Propagating the Resurrected, Ascended, And All-Inclusive Christ As the Development of The Kingdom of God
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Week Five
Christ as the Stone-Savior
Producing Living Stones for God’s Building
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved—Acts 4:11-12
Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious, you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ—1 Pet. 2:4-5
Word of Appetizer
If Christ had not been made the cornerstone, He could not be the Savior, why?
Everything Christ is, everything He has done, and everything He is doing are due to the fact that He is the cornerstone. It is by His being the cornerstone that He could die for us, that we could be crucified with Him, made alive with Him, resurrected with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenlies, and that He could save us, transform us into precious stones, and build us together to be God’s habitation, God’s unique temple in the universe.
Spiritual Burden
Christ as the Stone-Savior is producing living stones for God’s building, God’s spiritual house.As life to us, Christ is the seed; for God’s building, He is the stone. After receiving Him as the seed of life, we need to grow so that we may experience Him as the stone living in us. In this way He makes us living stones, transformed with His divine nature, so that we may be built up together with others as a spiritual house upon Him as both the foundation and the cornerstone.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
In Acts 4:10-12 we see that as the cornerstone Christ was despised and crucified by the Jewish leaders, the builders, but raised from the dead by God, becoming the cornerstone of God’s building with God’s salvation being uniquely in Him.
Psalm 118 speaks of Christ as the cornerstone for God’s building.
In Acts 4:10-12 Peter proclaimed Christ as the Stone-Savior.
Christ as the Stone-Savior is producing living stones for God’s building, God’s spiritual house.
The Experience of Life
We can be saved only in the name of Jesus, and Jesus is the stone. This stone is the unique One in whom we can be saved. As the Stone-Savior, He is solid, strong, and reliable.
We were created of clay, but at regeneration we received the seed of life, which by its growth in us transforms us into living stones.
Practice and Application
We need to preach Christ not only as the Savior for the salvation of sinners but also as the stone for God’s building.
As life to us, Christ is the seed; for God’s building, He is the stone. After receiving Him as the seed of life, we need to grow so that we may experience Him as the stone living in us. We need to come to Christ as the living stone by drinking the guileless milk of the word.
This process takes place as we daily contact Christ, the living stone for God’s building, and are transformed.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is from Jehovah; it is wonderful in our sight. This is the day that Jehovah has made; let us exult and rejoice in it—Psa. 118:22-24
Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures, “The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner. This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes”—Matt. 21:42
II. Psalm 118 speaks of Christ as the cornerstone for God’s building
“The stone which the builders rejected / Has become the head of the corner”; The Lord Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 21:42, where He was indicating that He is the stone for God’s building.
On the day of His resurrection, the Lord Jesus was made the cornerstone by God; God chose Christ as the cornerstone a second time in Christ’s resurrection, thereby confirming His initial choosing of Christ in eternity past.
As the all-inclusive stone, Christ is the centrality of God’s move for the building up of His eternal habitation. Everything Christ is, everything He has done, and everything He is doing are due to the fact that He is the cornerstone.
Key Verses (2)
Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead, in this name this man stands before you in good health. This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved—Acts 4:11-12
III. In Acts 4:10-12 Peter proclaimed Christ as the Stone-Savior:
In Acts 4:10-12 we see that as the cornerstone Christ was despised and crucified by the Jewish leaders, the builders, but raised from the dead by God, becoming the cornerstone of God’s building with God’s salvation being uniquely in Him.
Peter’s quoting Psalm 118 indicates that he preached Christ not only as the Savior for the salvation of sinners but also as the stone for God’s building. It is such a Christ who is the unique salvation to sinners.
Christ is not only the holy One, the righteous One, the Author of life, and the Servant; He is also the stone for God’s building.
In Christ God came in incarnation to be a stone for the building of God’s universal habitation; As the cornerstone of God’s habitation, Christ joins the wall of the Jewish believers and the wall of the Gentile believers.
Key Verses (3)
Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious, you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ—1 Pet. 2:4-5
He led him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, You are Simon, the son of John; you shall be called Cephas (which is interpreted,Peter)—John 1:42
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it—Matt. 16:18
In whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit—Eph. 2:21-22
- Christ as the Stone-Savior is producing living stones for God’sbuilding, God’s spiritual house
For as believers, the resurrected Christ is the propagating stone and the building stone.
Through the Lord’s speaking in John 1:42 and Matthew 16:18, Peter received the revelation that both Christ and the believers are living stones for God’s building and eventually realized that God’s goal is to have a spiritual house built up with living stones. First Peter 2:4 speaks of Christ as a living stone; In Christ and through Christ we, as believers, become living stones to be built up as a spiritual house. The spiritual house into which we are being built up is God’s building.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 “The stone which the builders rejected / Has become the head of the corner” （Psalm 118:22）
（Illustrate Psalm 118 speaks of Christ as the cornerstone for God’s building）
T2 On the day of His resurrection the Lord Jesus was made the cornerstone by God（Psa. 118:24）
（Illustrate Both Christ’s resurrection and His ascension prove and confirm that He is the
One whom God has chosen to be the head of the corner for God’s building.）
D2
T1 Everything Christ is, everything He has done, and everything He is doing are
due to the fact that He is the cornerstone.（Matt21:42、44）
（Illustrate Christ As the all-inclusive stone for the building up of His eternal habitation）
T2 praised Christ for His being the cornerstone（Eph2:20）
(What shall we give thanks and praise to Christ as the cornerstone.)
D3
T1 Christ is the Stone-Savio（Acts4:12）
（Illustrate Christ as the Stone-Savior, He is solid, strong, and reliable with experiences.）
T2 Our Savior is not only the King, a Slave, a Man, and God—He is also a stone for God’s building. (Acts4:12）
（Illustrate In the four Gospels we have the King-Savior, the Slave-Savior, the Man-Savior, and the God-Savior. Now in the book of Acts we have the Stone Savior.）
D4
T1 Lord as the living stone and of the believers as living stones for God’s building（1Pet2:4~5）
（Illustrate Peter knew Him as the stone for God’s building.）
T2 the resurrected Christ is the propagating stone and the building stone（1Pet2:4~5）
（Illustrate Christ as the Stone-Savior is producing living stones for God’s
building, God’s spiritual house）
D5
T1 Christ is the stumbling stone and the smiting stone（Rom9:32~33，Matt21:44）
（Illustrate Christ is not only the stone for God’s building; He is also the stumbling stone and the smiting stone.）
T2 Christ is the living stone（1Pet2:4~5）
（Illustrate A living stone is one that not only possesses life but also grows in life.）
D6
T1 if there is no building, there is no real service to God（Eph2:21~22）
（Illustrate It is only when we are built together that proper service can be rendered to God.）
T2Growing is for building up（1Pet2:2、4~5）
（Illustrate we are Feeding on Christ is not only for growing in life but also for building up.）
