God’s New Building Project

Transcript

GR 145
07/27/1975
God’s New Building Project
Ephesians 2:19-22
Gil Rugh

Ephesians Chapter 2, I would like to begin reading verse 11 as you follow along in your bible, “Therefore remember that formally you the Gentiles in the flesh were called uncircumcision by the so called circumcision, which is performed in the flesh by human hands. Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the common wealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off had been brought near by the blood of Christ for He himself is our peace who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. By abolishing in His flesh the enmity which is the law of the commandments contained in ordinances that in himself He might make the two into one new man thus establishing peace. And might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. Thus through Him, we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets.
Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord. In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

Reading Ephesians the Second Chapter this morning, Ephesians Chapter 2 began the section -- paragraph really that we will be finishing this morning, with verse 11 last week and Paul is developing the new work that God is doing in bringing Jews and Gentiles together into one body in Christ. Really started to talk about this earlier but the distinction between Jew and Gentile that has been nullified in verse 11 where we formally the Gentiles in the flesh in contrast to the circumcision the Jews, verse 12; we were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world. So talking about what we were and he picks up in verse 11 with the remember, so he is not necessarily giving new information but a reminder to these believers of what they were before God did his work in their lives.

Remember that you formally had nothing, you formally had no relationship at all to God in the world. Formally you were without hope as he said at the end of verse 12 but now in Christ Jesus in verse 13 we’ve been brought near by the blood of Christ and Christ himself is our peace because he broke down the barrier that divided Jew and Gentile which was the law of commandments and ordinances. As we talked about in verse 15 that wall was abolished because the law and all its requirements were fulfilled in Christ, there is no longer any barrier between Jew and Gentile. As we noted last week, verse 16; that he might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross by it having put to death the enmity. He has not made the Gentile a Jew nor a Jew a Gentile but he has done a new work in making a new group. So we have Jew, Gentile and now the church, true believers. This is important because of the emphasis that is developed and we are going to be seeing again this morning and then Chapter 3 really gives the detail of the revelation of the mystery, the information on the church, because some see the church as having existed in the Old Testament.

If you read a commentary by # they would note the church of the Old Testament referring to Israel and now we are the church. So in Old Testament Israel is the church, today we are the church that is not true. And Paul is arguing against such a decision, then it is not the Jew of the Old Testament or the Gentile, now it is a new work and a new group of people. The church having its beginning in Acts Chapter 2 and we will be talking more about that in coming weeks as we get into Chapter 3. Okay verse 18 through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So, now it’s through Christ that we have access to God both of us, Jew and Gentile. The one spirit operating in us through Christ enables us to come into the presence of the Father and we talked about it last week, there is no access to God apart from Jesus Christ. You must come through Christ to get to the Father. I’m the way, the truth and the light, no man comes under the Father but by me, it is what John -- Jesus said in John 14.

There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus and the same idea here. It is through him we both have our access in one Spirit. They denote the unity, it is through Christ one man and it is in one spirit that we come to the one God. So we have been pulled together here into one unified group, one savior, Christ, one Spirit and one Father. So, in verse 19 he picks up the development here, so then -- indicates that this is just a follow on and what he has been saying as he pulls together and he is going to use the analogy here of a building, formerly he had used the analogy of a body. In verse 16; in one body and made us one body, he will pick up that analogy later on in Ephesians but here he is going to see the church now as a building and what the analogies of a body and a building do is that they show the unity and the oneness because even though there is variety in the body it is still one body, different parts and so on. And the same in the building, even though there are a variety of parts and materials in this building there is still only one building.

All the pieces and parts built together to make one unified harmonious home and that is what God has done with Jew and Gentile. He has made one unified harmonious body or building for his own glory. So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, again pulling together what he has just said about the Gentiles and we read in verse 12; what we formally were. But no longer are we strangers and aliens, outsiders and that is what Gentiles were through the Old Testament. You can read through the Old Testament and see. The Gentiles are excluded, they have no part in the covenants and promises given to the nation Israel. So, we as Gentiles were strangers, aliens; we had no part in the nation and no citizenship within that people. But you are fellow citizens with the saints and the whole of God’s household. So, there has been a change that has taken place, formally we were strangers and aliens, now we are fellow citizens with the saints. So sharing with the Jewish believers, now we Gentile believers, we are fellow citizens together, so no longer strangers and aliens.

But now citizens, so being part of God’s people, the new people that he has put together, believers from whatever their nationality and not only that but even getting a Lord a little more personal not just citizenship but part of the family. We are of God’s household so not only are we no longer strangers and aliens, we are citizens and beyond being even citizens we are members of his family. So we have been brought not only into the nation as it is viewed here, the people of God but we have been invited into the family of God and bring something of the closeness of the relationship that has been provided in Christ. This would tie back to what he has said previously, it is through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So now we have been made citizens and we have been made part of God’s household, the saints is a word we have looked at before, Paul used in writing his introduction to the Ephesians, simply means those who are set apart. Imagine if the Bible says holy ones and that is fine too, the word simply means to be set apart and one who is set apart from sin to God is holy.

He is sanctified, he is holy, he is a saint, all going back to basic same word; to be set apart. All right now, verse 20; having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. So, here is an explanation, we are fellow citizens with the saints, members of God’s household because we have been built. So our present position before God is a result of what God has done to us, in us and for us in Christ. Having been built, now that is an aorist passive participle an aorist tense is simply the past tense. The passive simply has to do with the subject being acted upon, we have been built, we didn’t build ourselves; that would be the middle voice. We are not building that would be the active voice but we have been built; the passive voice, something has been done to us in the past and our present position; we are present tense, that we’re citizens of God’s household because of what he has done to us, our present position is the result of what he has done and what has he done? He has built us upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets.

So, important that we see here that we enjoy our present position before God because of what he has done to us, not because of what we have done together, not because of what I’m doing but because of what he has done. He has built me; I had no part in it. I didn’t build myself, I’m not building any building and the analogy as Paul uses it here, but I have been built. It is God’s work in building the building that he is constructing. We have been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. God is building a building to bring Jews and Gentiles together into one building and molding them and building them and the foundation that he uses is the Apostles and the Prophets. They are the foundation for God’s building and important is that we grasp what the foundation is otherwise you won’t understand the building. God’s building is limited to what is being constructed on this foundation and it is important to be careful because there are other buildings that are being constructed. There are others who are doing building but God’s building is being constructed upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and I take it that the construction here indicates that they are the foundation, the Apostles and Prophets are the foundation of the building.

This is symbolized in the Book of Revelation as well over in Chapter 21, next to the last Chapter in the last book of the bible, Revelation in the 21st Chapter. In the New Jerusalem the foundation is presented in verse 14 of Revelation 21 and the wall of the city had 12 foundation stones and on them were the 12 names of the 12 Apostles of the lamb. So here in the symbol or the picture of the New Jerusalem there are 12 stones pictured in the foundation and these 12 stones symbolize or represent the 12 Apostles who are the foundation for the Church that God is constructing. New Jerusalem being the growing place of believers of the future age. So that analogy carried out and developed even a little different way in the Book of Revelation, the foundation in the Apostles and the Prophets.

Now if we go back to Ephesians, look in Chapter 3, looking ahead of ourselves, look in Chapter 3 and verse 4 and by referring to this when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ and what all this means we look at next week, 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. What happens is -- the Apostles and Prophets were the recipients of the revelation from God regarding the new work that he is going to do, the construction of a building, the church which would be for himself. They had received this revelation, it hadn’t been given before but to the Apostles and to the Prophets it was given.

And so as they do the teaching the foundation was laid, thus they themselves in effect are the foundation because it was through them that the revelation was given that enabled the building to be built. Now again, God is the one doing it but the materials he used first the Apostles and the Prophets as vehicles of his revelation, so that the foundation could be laid, so that the building could be constructed. Now just a couple of comments about Apostles and then briefly on Prophets. The purpose of an Apostle according to Acts Chapter 1 verse 22 was to be a witness of the revelation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostles prime ministry was to testify to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to read the ministry of Apostle Paul in particular and Peter’s in the first part of Acts but Paul in particular, the emphasizes on the resurrection of Jesus Christ because that is the great proof that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and has provided redemption by his death. The resurrection is God’s declaration that justification has been accomplished and the Apostle’s ministry was one of testifying to men that Jesus Christ had been resurrected. So in connection with this one of the requirements for being an Apostle was he had to have seen the resurrected Christ.

Look over in First Corinthians 15 if you would. Taking a little bit of time on this because of some confusion that develops, Watchmen in some of his writings has confused the issue of what an Apostle is but other groups as well and if you do not see what the Apostle’s ministry was, its particular function, then you are in a position perhaps of laying a foundation in a continuous state and there is confusion as we had it today. Over in first Corinthians Chapter 15; Paul is writing about the Gospel and the death, the burial, the resurrection of Jesus Christ and then after he was raised on the third day in verse 4 and he appeared to Petrus, that is Peter, then to the 12 and more than 500 brethren most of whom remained now, but some have died, then verse 17 appear to James, then all the Apostles, last of all as it were to one untimely born he appeared to me also. I’m the least of the Apostles because I persecuted the church. Here Paul identifies himself with the Apostles and he knows that he had a special appearance. That appearance would be the Damascus road at his conversion in Acts Chapter 9 when Christ confronted Paul and here because he saw the risen Christ that validated him as an Apostle. Although Paul realized unlike one born at the wrong time, an untimely birth, because he was behind rest of the Apostles.

Look over in Chapter 9 of First Corinthians. First Corinthians 9, Paul’s position and authority somewhat under attack, at least it has been disregarded by some of Corinth and that’s why he takes some time to validate his ministry in position. First Corinthians 9 verse 1; am I not free, Paul is writing, am I not an Apostle, have I not seen Jesus our Lord. So Paul says am I not an Apostle and he quickly answers the questions haven’t I seen Jesus, that is an essential and integral part of being an Apostle. I take it that requirement alone means that there are no Apostles functioning today because no one has seen the risen Christ. I take it that Paul makes note of that when he says that I’m an untimely born because following the ascension to the Father in Heaven he is given a special post resurrection appearance to validate him as an Apostle.

Now following this, the ministry of the Apostles, the message they were given because it was a direct revelation from God, new material was being validated by miraculous signs and this is mentioned in a number of places, epistle in First Corinthians, go to Second Corinthians Chapter 12. Second Corinthians Chapter 12; “I’m still writing to the same people the Corinthians” and still is touching on his authority and position because once he has established himself as an Apostle that means that his words must be accepted as the word of God, but the truth that he was conveying was indeed truth given to him by God.

So in verse 12 of Chapter 12 of Second Corinthians verse 11 he said; I was in no respect inferior to the most eminent of the Apostles, eminent of the Apostles. Verse 12; the signs of a true Apostle and that word is New Testament word for miracles to validate something; a sign, this word is used of a miracle that validates. Here the signs of true Apostles were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles, you know the signs of a true Apostle. Remember that True Apostle could do the miraculous because God validated his ministry and authority by enabling him to do supernatural works. These were the signs of a true Apostle because anyone could come with a message but not anyone just anyone could validate that message by doing a miracle. You need to read the Book of Acts for some of the miracles done by Paul, Peter and some of the other Apostles.

Looking over the Book of Acts Chapter 5, picking up the few verses spread out this morning. When Chuck Smith was with us in January. He talked on the matter of Apostleship in the New Testament and we have his tapes in the tape library, some of you may be interested in going into a little more depth and detail on the ministry of Apostles. In Acts Chapter 5 verse 12, Acts 5:12; and at the hands of the Apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people.

You note even how in the Book of Acts the doing of the signs and wonders has a limitation on. It is through the hands of the Apostles because they are the ones given the new message and it is their message that needs to be validated, so it is at the hands of the Apostles many signs and wonders are taking place so that people realize their authority from God and thus submit themselves to their message. You can jot down Hebrew 2:4, we won’t turn there but there it is touched upon again that the message that was given was validated by signs, wonders and miracles. God bearing them witness with signs, wonders and miracles. So God had new material to give, how we are going to know it is from God, well God attests the authority of his spokesman by enabling him to do a miracle or the miraculous.

All right, back to the Ephesians Chapter 2 for at least a moment. Ephesians Chapter 2 then when we will talk about the Apostles and Prophets and the Prophets, I take it, are almost inseparably linked with the Apostles. The grammatical construction here; Apostles and Prophets, links the two as one group, and we have the same thing when we get into Chapter 3 with the Apostles and Prophets but here in Chapter 2 verse 20 the Apostles and Prophets are viewed as one group. I take every Apostle would have been a Prophet although not necessarily follows that a Prophet would have to been an Apostle, although that may be so.

The emphasis in the New Testament of course in on the 12, who were the leading Apostles, others may have been Apostles, these were acknowledged as the leaders and authorities. The Prophets were men who had received a direct revelation from God and spoke it forth the men. So they in connection with the ministry are the same as Apostles. They will seek direct revelation from God and spoke it forth. So the differences is that the Apostle’s ministry is broader because they are authoritative in a broad area but as far as receiving direct revelation and giving it forth is the same and their ministry would have been validated in the same way. But keep in mind the stress here is on they are one group, they were inseparably linked together, the Apostles and the Prophets. I take it that when we establish this then we have established what indeed is the foundation for the church and we’re looking First Corinthians 3 in a moment and we probably will be thinking no other foundation can any man lay or just been laid which is Christ Jesus. This is not another foundation obviously, just a little different analogy. The foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, connecting that is Chapter 3 verse 5 that has to do with the revelation given to them.

That means that if a building is being constructed by God it has been constructed upon the revelation that he has given. That anyone who claims to be part of that building part of the church and yet is not in accord with the foundation that God has established is a liar. Because it cannot fault a man to set aside the foundation that God has established. We have many so called churches today who do not believe the Bible as the Word of God and it is the Bible where we go to find what God said through the Apostles and the Prophets and yet if you reject the ministry of the Apostles and Prophets you have in effect rejected the foundation, if you have rejected the foundation upon what do you construct your building? It cannot be the building that God is building and constructing if it is not constructed upon the foundation that he has laid. My take is that is why the devil is attacking the very foundation of the church today, the authority of the Word of God. Because it is the same problem that Paul faced. If Paul could be discredited and his message annulled, then what would be the foundation. The Devil doesn’t care if there is a church, the devil doesn’t care if there is a building constructed. He does care if it is God’s building constructed on God’s foundation and so we find a Word of God under constant attack, why?

The devil is chipping away the foundation. He knows that if the foundation can be undermined the building naturally will deteriorate and collapse. Obviously the spiritual work that God is doing is not going to collapse. Jesus promised that the gate to hell will not prevail against his Church, but we as believer is responsible before him, must be careful that the building that we are involved in is the building that God is building because it is constructed upon his foundation.

Let us look at a couple of other passages. Over in Second Peter, Chapter 3. Second Peter in the third Chapter, Second Peter Chapter 3, Peter is speaking and again he says he is stirring them up to remember in verse 2, Second Peter Chapter 3 verse 2; that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandments of the Lord and savior by your Apostles, you know. It is the commandment of your Lord and Savior, how is that commandment conveyed to men? By the Apostles. So if their word is the Word of God and thus over at the end of this Chapter, Second Peter 3 picking up with verse 15; we regard the patience of our Lord to the salvation just as our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given him wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distorts as they do also the rest of the scriptures to their own destruction. On your guard lest being carried away by the air of unprincipled men you fall from your own steadfastness.”

You note that Peter here says that Paul’s writings are on the same authority as the rest of scriptures. They twist Paul’s writings just like they do the rest of scriptures and you note here he says that we have been forewarned, that we would be on our guard. In other words when someone comes with a doctrine and a teaching which is contrary to the doctrine and teaching of the Apostles and Prophets then I’ve to reject it and have no part of it. In other words what is not in accord with God’s word as we have it in the Bible today is to be rejected. Makes it so simple. You know what it does? It goes right beyond us if we will allow people to take the Bible out of our hands. Those who remained ignorant of it and then naturally the drift is away from the foundation that God has established. If someone is not aware of what God has said how is he going to align himself to it unless the foundation is first laid? He turned over to Jude as well, it is almost like a sword drill this morning. Jude verse 17, that is the little book just before Revelation, only one chapter in Jude so if you get to Revelation just back up and we were at Jude in the 17th verse same emphasis, but you beloved ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What were they saying? In the last time there shall be mockers following after their own ungodly lusts, these are the ones who cause divisions, worldly minded, the bullying of the spirit. Note here these false teachers come that don’t have the spirit of oneness that we have been talking about in Ephesians. The Spirit of God that makes one, makes the body one, the building one. And thus we have to remember what God said in his word. And yet these men have come and even believers are led astray. We have numerous believers that are sitting in services and link in today in churches where the Bible is not believed. The doctrine that God has given is not believed, what are they doing there? They are in conflict with the Word themselves, you know it often comes out that we fighting fundies, we cause divisions, we, you and me, we are fighting fundies I guess, we cause divisions, because you know you are so particular and you know you divide love. If you don’t have love you want to divide us over doctrine. You know who the division is caused by is stated. Verse 19; these are the ones who cause divisions, there won’t be any division if they did hear to what God has said in his word. So as God looks at it they are causing the division because they refused to align themselves with the Word and that one make you look narrower because the bulk of them not aligned themselves to his Word.

One another passage, Colossians Chapter 1 and that is just the book before Ephesians, so if you’re back to Ephesians, and the book before Ephesians, Colossians. And the first Chapter you can read it, the entire book, you can read the entire first Chapter. I just want to draw you stress to how serious a matter it is to diverge from the truth that God has given. Paul had been the one who had been instrumental in bringing the Colossians to Christ, in verse 6 he says “I’m amazed that you are quickly deserting him who called you by the Grace of Christ for a different gospel, which is not really another or a different one”, two different words here. To a different gospel which is not really another at the same time, the emphasis of that word is totally different “but there are some who are disturbing you, who want to distort the gospel of Christ but even though we or an angel from heaven should preach you gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed as we have said before so I say again now if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you have received, let him be accursed”.

That is a strong statement. Paul in effect says God’s word has not changed and someone is now is coming and teaching you something contrary to the Word of God you have already received then I don’t care if it is an angel from heaven who gives that. That is pretty well as Moronian. If people think that the Angel Moroni gave the revelation therefore it has to be the truth and an angel a lie, I guess Paul say he doesn’t know, he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care the greatest theologian in the world comes up with a new theory, it is not in accord with the teaching of word of God then he is under a curse. When we go we have to sift it out, he is an intelligent man, maybe he has discovered something, if he has not discovered the Truth of God, he has discovered nothing true and we, the believers have become so wishy-washy and is driven back and forth afraid to be firm and stand that there is no middle ground, there is no flexibility where God has spoken, that is the final word. Unless some of you go out in a rage, I’m not saying that I have the final interpretation but I do not think the interpretation is the key issue. You can read your Bible, we encourage you to bring it. God who wanted to communicate to man is intelligent enough to do it. The problem is not interpretation, the problem is will you believe what he says or will you not.

We as believers are obligated to be in line with the foundation upon which we are being built and I have no authority, no right at all to be flexible. I have no authority to expand the foundation with new teaching and new doctrine. You know that helps, I take it there is no new revelation coming the gifts of Apostle and Prophets are gone and that helps because I don’t have to run after every new doctrine, every new teaching, it is all right here. The foundation is finished and complete, all we have to do is to allow ourselves to be built upon the foundation. Many of us as Christians are characterized by instability chasing after every new teaching that comes down the pipe.

All right, back to Ephesians. You want to characterize a healthy church, put in the margin of your notes, the Acts Chapter 2 and verse 42; where they continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine. That was a healthy church. They continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine, not new doctrine, the doctrine of the Apostles again that is what is contained in the scriptures as we have them. Okay finish off this section here, in verse 20 of Ephesians 2 Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, from the analogy that Paul is using as the building the foundation is the Apostle’s and Prophets, they were used to give revelations from Christ but the keystone in the foundation, the cornerstone is Christ himself. So in First Corinthians Chapter 3 verses 10 and 11 when Paul says that no other foundation can any man lay than that which has been laid which is Christ Jesus.

He is not contradicting himself over here but the Apostles did lay the foundation in that they gave the revelation concerning Christ but as he makes the analogy slightly different, the chief stone in this foundation is Christ. The cornerstone upon which all the foundation depended. It was used as the guiding stone for the measuring of the other blocks and materials in the foundation, it was the central stone in the building, the most important, everything else is aligned with the cornerstone and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone. He is not trying to supersede the importance of Christ, simply using a slightly different emphasis in his analogy.

Okay there are other passages you can trace down, we won’t do that this morning. First Peter Chapter 2 verse 6 uses the same analogy here as here quoting from Isaac 28. All right now verse 21; in whom referring to Christ, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord. Note, it is in Christ, in whom anyone who is not in Christ is not being built upon this foundation. Being built upon the foundation when you are in Christ, the whole building I would include Jew and Gentile as no one who is a believer is not included here.

Being build, being fitted together is one word, which is in another place in the New Testament and that’s over Ephesians Chapter 4 verse 16 in connection with the body. So same word because the same process is going over these analogy of the building or the body. God is fitting us together that means every part, every believer will fit perfectly in the building or in the body. In Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body being fitted together, the word there the same word that we have over in Ephesians 2:21 where the building is fitted together, every part is being fitted together so naturally there are no misfits in this building that God has constructing because he is the craftsman. He is fitting us so that everyone every part is exactly in the right space fitted perfectly as God constructs his building. You know how he says it; the building is growing, even though he is using what we would see is inanimate analogy; a building yet he brings across the emphasis that the church is a living organism. It is the body of Christ, so the parallel he says is that the building is fitted together the various pieces.

But they cited the fact that it is a living, vital alive building that God is constructing as the body is little easier for us to see, all the parts functioning together alive. This building is growing because it is alive, it is God’s work and it is composed of you and I as believers, into a holy temple in the Lord. What God is constructing is a dwelling place for himself. In the Old Testament he dwelt in the tabernacle and then in the temple. Now he dwells in the church, he is building a holy temple, the place where he manifests himself, the word for temple here is the word that used to be inner sanctuary within the temple where God manifested his presence and God is building a building for the purpose of manifesting his character and his person and we are being built in the Lord so it is in Christ and both begins and ends in the Lord.

Verse 22 in whom stressing Christ again; you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the spirits. So just breaking it down a little more, this building is a temple and we are being built together into a dwelling of God, that is what the temple is devised, the dwelling place of God is to be a reflection of God’s character or God’s person. Now we were telling about the corporate church, not this building not any building but the church of God composed of every believer in Jesus Christ wherever he is in the world. When you think of the fantastic sovereignty of the God that we have that every believer wherever he is in the world is being fitted together perfectly into the building that God is constructing in order that it might be a dwelling place for him. Verse 22 brings also the members of the Trinity to our attention again; in whom referring to Christ, going back to verse 20, we’re being built together into a dwelling of God referring to the Father and the Spirit referring to the Holy Spirit.

Also three persons of the Trinity have their part and their place in what God is doing in our lives, now that makes you know, we feel often significant that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are all involved in the work of molding me and fitting me in the building that God has constructed, so that I might be exactly as God intends for me to be. If you look at First Corinthians Chapter 3, Paul is using the analogy of a building again in First Corinthians 3, I have quoted the verse here and verse 11 where he is giving the emphasis on how do you build on the foundation. You notice Paul writes to the Corinthians; you have used the foundation as having being laid as he does in writing to the Ephesians, the foundation is the Apostles and Prophets, now we have to talk about the building being constructed. We are not laying the foundation all over again, that is taken care of.

Now in verse 10 Paul uses the analogy of himself as a wise master builder; then in verse 11, the foundation being Christ how you build upon it. Verse 16; do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you. So here drawing it down a little more personally that the spirit of God resides in every believer and thus the responsibility of a believer to be a manifestation and reflection of the person and character of God.

Well on the broader basis then all believers as God pulls them together in his building, naturally this building is the place where he manifests his glory. And that is why we have the church. What is the church? The church, remember as we look in chapter 1 was to be a display of the grace of God for all eternity, the place where God is making himself known in the world today. It is through the church, it is in the church, people do not go to the temple to see the glory of God manifest in the sanctuary. God’s glory and character is manifest in and through the believers that he is building into the building for his own glory.

Now a couple of things I think come out of this in light of what Paul has said thus far in Ephesians Chapter 2. First, obviously he had declared that the church is not a physical building. We call this Indian Hills Community Church and that is the common usage that we pretty well accepted, but this building is not the church any more than this auditorium is a sanctuary. If there is a sanctuary it is the body of a believer, this is an auditorium where we meet, this is a building where we meet, this is not the church. The church is composed of the people of God. So, I’m not against using the term because it is so ingrained in us, I’m not going to go out and take the letters off the front of the building or anything this morning.

But I think we need to be clear. If someone says did you go to church today, you don’t have to jump all over them I don’t think. But nonetheless we have to be clear; this is not the church, this building. The church is composed of the people of God and the church itself is composed of the people of God those who are believers in Jesus Christ wherever they are. Now believers who are part of the church of Christ, God’s Church in this locality are meeting together this morning. We are part of the church, but in the overall perspective the church is composed of all true believers. Now that is one area I think that we need to be aware of, I think it is so obvious to most of us by now.

But the second and I think maybe a little more subtle is that the church is not a believer. Sometimes people will say I’m the church that is not true, you are part of the church, but the church is comprised of all the believers that God is molding together into his building. You are not the church any more than you are the building or than you are the body. This is developed by Paul in the analogies in First Corinthians 12 to 14 with the body. You are one part of the church, that is not to play down your importance, but you are not the church, you know sometimes it becomes clever, so you can tell people well I’m the church and wherever you go you are the church, wherever you go you are part of the church, you are not the church, because the church is composed of all believers. So the church is not only not a building, the church is not a believer either, but every believer is part of the church.

I take it’s that one reason we have local churches is as God has indicated in the New Testament, he pulls believers together. Remember he is the one fitting us together in this overall building. So he has pulled together believers in this place who are fitted to do the job that he wants done in this place, to reflect his glory and his character in this city. So we are part of the true church, and God is constructing that building, he has the pieces in various places and they are reflecting his presence and his character wherever he puts them. So you melt with the churches then, it is believers fitted together on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Jesus Christ being the chief stone, the cornerstone.

I take it you are part of the church if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ. You are part of the building if you are being established on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. It is not what men think, it is not what the church teaches as we use that expression. The tradition would dictate is what the Apostles and Prophets have said as God spoke through them, dictates where we are and what the foundation is. Then the question is, are you part of God’s building? I realize you are in this building but that does not mean you are part of God’s building. You can sit in this building week after week after week and not be part of God’s building, because God’s building is a spiritual building. Are you being built by him, fitted together by him, the way that you become a part is that you realize yourself, you place your faith in Christ. At that moment you become of God’s family, part of God’s building.

Second, for us as believers we need to ask ourselves are we functioning as a vital part of the building of God? We lose perspective of what we really are, of who we really are. I’m an essential and vital part of the building that God is constructing for his glory, thus my life must be a reflection of his life, of his character, not of mine because God is building this building for his glory. He is fitting me together in this building for his glory and thus I need to be sensitive, am I functioning as a vital and a live part of the church of Jesus Christ, where I see myself in relation to the other pieces or other parts of the body as it will be developed, and am I functioning in that place as he will have me doing, and this is the way God is building glory to himself and making himself known today.

Let’s pray together; Father we thank you for your word, Father that you have made yourself known, that you did chose to reveal your purposes and plans for us through the Apostles and Prophets. We had followed the men, their word that you took them and used them that you presented your word through them and guarded and kept it. Lord so that even this morning we could consider it again. We thank you for the spirit who serves to teach us and instruct us, giving us understanding. Father we are thankful for the privilege of being part of your building, a building fitted together by you for having the assurance that you are doing your work in our lives in order that we might be a vital parts of that building which glorifies yourself.

Pray for those who are here this morning Lord who have come and sat in this facility, Lord who have assembled with these people but are yet not part of your building, they come as those who are from the outside, not yet established on the foundation that you have laid in your son and through your spokesmen. Pray that even now they might place their faith in Jesus Christ as their own personal savior, and that your work might be accomplished in them. We praise you for it in Jesus’ name, Amen.