Unleashing the Church

Started a three part series at the church this past Sunday:
UNLEASHING THE CHURCH RELEASING THE CITY.

The series is drawn out of this passage I Peter 2: 4-12.
Part 1 was all centered on the stunning initiative of God to release ‘the city’ from bondage with a person and a people. The person, the glorious Hero of the redeeming story of God is, of course, Jesus Christ.
Below is a brief summary-

Purpose of Passage- This passage is written to the scattered, persecuted Hebrews throughout the Diaspora. In this brief passage Peter directs their (and ours) gaze to the stunning initiative of God to break in and redeem His people.

Introducing Christ- In these verses Peter introduces shows these ancient readers of the letter and us the great person who has brought in the inexplicably majestic initiative of God to release captives from the curse of sin: Jesus Christ

We first need to confirm that Jesus is the hero and it is in scripture that we find absolute confirmation of that. Then we can look see two phrases in this brief passage of scripture that explain why it is Jesus that is the great Hero of the Father’s ‘redeeming’ story for mankind.

1. How can we be sure?- Is. 9:1, 6-7; Lk. 2: 8-14; 25-32; 4: 17-21; Acts 2:36 JESUS CHRIST IS THE HERO
2. Living Stone Chosen and precious’
i. CHOSEN- ALONE ABLE: Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12
UNEQUIVOCALLY UNIQUE: unique in His being (God/man) unique life Heb 4: 15; unique high priest Heb. 10: 11-12
ii. PRECIOUS- ETERNAL INTIMACY: relationship between father and Son in the eternal Trinitarian relationship. “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.” (Talk about my new but wonderful insight into this with Malachi)
BEAUTY/PERFECTIONS: “For as God is infinitely the greatest Being, so he is allowed to be infinitely the most beautiful and excellent; and all the beauty to be found throughout the whole creation, is but the reflection of the diffused beams of that Being who has an infinite fullness of brightness and glory.” Jonathan Edwards

Simon