Friday, August 8
1 Peter 2:4-11 (ESV)
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, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for 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 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 had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
FBCG was founded 120 years ago, in 1894, by a handful of Swedish immigrants who came to this country, in part, to find religious freedom. They worshiped together for 10 years before constructing their first simple church building. Over the next half-century or so that tiny church family sometimes struggled for survival but continued to worship, care for each other, and proclaim the gospel. Then as Geneva and the surrounding communities began to grow significantly in the 1970’s and 80’s the church also began to grow. Along the way facilities were expanded, property purchased, and more buildings added. Today FBCG is a church family of over 4,000 that gathers on two campuses and in six worship services every weekend, and we are expanding our facilities again through the “Growing to Serve” expansion project.
As I walk around the project watching it take shape, I often think about several things. First, it strikes me that even though FBCG has changed in so many ways over those 120 years, some things have not changed. We still worship with all our hearts; we still care for each other; and we are still called to proclaim the gospel with clarity and conviction. Second, as I watch concrete blocks and other construction materials being carefully put into place to form walls and floors and ceilings, it often hits me that every single brick or block or beam in both our campuses could represent a person or family that has gone before us. I have no idea how many thousands of men, women, students and children have worshiped, served and given generously so that FBCG could remain faithful to God’s call for 120 years; I just know that the church ultimately is not made of bricks and mortar, but of people who love and serve Jesus Christ. Peter writes:
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.
I know we’ve left the ancient story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem to jump into what Peter has to say about the church, but I want us to notice the parallels.
Just as the walls of Jerusalem needed to be built up with stones, the church is built up with “living stones”- or people. Just as Nehemiah longed to rebuild the wall because it symbolized the glory and blessing of God, so the church is to be a “spiritual house” that offers “spiritual sacrifices” to God.
Just as the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem regained their identity as the people of God with a restored wall, so we find our identity in and through the gospel, which in turn, builds and shapes the church.
But 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 had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
This is what fills my heart as I walk around the Growing to Serve project! We get to do this! We are invited by the Lord Jesus himself to play our part in the great story of God’s love for the world! We get to play a part in building and being his church! We belong to him and we get to proclaim his “excellencies” to the world around us!
Just as those who have gone before us in faithful worship, service and generosity, we now get to take our place as “living stones” in the spiritual house called the church.
What an incredible privilege we have!
Pastor Brian Coffey
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