Overheard on the Rock Pile

by Barbara McKinney

" As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men 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 (1 Pet 2:4-5NIV)."

One rock, who was discerning enough to see that some of the stones at the local “spiritual house” were obviously misshapen, said: "I believe in Jesus, but I will not be identified with that pitiful bunch of ignorant hypocrites down at the church. I'll stay home and worship God in my own way."

So, have you given up on going to church? When the beautiful rocks stay home, they quietly testify that the power of God is not sufficient to overcome the weaknesses of their brothers and sisters. The beautiful rocks who "give up meeting together (Heb 10:25NIV)” leave the greeting of church visitors, who do not yet know God, to rocks who may be shaped like tumors. The beautiful absentees leave unsightly holes in the walls of the temple of God, allowing the enemy to enter through the cracks and prowl around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8b paraphrase). Little wonder that passersby mock and gawk at the church.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Cor. 3:10-15NIV).

Hypocrites and jerks will represent the church to the world when men and women of integrity do not love their brothers and sisters enough to join with them and work to disciple them from God’s Holy Word and through their example. The beautiful ones do not understand that they have left their places in the temple of God to the devil. Paul said, "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21NIV).” Who will be faulted at the Second Coming for unfaithfulness, the rocks shaped like growths who stayed in the church, or the beautiful stones who stayed at home and let the devil roar through the gaps in the walls to devour those who were trying to be saved? Sure, it’s embarrassing to be identified with the church, let alone allow yourself to be sanded down and fit together with those unsightly rocks, no matter how firmly the foundation was built on Christ. It threatens your self-image to be identified the others. Are we sitting on the rock pile preening ourselves in the mirror of world opinion, being careful not to identify with the bride for whom Christ died? God says our own righteousness “is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6bNIV).” Paul says, “We are fools for Christ (1 Cor. 4:10aNIV)!” Don’t we know, if we are believers, that it is God’s esteem, not self esteem, that is the true prize?

Or perhaps you are a neglected little pebble who is staying home, afraid to go look for another church, a church that loves people. "I'm not being polished for use at the church. I'm being ground to dust by their indifference. I’ve been stuck in the nursery for five years. Nobody ever visits with me, and if I offer my opinions they act like I'm an intruder." The virgin Mary was surely not considered important to the religious world of her day; but she believed and obeyed God, and was chosen to bring forth the Savior of the world. “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matt 23:11-12ESV).” It is God's joy to bless the church through insignificant looking pebbles. Keep looking for your place.

A man of letters once said, "I would have received the Christ who died, had He not come to me with His leprous bride." Until, by faith in Christ and in the power of His Holy Spirit, we die to ourselves and love the leper for whom Christ died, we do not yet truly know the Savior or the nature of His sacrificial gift. Jesus prayed, “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me (John 17:21ESV).”

Come to church, encourage and protect the weak, touch the tumors and lepers. Disciple the believers, shaping and being shaped by the Lord to fit snugly into your place in the temple of God. “Let us not give up meeting together (Heb. 10:25aNIV).” Contend with the roaring lion for the souls of the lost. Stand at the door alongside your brothers and sisters and greet those searching for the Savior, welcoming them into God’s “Spiritual House.”

It is better to be ground to dust and used as mortar in Christ's temple than to be found sitting at home on the rock pile polishing yourself when the King returns looking for those to whom He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant (Mt 25:21bESV).”

End