We are God’s temple – Preaching
Preaching Outline on I Corinthians 3:16 – “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
*When the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, what were the main changes that occurred between the Worship of the Law and the Worship of the New Testament?
Introduction to I Corinthians 3:16
We have learned that the entire Old Testament reveals to us the glorious person of the Lord Jesus. Even the form of worship that God revealed to the people of Israel are prophetic pictures of Jesus and all that He would leave for His servants, His faithful church. Today we’re going to look at a change related to the temple in the worship of the law and in the worship of grace and how it applies to our lives.
Development
God set the people of Israel apart to be his chosen people. In doing so, he wanted to teach all nations that he was the one true God.
God revealed that Moses should make a tabernacle and showed the form of worship that pleased Him. This mobile temple would be the place where He would dwell in the midst of His people for the duration of their journey through the desert towards the promised land.
“And they shall make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them. According to all that I show you for the pattern of the tabernacle and for the pattern of all its furnishings, so shall you do.” Ex 25:8-9.
After the conquest of the promised land, the tabernacle was replaced by the temple in Jerusalem. It was built by revelation from God in the days of King Solomon.
According to the law, the Lord was only to be worshipped in the temple. So everyone who wanted to worship God had to travel to Jerusalem. But when Jesus came to this world, he revealed his wonderful grace to us. So the whole way of worshipping God changed. Now, in the worship of grace, all people would have the opportunity to worship the Lord.
The Samaritan woman
Jesus once met a Samaritan woman. The Jews didn’t talk to the Samaritans and there was a division between them. The Samaritans thought that Mount Gerizim was a place of worship for God and the Jews said it was Mount Moriah, where the temple was in Jerusalem.
The woman asked Jesus about the right place to worship God. Jesus answered her: “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father… But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth…” Jn 4:21-23. Glory to God!
The new way of worshipping
With his death on the cross, the Lord Jesus established a new way of worshipping God. Now, it no longer mattered what race or where, but all people would enjoy the freedom to reach God’s presence through the blood of Jesus. Now the temple would no longer be a specific place, but a spiritual temple, which is the Church, the Body of Christ. Hallelujah!
The text we read says that Jesus has made us “temples of God”. But when do we become “temples of God”? When the Holy Spirit dwells in us and is free to operate in our lives. Through the Holy Spirit we recognize that Jesus is Lord of our lives.
The temple is the place where God dwells, where God works. The temple is the place of worship. Many are making their lives a place where the afflictions of this life dwell, where the flesh rules, so they don’t enjoy the Lord’s blessings. That’s why serving the Lord is not their greatest joy.
Many call themselves worshippers, but think that God is the one who needs to please them, when the opposite is true: it is God who needs to please us.
Many attend services as mere listeners, when they need to be true WORSHIPERS.
GOD IS LOOKING FOR TRUE WORSHIPPERS
For us, worship shouldn’t be a social occasion, it shouldn’t be a time when we want to hear nice, upbeat words. The faithful church gathers to WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. Even though we are far away from each other because of the pandemic, we are united in ONE SPIRIT.
Conclusion of I Corinthians 3:16
You and I are “God’s Temple” and within our lives, from our hearts, true worship of God must come forth: “For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. II Cor 6:16b.
May God see in us TRUE ADORERS every day of our lives.
Preaching Outline on I Corinthians 3:16 – “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
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