• NB : wherever there is a [e], it indicates that that point must be explained or elaborated on.
Text: 1 Cor 6: 19 – 20 : 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Theme: Temple cleansing: the temple of the Holy Spirit
Introduction
- This Sunday we begin with Part 1 of a three part sermon series entitled “Cleansing the Temple” [e]
- According to the Word of God, there are 3 important areas of our lives that are of such spiritual significance that they are referred to as “temples”[e]
- What comes to your mind when I refer to a “temple”? [e]
- I have listed some points down in reference to a temple:
• Irrespective of religion, a temple is a place that is considered holy [e]
• A temple is a place where reverence and worship is given to a Divine Presence [e]
• A temple is a place to be respected [e]
• A temple is a place that is to be kept in order according to a set of divine ordinances or instructions [e]
- In this 3-part sermon series, we are going to talk about:
• The temple of the Holy Spirit, which refers to us [e]
• Our homes as a temple or dwelling place of the God Most High [e]
• And the temple of God in reference to the church [e]
- Today, we are going to talk about the temple of the Holy Spirit
- Lets read our Scripture verse for today again [e]
- Immediately some important spiritual facts jump across at us:
• We do not have the right to live as we please….we ought to have the Presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us [e]
• God has placed the Holy Spirit within us [e]
• We DO NOT claim ownership of our lives…we belong to God, because we have been bought with a price [e]
• We need to honour God with our bodies [e]
- I also want to bring to your attention our theme this morning : “Temple Cleansing”
- There is a great bring difference between “cleaning” and “Cleansing”
- Cleaning refers to the act of taking something that is existing and performing a process on it that will remove the dirt and make it look and smell and feel better again [e].
- Cleansing refers to the process of getting rid of things that do not belong in a place [e]
- Cleaning is a physical act [e]
- Cleansing is a spiritual act [e]
1. Left unattended, the temple will build up dirt over time.
- Revelation 2 : 4 – 5 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. [e]
- Let me put this passage of Scripture in context…
- God is speaking here to the church at Ephesus.
- But then, how can this be relevant to us?
- Because God does not change His nature, neither does He change His requirements [e]
- So what did happen to the church at Ephesus, and how does it apply to our own spiritual lives? [e]
- What causes dirt to build up in our temple? [e]
- Lets consider this passage of Scripture:
• We have forsaken our first love [e].
• We have fallen / drifted far from God [e].
- Let me ask you a question this morning…
- What happens when you neglect your home?
• It gets dirty [e]
• It falls into a state of disrepair [e]
• It begins to look bad to all those on the outside [e]
• Vermin and pests move in, because these conditions are just right for them to multiply [e]
- When you neglect your relationship with God….
- When you, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, neglect your spiritual life….
• It gets spiritually dirty….sin enters in. 1 John 3: 6 says that no-one who lives in God goes on sinning, so when we neglect God, sin creeps back into our lives [e]
• Our lives fall into a state of disrepair….God is no more there to fix things in our lives [e]
• Everyone on the outside begins to “see the slide” [e]
• There is a great danger of spiritual vermin and pests moving in [e]
- Church of God, allow me to remind you that Jesus is coming back for His Church [e]
- A church without spot and blemish the Bible says [e]
- It is time for us to clean out this temple [e]
- It is time to throw out all that does not belong in there [e]
2. Thing that defile the temple
- Matthew 15: 10 – 19 says, 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[a] If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
- Wow, what a powerful portion of Scripture [e]
- What defiles the temple of the Holy Spirit?
- What defile us enough for a cleansing to be required?
- Listen to the Word….
- Its what comes from the heart [e]
- The Bible says: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” [e]
- What defiles this temple of the Holy Spirit?
- According to vs 18, its what comes from our heart [e]
- Lets go through the list
• Evil thought
• Murder….notice not just physical murder, but thoughts of it as well [e]
• Adultery….need I say more [e]
• Sexual immorality…pornography…..saying inappropriate things [e]
• Theft [e]
• False testimony [e]
• Slander [e]….gossip [e]
- Let me ask you this morning
- What do you need to be cleansed from?
3. Who cleanses the temple?
- Its start with the person that stares back at you in the mirror [e]
- Yes, its starts with me. [e]
- When we acknowledge that we must be cleansed, then only can God come in to cleanse us. [e]
- 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- 2 Cor 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
- In the words of the John Newton, the man who wrote the hymn amazing grace, I am a great sinner…in need of a great Saviour [e]
- Let Jesus come into your heart today [e]
- Let Him into this temple and allow Him to cleanse you this morning [e]
4. Why must the temple be cleansed?
- God cannot give us a testimony, until we remove all things from our lives that separate us from Him. [e]
- We must allow Him, especially, to remove hidden things from us, the temple of the Holy Spirit. [e]
- We always want to have clean and lovely homes [e]
- We do everything we can to ensure that our homes are clean. [e]
- We must also do everything we can to clean this temple of the Holy Spirit [e]
- God cannot do anything within us until we allow Him to remove those hidden things that separate us from God [e]
- Only when the temple of the Holy Spirit is cleansed, can Christ be revealed in us. [e]
- Why must this temple be cleansed?
- Because God is Holy [e]
- He demands holiness [e]
- Let me say that I, yes me! And indeed all of us here are in need of spiritual spring cleaning [e]
- “About Religion” list 7 things we must do for a spiritual spring clean:
- If you want to take down these points, you can meditate on them at home:
• 1) Cleanse Your Heart - Get Spiritually Healthy: Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
• 2) Clean Out Your Mouth - Deep Clean Inside and Out: Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
• 3) Renew Your Mind - Take Out the Garbage: Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
• 4) Repent from Hidden Sin - Clean Out Your Spiritual Closets: Psalm 32:3-5 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
• 5) Release Unforgiveness and Bitterness - Get Rid of Old Baggage: Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
• 6) Involve Jesus in Your Daily Life - Let the Son Shine In: Psalm 56:13
For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.
• 7) Learn to Laugh at Yourself and at Life: Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
Conclusion
5. The Characteristics of a cleansed temple
- In conclusion, lets discuss the characteristics of a cleansed temple.
- When we allow God to come in and cleanse this temple, we will experience the following:
• A clear conscience (2 Timothy 1 : 3 - I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day)
• A true joy (Psalms 51:12 - Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.)
• A passion to serve God (Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”)
• An intimate relationship with God (Psalms 42 : 1 – 2 - As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?)
