...you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house…(1 Peter 2:5 – ESV)
Many would fight against God’s institution and claim they don’t have to go to church by appealing to the “priesthood of all believers.” Yes, it is true we are all able to come to God through Jesus; we are all a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5-9 / Revelation 1:6), and no one else is a mediator between God and man but Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). So, you are a priest, but did you consider the fact that the priests served in the temple!
Another objector (read: REBEL) may use what we just said and then say, “okay, but I am the temple – take a look at 1 Corinthians 6:19, pal!” Of course, this is easily refuted by pointing out that the church is also the temple, 1 Corinthians 3:16 – so there!
And furthermore, looking back at the 1 Peter 2:5-9 passage, it says that we are lively stones. Now consider the fact that God, in 1 Corinthians 3:17, says, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (the church). If we are lively stones, yet we are absent from the church, the temple of God, then are we helping build the church, or are we hindering the building of it? Well, we certainly aren’t helping matters by not being there!
We may not feel like we are tearing it down, but our lively stone is supposed to be a part of the building. You might say, well, it can be built without me. Okay, then God will indeed build it without you, but then just remember you won’t be a part of it. If God has to build the building without you in it, then you are not a part of it, e.g., you are not a part of the temple, you are outside, and it was your choice! See?
You will either leave the church or believe in the church. As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be (Matthew 24:37). Noah pleaded for people to come on board, and he didn’t promise good times, great music, hot babes, or any other thing in the world except a bunch of dirty, stinking animals! Are you going to get in the Ark or not?
If you are out of the church you are out of God’s will. Part of finding a good one is you staying and growing and helping it to be a good one. There is no way you can be an on fire Christian and at the same time be withholding your lively stone from the local church. Instead, you are nothing but stone cold.
20 comments:
Amen, but ouch! I have heard you preach on this subject but i don't recall 1Peter 2:5
Hey JD, I wanted to say again Im sorry about having to cancel tonight.
Blessings to your family JD.
Yeah, Paul, you will see several posts that came from that sermon soon...and no problem, we really needed to go to the folks' tonight anyway...see 'ya Sunday!
A much neded message for today's church.
DIY-philosophy does not work for Christians.
If God has given gifts for the edification of the whole church, how can those gifts be used in isolation?
It is a selfish heart that can be deceived into believing self church is "okay."
Excellent response to the growing trend of people to claim that as Christians they can "Worship by themselves."
Jim Vellenga
Kind of off topic, but...
Yesterday, the royal priesthood came up in a conversation, but for a very different reason.
My coworker’s friend says she knows she’s going to heaven, because she was baptized as an infant. My coworker asked her, “If someone who was not quite so young, approached you and asked how they might also have the assurance of eternal life, how would you respond. She said she’d take them to her pastor.
Now, I doubt whether this gal is saved, and I have no idea about her pastor, but as it relates to taking people to the Lord, the exclusive Levitical priesthood has been replaced by the entire body of believers—each and every living stone, indwelt by the Spirit is authorized and responsible for being able to give an answer for the hope that is within us.
If a believer from my church had done such a thing, Pastor John would smile, and maybe offer suggestions to my churchmate, but then send him or her back to answer the one who had questions. He’s done that before, and thereby helped people overcome the fear of witnessing.
Craver that is good stuff, we sure could use a little more of that today...
Good thoughts, everyone, I'll be posting a few more related posts next week, thanks very, very much for commenting here, linking to me, and most of all, loving Christ the Head of His Body, the Church...
I love what craver said! I also know of a woman who believes she is heaven bound because of the baptism she received as a child. Furthermore, she had intended at the time I knew her to pass the same misconception onto her two children. I can't help but wonder how she would have responded to that same question Craver stated in his comment. What a simple, yet profound question!
How can you exhort one another if there is no "other"?
I have met people like the woman mentioned above, yet, I have also met people who were baptized as a child of believers who did not see their baptism as some magic to make them right with God, but as a testimony to God's promise to save those who have faith in Jesus, to wash them, and join them to Christ. At the same time they realize that they are saved not merely by baptism, but by faith in Jesus whom baptism points to.
Jim Vellenga
True, Jim...
As far as creedo or paedobaptist position, I am a committed creedo (believer) baptist, but this is no deal breaker at all...I know and can appreciate my fellow brothers the presbyterians, and others who are covenant theologians and such...it is the baptismal regeneration advocates I worry about...
Good stuff even so -- I just finished posting a series on Christian Life, and I am going to go back and address some of the concerns -- One of them is a pervasive unwillingness to sacrifice anything for the good of the Body -- I addressed this albeit briefly in previous posts, but will bring it up again, and your post was a great catalyst to get me on the right path!
Good to see you again Ray...hey, folks, check out Ray's site...good stuff...
Hey, wait a minute...why haven't I linked you yet? Oversight, I'll correct that right now...cool I see you link me, thanks...old man...
OLD MAN! (I am a little slow on the uptake)
I see how this is going to be! ;-)
Thank you for your post, yet you really need to define what you mean by church. If I commune, read scripture, minister and pray with my brothers and sisters in Christ in each other's houses/communities, but do not have a structured service or building, am I out of the church and therefore stone cold? I have not been a "member" or regular attender of a church building/institution for a couple years now, and I am more committed and educated in my faith than ever within the Christian community that I am part of. Would you not say that I am within the Church as the Triune God would define it?
Shalom,
Thanks for your reply...
If you read the other posts in the series you will have a better understanding of how church is defined...
Some questions:
1. You say, I have not been a "member" or regular attender of a church building/institution for a couple years now
Why?
2. You say, I am more committed and educated in my faith than ever
Is this the primary function of church?
3. You say, within the Christian community that I am part of.
Does this "community" do any outreach?
4. You ask, Would you not say that I am within the Church as the Triune God would define it?
If you are trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then you are in the Body, and a member of His Bride, the Church. I would have doubts (hence the questions) whether or not you are in God's will by being part of the primary expression of that Church, a local body of believers. As I said, I am not sure as to the second, and only you and God know about the first, although I imagine you are...
We have posted this before and will do so again as we have new readers and it is good to revisit this topic time and again...be sure to check out the many other posts in this series...
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