verse 19 now therefore you are no more
strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints
and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets and Jesus Christ himself being
the chief cornerstone In whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord In whom ye
also are builded together for an habitation of God through
the Spirit now therefore This passage here begins that way
now therefore because God is rich in mercy verse 4 Now therefore, because God has
loved us with a great love, verse four also, because of his great
love wherewith he loved us, now we're no more strangers. Now
therefore, because God has given us life in Christ, he quickened
us together in Christ and with Christ, verse five. Now therefore,
because God saved us by his grace through faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, verse eight. Now, therefore, because God created
us a new creature, that has something to do with it, doesn't it? We're
no more strangers, but we're fellow citizens. We were strangers
before, but now we're new creation in Christ Jesus and ordained
us that we should walk in his will, verse 10. And now, therefore,
because Christ made peace by the blood of his cross, verses
13 and 14. We're no more strangers. Therefore,
why? Because of that. Because he made peace. And because
he is our peace, he brought us nigh to God. He has himself become
our peace with God. Verses 13 and 14. And now then,
since we're reconciled to God by his cross, and since he came and declared
this truth to us, Ministry of reconciliation was given to some
men and they were sent to us and we know something about it
now By his gospel, and so we're no more strangers and foreigners
but we're fellow citizens with the Saints and Verse 19 we live
in God's house now Isn't that beautiful for all those reasons
for all those wonderful reasons outside of ourselves For all
of those reasons that are found in God alone, for all that he
did for us, and all that he's done in us, now therefore, we're
fellow citizens with the saints, and we live in his house. This
is what David said about that in Psalm 27 four. One thing have
I desired of the Lord, and that I'm gonna seek after. And if
you want to know what people love and desire, look what they're
seeking after. Look what they're applying themselves
to. What they're endeavoring toward. And you'll find out what's in
their heart. Where a man's treasure is, that's where his heart is.
And here's what David said, this is what I'm seeking. This is
the desire of my heart. And this is what I'm pursuing.
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord. That I may be where
Paul is talking about in our text. That I might live in God's
house all the days of my life. I don't ever want to live anywhere
else. Don't want to go anywhere else. And here's what's going
to happen there. This is why I want to be there.
So that I might behold His beauty. Why do you want to live in God's
house? Because that's where He is. And I wanna inquire. I wanna
inquire in his temple. You remember the temple, what
the temple is all about? We see the beauty of the Lord. We see it in his house, in his
gospel. That's what happens here, in
his house. And when we say house, you know
we're not talking about a building. Talking about a people talking
about him and all that that are in him But in his gospel we see
his beauty And in his house his word goes forth And his beauty
is seen in that in the message that God sends to us each week
We see his beauty when Christ is preached That's where you
see the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. And the
message is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. All of the beauty
of God is seen in Him. When that great love wherewith
He loved us, that we saw in there, when that is preached, and that
love is in Christ, the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. In all that He did for us. He
loved us, we read well ago, this is love. Not that we loved Him,
but that He loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation
for our sin. Christ crucified is the gospel.
We see that great love wherewith he loves us, that mercy, that
mercy of God that made all the difference in us before and us
now. And all that he did for us and
all that he does for us and all that he's gonna do for us, we
see his beauty. We see his beauty in his character,
don't we? In his free, free grace is beautiful, isn't
it? Because that's grace that I can get in on. Electing grace,
when God chooses, that's beautiful. Because he does all things well.
Sovereign, he's beautiful on his throne, isn't he? He's beautiful
on his throne. Distinguishing grace. The only
hope for a real sinner is free grace. He's beautiful in his
mercy towards sinners, free mercy. That's my only hope now, is free
mercy. When you bankrupt, you need free
mercy. The only hope, he's called the
good Samaritan now because he's beautiful in his compassion.
When everybody else turns away and walks on the other side,
he has compassion on us and he cares for the helpless. He's
beautiful in that. He's called the Good Shepherd
because he's beautiful in his absolute commitment unto death
to the care and safety of his sheep. His name is called Wonderful
because he is beautiful. in his invincible saving power. He's beautiful in that he is
the Lord of glory. He's beautiful in that he speaks
and dead sinners live. Isn't that beautiful to you?
If he wants to save you, he'll save you. He stretches forth
his hand and the withered stretch forth their hands. He's beautiful
in that. He calms the winds and the waves. with a word. Beautiful. If he will, he can. If he will,
he can save your babies. He can save those that you love,
that are lost. If he will, if he will, he can. And that's the way we're to pray
to him. Lord, if you will, I know you can save. I know your hand's
not short. He can make a thousand fall at
your side and ten thousand at your right hand and not one hair
of your head will fall to the ground without your father. Beautiful. Beautiful. We see his beauty
in his power, don't we, to say. We see his beauty. We kind of see his beauty in
each other, don't we? There's nothing beautiful about
me. There ain't a whole lot beautiful about you. Unless we can see
him in one another. And I know what religion said,
oh, we're the only Jesus that this world will ever see. Then
the world's in big trouble. But by his grace, I see his grace
in you. I really do. In those good works
that he's ordained us to, that he works in us, both to will
and to do them, in the faithfulness and kindness and forgiveness.
and all of the fruit of the spirit that can never be born if not
for God's love and grace and power wrought in us. I see the
beauty of the Lord in that he would save a worm like you and
like me, don't you? I see his beauty in you just
looking at what in the world, why would he even save us to
begin with? Because he is great in mercy. He's beautiful in his mercy in
that even when we were dead. Now you think about that, even
when we had been dead so long, we were stinking dead, bad. He said, nevertheless, roll the
stone away. Nobody else wanted to, everybody
else wanted a stone between them and Lazarus, but not the Lord.
He's coming out. Come on out. And he's so beautiful
in his long suffering toward us, even when we insult him by
questioning his love for us and his word, he still calms the
sea for us. He still makes the waves and
the storm lay down for us. He's beautiful in his great jealousy
over his bride. He said if you harm her or offend
her, you'd be better off tying a millstone around your neck
and throwing yourself in the sea. You don't see that kind
of love every day. He's beautiful in his sovereign
orchestration of the whole universe so that everything serves the
good of his bride. I wish I could love like that,
but I know somebody that does. He loves us so much. Everything
is at His command for our good. That's beautiful. And this is
what it means to be in God's house. Not talking about coming
to church on Sunday morning. Not talking about an earthly
house at all. This is God's household. It's
where you can behold His beauty. Will you sing that song in the
cleft of the rock? That's where you're gonna see
his beauty from. That's his house right there. And you may also
inquire in his temple. In other words, if you need anything
right now, you need anything, ask and you'll receive. Ask. That's how it works in his
house. I like to think, you know, that
I can provide for my house. And the Lord's been gracious
to where he uses men to do that. But in his house, just ask. Just ask. And here's the thing,
will he give us everything we ask for? No, it's better than
that. It's better than that. If I give my children everything
they ask for, that's not gonna be good, is it? He's a better
father than that. In his house now, he'll give
you everything you ask for that's good for you, and when you ask
for something that's not good for you, he'll give you what's
good for you. You can't beat that. Do you want to know the
answer to any question? Inquire of the Lord. Any man
lack wisdom? Let him ask of the Lord. He gives
liberally, and he won't upbraid you for it. He won't call you
an idiot for asking. Even though you might be, and
I might be. Can the world give you an answer
to the question you have? Do you want to know why? Is there
anything regarding which you want to know why? Do you want to know how? You want to know who? In his house, you can inquire.
And you'll have the answer to every question worth asking in
his house. That's why David said, that's
where I want to be the rest of my life. Do you want to know, let me ask
you this, do you want to know more? Do you want to know more? Paul said in Philippians 3.10
that I may know him. Do you have that desire? I want
to know him in the power of his resurrection. I want to know
the powerful Christ. I want to know the one that said,
I've got authority to lay my life down and I can take it up
again. And he also said, if I want to give you life, I'll give it
to you. I want to know that one. In the
power of his resurrected life and in the fellowship of his
sufferings, I want to hear of Christ crucified and I want in
on it, don't you? I want in on it in every way
a sinner can be in on it. Being made conformable unto his
death. Oh, that I may know. Do you want
to know more? Do you need anything? Come and inquire. Do you need
comfort? He's the God of all comfort.
He is the great comforter. He will take the things of Christ
who is our comfort and show them to us. And if he's pleased to
do so, we'll be comforted. Do you need assurance? Don't
look to yourself. Don't look in this world. Don't
look to your own works. Don't look to your own abilities.
Come and behold his beauty. And count the cost and see if
he's sufficient. You need assurance? You need
forgiveness? Well, I've already been forgiven.
Yeah, but our Lord taught us to pray, forgive us of our sins.
Forgive us of our sins. Forgive us. You need forgiveness
today? This is what he's talking about to inquire in his temple. That old leper, he knew some
things about the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew of his power. He knew
that he was God because only God can do that. He knew who
he was, but here's what he wanted to know. He had an inquiry. Will
you? Will you have mercy on me? If
you will, you can. That's called inquiring in his
temple. Oh, forgiveness, Lord. Forgive
us our debts. Give us grace to forgive our
debtors. He taught me to ask for that daily. That's what I
want to inquire for that. Do you need knowledge? Then hear
him say unto you, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. Learn of me. Well, what if I
want to learn about something else? There is nothing else. There is nothing else. Learn
of me. Let me try to be a help to you
here. Sometimes I have people come to me and express a need
to learn. And they'll ask me what books
they should read in order to learn more. And I'll say, you
know, I'm just confused about some things. I had a young believer
come to me recently and say, there's some things I don't really
understand. And he said somebody recommended a book to me and
I can't understand it. Let me help you, let me ask you
a question. What things are you trying to understand? What are
you trying to understand? I believe it's a mark of God's
grace that anybody ever confesses ignorance of anything. So don't
get me wrong, I'm glad he asked. But what things don't you understand? One thing is needful. The Bible
doesn't teach a lot of things. The Bible teaches one thing a
lot of ways. And if you're trying to learn
the doctrines of men, perhaps, maybe that's what it is. I don't
understand these doctrines. Well, let me tell you something
about that. He said, learn of me. Learn of me. And I'm not
discouraging learning in any way of anything, really. I just
want to caution you that Christ is the only thing worth knowing.
Just behold his beauty, and if you can't see his beauty clearly
in one aspect or another, inquire. That's what we're to inquire
about is concerning him. Learn of me. We don't come to
inquire about the things that people go to fortune tellers
for. All of the things we come to inquire about in his house
are found in him. Christ Jesus the Lord. Comfort. You need to know him. You need
peace? Learn of Him. Assurance? Learn
of Him. Encouragement? Learn of Him.
Fellowship? Forgiveness? Relief from troubles
and fears? Hear His words. Learn of Me.
And you'll find rest under your soul now. This is what happens
in His house. It's called the household of
faith in Galatians 6.10. And faith just has one object.
Christ Himself. So I think I know what you mean
by learning things. Don't worry so much about that. There are things in the scriptures
that I don't understand, but I know what this book is about. It's a hymn book. The day the Lord revealed himself
to me, you know what he revealed to me? He revealed to me that
day that Christ is all. Didn't he you? That man in John
chapter 9, that blind man, he didn't know much, did he? He
didn't know doctrine. Is he a sinner or not? I'm not
sure. I don't know. But I know this.
The difference between me a while ago and me right now, Christ
is all. He came. He touched me. And now I see. So he revealed the same thing
to me. Christ is all. Now you know what I know now?
Christ is all. I just know it, I pray, a little
bit better. I don't know anything else, though.
When somebody is all, there isn't anything else. I pray I know it a little bit
better, but that's what I know now. We're still learning that,
and as we do, you know what's happening? We're beholding his
beauty and inquiring more, Lord, more, more about Jesus. Let me
learn. More of his holy will discern.
Spirit of God my teacher be showing the things of Christ to me What
else you gonna see in God's house? And if you want to see anything
else Then maybe you're not in his house yet And then listen
to this verse 20 and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles
and prophets Jesus Christ What's the foundation of the Apostles
and the Prophets? He's saying the Apostles and
the Prophets are the foundation of his church. No, he's not.
He's saying that you're built upon the foundation of the Apostles. What's the foundation of the
Apostles and the Prophets? Jesus Christ himself. The chief
cornerstone. No, no, people argue about, you
know, Where the Lord said, your name is Peter, which means a
stone. And upon this rock will I build my church. You know,
the church is built on the apostle Peter. No. The word rock and
the word stone are two different words. The foundation of the apostles
and prophets is Jesus Christ himself. There's just one foundation. One unshakable, complete, eternal
foundation. The apostles and prophets had
the same foundation I do. The same ground upon which to
stand that I do. Moses had the same hope you had.
He was standing on the rock and hidden in the cleft of the rock.
Where are you? Same foundation. And I could see God's glory from
there. the face of Jesus Christ. Abraham could not fall. Why not? Same reason you can't. That's
what He's saying here. Same foundation. We all have
one foundation. Other foundation can no man lay
than that is laid. It's already done. Which is Jesus
Christ. I Corinthians 3.11. Turn to I
Peter 2. I just want to read a couple
of passages of Scripture this morning and then we'll And close
that with that first Peter Chapter 2 Verse 1 Wherefore laying aside all malice
and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings
as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may
grow thereby and If so be you have tasted that the Lord is
gracious to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed
of men but chosen of God and precious. You also as lively
stones are built up a spiritual house. That's what Paul's talking
about in our text. In the rest of our text he said,
all the building is fitly framed together and grows unto an holy
temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together in
habitation of God through the Spirit. That's what he's talking
about, Peter talking about here too. You're a spiritual house,
a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained
in the Scripture, behold I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone,
elect We're elect because He's the elect. We're elect in Him.
Precious. We're precious to God in Him.
He's the cornerstone. He's the foundation of God's
choice and His love and His mercy and grace and everything. He
that believeth on Him shall not be confounded unto you therefore
which believe. He's precious. But unto them
which be disobedient The stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word,
being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. But
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy
nation." See that in our text, a holy temple? a holy nation
built on Him, He's the cornerstone, a peculiar people that you should
show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light which in time past were not a people
but now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now
have obtained mercy. Look at Acts chapter 4 verse
10 just a brief word here Acts 4 10 Be it known unto you all, and
to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
even by him, does this man stand here before you whole. This is
the stone which is set up in all of you builders, which has
become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men. whereby we must be saved. One foundation, the apostles
and prophets and all his people today, as you sit there where
you're at, we rest on the one foundation. And I'll tell you
this, the reason that the gates of hell shall not prevail against
this house is that it's built upon the rock. And that's the
only reason. What other reason do we need?
For all confidence and assurance. Next verse there, verse 21, in
whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy
temple in the Lord. In whom? He also are builded
together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. Both
of those verses begin the same way, don't they? In whom? In
Christ. In God's purpose and grace in
Christ, we are his holy temple. God doesn't dwell in a building.
He dwells in his church. His church is not a building.
Here's the thing, we live in his house. David said, I wanna
live in his house. What's that? Christ. And he dwells
in his church. I in them and thou in me. You
remember John 17? We dwell in him and he dwells
in us. We don't come, Here to this building
because God is here in this building But if we come to this building
God is here If we're his sheep if we're his children and we
gather in his name We don't come because this is where God is
but if we come and this is where God is if we're his Fitly framed
There aren't any leaks in his house It's pitched within and
without with pitch, which is the atonement of our Lord Jesus
Christ. It doesn't get cold or hot in his house. Not cold in
the winter, not hot in the summer. The sun shall not smite us by
day nor the moon by night. It's fitly framed. No matter
how you huff and puff, you can't blow it down. And I've seen some
huffing and puffing. I've probably done some. But
it is fitly framed. Our bond and our unity is Christ
himself. We stand on him and we stand
together that way. In his house, there are support
beams, integral to the structure, and there are baseboards that
don't seem to do much. But in his house, every piece,
every tile, every single part of it is precious to us. It's precious to the Lord. No
matter how strong or beautiful your materials are, a structure's
got to be tied together. Do you see that in there? Together. Do you see the word together
in the text? Without that, it's just a pile
of materials laying on the ground. Looks kind of like trash until
it's put together. Tied together. And this is what
the cornerstone pictures here. The cornerstone, the chief cornerstone,
the foundation. Everything rests upon that stone. And the framing of this house,
the fact that everything is supported and tied and stabilized by something
else, is pictured in this chief cornerstone upon which everything
rests. That's the support. That's the
structure. It's just a pile of rubble without
that, just fit to be burned. And the simplest way to say it
is this, the way Paul did. In God's house, Christ is all.
He's all. The very structure and security
and stability of the house is Christ. The purpose of the house
is Christ. The glory of the house is Christ.
All things are made by him and for him and there's no greater
example of that than his house. We are by Christ and we are for
Christ. You know what Paul said to the
Corinthians? What are you thinking? Your body is not for you, it's
for him. It's for him. I'm thankful that when the Lord
was building his house, he rummaged around in the junk pile and found
an old, rotten, broken, worthless scrap two by four and said, I
can use that. I can use that. And such is the
integrity of the foundation of this house and such the wisdom
and skill of the master builder that we are joined together and
unshakable and beautiful. And best of all, he is. He is. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your.