Christianity is a very serious state of being. It is a way of life which begins with Jesus as the foundation. This Sermon “Cornerstone or Stumbling Block?” was preached by Ps Pamela on 28th May 2023
Full Transcript:
Some of my earliest, fondest memories are of me playing Lego with my older brother David in the early 70’s. Back then, Lego was mainly a gift for boys; I was blessed to have brothers because it meant that I got to play with the Lego too. We would spend hours and hours, on a hot summer afternoon, building things in the front wide hallway of our old weatherboard home. Lego was so much fun that I made sure my children played with it a couple of decades later and now, of course, I have a whole heap of Duplo (which is the larger version of Lego) stashed in the grandchildren’s toy box at my house. If the grandkids get bored, I say “Go and build something!” If they’re looking like they don’t want to, I offer suggestions as to what they could build. “We need a dog kennel”, “we need a zoo”, “we need a boat to get away from the crocodiles floating around the house who are ready to eat bored children!”
“GO AND BUILD ME SOMETHING!” And off they go to build me their masterpiece.
There’s something about the sound of children happily playing Lego together.
I love it! The clinking of the bricks, the gentle humming of the playful voices… it tells me that I can freely get on with the housework.
It’s interesting when the very young ones want to build something that needs a little more planning. Normally children just want to rush in and build. But some structures, particularly the tall ones, require the children to sit back and plan. In time, they arrive at the fact that anything big or grand (which needs to stay standing for a period of time) is going to require a firm, solid foundation.
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father,
I pray that we will open our hearts to Your sound advice this morning. You laid the foundations of the earth. The whole universe has been established by You and upon You. There is no architect or designer who knows what You know. Help us all to listen and imitate the Master designer. Amen
Please turn with me to Psalm 118:22
The stone which the builders rejected.
Has become the chief cornerstone.
The stone which the builders rejected.
Has become the chief cornerstone.
Throughout the Bible often the word ‘cornerstone’ pops up and if you’ve never been into architecture the symbolic significance of this term can easily be overlooked. And to be frank, you don’t want to miss the significance of this word.
As a young Christian, I read it for years without knowing what it really meant (I don’t want you to have my experience).
Since ancient times, a cornerstone traditionally has been the principal stone (which often was the first stone) placed at the corner of a building that formed its base.
The cornerstone was THE first, the most important stone laid at the corner of the foundation of a building.
Once it was set in place, it determined every measurement in the construction of the building. Everything was aligned to it.
I’m saying that again because it is so important. Once the cornerstone was set in place, it determined every measurement in the construction of the building. Everything was aligned to it. And because of this, a cornerstone marks the geographical location of a building by orienting a building in a specific direction.
You want the window overlooking that view? Well, the cornerstone needs to be laid over here at this particular angle.
Everything is determined by the placement of the cornerstone!
Could we have a look at some of those cornerstone examples please, so we have an image of what I’m talking about?
I can imagine the selecting of the cornerstone would not be done lightly.
The builders, I’m sure, would sort through a lot of stones, many being rejected, before they get to the one that is just right for the job.
Afterall, such an important stone would need to be made of dense matter (you wouldn’t want a porous, soft rock would you?) It would also need to be rather large and have straight edges!
As I said before, cornerstones have been around for a long time, for millennia, in some shape or form. Now in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures, (which is the background of the Bible) the equivalent of a “ground-breaking” ceremony was the “foundation ritual” (the laying of the cornerstone).
The laying of the cornerstone of significant structures was a party time because with the laying of the all-important cornerstone, they would hold a fancy ceremony for the purpose of invoking the false gods to protect the structure being built.
Archeological digs have also discovered that “foundation deposits,” or hollowed out stones filled with small vessels, animal deposits, and other symbolic items, were standard in the construction of temples, palaces, tombs, and forts. And depending on the type of structure, these deposits were often placed at the corners of buildings (where the cornerstone was). This ensured that the trinkets were preserved with the structure throughout its life, until demolition, as the last thing to go would be the cornerstone.
So, looking back at the worldview in biblical times there was not just a physical significance to the laying of the all-important cornerstone but there was also serious spiritual significance. So serious, that often ritualistic ceremonies were held to invoke the ‘blessing & protection’ of false gods upon the structure to be built.
So now let me bring JESUS into the picture. And I loooove bringing Jesus into the picture!!!!
Throughout the Old Testament, before God came to the earth as Jesus, there is reference to His coming. And often in the referencing they would refer to Jesus, the coming Messiah as being a cornerstone.
For example,
Psalm 118:22-23
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
Also we have in,
Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.
Let’s read it again,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.
Now just let me say that when the Bible refers to ZION it usually means the dwelling place of God. This dwelling place used to be a temple made of stone but now the dwelling place of God is the church – it is us. We are His dwelling place, His Holy temple. We are Zion. That’s pretty cool isn’t it?
So here we have scriptures predicting the coming of Jesus and referring to Him as THE cornerstone.
However, the scripture also says, He will be a cornerstone that will be rejected.
A cornerstone that will be rejected.
Who rejected Jesus when He came?
The religious establishment of Israel– Judaism. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the religious ones didn’t recognize God in the flesh – Jesus.
Even though Jesus was a spiritually tried stone, a precious stone, a sure foundation (the whole universe was brought about through Him – “in Him we live and move and have our being”) But, He wasn’t who they thought He should be.
God didn’t fit into their idea of God.
God didn’t fit into their idea of God.
Consequently, they rejected Him and chose a less solid foundation – religion, a poor foundation. But instead of the Creator of the world being their cornerstone He became a stumbling block.
He tripped them up, His very presence made their prideful sinful nature fall.
How crazy, He should have been their foundation stone, their perfect, eternal cornerstone instead they tripped over Him to their eternal death.
Jesus is either your cornerstone or your stumbling block.
In 1 Peter 2:6-8 (of the Living Bible) it says,
6 …“See, I am sending Christ to be the carefully chosen, precious Cornerstone of my church, and I will never disappoint those who trust in Him.”
7 Yes, He is very precious to you who believe; and to those who reject Him, well—“The same Stone that was rejected by the builders has become the Cornerstone, the most honored and important part of the building.” 8 And the Scriptures also say, “He is the Stone that some will stumble over, and the Rock that will make them fall.” They will stumble because they will not listen to God’s Word nor obey it, and so this punishment must follow—that they will fall.
You couldn’t have a more extreme contrast could you?
Cornerstone or stumbling block.
That’s the choice they had at the time of Christ.
That’s the choice we have in 2023.
Cornerstone or stumbling block.
He’s either the most important part of your foundation or, you will trip over Him to your ultimate death.
It’s one or the other.
Christianity is a very serious state of being.
It’s not an insurance policy where you sign at the bottom of the page and then continue to live how you want in hope that the insurance will get paid if anything untoward happens.
Christianity is a way of life which begins with Jesus as the sure foundation.
He is the cornerstone from which every measurement in the construction of our life should be determined.
Everything, everything, everything in our life must be aligned with HIM. If it is not, your life will be seriously out of whack! You are building in a crooked manner which can result in a fall.
Metaphorically speaking, life is all about building. That’s what we do. We build friendships, we build churches, we make families, we build our education, we build our careers, we make homes, we build investments. We’re always aiming towards something; we’re always ‘building’ something. Let’s not rush in to build, like a young child playing Lego, without first lining up with the Cornerstone. As Christians we need to ask ourselves in everything we do, in every plan we make (whatever it is) is Jesus the Cornerstone?
If He’s not then you’re rejecting Him.
Many people, even in church, still reject Jesus today, struggling to build their lives, work, even churches on lesser foundations—their own schemes, dreams, and other unreliable ground. Yet, our good Savior alone should be our strength and defense set at the vital corner of our lives, He provides the only right alignment for anything His believers seek to accomplish for Him.
1 Corinthians 3:11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:4
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
Romans 9:33
…’Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’
I finish with some personal questions before we take part in communion.
• What dream or plans do you have as you build for God?
• How can you put Christ at the cornerstone of your plan, building it for Him?
Let us pray,
I praise You, Jesus, for being the chief cornerstone. Only on You can Your church and my life stand. I don’t want to reject You Lord and stumble; rather I want to build an everlasting structure called ZION in my life! Let us not take for granted the significance of You being our cornerstone and may we constantly and consistently align our plans with YOU. Amen
We’re now going to have communion as Daniel and Alyce minister in song. Would those who are handing out the emblems please do so now? And everyone one else please remain seated as this is done.
1Cor 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.