The chapters for today or the verses for today
is verses 16 and verse 17. 1 Corinthians 3 verse
16 and 17. Do you not know that you are the temple
of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will
destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which
temple you are. Let's bow before the Lord and
ask for his grace to be with us and the illumination
of the Spirit. We pray, Father, today that you
would be with us as we look into this word. We
ask, O Lord, that you would give us the right
words to say, that you would help us, Lord, to
expound this passage in the way that it ought
to be. Lord this is a wonderful passage we pray
that you would open it up to us from your word
for your word speaks life to us Lord and so we
pray that you would breathe life to all of this
congregation Lord through your word as it is
read and preached even now Lord we thank you
for this opportunity and we ask Lord that the
words of our mouth might be pleasing in your
sight we pray this in Jesus name amen You are
the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells
in you With these startling words Paul switches
from writing in third person about the minister
of God in verses 1 through 14 And he speaks directly
to the Corinthian Church the word you hear is
The similar to our word y 'all is you all you
plural? It is to the Corinthian Church and thus
it is to us as we have been given the word of
God. He declares to them that they, the corporate
body of believers, are a building, a temple wherein
God dwells and is worshiped. The temple that
he speaks of, is a garden temple. Remember just
a few verses before he said, you are God's field,
you are God's building. It is reminiscent of
the Garden of Eden and of Solomon's temple, which
included gardens as well. But Paul has something
even much more glorious in mind. Remember how
Jesus spoke of the wisdom of Solomon, but then
he said, indeed a greater than Solomon is here,
Luke 11 verse 31. And so indeed here again, something
greater is here. So that we want to look not
only at this passage, but at others in the Old
Testament and New Testament that will help us
to understand the glory, the majesty, the holiness,
and the grandeur of this temple of God. But first,
what is a temple? There are various words used
in the Bible to refer to a temple, such as the
word sanctuary, or the holy place, or the tabernacle,
which was a transportable temple, and the dwelling
place of God. After the crossing of the Red Sea,
the escape from Egypt, and the destruction of
Pharaoh and his armies, the song of Moses is
sung with praises for God's salvation and deliverance,
and they sing, verse 17 and 18 of Exodus 15,
you will bring them in and plant them in the
mountain of your inheritance in the place, O
Lord, which you have made for your own dwelling,
the sanctuary, O Lord, with your hands have established.
the Lord shall reign forever and ever. Now God
gives much greater detail in Exodus 29 verse
43 as he speaks about the tabernacle of meeting
and the altar. He says, there I will meet with
the children of Israel and the tabernacle shall
be sanctified by my glory. So I will consecrate
the tabernacle of meaning in the altar and I
will consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister
to me as priests. I will dwell among the children
of Israel and will be their God. So we see again
that this temple and this tabernacle was a dwelling
place of God where God meets with his people.
A temple then is this place. It's a place where
God dwells. It's a place filled with his glory
and with his spirit. It's a place where the people
of God worship him and where God speaks to them
and he blesses them. Now after the fall, sacrifices
are offered at this temple as well in order to
purify the people so that they can meet with
God. In this full sense, the Garden of Eden and
Adam are both types of a temple. Before the fall,
God creates the heavens and earth as a sacred
place where He rests and He rules. The Garden
of Eden in that sense functions as the original
sanctuary. God walks there. Genesis 3 verse 8.
He is present there. The garden has an eastward
orientation and there are rivers flowing out
and precious stones and trees and a priestly
role for Adam He is to serve God there and to
tend and keep the garden Tending by the way that
word for in Genesis 2 for tending serving and
keeping are the same verbs that are used for
priests in the Tabernacle and temple later on
in the Old Testament Now Adam as well in one
sense is a temple because in him God forms him
from the dust of the earth and then what does
he do? He fills him with the breath of life and
that word breath is like spirit. He and spirits
him in this way. He fills him with the breath.
life and man becomes a living soul and then the
Lord God comes walking in the garden of the cool
of the day and what does he do he wants to have
fellowship with Adam and Eve but after Eve is
deceived and Adam rebels against the commandment
of the Lord that fellowship is broken and they
hide from God And then, as Jeff Taylor puts it,
the fall is actually a detempling. It is the
withdrawal of the glory presence of God, and
it is the collapse of the first sanctuary. The
temple of God is corrupted. The presence of God
departs, and man dies a spiritual death, and
he is expelled from the garden. While the details
are not recorded during this pre -Sinai time,
God does instruct them on how to make sacrifices
and he delineates between right sacrifices and
wrong sacrifices which we see with Cain and Abel
where Cain's sacrifice was not acceptable to
God and Abel's was. He gives them the wisdom
to do so in light of the fall. He makes provision
for sin so that man could walk with God again
and men begin to call him the name of the Lord.
Enoch walks with God and Noah finds grace in
the eyes of the Lord. But it is not until the
children of Israel, this is almost 2 ,000, 2
,500 years later. It is not until the children
of Israel are led from Egypt. They are then baptized
in the Red Sea and they come to Mount Sinai where
we then see the plans revealed to Moses for a
corporate place of worship, of the worship of
God. A place where God dwells that is filled
with the glory cloud again, his spirit, and where
priests are called to minister. The first is
a tabernacle. As I mentioned, a portable sanctuary.
so that he could dwell among his people again.
And then that tabernacle exists for a number
of years, actually a good number of years, until
finally David's son Solomon is given permission
to build the temple. It has a holy place and
the most holy place, which they are a perfect
cube where God's glory dwells above the ark.
And the purposes are atonement sacrifices. God's
presence is seen in the Shekinah glory cloud
that fills it. We see that in Exodus 40 verse
34 and 35. And there is a covenant relationship
between God and his people where they worship
him and receive forgiveness and blessings and
food. Hear these words from Exodus 40 verse 34.
Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting
and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
And Moses. was not able to enter the tabernacle
of meeting because the cloud rested upon it and
the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Same type of experience we again see when the
temple was dedicated in second Chronicles 5 verse
13 and 14 There was so much music and there was
singing and there were singers and there was
priests and the glory of the Lord came down on
it and the sacrifice was lit by the fire from
the Lord and The the place was so filled with
the glory of the Lord that the priests were not
able to minister in that temple Now As I said
two weeks ago, Paul in this passage is depicting
the Corinthian church and all Christian churches
as a part of this end time temple. The temples
that were built back then were destroyed. And
so what does God do? Does he raise up another
building in a particular location after he destroys
the temple? No, he does not. Instead, the Christian
church gathering together in congregations is
the new temple, which is why he looks to them
and he speaks directly and he says, y 'all are
this temple. You are this. temple of the Lord.
And the Spirit of God dwells within you. This
is that which was prophesied in Malachi chapter
1 and verse 11. For from the rising of the sun,
even to its going down, my name shall be great
among the Gentiles. In every place incense shall
be offered to my name, and a pure offering for
my name. shall be great among the nations, says
the Lord of hosts. This is the temple described
in the latter part of the book of Ezekiel, where
in chapter 47, the water flows out from underneath
the threshold of the temple toward the east,
and those waters bring healing, not just to the
immediate land, not just to the immediate people,
but to all the nations. of the earth this is
that temple having laid this foundation then
for understanding the context of this incredible
statement now let's look at the at each aspect
of these verses number one do you know that you
are the temple of do you not know that you are
the temple of god and that the spirit of god
dwells in you Secondly, if anyone defiles the
temple of God, God will destroy him. And thirdly,
for the temple of God is holy, which temple you
are. So first of all, the church is God's temple
because the Holy Spirit now dwells in it. Verse
16. Ezekiel again prophesied of a time... that
would come when God would put His Spirit in His
people and that His Spirit would dwell with them.
Hear the prophecy from Ezekiel 36 verse 25. I
will put my spirit within you and cause you to
walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments
and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land
that I gave to your fathers. You shall be my
people and I will be your God." This was prophesied
by various prophets throughout all of the Old
Testament. And now Paul says, this is happening.
This is it right now. This is your experience.
This is a reality. for you in the Christian church.
Now it's prophesied in many places also. The
Gentiles would be brought into the church and
become part of God's people. Gentiles were the
non -Jews. Sometimes they're called Greeks, but
other times Gentiles, and that is spread over
through all of the world, all of those who were
not God's chosen people, the Jews, God's chosen
people at that time. Now this happened this happened
as many Jews and all of the Jewish leadership
Rejected Christ when Christ was on earth They
put him to death and all the walls though with
the death of Christ All the walls between Jew
and Gentile are then swept away There is now
a new people of God and this new people of God
consists of both Jew Gentile. We see this in
Ephesians chapter 2 when Paul expounds on it
wonderfully. Therefore remember he says that
you once Gentiles in the flesh who are called
uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision
made in the flesh by hands that at that time
you were without Christ being aliens from the
Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the
covenants of promise having no hope without God
in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who
were once were far off have been brought near
by the blood. Christ for he himself is our peace
he has made both one and has broken down the
middle wall of separation having abolished in
his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments
campaigned in ordinance so in ordinances so as
to create in himself one new man from the two
thus making peace and that he might reconcile
them both to God in one body through the cross
there by putting to death the enmity this is
descriptive of the new temple the new temple
of God the spirit that once filled the physical
tabernacle in the temple now dwells and fills
the people of God and at the initiation of this
on the day of Pentecost tongues of fire come
and rest on the heads of those assembled as the
Spirit comes. This is reminiscent and echoing
the temple dedication where, as 2 Chronicles
7 says, fire came down from heaven and consumed
the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the
glory of the Lord filled the temple. And so what
do we see? We again see the fire, but this is,
as it were, tongues of fire on everyone's head.
Filling them with the spirit, cleansing them.
Now Jesus himself is the cornerstone of this
new temple. We see that in a number of places
in the New Testament. At the cross, at the time
of the cross, when Jesus died, there was a veil
that separated the most holy place in the temple.
Nobody could go into the holy place except the
high priest once a year. But when Jesus died,
this... veil actually tore apart. No man was
there doing it. In fact, it couldn't be done
in the way that it was woven. It was so tightly
woven together. It could not just be pulled apart.
And so rather here we see the power of God at
work and that veil is torn asunder. And now all
who are believers in Christ Jesus can go into
the most holy presence. They become the temple
instead of being barred from the most holy place.
Indeed, we enter the holiest place of the temple
boldly, Hebrews says, verse chapter 10. Therefore,
brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest
by the blood of Jesus. by a new and living way
which he consecrated for us through the veil
that is his flesh and having a high priest over
the house of God let us let us draw near with
a true heart in full assurance of faith having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water therefore
The church, indwelt by the same spirit, becomes
the new temple, as stated in our passage today.
This is the new building, as stated in Ephesians
2, verse 19 to 22, and indeed we are all living
stones of this temple, 1 Peter chapter 2, verse
4 and 5. Going to the Ephesians passage, he says,
now therefore you are no longer strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints
and members of the household of God, having been
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone
in whom the whole building being fitted together
grows into a holy temple in the Lord. in whom
you also are being built together for a dwelling
place of God in the Spirit. This is temple language.
As throughout the whole Bible, God dwells with
his people and his people love and worship him.
Now we could go to the passage in Peter in first
Peter 2 verse 1 and 10 This is this is just a
glorious passage. We come to him as a living
stone We are then as living stones being built
up a spiritual house the holy priesthood to offer
up spiritual sacrifices Acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ. You are a chosen generation. You
are a royal priesthood You are a holy nation.
You are his own special people so that you might
proclaim his praises. In the times past you were
not the people of God but now you are the people
of God. This is the passage in 1st Peter chapter
2. Let us go and going back now to 1st Corinthians
3. Let us take note of the context of this passage.
What is the context in which Paul tells them
that they are in the temple of the Lord? Well
what was happening at the church in Corinth?
What was Paul writing to them about just before
he says they're the temple of God? There were
factions, there was envy, there were strife,
and there were divisions. Some of them were teaching
the wisdom of the world instead of Jesus Christ
and him crucified. For as the temple of the Lord
is holy and the church is that temple, Then is
what he's saying we should ought to live together
and worship God with love for one another, with
the unity of the Holy Spirit in the bond of the
peace, in the bond of peace. And we should not,
we must not succumb to dividing and devouring
and biting each other and making factions and
divisions among us. By their factions, they were
corrupting and defiling the temple of God. And
by our actions, we can do the same. So we must
beware. We must be mindful. We are the temple
of God. We cannot get into these kind of biting
and devouring and envy and factions. That's the
immediate context here. The temple of the Lord,
Christ Church, must be maintained in a place
of protection, of love, unity of worship and
a biblical and godly order now the old temple
was divided up amongst orders as ordained with
God as ordained by God with each doing their
own part and all together in the worship of God
the families of the Levites were divided into
different courses and with various responsibilities
there was priests There were singers. There were
those who handled the sacrifices and helped in
the slaughter of the animals. There were those
who baked the bread or handled the utensils.
So also is God's temple today. And we should
not be jealous one of another and not be divided
into factions with one another, but we must recognize
the various gifts. and the parts that God has
given to us all and then live in peace together
in a holy unity in the worship of God. The orders
for this new temple are set forth in various
books of the New Testament. We've already looked
at some of them. We're going to be looking a
lot more as we go through the book of 1st Corinthians.
But God sets up leaders. God gives gifts that
are distributed to many different ones among
the saints. And all of these gifts in this order
must be encouraged and maintained and upheld.
Excuse me. But the most important of all is that
the presence of the Holy Spirit must be in this
temple. That is most important. Remember the
glory cloud that filled the temple as a visible
symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit? Remember
Adam who received the breath of life? A temple
without the Spirit of God is only an empty shell.
It is a caricature of what it ought to be and
it has no life in it. It's like the Valley of
Dry Bones described in Ezekiel 37. and then God
calls all the bones together and they form the
various body, the body parts all come together
and they form various bodies, but still they
lay there dead until the Spirit of God comes
and breathes life into them. And so also, must
we rely upon, pray for, and encourage the presence.
of the Spirit of God in our midst. If we do not,
it's like going to one of the many beautiful
and stately European cathedrals or the National
Cathedral in Washington DC. These buildings reflect
the glory of God and their beautiful architecture
and craftsmanship, and they should shout forth
God's praises. But alas, those who meet there,
some of them are not even professing Christians
at all. And some are cold, are lifeless, hard
-hearted, ritualistic, and dead. Some are apostate.
Some are quite liberal in theology and disobedient
to the Word. They are like museums showcasing
what should be there, but is not. The orders
are still there. The form is there. The liturgy
of the service of God in some of them. But there
is no life. No spirit of God bringing conviction
to sinners and comfort to the saints. God gives
many warnings in the New Testament. Through the
Apostle Paul he says, quench not the spirit,
Paul tells the Philippians. And also grieve not
the spirit, he tells the Ephesians. And let all
bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and
evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.
Ephesians 4 30 and 31 years later Jesus tells
John in the book of Revelation to write the church
at Ephesus and he says tell them remember therefore
from whence you have fallen repent and do the
first works or else he says these most chilling
words I will come to you quickly and remove your
lamp stand from its place unless you repent This
is a warning to us that we can have the forms.
We can have a form of godliness. We can even
mouth the right words. But if the Holy Spirit
is not burning and is not alive within us and
within the congregation, we are but an empty
shell. Christian believers are fully dependent
on the indwelling Spirit to make them holy and
to be proper living stones of this temple. Secondly,
those who defile God's temple will be destroyed
by God. Paul says in the first part of verse
17. Now the word defile and destroy, they're
the same word. it can mean defile or destroy
or to tear down so it's the same word and in
this it's it's a sense kind of like the the word
in the law what's called the lex talionis an
eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth and so forth
deuteronomy 19 and 21 as well as in exodus 21
and others so in other words what god does is
commensurate to the offense you despoil the temple
of god and god will despoil you There are multiple
precedents of judgment on temple defilers in
the Old Testament, and there's some in the New.
In the Old Testament, we look back on, and we
remember the two oldest sons of Aaron, Nadab
and Abihu. I don't know, it seems from the context
that maybe they were drunk or had too much to
drink. because there's a prohibition against
priests being drunken right after this occurrence.
So we can kind of infer that that might be the
case. Anyway, they offered strange fire to the
Lord. It was fire that had not been sanctified.
It was not from the right place as God had spelled
out to them. And so they offered this strange
fire and boom, they were dead just like that.
They had to be carried out. And God told Aaron,
don't even mourn for them. Don't weep over them.
You do the service that God has given to you.
This was judgment on those who defiled the temple.
There was another one. It was a man named Uzzah.
And the Ark of the Covenant that belonged in
the Tabernacle through the sin of the Israelites
had actually been carried out to battle and was
taken captive by the Philistines. The Philistines
had all sorts of trouble with it and we're not
going to get into all of that. But they finally
decided to bring this back. It was a period of
time they decided to bring it back to Jerusalem
where it belonged or to wherever the Tabernacle
was. I'm not sure if it was in Jerusalem then
yet or not. But anyway, instead of carrying it
by priests, which the way there which was the
way it was supposed to be done and which God
had instructed them they put it on a cart and
the cart went through a big pothole or something
like that and it tipped and the ark started to
sway and this man Uzzah reaches out with his
hand as an unsanctified man and he touches the
ark and again what happens boom he's dead just
like that and so they fear and they set the ark
down and there it remains in the house of Obed
-Edom I think it's for three months and then
David brings the ark back at an appropriate time
and they do it the proper way we see priests
and people defiling the temple which led to the
Babylonian destruction and this is in 2 Kings
25 and 2 Chronicles 36 and Jeremiah 7 and Ezekiel
8 through 11 but I'll just summarize with these
words from 2 Chronicles 36 verse 16, the priests
and the people, they mocked the messengers of
God, they despised his words, and they scoffed
at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord rose
against his people, till there was no remedy,
and they were carried off into judgment. God's
own warning in Ezekiel 24 and 21, he says, I
will destroy the sanctuary because of uncleanness.
And that's what happened. The temple then was
destroyed. So that was the first temple. The
second temple then began to be built under Zerubbabel
and then it was added to much over a period of
time and eventually became known as Herod's temple,
the temple that was there and still being built
in the time of Jesus. And what does Jesus do?
Jesus again, look at Matthew chapter 23, chapter
24, which we have gone through. Jesus says again,
because of all of the corruption, because of
the evil, what is he going to do? He will destroy
this temple and he will raise up his own body
as the new temple, as the new temple. Now in
the context here again, Paul's been warning against
divisions and jealousy and human wisdom. This
is in chapters 1, 2, and 3 of 1st Corinthians,
which we've been looking at. These are not minor
sins. They are acts of temple vandalism. That's
what's going on here. They are vandalizing God's
temple in what they're doing with their factions.
False teachers or divisive leaders who tear down
the unity built on Christ, the only foundation
are in the act of destroying the temple. This
actually sets the stages which we'll get to in
chapter 5 when the incestuous man was to be delivered
to Satan for what? For the destruction of the
flesh so that he might be saved. So we see this
kind of setting the stage there. What was he
doing? He was destroying God's temple by his
actions and they refused to rebuke him or to
remove him from the Christian assembly. Rather
they were accepting him and even delighting in
what he was doing and living with his father's
wife. Another way to defile God's temple is to
introduce idolatrous worship into it. Now many
times, idolatrous worship included sexual immorality.
This kind of defiling worship was quite prevalent
in this time. It happened in a lot of the pagan
religions that were extant in the various places
where God was raising up churches. But we see
how this even came into some of the churches
in Asia, again, when we see Jesus giving them
warning and revelation. to the seven churches
of Asia. Chapter 2 verse 14 to Pergamum he says,
I have a few things against you because you have
there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam who
taught Balak to put a stumbling block before
the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed
to idols and to commit sexual immorality. There
were some in Pergamos or in Pergamum who said
this or who were doing this and encouraging people
to commit sexual adultery probably is a part
of worship. This again is clear to the church
in Thyatira because there he says, nevertheless,
I have few things against you because you allow
that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess
to teach and to seduce my servants to commit
sexual immorality. to eat things sacrificed to
idols and I gave her time to repent of her sexual
immorality and she did not repent indeed I will
cast her into a sickbed and those who commit
adultery with her into great tribulation unless
they repent of their deeds Paul says here if
anyone defiles the temple of God God will destroy
him this is a sober word of warning Number three,
God's temple is holy, therefore you are holy.
The temple is a place of worship, as we mentioned,
and therefore we must understand how to worship
a holy God and in a holy place. Now in order
to understand this more fully, we're going to
turn to the book of Isaiah chapter six, where
Isaiah sees the Lord God Almighty seated on his
throne. This is very instructive for us Hear
the word of the Lord in the year that King Uzziah
died. I saw the Lord sitting on a throne High
and lifted up and the train of his robe filled
the temple Above it stood seraphim each one had
six wings with two He covered his face with two
He covered his feet and with two he flew and
one cried to another and said holy Holy, holy
is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full
of his glory. And the posts of the door were
shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and
the house was filled with smoke. So I said, woe
is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of
unclean lips, and I dwell on the midst of a people
of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of hosts. then one of the seraphim
flew to me having in his hand a live coal which
he had taken with the tongues from the altar
and he touched my mouth with it and said behold
this has touched your lips your iniquity is taken
away and your sin is purged we get an understanding
of the holiness of god as we look at this passage
about the holiness of god and the undumbness
of man without christ in need And when we come
and we have sins and our sins need to be purged.
I'd like you to note immediately the majesty
and the glory of God's temple. For He is high
and He is lifted up. The train of His robe fills
the temple. This is like the glory cloud of the
Tabernacle and Solomon's temple filled with the
presence of God by the Spirit. And this shows
to us that an understanding of being the temple
of God is we must see God as sovereign, as high,
as lifted up, as ruling over all, and before
whom the earth shakes. And we must see our own
sin and desire it to be taken away. We see that
in the imagery of this. But then we also notice
that above the throne in the temple stood the
Seraphim. What are the seraphim? Well, they're
ministers of God. They are fiery, holy angels,
for so the word means. They are fiery, holy angels
who hover over the throne. This then makes sense
of Psalm 104 verse four, where he says he makes
his ministers a flame of fire. Ministers and
angels to the same words that are used. He makes
his angels, he makes his ministers a flame of
fire. And what happens with these seraphim? If
you can imagine these children as you think about
this, these glorious, huge, angelic beings, well,
they have six wings on them, and with two of
them, they cover their face, and with two of
the wings, they cover their feet, and with two,
they fly. So imagine these fiery... angels of
God flying around in the temple room of God,
hovering over the throne. And then we're going
to see what one of them does in just a moment.
And all the time as they're doing this, they
cry out three times, holy, holy, holy is the
Lord God of hosts. As R .C. Sproul said, we don't
hear of the other attributes of God in this same
way. We think of God as just, but we don't say,
we don't hear in the word of God, God is just,
just, just. Or love, that God is love, love,
love. But with this we do, God is so holy that
it's described in these words, holy, holy, holy.
So incredible is our God. So holy is he. And
as they cry this out in this glorious throne
room of God, the posts of the door of the temple
start to quiver and to shake as the voice of
the angel cries out, and then the house is filled
with smoke. And in this temple, overcome by the
glory and the majesty of God, Isaiah cries out,
Woe is me I am undone Because I'm a man of unclean
lips and I dwell on the people in the midst of
a people of unclean lips For mine eyes have seen
the king the Lord of hosts then one of these
fiery creatures the seraphim They flew to him
and they have a hot coal from the altar and then
he touches Isaiah's mouth and he says this has
touched your lips and so your iniquity is taken
away and your sin is purged. Now we take all
of this imagery that I just described and now
we think of it that we are the temple of God
and that God's spirit dwells right here with
us. Then as we worship God in this holy temple
we must have clean hands and clean hearts and
worship God in spirit and in truth. I'm reminded
of these words after Paul describes this glorious
or the glorious state of the Church of God in
Hebrews chapter 12. He then says in conclusion
of that passage, he says, therefore, since we
are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken,
let us have grace by which we may worship God
acceptably. How do we worship God acceptably?
With reverence and godly fear. Do we understand
why now as we look into all of these passages
in the Old and New Testament and we see the glories
of the temple of God and it's residing right
here for dear congregation, you are the temple
of Almighty God and his spirit dwells here with
us. Do we get the picture of how Paul says, the
temple of God is holy and you are this temple.
Therefore, you are holy. You are hagios, a most
holy thing, a saint of God. Brothers and sisters,
then let us live and act in a way befitting our
station and calling. Therefore, in the congregation
and the assembly in our bodies, understand who
you are. Understand who you are and that you
are created for worship and for fellowship with
God and with his people. And so, in the assembly
of God's people, in the congregation, in God's
temple, we should live, we should act, we should
speak, and we should dress in a holy manner with
reverence toward God and love for one another.
This means not living together with envy, strife,
division, and factions, as I already mentioned.
This means that the Word of God must be spoken.
It must be preached. It must be sung and prayed
with the power of the Holy Spirit. The worship
of God is to be done in good order and not with
babblings and confusion. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians
14 and verse 40, that in the public worship service,
let all things be done decently and in order
and in first timothy chapter two verse nine and
ten the women are admonished to be adorned in
appropriate clothes that are well arranged beautiful
seemly and modest with propriety and moderation
and not to be ostentatious or to flaunt their
wealth or their bodies this is also part dwelling
in the temple that God has made and has given
to us all is to be done in the recognition that
we are God's temple and God's temple is holy
and therefore we are holy I'd like to wrap this
up with just a few a few applications first of
all I want to set something straight right now
because right now If you read the news media
at all, there's a big conversation going on about
the rebuilding of the third temple on the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem and that somehow this fits
into the war against Iran. I would just like
to say categorically that the belief that a third
temple must be rebuilt is a false and a wrong
interpretation. It is in no way in mind in this
passage or in my sermon today. The new temple,
the third temple, if there is such a thing in
that way is the Church of Jesus Christ. That
is the temple of God. The Roman Emperor Julian
the Apostate attempted this. He attempted to
rebuild the third temple as a building. But the
Roman historian Marcellinus records this. He
says, although this alpius pushed the work on
with vigor, aided by the governor of the province.
Terrifying balls of flame kept bursting forth
near the foundations of the temple and made the
place inaccessible to the workmen. He continues,
some of the workmen were burned to death. And
since in this way, the elements persistingly
repelled them, the enterprise was halted. That's
what happened when somebody tried to build the
third temple. So, do not take part, dear brothers
and sisters, in hoping for the rebuilding of
a third temple. It is here and it is Christ's
Church. Secondly, this also shows forth the importance
of the corporate worship and that we are regular
in attendance and we're part of it. We are part
of the temple of God. We are the temple. And
so we need, we are urged throughout the passage
of scripture, we are to make sure that we are
there, that we don't forsake the assembly, that
we don't forsake the gathering, but that we worship
God in a corporate manner. Of course, we all
know that we're all to worship God singly and
in our homes, but there's something about the
corporate gathering, the temple that is the temple
of God that is different than simply staying
at home and worshiping God there. Pastor Joseph
Spurgeon makes this observation and I heartily
concur with this. He says, as the temple of God
is built, we do this in corporate worship together
on the new Sabbath day. the Lord's Day. Brethren,
he says, I say this to reinforce that the Lord's
Day in gathering together is very important and
should only be missed on rare occasions of sickness
or travel, in which case seek out another faithful
church to attend. The apostles, under the authority
of the risen Lord, consistently gather the church
on the first day of the week. Under the old covenant,
God tied the Sabbath to the completion of the
old creation. and to Israel's redemption from
Egypt in Deuteronomy 5. Under the new covenant,
Christ ties the day to his resurrection and the
new creation. The moral principle of Sabbath
remains, one day in seven, holy to the Lord.
Let us gather together as the people of God.
This should be very important for us and in our
lives. Thirdly then, church, You have a glorious
and a wonderful inheritance. Those who teach
and preach in this temple of God must make sure
that they teach and build up the congregation
with the wisdom of God and not the foolishness
of men or man's wisdom. The congregation, though,
you all have a part to play in this as you are
the ones who affirm the calling and the qualifications
of your ministers. For Paul warns Timothy of
the time that will come. when those who hear
will not endure sound doctrine, but according
to their own desires, because they have itching
ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers,
and they will turn their ears away from the truth
and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4, 3
and 4. Let it not be so among us, but brothers,
and sisters, the congregation, let us embrace
our status and calling as the temple of God.
With wise and godly ministers and as faithful
members of the household of God, let us use our
gifts in service to the Lord. And again, I go
back to Hebrews 12, 28. Therefore, since we are
receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let
us have grace. by which we may worship God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear for our God is
a consuming fire. Let's pray.