The Living Stone
A Sermon on 1 Peter 2:4-6
Originally preached March 4, 1962
Scripture
4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6Wherefore also it is …
Sermon Description
What is the cause of all the suffering and evil seen in this world? In this sermon on 1 Peter 2:4–6 titled “The Living Stone,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones show how the sin and rebellion of humanity is to blame. This is seen in the first chapter of Genesis as well as the whole narrative of Scripture. God has sent Jesus Christ His Son to redeem fallen sinful people. He is the cornerstone and foundation of faith and ever lives to make intercession for His people. He did this by joining humanity and deity in the person of Jesus Christ, living a sinless life, dying a sinner’s death on the cross, and was resurrected to life. This is why He is the great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for His people before the almighty Father in Heaven. Christ, as suffering servant and risen messianic king, stands at the center of the Christian faith, not anyone’s works or the deeds of the church. The rise of Christless-Christianity is a testament to the danger of separating the church from the founder and perfecter of the faith. The whole of Christianity is found in the completed work of Christ Jesus who, as the true and better Adam, has redeemed His people from all sin and made them children of God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon opens by introducing 1 Peter 2:4-6 which speaks of Jesus as the chief cornerstone. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that the passage shows how one can avoid being confounded or put to shame.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones then outlines that the sermon will explore how one can become part of the people of God and find security in Jesus.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that one cannot become part of the people of God through their own efforts. It is something only God can do.
- God chose Jesus before the foundation of the world to save people and make them His own. The Old Testament points to Jesus as the promised savior.
- Jesus is precious as the Son of God and Son of Man. He is unique as the God-man.
- Jesus is the tested and tried stone, mighty to save. He alone was able to bear the weight of human sin and defeat sin, death and the devil.
- God gave Jesus a people to save, and Jesus acted as their representative. He lived a perfect life of obedience to the law on their behalf.
- Jesus defeated the devil and the powers of darkness in His life and death. He broke the power of sin and set people free.
- Jesus died on the cross to bear the punishment for people's sins. His death was according to the predetermined plan of God. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
- Jesus rose from the dead, demonstrating His victory over death. His resurrection proves He is the Son of God.
- Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for His people. People can pray to God through Jesus.
- To become part of God's people and have security in Jesus, one must believe in Him - in His identity as the Son of God and His saving work. Faith in Jesus brings salvation.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone?
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe Jesus as the cornerstone according to 1 Peter 2?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus is described as "a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious." As the cornerstone, Jesus is the foundation upon which God builds His church and His people. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Jesus is not merely a good teacher or example, but the very Son of God who was chosen before the foundation of the world specifically for this redemptive role. The cornerstone imagery shows that Christ is essential and foundational - without Him, the entire building (God's people) would collapse.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the central problem of humanity that Christ addresses?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the central problem is how to avoid being "confounded" - how to find certainty, security and hope in a world of uncertainty, confusion, and quicksand. He states: "The whole problem, the whole art of life, if you like, is how not to be confounded. How can we go through this world with all its perplexities and problems and uncertainties and all its dread and terrible possibilities, without being disappointed, without being put to shame, without being made to look ridiculous, without being left at the end, without anything at all?" Christ is the only solution to this ultimate human problem.
Why does Lloyd-Jones emphasize that salvation comes only through Christ?
Lloyd-Jones stresses the exclusivity of Christ as the way to salvation by quoting numerous scriptures including John 14:6 ("I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me") and Acts 4:12 ("There is none other name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved"). He categorically rejects the notion that other religions offer valid paths to God, stating: "Don't waste your time with Hinduism or Muhammadanism or Buddhism or Confucianism or all these other isms that people are turning to. Not one of them will help you. Here's the only one, the only way to God."
What does it mean that Jesus is "precious" according to the sermon?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus is "precious" because: 1. He is the unique Son of God, not merely a man 2. He was born miraculously of a virgin 3. God Himself declared "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" 4. He is "God in the flesh" - the Word made flesh 5. He stands alone as both Son of God and Son of man 6. He was strong enough to bear our sins and defeat all spiritual enemies 7. He is the only one capable of making us part of God's people
How does Lloyd-Jones describe God's role in salvation versus man's role?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that salvation is entirely God's work, not man's. He challenges the popular evolutionary view that religion is merely "an account of man searching for God," stating instead that Christianity is about "God seeking and searching for lost men." He points to examples like Abraham, whom "God took out" rather than Abraham deciding on his own to leave Ur. Lloyd-Jones stresses that "we are his workmanship" and quotes Ephesians where Paul writes that "God quickened you when you were dead in trespasses and sins." Salvation is something done for us, not something we achieve ourselves.
What are the key steps in Christ's redemptive work according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines Christ's redemptive work as: 1. Living a life of perfect obedience to God's law in our place 2. Defeating Satan and all spiritual enemies in direct combat 3. Bearing our sins in His body on the cross 4. Rising from the dead to conquer death and the grave 5. Ascending to heaven where He "ever liveth to make intercession for us"
He describes this complete work as the means by which Christ makes us "the people of God."
How does Lloyd-Jones connect the Old Testament prophecies to Christ?
Lloyd-Jones shows that the entire Old Testament points forward to Christ as the promised deliverer. He references: 1. The first promise in Genesis 3 that "the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head" 2. The promise to Abraham that through his seed all nations would be blessed 3. The Levitical sacrificial system as "pale shadows of this coming Christ" 4. Isaiah's prophecies about the child who would be called "Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God" 5. Prophecies about preparing "the way of the Lord"
All these prophecies demonstrate that God had chosen Christ "before the foundation of the world" as the cornerstone of salvation.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is required of us to become part of God's people?
The requirement is simple faith in Christ. Lloyd-Jones asks: "Do you believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God? Do you believe that he came into this world in order to save you? By living a life of perfection, by defeating all your enemies, by bearing your sins and your punishment in his own body on the cross...by conquering death...and rising triumphantly and returning to God and there living to make intercession for you." He concludes with the simple invitation: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
Why does Lloyd-Jones criticize contemporary presentations of Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones is deeply concerned about misrepresentations of the Christian message that focus on social issues or moral improvement rather than on Christ Himself. He references a sermon he read that merely encouraged people to "try to do good and live a good life and hope that things would get better," which he dismisses as "not telling people about the one person who can save them." He states: "Don't be bogged down by christian attitude to this, that and the other. Before you can talk about a christian attitude, you must become a Christian. And you can only become a Christian by meeting this person, the person himself."
How does the sermon describe the certainty that comes from believing in Christ?
According to Lloyd-Jones, believing in Christ places us on an unshakeable foundation where we "shall never be confounded, never disappointed, never be put to shame." This security means that regardless of what happens in the world - even if it "becomes a living hell" - believers can say "it's all right. This doesn't affect my position at all." The believer can face the worst catastrophes knowing "that finally, whatever the world may do to me, it can never separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This certainty comes not from human effort but from resting on Christ as the cornerstone.
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.