As we drive around town, we can see all kinds of shapes and sizes when it comes to church buildings.
• The same is true with pastors, they come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Illus: A new pastor moved into town and went out one Saturday to visit his community. All went well until he came to one house. It was obvious that someone was home, but no one came to the door even after he knocked several times.
Finally, he took out his card, wrote on the back "Revelation 3:20" and stuck it in the door. That verse says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
The next day as he was counting the offering, he found his card in the collection plate. Below his message was a notation, "Genesis 3:10." Upon opening his Bible to the passage, he let out a roar of laughter. That verse said, "And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked."
Church is not only a fun place to be, it is a great place to worship the Lord.
Times have really changed. Years ago, when folks had to ride horses and wagons or walk to church, they would find a church that was close to home.
But now, in this modern day of transportation, you can go to many churches and some of the best people in the church are folks who have driven a good distance to get there, which proves, "People go to the church that is dearest to them and not the church that is nearest to them."
Paul shows us five different views of the church in these four verses.
I. THE CHURCH AS A NEW NATION
Look at verse 19, we read, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”
When a person moves to a new country as some have done and they become citizens of a new nation, it is a new world to them. That is, in that nation as new citizens they are going to discover some things that are different.
We now are the members of the Kingdom of God.
Now there are some who come into the Kingdom of God and they want to live like they have always lived, but that does not work.
For example, in America we drive on the right side of the road, but suppose we moved to England and became a citizen of that country, and we decided we might be a citizen of England but we are going to drive the way we drove in America. THAT WON’T WORK!
And listen, old ways won’t work when we become a member of the Kingdom of God. We have moved our citizenship and we need to learn to live as the Saints of God.
Notice, the word “Saints” in this verse. Some of the cults teach that we have to have some religious body vote us into SAINTHOOD!
Illus: Did you hear abut the two nuns that were voted into Sainthood by Cardinals of the Catholic Church? They were recognized as Saints because they did such a wonderful job in the local Catholic Hospital.
After they were voted in as Saints, they were going home with smiles on their faces when their car ran out of Gas.
A man came along and saw them in this predicament, and stopped and helped them.
He told them he would give them some gas from his vehicle, but he did not have a gas can and he asked them if they did.
They said, “No, we do not have one, but we do have a bed pant in the back seat, will that work?” The man said, “Yes, it will work” He filled it up and was pouring the gas into their car with the bed pan, when the Cardinal that just voted them into Sainthood came by and saw him pouring the gas into their car. He stopped and said to the NEW SAINTS, I DON’T THINK IT WILL WORK BUT I CERTAINLY ADMIRE YOUR FAITH!”
The fact is, we all have already been voted into Sainthood by God, and we certainly do not need some religious group voting on that .
It is too late for that, because God the Father tells us we are NOW the SAINTS of God.
And now God wants to teach us how to live like Saints in the Kingdom of God.
We also see -
II. THE CHURCH AS GOD’S FAMILY
Look at verse 19, we read, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”
We are not only fellow citizens in a new nation, the Word of God teaches that we are members, “…of the household of God.
Many Christians do not know they are members of the household of God.
I do not know what it is going to take to convince them, but the Word of God has already declared it.
Illus: Did you hear about the nun that was on her way to New York? While she was waiting for her flight to depart she saw a fortune telling machine and decided she would put a quarter in it to see what it said about her.
The machine shot out a piece of paper that said, “You are a Nun, you weigh 128 pounds and you are going to New York.”
She thought about that, but could not help but wonder if the machine said that to everyone.
So she put another quarter in the machine and a piece of paper came out that said, “You are still a nun, you weigh 128 pounds and you are still going to New York.”
As she read it she was astounded that this machine knew so much about her.
She decided she would do it one more time. She put a quarter in the machine and a piece of paper came out that said, “When are you going to believe me when I tell you that you are a Nun, you still weigh 128 pounds, and you are going to New York and also you are going to play the fiddle.”
She said, “OK, now I have caught this machine, I have never played a fiddle in my life.” She went back to her seat and a cowboy came and sat beside her. He started playing a fiddle and in a few minutes he had her playing.
She was really impressed with this machine, so she went back one more time and placed a quarter in it and the machine sent out this little piece of paper that said, “You are a Nun, you weigh 128 pounds, you are going to New York and you JUST MISSED YOUR FLIGHT PLAYING WITH ME!”
We do not need a machine to tell us that we are members of the family of God.
God’s Word tells us already that we are members “… of the household of God.”
Also we see -
III. THE CHURCH AS GOD’S BUILDING
Look at verse 20, we read, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”
• The Mormon church is built on the teachings of Joseph Smith.
Anyone who really gets into what these folks believe will be astounded by some of the things they teach.
• The Jehovah’s Witnesses are built on the teachings of Charles Taze Russel.
But the true church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, AND JESUS CHRIST IS THE CHIEF CORNER STONE.
Listen, the reason the true Church has been able to withstand the storms of the ages is because it was built on the solid teachings of the Lord Jesus.
Also we see -
IV. THE CHURCH AS A GROWING ORGANISM
Look at verse 21, we read, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:”
Look at the word “groweth”, this speaks of a living organism.
The word “groweth” is a biological word.
When something is alive it grows.
But there is something strange about us mortals.
Nature has many laws that hold fast and true. For example:
• A baby ape will always grow up to be an ape.
• A baby baboon will become an adult baboon.
• A baby pig will mature into a full grown pig.
• A baby jackass will always become a jackass.
Yet oddly enough, women say a young man may grow up to be any one of these.
The Bible says that the church of God grows into a temple. “In whom all the building fitly framed together GROWETH unto an holy temple in the Lord.”
God’s Word says the church is placed here to grow into a holy temple of God where the world can see God.
The idea that Paul is conveying to the Ephesians is that God, more and more “fitly”, brings us together to become a living church where God the Father can be seen by a lost world.
Look at 1 Peter 2:4, we read, “To whom coming, as unto a LIVING STONE, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,”
In this verse it speaks of Jesus Christ as a “Living Stone”. That is, we the church build our lives upon Him, and from Him we draw life. We become spiritually a living organ.
Notice, the church “…groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.”
But we see one more thing about the church. Paul gives us an image of -
V. THE CHURCH AS A LOCAL CHURCH
Look at verse 22, we read, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
Notice, he is not talking about the church building, he is talking about the saints of God.
That is, when we leave here today, we are not going to leave the Lord in this building, locked up until next week. The Saints of God are God’s church in which He dwells. Look at verse 22 again, we read, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
Notice something very important as we come to a close.
HOW CAN THIS CHURCH OR ANY CHURCH BE EVERYTHING GOD WOULD HAVE THEM TO BE?
Look at the last part of verse 22, Paul says, “…through the Spirit.”
Conclusion:
In this passage of scripture, we see that Paul pictures:
I. THE CHURCH AS A NEW NATION
II. THE CHURCH AS GOD’S FAMILY
III. THE CHURCH AS GOD’S BUILDING
IV. THE CHURCH AS A GROWING ORGANISM
V. THE CHURCH AS A LOCAL CHURCH
Note: You can hear Dr Odell Belger preach some of these sermons on Youtube. Type Youtube and the word Lykesland
