Dwelling Place

The dividing wall we spoke of last week was not just social or cultural, it was actually a wall inside the temple. A barrier to keep gentiles outside of the temple proper. Now though, we are no longer alienated, stranger or those without God. Now we are together, being built into a dwelling place for God.

In the temple, there were inscriptions that have been found that warned those who were not Jewish, that to transcend the steps into the upper courtyards could cost you your.

Let me give you some background.

Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary The Wall of Hostility

The temple was surrounded by courts. The innermost court was called the Court of the Priests, because only male members of the priestly tribe of Levi were to enter it. The next court was the Court of Israel; it could be entered by any male Jew. After this there was the Court of the Women, which any Jew could enter and which was called the Court of the Women because it was as far as a woman could go in this hierarchy.

These courtyards were all on the same level

Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary The Wall of Hostility

From the Court of the Women one descended five steps to a level area in which there was erected a five-foot stone barricade that went around the temple enclosure; then, after another level space, there were fourteen more steps that descended to the Court of the Gentiles. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the wall dividing Jews from Gentiles was marked at intervals by stone inscriptions stating that no foreigner was permitted to enter the Jewish enclosures upon penalty of death.

I used to laugh every time I drove out our road. There was this sign that said, “trespassers will be shot, survivors will be prosecuted”. That’s funny right?

Imagine if it just simply said “trespassers will be killed”. Not so funny

Paul knew this hostility well. No wonder he spent some time here to remind the gentiles that they were not second class citizens.

In Paul’s world, there was no such impassable wall as the one between Jews and Gentiles.

Now the wall is gone, knocked down by Christ. We are no longer alienated, no longer strangers.nNow he, Paul, goes one step further and tells us that we, Jews and Gentiles, are being built into a dwelling place for God.

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

1 Peter 2:5 ESV

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.

Foundations are built upon

Psalm 118:22–23 ESV

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Acts 4:11 ESV

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.

The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

Cornerstones are the beginning and the linchpin

A cornerstone (Greek: Άκρογωνιεîς, Latin: Primarii Lapidis) will sometimes be referred to as a "foundation-stone", and is symbolic of Christ, whom the Apostle Paul referred to as the "head of the corner" and is the "Chief Cornerstone of the Church" (Ephesians 2:20). A chief or head cornerstone is placed above two walls to maintain them together and avoid the building to fall apart. Many of the more ancient churches will place relics of the saints, especially martyrs, in the foundation stone.

Christ still holds us together

Just like Peter tells us

1 Peter 2:5–7 ESV

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. 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.” 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,”

We, individually and collectively, are built into the dwelling place of God

The church is meant to display God just as much as the person is meant to display God.

This is why it hurts the witness of Christ so much when the church does not display Him well. And why it hurts it so much when individuals do not display Him well either.

We turn into each others excuses. The church is full of hypocrits. so I can be a hypocrit.

The church was mean to me so I can be mean to others. The people are arrogant so the church must be arrogant.

Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary Chapter 15: The New Humanity (Ephesians 2:19–22)

Chapter 1 presented the plan of salvation from God’s perspective, beginning with God’s electing grace in Christ and culminating in the exaltation of Christ as “head over everything for the church, which is his body.” Chapter 2 presented the plan from our perspective, showing how we are brought from a state of being spiritually dead to a state of being spiritually alive. But it also ends with the church; for it shows, not merely how we have been made alive in Christ, but how we have been brought into the fellowship of God’s redeemed and regenerated people.

Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary Chapter 15: The New Humanity (Ephesians 2:19–22)

Can you find these images? The first is of the church as a city-state or kingdom. Paul refers to it by saying, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people” (v. 19). The second picture is of a family. Paul slips that in by continuing, “… and members of God’s household” (v. 19). The third picture is the most carefully developed, a building which turns out to be a temple: “… built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (v. 20). And Paul adds, “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (v. 21).

Later in the letter Paul develops the image of the church as Christ’s body (chaps. 4–5), and still later as a well-equipped army (ch. 6).

So, what does this mean to us?

What should we do about this?

James Boice had a three point look at this and what it means for us.

The foundation

Be dedicated to reading, learning and applying the teachings in the Bible.

The Cornerstone

Christ was the cornerstone and still is. He must remain so.

The Living Stones

We are each purposed by God.

Isn’t that wonderful news!

God has a purpose for your life.

God has a purpose in our lives collectively as a church as well.

We are stacked by the expert mason into our places. We are living stones being built up to be and display the dwelling place of God.

You know a neat fact about displays, they are intended to be seen.

So are buildings, structures and dwelling places.

They are of course functional as well and serve a purpose all their own but we should never lose sight of the fact that we are here to glorify God.

Literally that means “to bring Him Glory”

Christ is the cornerstone. He is glorious and brings glory to God.

The Apostles and Profits are the foundation and bring glory to God

Now we are the living stones, being built into the dwelling place of God.

Do we bring Him glory?

I pray we are doing just that. Jesus has paid the price for us to adopted sons and daughters. Called ones, secure ones.

I pray my life continues to be built into a dwelling place of the Lord.

May our lives individually and as a church, bring glory to His name.

Home, Sweet Home

By SermonCentral

HOME, SWEET HOME

There was a time during the American Civil War, when the rival armies were encamped on the opposite banks of the Potomac River, the Union's band played one of its patriotic tunes, and the Confederate musicians quickly struck up a melody dear to any Southerner's heart. Then one of the bands started to play "Home, Sweet Home." The musical competition ceased, and the musicians from the other army joined in. Soon voices from both sides of the river could be heard singing, "There is no place like home." In a similar way, (all those with Christ as head), in spite of many divisions, is bound together by that one strong link--we are all going home, and to the same home. We have a common destiny.

[(Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (68). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.) From a sermon by Matthew Kratz, Hope that Stands in the Storm]

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May we forget our differences as we unite around our foundation and cornerstone.

Let us bring Glory to His name as we together are built into His dwelling place.