220227 The Sacred temples of the Churchage

Note, this day, my roman friends, we treat places that we call the church as Sacred. You know, there was but one building in the Tanakh and in the New Covenant that was ever considered the place of worship, that was the temple.

John 4:19–24 (NASB95) — 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Our bodies are sacred to God. It is there where true worship takes place.

This is another fine day in the Lord

Hymn He Hideth My Soul

Prayer

Continual prayers for Pastor’s Robby Dean and Jim Myers who are now in Romania after a treacherous exodus from the Ukraine where they were ministering . from the 24th of February. last note

Be in continual prayer for the group as they are on their way home.

At the very moment of our new birth we are Sanctified, set apart and consecrated for service to God, We have been deemed as Sacred vessels.

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (NASB95) — 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

When Jesus as a Child, and as He entered into it each year, year after year, when his parents would bring Him up to Jerusalem, it was not to a place that would one day be His Father’s house.

It was His Father’s house.

That temple was destroyed in AD 70. It was not replaced. that is, it was not replaced by church buildings that are constructed today. these churches no matter how elaborate are not God’s houses. that is bad theology.

The scriptural reference to holy temples in the time in which we live is in reference to our very bodies.

It is not what you will be at the time that you are created a new creature. It is not what you aspire to be. You are sanctified (positionally Sanctified.)

It is not the building or the special room that is in the building that we call Church that is the Sanctuary, but it is your bodies that are now at the moment of faith in Christ and made a new creatures, you are mobile tabernacles that are traveling through out the world bringing light to all the world.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20(NASB95) — 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.

This was a reminder to the local Church at Corinth. They were in the habit of living in the world without regard to their personal behavior as representatives of Christ. Paul identified them as Christians and called upon them to take note of their own temples outside of the pagan temples where they would go to visit temple prostitutes. In such a way, they were desecrating what was holy before God.

1 Peter 1:13–16 (NASB95) — 13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Grace. that is you have recieved that which you did not deserve or merited. Salvation is a gift from God. Grace demands a response. A thank you as it were.

1 Peter 1:13-14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

2 Timothy 2:21(NASB95) — 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Positional Sanctification is a call to responsibility to care for that which is sacred to God, taking personal responsibility to care for these temples. I’m not taking about your diet. The dietary laws are not focus here. But I am talking about the spiritual welfare. And if you conscience in such matters dictate, then treat the physical with respect to diet as well.

Point of Doctrine: How we care for the spiritual wellbeing of our temples will have impact on the world around us.

WE are priests in the image of the Levitical priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9–12 (NASB95) — 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

As priests we are robbed with priestly Garments which is the righteousness of God.

It is in Sin that our temples become desecrated and our robs as priests become soiled. IN such a condition we are carnal living according to the flesh and are walking in Darkness outside of the Sanctuary.

Jude 22–23 (NASB95) — 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

Revelation 3:4–6 (NASB95) — 4 ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

God’s will for us, is Sanctification. That we treat sacred that which is His. that we our uniforms are kept unsoiled and are fit for service inside our sanctuaries. We were born again not of ourselves but belonging to God as sacred vessels created for good works which honors him.

Sanctification is the environment that we are to live out our spiritual lives. It is the only place that true worship takes place. that which is unclean, Is not fit for worship, and when walking in sin, unrepentant when we fall short, we are outside of the place of true worship.

Point of Doctrine

If we are to approach God in worship, we must approach God on His terms and not our own.

Good works are the works that are acceptable and pleasing to God, as a product of honorable vessels.

2 Timothy 2:21 (NASB95) — 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

the fruit outside the boundaries of sanctification are not acceptable to God and is classified as dead works,

Hebrews 6:1 (NASB95) — 1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

Hebrews 9:14 (NASB95) — 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

All worship must be performed within the boundaries of a sanctified spiritual life.

Spiritual growth occurs only within the boundaries of the Sanctified spiritual life.

the empowerment of the spirit only comes within the boundaries of a Sanctified spiritual life

we can only glorify God within a Sanctified spiritual life.

Proper discernment of scripture comes only within the boundaries of a sanctified spiritual life.

Loving one another can only be accomplished within the boundaries of the sanctified Spiritual life.

the Armor of God only works in a Sanctified spiritual life.

Advancement in the spiritual life can only take place in the sanctified spiritual life.

Satan has no power over the believer who resides in the boundaries of the Sanctified spiritual life.

Satan’s object is to keep the believer outside of those boundaries. the Carnal nature allies itself with Satan and his willing accomplices to draw the believer out and to keep him out from that Sanctified environment of the spiritual life to render the believer impotent.

this is what we are to guard against.

1 Peter 5:8 (NASB95) — 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

James 4:7 (NASB95) — 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1 Thessalonians 4:4–5 (NASB95) — 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

The greatest tool in the arsenal of the devil is sexual immorality.

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (4202 πορνεία)

4202 πορνεία [porneia /por·ni·ah/] n f. From 4203; TDNT 6:579; TDNTA 918; GK 4518; 26 occurrences; AV translates as “fornication” 26 times. 1 illicit sexual intercourse. 1A adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc. 1B sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18. 1C sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,12. 2 metaph. the worship of idols. 2A of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols.

We have traced the attacks throughout history. From Genesis 6 where we find the Sons of God looking down upon the daughters of man and took them as wives. To Sarah the mother of the Jewish race being brought in to the Harim of the Pharoah of Egypt.

and speaking of how Satan works against those whom God has brought under His blessing. For Satan to gain any foot hold over the believer's life they have to make the choice to step away from God’s blessing and protection under God’s divine authority.

Numbers 22:1–6 (NASB95) — 1 Then the sons of Israel journeyed, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho. 2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel. 4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5 So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me. 6 “Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

King Balak was powerless to do any thing about the people. The were fruitful and Multiplying which is a picture of God’s blessing. So he sends for Balaam. But when Balaam was considering the Lord speaks to Balaam.

Numbers 22:9–12 (NASB95) — 9 Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, 11 ‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’ ” 12 God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

It was not until the Israelites on their own accord stepped out of the boundaries where they were found to be vulnerable.

Numbers 25:1–3 (NASB95) — 1 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. 2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel.

1 Corinthians 10:6–8 (NASB95) — 6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” 8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.

Our children should be as prepared as much as possible prior to going out into the world, that they may know that they are responsible for the consequences for their actions. On the matter of sex if they are not well advised, as watchmen over the souls of our children given them the warning, we are accountable. for Satan will seek to unequally yolk together our Christian minded children with his children of disobedience to render useless all the work that went into preparing the child to serve God.

the chosen wife or husband can either be a asset or a liability to one’s spiritual life.

1 Thessalonians 4:6–7 (NASB95) — 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.

As the believer draws nearer to God, the believer begins to pay closer attention to all of his dealings with man. both big and small, even when the small seems so insignificant as to not warrant any consequence of man, the believer of both fear and the Love of God will tread lightly in every area of HIs life knowing

He is accountable to his sovereign God.

that the wrong action sets him outside the boundaries of The Sanctified spiritual life where he has been distanced from God and is vulnerable to attack by the evil one.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 (NASB95) — 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of uncleanliness, but in sanctification.

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 167 ἀκαθαρσία

167 ἀκαθαρσία [akatharsia /ak·ath·ar·see·ah/] n f. From 169; TDNT 3:427; TDNTA 381; GK 174; 10 occurrences; AV translates as “uncleanness” 10 times. 1 uncleanness. 1A physical. 1B in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living. 1B1 of impure motives.

Uncleanness sets one outside of the boundaries of where worship of God exist.

1 John 1:5–10 (NASB95) — 5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 2511 καθαρίζω, καθερίζω

καθαρίζω, καθερίζω [katharizo /kath·ar·id·zo/] v.

to cleanse or purify.

Traditionally we put our best selves on, on Sunday mornings to go to Church. We use to all dress up. we would not cuss or do any thing that would bring bad light upon us. all because we were in God’s house.

What’s more sacred to God, is not the building, but the body. our bodies which is the true sacred vessels. If and when we aknowledge that one biblical truth then perhaps we should bring our best to the Lord each and every day 24/7

Closing Hymn ; How great thou art

Closing prayer