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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Dr. Wes Bredenhof > The church is God’s holy temple, so act accordingly | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Psalm 133 Hymn 52:1-3 Hymn 52:4-5 Hymn 2 Psalm 91:1,5 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 Catechism lesson and text: Lord's Day 21 QA 54 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 |
Beloved congregation of Christ,
Have you ever heard anyone identify themselves as “spiritual,” but not interested in what they call “institutionalized religion”? There are people who identify as Christians, but aren’t members of a church and see the church as unimportant or unnecessary. Authors Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman wrote a book, So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore. In that book Wayne Jacobsen says, “I don’t go to church anymore. I am the church. Wherever I go, Jesus goes with me.” Similarly, a research participant quoted in the book Churchless said, “I love Jesus, but I can’t stand the church. It’s full of judgmental people who care more about rules than relationships.”
Those quotes come from the United States, but there’s good evidence that the same thinking happens here in Australia too. In the 2021 census, 43.9% of Australians identified as Christian. But only 7% of Australians attend church weekly and only 16% attend once a month. To state the obvious: many people who say they’re Christians don’t place much value on the church.
But how much value does God place on the church? If we’re going to start looking at ourselves and how much we value the church, it would be good to have an objective benchmark to work with to compare and evaluate where we stand. God’s perspective should determine how we evaluate our own and how we develop our own.
We find his perspective in our text from 1 Corinthians 3 this afternoon. God tells us that the church matters to him. The passage isn’t speaking about the church in a broad sense as all the people of God gathered on the earth. It’s speaking about the local church. The local church doesn’t just matter a little to God, it matters supremely. Therefore the church should matter supremely to us too and it should be seen in how we act. So I preach to you God’s Word from 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 with this theme: The church is God’s holy temple, so act accordingly.
We’ll learn about:
- What it means to be the temple of God
- How to act accordingly
When we hear the expression “temple of the Holy Spirit,” most of us probably right away think of 1 Corinthians 6. There the apostle Paul says that individual Christians are temples of the Holy Spirit. Because this is true, you’re supposed to glorify God in your body. In that particular context, the application is to sexual immorality. If you’re a temple of the Holy Spirit, if he dwells in you, you’re not your own and you can’t just go around having sex with whoever you want. To do that would be to dishonour the Holy Spirit and ignore his presence in the temple, in you.
But three chapters before that we have our text. Here too we find the idea of the temple and the Holy Spirit dwelling in a temple and consequences connected to it. But here the idea isn’t connected with single individuals. Instead, here God is saying that a group of people makes up the temple of God. That group is the church at Corinth and by extension every other local church, including ours.
We know this because of the words used in the original. If you look in your ESV Bible at the second “you” in verse 16, you should see a footnote. At the bottom of the page it says, “The Greek for you is plural in verses 16 and 17.” This is the key. So you could also translate verse 16, “Do you all not know that you all are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you all?” If you wanted to be more informal, you could even say “youse.” You get the idea. It’s a plural you – Paul is speaking to the church and telling them that as the church they are together God’s temple.
The idea of a temple would have been familiar to the Christians in Corinth. In the time of Paul, Corinth had the temple of Apollo, the temple of Hera, and the temple of Octavia. Some of the columns of the temple of Apollo are still standing today. These temples were buildings built for the worship of false gods.
But the Corinthian Christians would have also heard about the temple in Jerusalem. It was originally built by Solomon, but the temple existing in the New Testament had been rebuilt by Herod. The temple was crucially important for the Jews. If you’d gone to an Old Testament believer and told them that the temple was not valuable, not important, unnecessary – they would’ve said, “You’ve got to be kidding!” The temple was at the heart of Old Testament religion.
It was so important to Old Testament believers because the temple was where God dwelt in the midst of his people. The temple was divided into three zones. There was the outer zone, the courts of the temple. Any Israelite could go there. Then there was the inner zone, the Holy Place. Only the priests were permitted there. This was actually inside the temple building. But then there was the central zone, the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest could enter there and only once per year, on the Day of Atonement. God’s glory dwelt in the Most Holy Place. That’s where the ark of the covenant was, and the ark was like God’s throne. So the temple was where God dwelt among his people in a special way.
The temple was also then where fellowship with God could be experienced through the sacrificial system. Because God was present there in a special way, the temple was also where worship was brought to him with songs of praise. The temple was where vows to God would be made. The temple was so central to the spiritual life of the Jews.
This is why the Jews of Jesus’ day were horrified when they thought they heard him say that he was going to destroy the temple. He never actually said that. He said that if they were to destroy this temple, by which he meant his body, he would raise it up in three days. But they twisted his words and by that created outrage amongst the Jews. How could someone dare to destroy the temple? Someone like that is dangerous and should be put to death. Which is what they did to Jesus.
That story reminds us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament temple. He is this because he is the one in whom “the fullness of God dwells bodily,” as it says in Colossians. God dwelt in Jesus like no one else. He was the complete God-man. So when it comes to the New Testament and how it speaks about the temple, our first stop has to be Christ. He is the ultimate temple of God in the New Testament.
But the New Testament doesn’t stop with him. Christ has a physical human body, but the Bible also tells us about his spiritual body. The church is the spiritual body of Christ. We are organically connected to him our head, just like the parts of your physical body are all connected to one another and to your head. And this is how the connection is made between Christ being the temple and the church being the temple. What’s true of him is true of his body. The Holy Spirit who dwells in Christ also dwells in his body, and therefore the church is also rightly called God’s temple, the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Now the Old Testament temple was holy. That means it was set apart from common use, dedicated to the service of God. You couldn’t be casual around the temple – there were strict laws that had to be followed. If you were an ordinary Jew, you weren’t allowed any further than the temple courts. It was all because the temple was holy.
The ultimate fulfillment of the temple was and is holy. Jesus is dedicated to the service of God. He is the holy Son of God, completely unique and set apart from sin. His holiness is part of the gospel before us – his holy obedience is gifted to us when we believe in him. His holiness also qualified him to be the sacrifice for our sins on the cross. If we put it in the words of our passage in verse 17, “God’s temple is holy and Christ is that temple.”
But verse 17 actually pushes that out to the church, “God’s temple is holy and you are that temple.” As the body of Christ, the church is holy. We confess that in the Apostles’ Creed. What it means is explained in QA 54 of Lord’s Day 21. The church is holy because God has drawn her out of the world, drawn her out of sinful humanity and set apart and reserved her for his service. The church isn’t holy because of her own actions, but because of God’s. God is the one who makes his church holy.
The holiness of the church is what makes it valuable to him. The holiness of the church should make it valuable to us too. It’s tempting to think about the church merely as a human social organization or a kind of religious club. We have our own inside language that only the club members understand. We have our own special club rituals. Many of us have a similar background in Dutch immigration. But all of this is a far too human way to think about the church. It’s an unspiritual way of thinking about the church. It ultimately devalues the church by making it a purely human affair. The church is holy, which means it’s God’s church, gathered by him, dedicated to him, governed by his Word. So loved ones, don’t give in to the temptation to think of the church in human terms. The church is God’s holy temple. This church right here, just like the church in Corinth, this church is God’s holy temple.
That being true, our passage speaks of the need to act accordingly.
We need to first understand something about the context of what was going on in the church at Corinth. There was strife and division in that young church. Some people claimed to follow Paul and others claimed to follow Apollos -- Apollos was another important Christian leader. The Corinthians were fighting and squabbling. They weren’t acting as spiritual people, but people of the flesh. They weren’t acting like spiritual adults, and not even like children, but like infants. This divisive spirit in the church is one of the major problems Paul is addressing in this letter.
Let me illustrate why it was a problem. In 1975, a man named William de Rijk entered the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. This museum is home to some of the most precious works of art in the world. One of these is Rembrandt’s Night Watch. William de Rijk went in the gallery where the Rembrandt was on display, he took out a sharp knife and he started slashing this priceless painting. Before he could be stopped he had cut dozens of zig-zagged lines into it. It would take months to restore it and still today you can see evidence of the attack. The painting is said to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Imagine if you owned it and someone did that to your incredibly valuable painting. You’d be livid. When something we value highly gets attacked, we react with intense emotions.
It’s the same with God and his temple, the church. With their divisiveness, the Corinthian Christians were destroying God’s precious property, his holy temple. They were tearing down what God deemed dedicated to him.
In the Old Testament, the people of God are called “the apple of his eye.” It’s an expression we still use today. “She was the apple of his eye.” Do you know what it means? The “apple” of your eye is your pupil. It’s a sensitive part of your body that you’re going to protect. So when God says in places like Zechariah 2:8 that his people are the apple of his eye, he means to say that he’s going to protect them. If you touch them, if you destroy them, you’re going to have to deal with him.
That’s what verse 17 of our text says too. “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.” That’s a really strong warning. If you tear down the church, God will tear you down. God’s judgment and wrath will come down upon you. If that happens, you’re in serious trouble.
So just in general terms, the way to act accordingly is to not destroy God’s church. No matter what you do, don’t tear down God’s dwelling in any way. It’s a serious sin that brings serious consequences.
But if we make this more particular working off the context of 1 Corinthians 3, the way to act accordingly is to not be divisive. Having an us vs. them mentality in the church destroys the church. Trying to get people fired up and working against each other tears down what God values highly, what he purchased with the blood of his own Son. Loved ones, we can’t be careless in how we interact with one another. If we keep in mind always that the church is God’s temple where the Holy Spirit dwells, then we shouldn’t draw battle lines among us. Remember that Galatians 5:20 tells us that the works of the flesh include enmity, strife, rivalries, dissensions, and divisions. Such things are not from the Holy Spirit – they destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Rather than destroying God’s church, he wants us to build it up. Again, working off the context here in 1 Corinthians 3, that means pursuing unity instead of division. Ask yourself, “How can I help our congregation to grow closer together? Are there changes I need to make in my life to help us dwell together in increasing measures of peace and harmony?”
Let me mention a few things that contribute to unity in the church and therefore build up the temple of God rather than destroying it. Let me make this really practical for you. First of all, have the mind of Christ. Philippians 2 teaches us about the mind of Christ, how he showed his humility by being willing to go to the cross for us. We’re to have that same humble frame of mind as our Lord. It says in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” So when some issue arises in church life, or some issue comes up between you and another church member, ask yourself, “How can I have the mind of Christ as I deal with this?”
Closely connected with humility is being charitable, thinking the best of others, rather than right away jumping to thinking the worst. This is connected to being humble because a humble person realizes that they might not know everything. A humble person realizes there could be things they don’t know about another person or another situation. If you love someone, you’ll be inclined to think the best of them. This is why 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” And 1 Corinthians 14:1 tells us to pursue love. We’re to aim to love one another in the church. And as we do, we’ll be kind and gentle with one another and that will build up rather than destroy. So loved ones, when you hear some tidbit about another church member that could be construed in a negative way, resist the temptation. Instead, ask yourself, “Could there be more to this story that I don’t know? There probably is, so I should be careful and not jump to conclusions.” Being charitable contributes to the unity of the church.
Dealing directly with people when you have a problem with them is another thing that contributes to the unity of the church. Leviticus 19:17 says, “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbour, lest you incur sin because of him.” Similarly, Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” It breaks down the church and its unity when people have problems with one another, but refuse to address them directly with one another. That’s destructive inter-personal behaviour. I’m not referring to situations where there’s abuse and where one party is an authority over the other. That’s something else. But ordinarily when church members have problems with one another, they should sit down face to face and try to sort it out. So you could ask yourself, “Do I have a problem with someone else in the church? Have I tried to work it out with him or her?” Loved ones, refusing to deal with our issues destroys God’s temple. Dealing directly with issues can be tough, it’s not fun, but it builds up the church in the long run.
There’s one last thing that contributes to the unity of the church: using our mouths to build one another up. Using our communication, whether verbally or online or whatever, using our words to edify others. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Similarly, Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious…” And on the flip side, we have the warning of Galatians 5:15, “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” Biting and devouring happens through gossip and slander. In Romans 1:29-30, gossips and slanderers are lumped in the same category as God-haters. By the way, please remember that the nature of gossip has nothing to do with whether or not it’s true. Gossip is simply spreading unflattering things about other people – whether they’re true or not is irrelevant. Paul reminded Titus in Titus 3:2 to teach his congregation “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy to all people.” So loved ones, as we use our words to build each other up, we’ll be not only encouraging one another, but also contributing to the unity of God’s temple.
When it comes down to it, all of this can be summed up in a simple way. If you want to build up God’s temple, act like a Christian, speak like a Christian, think like a Christian. Show with your life how you’re a follower of Jesus. That’s how we avoid the terrible sin of destroying God’s temple.
I think you see now how important the church is to God. If it’s important to him, it’s supposed to be important to us. We’re supposed to value the church. Again, that’s not the church in its broadest sense, but the church here, our church. This church isn’t perfect. Far from it. We don’t have perfect members, we don’t have perfect leadership. But we’re still the church of God. We belong to him and he says we’re the apple of his eye because of what his Son did for us to save us from our sins. Let’s take him seriously and respond appropriately. AMEN.
PRAYER
Father in heaven,
Thank you for gathering us together into your church. Thank you for your grace towards all of us in including us with your people. Thank you that you promise us that we are the apple of your eye. We pray for the help of your Holy Spirit in seeing the church, our church, the way you do. Please help us to value the church here as your temple, the place where your Spirit dwells. And seeing that, we pray that you would help us do nothing that would endanger the unity and integrity of your church here. We pray in particular that you would keep us from divisiveness. Rather than being gossips and slanderers, please help us to use our words to build up and encourage. Rather than refusing to deal with issues with one another, please help us to deal directly and lovingly with one another. Instead of thinking the worst of one another, please help us to be charitable and kind. Instead of being arrogant and prideful, please help us to have the humble mind of our Lord Jesus. Please make us all more like him so that we can live together in peace for your praise. Please give us more love for one another and more unity together.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Dr. Wes Bredenhof, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
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