The Rock Tumbler

Believers are living stones in the river of God.

1 Pet. 2:4-5

“… you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Throughout all of scripture God describes his people in interesting ways: sheep, disciples, followers, chosen ones, stones… just to name a few.

To be likened to a “stone” is not exactly a compliment in the natural sense. A stone is inanimate – it has no life. It is inert – it has no locomotion. And it is dense – inflexible, difficult to shape or change. None of these represent qualities any believer in Jesus Christ would seek to exhibit.

Yet, God picked stones to describe us. What’s that you say? Ah, you’re right. God didn’t describe his church as stones, he called us living stones. This is the most important of all points we can make about the verses above. Without God’s Spirit, we are dead, immoveable, inflexible and lacking an internal mechanism for change.

Consider this - a natural stone only changes as external forces are applied to it. It may be weather, water, tools, or some other force that impacts a stone and brings change. But whatever form that takes, change clearly does not come from within…unless you are a living stone.

If we look continue into 1 Peter 2, we see God’s purpose for the living stones; He is building a spiritual house. The foundation for the temple of Solomon was made of stone. It was a temple made with hands, fashioned with tools in the hands of artisans having expert skills. The stones themselves were not alive. But true believers are living stones, built on the foundation of Jesus Christ to be God’s holy temple. The collection of stones also represent the Body of Christ; connected directly to Jesus…the Head of the Body

However, the life of a living stone isn’t always fun and games. I call this message…

“The Rock Tumbler”

-          Living in the River of God; along with other living stones

-          What makes us “living”? His Spirit, of course. So you might think of us a River Stones. Stones “enfused” with the river of God; also as stones “in” the river of God as He flows from and around us collectively.

Stones and Water

Num 20:8  “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water.

Joh 7:38  Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

Joh 4:14  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well (or fountain) of water springing up to eternal life." 

River Stones are part of God’s story; 2 examples:

·       12 Memorial Stones taken from the Jordan River at Israel’s Crossing (led by Joshua)

·       David and Goliath; 5 river stones

Stones in God’s river and containing God’s river reveal some amazing truths

·       Size, shape, color, smoothness, jaggedness, mixed/complex colors…

Spiritual Application.

Size: Some parts of our human body are larger than others, but scripture assures us that every part, regardless of size, plays an important role; described well in 1 Cor 12 as it applies to being members of the corporate Body of Christ. We don’t have to all be like Billy Graham, Mario Murillo or Chance Walters to contribute greatly to the health and function of the Body of Christ!

Shape: Some stones are smoother than others, representing the difference perhaps between new believers and mature ones. Paul told the church in Galatia that he labored in their behalf until “Christ was formed” in them. This is also the prime point made in Heb 5 and 6 about pressing on to maturity and not remaining a babe in Christ

Color: We don’t look the same, nor are we gifted the same. We have to be careful to recognize that fellow believers can be likened to parts of the human body. An arm doesn’t look like a nose (hopefully), nor does a foot like like an ear (again, hopefully). Carrying this further, color can represent specific gifting among the Body of Christ. Consider Rom 12:6… Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly.

Smoothness: Now we’re at the crux of this message.

Some stones are smoother than others. What makes a stone smooth while in a river?

·       Stones rubbing against other stones

·       The action of water itself as it contains sediment, sand, minerals, etc.

This river of God is a Rock Tumbler for the people of God.

When Holy Spirit places us into the Body of Christ at our conversion, we enter the Rock Tumbler.

We become stones in the river of God, each containing this river, and each operating in His river…along with other stones. This can feel good as His water flows all over and within us, refreshing us. And this can feel bad, as other rocks and river sediment rub against us to smooth out our edges. Why? Because it can be painful.

I say “bad”, but is it really a bad thing to be shaped by the river of God? Isn’t that what Paul meant…at least in part…when he spoke of Christ being formed in us?So the process of growing in Christ requires some shaping and polishing. This is true of us as individual members of His Body, and it is true of us as a local church.

Most churches seem to be birthed by a small group of like-minded people having common experiences, beliefs and perhaps appearance. Maplegate was pretty much birthed that way. But people who may have come from different church backgrounds brought a common purpose and passion in Christ. This early beginning can be likened to a honeymoon. And then, as churches grow, new stones enter the picture: people from different backgrounds, walks and perspectives, new gifts and ministries are brought into the Body, along with some new “baggage”. The challenges of being formed together in Christ expand, as do the opportunities.

How we tumble together begins to matter more than ever…

Dry vs Wet Rock Tumblers

God’s plan is for us to be shaped in the river of God, i.e. any interaction, rubbing, abrasion used to shape us is intended to occur within the river of God. Said another way: our interactions need to be bathed in Holy Spirit and take place in the flow of God’s river.

If we behave as a Dry Rock Tumbler, it can be a faster path to shaping, but comes at a cost:

·       greater abrasion; more painful

·       louder, disruptive

·       less effective in its cleaning/polish

While life in a Wet Rock Tumbler is different

·       less abrasive, less painful

·       quieter, more peaceful

·       more effective in its cleaning/polish

When we act in the flesh to rub against others, its like we’re in a dry tumbler. We tend to create others in our own image. And we do that in part by breaking off bigger chunks and creating more pain in the process. Ouch! When we are stones in God’s river, Holy Spirit guides the rubbing, works to polish us in the Master’s image, and prepares us for kingdom work. His Spirit lubricates us and refreshes us, even during the times of abrasion.

What is a river source? From within us! Jesus said that “out of our innermost being would flow rivers of living water”. (Joh 7:38); that we would be a fountain of living water… Joh 4:14

The collective Body of Christ is full of little rivers of living water, flowing in us and through us to others. And of courses, there’s the big river…Holy Spirit working alongside us, around us and upon us. That’s the Wet Rock Tumbler. And that’s where Christ is formed in us and others. Its where we’re prepared for the Master’s work. Think of David facing Goliath with 5 river stones…

Keep Eze 47:9 in mind: “everything will live where the river flows”.

·       Where there is no river, there is no life.

·       Where there are no river stones, there is no river

·       Hello, Pentecost!

What’s the challenge for us as believers??

·       Recognize that we are a container of God’s river; a container that should overflow His His river to others

·       Recognize that we’re in the Rock Tumbler with fellow believers

·       Don’t be surprised that it can be uncomfortable at times; understand that its part of His process for making us smooth, polished and effective

·       Seek to only “rub others” while flowing in His Spirit. Don’t act in the flesh trying to change others

God’s river prepares His stones individually and corporately to do Kingdom work.

·       May we NOT act like a dry rock tumbler, breaking off pieces of each other to create others in our own image.

·       Instead, may we become smoother and smoother as we rub together in the flow of His river.