A Son Builds A Temple

Daniel Norman

TGP A Kingdom Provided • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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The temple pointed God's people and the world around them to God.

Notes

Transcript

Introduction

Good Morning Church, I trust you had a blessed Thanksgiving holiday. I heard things went well here Wed Night as we gathered together with Harvestime Church. You know last Saturday I had the opportunity to preach for Harvestime Mondovi and I was glad to have the opportunity because I was afraid they were gonna starting thinking I was avoiding them for some reason. I don’t know what it is but it seems to me that whenever I go out of town you guys call up Havestime and invite them over to party without me. I am not sure how I should feel about that, but I am glad to hear it was a blessed time.

We had a good time connecting together with my crazy family. God was gracious to us in travel mercies, but I have to say that I don’t really miss living in a bigger city. There is nothing wrong with that, I have just gotten used to living and working in smaller towns and as much fun as it was connecting with my family I was glad to be home.

Rachel and I have often dreamed about going even further off the grid then we are now. You know, getting a place up in the hills surrounded by nothing but trees and blue skies. We even went online and looked for a place and we think we found the perfect one, check out this picture:

Nothing wrong with t aHow was your Thanksgiving holiday? Busy? We had a great time getting together with family, but with 19 of us in the house it was crazy. Rachel and I have often talked about getting away from all the chaos and retreating up to the hills to live among the trees and critters. Sometimes we even fantasize about what our place would look like, we found this place online and thought wow...

[image of castle] Is that what you were thinking from my description? It is in fact “A place up in hills surrounded by nothing but trees and blue skies.” But I would guess that even though you each pictured the place a little different, none of you pictured this did you? Why not?

Because you know me. Right? You know my family. You know my interests. You know the things that I value. You know the car that I drive. You know the paycheck that I get…so when you see a place like this you aren’t thinking…I wonder if the Normans live there? You know that we don’t live here. This is the dwelling place of Kings and Queens someone of royal blood. That is just not who we are, so you would never think that we dwell in a place like this.

A King and his Queen, I am neither of these things so you would never think that I would dwell in a place like this.

You know that I am not going to ever be living here. This is the dwelling place of Kings and Queens someone of royal blood. A King and his Queen, I am neither of these things so you would never think that I would dwell in a place like this.

I imagine that when I said, “A place up in the hills surrounded by nothing but trees” most all of you pictured something closer to this:

[image of cabin] This makes more sense doesn’t it? This is more fitting. This lines up with what you know about me and you can picture this as a place where you might find the Normans.

My point is that the place that we choose to dwell in often says something about us. It communicates something. Now don’t take this a dark place thinking I am saying that we should judge people by their houses, that is not my point at all. A person’s value is given to us by our creator and living in a castle or cabin does not alter that. But where we choose to dwell can say a lot about the things we value.

Those are two very different places in the hills aren’t they? They are both among the trees and in the hills but the similarities stop there don’t they? And I don’t just mean how different they are architecturally, although that is also true, but when we look at these two places we think make evaluative judgments don’t we. We think we know something about the lives of the people living in these two different dwellings.

Tension

My point is that the place that we choose to dwell often says something about us. It communicates something.

Now don’t take this a dark place. I am not saying that we should judge people by their houses, that is not my point at all. Every person’s value is given to them by our creator and whether they live in an ornate castle or run down cabin does not alter that. But where we choose to dwell, does say something about us. It communicates something of who we are, the life we live and even some of the things we value. Where we choose to dwell does not change our value, but it does communicate some things about us.

The reason that I want us to think through this idea is that our Gospel Project series has brought us to a place where we are talking about the construction of a house. This is a very special house, and maybe more than any other dwelling place, this house was designed to communicate something about the one who dwells there. This house was to be constructed by King Solomon. His father, King David, wanted to build it, but God told him “No”. He said that this honor would go to his son.

him follow through on something that his father, King David said was his to do. Not because David didn’t want to do it, he really did, but because God told him that the privilege of building this house belongs to his son.

Truth

In God is speaking to David and he says...

1 Chronicles 17:11–12 ESV

11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.

Did you hear that? This house was special, because it was a house built for the very presence of God. While David was a man after God’s own heart, he was also a man of war so God said that he would not get to build this house, but his son Solomon would. And remember last week how Solomon was given resources in wisdom, wealth, influence and power beyond anything we could imagine…and he used these very things to build a house for God.

A house that would in a small way reflect some of his untouchable glory.

1 Chronicles 22:11 ESV

11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you.

A house that would reflect some of his infinite majesty.

A house fit for more than a King, but for the very presence of God.

Now that is a tall order, and Solomon hit the mark, but when he was finished Solomon was quick to declare that he knew that nothing in our broken down world could actually contain the glorious presence of the LORD, but he built this “house”, this dwelling place in such a way that everyone who saw it would be awed into thinking that someone extraordinary dwelled there.

The place where the LORD said he would dwell, communicated something about who He is.

But why does this matter to us. Is this just a history lesson for the architectural lovers among us or is there something more?

Sure the Temple Solomon built was magnificent in so many ways, but we will never be able to see it. In fact, even the Temple that Jesus saw was not nearly as spectacular because at that point it had been destroyed and rebuilt more than once. It is not the significance of the physical building itself that reaches into our lives today, but the idea of a dwelling place for the LORD that does.

We can take the purposes aimed for in Solomon’s ancient dwelling place and apply it to a new dwelling place in our day today. While Solomon’s Temple was built out of stone and wood that was overlayed with Gold, the New Testament tells us that we are God’s Temple, because God’s Spirit dwells in us.

And it is important

If the place where the LORD dwells is meant to communicate something of who He is, what does it mean that He has chosen to dwell in us?

He said in And it is important

If the place where the LORD dwells communicates something of who He is, what does it mean that He has chosen to dwell in us?

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

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

That is the question that we will be getting after this morning, so open your Bibles with me to , p. 287 I’ll pray and we will dive into the significance of the dwelling place of the LORD.

Truth

Chapters 5-7 contain all the details around Solomon’s building of the Temple of the LORD and we don’t have time to go into all of that detail but I did want to point out a couple of things.

First of all, while his father David did gather together much of what was needed to build the Temple, Solomon still needed some pretty significant supplies. As I mentioned it was built structurally with stone and cedar. The cedar was imported from the king of Tyre in chapter 5, and everything that was built with cedar was then covered in glittering gold. It was truly magnificent as craftsmen of the greatest caliber were commissioned in this project. The stone, however was cut in a nearby quarry, and something that found fascinating is that the text says in chapter 6 vs7

1 Kings 6:7 ESV

7 When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.

If you ever been around a construction site you know the noise that it can create. This was no ordinary building so it would not be built in ordinary ways. They formed the stones elsewhere and then reverently brought them in to be fitted in place without any loud tools.

Secondly, the greatest care was given to what was called the “inner most room” or the “Holy of Hollies”. This room was fit with these massive 15 foot tall cherubim, or angels, with wingspans of more than 16 feet. Their presence seemed to fill the room and the were covered the purest of gold. And then when everything was finally ready, they made preparations to move the symbol of God’s presence, the Ark of the Covenant into the innermost room.

The great pillars, furnishings, and tools that were needed for the daily sacrifices were ornately crafted of select bronze. of select bronze went out for 8 feet in either direction covered with pure gold. The great pillars and the many furnishings of the temple were ornately crafted out of select bronze.

And then when everything was finally ready, they made preparations to move the symbol of God’s presence, the Ark of the Covenant into the innermost room. Now if you have been with us for a while you know that there is reason to be a bit concerned here. For some reason, whenever God’s people tried to more the Ark of the Covenant from one place to another bad things happen. They never seemed to treat it with the respect it deserves, but this time they did. Under Solomon’s instructions the Priests follow God’s commands and move the ark of the covenant into the inner most room and laid between those massive angels. And that is where we begin our reading for this morning starting in verse 10 of chapter 8.

The Temple Hosts God’s Presence ()

Now if you have been with us for a while you know that there is reason to be a bit concerned here. For some reason, whenever God’s people tried to more the Ark of the Covenant from one place to another bad things happen. They never seemed to treat it with the respect it deserves, but this time they did. Under Solomon’s instructions the Priests follow God’s commands and moved the ark of the covenant into the inner most room and laid between those massive angels.

And this is the very moment where we pick up our reading for this morning starting in verse 10 of chapter 8.

1 Kings 8:10–14 ESV

And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.” Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood.

when the symbol of God’s presence arrives - the ark of the covenant

The first thing that the Temple of the LORD does is

The Temple hosts God’s presence ()

The promise that Solomon is referring to here is back in verse 11 of chapter 6 where God says:

1 Kings 6:11–14 ESV

11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.” 14 So Solomon built the house and finished it.

1 Kings 6:11–13 ESV

1 Kings 6:

It is hard to overstate the significance of this promise: God has offered to dwell here with His people. The architectural beauty of this building was only meant to point to the significance of that which was dwelling inside.

God has offered to dwell here with His people. It is hard to overstate the significance of this offer. The architectural beauty of this building was only meant to point to the significance of that which was dwelling inside. The God himself chose to dwell among his people…again! Remember this was how it was always supposed to be. In the Garden of Eden, tells us that God was heard walking in the garden in the cool of the day. He was dwelling with Adam and Eve like this, until they sinned and broke the relationship. The Temple was a sign to the people of Israel that at least in this little patch of ground, God is dwelling among his people again. And if God’s people would have “walked in His statues and obey His rules” then this would have continued, but they didn’t.

It has always been God’s desire to dwell among His people, and we can see this throughout history.

The architectural beauty of this building was only meant to point to the significance of that which was dwelling inside. The God himself chose to dwell among his people. Remember this was how it was always supposed to be. In the Garden of Eden, tells us that God was heard walking in the garden in the cool of the day. He was dwelling with Adam and Eve like this, until they sinned and broke the relationship. The Temple was a sign to the people of Israel that at least in this little patch of ground, God is dwelling among his people again. And if God’s people would have “walked in His statues and obey His rules” then this would have continued, but they didn’t.

In the Garden of Eden, tells us that God was heard walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

When no one else was righteous on the Earth, says that Noah walked with God

The world again became corrupt and the Lord approached one man, Abraham, and instructed him to walk with him ()

The book of

When God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt he walked before them in a pillar of smoke and fire.

’s people were leaving slavery in Egypt, the presence of the LORD went before His people in fire or smoke to lead them to the land that He promised them.

And every time they stopped to make camp, the Tabernacle, the tent that proceeded the Temple, was placed in the center of the camp and every tribe took their place around it.

And here we see again how God instructed Solomon to build the Temple as a sign to the people of Israel that God continued to dwell with His people. This time it is a solid structure in the center of Jerusalem, the capital city of the land that He promised Abraham so many years ago.

The Temple was a sign to the people of Israel that at least in this little patch of ground, God is dwelling among his people again. And if God’s people would have “walked in His statues and obey His rules” then this would have continued, but they didn’t.

Secondly,

The presence of the LORD was not something to take lightly. The people of Israel had learned that the hard way several times.

Remember how they coward at the foot at Mount Sinai, begging Moses to go talk to God so they didn’t have to hear his voice

And some of them dared question God’s choice of Moses for a leader and the earth swallowed them up

Then Eli’s wicked sons brought out the Ark of The Covenant to win a battle and they not only lost their lives but the Ark as well

Then when it returned, the city of priests didn’t want the no one wanted it because they would not live rightly in it’s presence and it became a curse to them They kept passing the Ark of the Covenant around

They were shocked at the death of Uzzah when he reached out to steady the Ark on the cart

And if God’s people would have “walked in His statues and obey His rules and kept His commands” then this would have continued, but we know that they didn’t. Just as every time before, the people of God were not faithful to the commands of God, but this didn’t stop God from being faithful to the things that He promised. This was another purpose of the Temple...

The Temple declares God’s faithfulness ()

There are many places throughout these chapters that Solomon reminds God’s people that this Temple is meant to stand as a declaration of God’s faithfulness, but it is spelled out so clearly here in verses 20-21

1 Kings 8:20–21 ESV

Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. And there I have provided a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

As we have worked our way through the Old Testament this past year we have encountered the 4 major covenants between the LORD and His people. These are partnership agreements where God agrees to things and in return asks the people to be faithful to Him. The 4 covenants are linked with 4 major Old Testament Characters.

God makes promises and asks for commitments from His people to uphold his commands:

1. For Noah, The promise was that he would never again wash the world clean of evil with a flood. He gave us the rainbow as a sign of this covenant.

2. For Abraham, the promise was that he would have a great name, be the father of a great people and they would dwell in a great place and the sign of this covenant was circumcision.

3. Then God made a covenant with all the Israelites through Moses. After God freed His people from slavery in Egypt they really didn’t know how to behave as the people of God so He gave them the written law to be a sign that they were His people and He was their God. And finally, closest to our story today, God made a covenant with...

4. David. This covenant was made to David when he set out to build a house for the LORD. We read the verses earlier. He was told that he would not be able to build a house for God, but instead God promised to build a house for David so that someone from his line would reign as King forever.

The building of the Temple of the LORD in the city of Jerusalem stood as a fulfilment of all of these promises from God. God’s people have NOT been faithful, but through it all God has. Now these people have become a great people, in a great land, governed by God’s great law and they are positioned to be a light to the entire world.

This is our third purpose of the Temple Solomon built… as

Noah - God hasn’t destroyed the eath again

Place - People - Presence

Abraham - His descendants have becomea great peopleSo that this God is affirmed once again as the promise keeping God

The Temple advances God’s mission ()

Let’s make our way toward the end of chapter 8, starting in verse 54...

1 Kings 8:54–58 ESV

1 Kings

I hope you hear echo’s of the past promises of God here in Solomon’s words. They are eteranally linked together in the greater story of God’s continued faithfulness to His people. His faithfulness to call them to a right relationship with Him, to correct them when they have fallen out of step with that relationship and to covenant once again with them to restore that relationship. Because God is always working toward being able to dwell with His people, even all the way to us today... Solomon continues:

1 Kings 8:59-61

1 Kings 8:54–61 ESV

54 Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. 55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, 58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. 59 Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

1 Kings 8:59–61 ESV

59 Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

Powerful words of truth and commitment that Solomon followed up with an extravagant ceremony of sacrifices, offering hundreds of thousands of sacrifices to the LORD.

Gospel Application

And this brings the establishment of Solomon’s Temple to a close, but today we are after more than a historical record. We are after the significance of the Temple of today. Another name for the “New Testament” is the “New Covenant”, and under this New Covenant we don’t look for a physical building when we hear the word “Temple”. The dwelling place of the LORD under the New Covenant is still with His people, it just not limited to a certain building. It is where we read ...

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

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

What is easy to miss in this verse is that the word “you” here is in the plural form. So what it means is “you all” or “y’all” if you would prefer. Paul is talking to more than just one person, he is talking of all the members of the Church here. That we, together, are to be a Temple where these same three things happen. A place where God’s presence dwells, His faithfulness is proclaimed and his mission is advanced. This is what the New Covenant “Temple” is all about.

The temple hosts God’s presence

The temple declares God’s faithfulness

The temple advances God’s mission

What is easy to miss in this verse is that the word “you” here is in the plural form. So what it means is “you all” or “y’all” if you would prefer. Paul is talking to the members of the Church of the LORD here. He is saying that we together are a place where God’s presence dwells, His faithfulness is proclaimed and his mission is advanced. Certainly this means that individually we need to be committed to these things, later on in chapter 6 Paul talks about this, but here and elsewhere Paul is insistent that the relationships that we have together are meant to be the Temple under the New Covenant. Not a place made made with brick or wood but a community bonded together with the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. To the Church in Ephesus Paul said something similar as he said..

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

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

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6 ESV

1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

1 Corinthians 6 ESV

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

He is saying that we together are a Temple where these same three things happen. A place where God’s presence dwells, His faithfulness is proclaimed and his mission is advanced.

Certainly this means that individually we need to be committed to these things, later on in chapter 6 Paul talks about this, but here and elsewhere Paul is insistent that the relationships that we share together are meant to be built up into a New Covenant “Temple”. Not a place made made with brick or wood but a community bonded together with the dwelling of the Holy Spirit.

God’s presence dwells, His faithfulness is proclaimed and his mission is advanced. Certainly this means that individually we need to be committed to these things, later on in chapter 6 Paul talks about this, but here and elsewhere Paul is insistent that the relationships that we have together are meant to be the Temple under the New Covenant. Not a place made made with brick or wood but a community bonded together with the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. To the Church in Ephesus Paul said something similar as he said..

To the Church in Ephesus Paul said something similar as he said..

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.

1 Peter 2 ESV

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, 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. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Do you hear how Paul hijacks the language of building a house to apply it to our relationships with one another. We have the same responsibility as Solomon’s Temple - Since God’s presence dwells within us we are proclaiming his faithfulness and advancing his mission. The same mission that Solomon had thousands of years ago. That every person in our world would hear the message loud and clear that: The LORD is the only God and that He is faithfully working to provide a way that we would be able to dwell with Him.

How are we doing in being the “Temple”? How are we doing pointing people to the glory of God in our gathering together here as the local Church?

Where

How are we doing as a Church?

Are we coming together in such a way that people see this as a place where the glory of God dwells?

This is our calling as a local Church and we need to be communicating to our world the same message that Solomon’s Temple did in his: That the LORD is the only God and that He is faithfully working to provide a way that we would be able to dwell with Him.

Landing

The Temple of Solomon was spectacular, but it would not be the way that God will dwell with His people for very long. Just like every time before, God’s people cannot obey God’s commands in such a way as to remain in His presence. Next week we will see how this very King that declared these rich commitments to the only God, begins to break them and lead all of Isreal in the same.

But God is always faithful to his promises. A greater Temple was yet to come. A perfect representation of the untouchable glory and infinite majesty of the LORD was yet to come. That Temple was Jesus Christ, and He even referred to himself in that way.

John 2:18–22 ESV

18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

John 2:18-

John 2:18–20 ESV

John 2:1

Jesus was the perfect Temple. He was Emmanuel, God dwelling with us, and just as He said these religious leaders did indeed destroy the “Temple of his body” but Jesus raised again in three days. And the death and resurection of Jesus is our only hope of ever being able to dwell with God for eternity.

John 2:21–22 ESV

21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

John 2:

John 2 ESV

1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. 13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

John 2:18–22 ESV

Jesus was the perfect Temple. He was Emmanuel, God dwelling with us, and just as He said these religious leaders did indeed destroy this “Temple” and then Jesus raised again in three days. And the death and resurection of Jesus is our only hope of ever being able to dwell with God for eternity.

As we begin to prepare our hearts for communion this morning, let me close with this verse from Revelation. The last book of the Bible where we are given the end of the story of humanity.

Revelation 21:1–4 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

This is the fulfillment of the New Covenant, and my prayer is that you know this Temple, this Jesus, so that one day you too will dwell with God in the perfection of His presence. And if you already do, then let me challenge you to ask yourself how well you are connecting with his Church to display that glory to the world.

God’s word tells us to ready our hearts before communion...

Revelation

Take a look at these purposes of the TEMPLE again:

The temple hosts God’s presence

The temple declares God’s faithfulness

The temple advances God’s mission

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