The Spirit In The Temple Part 5 Holy Spirit Series Series

The Spirit in the Temple

Part 5 The Holy Spirit series

JCC 09.05.10 pm

Read 1 Cor 3:16-17

The temple

Here Paul’s emphasis is on the church as a whole

Later in 1 Cor 6:19-20 Paul speak about individual Christians being temples

This is not a metaphor that Paul is using

We are actual temples

The illustration this morning on the body, soul and spirit show how God lives in our spirit

He is Spirit

Those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth

PP 2

The word used for temple (naos) refers to the actual sanctuary, the place where deity lives

The contrast to this is the broader word hieron, which was the temple area in general

There was an outer area and an inner area PP 3

Tabernacle means “tent,” “place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.”

It was a sacred place where God chose to meet His people, the Israelites, during the 40 years they wandered in the desert under Moses’ leadership

It was the place where the leaders and people came together to worship and offer sacrifices

“…make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)

“Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them.” (Exodus 29:45-46)

The Church at Corinth understood what Paul meant by Temple

They knew there was an inner sanctuary where only God could fill

In the New Testament, John writes: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14)

This word “dwelling” is the same word for “tabernacle” in the Old Testament

In other words, God came in living flesh to dwell or to tabernacle among His people

As He walked upon the earth and lived among the people, Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled the picture of the Old Testament tabernacle

When Jesus died on the cross it tells us that the veil was torn in two from top to bottom

Now we can enter the holy of holies

Now the way is available to all people whether Jew or Gentile

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” (Rev. 21:3)

PP 4 this is a plan of the tabernacle and the measurements

Notice there is only one entrance; through the gate

The gate was 30 feet wide

It was directly in the centre of the outer court on the east side

The gate was covered by a curtain made of finely twisted linen in blue, purple and scarlet

This one and only gate is a representation of Jesus being the only way in which one could have fellowship with God and worship Him

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

and

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9)

He also said:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

When you enter through the gate, the first thing you approach is the Brazen Alter

PP 5

The place of death

The place of slaughter

Symbolic of the atoning sacrifice of Christ of the cross

The Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world

Also when we enter through Christ, we must lay down our lives on the alter

We must leave sin at the altar and take it no further

The altar was made of wood from the acacia tree overlaid with bronze (usually symbolic of judgment on sin)

It showed the Israelites that the first step for sinful man to approach a holy God was to be cleansed by the blood

“He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” (Leviticus 1:4)

By laying the hand upon the head of the offering, the person was identifying with the sacrifice

His sin and guilt was removed from himself to the animal

Jesus himself bore our sins on the cross

“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.” (Leviticus 17:11)

“The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)