1 Corinthians chapter 6
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.
I was once visiting Chicago and came across one of those men with a cardboard sign asking for money. As I talked and prayed with him I heard a pitiful story of death and violence that swirled around both him and his family. His sister had died and other family members had suffered and died.
Having given him a pitiful small amount of money I laid hands on him and prayed for him. An open wound on his head confirmed that he had been brutally mugged the night before. I left with little doubt that he too would soon be dead on the violent streets of Chicago.
A former prostitute Annie Lobert consumed a large amount of cocaine to bury the pain and went completely blind. I knew it was over," she says. She had a vision of her own funeral and saw her family lamenting that she had been a prostitute.
In that dark moment, Lobert called out for salvation. "Jesus, please save me - I don't know if You're real, but I don't want to die," she said.
When an ambulance came to get her, the doctor told her she should have died from the quantity of cocaine that she had consumed. "God must be with you," he said. "I knew that Jesus heard my prayer," says Lobert - "I laid there, and I had this peace come over me that was nothing like I had ever felt in my entire life. And I knew God gave me a second chance."
The former prostitute started reading her Bible and recovered from drugs, but was afraid to go to church because of what people might think of her. Much to her surprise, the people that she met there embraced her.
God began to heal her from her past, and the Holy Spirit testified to her spirit that she was beautiful, chosen, and set apart for Him. "I started to stand on Jesus' words - that I'm whole, that I'm healed, that I'm pure. And that gives me peace."
Lives in ruin. One restored to be the temple that God called her to be.
In the book of Haggai the Prophet confronts the leaders to restore the temple….
The leaders had been humbled by their exile to Babylon, hopeful in their return to their Promised Land, and then so discouraged by opposition in their rebuilding of the temple that they had quit (Ezra 4:24). Now, sixteen years later, with Haggai blaming their lack of food, clothing, and shelter on their failure to rebuild the temple, the Jews were receptive to his message of rebuilding the Lord’s house. (source google)
The temple was the place where God chose to dwell –
It was incredible and no other building on earth was like it physically or spiritually
Stones up to 40 tons – unable to be moved by modern machinery heights varying in description from 15 to 20 stories high created in such a way that they were architecturally perfect – huge blocks of rock that were so precisely placed together by some of the 100000 men working on the project at one time that you could not slip a piece of paper between them
Despite the magnificence of all that was there undoubtedly the centrepiece of this majestic complex was the Temple itself. A building of shining white marble and gold, with bronze entrance doors, it was said that you could not look at the Temple in daylight as it would blind you. The attention to detail in its construction is exemplified by the placing of gold spikes on the roof line of the building to prevent birds sitting on the Temple and soiling it. (Jewish virtual library.)
• But at the core of the temple was the Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKodashim or debir), the innermost chamber
The Temple precinct, located on the extended Temple Mount platform was huge and in Herod’s extended precinct 1 million people could gather
The Temple edifice had three distinct chambers:
Temple vestibule or porch (ulam)
Temple sanctuary (hekhal or heikal), the main part of the building
But at he core was the Holy of Holies it was here in the innermost chamber that the people met with God.
It was here that the angel appeared to Zechariah in such dramatic circumstances.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
Yet for it’s intense importance to Israel. For it’s sense of grandness and permanence Jesus once looked on the temple and said - Mark chapter 13 2 Jesus said, “Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be thrown down to the ground.”
The disciples had been awed by the size of the temple and it’s grandeur 13 As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his followers said to him, “Look, Teacher! How beautiful the buildings are! How big the stones are!”
The temple itself had played an important part in Jesus life he acknowledged it’s role as God’s house and when it was misused it stirred him to anger it was precious – Holy and at centre stage in the purposes of God.
But something dramatic happens at the time of Jesus Death –
God had chosen to express his presence in holy worship in the Jerusalem temple for centuries and before that in the tent of his presence centered in the Holy of Holies and the covenant box. But When jesus died – everything died – The dramatic darkness and splitting of the temple were astounding events. But dramatic as they were they were followed by shattering and dramatic events as under Titus the brutal roman Emporer the Temple was utterly and completely destroyed. Attempts to rebuild it
Were fraught with impossibility
The Empirer Jullian gave permission for it to be restored and accounts of what happened are – well horrifying
Here is what one historian said
Theodoret (A.D. 397-451)
"Ecclesiastical History"
Book III, Chapter XV
The Jews heard his words with delight They came with haste from all directions, contributing alike money and enthusiasm for the work; and the emperor made all the provisions he could, less from the pride of munificence than from hostility to the truth When they had begun to dig and to carry out the earth a vast multitude of them went on with the work all day, but by night the earth which had been carried away shifted back from the ravine of its own accord. They destroyed moreover the remains of the former construction, with the intention of building everything up afresh; but when they had got together thousands of bushels of chalk and lime, of a sudden a violent gale blew, and storms, tempests and whirlwinds scattered everything far and wide. They still went on in their madness, nor were they brought to their senses by the divine longsuffering. Then first came a great earthquake, fit to strike terror into the hearts of men quite ignorant of God's dealings; and, when still they were not awed, fire running from the excavated foundations burnt up most of the diggers, and put the rest to flight. Moreover when a large number of men were sleeping at night in an adjacent building it suddenly fell down, roof and all, and crushed the whole of them. On that night and also on the following night the sign of the cross of salvation was seen brightly shining in the sky, and the very garments of the Jews were filled with crosses, not bright but black. When God's enemies saw these things, in terror at the heaven-sent plagues they fled, and made their way home, confessing the Godhead of Him who had been crucified by their fathers. Julian heard of these events, for they were repeated by every one.But like Pharaoh he hardened his heart.
The truth is that God’s dwelling is now in people not in the temple
1 Corinthians chapter 6
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.
What was necessary to go into God’s presence in the Temple was the preparation through sacrifice. But now in a Grand drama Christ God himself provides one perfect and Holy sacrifice in the person of Jesus Christ – The temple curtain is torn in two – then 70 years demolished and all attempts to rebuild it have been frustrated and will be until the very end comes.
When we consider how beautiful and incredible the temple was and how varied it’s functions were it strikes awe into our hearts when we realise that yes you are the temple.
God now chooses to live in you and me through the perfect sacrifice Jesus.
What then does that mean for your life and for mine what does God want us to know and what should we do.
Let’s consider this scripture.
1 Corinthians chapter 6
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.
You are of incredible value – You have intrinisic value that is far beyond your ability to estimate. In a world of low self esteem – epidemic sin,suicide and corruption you can know that you are of incredible worth to God.
Consider the Temple in all it’s glory majestic covered in Gold almost unable to be gazed on because of it’s beauty the one place that God chose to dwell on earth – imagine that temple cast aside in a violent sweep of history and God’s son battered bruised and killed – so that God’s glory might rest in you – when you consider that you begin to get a glimpse of just how beautiful and worthy you are to God.
Consider the two people we discussed at the beginning – the man on the street apparently cast off humanity or the reformed prostitute – The plan of God was to dwell in them and to glorify his name through them.
To the person who says God can’t love me because of what I have done or who I am
- The God of nations says in scripture when you were in your mothers womb I knew you full well.
The primary door that we need to walk through is the door of understanding just who we are – made in the image of God so that God might dwell in us.
Value yourself because God sure does.
The second door is – Obey God. Our reading proclaims you are not your own. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 says - For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The life lived for self is wasted. The temple which was misused ultimately ended up ruined. You will be defined by how you live your life as God’s handiwork.
The two people in the illustration at the start of this sermon were choosing two different ways – the man on the street the way of defeat and disaster ruled by his feelings not by the Lord. The former prostitute encountered Christ and allowed God to use her body as a temple of the Holy spirit.
Consider this man a brutal slave trader who was far from God and his grace. A sea captain of a ship called the Greyhound.
The Greyhound had been thrashing about in the north Atlantic storm for over a week. Its canvas sails were ripped, and the wood on one side of the ship had been torn away and splintered. The sailors had little hope of survival, but they mechanically worked the pumps, trying to keep the vessel afloat. On the eleventh day of the storm, sailor John Newton was too exhausted to pump, so he was tied to the helm and tried to hold the ship to its course. From one o'clock until midnight he was at the helm.
With the storm raging fiercely, Newton had time to think. His life seemed as ruined and wrecked as the battered ship he was trying to steer through the storm. Since the age of eleven he had lived a life at sea. but Newton had a reputation for profanity, coarseness, and debauchery which even shocked many a sailor.
John Newton was known as "The Great Blasphemer.". His mother had prayed he would become a minister and had early taught him the Scriptures and Isaac Watts' Divine Songs for Children. Some of those early childhood teachings came to mind now
John Newton had rejected his mother's teachings and had led other sailors into unbelief. Yet, Newton's thoughts began to turn to Christ. He found a New Testament and began to read. Luke 11:13 seemed to assure him that God might still hear him: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him."
The Ship lurched and the cargo filled the hole in the side of the Ship and they eventually were able to sail to safety.
Though Newton continued in his profession of sailing and slave-trading for a time, his life was transformed.
Newton left slave-trading and took the job of tide surveyor at Liverpool, but he began to think he had been called to the ministry. His mother's prayers for her son were answered, and in 1764, at the age of thirty-nine, John Newton began forty-three years of preaching the Gospel of Christ.
The world's most famous hymn
For the Sunday evening services, Newton often composed a hymn which developed the lessons and Scripture for the evening service among these was Amazing Grace – how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
Newton lived to be eighty-two years old and continued to preach and have an active ministry until beset by fading health in the last two or three years of his life. Even then, Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace and told his friends, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior."
The movement towards God from being a useless temple to one that reflected his creator was an incredible journey for John Newton and it can be for you as well. Because you are God’s temple
The third door we need to walk through is sacrifice – sacrificing yourself. – We are called to honour God with our own bodies. We honour God with all we are!
This means that all we do should be worship. Sundays are special – that is the day when the whole body comes together – because you are a temple and they are a temple given over to God worshipbecomes special. But if we are temples of the Holy Spirit all of our lives become an act of worship.
Romans chapter 12 verse 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.
Jesus gave his body as a living sacrifice but earlier had said follow me.
Now we are urged to do the same to give ourselves over to God.
We are God’s temple You are God’s temple and when you live as he wants you to live it becomes an act of worship
Steve Shirley
In order to truly worship God, we must first and foremost follow what Jesus called the most important commandment, "... thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength" (Mk 12:30). Stating this in reverse, the greatest SIN of all is when we don't love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We will NEVER experience all that God has for us until we are able to TOTALLY surrender and love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. True worship flows from this total love and devotion to God. We will never fully know our Lord until we are able to be a true worshipper.
Three doors that express the fact that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit.
1. Value yourself because God sure does.
2. Obey God.
3. We honour God with all we are!
