(Audio/Video/Text)
Title: The Blueprint
Intro:
Did you guys know that I was an architect?
(Story of Ben drawing up plans for our house.)
Read/Pray
The Blueprint for the Household of God has some very specific characteristics:
- Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets
Chuck Smith, Dave Guzik and others urge us to not think that the prophets mentioned here are O.T. prophets, but rather the N.T. prophets, alongside the apostles are building the Church.
Matthew Henry, on the other hand, takes a position that I think is more accurate:
but we are rather to understand it of the doctrine delivered by the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New. It follows, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. In him both Jews and Gentiles meet, and constitute one church; and Christ supports the building by his strength
2. Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone
Everything that is being built is about Christ. While the church is being built as a holy temple, living, made of the saints, the ultimate thing that supports the entire structure is Christ.
Theologically speaking, why?
Why is Christ the cornerstone?
A: Everyone (O.T. and N.T.) who is residing with God is doing so because of Christ. Without him there is not only no one living in the house, there is no house to live in.
3. (In Christ) the building is Being fitted together
a. this is currently in process (God is currently building his church)
b. each saint is a piece, we are all not the same pieces
1 Cor 12:15-16
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
c. The building is alive and growing into a holy temple (a reference to the new temple/new Earth in revelation?)
John in Rev. 21:1-4
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will [a]dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them[b], 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
3. (In Christ) we are also being built together so that the Spirit may dwell with us
We play a role in all of this. Wow.
There is a point in our sanctification beyond our own personal maturity and development.
As we grow and mature and become more holy, and do that with other saved people as well, the purpose of the temple, which is the Glory of God through Christ grows.
Have you ever thought about Heritage in this sense:
As we, as a church body, grow and mature, we bring MORE glory to God. The Heritage that you are a part of today, should be reflecting MORE glory to God than we were five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago.
Close:
Pray/QA