NOW THEREFORE

Sermon of the Week #200614-April 7, 2006

           Ladies and Gentlemen, the Apostle Paul in the second chapter of Ephesians compares the Lord’s Church to a Kingdom, a Household and a Temple. He said, “Now therefore.”  That term, “Now therefore” links what he is going to say with what went before. In the third verse he said, “We once lived as children of wrath.”  We cannot understand the crucifixion without being aware of the wrath of God. The wrath of God will not be meted out with a medicine dropper. John refers to the wrath of God in Revelation sixteen as bowls of wrath poured out on sinners. Now therefore.

The fifth verse emphasizes this point, “Even when we were dead through our trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ.” Jesus raised up three people from the dead. One was dead for at most a few hours; another was on the way to the graveyard, and the other dead for four days. One thing that all three had in common was the fact that they were all dead. A person who lives a good moral life without Christ is just as dead in sins as the worst reprobate. Now therefore.

Then in verse twelve he says that we have now been made nigh by the blood of Christ. Before we became Christians we were as far away from God as we could get, and as close to Hell as we could get.

Someone has written, “East is east and west is west, and never the twain shall meet.” In Christ, it can be said, “East meets west, and west meets east, at Jesus’ pierced feet.” Now therefore.

THE KINGDOM

           Now therefore, the Church can be regarded as a Kingdom. We are no longer strangers and sojourners but fellow citizens with the saints. Paul says in Philippians, “For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” And in Colossians, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”

The basic way to be a citizen in the United States of America is to be born within the boundaries of this country. Recently a man and woman fled from the tyranny of a country in the Middle East and within hours after their arrival in New York the woman gave birth to a baby boy. The news made much of the child’s future. They reported that this baby, by reason of birth, was automatically a citizen of this country with all the rights of any other citizen. It was pointed out that such a person could become President of the United States.

The same thing is true in the Kingdom of God. We become citizens by virtue of being born into the Kingdom. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except one be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” This statement of Jesus is an obvious reference to the statement of Peter on the Day of Pentecost, when he instructed believers in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, “Repent ye, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Another thing about a Kingdom or Nation is the fact that they have their own language. Spanish speak Spanish. English speak English. Christians have their own special language. Nehemiah in the account of the people of Judah after the Babylonian Captivity tells how they had begun to speak the language of Ashdod—part in their own tongue and part in Ashdod. America may be in the same predicament. Our language is American. Some want to make America a bilingual country. What's wrong with good ole American?

When the Church begins to speak the language of Ashdod, and foul up Biblical language, it is in trouble. Notice some of the religious language you hear today that is foreign to the Bible. How about Lent? You would think from observing religious folk today that the Apostles ran around with ashes on their faces on Ash Wednesday. Would it shock you if I reminded you that Lent is not mentioned in the Bible? What do you think about the term Reverend as a title for preachers? The title of reverend did not begin until the fifteenth century. Let us as citizens of the Kingdom of God clean up our act and speak the pure language of the Word of God.

As members of the Kingdom of God we also have certain boundaries. We are not in the Kingdom of God on a passport. We belong there as citizens and we need not go back into the darkness of the Kingdom of Satan. We are a separated people. Let us stay within the boundaries of the Kingdom of God. When a Christian views an X-rated movie he has gone over the border into the Kingdom of Satan.

Consider also a Kingdom or Nation sometimes will put up monuments as memorials to their heroes. One former president being interviewed said, “What we need to do is erect a monument to God.” A monument honors our heroes. Over in England a person who was showing me the sights pointed to an arch over a street in downtown London and said that it was a monument to nothing. He said during the reign of Queen Victoria they brought it to Buckingham Palace and the Queen did not like it. She said, “Take it someplace else.” So they hauled it downtown and set it up. No inscription is on it. There it is, a monumental arch over the street signifying nothing.

         We have a monument in the Kingdom of God and it does signify something. It is called the Lord’s Supper. It is a monument to our Hero. He saved me from hell-fire and gave me eternal life. We have been commanded to do this in remembrance of Him. Acts the twentieth chapter tells of the frequency of that observance as a Sunday-by-Sunday event, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread.”

Concerning the boundary of the Kingdom of God, we think of the geography of the world and how it changes from time to time. Countries that existed fifty years ago are no longer here. Others have sprung up in their places. But the Kingdom of God has not changed. Nothing can blast it out of existence. Paul tells us in the twelfth chapter of Hebrews, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” The Kingdom of God is here to stay. The Gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Our Theme song could very well be, “Glory Hallelujah I shall not be moved. Anchored in Jehovah I shall not be moved. Just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved.” Now Therefore. Next, consider the second view of the Church; it is also like a Household.

A HOUSEHOLD

“Fellow citizens with the saints and of the Household of God.”  When we think of the Church as a Kingdom we think of the King. But when we think of the Church as a Household we think of God as the Father. This gives us a feeling of a closer relationship. A serviceman may not go directly to the Chief of Staff; there is a chain of command that must be observed. However the child of the Chief of staff may very well walk right in to his office without an appointment. This is the type of relationship we have with the Heavenly Father. We can go directly to Abba Father through the elder brother Jesus Christ. It is a family affair. We are blood relatives. We are in the Household of God made nigh by the blood.

We may work with people and have friends who are neighbors, but we don't have them into our homes except for a visit. They do not come to live with us. We do not feel comfortable having them around all the time and they don't either. They are not family. They are not blood relatives.

          On three occasions I have had revivals over the Thanksgiving weekend. Each time has been a miserable affair. Thanksgiving is a time for the family and no matter how hospitable folk have been I have always felt like a fifth wheel in that fellowship. They may include you in everything and yet there are some things that a family can talk about that they would rather not share with an outsider. I think that it was Mark Twain who made the statement, “I am going to talk with you tonight with the brutal frankness of a blood relative.” It is a family affair. If a person who is not a Christian could go to Heaven he would feel miserable because he is not a blood relative.

One time it was reported to Jesus, “Behold Thy mother and thy brethren stand without seeking to speak to Thee," Jesus answered, "Who is My brother and My brethren?" And turning to His disciples He said, "Behold My mother and My brethren, whosoever doeth the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, sister and mother.”

Not everyone can call God Father. Jesus said of some, “Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do.”

"We are the Household of God." There is something that is satisfying in that song we sing, “I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.” Now therefore. The Church is compared to a Kingdom, the Church is compared to a Household and it is also compared to a Temple.

A TEMPLE

Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; into whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.  The Church is the Temple in the Lord. When we think of the Church as a Temple it presents another dimension. In a family one member can move across the country. Another can move away in another direction and yet, though separated; they are still in the same family. Now you cannot do that with a Temple. If you separate the stones one from another you tear down the Temple. The Church as a Temple presents a picture of the parts merging together. The Temple gives the appearance of oneness, the look of unity. The specifications for the Temple of God do not call for denominational names that divide.

Jesus is the One who builds the Temple. He said, “Upon this rock I will build My Church.” The second chapter of Acts tells us how He builds, “And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.” The Lord added. When did He add the Bible says?  “When they were baptized?” The Lord is still building His Holy Temple, the Church of Christ.

So according to this, the Church membership is not just statistics. Getting a crowd together in the same building because they like the music, the architecture, or fellowship with friends is not the Church. In fact Jesus seems to discourage some people from following Him. The rich young ruler came to Jesus wanting to know how to have eternal life. If the Apostles had been like us they might have encouraged the Lord, “Go easy on him, Lord, he is loaded. What a blessing he will be if we can land him.” Jesus gave him an answer that sent him away sorrowful. The Lord told one enthusiastic fellow who said, “I will follow you wherever you go”, to consider first if he was really sure he wanted in on this. He said something about foxes having holes to live in, and He had none.

In the building of the Temple Paul says, “It is fitly framed together.” It is not a Temple of brick where every brick is the same size, but a Temple of stone. Peter calls it, “Living stones, built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up, spiritual sacrifice.”

The Temple of God is living stones. Jesus lays the stones. We do not join the Temple, we are placed there by Jesus. Look at the stonemason as he lays up the stones. He picks up a stone. It does not fit too well. He takes his hammer and knocks off some rough edges and puts it in place. It is fitly framed and then he applies the mortar. Jesus is the builder. He had knocked off some rough edges from me, and when I was fitly framed, I was added by the Master Builder.

In the building of this Holy Temple there may be a comparison to the building of Solomon’s Temple. In First Kings we read, “And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”

The stone was quarried before it was brought to the Temple. There was no sound of a hammer in the construction. The stone in the Holy Temple of the Lord must also be prepared beforehand. The preparation is not a matter of saying, “I am going to join this Church because I like the inspiring music. I am going to join this Church because I like the Family Life Center. I am going to join this Church because it is convenient. I am going to join this Church because my friends go here. I am going to join this Church because they have a great ball team.” You may join a church like this and not be added to the Lamb’s Book of life. Remember, this Temple Paul speaks of it as a Holy Temple. To be added as a living stone there must be a renouncing of sin. Otherwise, membership in a Church like this is like the mixed multitude that went out of Egypt with Israel. Later on, the mixed multitude led in the rebellion when they lusted after the onions, leeks, melons and garlic they had in captivity.

           Remember, it is the Holy Temple of the Lord. Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Both the Lord and Peter referred to this Old Testament story in the building of the Temple and gave credence to the story of the rejection of the cornerstone. When they built Solomon’s Temple the stones were quarried and brought in ready to be put in place. One stone was peculiar and was discarded. Later on when they searched for the corner stone they remembered that peculiar stone and dug it up from the rubbish. The stone that the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. Jesus is both cornerstone and builder. Let Him fitly frame you and add you to the Temple of God. Now Therefore!

One final thought on the rock, the foundation of the Temple of God. Jesus said, “Everyone that heareth these words of Mine and doeth them shall be likened to a man who dug deep and built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended and the floods came and beat upon that rock and it fell not for it was founded on the rock. Every one who heareth these words of Mine and doeth them not is like unto a foolish man who built His house upon the sand, and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell and great was the fall thereof.”

My God I mark with fear, how many hopes decay,

And like the foolish builders house,

Fall in the trials day.

Perhaps amidst this throng thou does a soul espy,

Whose towering hopes are built on sand,

I ask Lord is it I?

A thousand doubts arise, I bring them all to thee.

Am I unconsciously deceived?

Lord search my heart and see.

O teach me deep to dig, down to the solid rock.

That when tornadoes round me sweep,

My soul shall bear the shock.

Jesus Thou only art the firm foundation stone.

Firm as the eternal hills art Thou,

I build on Thee alone.

Cemented fast to Thee, No stone is laid in vain.

My hopes defies the assaults of hell,

The flood, the wind, the rain.