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Reviewing the House of God
By daniel | December 5, 2004
Saints and faithful brethren,
I was thinking this morning of all we?ve covered in the last several weeks and thought a brief review might prove useful. But before we do that we need to make sure we understand what we?re doing here. It?s not uncommon for saints to get into a study like this and find themselves quietly asking, “So what?” Life in our screwy world is pretty noisy and downright difficult. We know the Bible has important things to say, and we really want to see and understand, but our kids don?t like us, the rat race is running us ragged, and the echoes of our past seem to get louder the longer we live. We cry out for some help we?d call “practical.”
But what we must see is that the answer is not to solve our problems. Or perhaps we can say “the problem” is not the problem. The problem is we don?t know God, we have no idea what He?s up to, and we have serious misconceptions about who we are. Thus, we can?t raise our families as well as we expected ? we don?t like ourselves (so our kids don?t like us either). God?s purpose is lost on us, so our purpose is lost on us, too. Thus, our work is unfulfilling, and our reasons for working (have more to be happier, do well to be recognized) lock us in a race for rats when we were designed to run another course. Our echoes keep lying to us about who we are and our crappy culture is faithful to reinforce the deceptions. Fat, ugly, useless, dumb, too dirty, too old, too young, too lazy, too ambitious ? you name it, I?ve heard it. Then there?s smarter, better, more insightful, so kind, so loving, so whatever. I?ve heard these, too, but they ring hollow against my own self-knowledge. Practically, what I need is to explore who I really am (according to God) and what I?m really doing here (again, according to God). And I need to find these in the context of larger questions: who is God and what is He doing here.
And that, beloved, is just what we?ve been doing.
God is generous and smart, and He wants to live on the earth. That?s what He made it for. As we?ve studied the fifth aspect of the Church presented in Ephesians ? the church as God?s building ? we?ve seen that His intention is to live in a house on the earth with His people.
You might recall that the realization of this intention has happened progressively. God first dwelt in a bush, then a tent in the wilderness, then a temple Jerusalem, now in the church, and one day (still in the church) in the New Jerusalem ? the maximum expression of God?s dwelling in the earth.
We took a couple of weeks and examined the major elements of the tabernacle, and we found that Christ is the essence of God?s house and that God?s house explicitly reflects Christ. The House of God demonstrates the character and beauty of the Son of God. When Richard builds a house it tends to look like him and, in much the same way, the house Christ is building is intended to look like Him, too.
Now, as we?ve been exploring the church as God?s building ? the collective saints living together as His dwelling in spirit ? I?ve seen four primary areas to which I can practically apply myself toward the building of God?s house.
The first is a really big deal, and probably deserves a letter all to itself. So, for now, let?s just recognize that, to be a useful collaborator with God in this endeavor to build the church, it must become my thing. That is, I need to decide that the building of the church is what I?m for, and that it?s all I?m for, and then I need to systematically address all the areas of my living such that they fall into line with that endeavor, which has become my thing. We all know it?s God?s thing; is it yours?
The second and third relate to my role as a living stone in the Temple of the Living God. Any brick?s contribution to a building?s integrity is a function of two questions: what is the quality of the material? and how well is it related to the surrounding bricks? In other words, what kind of stone am I and how well am I mortared to the stones around me?
Our reading last week included I Peter 1:13-2:12. Put simply, Christ intends to build God a holy house, and that requires holy stones. Holiness is not a matter of religious self-consciousness, spiritual pride, or any of the other aberrations popular in Christian circles that emphasize “holiness.” Rather, holiness is a matter of transformation ? of no longer being conformed to the pattern of living defined by our former lusts, but being now progressively conformed to the pattern offered in our Cornerstone, the Holy One himself. Holiness is about knowing Jesus in a way that really changes us.
But even if every brick in the lot is cut and formed and transformed just right, you still just have a stack of bricks. To make a house you need mortar. The bricks have to stick together. And so Peter tells us to “love one another fervently.” Did you get that? It?s not, “Love everybody vaguely, managing to avoid any responsibility to any one in particular.” Rather, actually love the saints and do it with all you?ve got ? fervently.
Richard?s been saying some things that help me think clearly about this, and I?ll try to relate them here. Bear with me. OK, so you love everybody. What that tends to mean is that you actually love no one in particular. You?re in the church, but whom are you related to, practically? Is you pattern of gathering more like stacked bricks or genuinely mortared relatedness? You?ve got to get into a life together with some and take responsibility for them. It simply won?t do to me intermittently interactive with all unless you are practically glued to some. I hope I did that justice.
The fourth practicality is the matter of how we build. We?re not just the stones, we?re also the hired help, the builders. I Corinthians 3 admonishes us to be careful how we build. We either add to the house wood, hay and stubble or gold, silver and precious stones. A final judgement of our contributions is coming ? a trial by fire ? and the nature of our eternity will be determined by the results of that test. If our work burns up, we ourselves will be saved, but we will suffer terrible loss. If our work remains, we?ll be rewarded. (The exact nature of the reward is a little unclear, but let?s be sure that it?s no small matter.)
The nature of our work, flammable or lasting, is determined by the source of our labor. Chapter 2 makes this clear. One can minister (i.e. build) from his own natural abilities, sensibilities and power, or he can minister from the Spirit?s power and according to the Spirit?s sensibilities. The one is merely natural (of the flesh) and the other is spiritual (of the Spirit). It?s not just that illicit sin results in the suffering of loss. It?s that natural ministry results in loss, and spiritual ministry results in reward.
Thus, the primary question for us builders is “How do I learn to live and work by the Spirit.” And that?s what today?s 10am discussion is largely about. So take the notes, get the tape, discuss the content with your families, work it out in your cells. Like the early saints, continue in your houses in the elders? teaching. The quality of our eternity depends on it. It?s no joke.
I love you. Build well. The Lord will help us learn how. Trust the Spirit.
Virgil
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