CALL TO WORSHIP
WELCOME and THANKS for joining us.
OPENING REMARKS
- Today is the fifth Sunday of the Easter season.
- Our theme this week is entering into the wonderful light of God.
- The selected passages are Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; John 14:1-14; Acts 7:55-60; 1 Peter 2:2-10
FIRST READING
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
A Psalm of David.
In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. 2 Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me.
3 For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. 4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. 5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me. 16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
OPENING SONGS
- HERE I AM TO WORSHIP … Michael W. Smith et al …
- I GIVE YOU MY HEART … Michael W. Smith et al …
- DRAW ME CLOSE TO YOU … Michael W. Smith …
SERMONETTE
- Title: Describing the Indescribable
- Presenter: Greg Williams, GCI President
- Keynote Passage: Acts 7:56
SECOND READING
SHARING TIME
THIRD READING
SPECIAL MUSIC
- WORTHY IS THE LAMB … Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir …
SERMON
What Do You Yearn For?
1 Peter 2:2-10
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ 8 and, ‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
THAT’S WHAT THE PASSAGE SAYS?
WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE MEAN?
1 Peter 2:2-10
Like newborn babies, crave (NKJV – desire) pure spiritual milk (NKJV – pure milk of the word), so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that (NKJV – if indeed) you have tasted that the Lord is good (NKJV – gracious).
4 As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering (NKJV – to offer) spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’
7 Now to you who believe, this stone (NKJV – He) is precious. But to those who do not believe,
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ 8 and, ‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ (NKJV – “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”)
They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
WHAT DO YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE PASSAGE?
1 Peter 2:2-10
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ 8 and, ‘A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
- What do you crave?
- 1 Peter 2:2 (NIV) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation
- 1 Peter 2:2 (NET) And[a] yearn[b] like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk,[c] so that by it you may grow up to[d] salvation,[e]
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- NET footnote (c): The word for spiritual in Greek is λογικός (logikos), which is a play on words with the reference in 1 Peter 1:23-25 to the living and enduring word (λόγος, logos) of God, through which they were born anew. This is a subtle indication that the nourishment for their growth must be the word of God.
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- 1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow [a]thereby
- Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
SONG OF RESPONSE
- AS THE DEER … Josh Groban …
- HERE I AM, LORD … Chris Bray …
CLOSING PRAYER
BENEDICTION