Traditional Service

1.   Today’s Temple

a.     God’s presence in His people

·       All of that is we just went over is true for today’s temple. Here’s what I mean.

·       In the New Testament, the temple is no longer a physical building but the people of God

o   1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”

o   1 Peter 2:5 “…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house…”

·       The Holy Spirit now dwells within believers making the church a living temple.

·       The temple is no longer limited to one location but carried throughout the world by wherever believers go.

o   That means this building, as much as we love and honor it, is just a building when it’s empty.

o   We have to be careful that we don’t make an idol out of the church building itself.

o   If this building were to be destroyed by some tragic event the church could meet in the parking lot and not miss a beat, because we are the temple that God dwells within.

b.    Worship and prayer are still the central focus

·       Just like the temple then, the church (meaning both the gathered body of believers and the individual believer) should be filled with worship, prayer and communion with God.

o   Jesus said in Matthew 21:13 “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”

o   The idea is that as living temples our lives should be lived in constant prayer and worship.

o   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

o   God’s people need to regularly take stock of all that He has done…for several reasons.

§  One, just to be thankful.

§  Two, because it is so easy to focus on the things that are difficulties (or negatives) in our lives that those things can consume us and take our eyes off the Father.

c.     Living sacrifices…not animal sacrifices

·       Sacrifices continue in this temple…in a spiritual sense.

o   Romans 12:1 “…offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

o   This establishes a new pattern of living where we are transformed daily into what God would have us to be.

o   That in turn allows us to be a witness to the nations.

d.    A witness to the nations

·       We are meant to shine God’s glory to the world—to represent His holiness, to exercise His mercy and to tell His truth so that all people might know Him.

o   Within this temple there is no place for idols, corruption or those who would selfishly profit off of His name.

o   1 Corinthians 3:17 “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.