THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
When Dr. Cesar Malan, a Swiss minister, visited her family home in 1922, he spoke with Charlotte about her condition. The minister’s genuine concern for her, coupled with his own confident faith, led to a breakthrough. He told her the cure for her misery was the very faith she despised. He said, “Give yourself to God just as you are now, with your fighting’s and fears, hates and loves, pride and shame.”
Charlotte turned to God and experienced new life in Christ that day. As she grew in her walk with the Lord, she studied His Word and began to write hymns, the most famous of which detailed that pivotal day in her life:
“Just as I am without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!”
The hymn was written by Charlotte Elliott in 1835. Charlotte wrote this song after suffering an illness that left her disabled. She saw others serving the Lord and wanted to do the same. Elliott, an English woman, wrote all the reasons why she trusted God.
Just as I am, without one pleaBut that Thy blood was shed for meAnd that Thou bid’st me come to TheeO Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Billy Graham heard this song as a teenager and gave his life to Christ while attending a revival service. Graham selected this song because he believed the song reflected the choice to follow God. His autobiography is also named Just As I Am.
Dr. Melan’s hope pointed Charlotte to a Living Hope, and our hope can point others to Christ too. A life lived in Christ is a great “recommendation” to others to come to Him.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 Peter 2:4-6
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but
chosen by God and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being
built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who
trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Our salvation was secured once and for all in Christ, so Peter’s phrase “as you come to him” (v. 4) is not a reference to the initial salvation decision; rather, it is a picture of the children of God constantly drawing near to Him. Under the Old Testament sacrificial system, only priests had the privilege of coming into God’s presence to offer sacrifices, but under the New Covenant, all believers can enter into that place.
Believers are also being built into a spiritual house. In the Old Testament, the temple and specifically the holy of holies was the dwelling place of God among His people, but now, we are that dwelling!
- “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Eph. 2:19-22).
- “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:9).
Question 2:
How can we live unashamed
in today’s culture?
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 31
God’s people called out to Him as their rock and salvation. Now Jesus was identified as the chief cornerstone of this spiritual house. Jesus is the foundation of the church who provides its stability, security, and strength.
The cornerstone was crucial to a building’s overall structure. It was the main foundation stone in ancient buildings and tied everything together as the place where walls would meet, or it served as the keystone in the center of an arch. In both cases, the cornerstone was the stabilizing stone in the structure. The body of Christ is not held together by preferences, creeds, politics, tradition, culture, a constitution and bylaws, or denominational ties; it’s held together by the chief cornerstone that is Jesus Christ. There is stability because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His church holds an unchanging message in changing times.
Because the foundation is rock solid, believers will never be
disappointed or put to shame. We have no regret or remorse after making the
decision to follow Christ.
1 Peter 2:7-10
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who
do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8
and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were
destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you
have received mercy.
In ancient Jerusalem, Herod built the tower of Antonia as the headquarters of the Roman government. Under Herod’s orders, quarrymen cut stones from the bedrock of Mount Moriah to build the fortress as well as the temple, the temple platform, and the colonnade on the temple mount. Antonia’s Fortress stood at the end of the courtyard and spread across four large towers. Jesus was in one of these towers when Pilate brought Him before the people as they shouted for the release of Barabbas.
Down below this tower, a massive hewn stone sits where the walkway
ended. It’s very likely that Jews during Jesus’ day would have known about this
rock as one rejected by the stone masons who worked diligently under Herod’s
oversight. The stone had been chiseled in places, but for some reason the builders
rejected it and cast it aside.
Question 3:
How do people
stumble over Jesus today?
- A Chosen People. God chose Israel not on the basis of their size or merit, but out of His great love. He also has chosen us because of His great grace and love.
- A Royal Priesthood. This unparalleled description is unique to believers. In the Old Testament, the tribe of Levi was the priestly line, and the tribe of Judah was the royal line, and those lines never crossed. However, we who are in Christ are of a completely new line: we are people of the new covenant who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, who is both our High Priest and King of kings.
- A Holy Nation. As we saw in the previous session, we are called to holiness because God is holy.
- God’s Special Possession. We have a personal
relationship with Christ. We can know Him, and He knows us completely. No one
can sever the union we share as His own people.
BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 33
1 Peter 2:11-15
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain
from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives
among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your
good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 13 Submit yourselves for the
Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme
authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong
and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good
you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
Our walk must match our talk. These verses deal with our behavior
in a world where the environment may not be so comfortable for Christians. If
we claim to be Christ-followers, then we must live His life before this world.
Question 4:
What do these verses teach us
about how we follow Christ together?
Christians should be the very best neighbors, citizens, bosses,
employees, friends, and coworkers. We are to represent Christ in everything we
do—from paying our bills to playing sports to raising our kids. Peter noted three
ways we can exemplify Christ.
- Abstain from sinful desires. We bear personal
responsibility for our actions; therefore, we should remove ourselves from
certain influences and situations. Our good works and godly living will serve
to point others to the One who has saved us.
- Submit to authority. Peter did not back
down on his instruction about submitting to human authority, even though many of
the believers he wrote to were facing intense persecution at the hands of those
in authority. A government may be corrupt, but God has ordained the institution
of government itself for the good of its citizens.
- Do good. People often question what God’s
will is for their life, yet it’s spelled out here in black and white: do good.
We give a face to faith, a credible witness to a cynical world.
Question 5:
What are some ways we can express
our hope to those who need to
hear it?
PROCLAIM HIS PRAISE
Consider how this passage describes believers.
Draw a line between each descriptor and the
corresponding way God has enabled us to proclaim His praise:
Explain
how you might proclaim your hope in Christ this week:
“Believers are living stones in His building. Each time
someone trusts Christ, another stone is quarried out of
the pit of sin and cemented by grace into the building.”
WARREN WIERSBE
LIVE IT OUT
How
will you live out your hope to a watching world? Choose one of the following
applications:
- Be
honorable. Start your day by asking the Lord to make you
mindful of ways you can honor Him as you go through your day, no matter how
simple or insignificant you may think the task is. Small steps of obedience
lead to a long path of godliness.
- Be
submissive. Is there a person or agency of authority that
you’ve not lovingly submitted yourself to as unto the Lord? Confess this to the
Lord and seek to make it right with that person as soon as possible.
- Be outspoken. Someone in your circle of influence needs to know of your hope in Christ. Think of a tangible good that you can do for someone who may be ignorant or critical toward the gospel. Show the love of Christ to them with no strings attached!
We all
may not write hymns that cause others to glorify God. But a life lived in
Christ certainly will act as an encouragement for others to come to Him.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday night on zoom.
God bless!
David & Susan
Teacher Notes:
Video: Hope
is a dangerous thing – Red.
Have you ever been influenced by another person’s hope or lack
of hope?
It’s
all about our Testimony!
Your testimony either says a lot or it doesn’t say anything at all. It was Andy’s hope that allowed him to live in his broken world of Shawshank prison. It was Andy’s hope that influenced Red to live again outside of prison.
Be
thinking about your testimony of hope to a broken world as we go through our 3rd
lesson in this series tonight.
LIVING
WITH HOPE IN A BROKEN WORLD
The
Basis for Our Hope: Only hope in Christ is a sure thing.
The
Expression of Our Hope: Our hope in Christ changes how we view the
world and live in it.
The
Testimony of Our Hope: Our hope in Christ points others to Him.
Christians are to stand out from their culture.
We live as part of the culture, but we clearly are to stand out
as different from the cultural norm. The transformed life that results from faith
in Christ will show a marked difference in the way a person thinks and behaves.
This lesson
seeks to remind believers of the bonds that hope creates for us. These bonds
provide us with security and stability in the midst of the uncertainties of
life.
Think
for a moment about the variety of buildings you have seen.
· There
are some architectural styles that can almost take your breath away.
Cathedrals, skyscrapers, and even mansions (Myrtle Beach) fill us with awe as
we look at them.
· Peter probably
envisions the grandeur of the temple in Jerusalem as he wrote this letter to
believers we’ll be reading tonight. For centuries the temple had been the
center of Jewish religious practices. But the Jewish temple was not the
culmination of God’s building program. In fact, God was and is building a
temple that is not limited to one location. This new spiritual house exists
across time, cultures, and geographical locations. Being part of this building
has enormous implications for our place in the world.
Turn to 1 Peter 2
1 Peter 2:4-6
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans
but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy
priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to
shame.”
What are the key images in these verses, and what do they
communicate?
1.
We stand on Christ as our foundation
without shame.
Now we all know that a good
foundation is key to having a strong building. In fact, a building is only as
strong as the foundation supporting it. We as believers are part of the
spiritual house that God is building. Though we may not appear to be much to
others, God has chosen us to be part of His building. We have new life, as well
as a new purpose and function because of our connection to Christ. He is the
solid rock on which we stand. Believers are also being built into a spiritual
house. In the Old Testament, the temple and specifically
the holy of holies was the dwelling place of God among His people, but now, we are that dwelling!
E STUDIES FOR LIFE 31
When we hope in Christ, we are never put to shame.
· Some still reject Jesus and refuse to acknowledge Him as God’s
Beloved.
· Believers are living stones built into a spiritual temple in
which, as a holy priesthood, they offer spiritual sacrifices to God.
· A church without Jesus as its foundational cornerstone cannot be a
true church.
Does your testimony show others that you are not ashamed of the
hope you have in Christ?
1 Peter 2:7-10
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders
rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to
stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the
message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may
declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
2. We
stand in unity with fellow believers.
Continuing
this building narrative, after a building’s foundation is in place, the rest of
the building can begin to take shape. Brick and mortar, wood and stone, steel
and glass are all put into place in connection to one another. The pieces come
together making a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. It should be
an honor for us to be part of God’s spiritual house, even though this honor is
offensive to those who do not believe. Believers, however, have a new common
identity, position, and status. Now we are able to praise God for causing all
of this to happen because of His grace. We proclaim the glory of God together
in gratitude for His mercy.
Others may reject Christ, but we stand confidently because of who
we are in Christ.
· Those who believe in Jesus will not be ashamed of Him before
others and will not be shamed by Him on the day of judgment.
· Those who reject Jesus and are disobedient to God’s Word of truth
will fall at the judgment.
· God calls His people to positions of great privilege, filled with
great responsibility.
3
1 Peter 2:11-15
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain
from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives
among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your
good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the
Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme
authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong
and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you
should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
How do these verses say that our life as a Christian can be a
positive influence on others?
3. We
stand as an example to the world.
Buildings,
whether grand or small, point to something beyond themselves.
· Homes
signify families,
· Churches
signify worshiping communities, and
· Skyscrapers
signify business enterprises.
Part of a building’s purpose
is to let people know that something important is going on inside of it. As
part of God’s spiritual house, we are witnesses of God’s power to the world.
People outside of the body of
Christ should be able to look at us and recognize that we are different. We
should submit ourselves to God’s commands rather than fleshly, sinful desires.
Also, we should submit ourselves to the authority of government as it acts
rightly. Behaving in this way prevents nonbelievers from having just cause to
criticize us.
By doing this - Our lives can lead others to glorify God.
· Believers are not citizens of this world; only temporary residents
awaiting the opportunity to go home to be with the Lord.
· Christians have a responsibility to be model citizens.
· Good and right living can be an effective way to silence critics.
· Godly living brings glory to God.
As believers we have an opportunity to distinguish ourselves.
How, you may ask - by doing good, even in the face of hostility by
those who would do us harm, question our motives, and call into question our
character. Christ is at the center of it all. He becomes our testimony, for He
is the reason we have hope.
The measure of life is not its duration, but its donation.
Peter Marshall
Conclusion: Just as I Am
“If God loved me, He would not have treated me this way.”
Charlotte Elliott often said this because poor health had rendered her
disabled.
Charlotte turned to God and experienced new life in Christ that
day. As she grew in her walk with the Lord, she studied His Word and began to
write hymns, the most famous of which detailed that pivotal day in her life:
“Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for
me, and that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!”
How should we conduct ourselves in the midst of the racial unrest
in our country?
Conduct
Yourselves Honorably …
All
the events that have transpired since George Floyd’s murder. People’s reactions
can’t always be easily classified, but I see three groups in the public forum
of our city streets:
1. Peaceful
protesters rallying against racial injustice.
2. Angry
protesters who hate the police.
3. Anarchists
who just want to stir up violence and destruction.
The
peaceful protesters want to take a stand against an ongoing issue of racial
injustice. I’m OK with the peaceful protesters. Unfortunately, they are getting
lost in the crowd of interlopers spewing hate and anarchy.
Whether
or not you choose to stand in front of city hall with a sign, we can agree that
racial injustice is wrong.
God
detests injustice—and so should we.
But
how do we address injustice and work to put an end to it?
· Aah,
that’s where people have different ideas. There are many things we can do, but
anything including violence and aggression is out. An act of injustice is not
corrected by another act of violence. Period. Take it out of your playbook.
Whatever
words and actions you think will make a difference; they must include this: “Conduct
yourselves honorably” (1 Pet. 2:12). The apostle Peter wrote those words to
believers who were being challenged for their faith, calling them to do
everything above board with no hint of wrong or impropriety.
For
the follower of Christ, we cannot make a distinction between our actions in the
community and that which honors Christ and glorifies God. What we do in the
political arena, among our neighbors, or in an environment where disagreement
and debate reign is to be infused with honor to Christ and glory to God.
Believers
should be the absolute best neighbors in the HOA … the best citizens … the best
employees .. the best whatever. People desperately need to see men and women of
integrity, people who stand their ground with conviction and a good dose of
love and grace.
This
call from Peter doesn’t mean we acquiesce to the way things are. We should take
a stand against injustice and any form of wrong. And we can even do so with
righteous indignation—but righteous indignation is a far cry from the anger
that hates and despises others.
As we
seek to right wrongs, we never want to do it without an awareness that our
actions either point to Christ or turn people away. People may not like what
you stand for. They may not like you, but conducting yourself honorably means
they cannot overlook your good works and the One you follow.
Work for justice. Stand with others. And through it all, let your actions shout the love and grace of Christ.
