Church is...The Temple II

I. INTRO

A. Greeting

B. Where We’ve Been

a. God is, I is, Church is

1. Body of Christ

2. chosen people

C. Where We’re Going

D. Main Text:

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.

E. Pray

II. BODY

A. The Church is the Holy Temple

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.

B. Temple’s Purpose

​ ESV11 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, 12 and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; 13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

a. context

1. Eph tells us that the temple is God’s dwelling

i. we r the place God lives!

i. we r very far removed, so

2. OT ref

i. we r the place God lives!

i. Because o our culture, we r very far removed

-so the point Paul is trying to make gets lost w/the span o time

-Gentiles in Paul’s day even had some place o ref because lots o cities had pagan temples

ii. 2 understand we gotta go back to OT to catch Paul’s point (temple Solomon built)

-describe the scene

2 Chronicles 5:11–14 ESV

11 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, 12 and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; 13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

a. The place glory descended & presence is found

1. was above all else the special meeting-place between God & his people. It was the place on which the glory of God descended, the place of his presence.

i. What’s God’s presence look like?

- context: (could u imagine) {a taste} illust. Grace church revival

*@what point did God’s glory come down?

~worship (1 o most important parts o our o Christian experiences)

^Men set aside time in ur week 2 gather ur fam together. put on music & worship God 2gether

^demonstrate 4 ur fam. what it means 2 worship.

*notice vs 11 “consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions” & vs 13 “make themselves heard in unison”

* & vs 13 “make themselves heard in unison”

~

-doesn’t only look like that

*God talks 2 us (words o knowledge, wisdom, prophecy)

*God works in our midst (healings, deliverance, restoration)

2 Chronicles 6:20 ESV

20 that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.

​ ESV20 that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.

​ ESV20 that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.

i. was above all else the special meeting-place between God & his people. It was the place on which the glory of God descended, the place of his presence.

b. The place God’s eyes are always open

1. Illust. James update

c. The place God set his name

1. “his name” rep’s all that God is

2 Chronicles 6:21 ESV

21 And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

​ ESV21 And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

d. A place of prayer

1. who’s prayer?

i. In context: God’s people

ii. Not ONLY God’s people:

Isaiah 56:7 ESV

7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

​ ESV7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

e. A place of forgiveness (back 2 vs21)

2 Chronicles 6:22–23 ESV

22 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

​ ESV22 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

f. The place of Justice