People frequently ask why I began seminary in my mid-40’s. It’s a great question! I was a full-time homemaker for more than 20 years, and I loved it. Although some parts of being a stay-at-home mom were not fun—I couldn’t get away from the whining and the fighting. When the kids were little, it took 15 minutes to buckle all three of them into car seats just to go buy a gallon of milk. And some days I had no adult conversation. But this was a very happy time in my life!
When our son Collin began high school, I realized this phase of my life would be finished in a few short years. I started looking for what God had next. I returned to classical piano performance and competed in a few adult competitions. I even began training for an international amateur piano competition. After a couple years, I admitted I wasn’t enjoying this, so I quit.
I established a small home-based cooking business that I enjoyed, but never saw it as a long-term commitment. One day during this journey, Jody asked me if I had ever thought about seminary. I had briefly thought about a master’s degree at one time, but that seemed ridiculous with three children planning to go to college. The more we talked about it though, the more excited I became. I knew this was God’s plan!
But I dragged my feet. Jody kept encouraging me to apply and I kept reminding him about our three kids soon to begin college. And he kept reminding me that God would provide. This went on for a year. Finally, I gave in and applied. Collin had just graduated high school, we were on summer vacation at the beach, and I received the email that I had been accepted to Dallas Theological Seminary!
Collin’s first day at Texas Tech was also my first day at DTS. And I have loved the journey! It is no surprise God has provided every dollar we’ve needed to not only put all three kids through college, but also their mother. To realize in my 40’s that God is far from done with His work in my life has been revolutionary.
I began at DTS with literally no idea why I was there except that I love God’s Word, love to learn, and Jody told me I should! But over the last five years, God has refined His plan for me and has opened doors of ministry that I never imagined.
Each one of us is a part of God’s plan for the Body of Christ. And His plan is unique to each of us. Seminary is not for everyone. But if you are a believer in Christ, then you are a member of the Body of Christ, and you have an important role!
The Body of Christ is known by several different words and phrases in the Bible—the Church, a family, a community, God’s household. Peter refers to it as a spiritual house or building.
Speaking of buildings, do you know about the Burj Khalifa? At 2,720 feet tall, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world. The three-winged design of the building is inspired by the desert flower, the spider lily. 163 floors are above ground, and you can live as high as floor 109. The elevator is the longest in the world and travels at 2,000 feet per minute That’s 23 miles per hour, or slightly faster than I’m allowed to drive through the world’s longest school zone in Pantego, Texas. But if you prefer the stairs, the stairwell has 2,909 steps up to floor 160. To go higher, you must climb the ladder.
You can swim in the pools on the ground, but it might be more thrilling to swim in one of the pools on levels 43 or 76.
The exterior is mostly aluminum and glass, not all that exciting, but it sets a record for the highest installation ever of aluminum and glass. If laid end-to-end, the rebar used in the building would stretch more than a quarter of the way around the earth. 12,000 workers used more than 10 million cubic feet of concrete to build the skyscraper. The foundation alone weighs as much as 100,000 elephants. The total cost to build the Burj Khalifa was $1.5 billion and took nearly six years.
This is an enormous building!
The Burj Khalifa reminds us that the Church also needs a strong foundation in order to stand. Just like so many different materials are joined together to form the skyscraper—glass panes, steel beams, rebar, concrete, even nails and screws—each member of the Church must work together. The Church is strong when each Christian does their part. Individual Christians cannot serve on their own. They need the Church.
1 Peter 2 tells us we are called to build the church. The Church is the Body of Christ, and just like each part of a body is important, every member of the Church is essential.
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—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. 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.”
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,”
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.
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. 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. (1 Peter 2:4-10)
God has called us to build the Church, but before we can begin construction on this spiritual house, we need a solid foundation.
My first point: Christ and His Word are the foundation of the Church.
Look at what Peter calls Jesus in verse 4—the living stone! He describes Jesus, a living Stone, as rejected by humans, like a brick the builder tosses aside because it does not fit with his design. We know this is true from the stories we read about Jesus in the Gospels. Jesus was not the kind of Messiah the Jews expected.
The Pharisees persecuted Him endlessly, always testing Him with religious questions and attacking His character. Jesus’s own people, the Jews, refused Him, and ultimately crucified Him with the help of the Romans.
But God the Father did not reject Jesus, He chose Him for great honor. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, God spoke from heaven, saying “This is my Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well-pleased.” And again, on the mountain, when Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John, God spoke the same words from heaven, followed by the instruction, “Listen to Him!” The religious leaders and the people may have rejected Jesus. That did not matter. God chose Jesus and was well-pleased with Him.
My husband Jody is a commercial real estate appraiser. His first step when appraising a building is physically inspecting the property. He keeps a checklist for every single building element he needs to note. The foundation is one of these.
Jody says the signs of foundation trouble include exterior wall cracking, sloping floors, doors and windows that stick or won't open and close, and broken plumbing pipes underground. A bad foundation is caused by shifting soil and poor installation.
He has appraised a 3-story office building that was built on top of an underground spring. The engineer discovered this spring before construction and wrote a caution in his report about building on this location. But the foundation guy didn't read the report and built a foundation with no piers.
The building was not very old and already windows were literally popping out of their frames. The building owners had to install pumps under the building to run 24/7 to keep water out. Jody said the worst that can happen with a bad foundation is the building literally collapses. But no matter what, it will always cost a lot of money to maintain a building built on a bad foundation.
The foundation is important! Those of you who have had foundation problems with your home understand this. But Peter describes Jesus as the cornerstone. He quotes Isaiah 28:16 in verse 6, “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.”
What is the cornerstone? Let me explain.
In Jesus’s day, they didn’t pour concrete foundations. Instead they cut stones by hand and fit them with each other to form the foundation.
The first and most important stone of the foundation was called the cornerstone. It was literally set at the corner of the building. This is the stone that set the direction for the rest of the building.
If the cornerstone was off in any way, then the building would be unsteady and out of alignment. But if the cornerstone was just right, then you had a beautiful, strong building. Some of which are still standing today!
Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church. The church takes its direction from Jesus. We don’t build on our own thoughts and ideas of what church should be like. We build on Christ.
Paul also talked about the cornerstone and foundation of the church in Ephesians 2:19-20.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
Paul calls Jesus the Cornerstone and the rest of the foundation is the apostles and prophets. These are the New Testament disciples who followed Jesus and received His revelation regarding the Church. In other words, the authors of the New Testament—everything from Matthew to Revelation.
So, what is the foundation of the Church? Jesus Himself and the words of the New Testament.
Now, don’t think the Old Testament doesn’t matter. The Old Testament sets the stage for what God would do through Jesus. We must know the history of God’s people Israel and the covenants God made with them, their repeated disobedience, God’s repeated mercies, and sometimes the consequences for their disobedience.
The Old Testament contains God’s instructions for the blood sacrifices that would atone for the sins of the people. How beautiful then to read the promises of a Messiah in the Old Testament that we see fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He was the once-and-for-all blood sacrifice that atoned for all sin. When Jesus came, He did not eliminate the Old Testament, He fulfilled it.
But the Church was a new body—formed, not on the covenants God made with Moses and Abraham, but on Jesus Himself.
So Jesus and the words of the New Testament form the foundation for the Church, but what exactly is the Church?
My second point is this: Christians are the building we call the Church.
Peter describes the Church with several different words and phrases in our passage. He says we are:
- like living stones,
- a spiritual house,
- a holy and royal priesthood,
- a chosen race,
- a holy nation,
- a people for God’s possession,,
Wow! We are special! Holy, chosen, royal—these descriptions are amazing! I want you to notice something in these descriptions of the Church—every single description is plural. It describes a group.
The Bible gives no indication that you can be a church unto yourself. You cannot be a lone Christian and adequately fulfill God’s purposes. Christians together form a house. We are a unique race—not based on the color of our skin or the country of our birth but based on the One to Whom we belong. We are a nation and a people. God designed us to be in community.
The British theologian John Stott said, “Thus the very purpose of His self-giving on the cross was not just to save isolated individuals, and so perpetuate their loneliness, but to create a new community whose members would belong to Him, love one another, and eagerly serve the world.” The Church is a new community.
The Barna Christian research organization released a study in January of 2022. They learned that 56% of Christians in the US believe the spiritual life is entirely private.
Friends, 56% of Christians are entirely wrong! The spiritual life is not entirely private. The Church is a community, a whole. A building.
Peter calls the Church a spiritual house. Paul calls the Church God’s temple in 1 Corinthians 3 and a body in 1 Corinthians 11. House, temple, body—all of these are entities made of many parts that belong together.
Martin Luther once said, “at home, in my own house, there is no warmth or vigor in me, but in the church when the multitude is gathered together, a fire is kindled in my heart.”
I cannot stress this enough. We need each other. We need to physically be with each other. Like Luther said, we are cold when we are alone, but warm like a fire when we are together.
Online church works for Covid and sick days. It does not work as a permanent solution. I know we love watching church in our jammies while we eat bacon and drink coffee. Probably some of us even speak back to our pastor during sermons! But this is not what Church is according to Jesus. Church is not a spectator sport. It is a hands-on team activity.
In verse 5, Peter says Christians are like living stones. He identifies us with Christ, the Living Stone. Christ is building us into His likeness. Christ gives us His nature and conforms us to His image.
Don’t forget, to be identified with Christ means we will also be rejected like Christ. We should expect rejection and suffering because of our faith in Him. However, to be identified with Christ also means we are chosen by God and precious to Him. We are co-heirs with Christ. We are being conformed into His image.
Peter says we are being built into a spiritual house. Christians are the stones that form God’s house. Every single Christian is an essential stone. God’s house is built one stone at a time. When someone places their faith in Christ, they are another important stone added to the house.
What if one of those stones is removed? Think about the game of Jenga. The object of the game is to carefully remove blocks from the tower without toppling it. Each time you remove a block you weaken the tower. It might remain standing, but there are obvious holes and the building is weak. It’s the same with believers. A Christian who is not fellowshipping with and serving the house of God weakens the Church and leaves a hole.
I am a jigsaw puzzle fanatic! My favorite memories of my grandfather involve puzzles. My grandparents lived in another city, and before they would come for a visit, our Dad would take my sister and me to the toy store to pick out a new puzzle. Grandpa, Erica, and I would sit at the card table for hours assembling the new puzzle. We didn’t talk much, but we didn’t need to. We could tell Grandpa loved us.
What is the worst thing that can happen when I finish a puzzle? I’m missing a piece! It doesn’t matter how small that piece is, if it’s missing, I can’t rest. I will search all over the floor, looking under couches and rugs, checking the trash, and even the vacuum cleaner bag, looking for that missing piece!
Every piece matters in a puzzle. And every Christian matters to the Church.
God asks every one of us to build His house, and every contribution matters to Him if it is built on the foundation of Christ and His Word—no matter how seemingly small or simple that contribution may be.
So the Church is a spiritual house made up of believers in Christ and built on the foundation of Christ and His Word. What is the purpose of this building?
My final point: The Church exists for sacrifice and praise.
Look at verse 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.” And then the end of verse 9, “…that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Just like the blocks of an ancient building, the blocks of a Jenga tower, and the different materials of the Burj Khalifa, all belong to each other, the people of the Church belong to each other. Christians cannot accomplish God’s work on their own. They need the church. The church needs them. It is uniquely beautiful and praiseworthy when the people of the church work together.
Leta Mae was a joyful older woman at my church when I was a teenager and young adult. She did not hold any important positions as a volunteer or employee of the church. But she made one of the most memorable spiritual sacrifices I can remember.
My church published a directory listing every member with their address, phone number, and birthday. Leta Mae sent a birthday card to every single person in the church every single year. She did not simply sign the card, “Love, Leta Mae.” She wrote long and meaningful messages in each one. Jody and I each received more than 20 birthday cards, 15 anniversary cards, and a few get-well cards.
Once our children were born, each of them received a birthday card every single year. She would write a long message and decorate all the blank spaces with stickers. As she got older, her handwriting became shaky, but she never shortened her messages or missed a birthday.
While I was at that church, Leta Mae never served on a committee or taught a Sunday School class. But she sacrificed incredible time to serve the Church in this way, and she strengthened God’s house with her sacrifice. Just like Leta Mae, we are called to serve the Church, and God is honored by our sacrifice. But we are not all called to the same type of service.
Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
Different gifts, different service and different working. But all from the Holy Spirit and for the benefit of the Church.
If you are a believer in Christ, then you have a responsibility to the Church. God has given you gifts and abilities that He intends for you to use for the benefit of the body. No act of service is more important than any other. Yes, some of them are more visible. We all see and hear Pastor David every week when he delivers his sermon. And his service to our church is vital! But the man or woman holding babies in the nursery brings just as much glory to God with their service.
Charles Spurgeon said, “It is a great privilege to do anything for the King.” It’s not your role in the Body that matters. Only the King matters!
To offer this kind of sacrifice to God, you must be serving with the people of God. You cannot do this alone. God does not build houses made of one stone.
When the people of the church work together to build this spiritual house, look again at what Peter says will happen in verse 9, “… that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Our working together leads to our praise of God. The world sees this.
God’s house is built of all the believers, serving together. If you are already sacrificing for the sake of the church, keep it up! Maintain a humble heart and a listening ear for God’s direction in your continued sacrifice.
But if you have fallen into believing that you can live the Christian life alone and don’t need to serve the church, please consider right now the error in your thinking. Peter explains that you are not building on the Living Stone if you are alone.
Has church become a spectator sport for you? Did you know the gifts God has given you are for the building up of the church? Although you probably enjoy your gifts, their purpose is not actually for your own enjoyment.
If you have a knack for making people feel welcome and comfortable, you have the gift of hospitality, and the church needs you! Do you love to cook, and you’re good at it? The sick and homebound people from our church would love a home-cooked meal and conversation.
Did you know that junior high boys and girls are misunderstood and hard to love by many adults? If you are one of the gifted ones who enjoys these great kids, please allow God to use you to teach the next generation about Christ.
Can you sing or play an instrument? I’m pretty sure our worship team would love to talk to you. Are you a person who can’t walk past a baby without asking to hold him? The tired mamas would be thrilled for you to love on their babies in our nurseries.
We are called to live steady lives in an unsteady world. Your part in the building of the Church is necessary for this steady life.