Endure part 4
“Pardon the mess I am under construction”
We are all on the faith journey, and during that journey life gets messy. The enemy is always reminding us of our mistakes; he reminds us of all we are not; he tells us we don’t measure up!
Michelangelo the great artist was asked how he could make such a perfect angel out of a rough slab of marble rock. Here is what the angel looked like when he was done. Here is his response to the question. “The angel was already complete within the marble block, before I started my work; he was already there, I just had to chisel away the material that did not look like the angel, so he could be set free.”
All of us are under construction. It is yet to be seen what we shall be; God saw the finished product which He created; He is chipping away the pieces of our life that is not us, so we can be set free! He had a plan from the start; He is not done; He will finish that which He started. If we are going to become good at enduring, we are going to have to learn to say, pardon the mess, I am under construction.
1 Peter 2:4-5 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but [chosen by God] and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a [spiritual house], a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
-
I am being built.
Peter starts verse 4 with “Coming to Him…” (The Living Stone) Come to Jesus and He will clean up the mess. Going to Jesus is not a one-time event. Many can remember when they came to Jesus, but they cannot tell you how they have been waking with Him. Coming to Jesus is not just about a salvation moment; it is also about a sanctification process! (Becoming like Jesus and walking with Him.) Are we going where He is going? Coming to Jesus is the key to endurance.
“… rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious…” How are we still surprised when we don’t fit in? Why are we still shocked when the world does not like us?
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Being – the process of bringing reality into existence; the act of doing. No one here is finished; God is not done; He is always doing. Peter does not say we have been built; been means finished. I am under construction; God is in the process of doing! (He always builds back stronger) If what is being built looks better under construction than when it is finished, we got a problem! We should never allow the mess to become permanent; it is ok to be under construction, but it is not ok to not make progress! God will always look beyond the mess to see the master piece.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
-
On a sure (solid) foundation.
1 Corinthians 3:11 “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Nobody notices the foundation until it causes a problem. Ex. My story about foundation.
What is your life being built on; what is your foundation? Do you complain about the results of your life – take a look at your foundation!
Matthew 7:24-27 “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation had been laid on rock.” 26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed—it was utterly destroyed!”
So, it is either sand or Stone; junk or Jesus. Jesus is the sure foundation. What is the ultimate goal for having a firm foundation?
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
3. To Glorify God. “… that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you…”
To glorify someone is to “bestow honor, praise, or adoration.” Giving glory to God is specifically identifying with what is excellent about Him. This is why we are being built on a sure foundation; to glorify God; it is our purpose for existence!
Jesus did not come just so we could survive and make it. He came so we could glorify the Father. I am not going to wait until my life is prefect and clean to glorify God. Glorify Him in your mess today; Let Him take your praise in your messy weakness, so He can turn it into His greatness. Run to Him and acknowledge the reality of who He has always been; you are being built on a sure foundation to glorify God.
You are under construction. Endure!