I might need some help with this there<\/p>\n
we go<\/p>\n
C.S Lewis wrote this about the ultimate<\/p>\n
purpose of the church he wrote this the<\/p>\n
church exists for nothing else but to<\/p>\n
draw men to draw humans into Christ to<\/p>\n
make them little christs if they are not<\/p>\n
doing that<\/p>\n
all the cathedrals clergy Mission<\/p>\n
sermons even the Bible itself<\/p>\n
are simply a waste of time<\/p>\n
God became man for no other purpose it<\/p>\n
is even doubtful you know whether the<\/p>\n
whole universe was created for any other<\/p>\n
purpose it says in the Bible that the<\/p>\n
whole universe was made for Christ and<\/p>\n
that everything<\/p>\n
everything is to be gathered together in<\/p>\n
him<\/p>\n
this evening<\/p>\n
[Music]<\/p>\n
yes God is building his church<\/p>\n
and Christians are being formed more and<\/p>\n
more to be like Jesus<\/p>\n
in The Gospel of Matthew Jesus makes a<\/p>\n
wondrous statement regarding the church<\/p>\n
uh<\/p>\n
you'll never played I will build my<\/p>\n
church and the Gates of Hell shall not<\/p>\n
Prevail against it<\/p>\n
there are two truths Illustrated here<\/p>\n
one Jesus builds the church<\/p>\n
he's the author the Creator he's<\/p>\n
bringing all things together in and by<\/p>\n
his power<\/p>\n
and secondly nothing<\/p>\n
will thwart disturb ruin or destroy the<\/p>\n
work of Jesus<\/p>\n
the church is God's plan<\/p>\n
it's God's doing and nothing<\/p>\n
even the gates of hell like the the<\/p>\n
summation of all evil being represented<\/p>\n
by the Gates of Hell nothing will<\/p>\n
prevail against it<\/p>\n
so friends the church is a visible<\/p>\n
display of God's Redemptive work in the<\/p>\n
lives of those around us and yes even in<\/p>\n
our very lives as well you know<\/p>\n
foreign<\/p>\n
God is building his church<\/p>\n
God's good and eternal plan is on Full<\/p>\n
display a particular people<\/p>\n
gathered together<\/p>\n
in and through the good work of God<\/p>\n
in this sermon series we've looked at<\/p>\n
God's purposes for the church<\/p>\n
we've considered the role the church is<\/p>\n
to play in society<\/p>\n
we've seen the church as Christ's body<\/p>\n
unified in its diversity<\/p>\n
we've seen the church as Christ's bride<\/p>\n
loved cherished LED protected and<\/p>\n
Redeemed by him okay good time<\/p>\n
and today<\/p>\n
we turn our Attention our Focus to the<\/p>\n
truth revealed in the scriptures that<\/p>\n
the god of the Bible is the god that<\/p>\n
gathers and is present with his church<\/p>\n
dwells with us God dwells with the<\/p>\n
church<\/p>\n
our primary text is from the Apostle<\/p>\n
Paul's letter to the church in Corinth<\/p>\n
I'll read the text in English<\/p>\n
this is the word of God from First<\/p>\n
Corinthians we'll read chapter 3 verses<\/p>\n
9 and then 16 and 17. for we are God's<\/p>\n
fellow workers<\/p>\n
you are God's field God's Building<\/p>\n
do you not know<\/p>\n
that you are God's Temple and that God's<\/p>\n
spirit dwells in you<\/p>\n
if anyone destroys God's Temple God will<\/p>\n
destroy him<\/p>\n
for God's Temple is Holy and you are<\/p>\n
that Temple yeah<\/p>\n
let's pray together okay<\/p>\n
God we ask that you would open our<\/p>\n
hearts and Minds to your word today<\/p>\n
I know<\/p>\n
show us as a people reveal to us as a<\/p>\n
church how we are to live out the truths<\/p>\n
of the Bible<\/p>\n
we ask that you would convict us of our<\/p>\n
sin that you would show us where we are<\/p>\n
following our own path and not your way<\/p>\n
lead us to you in the grace that you<\/p>\n
lovingly bestow<\/p>\n
we pray this in your Holy Name Lord<\/p>\n
Jesus amen<\/p>\n
so Paul's letter to the church in<\/p>\n
Corinth it was written with very similar<\/p>\n
intent uh to what is found in his other<\/p>\n
letters to various churches<\/p>\n
remember these letters they were written<\/p>\n
to churches to teach core doctrines<\/p>\n
truths of the faith they were written to<\/p>\n
challenge and to correct sinful action<\/p>\n
yes they were called to to help those<\/p>\n
sinning before God to move them towards<\/p>\n
repentance<\/p>\n
they were to teach and instruct<\/p>\n
Christians many of them knew Believers<\/p>\n
in the way that they should live before<\/p>\n
God<\/p>\n
so the gospel the good news of who Jesus<\/p>\n
is the gospel changes everything<\/p>\n
opposite yeah<\/p>\n
it relates and it changes how we relate<\/p>\n
to God it changes how we interact with<\/p>\n
those around us<\/p>\n
Paul is wanting to emphasize this very<\/p>\n
thing in his letters<\/p>\n
as you uh read through First Corinthians<\/p>\n
you'll see how Paul was challenging the<\/p>\n
Christians at Corinth to grow in their<\/p>\n
maturity in the Lord<\/p>\n
the church was divided over its leaders<\/p>\n
they were squabbling and arguing over<\/p>\n
Petty matters oh yeah<\/p>\n
Paul admonished them to grow up<\/p>\n
you're still you're still worldly Paul<\/p>\n
writes you're still worldly<\/p>\n
he writes you know you're like little<\/p>\n
children like infants in Christ I gave<\/p>\n
you milk not solid food because you're<\/p>\n
not ready for it here<\/p>\n
and then there's this line that really<\/p>\n
stings he says that even now you're not<\/p>\n
ready you're still of the flesh you're<\/p>\n
still worldly about me<\/p>\n
so Paul is saying you need to Humble<\/p>\n
yourselves in the Lord and grow into a<\/p>\n
mature faith in him<\/p>\n
this is what Paul wants his readers<\/p>\n
wanted his readers to hear and to act<\/p>\n
upon<\/p>\n
how do we feel<\/p>\n
how do we feel when someone corrects us<\/p>\n
I'll use it yeah<\/p>\n
it's not always a pleasant feeling is it<\/p>\n
I mean<\/p>\n
we may feel frustrated defensive yeah<\/p>\n
we may try to deflect what the other<\/p>\n
person is saying or try to minimize<\/p>\n
their message all right so yeah the<\/p>\n
teams<\/p>\n
or even just ignore it<\/p>\n
when is the last time<\/p>\n
someone corrected you<\/p>\n
how did you feel<\/p>\n
now what if and hopefully this was the<\/p>\n
case for you but what if that correction<\/p>\n
that admonition that encouragement<\/p>\n
is based in love<\/p>\n
what if it's based in a deep love and<\/p>\n
care for you<\/p>\n
it changes the meaning and the purpose<\/p>\n
behind the message doesn't it<\/p>\n
that's what's happening in Paul's<\/p>\n
letters and in this letter here to the<\/p>\n
church in Corinth he cares<\/p>\n
for them he cares for them okay<\/p>\n
deeply for the Christians at Corinth and<\/p>\n
he's writing these harsh words out of<\/p>\n
love for them<\/p>\n
a real desire<\/p>\n
a desire for them to grow and mature in<\/p>\n
and through Jesus Christ<\/p>\n
all right so this is the context of what<\/p>\n
we read in the letter okay this is why<\/p>\n
he's writing these things<\/p>\n
we're looking at just a few verses<\/p>\n
tonight<\/p>\n
so verse 9 Paul he's using Collective<\/p>\n
language here he says we are God's<\/p>\n
you are God's field God's Building this<\/p>\n
you is a collective you<\/p>\n
but you never actually made us<\/p>\n
Paul is speaking about the church<\/p>\n
and the amazing truth that God chooses<\/p>\n
to work in us and through us<\/p>\n
um<\/p>\n
it's astounding really that God invites<\/p>\n
us to join him in his work in this world<\/p>\n
God does not need<\/p>\n
us but he invites us<\/p>\n
he desires our participation in his<\/p>\n
unfolding work in this world<\/p>\n
I recall hearing a story about a young<\/p>\n
man he was recounting a memory from his<\/p>\n
childhood foreign<\/p>\n
he remembered helping his father build a<\/p>\n
shed in their backyard when he was<\/p>\n
really young boys<\/p>\n
so the boy remembered using his plastic<\/p>\n
hand tools<\/p>\n
and he he worked on various tasks that<\/p>\n
his father gave him like bring me some<\/p>\n
Nails bring these pieces of wood to me<\/p>\n
he even got to use his father's power<\/p>\n
saw a couple of times with the father's<\/p>\n
health of course<\/p>\n
and it wasn't until years later that it<\/p>\n
dawned on him<\/p>\n
that this activity with his father was<\/p>\n
really about just spending time with his<\/p>\n
father<\/p>\n
the father and son just enjoying those<\/p>\n
days together seeing that project come<\/p>\n
to fruition<\/p>\n
now it's obvious to us and it became<\/p>\n
obvious to him later there was no way he<\/p>\n
could have built that shed on his own<\/p>\n
God many times<\/p>\n
he couldn't handle the real tools<\/p>\n
foreign he couldn't have built that<\/p>\n
himself<\/p>\n
but his father had chosen to include him<\/p>\n
had welcomed him and invited him to join<\/p>\n
in the work<\/p>\n
which way yeah<\/p>\n
and they accomplished the task together<\/p>\n
and so he had seen that you know years<\/p>\n
later he realized this was just this is<\/p>\n
just time with my father time helping my<\/p>\n
father my father<\/p>\n
and he saw the love behind that he saw<\/p>\n
the care behind that invitation to<\/p>\n
participate and to play a role<\/p>\n
so how much more for the church<\/p>\n
we are God's fellow workers Paul writes<\/p>\n
you are God's field God's Building you<\/p>\n
church are the work that God is doing in<\/p>\n
building<\/p>\n
yeah<\/p>\n
and God is building you for his purposes<\/p>\n
in verses 16 and 17 Paul turns his Focus<\/p>\n
to the church as God's Temple a possible<\/p>\n
and he uses inquisitive language<\/p>\n
you know questions uh this questioning<\/p>\n
language to emphasize his message do you<\/p>\n
not know<\/p>\n
are you not aware<\/p>\n
that you are God's Temple that the<\/p>\n
spirit of God dwells in you welcome<\/p>\n
Paul is saying don't you realize the<\/p>\n
magnitude of this truth Church don't you<\/p>\n
realize this<\/p>\n
right what is it that makes the church<\/p>\n
a temple God's Temple<\/p>\n
it's God's presence<\/p>\n
God inhabiting the church by his spirit<\/p>\n
now the Greek word for temple naos<\/p>\n
refers to the sanctuary itself<\/p>\n
and this was the place of the deities<\/p>\n
dwelling this is where the deity dwelled<\/p>\n
in the temple<\/p>\n
there's another Greek word Heron which<\/p>\n
is used to describe the broader full<\/p>\n
Temple area but the word that Paul uses<\/p>\n
here is naos you<\/p>\n
Church you are the place where God<\/p>\n
dwells<\/p>\n
God inhabiting the praise of his people<\/p>\n
yes the church is the temple of God God<\/p>\n
builds his church he inhabits the praise<\/p>\n
of his people<\/p>\n
he dwells among those that call out to<\/p>\n
him those who come to him by faith he's<\/p>\n
building the church and he fills the<\/p>\n
and we see the reality of God's presence<\/p>\n
as the temple the church<\/p>\n
we see that the church is made holy and<\/p>\n
Sacred By The Very presence of God<\/p>\n
that God dwells with us and Among Us is<\/p>\n
a serious and glorious reality<\/p>\n
what happens what happens when you have<\/p>\n
a guest<\/p>\n
come and stay in your home<\/p>\n
you know you you clean up you you<\/p>\n
prepare to honor your guest right<\/p>\n
you prepare for their stay because you<\/p>\n
want to demonstrate that you care about<\/p>\n
them<\/p>\n
you know perhaps there's normally some<\/p>\n
uh some poor behavior in the home<\/p>\n
Montana oh<\/p>\n
maybe there's some bickering between the<\/p>\n
children or arguing between the spouses<\/p>\n
maybe there's a sinful attitude that<\/p>\n
everyone's just out to see their own<\/p>\n
desires and needs met<\/p>\n
well ideally all of that would would<\/p>\n
change when a guest comes to stay right<\/p>\n
there but yeah<\/p>\n
we want them to feel welcome we want to<\/p>\n
think about their own Comfort not our<\/p>\n
own okay<\/p>\n
we think about their needs above our own<\/p>\n
oh yeah<\/p>\n
we want to offer a peaceful environment<\/p>\n
for their stay yeah<\/p>\n
how much more<\/p>\n
when the creator of all<\/p>\n
dwells with us<\/p>\n
what an astounding truth it is that God<\/p>\n
dwells with his church<\/p>\n
that God dwells with his people<\/p>\n
his presence changes us<\/p>\n
his presence leads us<\/p>\n
scripture is replete with this story<\/p>\n
again and again<\/p>\n
the story of God dwelling with his<\/p>\n
people leading them saving them guiding<\/p>\n
them a little louder<\/p>\n
think about Adam and Eve in the Garden<\/p>\n
of Eden God dwelling with them providing<\/p>\n
for them even as they sinned against him<\/p>\n
comfortable<\/p>\n
but then God demonstrating mercy and<\/p>\n
clothing them in their nakedness<\/p>\n
though their sin you know drove them out<\/p>\n
of the garden God had mercy on them and<\/p>\n
spared them from immediate death for<\/p>\n
their sins<\/p>\n
think of God dwelling with his people as<\/p>\n
he delivered them from slavery in<\/p>\n
captivity in Egypt<\/p>\n
God providing for them and guiding them<\/p>\n
through the Wilderness to the promised<\/p>\n
land<\/p>\n
uh foreign<\/p>\n
God dwelling among the People by filling<\/p>\n
the Tabernacle with his presence<\/p>\n
helping to lead them and to guide them<\/p>\n
then Jesus<\/p>\n
stepping into this world that he created<\/p>\n
being called Emmanuel which means god<\/p>\n
with us<\/p>\n
God sending the promised one the Messiah<\/p>\n
the one who saves to live on this Earth<\/p>\n
to minister to others to ultimately give<\/p>\n
his life in sacrificial death<\/p>\n
that all who look to him in faith will<\/p>\n
have everlasting life in him<\/p>\n
and then Jesus promising to send the<\/p>\n
Holy Spirit to be with his people to be<\/p>\n
with the church<\/p>\n
this is what Paul is trying to to get<\/p>\n
across to the Christians in Corinth<\/p>\n
don't you realize this truth<\/p>\n
don't you live with this reality<\/p>\n
the God who loves you the God who saves<\/p>\n
you God is in your midst God dwells with<\/p>\n
you<\/p>\n
so Paul's admonition to the early church<\/p>\n
is for us as well it has ramifications<\/p>\n
for how the church lives in worship and<\/p>\n
in community<\/p>\n
humanization<\/p>\n
how are we living with the reality that<\/p>\n
God dwells in us and Among Us<\/p>\n
this is a corporate reality Remember You<\/p>\n
The plural the church<\/p>\n
how are we using the gifts God has<\/p>\n
bestowed upon us in worship of God in<\/p>\n
service of the church in community<\/p>\n
are we delighting<\/p>\n
in the reality that God dwells among us<\/p>\n
as a corporate body<\/p>\n
do we realize the significance of what<\/p>\n
God has brought together here at Grace<\/p>\n
City or in the church that you're a part<\/p>\n
of so let's understand<\/p>\n
as we continue to read through<\/p>\n
Corinthians and and the second letter to<\/p>\n
Corinthians and even the letter to the<\/p>\n
church in Rome Paul writes to challenge<\/p>\n
and encourage the individual individual<\/p>\n
Christian as well<\/p>\n
First Corinthians 6 19 do you not know<\/p>\n
again a question do you not know that<\/p>\n
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit<\/p>\n
who is in you<\/p>\n
whom you have received from God you are<\/p>\n
not your own<\/p>\n
yes<\/p>\n
what agreement can exist between the<\/p>\n
temple of God and idols<\/p>\n
second Corinthians again chapter 6 verse<\/p>\n
16 for we are the Temple of the Living<\/p>\n
God as God has said I will dwell with<\/p>\n
them and walk among them I will be their<\/p>\n
God and they will be my people<\/p>\n
and then in Romans chapter 8 verse 9 we<\/p>\n
read this you however<\/p>\n
are controlled not by the flesh but by<\/p>\n
the spirit<\/p>\n
if the spirit of God Lives in You<\/p>\n
and if anyone does not have the spirit<\/p>\n
of Christ he does not belong to Christ<\/p>\n
at the core of Christian doctrine is<\/p>\n
that God dwells with the believer<\/p>\n
s<\/p>\n
changing our reality and and working<\/p>\n
through us for the blessing of the other<\/p>\n
for the good of the community<\/p>\n
so Church how are we<\/p>\n
how are we moved by this today by this<\/p>\n
truth<\/p>\n
how are we living in community with<\/p>\n
others in the local church that God has<\/p>\n
placed Us in okay<\/p>\n
how are we seeing our own sin and being<\/p>\n
moved to repentance because of the<\/p>\n
presence of God<\/p>\n
coming back<\/p>\n
how are we serving as a witness of the<\/p>\n
love and grace of God to the city around<\/p>\n
us<\/p>\n
I'm black<\/p>\n
now all these questions have answers or<\/p>\n
we're growing and seeing them answered<\/p>\n
and we're seeing them answered as God<\/p>\n
dwells with us and works through us<\/p>\n
so let us turn to him again and again in<\/p>\n
worship obedience and delighted<\/p>\n
now just in closing it just a few<\/p>\n
thoughts to help us practically apply<\/p>\n
this to our own lives yeah<\/p>\n
so if you're a Christian if you're a<\/p>\n
follower of Jesus ask yourself this<\/p>\n
is<\/p>\n
how am I living in community with with<\/p>\n
others given the reality that the spirit<\/p>\n
of God dwells within me<\/p>\n
am I extending to others the grace mercy<\/p>\n
and love that I have received from God<\/p>\n
there's an ecclesial dimension for the<\/p>\n
how am I fulfilling my role in the local<\/p>\n
church that God has placed me in<\/p>\n
how am I to serve and minister to this<\/p>\n
community of Believers and in the city<\/p>\n
around me<\/p>\n
you know at Grace city<\/p>\n
um we realize week in and week out that<\/p>\n
some that attend may not call themselves<\/p>\n
Christians they they may not say you<\/p>\n
know I'm a follower of Jesus<\/p>\n
and if that applies to you first of all<\/p>\n
we are so thankful that you're here<\/p>\n
and we respect that you likely have real<\/p>\n
questions and doubts about the Christian<\/p>\n
faith<\/p>\n
and my hope for you today is that you<\/p>\n
would consider<\/p>\n
what you've heard from the Bible today<\/p>\n
could all this be true<\/p>\n
what if God is true<\/p>\n
and God entered our world and entered<\/p>\n
into our pain and suffering to bring<\/p>\n
rescue and Hope<\/p>\n
if you'd like to speak more about this<\/p>\n
um we would love please let us know we<\/p>\n
would love to do that okay yeah<\/p>\n
we'd be honored to to hear from you to<\/p>\n
share more about what Christians believe<\/p>\n
in closing<\/p>\n
I just want to read from the book of<\/p>\n
Revelation which gives us a picture<\/p>\n
of the Eternal reality<\/p>\n
of God's presence with us<\/p>\n
then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth<\/p>\n
for the first Heaven and the first Earth<\/p>\n
had passed away<\/p>\n
and this sea was no more<\/p>\n
and I saw the holy city New Jerusalem<\/p>\n
coming down out of Heaven from God<\/p>\n
prepared as a bride<\/p>\n
adorned for her husband<\/p>\n
and I heard a loud voice from the throne<\/p>\n
saying behold<\/p>\n
The Dwelling Place of God is with man<\/p>\n
he will dwell with them and they will be<\/p>\n
his people and God himself will be with<\/p>\n
as their God<\/p>\n
he will wipe away every tear from their<\/p>\n
eyes<\/p>\n
and death<\/p>\n
shall be no more<\/p>\n
neither shall there be Mourning<\/p>\n
nor crying<\/p>\n
nor pain anymore<\/p>\n
for the former things<\/p>\n
have passed away<\/p>\n
from us yes<\/p>\n
after that<\/p>\n
church and Christian This is Our Hope<\/p>\n
this is our story in Christ Jesus<\/p>\n
that God dwells with us now and he will<\/p>\n
be with us forever<\/p>\n
let's pray<\/p>\n
Gabby thank you for your presence among<\/p>\n
we ask that you would would show us how<\/p>\n
to walk forward today having heard from<\/p>\n
your word<\/p>\n
give us a delight in your presence<\/p>\n
help us to remember that you dwell with<\/p>\n
us and shape our hearts to your will for<\/p>\n
foreign foreign<\/p>","english_search_text":"","":"","original_publish_date":"20230706","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0h30SXtKuRg","video_id":"0h30SXtKuRg","video_duration":"38:57","channel_name":"Grace City Bangkok"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=616"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":617,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616\/revisions\/617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}