Under Construction

Mystery

The Church Under construction

Church pics

This building is amazing it’s a great resource but the mystery Pauls unlocks is that it is not the church

Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

So Then,

Recap last few week

Vs 1 we are dead, vs 2 we serve the flesh and satan (father of this world) Vs 3 we are sinners vs separated from God.. but God.. woo

So then..

The materials

Ephesians 2:19 (ESV)

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

A reminder

Aliens strangers..

We are broken, unclean, impure materials

You belong..

Members 1-3 pic\

Fellow citizen with the saints

There are no longer second rate citizens..

(no longer).. never again

2 Peter 1:3-4  (ESV)

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Partakers of the divine nature

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need

Household of God

You are not citizens of a country.. you are not just a citizen under a king, you now know the king and you are part of His family

This is more than just friends or buddies.. Family

Blood relatives

We all know families are hard

Famous family 1 and 2

Cosbys. The keatons..

Galatians 5:13-15  (ESV)

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

No longer are you a descendent of Adam.. sinner, you are a descendant of Christ.. savior!!!

This means you have access to the throne

1 John 3:1  (ESV)

3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

The foundation

Ephesians 2:20 (ESV)

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

We find security in the word

2 Timothy 3:16  (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

The drawings pics

Jesus the cornerstone

Matthew 21:42  (ESV)

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Mathew mark luke, 1 peter quoting psalm 118..

So we are talking about the church that Jesus is building..

So what is the church?

Legos..

Ekklesia.. community of belieivers

Bibble telss us the church is the bride of Christ

Revelation 19:7-9 because of Jesus we the church are able to present ourselves before God pure….

…. We have made it difficult..

I like what Pauls says as he plants the church

1 Corinthians 3:10-13  (ESV)

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

Paul is saying we are all church planters and iif we do ot keep Jesus, his word as the foundation.. it will be revealed by fire… etc..

Charles Spurgeon

If you meet with a system of theology which magnifies man, flee from it as far as you can.

Joshua Harris puts it (Stop Dating the Church [Multnomah Publishers, 2004]), most Christians are dating the church, but they aren’t married to it. His profile of a church-dater is (pp. 16-17), first, he is me-centered. He goes for what he can get. Second, he is independent. He doesn’t want to commit himself or get too involved, especially with people. Often this is because the church-dater got burned in a previous church. Third, he tends to be critical of the church. This is where the consumer mindset kicks in. The church-dater is looking for the best product for the price. And so he is fickle, always hunting for a better deal.

The architect

Ephesians 2:21-22 (ESV)

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord

. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit

The trinity.. is the architecht.

Jesus is building… being joined together passive tense he is doing the building

Ephesians 1:22-23  (ESV)

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Grows this is present tense

To dwell in you

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV)

16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

That means with Jesus in your life we are always growing if we continue to be in community, follow the plans and trust

Hebrews 12:2  (ESV)

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Dr. John MacArthur said this, “Through the blood, the suffering flesh, the cross, and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, aliens become citizens, strangers become family, idolaters become the temple of the true God, the hopeless inherit the promises of God, those without Christ become one in Christ, those far off are brought near, and the godless are reconciled to God. Therein is the reconciliation of men to God and of men to men.

Prayer

Jesus you are seated on the throne

Father you provide the well that over flows

You are the great I am

Holy

Jesus your name is Holy

Jesus your name is victory

Jesus your are the Word

Jesus you are my redemption

Amen.. amen and amen..