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SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 21

TITLE: THE NEW TEMPLE

TEXT: EPHESIANS 2:20-22

INTRODUCTION: (1) OUR CHURCH HAS HAD 3 PRIMARY MEETING PLACES IN OUR 20 YEAR HISTORY.

* OUR FIRST MEETING PLACE WAS THE OLD LAKE CENTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, FROM WHICH WE STARTED BACK IN OCTOBER 1983 AND WE HAD OUR CORPORATE GATHERINGS THERE FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS.

** THEN WE STARTED MEETING IN THE NORTH CANTON JUNIOR HIGH WHICH WAS MORE CENTRALLY LOCATED FOR PEOPLE FROM MASSILLON, CANTON AND LOUISVILLE.

*** WHILE MEETING THERE ON SUNDAY AND WEDNESDAYS, WE HAD A PORTABLE SIGN PAINTED THAT WE SET UP ON SUNDAYS WHICH READ: “FAITH BIBLE CHURCH MEETS HERE” AND WE HAD OUR SERVICE TIMES AND CHURCH NUMBER LISTED ON THE SIGN.

**** THEN WE MOVED TO THIS LOCATION AND HAD OUR FIRST CORPORATE MEETING ON OUR 2’D ANNIVERSARY AS A CHURCH, A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS.

(2) NOW WE HAD ANOTHER SIGN MADE WHICH YOU SEE ON MARKET AVE. WHICH READS “FAITH BIBLE CHURCH” AND HAS OUR SERVICE TIMES, MY NAME AND A PLACE TO PUT UP MESSAGES.

* AND ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS OVER THE YEARS, I’VE THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA FOR THAT SIGN TO HAVE BEEN PATTERNED AFTER OUR FIRST SIGN AND THAT IS “FAITH BIBLE CHURCH MEETS HERE”.

** FOR THIS BUILDING IS NOT FAITH BIBLE CHURCH, YOU ARE FAITH BIBLE CHURCH, YOU THAT ARE IN CHRIST AND COMMITTED TO CHRIST SERVING THROUGH THIS BODY.

*** FAITH BIBLE CHURCH MEETS HERE ON SUNDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS AND AT OTHER TIMES, BUT THIS BUILDING IS NOT THE CHURCH.

**** IT IS A BUILDING DEDICATED AND USED FOR CHRIST AND BY HIS CHURCH.

***** AND GOD DOESN’T DWELL HERE. IN FACT, HE IS TECHNICALLY ONLY HERE WHEN WE ARE HERE, FOR HE DWELLS IN HIS PEOPLE.

(2) AND AS WE’LL SEE TODAY IN OUR STUDY, THE CHURCH IS THE HABITATION OF GOD, THE ABODE OF GOD, THE DWELLING OF GOD IN THE SPIRIT.

* BUT AGAIN REMEMBER, THIS BUILDING IS NOT THAT HABITATION, WE ARE.

** SO WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

*** WELL, THERE ARE VARIOUS BIBLICAL METAPHORS FOR THE CHURCH.

**** AND LAST SUNDAY WE STUDIED TWO OF THEM, GOD’S HOUSEHOLD, A FAMILY OF FAMILIES AND A KINGDOM, FELLOW CITIZENS OF GOD’S KINGDOM.

(3) BUT BEYOND THAT, THE CHURCH IS A BRIDE, A VINEYARD, A FLOCK, A BODY, AND AS WE’LL SEE IN OUR TEXT TODAY, A SPIRITUAL BUILDING AND A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD.

* SO THE CHURCH IS NOT A PHYSICAL BUILDING, BUT A GROUP OF BELIEVERS; NOT A DENOMINATION, SECT OR ASSOCIATION, BUT A SPIRITUAL BODY.

** THE CHURCH IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION, BUT A KOINONIA – A COMMUNION – A FELLOWSHIP THAT INCLUDES ALL TRUE BELIEVERS.

*** AND THE CHURCH IS GROWING INTO A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD.

**** IN FACT, THE CHURCH IS THE NEW TEMPLE.

(4) AND THAT’S THE TITLE OF OUR MESSAGE TODAY, “THE NEW TEMPLE”.

* BUT THIS TEMPLE IS NOT MADE WITH HANDS, NOR IS IT LOCATED IN JERUSALEM, IT IS WORLDWIDE WITH LOCAL MANIFESTATIONS.

** IT IS UNIVERSAL IN A SENSE POSITIONALLY, BUT PRACTICALLY IT IS REAL LITERAL BELIEVERS COMMITTED TOGETHER IN AN AREA. A LOCAL, TO GLORIFY JESUS CHRIST AND OBEY HIS COMMANDS, ALONG WITH THE MAIN MANDATE, TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM AND TEACHING THEM.

*** SO THE CHURCH IS THE NEW TEMPLE. AND UNDER THAT TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT 3 POINTS TODAY.

(5) NO. 1 THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH, V. 20; NO. 2 THE FORMATION OF THE CHURCH, V. 21; AND NO. 3 THE FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH, V.22.

* AND WITH THOSE 3 POINTS AS AN OUTLINE TO WORK FROM, LET’S LOOK AT OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE FOUNDATION, LOOK AT EPHESIANS 2:20 PLEASE.

I. THE FOUNDATION, (READ V. 20)

A. NOW GOD’S HOUSEHOLD, THE CHURCH, GOING BACK TO V. 19 – FELLOW CITIZENS OF HEAVEN – THE CHURCH WAS BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS.

* AND PAUL WILL START TO PAINT THE PICTURE OF A 3’D METAPHOR HERE BEGINNING IN V. 20 OF WHAT THE CHURCH IS.

** AND THAT METAPHOR WILL HAVE TO DO WITH A BUILDING, GROWING INTO A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD.

*** AND THIS NEW TEMPLE, THIS NEW SPIRITUAL BUILDING WILL HAVE 3 ELEMENTS: A FOUNDATION, A CORNERSTONE AND BUILDING BLOCKS.

**** AND FIRST OF ALL THE FOUNDATION. NOW THE FOUNDATION OF THIS NEW SPIRITUAL BUILDING, THIS NEW HOLY TEMPLE CONSISTS OF, IS BUILT UPON THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS.

1. THIS FOUNDATION CONSISTS OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, THEY WERE THE GIFTED MEN GIVEN TO THE CHURCH AS ITS FOUNDATION.

* IN OTHER WORDS, THEY HAD A FOUNDATIONAL MINISTRY IN THE START OF THE CHURCH. AND I DON’T THINK ANYONE WILL ARGUE WITH THAT.

** FOR ONE OF THE APOSTLES, PETER, WAS USED TO PREACH THE SERMON THAT STARTED THE FIRST CHURCH AT JERUSALEM ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

*** AND PAUL, THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES, WAS USED IN A MIGHTY WAY TO START CHURCHES, EQUIP CHURCHES AND ESTABLISH THE CHURCH.

**** AND SEVERAL OF THESE APOSTLES WOULD BE USED TO WRITE THE MAJORITY OF THE N.T.; PETER, JOHN AND PAUL WERE INSPIRED TO WRITE AT LEAST 20 OF THE N.T. BOOKS.

2. AND THE 12 APOSTLES WERE PERSONALLY TRAINED BY JESUS WITH A MASTER PLAN, FOR JESUS WAS THE ARCHITECT OF THIS MASTER PLAN OF THE CHURCH OF WHICH HE IS THE HEAD AND CORNERSTONE.

* AND WHAT DID THOSE MEN DO WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JUDAS ISCARIOT? WELL IN THE BOOK OF ACTS WHICH GIVES US A 30 YEAR HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHURCH, THOSE MEN WERE USED TO EVANGELIZE PEOPLE AND GATHER THEM INTO A CONGREGATION AND THEN ESTABLISH THESE CONGREGATIONS OR CHURCHES AND ENTRUST LEADERS TO LEAD THESE CHURCHES.

** IN FACT, WE CALL THIS THE PAULINE CYCLE. NO. 1 EVANGELIZE STRATEGIC CITIES – THAT’S OUR MISSION; NO. 2 TO ESTABLISH CHURCHES, TO STRENGTHEN, TO MAKE THEM SOLID AND MATURE THEM THROUGH TEACHING AND DISCIPLESHIP; AND NO. 3 ENTRUST LEADERS TO BE SPIRITUAL CARETAKERS OF THE CHURCH AND THEN CONTINUE THE CYCLE.

*** AND THIS IS THE WAY OF CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES.

**** IN FACT, WHAT DID THE FIRST CHURCH DO AS THEY GATHERED?

3. WELL ACTS 2:42 SAYS: (READ IT).

* NOW THEY DID 4 THINGS, THEY TAUGHT, THEY PRAYED, THEY FELLOWSHIPPED AND THEY WORSHIPPED, BREAKING BREAD MAKING REFERENCE TO THE LORD’S SUPPER, ONE OF THE SPECIAL RESPONSES OF CORPORATE WORSHIP.

** NOW WHAT WAS THE APOSTLES DOCTRINE? WELL, IT WAS THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES. AND WHAT DID THEY TEACH? WHAT JESUS TAUGHT THEM AND WHAT HE REVEALED TO THEM IN DIVINE REVELATION, SCRIPTURE THAT FOLLOWED.

*** IT WAS A CORE BODY OF TEACHING THAT WAS TO BE LIVED OUT AS A WAY OF LIFE.

**** IN FACT, FROM ITS INCEPTION, THE CHURCH RECOGNIZED THE DOCTRINE OR TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES.

4. AND THIS TEACHING, WHICH BEGAN ORALLY AND GREW THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE FORM OF LETTERS BY THE APOSTLES AND THEIR KEY FELLOW WORKERS, WAS CONSIDERED AUTHORITATIVE FOR THE CHURCHES AND WAS COMMUNICATED AS THE APOSTLES DOCTRINE, OR THE DEPOSIT OF THE FAITH, THE FAITH, THE DOCTRINE.

* AND HISTORICALLY, THE CHURCHES REFERRED TO THE CORE GOSPEL OF THIS TEACHING AS THE KERYGMA.

** THE WORD KERYGMA LITERALLY MEANS “THE PROCLAMATION” AND IT REFERS TO THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL BY THE APOSTLES AND N.T. CHURCH LEADERS.

*** AND AFTER THE APOSTLES DIED, THE EARLY CHURCH HISTORICALLY USED THIS TERM TO REFER TO A SUMMARY OF THE EXACT GOSPEL PREACHED BY THE APOSTLES, EVEN THE FORM OF THE MESSAGE.

**** AND OH HOW WE NEED THIS TODAY, FOR THE GOSPEL IS BEING WATERED DOWN, MINIMIZED, CHEAPENED AND PERVERTED BY THE CHURCH TODAY.

(5) WE LIVE IN A DAY WHEN WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR ITS CLARITY AND PURITY.

* NOW THE EARLY CHURCH THROUGH THE APOSTLE’S DOCTRINE NOT ONLY HISTORICALLY TAUGHT THE KERYGMA, BUT ALSO THE DIDACHE.

** AND THE DIDACHE LIT. MEANS THE “TEACHING” AND REFERS TO THE TEACHING DELIVERED BY THE APOSTLES, THE DIDACHE SUMMARIZED ALL THE ESSENTIAL TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES, WHAT WE CALL THE FIRST PRINCIPLES.

*** AND SO IT IS VITAL TO UNDERSTAND THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE FAITH AS A FOUNDATION FOR A CHURCH.

**** SO WE WOULD LIKE FOR EVERY BELIEVER AT FAITH BIBLE CHURCH TO GO THROUGH WHAT HAS BEEN TITLED THE FIRST PRINCIPLES AS A PART OF ORDERED LEARNING TO HELP ESTABLISH YOU IN THE FAITH.

(6) AND A FULLY ESTABLISHED BELIEVER AND CHURCH UNDERSTANDS ITS MISSION.

* AND WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND DOCTRINE NOT AS MERELY A SYSTEM OF TRUTHS, BUT AS A WAY OF LIFE, OUR CONDUCT WILL BE MORE LIKE CHRIST.

** FOR THE CORE TRUTHS OF THE FAITH CAN NEVER BE DIVORCED FROM THE CONDUCT OF BELIEVERS. YOU HAVE TO THINK RIGHT, THEN YOU CAN LIVE RIGHT.

*** IT STARTS WITH TEACHING, THINKING, BELIEVING RIGHT WHICH LEADS TO LIVING RIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE.

**** AND LET ME DIGRESS JUST A LITTLE MORE. PAUL’S EPISTLES, HIS LETTERS, CAN BE DIVIDED UP INTO 3 GROUPS.

(7) HIS EARLY LETTERS WHICH WERE USED TO ESTABLISH THE CHURCH IN THE GOSPEL.

* HIS MIDDLE LETTERS TO ESTABLISH CHURCHES IN THEIR MISSION.

** AND HIS LAST LETTERS, I AND II TIMOTHY AND TITUS TO ESTABLISH LEADERS IN THE CHURCH.

*** SO THERE IS A CURRICULUM, AN ORDERED LEARNING SCHEME TO ESTABLISH THE CHURCH SPECIFICALLY AND WE HAVE THE BIBLE TO ESTABLISH US AND WE HAVE THE WAY OF CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES TO ESTABLISH THE CHURCH.

**** AND THE APOSTLES WERE USED IN A FOUNDATIONAL WAY IN THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS BUILT UPON THE APOSTLES AND THEIR DOCTRINE.

(8) BUT ALSO, AS WE GO BACK TO V. 20, THE PROPHETS ALSO.

* AND I BELIEVE THESE PROPHETS ARE N.T. PROPHETS. NO. 1 BECAUSE THEY ARE LISTED AFTER THE APOSTLES AND NO. 2 BECAUSE THEY ARE A FOUNDATIONAL PART OF THE CHURCH, LISTED THAT WAY IN THEIR WORK IN THE CHURCH IN EPHESIANS 3:5 AND EPHESIANS 4:11.

** EPHESIANS 3:5 SAYS: “WHICH IN OTHER GENERATIONS WAS NOT MADE KNOWN TO THE SONS OF MEN, AS IT HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED TO HIS HOLY APOSTLES AND PROPHETS IN THE SPIRIT.”

*** AND THEN EPHESIANS 4:11 SAYS: (READ IT)

**** NOW THESE ARE GIFTED MEN THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHURCH. AND IN BOTH TEXTS, EPHESIANS 3:5 AND EPHESIANS 4:11, THEY ARE DOING CHURCH WORK, HENCE, N.T. PROPHETS.

(9) AND THEIR UNIQUE FUNCTION WAS TO AUTHORITATIVELY SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD TO THE CHURCH IN THE YEARS BEFORE THE N.T. CANON WAS COMPLETE.

* AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE IDENTIFIED WITH THE FOUNDATION REVEALS THAT THEY WERE LIMITED TO THAT FORMATIVE PERIOD IN THE CHURCH AND NOW WITH THAT FOUNDATION LAID, EVANGELISTS AND TEACHING PASTORS ARE BUILDING ON THAT FOUNDATION.

** SO THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH WAS MADE UP OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS.

*** BUT MOVING ON IN V. 20, NOTICE THAT IN BUILDING THIS SPIRITUAL BUILDING JESUS CHRIST IS THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.

**** AND UNDERSTAND IN ANCIENT BUILDINGS, THE CORNERSTONE WAS THE MAJOR STRUCTURAL PART OF THE BUILDING.

(10) AND IT HAD TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT WHAT WAS BUILT ON IT AND IT HAD TO BE PRECISELY LAID, BECAUSE EVERY PART OF THE STRUCTURE WAS ORIENTED TO IT.

* BELOVED, THE CORNERSTONE WAS THE SUPPORT, THE ORIENTER, AND THE UNIFIRM OF THE ENTIRE BUILDING.

** AND THAT IS WHAT JESUS CHRIST IS TO THE CHURCH, THIS NEW HOLY TEMPLE.

*** AND AS IMPORTANT AS THE FOUNDATION WAS, OF GREATER IMPORTANCE WAS THE CORNERSTONE. AGAIN THE CORNERSTONE IS CAREFULLY PLACED. IT WAS CRUCIAL BECAUSE THE ENTIRE BUILDING WAS LINED UP WITH IT.

**** SO THE CHURCH’S FOUNDATION, THAT IS THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, NEEDED TO BE CORRECTLY ALIGNED WITH CHRIST.

(11) ALL THE OTHER STONES MUST ADJUST THEMSELVES TO THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE, WHICH IS CHRIST. AND THERE ARE OTHER O.T. AND N.T. REFERENCES THAT MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS WONDERFUL TRUTH, WHICH I CAN’T TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP TODAY.

* BUT WHAT A WONDERFUL TRUTH, JESUS CHRIST IS THE CORNERSTONE OF THE CHURCH, THE KEYSTONE, AND PULL HIM OUT OF THE CHURCH AND THE BUILDING FALLS.

** AND THE FULL METAPHOR HERE IS THAT THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS IS THE BASE THAT RESTS ULTIMATELY UPON THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE – CHRIST.

*** AND THAT’S THE FOUNDATION. NOW THE FORMATION OF THIS SPIRITUAL BUILDING IS COMMUNICATED IN V. 21 WHICH IS OUR 2’D POINT TODAY, THE FORMATION. LOOK AT V. 21 PLEASE.

II. THE FORMATION, (READ V. 21)

A. NOW THE FIRST TWO WORDS OF V. 21, “IN WHOM” OR “IN HIM” MAKE REFERENCE TO CHRIST, AS WELL AS THE FIRST TWO WORDS OF V. 22.

* AND CHRIST, THE CORNERSTONE’S CENTRAL ROLE IN THE FORMATION AND FUNCTION OF THIS BUILDING PROGRAM IS BROUGHT OUT IN THE BEGINNING OF THESE TWO VERSES.

** AND SPECIFICALLY IN V. 21, IN CHRIST, THE WHOLE BUILDING, THE CHURCH – JEW AND GENTILE AS ONE – FELLOW CITIZENS, GOD’S HOUSEHOLD ARE BEING FITTED TOGETHER.

*** AND THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED FITTED TOGETHER, JOINED TOGETHER, FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER, DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE, REFERS TO THE CAREFUL JOINING OF EVERY COMPONENT OF A PIECE OF FURNITURE, WALL, BUILDING OR OTHER STRUCTURE.

**** MEANING: EVERY PART IS PRECISELY CUT TO FIT SNUGGLY, STRONGLY AND BEAUTIFULLY WITH EVERY OTHER PART.

1. SO NOTHING IS OUT OF PLACE, DEFECTIVE, MISSHAPEN OR INAPPROPRIATE.

* AND THIS PERFECT BUILDING PROGRAM “IS GROWING INTO A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD.”

** AND THIS HOLY TEMPLE BUILDING THAT’S BEING BUILT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, AN ONGOING ACTIVITY. FOR THIS BUILDING IS NOT COMPLETE YET, FOR IT WILL NOT BE COMPLETE UNTIL EVERY ONE OF CHRIST’S ELECT IS SAVED.

*** AND THINK OF IT THIS WAY. AS THIS HOLY TEMPLE IS BEING FRAMED AND RISES UP, EVERY NEW BELIEVER WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE IS A NEW STONE IN THIS BUILDING.

**** THUS PAUL SAYS THIS NEW TEMPLE IS GROWING BECAUSE BELIEVERS ARE CONTINUALLY BEING ADDED.

2. SO THIS HOLY TEMPLE, THE CHURCH, IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT THIS NEW COMMUNITY OF GOD WHERE GOD DWELLS, HIS TEMPLE IS GROWING AND PROGRESSING AND WILL BE COMPLETE WHEN EVERY PERSON WHO WILL BELIEVE AND BE SAVED IS SAVED.

* AND EVERY NEW BELIEVER IS A NEW STONE IN CHRIST’S TEMPLE – THE CHURCH.

** AS I PETER 2:5 SAYS: “YOU ALSO, AS LIVING STONES, ARE BEING BUILT UP AS A SPIRITUAL HOUSE FOR A HOLY PRIESTHOOD, TO OFFER UP SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES ACCEPTABLE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.”

*** AND BELIEVER, EACH ONE OF US ARE LIVING STONES, BEING PERFECTLY PUT TOGETHER IN THIS HOLY TEMPLE, THE CHURCH AND THIS COMMUNICATES THE FORMATION OF THE CHURCH.

**** BUT LASTLY TODAY, WE MOVE FROM THE FOUNDATION AND FORMATION OF THE CHURCH TO ITS FUNCTION. LOOK AT V. 22 PLEASE.

III. THE FUNCTION, (READ V. 22)

A. NOW THE FUNCTION OF THIS NEW HOLY TEMPLE IN OUR WORLD IS TO BE THE HABITATION OF GOD, AN ABODE, A DWELLING PLACE OF GOD, SO PEOPLE, I BELIEVE, CAN SEE HIM.

* IN OTHER WORDS, AS A LIVING, FUNCTIONING AND PRECIOUS PART OF THAT TEMPLE, WE AS BELIEVERS ARE BEING BUILT TOGETHER IN THE CHURCH AS A DWELLING OF GOD IN THE SPIRIT.

** BELOVED, PAUL THINKS OF CHRISTIANS AS THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD, AND SPECIFICALLY AS THE CHURCH, A HABITATION OF GOD, WHERE GOD DWELLS.

*** AND WE AS BELIEVERS IN CHRIST ARE BEING BUILT TOGETHER, CONSTRUCTED INTO A SPIRITUAL BUILDING WHERE GOD CAN BE SEEN, WHERE GOD ABIDES, WHERE GOD DWELLS IN HIS SPIRIT.

1. IN FACT THIS IS GOD’S HOME IN THE WORLD. AND YES GOD IS IN HEAVEN ON HIS THRONE, BUT HE IS OMNIPRESENT AND CAN BE SEEN IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE ON EARTH, HIS CHURCH.

* AND BELOVED, THE VISIBLE CHURCH SHOULD REFLECT HIS GLORY, HIS LIKENESS, HIS LOVE. AND HIS CHURCH CROSSES CULTURAL BOUNDARIES AND RACIAL BOUNDARIES, EVEN BETWEEN GENTILES AND JEWS TO REFLECT HIS HOLY IMAGE IN THIS WORLD.

** AND THIS BUILDING THAT GOD IS CONSTRUCTED, HIS NEW HOLY TEMPLE, HIS CHURCH, BEING BUILT TOGETHER WITH JEWS AND GENTILES AND ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE INTO A DWELLING OF GOD IN HIS SPIRIT, IS TO DISPLAY HIS GLORY IN THE WORLD.

IN CLOSING: (1) THE CHURCH IS THE NEW TEMPLE OF GOD IN THE WORLD.

* AND IT’S NOT A PHYSICAL BUILDING, BUT A COLLECTION OF PEOPLE THAT GOD HAS RECONCILED IN CHRIST THAT ARE GROWING INTO A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD.

** AND WE ARE A CORPORATE PART OF THAT SPIRITUAL BUILDING. AND PAUL HAS SHOWN THAT THROUGH THE GENTILES WHO WERE FORMERLY OUTSIDE OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD, THEY ARE ONE NEW MAN WITH JEWISH BELIEVERS.

*** AND THIS NEW ENTITY, THE CHURCH, IS LIKE A TEMPLE THAT IS STRUCTURED ON THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, WITH CHRIST BEING THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE; AND IT IS INDWELT BY GOD THROUGH THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

**** AND CERTAINLY ONENESS IS A THEME IN THIS PARAGRAPH WE’VE BEEN STUDYING THE LAST 4 SUNDAYS.

(2) JEW AND GENTILE AS ONE, ONE NEW MAN, ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, FELLOW CITIZENS, GOD’S HOUSEHOLD, ONE SPIRITUAL BUILDING, ONE HOLY TEMPLE.

* NOW I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE A PROBLEM IN WESTERN CHRISTIANITY IS INDIVIDUALISM.

** BUT IN EPHESIANS 2:11-22, WE SEE CORPORATE REALITIES. BUT ONLY AS WE FUNCTION AS A TEAM, AS A BODY WORKING TOGETHER, AS A HOLY TEMPLE, AS A CHURCH WILL WE BE ABLE IN A UNITED WAY DISPLAY GOD IN THE WORLD.

*** I MEAN THINK OF IT THIS WAY WITH THE BODY METAPHOR. AS WE WORK TOGETHER FULFILLING OUR FUNCTION, IN A UNIFIED EFFORT IN OUR MISSION, WILL WE BE ABLE TO FULFILL THE GREAT COMMISSION, THE MAIN MANDATE THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

**** AND AS EACH ONE OF US FULFILLS OUR PURPOSE IN THE BODY AS A HAND, A FOOT, AN ARM, A LEG OR WHATEVER WAY, AS WE USE OUR TALENTS AND GIFTS AS A TEAM, WE ARE A POWERFUL FORCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE WORLD.

(3) MAY WE BE ONE IN OUR PURPOSE, ONE IN OUR LOVE, ONE IN OUR FUNCTION AS WE ARE LIVING STONES IN THE BUILDING OF GOD, HIS CHURCH, HIS HOLY TEMPLE, HIS NEW TEMPLE.