God is building a spiritual house (oikos, dwelling, household) and believers, as living stones are the material that He is using. In Ephesians 2:20-22 Paul uses the same terminology;
These are the elements that make us living stones been built into a spiritual house, relationship with our Father God, communion with the Holy Spirit, and Restoration from our life of sin through Jesus Christ. this is the building material of God as we come together in unity through this process and as we are a coupled to one another through covenant and communion what a glorious House we will be.
The four types of stones or believers:
SHARP STONES:
SHARP stones speak of those believers who are spiritual stones Who because of their personality and spiritual maturity our SHARP stones that God uses to circumcise a heart of other believers. All believers at some time are used as a sharp stone. We cut into the lives of others by our actions, are comment, our attitudes. We don't appreciate the usefulness of these believers for As we respond to their actions God deals with our hearts.
Exodus 4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!”
Joshua 5:2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.”
Flint knives come from the Hebrew word tsuwr tsoor meaning; from 6696; properly, a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); generally, a rock or boulder;
Romans 2:28,29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Sharp stones help to prepare others:
SCULPTED STONES:
Finished at the Quarry I King 6:7 And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.
In times past, emphasis was placed on each individual lively stone maturing to reflect God's character and nature (Rom. 8:29; II Cor. 3:18).
While this is still of utmost importance, God's emphasis, in this hour, is on fitly joining these lively stones into a corporate house (I Peter 2:5, Eph. 2:21 - 22; 4:16). His house! His habitation His Dwelling Place!
Each individual lively stone must come to a personal revelation of present truth in order to supply their proper portion to the Body.
The days of leadership trying to mold people into their image and likeness must come to an end
As in the days of Solomon, the workers (The Spirit of Christ) finishes the lively stones (you and I) in the workplace, the home front, the schools and shops, the Spirit of Christ molds and fashions us into the image of Christ where the rubber hit's the road.
He works on our dedication, our relationships, our attitudes, our character. He chisels away everything that does not conform to the image of Christ. Then He places us into the temple, where He knows we will fill the greatest purpose and bring the greatest glory to God.
The days of individuals coasting on a leader's revelation and anointing are gone.
The days of simply basking in the glow of a corporate anointing without taking personal responsibility for receiving God's revelation and anointing are gone.
The dedication of Solomon's Temple was a display of corporate anointing (I Kings 8; II Chron. 5 - 7). The glory of God was evident. In order for the whole to function properly, each individual had to take accountability for personal preparation before the corporate gathering. Similarly, each lively stone must take accountability for growing and maturing in order for His corporate house to function properly in the area of the corporate anointing.
SCORTCHED (BURNT) STONES:
Neh 4:2 - these are those people who have had their lives attacked by the enemy, who were taken captive into Babylon (the world) who people give up on but as we read in Nehemiah these stones can be restored and used again to rebuild the Temple of our lives, as we let The Holy Spirit work in us.
SMOOTH STONES:
1 Samuel 17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine, and slayed Goliath.
The Holy Spirit is the River of God. In this scripture we see four ministries of the Holy Spirit represented in the names of the four rivers.
Genesis 2:10-12 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.
The meaning of the rivers names gives us a guide to the process of The Holy Spirit who forms us by His Ministry.
1. Pishon – changing, doubling – Source and Course of change – new life
2. Gihon – valley of grace – to bring Grace
3. Hiddekel – swift – sharp - cleansing
4. Euphrates - fruitfulness
This is the destination, Smooth Stones, Christians shaped by The Holy Spirits flow of water. Stones that are useful for ministry. Stones that slay Giants and bring victory!
Stones brought from the River (Holy Spirit) who has worked on their lives to take away the roughness and faults of our lives!
Conclusion: Though the stones used in God's house are at different stages of development, they are being shaped together to construct a Spiritual House one that is made up of many stones (believers) yet fitted together to complete, a place for God to dwell in a Corporate way!
Our concept of God's house must shift from the religious idea of a physical building to that of His corporate body being His house. Even though we give mental ascent to this fact, our motions and actions speak otherwise. When Jesus drove the money changers from the physical temple, he declared, "My house is a house of prayer" (Luke 19:46).
The Greek word for house is "oikos" and means a dwelling place, a family.
The Greek word for prayer means worship.
His dwelling place in the earth today is His body, His corporate house (Eph2:21-22).
His corporate house will be a house engaged in the fullness of corporate anointing.
"CORPORATE" DEFINED
In order to understand corporate worship, it is imperative that the word "corporate" be defined. While the word "corporate" is not specifically found in scripture, the notion is clearly evident. Corporate [Latin-to be
shaped into a body]
1. United in a body, as a number of individuals, who are empowered to transact business as an individual; formed into a body.
2. United; collectively one. (Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of the English Language) As indicated by Noah Webster's definition of "corporate" it is individuals united in a body that are empowered to transact business as an individual. His
house is a many-membered body attending to His business as an individual
THE CASE FOR UNITY
Ephesians 2:20-22 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 joined 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.
The words “joined together” comes from the Greek word “sunarmologoumene” which literally means “in being joined together the entire structure is joined together”. In other words until we come together individually we can never come together corporately and be the Temple that God inhabits.
Another truth perceived from this scripture is the aspect that this building is not instant but rather a process of growth. Some versions use the word increases instead of grows, both have their root in the Greek word auxano, 831, meaning “to grow, to increase, to become greater”. This word is used in other places within the New Testament with the context of the natural increase that is seen in the plant kingdom, Mark 4:8, as the spiritual increase and influence as seen in Jesus, Luke 2:40, John 3:30, the spreading power of the word, Acts 12:24, 19:20, and of the growth of the believer, 2 Cor 10:15, Colossians 1:10 2 Peter 3:18. As a house being constructed, God takes us the living stones, and assembles us until we become the great habitation of His Presence and His Kingdom.
