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Sermon #5691

A Stone of Stumbling

A Sermon on 1 Peter 2:6-8

Originally preached March 11, 1962

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Scripture

1 Peter 2:6-8 ESV KJV
For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected …

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Sermon Description

Why does the Apostle Peter tell us that Christ is a stumbling block? This is may seem like an odd statement, but in this sermon on 1 Peter 2:6–8, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains why it is important to understand. He says that Christ is a stumbling block because those that are said to be wise and powerful stumble over His message. The Pharisees who were said to be the righteous were shown to be hypocrites when Christ came. Those who trust in their own works stumble when they are told that nothing they can do will ever save them. Christ crushes our pride and self-trust in order that we might trust in Him alone. It is no different today than it was in the days of Jesus. Fallen people trust in their own wisdom, but Christ shows the wisdom of this world to be foolish and vain. It is only by trusting in Christ, the stone that the builders rejected, that anyone can be saved and made right with God.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon focuses on 1 Peter 2:6-8 which discusses believers and unbelievers' attitudes towards Jesus Christ.
  2. Believers view Christ as precious while unbelievers view him as a stumbling block and rock of offense.
  3. There are only two possible attitudes towards Christ: belief or unbelief. There is no neutral ground.
  4. Unbelievers are described as "builders" who believe they can build a perfect world through human means. They reject Christ due to pride in their own knowledge and abilities.
  5. The builders reject Christ for the same reasons the religious leaders rejected him during his earthly ministry. They reject him because he does not conform to their preconceived ideas.
  6. The builders stumble over Christ's virgin birth, what he does not do that they expect him to do, what he actually does do, and his demands for obedience and holiness.
  7. Rejecting Christ is the supreme tragedy and folly. Although the builders may reject Christ, they cannot get rid of him. He will return as judge and either be their salvation or condemnation.
  8. The sermon concludes with an appeal to the listeners to believe in Christ, submit to him, and cease rejecting him.

Sermon Q&A

What are the Key Reasons People Reject Jesus Christ According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides a thoughtful analysis of why people reject Jesus Christ, based on 1 Peter 2:6-8. His sermon examines the timeless reasons for unbelief that remain unchanged throughout history.

Why do people reject Jesus according to Lloyd-Jones' sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, people reject Jesus for several key reasons:

  1. Pride of knowledge and self-sufficiency: "It's because of their pride. They did regard themselves as the builders. And being the builders, they were men of knowledge. They were men who thought that they knew."

  2. He doesn't conform to their expectations: "It was simply because he didn't tally with and conform to their ideas. That was the sole source of trouble."

  3. Stumbling at His birth and origin: "There are many who reject Christ tonight because they say they can't swallow the virgin birth. Science doesn't believe in things like that."

  4. Objections to what He didn't do: "Why doesn't he stop wars? Why doesn't he stop children being born as spastics? Why did he let my husband die or my wife die?"

  5. Rejection of His demands: "It's because they're disobedient. It's because of what he demands... He demands purity of life, holiness in living."

Who are "the builders" that Lloyd-Jones references?

Lloyd-Jones explains that "the builders" refers to:

"The builders, the leaders of the people. The leaders of thought, the scientists, the philosophers. These people who are said to have the greatest brains... They are the people who reject him."

These are people who believe they can build a better world through their own wisdom, philosophy, or political systems. They are "confident that they can handle it, that they can build their utopia."

What is the tragic folly of rejecting Christ according to Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three tragic consequences of rejecting Christ:

  1. Being proven wrong: "The stone that the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner... In the resurrection, they crucified him on Good Friday, and on easter morning he rose, proving that he is what he said he was."

  2. Missing God's greatest blessings: "That's what a man does who rejects Christ. He's refusing the blessings of God, the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, the security of salvation."

  3. Inability to ultimately escape Him: "You may think that by rejecting him, you finished with him... You can't finish with him... He will come to judge the world in righteousness."

What is the significance of Christ being a "stone of stumbling"?

Lloyd-Jones explains this metaphor: "There's a man running down a road... in such a hurry and in such an excited state. He didn't notice that there was that rock, that boulder on the road. And he stumbles over it and he falls."

Christ becomes a stumbling block to those who are: - Too busy pursuing their own vision of life - Offended by His demands - Unable to accept His methods - Disobedient to His word

As Lloyd-Jones states: "This one person is either your salvation, or else he's your condemnation. The same stone is the place on which I stand, and from which I'll never be moved... But if I don't believe in him, he's my condemnation."

Other Sermons

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.