Sermon Tone Analysis

Spirit fill me with YOUR power...

INTRODUCTION

Christmas Party/Gathering 12/10

Open your bibles to ...

STORY ABOUT PREACHING IN UPTOWN THIS MORNING...

Series Setup or review

Series = What is the Church?

The Family of God

The Body of Christ

The Bride of Christ

Leadership - role of the pastor/elder

Podcast

Topic = The church is the Temple of God

Pray

SCRIPTURE

16 Do you not know that you (plural) are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you (plural)?

17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.

For God’s temple is holy, and you (plural) are that temple.

”

Paul is writing to people who were very familiar with the original temple of God…

The actual building

So paul references the temple but not the OLD TEMPLE they were used to…

He references a new temple…

He says they collectively are God’s temple.

To understand this NEW TEMPLE we first need to understand the OLD one.

THE OLD TEMPLE

THE NEW TEMPLE

WHAT IT MEANS FOR US

THE OLD TEMPLE

Here’s what you need to know…

and 2 = sinless creation…

Unbroken relationship between God and man…

Adam & Eve are completely in God’s presence

Then sin fractures that relationship

Cast out of the Garden… Out of God’s presence…

But even from the beginning God’s desire is to be with His people… He loves them...

So he gives instructions on how they can be in His holy presence without being destroyed…

Explain the Bible Project (non profit) ...  

Pay close attention to 3 things…

GOD’S HOLINESS

THE TEMPLE

HOW JESUS AFFECTS THINGS

Play video…

So the OLD TEMPLE was where God’s holy presence was.

The video touched on what we just read in …

The people of God..

The church = is the NEW TEMPLE of God

Instead of God’s presence being in the OLD TEMPLE building…

Now God’s presence is actually in His people…

The church is the NEW TEMPLE

2. THE NEW TEMPLE

Peter writes about this in…

“4 As you come to him (JESUS), a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 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.

6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”

in V.5 Peter says that CHRISTIANS are LIVING STONES in God’s NEW TEMPLE.

He’s saying the CHURCH, the PEOPLE…

are the BRICKS that MAKE UP God’s NEW TEMPLE.

GOD’S PRESENCE INHABITS US COLLECTIVELY.

“You are being built up...”

Notice in v.4 it says “as you come to him”...

indicates ONGOING, DAILY, HOURLY, MINUTE BY MINUTE, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.

So as you come to Jesus… As you relate to Jesus…

You are being built up into this NEW TEMPLE…

Do you know what this means?

ILLUSTRATION - JENGA GAME - INTERDEPENDENCE

Every block is INTER-DEPENDENT on the OTHERS.

Each block effects STRENGTH of TOWER.

What you and I do… and don’t do…

Directly affects the he health of this church plant…

Because God’s church is an interdependent people…

As you relate to Jesus you WILL live and interdependent life..

Not living interdependently can be an indicator…

that something is OFF in our relationship to Jesus...

Just to Christians…

Are YOU so BUILT INTO the LIVES of OTHER CHRISTIANS that they are DEPENDENT on YOU?

Are YOU DEPENDENT on THEM?

Peter is saying THAT is what the church is…

Living Stones being built together as God’s new temple…

God’s new dwelling place…

And Peter mentions something really important in v. 6 and 7…

Jesus is the Cornerstone.

In a structure the cornerstone is the stone that all the other stones align with…

If Cornerstone = Strong… Rest of stones = Strong.

If Cornerstone = off, even a little… Rest of stones = off

Look back at V.7…

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”

He uses the word BUILDERS because EVERYONE BUILDS their life on a CORNERSTONE.

The Question = What is yours?

If not Jesus, Peter says it’s a “STONE OF STUMBLING.”

Have you ever seen anyone trip and fall?

ILLUSTRATION - SCARS FROM FALLING… WATER BALLOON FIGHT FALL… GUY FALLING WHILE I WAS EATING LUNCH...

Most of the time seeing someone stumble is hilarious…

But the stumbling that Peter is referring to isn’t funny at all… because it’s fatal…

What is the Cornerstone YOU’RE building your life on?

How do you know what your Cornerstone even is?

What’s the 1 thing that if it was taken away… your life would crumble…

We’re all building our lives on a Cornerstone

it’s either Jesus OR something else right…

3. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?