The Cornerstone

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality:christianity, Spirituality, Religion, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 16.2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 March 2026

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In ancient architecture, the cornerstone was the first stone laid, and it had to be the most perfectly cut stone and the strongest stone. Because, you see, what the cornerstone is, the house is. If the dimensions of the cornerstone are off, the house is off. If the cornerstone is true, the house is true. If the cornerstone crumbles in any way, the entire house will be compromised or lost. All of this is the background to when Peter says this about Jesus: “Come to him, to that living Capstone which is the Cornerstone, rejected by men but chosen by God, for it is written, ‘Whoever trusts in him will never be put to shame.’” This metaphor of the cornerstone tells us 1) Jesus is to be our life’s foundation, 2) Jesus is our federal head, and 3) Jesus is to be the love of our life. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 12, 1993. Series: Splendor in the Furnace: 1 Peter, Part 1. Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-8. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Where do you go for stability when life feels unsteady?
0:07.0	In Peter's first letter to early Christians, he likens Jesus Christ to a cornerstone in ancient architecture,
0:14.0	the foundation on which everything else must rest.
0:17.0	In today's sermon, Tim Keller looks at Peter's cornerstone metaphor and shows us how putting our full trust in Jesus and his ultimate act of salvation lays a foundation strong enough to sustain us no matter what comes our way.
0:33.6	We've been going through the book of First Peter, and we get to a new section, and I'm going to just read Chapter 2, 1st Peter, verses 4 to 8. That's all we have time to look at, and just really get an introduction to this marvelous passage.
0:53.4	But let me just read Chapter 2, verse 4 to 8,
0:57.0	get us ready to meet God over his table in the Lord's Supper. As you come to him, the living stone,
1:06.9	rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him. You also, like living stones, are being built
1:13.7	into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1:21.5	For in scripture it says, see, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,
1:27.0	and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.
1:30.8	Now to you who believe this stone is precious, but to those who do not believe the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,
1:38.5	and a stone that causes men to stumble in a rock that makes them fall.
1:42.3	They stumble because they disobey the message,
1:44.6	which is also what they were destined for.
1:47.1	And let's stop right there.
1:49.2	This is this marvelous passage.
1:52.1	Come to him to that living stone,
1:56.2	rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him.
2:00.7	For it is written, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,
2:06.0	and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.
2:10.9	That's just a tremendous statement, and the background of it is ancient architecture.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Tim Keller, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Tim Keller and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.