A Walk that is Worthy
Part 7
“Building a Dwelling Place for God”
Text Eph 2:19-22
Intro:
This morning once again we are going to continue on with our series in Ephesians entitled “A Walk that is Worthy” The title of my message specifically is “Build a Dwelling Place for God”
Illus:
A vicar was retiring after 25 years in the parish. As he came to clear out his bedroom he found a small bowl with 5 eggs and £1,000 pounds in. Baffled he called his wife and said: Darling, what is this little basket under the bed with five eggs and £1,000 in. "Oh " she said " I must confess that everytime you preach a bad sermon I put an egg in the basket" Secretly the vicar was pleased: "Not bad five bad sermons in 25 years" he thought: "And what about the £1,000?" "Well every time I get a dozen, I sell them!"
We are looking at the kind of walk that God expects from us. We have spoken in great detail about the grace of God, what that is, and just what that means to us. Is there any way that we can live up to the incredible opportunity that has been afforded to us?
I believe in our text this morning a blueprint has been laid out very clearly for us. In our text Paul says that we are being built together to become a dwelling for God. What would the dwelling place of God look like? I want to look at four things this morning that characterize the dwelling place of God.
1) Proper Foundation v20
“built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets”
Illus:
Several years ago we decided it was time to try and build a home. What we never figured on was just how much it was going to cost us. The final bill was %30 more than we ever planned in the beginning. We got ourselves into trouble because we ran out of money before we completed the house, about beyond the point of no return. We did not sit down and count the cost.
If we are to build a proper dwelling place for God, we must first count the cost.
Luke 14:25-35
Are we willing to follow all the way through with what we begin? For one day we are going to be called upon to finish the course. The question then is how do we count the cost? We do this by building upon the proper foundation…here Paul declares that foundation as the Apostles and the Prophets.
But what does that mean.
Let me propose to you a thought.
John 4:23-24
Jesus is speaking with the Samaritan Woman at the well.
She poses Jesus a question concerning the correct way in which we are to worship God.
Jesus responds “…a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Building a proper foundation in our lives is this deliberate process of worshiping Him in Spirit and in Truth.
Lets break this down:
Worship: proskuneoô From G4314 and probably a derivative of G2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, that is, (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):—worship.
Prostrate oneself in homage..do reverence to, adore
This is worship.
Matthew Henry the Commentator says:
“It concerns us to be right, not only in the object of our worship, but in the manner of it;”
As Pentecostal evangelicals we love the spirit side of worship…being moved by our emotions without ritual or form.
But in so doing sometimes we make the ends justify the means. We say…we can do this because we feel so good in doing it. Our worship of God must still be based upon His truth. This foundation of the Apostles and the prophets can mean several things
1) Two the first century reader in Ephesus Paul was going after the concept of bringing the Jews and Gentiles together in one place of worship. The doctrine was put forward by the Prophets and embraced by the Apostles.
2) For us today this foundation applies, but the foundation that was laid for us by the Prophets and Apostles is also a foundation of truth.
It is a line in the sand for us to know what the focus of our worship should be.
Illus
Despite the "Do Not Touch" signs, a museum was having no success in keeping patrons from touching--and soiling--priceless furniture and art. But the problem evaporated overnight when a clever museum employee replaced the signs with ones that read: "Caution: Wash Hands After Touching!"
In building this appropriate dwelling place for God, let us make sure we are building on the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles. Get the Word into our hearts, and let it guide us as we build. Let the Word show us what we can expect ahead Let his truth help us to count the cost.
the second characteristic after a proper foundation is a stable structure.
2) Stable Structure v 21
“Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone”
Now we must clarify the picture that is being painted here. When most of us think cornerstone, we think of a nicely polished stone at the corner of the foundation that speaks to the design and date of a structure. A stone designed for purely ornamental reasons. This is not what Paul had in mind. Peter uses the same principle only a slightly different word
1 Peter 2:7 “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejectedhas become the capstone,”
Litterally meaning “the head of the Corner”. Not only must we have the truth as our foundation, we must have Jesus Christ holding the structure of the house together. If you try to build your religion without Jesus Christ, you are simply building a card house that will be blown down with the slightest breeze.
There will be no stability to the Structure. That is why the psalmist says in psalms 127:1
The picture of the capstone is a stone that is set in place at the top corner of where two walls come together.
It joins the two walls so they do not fall away from each other. Jesus does that for us in several ways:
1) He joins us to the Father
2) He joins Jew and Gentile
3) He joins us together
Do not try to build your religious house without including salvation and repentance…it will simple be empty works that will easily fall in time of difficulty.
3) Useful Design v 21
“Rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.”
Have you ever lived in a home, and the design of a room or feature did not make sense.
Illus: Have you ever tried to build a dog house that your dog refused to live in?
The key characteristic of this house we are to be building for God is Holiness.
How much of the building that we do in our lives does God look down and say…”What are you doing,” this is not necessary.
1 Cor 6:18-20
Does your life radiate the Shekinah Glory of God…the glory that says God is in residence in your life.
For that to take place, we must seek to live a holy life.
4) Environmentally Friendly v22
“being built together”
Iluss:
Most of us can sympathize with the fellow who received a call from his wife just as she was about to fly home from Europe. “How’s my cat?” she asked. “Dead.” “Oh, honey, don’t be so honest. Why didn’t you break the news to me slowly? You’ve ruined my trip.” “What do you mean?”
“You could have told me he was on the roof. And when I called you from Paris, you could have told me he was acting sluggish.
Then when I called from London, you could have said he was sick, and when I called you from New York, you could have said he was at the vet. Then, when I arrived home, you could have said he was dead.” The husband had never been exposed to such protocol but was willing to learn. “OK,” he said. “I’ll do better next time.” “By the way,” she asked, “how’s Mom?” There was a long silence, then he replied, “Uh, she’s on the roof.”
In the day and age in which we live, if you try to build something, you quickly find out the governments definition environmentally friendly.
God has environmental laws for building structures within His Kingdom.
Heb 12:14,15
We cannot build up a household of faith and despise the households around us.
It does not work that way.
Jesus is that capstone that brings us together, if we refuse to come together, than we are not under that capstone, and consequently not under the grace of God.
Matt 6:14,15
It cannot get much clearer than that…the house we are to be building for the dwelling place of God must be environmentally friendly.
Conclusion
What does the House of God look like.
He does not dwell in house made of wood and stone, but in our hearts and lives. Are we being deliberate about how we are building our Dwelling place for Him. For our text says in the last line… “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Can you say with confidence that the Spirit of God is dwelling in YOU!
