THE KING IS COMING!

Pastor Leon Aguilera

1. The Readiness (Matthew 21:1-7)

Do you have a tendency to worry about things before they happen? Have you found that much of what we worry about, we do not need to worry about? Our Lord knew about the donkey and her colt that He would need for His triumphant entry into Jerusalem for the Passover. He knows who had them and where to find them. What confidence and composure our Lord possesses, even in the last week of His life on earth! He told two of his disciples that if anyone asks what you want with the donkeys, just tell him, “…The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them” (Matthew 21:3). The Lord knows what you are experiencing. He knows the path we should take, so we don’t have to worry about the details or how things will work out when we get there. When encouraging Israel to go to the Promised Land and possess their possessions, we discover this command: “Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you…” (Deuteronomy 1:29a; 30b). Not only does the Lord go before us, the Bible says, “For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward” (Isaiah 52:12). “Rereward” is an old Anglo-Norman expression that means “rear guard.” To use more modern terms, the Lord “has your back.” The Lord goes before us, He has our back and we see that He also is prepared to catch us when we fall: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee…” (Deut. 33:27a). We can also be assured that everything over our head is under His feet. “I will cry unto God Most High; unto God that performeth all things for me” (Psalm 57:2). He is the Most High God far above all our problems and all of our life. In summary, God is in front of us, behind us, beneath us and below us.

The Lord was preparing things ahead of time, fulfilling prophecy on time and in His way. “All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying….”(Matthew 21:4) And what was spoken by the prophet? “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9). Even the fact that the Lord was able to ride a colt that had never been broken was a small act of God’s mighty providential hand!

2. The Ride (Matthew 21:8-11; Mark 11:8-11; John 12:12,13)

Our Lord mounts the donkey and begins the triumphant entry into Jerusalem from Bethphage, a town on the Mount of Olives. A donkey or mule was the royal transportation of the mighty kings of Israel. When David was arranging the coronation of Solomon, the Bible records, “The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule” (I Kings 1:33).

This is the fulfillment of Psalm 118:22-29. As a matter of fact, these are the words you hear on the first Palm Sunday, prophesied 1,000 years before: “Save now (Hosanna) I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD” (Psalm 118:25, 26).

There was a unique Jewish custom of the usage of the palm branches. These were not the freshly broken branches that were layered in the path of our Lord for the donkey to ride over along with the people’s garments. These palm branches had been left over from the Feast of the Tabernacles. When first cut, these branches were green and tight, but by now they had dried and opened up. As the Jewish people prepared for Passover, they would get their houses immaculately clean and a main cleaning tool of choice was the dried branch left from the Feast of the Tabernacles. They would use these branches like brooms to sweep their houses clean. As they raised these palms to our Lord, they were in essence saying, “Lord, clean up Your house and set up Your kingdom on earth!” This was no small crowd. It was estimated by one source that five million people gathered for the Passover for this celebration. This is why the enemies of Christ were getting nervous, “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him” (John 12:19).

3. The Rejoicing (Luke 19:36-44)

Although all three Gospels mention this event, Luke adds an interesting twist. The cry of “Hosanna” was a cry for the Lord to “save now.” The Pharisees were desirous of Jesus to calm the people down. Luke 19:29, they asked the Lord to rebuke His disciples. Then the Lord said, “…I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:30b). What a statement! Many years ago, I came across some remarkable scientific speculations. It is believed by some scholars that sound waves, much like water waves travel out from the point of initiation. A rock thrown into water causes the water to ripple outwards and then fades and finally disappears. Many have believed the same thing happens basically in the air currents. A sound is made; it ripples outward then fades and finally is silenced. Some scientists are believing now that sound may be trapped in solid objects near where the sounds have been made. One scientist believes that one day we shall be able to take the rocks from Gettysburg and have a method that releases the voice of Abraham Lincoln.

Jesus will get praise, either voluntarily from us or He will pull it out from the very rocks beneath us. I have often wondered what would have happened if praise had not been given forth to Christ? Perhaps the voice of Zechariah and the Psalmist would have been pulled from the very rocks declaring Jesus Christ is Lord!

4. The Return (Revelation 19:11)

The first time our Lord came, He rode upon a donkey, not only symbolizing royalty, but also symbolizing peace. He came as the Prince of Peace to give peace to whosoever believes in Him. When Christ returns to earth in glory, Revelation 19:11 tells us, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” The triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was the announcement to all present and to all who would come after this event that He is the Savior of the world. If you reject Jesus as your Savior, you must face Him as your judge. Jesus loves you and you are the reason He came to Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday and stayed long enough to redeem us through His death, burial and resurrection.a

GRACE-FILLED COMMUNICATION

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera   

In Colossians 4:2-6 we are given the New Testament way to communicate to God and to man. We ought not to be motivated by the mere positive thinking of men, but rather by the great grace and the great power of God. Let’s examine three grace-filled ways of communication that launch the mighty power of God.

I. Praying Grace

Colossians 4:2,3: “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:”

A.     Unceasing in Prayer: “Continue in prayer…”

“Continue” comes to us from the Greek word “proskartereo” meaning to be courageously persistent, in other words hold fast and not let go. This calls to mind I Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” The phrase “without ceasing” comes to us from the Greek word “adialeiptos” which means uninterruptedly, i.e. without omission.

B.     Unrelenting in Prayer: “…and watch in the same…”

The Lord Jesus used this same word “watch” when Matthew records, “And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40, 41). This word “watch” is translated from the Greek word “gregoreuoto” which means to keep awake, i.e. watch with vigilance.

C.     Unabashed in Prayer: “…with thanksgiving…”

A thankful person has abandoned egotism. He is caught up with who God is and what He is all about. A thankful person is overwhelmed with the goodness and grace of God. A key to continuing in prayer is to stay constant in thankfulness.

Through Christ we have someone to thank for everything. G.K. Chesterton said, “The worst moment for an atheist is when he feels a profound sense of gratitude and has no one to thank.” We have our Lord and Savior to thank (I Thessalonians 5:18)! How profitable it is when we give Him praise. Doubts flee, discouragement evaporates and the Devil loses when we become unabashed in our thankfulness.

D.    Unambiguous in Prayer: “…Withal praying also for us...”

Paul is clear and definite in his directive to pray for him. It is a humbling but great place to be when we recognize our dependence upon our Lord and the need of His children to pray for us. Paul said, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me…”(Ephesians 6:18, 19a). As Paul listed the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6:13-18, he listed loins girt (belt) with truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit (the Bible). Although “greaves” is not mentioned directly, this is what is alluded to in the beginning of Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer….” Greaves were a protection for the knees and shins. Protected knees will give us power to stand in battle. Paul tells us he could not stand in battle without prayer from God’s people!

E.     Unassailable in Prayer: “…that God would open unto us a door of utterance…”

Paul referred to these opportunities as “open doors” such as found in I Corinthians 16:9 and Revelation 3:8.

F.     Unconquerable in Prayer: “…to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:”

The apostle’s imprisonment did not restrict the Gospel from being preached or people being reached. This is perfectly illustrated in Philippians 1:12 and 13.

II. Preaching Grace

Colossians 4:4,5: “That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

A.    A Clear Proclamation: “That I may make it manifest…”

Preachers, from the days of the apostles until now, must be consumed with making the Gospel known and the Word of God understood. We need to see it big but keep it simple.

B.    A Clarion Call: “…as I ought to speak.”

This preacher could not escape his commission! He said, “…yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (I Corinthians 9:16).

C.    A Calculated Opportunity: “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

We should be mindful of how our witness comes across to those outside the faith. We must be wise and take advantage of every opportunity God gives us.

III. Pleasing Grace

Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

A.     Favorable Articulation: “Let your speech be alway with grace…”

We need to allow the grace of God given to us in salvation be our modus operandi in communication to others.

B.     Flavorful Enunciation: “…seasoned with salt”

Salt preserves, salt heals, salt enhances flavor and cuts the bitter and salt makes us thirsty. Jesus said, “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another” (Mark 9:50).

C.     Forthright Verbalization: “…that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Peter commands us, “…be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15). There are two great characteristics of the early church mentioned in Acts 4:33 that we should be challenged to exemplify: “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). The two characteristics are “great power” and “great grace!”

SAVING AND MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS (continued)

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera 

Last week our discussion was on relationships.  We know relationships are important. They are important to God and should be to us as well. God doesn’t want the church, families, or friendships that He has ordained be torn apart. The first few things that we brought out on regarding saving and maintaining relationships are:

1. Remind yourselves you are not in competition.

2. Consider the fact that you may be wrong.

3. Be sorry, really sorry for the wrong you have done.

4. Take accountability for any wrong you have done.

Let’s continue.

5. Make restoration if required.

“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8). It may cost you something to be right with God and each other, but it is well worth the price.

6. Take the initiative to restore the relationship.

Romans 12:10 tells us to “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” “Preferring” is from the Greek word: “proegeomai” which means to lead the way for others, i.e. show deference, to go before another as an example of humble submission. In counseling I sometimes hear people say, “I’m not the bad guy here.” And many times the defensive person is actually much more in the right than the other person. But think of this: if you are right and the other person was wicked enough to do you wrong, what makes you think they will arise more quickly from their “wicked state” and initiate reconciliation? Reconciliation is much more likely to take place if the more spiritual one takes the initiative. You must “prefer,” in other words, lead the way for others.

7. Forgive the one who offended you of all they have done.

David said in Psalm 25:18b, “…forgive all my sins.” Why would we expect God to forgive us of “all” our sins, and not be just as willing to forgive others who have sinned against us of “all” their sins? Partial forgiveness will never do, we must forgive all to have relief and to give relief. It may be hard, but it is the right thing to do. We are so tempted to put the person on probation. You may argue, well, I don’t want to be hurt again, but I say to you, take the risk. Love is a risk! The Lord took the greatest risk for you and me when He went to the cross and died the death that we all deserved. Listen to the magnanimous heart of Jesus and may we emulate this attitude, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:47, 48).

8. Regain relationship and don’t live in shame or blame.

The prodigal son’s father, in attempting to get the elder son to accept his brother’s repentance (which means to accept his brother himself), pleads, “It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:32). The father is saying let the past be done away with your brother’s repented sins and let us not let him live in shame! This is a new day and you have a new brother. On the other hand, let us not live in the blame game. May we say with the Psalmist, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:12). May we take to heart the words the old hymn, “Nothing between my soul and my Savior, So that His blessed face may be seen; Nothing preventing the least of His favor; Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.” Let us remove anything between our Lord and each other. Let God save and let Him help you maintain life’s relationships.  

Sunday Service - My Salvation Is Sure

SAVING AND MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera   

Relationships are important. They are important to God and should be to us as well. In I Corinthians the apostle Paul had to deal with a sin issue that was not taken seriously by the church at Corinth. Thankfully, the church readjusted itself from complacency to becoming proactively involved with dealing with the sinning brother. By the time II Corinthians was written, the sinning man had repented of his sin. The new problem was that the church had not gotten out of their disciplinary mode. So Paul had to say, “…Ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow” (II Corinthians 2:7). The Greek word for the phrase “swallowed up” is also translated “devour” in I Peter 5:8, “…your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” This is pretty severe! I would hate for my attitude toward any repentant brother or sister in Christ be compared to the Devil’s attributes. There is only one time the word “schism” (Greek: “schisma”) appears in the Bible. It is found in I Corinthians 12:25 when the apostle declares, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” This word means a rent or tear, a split or a gap division. God doesn’t want the church, families, or friendships that He has ordained be torn apart. How can we save and maintain relationships?

1. Remind yourselves you are not in competition.

It is not me against him or us against them. If you are married you are family. If you are members of the same church, you are on the same team. You may win the argument but lose the relationship. Hopefully, relationships, if lost, will be temporary. Don’t throw away that which God has given you. “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (II Corinthians 10:12).”

2. Consider the fact that you may be wrong.

We need to lay claim to Psalm 139:23,24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” A man was once asked, “It must be a difficult life to know that you are always right.” In jest he answered, “I wouldn’t know because I am never wrong.” The reason that is funny is because we all know there is but One and One only who walked this earth without sin -- and that definitely wasn’t me and brace yourself - - it wasn’t you. This One and Only One Savior, when standing in the presence of a person who, according to the law, could have died for being wrong, said, “…He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7b). “…Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11b).

3. Be sorry, really sorry for the wrong you have done.

This is where many of us fall short. We want to be humble enough to admit our errors, but prideful enough not to be transparent. Psalm 51:2 says, “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

“Thoroughly” means “fully; entirely; completely.” According to the Webster’s 1828 dictionary the word “throughly” means basically the same thing, but the definition for “throughly” adds one other meaning: “without reserve and sincerely.” One student of our language commented, “What is the difference? Look again. You do not have to be sincere or engaged to do something thoroughly, but you do to do something throughly.”

To be sorry for our sins involves becoming personal. We are not only sorry we got caught in the wrong, we are sorry we did the wrong. The next point will explain more “throughly.”

4. Take accountability for any wrong you have done.

We are tempted to divert personal accountability for our wrong. This is apparent by expressions we use when we are discovered in the wrong, “I don’t know what got into me”; “I was just beside myself”; “I went to pieces.” This is my favorite, “I lost my head.” We are not dealing with our sin by distancing ourselves from the act or acts we committed. We can only be helped if we own the wrong, declare it wrong and determine not to go there again.

Listen to the words of Joshua 7:19, “And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.” No matter how much it hurts, confess. According to Joshua, it brings glory to God when we confess our wrong. In the Old Testament, mankind died under the law. In the New Testament, through the grace and truth in Jesus, we are healed. There is healing power in confession. James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”

We will continue this thought next tine saving and maintaining our relationships.  

Knowledge Puffs up but Love Builds Up

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera     

          “We often look at this life as priceless.  But “We can learn all there is to know about God but still not be one step closer to God!”

 Information “about a person” is the building blocks of a personal relationship.  However, just because we know about a person does not mean we know that person.  I have learned a great deal about the late, great president Abraham Lincoln, but I don’t have a personal relationship with him.  As a matter of fact, no matter how much I learn about him, I never grow any closer to him.  Since his death, all that is available to me is information.

Yet, there are some who consider the acquisition of information as proof of a developing personal relation.  But it is not!  The Bible tells us “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.”

Paul is telling us that knowledge puffs up but love builds up!  There is a big difference.  One person knows all the rules about what we can touch, eat or enjoy but the other person has a relationship which manifests itself in the first of nine fruits—love.  Charity is the outward manifestation of love to needy people.  There are a lot of people who know about Love, but they fail to show Love.  Why is Love capitalized?  Because God IS Love!  But of course you already KNEW that information!

Knowledge in our mind often leads us to overlook sin in our heart.  When we have learned so much about God we become comfortable with our data.  We can talk a good talk, but that is all information improves.  Information about God can improve your talk but it is only the fuel that your walk is going to burn.  It does not produce a walk with God.  It is simply the motivation for a dynamic walk.  But many prefer to stock up on fuel (information) and talk about Him, rather than burn it up through a dynamic walk with Him.

In Isaiah 47:10, 11  we are warned of the danger of being well informed but poorly developed in our walk with God.  “thou hast said, None seeth me (sins of the heart). Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.”  Oh, how much we know!  But it leads to a perversion of the heart.  We are subconscious of the fact that no one sees our heart, but we fail to recognize there is One who is conscious (not subconscious, but conscious) of our thoughts at all times!

The next verse tells this intelligent dummy “Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.”  I have met many a learned Christian who has wondered “why, oh why is all this evil befalling me”  when they have so applied themselves to learning the faith.  Oh, my friend, there is a big difference between learning the faith and living by faith.  One must know more, the other must know Him!

Paul warned all information gathers to beware of stupidity.  “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.”  Notice what Paul says to the “puffed up information gatherer”?  “If any man think he know anything”.  Paul understood that to think you know is the crowning position of information gatherers.  “To think you know” is to be puffed up.  It’s pride!  Pride is the number one problem for us when we trust in our information gained or gleaned.

Isaiah warned us this way “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”  God was so frustrated with the learned children of Israel that He allowed these “God loving but information gathering hypocrites” to be blinded until He had clearly manifested Himself to the Gentiles in a personal and intimate way.

In Romans 11:25 we read “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” Here was the Lord Jesus being presented to a heathen people group who knew NOTHING about Him, but they embraced Him none the less.  Why?  Because they got to KNOW Him.  Knowing about Him would come in time, but knowing Him was of far greater value.

Paul often warned us to beware of the pride that comes from having the supernatural ability to understand information about God.  In Romans 12:16 we see one such warning, “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”

May I explain that verse to you?  Even to those of you who KNOW what it means?  The word condescend means to “descend from your privileged position to do some act to an inferior”.  Men of low estate are “men who have a fixed position of being low.”  The word low literally means “down”.  It’s referring to the depressed.  HE is telling us to “descend from our high position to minister to those who are depressed with their low position”.

But wait!  That’s not the final admonition.  He tells us to “be not wise in [our] own conceits.”  The word conceit is a very important word to understand.  It means “to conceive in the mind”.  He is telling us to not allow our wisdom to come from that which we frame in our mind—acquired information.  The Bible tells us that in the age of grace “Christ is our Wisdom” and He imparts that Wisdom through the leading of His Spirit.

Thus, we should not be conceiving our opinions of whom we should help and how to help hurting people based on what we KNOW about them or about God.  Rather, we are to help people according to how we are led by God.  Leading is not a manifestation of one’s acquisition of information.  It is evidence of one’s development of a personal relation!

So we see that when we become learned about God, we can be in danger of becoming “high minded”, that’s pride.  Our pride will cause us to be condescending instead of actually condescending.  This condescending attitude does not instigate us to a condescending action.  Rather this puffed up attitude causes us to “look down” on hurting people rather than to “go down” to the hurting people.  These thoughts, which are conceived in the mind, come from all the knowledge we have gleaned over the years.

What does that mean?  It simply means we have put our learning in front of our loving.  God wants us to love.  It is from a position of love that we will truly learn.

Lovers are learners.  Learners are often the losers.

Jesus Christ: A Living Stone

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

        I Peter 2:1-8 Therefore laying aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisy and envy and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, if so it be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious; and he that believeth in Him shall not be confounded.” Unto you therefore who believe, He is precious; but unto those who are 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 those who stumble at the Word, being disobedient, unto which also they were appointed.”

Jesus Christ is the Rock of Scripture, “a living stone” which cannot be overlooked. He is a tried and true Stone, “a sure foundation” which can never be moved. We see Christ from three differing perspectives in our text, each one related to His characterization as a stone.

First, we see Him from unbelieving man’s perspective as “a stone of stumbling” (v. 8).

Men stumble over Christ in this world because they love “darkness rather than light” (Jn. 3:19). He is the Stone which the builders have rejected (v. 7) and have substituted a stone of their own making, a stone which discards as old-fashioned the blood of Christ and substitutes in its place the supposed goodness of man. To modern man, the preaching of the Cross is “foolish” and offensive (v. 8), yet it is the “power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 1:16).

Second, we see Him from God’s perspective as “a chief corner stone” (v. 6).

Christ was chosen by God to be the author and finisher of our salvation. The work of salvation has been accomplished and the foundation has already been laid. He is the cornerstone, upon Him rests the superstructure of His body, the church. He is precious to the Father and so are we because of our relationship to Christ as Savior and Lord.

Third, we see Him from the believer’s perspective as “a precious stone” (vv. 4,7).

We found Him to be precious the moment we received Him as our Savior and since that time He has proved Himself to be precious over and over and over again. To every believer Jesus Christ is the precious Son of God and only Savior. We have no reason to be ashamed of our testimony of Christ, but rather we have every reason in heaven and earth to render unto Him our continual praise. Praise Him for salvation; praise Him for His goodness and grace. In this way we will be encouraged to remember that “he is precious.”

As believers we are partakers of His grace, and have thereby received Jesus Christ the Living Stone. Because “He lives,” now we are “lively stones” (v. 5) and have a ministry as believer-priests, “…To offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” As a “spiritual house,” let us put off the deeds of the flesh, and let us put on Christ that we may “shew forth the praises of him who hath called…” [US] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (v. 9). May we not neglect so high a calling.