First Baptist Church in Amboy,IL Podcast
Why He Is So Precious To Me
And we have been looking at the book of 1st Peter and we're going to go to 2nd Peter when we get done with this and talking about a fireproof faith, having a fireproof faith. And there's a brief outline we're looking at in 1st Peter and 2nd Peter we're going to get to that eventually and that is how to further strengthen or how to have better fire retardant. And strengthen your fire retardant. Yes, you got to be careful how you say that, huh? And that is the outline. And let me tell you something. The book of 1st and 2nd Peter are written to Christians that are being persecuted, Jews and Christians that are being persecuted. And the truth is every one of us are going to go through a storm. I love that song that the men sang. The cowboy quartet. The cowboy quartet too, we could call them. And the storms of life will come. We all are going to go through pain and suffering. We all are going to come to the end of this life eventually. And it might be a very trying time, a difficult time. And those things will come. We read in the news of folks that were facing a storm of course with a drama and everything that goes along with the drama of the tornadoes, the hurricanes and everything down in Florida. I still want to know how to get the job that you can stand on the beach during a hurricane and talk to people. It's bad out here. I want that job so bad. But anyway, we're all going to face storms. We're all going to face trials. Maybe not that kind of storm. But the question is how we're going to get through it. That's why God gave us the books of First and Second Peter, how to get through those storms and trials. I want you to look at first Peter chapter number two. And we're going to read the first ten verses. And we're going to talk about that this morning. First Peter chapter number two verses one through ten. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envying and all evil speaking. I just looked at that verse this morning and thought that would take us completely off the social network, wouldn't it? Or what I like to call it un-social network. Because there's nothing that makes us more uncivilized and unsociable than so-called social network. But anyways, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that she may grow thereby. If so be that 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. He also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and 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 Zion a chief cornerstone, elect precious. And he that believeth on him should not be confounded unto you therefore which believe he is 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 a rock of offense even unto them which stumble at the word being disobedient were unto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness and into his marvelous life. For in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. I love that word now used twice in verse number 10. Now he is a very present help. Someone quoted that song earlier. He is a very present help in our time of need. Father we pray that you bless our time together this morning as we take a few moments to look into your word. I pray that we would hear from God today that we would not allow the devil to block our ears or blind our eyes but we would open our ears and open our eyes to the truth of God. I pray if there is anyone that is listening in that is not saved I pray that this would be the day they come to know you as their Savior. Thank you for the hope that we have in Christ and the confidence the assurance that we have in him and him alone. The inheritance that is ours in Christ. Bless now your word in Jesus name. Amen. I enjoyed the Sunday school lesson this morning Gary. I even stayed awake this morning. That was good. We talked about the inheritance that we have in Christ and I don't know if he is ever going to get through chapter 1 of 1 Peter. When we go through these books I want to just take about a month on the first chapter and a month or two on the second chapter but we are trying to hurry through them as a church and there are so many things especially in these short books that I want to talk about that I want to focus on but I am trying to limit to something that I think is a key thought in the chapter but I want you to notice one particular word that's used three times in the verses that we read this morning. In fact it's used a number of other times. If you have a bulletin there it has a brief outline. You might be able to figure out what it is already but there's a few blanks that you can fill in as we go through. The verse the Bible says that he is precious to us. He is precious to us. You see that in verse number 4 verse number 6 and verse number 7. You see the word precious. The word precious means and we sang that song with the kids. They are precious in his sight. Children and adults all are precious in his sights and they're precious. They're of a high price of great value, highly esteemed, dearly beloved. There's a lot of things that go into that word precious. It's not a word that we really think about a lot. Sometimes we use it just in passing and don't really think a lot about that word and I wish that I always knew. I wish that I could always be conscious of what I have in Christ. That he would always be precious to me. The truth is we all take him for granted much of the time, don't we? We take our salvation for granted much like in our world we take our spouse, our husband, our wife for granted but one day they'll be gone possibly and then how precious those times were and if we could realize the preciousness of what we have today, think of our children or our parents, how precious they ought to be to us. Now sometimes you want to ring their neck, right? But in reality they are precious to us. Think of our heart. Aren't you glad you had a house to stay in last night? Aren't you glad you had a bed to sleep in last night? Aren't you glad you had something to eat today? Aren't you glad for your health and how precious those things ought to be to us? Thankful for a church that we can come to. Thankful for a bible that we can hold in our hand and know that this is the message that God, this is God revealing himself to us. Thankful for a country where we have freedom to stand up and proclaim the word of God and to share the word of God with others in our community but one day that opportunity is going to be gone. One day our neighbors not going to be there anymore. One day we're going to miss our last opportunity to share Christ with them. Oh how precious God ought to be to us. Notice in verse number four, "To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious." Talking about the person of Jesus Christ. In verse number six, "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture behold I lay in Zion or Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious and he that believeth on him should not be confounded." By the way I love that word confounded. It's also translated in our bible many times as the word ashamed but shall not be ashamed. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul says in the book of Romans and I'm not confounded. It means to make haste. I'm not upset. You ever heard the phrase they've upset their apple cart? Oh when he is precious nothing will confound us. When he is precious like he ought to be to us nothing will upset us. Nothing will upset our apple cart. We'll just keep going. We'll not be confounded. In verse number seven, "Until you therefore which believe he is precious." But into them which are disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner. I like that word disallowed and that's I guess I put that in you know to the world and to religion Jesus is not precious but he is disallowed it says in verse number seven. That means disapproved of rejected as having no authority. He's unworthy of our hearing. That's what the world says of Jesus Christ. This bible is an unworthy book. God has no answers. Oh God has all the answers if we're willing to follow him and the bible says that we were created by God. Yeah well the world just casts that off. Well we all know that we evolved from a little amoeba crawling on the ground somewhere. No we don't know that. That's a religion. That's not a faith. But the world says there's no use for God in public places. They're disallowed. But I want to talk this morning for just a few moments thinking of that word precious. Why is he precious to me? Why is he precious to us in Jesus precious? Is Jesus precious to you? Is Jesus precious to you? Some of you he is. Can you say amen? Is Jesus precious to you? Amen he sure is. Oh yes he is precious to me. He's more than anything to me. I want you to see first of all he is precious because he is the rock of our salvation. He's the rock of our salvation. Look again at verse number three. It says if so be we've tasted that the Lord is gracious. Thank God for his graciousness. Thank God for his goodness, his kindness, his love, his mercy to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious. Yay also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. He is the rock of our salvation. I love the fact that he says we are lively and living stones. We are placed in him. You know with the work that we're doing on having done on the building outside I mentioned this Wednesday night. What is this that I have in my hand? A brick. This brick in much is it? Won't offer us much protection. It really doesn't mean much it's really not worth much but when this brick this is one that's a leftover I guess from when the building was built or else it fell out of the building somewhere. But I don't know how many bricks are on the outside of this building. I didn't take time to count them. Somebody wants something for the kids to do go out and count the bricks. That's what they should do in Union Church. See how many bricks you can count. And that's me. God says that we're lively stones. We're living stones. We are alive in him and that brick isn't much by itself but when we are a part of something bigger than us we became a part of Jesus Christ. We're a part of him and now we are precious not because we're a brick but because we're a part of something much bigger than us. When we get saved, are you with me this morning? When we get saved we become a part of him and thank the Lord that we are a part of him and we have nothing in ourselves but only in him. He is the rock of our salvation. He is the foundation. He is the one that is precious to us. You know we often say and we say this to the kids and you say this to people that were introducing them to Jesus Christ and sharing the gospel with him. Won't you let Jesus come into your life? You ever heard that phrase? You ever said that phrase? Oh and we got to say we asked Jesus to come into our heart. We asked Jesus to come into our life but what we don't realize we not only he not only comes into us to live inside of us. He gives us the Holy Spirit to abide in us but when we are born again when we are saved we are placed in Christ. Wow. You see it's much bigger than us. It's sad that much of our world and much of the time we think of ourself and it's not about us. It's about him. He's precious because we are part of him. Not because he's a part of us. He is the rock of our salvation. Thank God for the preciousness of eternal life. We were given two babies. I mentioned an announcement time two babies born in our church. Almost church twins, right? Almost born the same day and oh what a precious thing it is to see these children born and to be able to hold them in our hand. Little Hannah and little Colton and they're not here yet this morning. I'm glad mama stayed home with them to recover a little bit but they may be listening in this morning but you know and one of them especially you know today folks find out if they're having a boy or girl before the baby's born in our day or like that. I kind of still like the surprise but one of them was a surprise. Well to some grandma did you great grandma did you have it figured out before they were born? Oh yeah. Oh yeah you have it figured out. But something about grandmas can sometimes tell and but and my mom used to talk about that a lot. She was right most of the time and that was long before we could tell ahead of time but but oh that surprise and what a delight it is what a joy it is when that child comes into the into the into the family into life and is born. And so too when we are born but I got thinking about this you know God in eternity past knew those little babies. Before that song said before I knew him he knew me. Before I loved him he loved me. Before the foundations of the world God knew us. Now our minds can't wrap around that we can't comprehend that but oh he is precious he is the rock of our salvation. Don't ever forget that we are in him. Our life is hid with Christ in God. In fact the verse and Colossians I want you to turn there Colossians chapter number two. What a turn to this verse. I'm not going to get through everything I want to but I want you to see this verse Colossians chapter number two. I love this verse. Colossians chapter two we're beginning verse number six. You found it there in your Bible and it says and we have therefore as we have therefore received Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus the Lord. So walking in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as he had been taught abiding therein with thanksgiving. Bewareless any man spoil you through the philosophy of vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ but notice verse number nine says for in him dwelleth all the fullness of God bodily. When Jesus walked in this earth he was fully man and fully God. Now look at verse number 10 and ye are complete in him. We are complete in him and there again that brick does so much purpose does it maybe a paperweight maybe something you can toss around in the yard but when we're in Christ we are complete in him. We become a part of him which is the head of all principality and power. Now let's go back to first Peter chapter number two. First Peter chapter number two he is not only he is precious because he is the rock of our salvation. We are a lively stone. We are part of him his eternal life and then he is our chief cornerstone. Look at chapter number two and verse number six. Wherein also is contained in the scripture behold I lay in Zion or Zion and the Old Testament spelled with a Z and the New Testament spelled with an S. It's kind of like my last name Fritz. People in Dickson always spelled it with a T-T-S and I know the right way of spelling it was with T-Z but there's just two different spellings of the same name the same word and a chief cornerstone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. He is not in the cornerstone he's the chief cornerstone. He's the most important cornerstone there ever will be and Isaiah chapter 28 says therefore thus sayeth the Lord God behold I lay in Zion the Old Testament spelled with a Z but for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious cornerstone one of great value one of great price a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste shall not be upset should not be uh no matter what comes our way we know that he's the cornerstone we're founded on the rock and that rock is Jesus Christ in fact Romans chapter number nine quotes Isaiah chapter number 28 and it's worded this way in Romans chapter number nine verse number 33 as it is written behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone a rock of offense that's to the lost world that's to the religious crowd they rejected him and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed shall not be confounded shall not be destroyed oh if we could believe on him and I love the way the Bible says not believe in him but believe on him my faith has found a resting place I'm believing on I'm built on the sure foundation in Jesus Christ you see if I just have faith in God uh and uh that that will come and go well I'm not so sure God loves we were talking about that in Sunday school this morning his assurance is salvation well I'm not so sure but when it's on Christ as long as he exists we will exist as long as he is alive we are alive because our life our faith is on him our faith is eternal he is our chief cornerstone and then in chapter two and verse number seven he is precious because he is not only the rock of our salvation he's our chief cornerstone but he is also our head first Peter chapter two and verse number seven he is our head unto you therefore which believe he is precious for them which are disobedient the stone which the builders disallow the same has become the head of the corner he is the head of the corner I want you to turn to this passage of scripture two uh Colossians chapter number one I think I wrote that verse down on your paper there Colossians chapter number one oh I'm thankful that he is the head and as long as he is alive we're doing okay Colossians chapter number one verse 16 through 18 for by him were all things created isn't that good it's talking to Jesus Christ by him for all things created that are in heaven that are in earth that are visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist I love verse number 17 by him all things consists you say pastor aren't you worried about uh when I was a kid we were taught to be worried about a nuclear invasion that's going to end everything right and of course all you have to do to be safe from a nuclear invasion is hide under your school desk and then everything will be all right right uh and uh oh we're safe now we're under the school desk no problem here uh and uh but now we're told that oh the climate's changing uh things are getting warmer uh we need to start driving gas car or electric cars and uh and uh well when they sell they're uh when they get rid of uh go back to not using electricity and no longer flying in their private jets and I'll believe what they have to say uh but the truth is we're trusting in a god that by him all things consist god holds everything together and the reality is if you honestly read history and science you'll find out the climate's always been changing uh it always has been in fact the bible tells us what started the climate change was the flood back in genesis chapter number six therefore climate change started it's been changing ever since then and the ultimate end of climate change is in the last chapter of second peter that's the climate change we're ought to be worried about when everything's going to be melted with a fervent heat well aren't you concerned that you know we got to save it oh we were supposed to quit using aerosol cans because we're deleting the ozone layer too and and then we're supposed to quit using uh paper bags and use plastic bags that you know the paper bag will deteriorate in less than a year when it's in the ground but a plastic bag will stay there forever and it will never deteriorate but we're saving the planet by putting plastic into the ground and throwing it into the water in all the silly things but we're trying to do things that only god can do you see he is not only the creator he's a sustainer of all things that doesn't mean we ought to abuse things uh but we ought to realize that there is a god in heaven that is bigger than you and i uh and he is the uh and by him all things consist now in verse number 18 of Colossians chapter number one and he is the head of the body the church yeah Jesus is only the head of one thing he's not the head of government he's not the head of your home he's not the head of uh of ever he's the head of a local church uh a local church that's assembled together in him he is the head of the body the church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead and in all things he might have preeminence he is the head of all he is the preeminent one he is the one that's more important than anything else you know when we realize the preciousness of our god and Peter's dealing with some people that are facing some severe persecution and opposition by the way we don't know what persecution is in our culture today we really don't know what opposition is we really don't know what uh what it is to be hungry we really don't know what it is to suffer for the sake of Christ and and i'm fine with that by the way uh and uh we go through some difficult times that to us seem big but when you read history you find out whoa how did they deal with that because Jesus was precious to them when he is precious to us it doesn't matter what comes our way he's still in control we can still rest in him when our faith is found upon him and it's in the person of Jesus Christ and he is the most important the most valuable the greatest possession we have the greatest thing that we're a part of is Jesus Christ he is precious but when we become precious that's when we run into problems and and uh Peter saying hey you're going to go through some hard hard times you're going to have folks that your family members are going to turn against you your houses are going to be taken from you you're going to be burned at the stake you're going to be filleted alive you're going to have all these terrible things happen to you but you can stand firm if you realize Jesus is precious our faith is in the person of Jesus Christ and there's where our hope is and there's where our conference how can you get through the trials of life by looking to Jesus making him uh your head making him your rock making sure that he is the chief cornerstone that he is a foundation of your life i just got studying that word precious in the bible and i just gave you a reference to the other places that word is used in first Peter on the end of your bulletin let me just read through them very quickly he is precious through the trials the trying of your faith is more precious than silver gold he is uh his precious blood gives us life in chapter one in verse number 19 his faith is precious in second Peter chapter number one in verse number one and his promises are precious in second Peter one in verse number four he is precious all unthankful for the precious promises of the word of God we talk about uh oh Gary talked about them we kind of joined the discussion this morning about uh our faith is in this book and all but our faith is founded in this book there's nothing that's going to come our way that's going to upset our apple cart if we just walk with him uh and he is precious the hope of our salvation you know sometimes i get up in the morning i don't feel very saved i don't know about you i don't feel very christian sometimes i'm sure you're more spiritual than i am yeah and uh sometimes we didn't well i'm not sure how i'm going to get through this but when we keep our eyes on him and he is precious all the things of this earth will grow strangely dim the song set the song says turn your eyes upon Jesus look full and his wonderful precious faith and the things of earth they'll grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace when our eyes get fixed upon us and our problems and our heartaches and our trials and the burdens that we carry that's when we fall but when he is precious oh thank god for the precious savior he's precious he is a high price and great value he's highly esteemed he's nearly beloved there's nothing more valuable than him oh what a wonderful thing it is to walk with Jesus Christ you know him as your savior today have you trusted him you know the world and i i think back when i had religion when folks would talk about Jesus well i've got religion that's good enough but boy when i got saved all the sudden Jesus became precious to me uh he meant so much more and it was more than just a name that we said he is he is god himself and he lives i'm a part of him i have eternal life and him and him alone do you know that salvation today do you have that relationship with the person of Jesus Christ is he precious to you today if you're not sure of your salvation we'd love to show you from a Bible how you can know for sure you're saved and on your way to I'm going to ask you to stand here.