God s house is a living growing thing

God’s house is a living & growing thing. It needs to be continually being built up… …in 3 directions

“Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. ” Ephesians 2: 20 -22; 1 Peter 2: 5 “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ”

UP - on the foundation of what the apostles (& New Testament prophets) taught; this ensures that the doctrine is right (“the faith”). TOGETHER in unity - disciples being linked together by common adherence to the teaching and practical interaction, even though living in different places UP - by their authentic spiritual service, such as collective worship & prayer.

1. Christ in His exaltation has been placed by God in heaven as the chief cornerstone. 2. Churches of disciples are formed on earth corresponding to that foundation in heaven, by adherence to the apostles’ teaching. 3. Individuals come to Christ for salvation, continue as obedient disciples, and come to be added together as living stones, being built into the house. Continued…

Continued… 4. The individual churches are united in teaching and practice with each other in “the unity of the faith”. 5. Those churches together constitute the house (temple) of God on earth, as God’s dwelling place among His people. 6. This house has the supreme privilege of united access into the presence of God in spirit, for the purpose of collectively offering spiritual service as a holy priesthood, through the ministry of Christ as high priest. Continued…

Continued… 7. If error is introduced and allowed to continue, or if those in the house fail to continue to give effect to their privilege of access in worship, they can no longer continue to be God’s house.

1. God began to disclose His desire to live among His people on earth, to enjoy their service, back in the very beginning, in the book of Genesis. 2. God’s first house was the tabernacle in the wilderness, given to His people Israel. It represented the true holy place in heaven. 3. Today God’s house is more than the fact that the Holy Spirit indwells individual believers today. It is God living among a united people and being worshipped by them. 4. God’s house is different from the Body of Christ. It requires on-going faithfulness to participate in it. [continued]

[continued] 5. The house today is spiritual. It consists of disciples being built together on the foundational teaching of the apostles into local churches, which are united to form the house. 6. The symbolism of Christ being a rock (the confession of which is the basis for Him building His Body - Matthew 16: 16 -18) is different from that of Him being the stone chosen by God to be the foundation of the spiritual house. 7. Christ serves today in heaven as high priest over God’s house. He presents the people’s offerings to His God and Father and makes them acceptable.

[continued] 8. The house is on earth. God’s presence here is in the person of the Holy Spirit. However access is provided into the sanctuary in heaven, where God the Father and Jesus Christ are. 9. Those in the house are urged to continually draw near in the sanctuary in heaven to offer their spiritual sacrifices through Christ. This is referred to as their “hope” which they are to hold fast to. 10. Holding fast to this hope (by continually drawing near together), and by remaining faithful to the truth of God, is the condition for continuing to be God’s house.

If these then are the conditions of God’s house today, each of us as a disciple of the Lord Jesus should ask ourselves… “Am I part of that house”?