Kiza Devotionals 2

Construction Blunders

If you plan to read along in your Bibles, go ahead and find Ephesians chapter 2.

I’ve discovered that when owning a home, it’s often helpful to have certain skills. I seem to do okay with minor plumbing or electrical challenges, but I’ve also discovered that there are things I simply should never attempt and yet, I find it so hard to resist trying. But, to be blunt, I should never be allowed to pick up a saw or hammer and expect to build anything. We’ve all heard the saying, “measure twice, cut once.” Well, I measure 3 or 4 times and still can’t cut a board to the correct size.

I think I can find reassurance, that I’m not the only one dimensionally challenged. I have some images I want to share and I ask, if you would ever want these folks building anything for you?

Forward thinking — flying cars

Emergency Exit

Legos? Not enough Legos

The Bible has something to say about the construction of a building as well-- and fortunately for us, its builder is God.

Read with me from Ephesians 2:11. I will be reading this morning from the New Living Translation.

New Living Translation Chapter 2

11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

A Temple for the Lord

19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

the animosity between the Jewish nation and Gentiles

Racism and racial tension certainly is not a new concept—but rather something that has existed probably since the recored event of the Tower of Babel. That tension was especially sharp between Jew and Gentile. The Jewish purity laws were so odd to the surrounding people and Jews were forbidden in some instances from intermixing with racial groups. The Jews came to equate their separation with license to hate non-Jews (Gentiles).

The gentile perception of Jews wasn’t any different. Because of Jewish separation, Gentiles reflected the perceived hostility right back. Gentiles hated Jews because, well, Jews hated Gentiles. By the time of the early church, hostility between the Jewish nation and Rome was incredibly intense.

the wall of hostility—was an actual wall.

In v14, Paul mention’s a “wall of hostility.” I had thought that was merely in reference to the veil of the temple that was torn when Jesus died on the Cross. I didn’t realize that Paul was referencing an actual wall. Take a look at this artist rendering of the temple of Herod.

The temple

As a kid and young adult, I thought racism was something that only existed in the US. When I was about 9, I remember going out to play and finding some other boys and girls on my street, tried to invite myself with that universal introduction, “will you play with me?” The answer I received was astounding and unexpected— “No, you’re white. Blacks don’t play with white trash.” I didn’t let that event ruin my perception that the color of one’s skin determined what type of person they really are.

But the idea that racism only existed in my small little world waned quickly the older I got but it wasn’t until Bill started interviewing me that I had started looking into the history of Rwanda and saw how far racism will go even in modern times—a subject I’m not going to pretend I fully understand but it’s a crisis that persists in the news today.

BUT...

But how wonderful it is to know the mystery of Christ. He broke down the wall of division—divisions among race and gender. Paul explains that we are now all one in Christ—being built up into a temple. Jesus taught us how the rest of the world could tell that we are a part of this construction project when he said, “by this will all men know that you are my disciples, that you have love for one another.”

I count this as such an amazing opportunity to be able virtually reach across the globe and grab the hand of my Christian brothers and sisters, and united in Christ, to pray and worship, to love God and love others.

We are the Temple of God.

In a programming metaphor, if I were to create a C# class of “temple” it would have 2 attributes and 3 functions

Attribute 1) a temple is sanctified (set apart) or made holy for God

English Standard Version Chapter 2

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

and in 1 Peter 1:15-16

English Standard Version Chapter 1

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

We have been called out of the world and set apart through the blood of Christ. The church has been described as a body, as a temple, a building, a nation, and a bride. As a holy people, we should look and act peculiar—what God intended for Israel when he called Abraham—not to be the only people blessed by God, but to the the carrier of his message. We are the messengers of the Gospel (the good news) of the Love of God to a world torn apart by greed, hatred, anger, and hurt.

Attribute 2) a temple is a place where God resides

English Standard Version Chapter 2

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

In 1 Corinthians 3:16 —

English Standard Version Chapter 3

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

We spoke a couple weeks a go that the believer is SEALED with the Holy Spirit. It is the guarantee of our inheritance. We go about carrying the presence of God in us.

Function 1) a temple is a place of prayer and worship. 1 Thess 5:17

English Standard Version Chapter 5

pray without ceasing

And Acts 3:3

English Standard Version Chapter 3

3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer,

Prayer should be a second nature for the Christian. There are times of corporate prayer, times we set apart for private prayer, and spontaneous times we utter a quick prayer. It is praying without ceasing and keeping that open communication with our Father.

Function 2) a temple is a place of sacrifice. Rom 12:1

English Standard Version Chapter 12

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

There is a parallel between this verse and the Burnt offering described in the first chapter of Leviticus. In the burnt offering the entire animal was placed on the alter and burned. It was very costly offering to the individual, one that came at great expense to the worshipper.

Paul calls us, at great personal expense, to offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice as our worship. We are to live wholly committed to God daily.

Finally...

Function 3) a temple is a place of service. 1 Sam 3, we see a boy set apart for service in the temple...

English Standard Version Chapter 3

3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli.

And James 2:26

English Standard Version Chapter 2

26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

We are not simply saved to warm a seat in church. We are not the frozen chosen. God expects us to be active—living out our faith and sharing the good news. When questioned, Jesus said the entire law can be summed up in 2 statements, Love God, Love people. That is an active faith—alive—vibrant—and effective.

So, now I ask how are you, how are we, being the Temple of God?