3.4.35 7.27.2025 The Church is a Building, Built by and upon Jesus 1 Corinthians 3.10-17

Start:

Entice: It is not uncommon to say that the Church is people, not a building. That is only partly true. Both Jesus and Paul both use the metaphor of a temple, a building, a structure to describe the Church and some of the attributes that define us. 

Engage: For most of my life I have been fascinated by Church buildings. I remember 55 years ago what it was like to be in a Church house basement. My first recollections of Sunday School. You have those kinds of memories too, don’t you? I remember Church houses that felt like home and others that felt as antiseptic as a Doctor’s office. We celebrate the greatest joys in life in our church houses. We experience sorrow and regret. We share moments in the Spirit punctuated by both tears and laughter.

Expand: Jesus Himself conceives of His own ministry as that of the foundation or cornerstone for an abiding structure.

Matthew 21:42–43 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’? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

That structure Jesus had in mind is us, His Church.

What is particularly powerful about the metaphors and analogies we are studying in this series of messages is that they are both

durable

and

flexible.

They help us to nail down a

variety

of characteristics of the Church.

There are times in our Christian lives that being founded in Christ we serve as a strong temple for worship and service.

There are other times we flourish as a branch bearing fruit.

Still other times we relish our role as a part of the Bride.

When Paul wrote these words he is reminding us of our high calling and our noble purpose. 

1 Corinthians 3:10–17 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. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 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.

Excite: We don’t just go to Church, we gather as the Church because 

Explore:

Jesus builds His Church using us as construction materials. 

Expand: Consider how Jesus uses you and me as the materials for His Church. 

Body of Sermon: The church is 

1 Built Skillfully.

Jesus is the cornerstone and architect. He employed other master-craftsmen such as Paul. Following the blue print of Jesus and the architectural instructions in the NT we do our best to continue building on that initial foundation.

1.1 Conception.

1.2 Execution. 

Next Paul reminds us the church is

2 Built Strongly.

2.1 Firm foundation.

2.2 Proper materials.

2.3 Ongoing expansion. 

2.4 Tested Durability.

Finally, The Church is

3 Built Strategically.

3.1 Purposeful.

3.2 Holy.

Shut Down

We are in the Church, of the Church, for the Church,  and the actual Church. Jesus designed the Church to fill its many roles. Luke, Paul, Peter, James the Just, the Apostle John refined and extended the structure into other geographical locations and different cultural circumstances. In virtually every one, bits and pieces of culture were added to the Biblical mix, so that Christians could see how the redemptive power of Jesus reaches into every facet of life. 

Just like a physical building there have been changes. A lot of it is, of course, merely cosmetic. Through the centuries there have been stories added, wings extended, remodeling, some demolition,  and even redecorating. All of this is possible because of the strong foundation.

Some of the attempts at remodeling were odd, bizarre, even offensive.

The Foundation remains.

Matthew 7:24 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Yes, the foundation remains.

The wise man builds upon this Rock,

This foundation,

this Cornerstone

and it still stands the tests of time.

Let’s build His Church together.