The Holy Temple

Experience drives our culture. Adventure… ah there’s that feeling you crave.

Experience drives our culture. Want adventure? You don’t even need to change out of you PJs, just turn on the Nintendo Switch. Want to go on a Safari, don’t pack for Africa but Florida and Disney World its a small world after all. Is it really though? What about friends, well they are one swipe away. Our culture sells fake experience. Ours is a faux world. The church likes the gimmicks too. Need a community, we have friends ready for you in this pre-packaged life group. Experience life with a people you’ve never met. Experience the divine, with a well rehearsed praise band and their minor cords at the right time, the right time has something to do with the timing of the lights— ah there’s that fake feeling you crave.

Experience drives our culture. Adventure… ah there’s that feeling you crave.

Nintendo Switch. Want to go on a Safari, don’t pack for Africa but Florida and Disney World its a small world after all. Is it really though? What about friends, well they are one swipe away. Our culture sells fake experience. Ours is a faux world. The church likes the gimmicks too. Need a community, we have friends ready for you in this pre-packaged life group. Experience life with a people you’ve never met. Experience the divine, with a well rehearsed praise band and their minor cords at the right time, the right time has something to do with the timing of the lights— ah there’s that fake feeling you crave.

Worship is mystical. We should experience heaven. You want mystery, we got it, for according to our text this morning, we who are many are one holy temple. We are the people and place of God. Worship is physical. Here we need to be careful. We don’t want culture or tradition to tell us how to bridge the spiritual and physical, its not candles, icons, dimming the lights, smoke machines or whatever else is going on out there. Its sola scriptura. The Bible alone unites the mystical and physical together. The Word alone create a holy space.We must experience God’s Word alone. Sola Scriptura is real. It makes one holy catholic church.

Should we not experience worship?

Experience drives our culture. Want adventure? You don’t even need to change out of you PJs, just turn on the Nintendo Switch. Want to go on a Safari, don’t pack for Africa but Florida and Disney World its a small world after all. Is it really though? What about friends, well they are one swipe away. Our culture sells fake experience. Ours is a faux world. The church likes the gimmicks too. Need a community, we have friends ready for you in this pre-packaged life group. Experience life with a people you’ve never met. Experience the divine, with a well rehearsed praise band and their minor cords at the right time, the right time has something to do with the timing of the lights— ah there’s that fake feeling you crave.

One— the Bible only recognizes one people of God, . We must, therefore experience unity. Confessional. Holy— We are united in Christ. Catholic — our faith is fixed, it comes from an unchangeable promise. An authentic church must have an ageless message and ancient practice.

One— the Bible only recognizes one people of God, you are Christ’s… Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. We must, therefore experience unity. This is why we are confessional. Holy— We are united in Christ. Catholic — our faith is fixed, it comes from an unchangeable promise. An authentic church must have an ageless message and ancient practice. Tradition is important as long as it is controlled by the Word alone. The Word alone creates a unity: one church, one faith, one hope, one promise that we are bound together in Christ. This unity is found this morning in the imagery of a building— We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Worship is mystical. We should experience heaven. You want mystery, we got it, for according to our text this morning, we who are many are one holy temple. We are the people and place of God. Worship is physical. Here we need to be careful. We don’t want culture or tradition to tell us how to bridge the spiritual and physical, its not candles, icons, dimming the lights, smoke machines or whatever else is going on out there. Its sola scriptura. The Bible alone unites the mystical and physical together. The Word alone create a holy space.We must experience God’s Word alone. Sola Scriptura is real. It makes one holy catholic church.

Tradition is important…

The Word alone creates a unity: one church, one faith, one hope, one promise that we are bound together in Christ. This unity is found this morning in the imagery of a building— We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

God is a craftsman . His craft is the temple of the Holy Spirit . God is building a single church. In Chapter 1, Paul presents the internal building plans of the church. God’s blueprints entail a certain people . Before God laid the foundation for earth or hung the starry sky, he was picking out the individual parts of the building. Our destiny is in God’s hand predestined according to his purpose. Divine Sovereignty is reality God works all things according to his will.

God is a craftsman . Craft . God is building a single church.

One— the Bible only recognizes one people of God, you are Christ’s… Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. We must, therefore experience unity. This is why we are confessional. Holy— We are united in Christ. Catholic — our faith is fixed, it comes from an unchangeable promise. An authentic church must have an ageless message and ancient practice. Tradition is important as long as it is controlled by the Word alone. The Word alone creates a unity: one church, one faith, one hope, one promise that we are bound together in Christ. This unity is found this morning in the imagery of a building— We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

In Chapter 1, Paul presents the internal building plans of the church. God’s blueprints entail a certain people . Before God laid… Our destiny is in God’s hand predestined according to his purpose. Divine Sovereignty is reality God works all things according to his will.

God is a craftsman . His craft is the temple of the Holy Spirit Eph 2:21. God is building a single church. In Chapter 1, Paul presents the internal building plans of the church. God’s blueprints entail a certain people (4–5). Before God laid the foundation for earth or hung the starry sky, he was picking out the individual parts of the building. Our destiny is in God’s hand predestined according to his purpose. Divine Sovereignty is reality v11 God works all things according to his will.

Christ paid for this building . The Holy Spirit builds it . Salvation is Trinitarian, an electing Father, a redeeming Son, and a sealing Holy Spirit. “What about me?” The selfie generation asks, “What is my role in all this?” We provide the necessity of salvation . We are nothing without grace alone v8ff. Arminianism is faux. God does not help those who help themselves. God helps alone.

Christ paid for this building . The Holy Spirit builds it .

Its all about God. God’s craft is 2:15 one new man. One people in one place . It is one family . It is a holy temple . We are sure foundation, not church history per se, but apostolic history. The apostles were the appointed and inspired witnesses to Christ in the first generation of the church. Jesus said that he would give the NT through them and did. In this context, prophets refers to that special class of individuals who received and proclaimed direct messages from God and worked along with the Apostles in the early days. Paul refers to them again in . These were not the prophets of other generations, not OT prophtes; as now has been revealed are the NT prophets and NT apostles who gave us the completed canon. What they proclaimed became the written tradition we now have in our hands—the Revelation of God for his Kingdom. We no longer have these men in the church today, but we have their teaching, so we are apostolic and prophetic when we proclaim what they said. Pentecostalism is faux.

Christ paid for this building v7. The Holy Spirit builds it v13. Salvation is Trinitarian, an electing Father, a redeeming Son, and a sealing Holy Spirit. “What about me?” The selfie generation asks, “What is my role in all this?” We provide the necessity of salvation 2:1–3. We are nothing without grace alone v8ff. Arminianism is faux. God does not help those who help themselves. God helps alone.

Salvation is Trinitarian“What about me?” .

Its all about God. God’s craft is 2:15 one new man v15. One people in one place v19a. It is one family v19b. It is a holy temple v20a. We are sure foundation, not church history per se, but apostolic history. The apostles were the appointed and inspired witnesses to Christ in the first generation of the church. Jesus said that he would give the NT through them and did. In this context, prophets refers to that special class of individuals who received and proclaimed direct messages from God and worked along with the Apostles in the early days. Paul refers to them again in 3:5. These were not the prophets of other generations, not OT prophtes; as now has been revealed are the NT prophets and NT apostles who gave us the completed canon. What they proclaimed became the written tradition we now have in our hands—the Revelation of God for his Kingdom. We no longer have these men in the church today, but we have their teaching, so we are apostolic and prophetic when we proclaim what they said. Pentecostalism is faux.

Salvation is Trinitarian“What about me?” .

We come to church to experience this foundation. We must be joined together in the Word. It is those of faith who are Abraham’s offspring. Faith comes by hearing. Peter says we are saved and joined together as living stones into the Temple of God through preaching. The grass withers and the flower fades but the preached Word of God endures forever. So God preached the gospel to Abraham and believed the Lord and he counted it to him as righteousness. We are made right with God in hearing the gospel. We come to the church through preaching. This is the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets— God’s Word proclaimed into us. Hearing is our reality. We must experience hearing in church. God’s Word must echo through the walls of this holy temple.

We are nothing without grace alone . Arminianism is faux. God does not help… alone.

It is not just hearing any Word, not the Bible proclaimed any way, no the foundation will not have it for Christ is the cornerstone . Christ is the center of Scripture. Jesus is the sole way into the family of God, he is the King of the Kingdom. Therefore he is the focus of the Apostles and Prophets, our doctrine and theology must be centered and focused on Christ. You know the Word is rightly divided, when you hear about Christ’s life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return. So many read Scripture; they turn page after page without any guide, without a focus, because they are lost in Scripture; lost to timeless principles to live by. The focus of the Bible is not, how can I be a better person, have my best life now, and whatever. Jesus corrected the Pharisees, who thought this way when he said, You search the Scripture because you think you find eternal life in them. So many go to the Bible to make God happy. A happy God a happy life. No, a Christ filled life, a good life. The Bible is all about Jesus Christ. He is life and we must receive him. Christ is the focus we need in reading and hearing Scripture. To say that the church is built on the Apostles and Prophets is to say that it is built on the Revelation of Jesus Christ ().

Jesus Christ supports the church. You are secure in Christ. A cornerstone is important for two reasons. It was part of the foundation and it also fixed the angle of the building that became the standard from which the ancient architect traced the walls and arches throughout the building. Paul does not mention stones specifically in our text, but that is what he is thinking of when he writes in and in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Believers are mortared together with Christ. Peter said, 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 (). God has chosen and has been shaping these stones into his holy Temple. The placing of each stone is part of a long work that begun thousands of years in the past and continues today (Crawfords). It is not all mystical for today we will physically see the Crawfords added to this church. Their proper profession of faith is the whole structure, of which they are a part, being joined together.

Its all about God. God’s craft is 2:15 one new man. One people in one place . It is one family . It is a holy temple .

It is not just hearing any Word, not the Bible proclaimed any way, no the foundation will not have it for Christ is the cornerstone v20b. Christ is the center of Scripture. Jesus is the sole way into the family of God, he is the King of the Kingdom. Therefore he is the focus of the Apostles and Prophets, our doctrine and theology must be centered and focused on Christ. You know the Word is rightly divided, when you hear about Christ’s life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return. So many read Scripture; they turn page after page without any guide, without a focus, because they are lost in Scripture; lost to timeless principles to live by. The focus of the Bible is not, how can I be a better person, have my best life now, and whatever. Jesus corrected the Pharisees, who thought this way when he said, You search the Scripture because you think you find eternal life in them. So many go to the Bible to make God happy. A happy God a happy life. No, a Christ filled life, a good life. The Bible is all about Jesus Christ. He is life and we must receive him. Christ is the focus we need in reading and hearing Scripture. To say that the church is built on the Apostles and Prophets is to say that it is built on the Revelation of Jesus Christ ().

Because it is God’s work, they will not fall from the base. They will not be crushed by the weight of the temple, because Christ supports them. Joe and Kim, make Christ the center of your place and time with us at Covenant Reformed Church. Isaiah spoke of this support in these terms, See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed (28:16). The church is secure, you are secure in the church.

Jesus Christ supports the church. You are secure in Christ. A cornerstone is important for two reasons. It was part of the foundation and it also fixed the angle of the building that became the standard from which the ancient architect traced the walls and arches throughout the building. Paul does not mention stones specifically in our text, but that is what he is thinking of when he writes in v22 and in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Believers are mortared together with Christ. Peter said, 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 (). God has chosen and has been shaping these stones into his holy Temple. The placing of each stone is part of a long work that begun thousands of years in the past and continues today (Crawfords). It is not all mystical for today we will physically see the Crawfords added to this church. Their proper profession of faith is v21 the whole structure, of which they are a part, being joined together.

What is this sure foundation?

Supported by the cornerstone the church becomes a temple for the Holy Spirit . God put together his blue prints, designed a building, and built his church for a reason. He began this project not only to have a people for his own possession, but also to be with his people. He built a temple for the Holy Spirit. In the OT, God dwelt with his people Israel in the desert in the tent of tabernacle. There the glory of God was said to have shown to the people. Eventually Israel prospered and in the time of Solomon, he built a permanent temple. Because sin, however, the Spirit of God departed from the temple and it was destroyed. Since that time three, more temples have been built.

The apostles were the appointed and inspired witnesses to Christ in the first generation of the church. Jesus said that he would give the NT through them and did. In this context, prophets refers to that special class of individuals who received and proclaimed direct messages from God and worked along with the Apostles in the early days. Paul refers to them again in .

Because it is God’s work, they will not fall from the base. They will not be crushed by the weight of the temple, because Christ supports them. Joe and Kim, make Christ the center of your place and time with us at Covenant Reformed Church. Isaiah spoke of this support in these terms, See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed (28:16). The church is secure, you are secure in the church.

as now has been revealed are the NT prophets and NT apostles who gave us the completed canon.

Now you might be asking, “I do not remember four temples. Does he not know the Bible?” Solomon built the first temple. It was destroyed and rebuilt in the Days of Nehemiah. That temple didn’t last either but was rebuilt by Herod the Great before Jesus was born. This temple was destroyed by Titus in AD 70. That is three? Where is the fourth, “oh you mean the rebuilt temple and animal sacrifices in the Millennial reign after the church is raptured?” No that terrible. Dispensationalism is faux. , and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. The word dwelt is the same word for tabernacle. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. The Scribes and the Pharisees chided Jesus one day and called for him to give a sign that he was from God, Jesus responded, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. The final temple tabernacled among us. Jesus is the true and living temple that all other temples pre-figured. Jesus is the reality of the OT, he is the center. The Jews wanted a sign, they wanted and experience based on their own commandments. So God allowed them to destroy the temple, but on the day God the Holy Spirit raised this temple from the rubble. By the power of the HS dwelling in this temple, death was defeated. The HS then tore the veil in the earthly temple in two because it was only a shadow of the reality that is Christ. Christ is the real and now in Christ we have access to God.

Supported by the cornerstone the church becomes a temple for the Holy Spirit v22. God put together his blue prints, designed a building, and built his church for a reason. He began this project not only to have a people for his own possession, but also to be with his people. He built a temple for the Holy Spirit. In the OT, God dwelt with his people Israel in the desert in the tent of tabernacle. There the glory of God was said to have shown to the people. Eventually Israel prospered and in the time of Solomon, he built a permanent temple. Because sin, however, the Spirit of God departed from the temple and it was destroyed. Since that time three, more temples have been built.

What they proclaimed became the written tradition… alone. We no longer have these men in the church today, but we have their teaching, so we are apostolic and prophetic when we proclaim what they said. Pentecostalism is faux.

How so? We are the living temple. This is our union with Christ. So, now the same HS that accompanied Jesus and empowered him now dwells in us. It is the same Spirit that empowers us to believe this truth. The same HS that ministered to Jesus now ministers to us. The same HS that protected Jesus, now protects us. The same HS that strengthened Jesus now strengthens and empowers us. The same HS that raised Jesus from the dead, now raises us from the dead spiritually, so that we are new creatures and one day physically, we will be raised up like Christ was raised up.

We come to church to experience this foundation that is we are joined together by the Word alone. It is those of faith who are Abraham’s offspring. Faith comes by hearing. Peter says we are saved and joined together as living stones into the Temple of God through preaching. The grass withers… So God preached… believed the Lord and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Now you might be asking, “I do not remember four temples. Does he not know the Bible?” Solomon built the first temple. It was destroyed and rebuilt in the Days of Nehemiah. That temple didn’t last either but was rebuilt by Herod the Great before Jesus was born. This temple was destroyed by Titus in AD 70. That is three? Where is the fourth, “oh you mean the rebuilt temple and animal sacrifices in the Millennial reign after the church is raptured?” No that terrible. Dispensationalism is faux. John wrote in 1:14, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. The word dwelt is the same word for tabernacle. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. The Scribes and the Pharisees chided Jesus one day and called for him to give a sign that he was from God, Jesus responded, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. The final temple tabernacled among us. Jesus is the true and living temple that all other temples pre-figured. Jesus is the reality of the OT, he is the center. The Jews wanted a sign, they wanted and experience based on their own commandments. So God allowed them to destroy the temple, but on the day God the Holy Spirit raised this temple from the rubble. By the power of the HS dwelling in this temple, death was defeated. The HS then tore the veil in the earthly temple in two because it was only a shadow of the reality that is Christ. Christ is the real and now in Christ we have access to God.

How so? We are the living temple. This is our union with Christ. So, now the same HS that accompanied Jesus and empowered him now dwells in us. It is the same Spirit that empowers us to believe this truth. The same HS that ministered to Jesus now ministers to us. The same HS that protected Jesus, now protects us. The same HS that strengthened Jesus now strengthens and empowers us. The same HS that raised Jesus from the dead, now raises us from the dead spiritually, so that we are new creatures and one day physically, we will be raised up like Christ was raised up.

Right hearing! (foundation alone []).

“Does God use perfect materials?” No, but Christ has come to call sinners. By faith in Christ alone, through his Word alone, you are supported, not by your own power, but by grace alone. This is faith alone to which the Crawfords will now respond before this church that we together might be united in and for the gospel. So as you hear their profession, know that it is not only theirs but ours together. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hearing is our reality. We must experience hearing in church. God’s Word must echo through the walls of this holy temple.

“Does God use perfect materials?” No, but Christ has come to call sinners. By faith in Christ alone, through his Word alone, you are supported, not by your own power, but by grace alone. This is faith alone to which the Crawfords will now respond before this church that we together might be united in and for the gospel. So as you hear their profession, know that it is not only theirs but ours together. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

It is not just hearing any Word, not the Bible proclaimed any way, no the cornerstone will not have it .

Christ is the center of Scripture (rightly divided)

So many go to the Bible to make God happy. A happy God a happy life. No, a Christ filled life, a good life. The Bible is all about Jesus Christ. He is life and we must receive him. Christ is the focus… To say that the church is built on the Apostles and Prophets is to say that it is built on the Revelation of Jesus Christ ().

Christ the cornerstone is our experience. It means you are secure. Jesus Christ supports the church.

A cornerstone was important in ancient engineering.

Paul does not mention stones specifically in our text, but that is what he is thinking of when he writes and in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Believers are mortared together with Christ. Peter said, 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 (). God has chosen and has been shaping these stones into his holy Temple.

The placing of each stone is part of a long work that begun… (Crawfords). In their proper profession of faith they are being joined together with us and we are in Christ.

Because it is God’s work, they will not fall from the base. They will not be crushed by the weight of the temple, because Christ supports them. Joe and Kim, make Christ… Know that you are secure in Christ. Isaiah spoke of this support in these terms, See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed (28:16). The church is secure, you are secure in the church.

Supported by the cornerstone the church becomes a temple for the Holy Spirit .

Blueprints Reason (people and place)

In the OT, God dwelt with his people Israel in the desert in the tent of tabernacle. There the glory of God was said to have shown to the people. Eventually Israel prospered… , and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. The word dwelt is the same word for tabernacle. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. The Scribes and the Pharisees chided Jesus… Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. The final temple tabernacled among us. Jesus is the true and living temple that all other temples pre-figured.

Jesus is the reality of the OT, he is the center.

By the power of the HS dwelling in this temple, death was defeated. The HS then tore the veil in the earthly temple in two because it was only a shadow of the reality that is Christ. Christ is the real and now in Christ we have access to God.

How so? We are the living temple. This is our union with Christ. So, now the same HS that accompanied Jesus and empowered him now dwells in us. It is the same Spirit that empowers… The same HS that ministered… The same HS that protected… resurrected…

“Does God use perfect materials?”By faith in Christ alone, through his Word alone, you are supported, not by your own power, but by grace alone.

This is faith alone to which the Crawfords… for we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.