  • Was... he was a little rock... literally, his name. but the
  • 00:20:37.059 --> 00:20:42.331
  • Rock is not the church, the rock is not the pope; the rock
  • 00:20:42.331 --> 00:20:53.008
  • Is jesus! and upon this rock... this confession that jesus
  • 00:20:53.008 --> 00:20:59.915
  • Christ is lord. "you are the christ, the son of the living
  • 00:20:59.915 --> 00:21:04.653
  • God!" it is on this rock... jesus, the cornerstone alone
  • 00:21:04.653 --> 00:21:10.559
  • That we stand. and we are built together.
  • 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:16.064
  • Jesus told in his most famous sermon, the sermon on the
  • 00:21:16.064 --> 00:21:19.201
  • Mount... and if you know the sermon on the mount, you know
  • 00:21:19.201 --> 00:21:23.638
  • He closes it, because he was a good preacher... communicator
  • 00:21:23.638 --> 00:21:27.109
  • With a powerful story, he said, "two men went out to build
  • 00:21:27.109 --> 00:21:31.780
  • Their house and one built his house on sand, no foundation.
  • 00:21:31.780 --> 00:21:36.318
  • The other built his house on a rock that was firm foundation.
  • 00:21:36.318 --> 00:21:39.921
  • And then the lord said the storms began to rise and they
  • 00:21:39.921 --> 00:21:43.959
  • Always do, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. we all
  • 00:21:43.959 --> 00:21:47.596
  • Have storms in life. jesus said when the rains and the winds
  • 00:21:47.596 --> 00:21:52.401
  • Beat against the house of the man who built his house on the
  • 00:21:52.401 --> 00:21:55.537
  • Sand, it fell, and jesus exclaimed, "and great was the
  • 00:21:55.537 --> 00:21:59.574
  • Fall of it." just a total collapse of that man's house
  • 00:21:59.574 --> 00:22:03.745
  • Representing his life, because it had no foundation.
  • 00:22:03.745 --> 00:22:09.184
  • Love is what holds us together. and that's what peter is
  • 00:22:09.184 --> 00:22:13.188
  • Talking about when he talks about this love that we have
  • 00:22:13.188 --> 00:22:17.325
  • For one another in the earlier... just skim back in
  • 00:22:17.325 --> 00:22:23.932
  • Your bible. go back to chapter 1 and verse 22: "having
  • 00:22:23.932 --> 00:22:32.774
  • Purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a
  • 00:22:32.774 --> 00:22:36.211
  • Sincere brotherly love (not a fake love, not a phony love,
  • 00:22:36.211 --> 00:22:40.715
  • But an authentic love, a real love. not hypocritical love.
  • 00:22:40.715 --> 00:22:45.053
  • The word hypocrite means to wear a mask. so many people put
  • 00:22:45.053 --> 00:22:48.757
  • On a mask... a smile, but they don't love.
  • 00:22:48.757 --> 00:22:50.826
  • And so he says let your love be sincere and then he uses the
  • 00:22:50.826 --> 00:22:56.097
  • Word philia, ... brotherly love there. and another kind of love
  • 00:22:56.097 --> 00:23:00.101
  • In the new testament, agape love which is god's kind of
  • 00:23:00.101 --> 00:23:03.238
  • Love, the love of christ, the love of the cross. "love one
  • 00:23:03.238 --> 00:23:06.141
  • Another earnestly" and that is a very muscular word. it means
  • 00:23:06.141 --> 00:23:10.912
  • Vigorously, with fortitude and restraint. "love earnestly from
  • 00:23:10.912 --> 00:23:17.085
  • A pure heart." a sincere love, a strong love! this is what
  • 00:23:17.085 --> 00:23:28.163
  • Makes us... this strong love... get out of our easy chairs to
  • 00:23:28.163 --> 00:23:33.869
  • Walk our streets and pray for our neighbors.
  • 00:23:33.869 --> 00:23:37.873
  • But if you are born again, as jesus looked at nicodemus, an
  • 00:23:37.873 --> 00:23:41.643
  • Old man. we don't know how old he was but he was an aged man,
  • 00:23:41.643 --> 00:23:45.847
  • He was a respected man, he was revered man, he was a rabbi,
  • 00:23:45.847 --> 00:23:49.784
  • And yet jesus looked at him and said, “you must be born again,
  • 00:23:49.784 --> 00:23:54.289
  • Nicodemus.” and so if you are born again, you have eternal
  • 00:23:54.289 --> 00:24:00.795
  • Life. jesus went on to say that famous verse. we'll sing about
  • 00:24:00.795 --> 00:24:05.734
  • It at the invitation. “for god so loved the world that he gave
  • 00:24:05.734 --> 00:24:09.337
  • His only begotten son that whoever believes in him would
  • 00:24:09.337 --> 00:24:12.240
  • Not perish but have everlasting life.”
  • 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:14.442
  • And so, we believe together and we belong together. and the
  • 00:24:14.442 --> 00:24:20.682
  • Mortar is love... it's the love of god and the love that we
  • 00:24:20.682 --> 00:24:24.653
  • Have for one another. and i can assure you, the world is
  • 00:24:24.653 --> 00:24:28.924
  • Watching. what did jesus say about this? "by this shall all
  • 00:24:28.924 --> 00:24:34.863
  • People know that you are my followers... my disciples, that
  • 00:24:34.863 --> 00:24:37.933
  • You love... that you love one another." we belong together,
  • 00:24:37.933 --> 00:24:46.374
  • We believe together and therefore, we are blessed
  • 00:24:46.374 --> 00:24:50.011
  • Together.
  • 00:24:50.011 --> 00:24:51.580
  • Aren't you blessed to be a part of god's church? just to read
  • 00:24:51.580 --> 00:24:56.918
  • Those sentences that we highlighted earlier? you're now
  • 00:24:56.918 --> 00:25:02.757
  • A royal priesthood. you're a priest. i'm a priest and you're
  • 00:25:02.757 --> 00:25:08.730
  • A priest. you don't need another priest. did you know
  • 00:25:08.730 --> 00:25:13.835
  • That? you don't need a priest. jesus is our high priest. you
  • 00:25:13.835 --> 00:25:18.540
  • Don't need me to be your priest. i'll pray for you; i'm
  • 00:25:18.540 --> 00:25:21.743
  • Be your pastor. but you don't need a priest. because jesus is
  • 00:25:21.743 --> 00:25:27.549
  • The priest... the high priest. and you are of a royal
  • 00:25:27.549 --> 00:25:30.685
  • Priesthood. that means you are of a kingly heirdom and you
  • 00:25:30.685 --> 00:25:37.692
  • Have access to god. we can boldly come to the throne of
  • 00:25:37.692 --> 00:25:41.563
  • Grace, anytime, anyplace because jesus ever lives to
  • 00:25:41.563 --> 00:25:45.266
  • Make intercession for his people! you are the people of
  • 00:25:45.266 --> 00:25:48.536
  • God.
  • 00:25:48.536 --> 00:25:49.604
  • We were nothing as we've already emphasized. we had
  • 00:25:49.604 --> 00:25:52.340
  • Nothing going for us. we were people scattered all over
  • 00:25:52.340 --> 00:25:57.178
  • The world. but now we are a holy priesthood. this passage
  • 00:25:57.178 --> 00:26:01.583
  • Speaks so well of our identity in christ and our dignity in
  • 00:26:01.583 --> 00:26:07.155
  • Christ and our destiny in christ. and so he says, "you
  • 00:26:07.155 --> 00:26:13.228
  • Were called, therefore, to be a light in the darkness, to bless
  • 00:26:13.228 --> 00:26:17.666
  • The nations. because we are blessed, we want to bless
  • 00:26:17.666 --> 00:26:21.036
  • Others. verse 10... i just hit it one more time and then we'll
  • 00:26:21.036 --> 00:26:24.973
  • Close.
  • 00:26:24.973 --> 00:26:26.241
  • 10) once you were not a people, but now you are god's people
  • 00:26:26.241 --> 00:26:28.376
  • Once you had not received mercy, but now you have
  • 00:26:28.376 --> 00:26:31.579
  • Received mercy.
  • 00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:36.284
  • The main thing we need is the mercy of god which comes by the
  • 00:26:36.284 --> 00:26:40.355
  • Grace of god. because of what christ has done for us. and
  • 00:26:40.355 --> 00:26:45.727
  • When we had nothing, we were nothing. he gave us everything:
  • 00:26:45.727 --> 00:26:52.901
  • The forgiveness of sin, hope and future with him, he put us
  • 00:26:52.901 --> 00:26:57.739
  • In a spiritual family, his church.
  • 00:26:57.739 --> 00:26:59.574
  • And so what are we to do? we're to battle together for the
  • 00:26:59.574 --> 00:27:03.745
  • Souls of men. we are to believe together, belong together,
  • 00:27:03.745 --> 00:27:07.482
  • Build together and battle together and the word of god is
  • 00:27:07.482 --> 00:27:12.253
  • Our weapon and the testimony of jesus and the power of prayer.
  • 00:27:12.253 --> 00:27:18.560
  • Amen? [amen] christ alone, our cornerstone.
  • 00:27:18.560 --> 00:27:20.995
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:20.995 --> 00:27:20.995