The Temple of God in the Spirit
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Intro
Intro
Sermon Text - 1 Corinthians 3.16-17
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Sermon Title - The Church, The Temple Of God In The Spirit
Background
Background
The concept of the “temple”
signifies permanence
Moses’ tabernacle was basically a tent, made of animal skin and designed to be assembled and dis-assembled easily
God’s dwelling place
12 “Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David.
13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”
Temple in the New Testament era
God did not ask for a temple to dwell in
God built His own temple
Christ (typified by Solomon) built the temple for God to dwell in
God is not only “among His people” , but “in His people”
The Main Point
The Main Point
The church is God’s temple only because - and only as long as - the Holy Spirit dwells in her.
Take away the presence of God, and the temple becomes just like any other house.
Take away the presence of God, and the church becomes just like any other organization.
A church may cease to become God’s Temple in the Spirit if it failes to meet God’s standards.
Solomon’s temple - given to enemy and destroyed
The church that the apostles left - became apostate
Key questions
how does a building become a temple of God?
how do we take care of the temple of God?
Sermon Points
Sermon Points
How a building qualifies as a temple of God
How a building qualifies as a temple of God
The design - the house is designed for worship
The design - the house is designed for worship
God showed Moses a pattern for the tabernacle
8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
30 And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain.
God designed the church for worship
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
WHAT’S THE POINT?
If we are the church and temple of God in the Spirit - let us live according to His design for our life
for worship
for fellowship with God
for prayer
A church that does not fulfill its design is a WORTHLESS church. Sooner or later the presence of God leaves it.
The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant
Strictly speaking, God dwells in the Ark, not in the temple
1 Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.”
God dwells “between the Cherubim”
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.
1 The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!
the Ark of the Covenant represented the Presence of God
3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.
the Ark of the Covenant contains the 2 tablets of stone, the Word of God
Typified and prefigured the Lord Jesus Christ - the Word made flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
WHAT’S THE POINT?
God is in His Word! - WMB
The church is God’s temple only because - and as long as - the church abides in the Word and word abides in her
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
God is present where His Word is welcome!
If we are God’s church and temple today - let us give place to the Word of God in every area of our life.
Let’s MAKE TIME for the Word.
How the temple of God is maintained
How the temple of God is maintained
It is possible for a church to cease from being a temple of God.
Solomon’s temple
God left the temple, and then given to the hands of the enemy - shown in Ezekiel’s visions
Herod’s temple
no presence of God
overrun by “thieves”
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
Jesus only expressed His zeal for the house of God
the church after the apostles have died
the bishops left the Word
the Spirit-filled men and women in the church died
the people left in the church were nominal Christians
WHAT’S THE POINT?
The church is only as good as the Spirit-filled people in it!
A church without Spirit-filled men and women ceases to become a temple of God!
no worshipers (in spirit and in truth)
no praying individuals
no passion for God’s word
no hunger for fellowship with God
How can we keep the church to continue as God’s temple?
Do not defile the Temple of God.
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
defile - Grk. PHTEIRO, to mess up, to corrupt, to destroy, ruin
idolatries
7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
evil company
33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
ungodly, carnal men
10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
Jude was talking about ungodly men who have crept in unnoticed
carnal/fleshly knowledge corrupts the Christian
Fill the church with Spirit-filled men and women.
Spirit-filled Christians are true worshipers!
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
and respectful of fellow Christians (submit to one another)
Spirit-filled Christians are prayerful
Spirit-filled Christians speak the word of God with boldness
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Spirit-filled Christians help others to be filled with the Spirit
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Spirit-filled Christians are effective in ministry
3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Spirit-filled Christians stay in the Word
27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Spirit-filled Christians MAKE UP the true Church of the living God!
Spirit-filled Christians make the church a living temple of God!
Spirit-filled Christians are the very temple of God in the Spirit!
Conclusion
Conclusion
The greatest privilege we can attain on earth is to be God’s dwelling place!
even O.T. saints did not have this privilege
The purpose of life and the fulness of life is in being used of God.
God chose the “unwise”, the “un-noble”, the weak for His glory!
SONG
Pour Out Your Spirit