Would you turn with me to Acts
chapter 7? Tonight we're going to have a
baptism. Isaac Steves is going to confess Christ and believers
baptism. And I'm going to be preaching
on the subject, I am crucified with Christ. And that's exactly
what baptism teaches. I am, that's amazing statement.
He doesn't say Christ was crucified for me, although he was, he says,
I am crucified with Christ. He doesn't say, I'm crucified
with Christ representatively. He said, I am crucified with
Christ. And that's exactly what baptism
teaches. I am crucified with Christ. Now look at Acts chapter seven, verse 46, speaking of David, Is that my, oh, that's you? Okay,
all right. David, who found favor before
God and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob, but Solomon
built him a house. I've entitled this message Stone
made ready before. Now David desired, strongly desired
to build a tabernacle or a temple for God. He'd been in tents,
the tabernacle was in tents. He said, how is it that I live
in a house of cedar and God dwells in a tent? He wanted to make
God a temple. and the Lord wouldn't let him
do it. He said, you're a man of war. You're a bloody man. Your son will make you a temple. Speaking of Solomon, and that's
what we read of in this passage of scripture, Solomon built him
a house. Now, let me remind you. I hope
you don't need a reminder of this, but if you do, let me remind
you. The Bible is the inspired word
of God. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. That's what the Bible claims
for itself. And that's talking about Old Testament and New Testament. And the Old Testament inspired
scriptures are given to teach us the gospel. That's their purpose. Now, with that in mind, would
you turn to 2 Corinthians or 1 Kings 5. 1 Kings 5. Now the temple, the
physical temple that was built in the Old Testament is given
to teach us something of what the true temple of God is. You
know, the church is the temple of God. It is the body of Christ. It's not bricks. It's the church. Every believer is the true temple
of God. Now, 1 Kings 5. And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent
his servants unto Solomon, for he heard that they had anointed
him king in the room of his father, for Hiram was ever a lover of
David. And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
Thou knowest how that David, my father, could not build a
house under the name of the Lord his God, for the wars which were
about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles
of his feet. But now the Lord, my God, hath given me rest on
every side, so that there's neither adversary nor evil occurrence. I have peace, I have no enemies.
And behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the
Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying,
Thy son, whom I'll set upon thy throne in thy room, shall build
a house unto my name. Now this is talking about the
building of the temple. Now look in chapter six. And it came to pass in the 480th
year after the children of Israel will come out of the land of
Egypt in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel in the month
Zeth, which is the second month that he began to build the house
of the Lord. And the house which King Solomon
built for the Lord, the length thereof was three score cubits,
90 feet, the breadth thereof 20
cubits, 60 feet, and the height thereof 30 cubits, 45 feet high. And the porch before the temple
of the house, 20 cubits was the length thereof, according to
the breadth of the house, and 10 cubits was the breadth thereof
before the house. For the house he made windows
of narrow lights, and against the wall of the house he built
chambers, round about against the walls of the house, round
about both of the temple and of the oracle. And he made chambers
round about. The nethermost chamber was five
cubits broad, the middle was six cubits broad, and the third
was seven cubits broad. For without, in the wall of the
house, he made narrow rests round about it that the beams should
be fastened, not be fastened in the walls of the house. And
the house, when it was in building, was built of stone, made ready
before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer,
nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was
in building." Now here we read of the temple that would replace
the tabernacle. It took seven years to complete
this building project, as you go on reading. And there were
150,000 laborers involved in the building
of this glorious structure. And there were 3,600 overseers
over those 150,000 men that were building this building. 90 feet long,
30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. This is 14 feet, so that gives
you some idea of the height, and it was 2,700 square feet,
the building. This room is 2,600 square feet. That gives you some idea of the
size of this building, but it was 45 feet high, and within
it, there was a room called the Oracle. It took the place of
the holy of holies in the tabernacle, and it was a perfect cube, 30
by 30. And I love the way it's called
the oracle, the word. Christ is the word of God. Now the gospel is typified by
the tabernacle in the wilderness. You entered in by the altar,
the blood sacrifice. You couldn't see what was on
the inside unless you were inside. You know, no one can understand
the gospel unless they've been saved by the grace of God. There's
no understanding of the gospel. It's just words to you until
God reveals himself to you. You enter in through the altar.
The blood sacrifice, the labor is for washing. The blood continually
cleanses and washes. In the room, there was a candlestick.
Christ is the light, as to how God can have anything to do with
me or you. There was the table of showbread. Christ, our sustenance. There was the altar of incense.
The only way I can be accepted is if Christ represents me. Within
the Holy of Holies, there was the Ark of the Covenant. It's the same Ark that they made
the movie about, the Raiders of the Lost Ark. But that's what
they're talking about, the Ark of the Covenant, within the Ark.
There was the law, Christ our righteousness. There was Aaron's
rod that budded independently of anything else, Christ our
life. There was the golden pot with the manna in it, Christ,
the bread of life. And this had gone on for 400
some years in this tabernacle. And now Solomon is going to replace
the tabernacle with this glorious temple. a magnificent temple
instead of a tent. And everything in this was made
of cedar planks, the hardest wood known, covered with gold,
and even the floors were of paved gold. Now, can you imagine? I don't know of any other edifice
where it had golden floors, but such was the temple. And I believe it was all done
perfectly. I believe this is probably the
only perfect construction. When we built this building,
first time in 1992, it was seven inches out of square. And we
did our best, and I'm thankful for drywall, it's very forgiving. But this, I believe it was in
perfect square, this perfect 30 foot oracle. Now Solomon knew that this temple
did not contain the eternal, omniscient, omnipresent God.
Look at 1 Kings 8. This is when he's giving the
dedication of the temple. And he says in verse 27 of 1
Kings 8, he understood that God could not be contained in a temple. How many times, the most impressive
buildings I've ever been in have been cathedrals. Big, giant cathedrals
with big, giant domes, and been in Notre Dame, been in the one
in Florence in Italy, and they're just amazing. And people think,
well, you can feel the divine presence in such a powerful structure. That's idolatry. That's all it
is. Somebody says, boy, don't you
feel God here? He's everywhere. And if you think that he can
be contained in a building, you've missed it altogether. Now look
what Solomon said. He understood that this temple
could not contain the living God. He just knew what it represented.
Verse 27, but will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the
heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain me. How much less
this house that I've built. He understood that that house
could not contain the living God. It's what that house represented. Now, this house, this temple,
which prefigured the church, which is the dwelling place of
God. Now, this is one of those mysteries
that you just believe. You can't understand it. The
church is the temple of God. Every believer is the dwelling
place of God. So much so that Christ said,
in as much as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren,
you've done it to me. And in as much as you did it
not to the least of these, my brethren, you did it not to me. The church is the temple, the
dwelling place of God. Now, back to our text in verse
7 of 1 Kings 6. And the house, when it was in
building, and remember this took seven years, you had 150,000
people cutting timber, cutting stones out of a quarry. The house,
when it was in building, was built of stone, made ready before
it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer, nor
axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in
the building. Now, when's the last time you were at a construction
site? How loud is it? Hammering, jackhammer. I mean, it's a loud place. But
in this construction site, there was silence. The noise of work
was forbidden. It was made of stones, made ready,
cut out, perfectly completed, perfectly squared, before they
ever got there. I don't know how they kept the
noise down, but somehow the stones were just placed together perfectly. without the sound of human tools. Human works, the sound of works
was forbidden in the building of this temple. Kind of reminded
me of in Exodus chapter 20, after you get the giving of the law,
what do you have? An altar for sacrifice. You see,
the Lord knew they wouldn't keep the law. He knew. He knew. And he knows you won't. In and of yourself. So he provided
an altar. And you know what that altar
was made of? Stones which no human being had
altered. And if you put a tool to any
of the stones, it was polluted. It wasn't allowed to be used.
And there weren't steps to this altar. They're not steps to God.
Well, I need to take this step and that step and that step.
No! Christ is the way to God. You're there in Him. Now, this
temple was made of stones made ready before. And this building
was exact. God's purpose and covenant is
exact. Ordered in all things. And sure, the measurements were
given precisely. This building was glorious as
you go on reading after the dedication of the temple. The glory of God
filled the temple so that the priest couldn't even come in.
They moved away, they couldn't bear it. Christ Jesus is the
glory of God. He's the brightness of His Father's
glory and the express image of His person. And each stone was
made ready before it was brought. Now I don't know of a more powerful
type of the gospel than that statement. Now some, I've read what some
men have said about this passage of scripture, and they said,
well, what this is, is on earth you're made ready. You're polished,
made ready, and the experiences you have is what's going to fit
you to be brought into heaven. You know, No, no. There's nothing about this earth
that makes me ready for heaven. Christ is the only one who makes
me ready for heaven. His grace, nothing else. Now,
this word made ready is also translated perfected, completed,
made whole, finished, made peaceable beforehand. These stones were
made ready beforehand. Now, let me give you the New
Testament commentary on this. Turn with me to Romans chapter
8. Now, remember, this temple represents
the body of Christ, the temple of Christ, the temple of God. Now, Romans 8 verse 28. And we know that all things work
together for good. Not to everybody, but to them
that love God, to them who are thee called according to his
purpose. Now, everything God does is on
purpose. God is a God of purpose. Why are you here this morning?
because God purposed it. That is why you are here. Did God know you'd be here? Of
course he did. He purposed it. God is a God of purpose. Now let's go on reading verse
29. For who? Not what, who? He did for know. He knew beforehand. He loved
beforehand. Adam knew his wife, Eve. It doesn't just mean he knew
who she was. He knew her in an intimate way,
and that's what this knowledge means. Whom he did for love. Whom he loved beforehand. Now understand this, if God loves
you, he's always loved you. There was never a time he didn't
love you and there's never a time when he'll cease to love you
because his love is in Christ Jesus. For whom he did foreknow,
then he also did predestinate. Predestinate. Does the Bible
teach predestination? Duh. What's that word say? He did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son, that he might be, the Lord Jesus might
be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, who He did predestinate,
them He also called. And whom He called, them He also
justified. And whom He justified, them He
also glorified. Now these are the stones that
are made ready before. Oh. Before I was born, I was foreknown. Before I was born, I was predestinated. Before I was born, I was justified. Made ready beforehand. Before
I was born, I was called. Before I was born, I was glorified. Now, that's what the Bible teaches. These stones made ready beforehand. You see, there's an eternal aspect
of salvation that we are privileged to experience in time. Now, I
quote this whole lot, but I want you to turn with me and look
at this so you see it for yourself in the Bible. Revelation chapter
13, verse 7. Revelation 13 verse 7. And it was given unto him to
make war with the saints and to overcome them. And power was
given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations and all that
dwell upon the earth shall worship him, this evil being whose names
are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Christ is the lamb slain in eternity
past. The lamb having been slain. This is God's purpose. This is
God's eternal purpose. The lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. You see, you were made ready.
If you're a believer, you were made ready before. in the lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. Everything that's
given us in time was given us in Christ Jesus before time began. 2 Timothy 1, 9, he saved us and
he called us. And the order is of vital importance. What came first? He saved us. and He called us. The saving
came before the calling, not according to our works, but according
to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. Stones made ready before. Ephesians 1.4 says, according
as He hath chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him. Now that is a stone made ready
before, isn't it? Made holy, made without blame
before the foundation of the world. Now this being made ready,
I was made ready when he died. When he said it is finished.
by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. That's made ready before my experience. Colossians 2.10 says you are
complete, lacking nothing. You are complete in him. Now we were made ready when Christ
became our surety. We were made ready when he kept
the law. We were made ready when he died. We were made ready when
he was resurrected from the dead. The sound of human works are
not heard in the building of this temple because we are his
workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Now, this
glorious temple made of stones ready beforehand typifies the
church made of men and women made ready beforehand. Turn with
me to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 19. You are no more strangers and
foreigners. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19.
But fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of
God and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all
the building. Look at this fitly framed together. Stones made ready beforehand. That's how this fit framing takes
place. Fitly framed together groweth
unto a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are built together
for an inhabitation of God through the Spirit. Now turn to 1 Peter
2. 1 Peter 2. beginning in verse four. To whom coming. And the whom is a reference to
the Lord Jesus Christ. And this describes every believer
every day. To whom coming? I'm coming to
Christ for salvation the way I first came to him. I come to
him that way every day. I can't look to my works. I'm
always coming to Christ. To whom coming? As unto a living
stone. Disallowed indeed of men. Men
reject this foundation, this cornerstone. but chosen of God
and precious. Ye also as living stones are
built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also
it's contained in the scripture. Behold, this is a quotation from
Isaiah 28 16. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone. elect, Christ be my first elect,
he said, then chose us in him our living head. He's the elect. Precious, oh, how precious he
is to God. And he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded, shall not be put to shame. Unto you,
therefore, which believe, he is precious. Now, what is the
evidence of believing the gospel? He is precious. He's all you have of value. That's
what that means. He is, oh, how precious He is
to God. This is my beloved Son in whom
I'm well pleased. How precious He is to the believer. Unto you therefore which believe,
He is precious. Isn't He all you have of value
before God? Isn't he all you'll play? You
believe that more now than you ever have if you're a believer.
You know he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
those people who don't see this as the gospel, 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 would stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto
also they were appointed." What does that mean? Exactly what
it says. Exactly what it says. I'm not
going to apologize for anything in the word of God. God's in
control of everything. And if you reject the gospel,
you were appointed to that. Now, it doesn't mean that you're
not responsible. If you reject the gospels because
you hate God, you don't like what's being said, you don't
want to have anything to do with it. You were appointed to that. Now, am I going to apologize
for that? No, I'm not. God's God. He's
in control of everything. God is God. Verse nine, but you, and this
is the true temple, you are a chosen generation, chosen by God, a
royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar or a purchase people
that you should show forth the praises of him who had called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now that is
the temple. It's stones made ready before. Now, am I going to leave it there? No, because this temple that
has already been made ready before the building is still going on. And let me show you what I mean
by that. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 16. This is so important. How can I know if I'm one of
these stones made ready beforehand? You can know. You can know this
morning. You can know right now if you're
one of these stones made ready beforehand. Now look in Matthew
chapter 16 at verse 18. And I say unto thee, thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build. my church, and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it." Now, here the Lord tells us that
he builds his church, his temple. Thou art Peter, and upon this
rock will I build my church. Was he talking about Peter? Upon
this rock, Peter? No. Peter means little stone. Upon this big stone. What rock
is that? This confession of me. Now let's go back and look at
this thing in its context. Look in verse 13. When Jesus came into the coast
of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do
men say that I, the Son of Man, am? Now, listen real carefully. This is the issue. Who is Jesus Christ? That is the only issue. This
is the answer to every question. I love what Henry Mahan used
to say. I didn't understand it at first. I do now. You don't come to Christ
through doctrine. You come to your doctrine through
Christ. You know what that means? That means when you see who he
is, everything becomes obvious. If you see who he is, you can't
think of him as being a failure in anything. You can't think
of him as dying for somebody and then end up being in hell.
Not if you know who he is. This is the issue. This is the
only issue. Who is Jesus Christ? I love to bring it down to the
simplicity. I'm not bringing it down, the Lord does. The Lord,
whom do men say that I, the son of man, am. And here's the reply in verse
14. And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, some
Elias, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Now they
thought they were being complimentary. We're putting him in some high
cotton. But notice how contradictory it is. Well, some say this, some
say that. Nothing but contradictions. And in reality, what they were
saying was blasphemous. To call the Lord Jesus Christ
by any man? No! He's not one of these men. I think of Peter. The man of
transfiguration. There's Moses and Elijah speaking
with the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, let's make three tabernacles.
One for thee, one for Moses, one for Elias. And then a bright
cloud overshadowed them. They found out, uh oh, we said
the wrong thing. This is my beloved son, hear ye him. Lord, by your grace, we do believe
that thy son is your Christ, your prophet, your priest, your
king, and Lord, how we need him as our prophet to bring your
word to us, how we need him as your priest to bring us into
your presence, how we need him as our king to rule and reign
and cause us to do his will. And Lord, how thankful we are
that he is your son, your equal, altogether glorious, the child
that was born, the son that was given, the one on whose shoulders
is the government. His name is Wonderful Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
How we thank you for him. And Lord, I ask in Christ's name
that you would give us each the grace to trust Him completely,
to come to Him always, as all in our salvation. Bless your
word for Christ's sake. In His name we pray. Amen.