PART 13 : BUILDING
Ephesians 2: 19–22 “That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all — irrespective of how we got here — in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day — a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.” (The Message)
Comment:
Into our culture that celebrates the ‘i’ of who I am, what I do and what I gain…Paul reminds us that when we centre our lives on Jesus it is not a celebration of ‘i’ but of ’we’ of who we are together.
We do not become individual monuments to Jesus’ work in and through our lives, rather Paul states we become a ‘building’, together.
This word image of a building reminds us that we…
…are held and joined together by Jesus
…we are connected together
…we are each built in by God
…not about being conformed. The buildings Paul would have been thinking about would have had walls made up of differing sized stones that were uniquely chosen and placed. God uses who he has created us to be uniquely
…continuously being added to…building is not finished many more stones/people to be built in
…have a purpose together of being a place that God will dwell and call home
In making Jesus the centre of our life, we get caught up in something that is far greater than just who we are as individuals, we get caught up in the wonder of who we are together…a building. Being part of this building brings with an immense privilege and also responsibility to ensure we don’t try to live as though we are not part of the building.
The amazing things is that this image of a building both represents all followers of Jesus throughout all time as well as every local church as signposts of this great building. The question is do I do you see who we are as a church like this, of how we are joined and connected and the unique way God wants to dwell in who we are together and when ever we gather together?
PAUSE…we are a building
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Do I know and how am I living in the reality that I am part of a building?
2. Spend time today thinking about the privilege and responsibility of being part of God’s building both universally and within the local church
