What is God's cosmic mission, and what part do his people play in it? Like soldiers on the battlefield, Christians must comprehend their commander's intent. Our mission is to fill the earth with God's glory until the entire earth becomes a resting place for God. In this series, we're returning to the garden to re-discover God's deepest longing for his people.
The Church As The New Temple
Speakers
Josh Blount
Lead Pastor
Worship
Notes
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Genesis 1:28
“Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
God is so transcendent that His burning purity makes it dangerous for Him to draw near to us, given our sinfulness. His infinite purity is so explosive, it would annihilate us.
R.C. Sproul
“The Church As The New Temple”…
The temple was the place where the Spirit of God lived among the people.
Mark 13:1
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
Mark 13:2
Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
The temple wasn't going away, it was being reinvented!
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Ephesians 2:19
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
1 Peter 2:5
And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.
We are the temple!
In the modern era, God continues to reinvent His temple through the Church, where believers, as living stones, collectively reflect His presence in the world.
Dallas Willard
Ephesians 5:25
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
My “fill the earth” purpose is connected to my connection to the local church.
1. Divine Construction
The construction of the temple and the practices of the temple were built on Gods standards and desires, not man’s.
The temple was NOT built around what people wanted and desired; it was built around what God wanted and required.
I. Pleasing God Was The Goal
Today, we live in an age where the church has a greater fear of man complex than it does a fear of God conviction.
Jesus wasn’t concerned about being culturally relevant, politically correct, and tolerant; what Jesus concerned Himself with was doing the will of the Father.
John 5:19
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
John 6:38
I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
Jesus’ life was marked by a commitment to God’s will, not by a desire for human approval. He teaches us to prioritize pleasing God over pleasing people.
Tim Keller
Jesus is the chief cornerstone.
The chief cornerstone metaphor reveals that Christ is the reference point for our lives. All that we do must align with Him, and our individual lives are built upon His unshakeable foundation.
A.W. Tozer
The welcome that matters most is the welcome we extend to God in our midst. Pleasing Him should be our primary focus, and from that, a genuine hospitality towards people flows."
Erwin Lutzer
II. God’s Word Established The Standard
Everything done in the temple was done by the book; it was done by leading by the word of God.
The world is hungry for a glimpse of God's glory. Obedience is our way of lifting the veil, allowing His radiant beauty to shine through our lives.
Albert Mohler
2. Divine Unity
1 Peter 2:5
You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.
We are living stones.
Ephesians 2:22
In him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Built together - placed together, constructed together to make up one whole
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
We all have some individual strength, beauty, and value, but our value and beauty are realized in the highest form when we are connected to one another!
Hebrews 10:24
Let us consider one another…
The church is not a solo expedition; it's a communal journey where we walk together, encouraging and challenging one another towards love and good works."
R.C. Sproul
Divine construction and divine unity set the table for divine interactions.