Giving
Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Today we continue our series based on the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians The theme is “Making a New World”.
Today we are talking about A Picture of the Church.
Prayer
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Text
Ephesians 2:20-21 NKJV
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
Scripture Reading
Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV
Christ Our Cornerstone
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Introduction
Paul had a picture of the church.
In fact, he used many metaphors to describe the people of God.
One of his favourite images of the church was that of “the household of God.”
A similar picture can be found in 1 Peter 2:4-8, it talks of The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who [a]are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
The building metaphor shows us many insights about the church.
- The church rests on a secure foundation.
- The foundation is identified.
The cornerstone for the building is identified as Jesus Christ, Ephesians 2:20 says, “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,”
The cornerstone is the primary foundation stone at the angle of a structure by which the architect fixes a standard for the bearings of the work.
This stone at the base of a building is essential to the integrity of the structure.
No one can fit into the picture of the church without Jesus Christ.
He supports and holds together both the foundation and the walls.
It is Christ who gives the structure its unity and strength.
B. The foundation supports the entire building.
Every part of the building rests on the same foundation.
No one can belong to the church without resting on Christ.
In their solidarity they share one common theme, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”
2. The church demonstrates a harmonious design.
- Various parts go into the making of a building.
The construction of a building requires all types of building materials, concrete, steel, wood, and glass, and many others.
This diversity of materials does not call attention to any one of the materials.
It presents the idea of unity.
B. Various people go into a the making of a church.
The church has a variety of members.
Many personality types, cultural backgrounds, education levels, and other differences make up the church.
The diversity does not create disunity.
Instead, unity emerges from the diversity.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13, tells us of Unity and Diversity in One Body
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink [a]into one Spirit.
3. The church houses a unique occupant.
- Christians ought to be delighted over the Holy Spirit’s occupancy.
No building is ever constructed for the sake of being empty.
Rather, buildings are constructed to have occupancy.
The church has been built to house the Holy Spirit.
It has always been God’s intention to dwell among His people.
God inhabits the lives of believers through His Spirit, and nothing ought to bring them greater delight.
Some houses have sign that say, “The Joneses live here.”
The church should be evidence of the fact that the Holy Spirit lives here.
B. Christians ought to be careful about the Holy Spirit’s occupancy.
Because the Holy Spirit lives in believers, they need to exercise great care.
- They should allow the Spirit to control their lifestyle.
2. They should not defile the dwelling place of God.
3. They should not do anything to offend the Spirit.
Having God’s Holy Spirit within us requires us to take great care in living.
4. The church blesses the entire world.
- Buildings are constructed to help people.
Their purpose may be protection from the weather, a storage place for goods, or a number of other things.
God constructs the church to help people.
The habitation of God becomes a source of blessing and rejoicing to the world.
B. The church blesses the world.
No building can compare with people redeemed by the blood of Christ.
The church is made of humble people who walk with God, and the world rejoices to see the beauty of their faith and hope.
Conclusion.
Look at the church as “The household of God.”
As you look, make sure you are part of that building.
Put your life on the cornerstone, Jesus Christ.
He will make you part of the building so you can glorify Him.
Until next time
Stay in the Blessings
Giving
I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.
When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer.
Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!
You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at www.refinerylife.org
When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you.
So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us
2021 IS A YEAR OF REFORMATION
© www.refinerylife.org 2021 All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968, no part of this Article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission.
Visit us at
@PastorGaryHoban
@RefineryLifeGC
@PastorGaryHoban
@RefineryLifeChurch
@gary_hoban
@refinerylifechurch
YouTube
Gary Hoban
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxvrTCsjg98vGjMTObxJhtQ
Refinery Life Church Australia
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkvD9z50SuKWxhSw0TPQkgQ
