We are Building Materials

I have been studying the words “build”, “builds” and “built” for the past few weeks and what I have learned is that the LORD builds in intentionality. Everything that he does has purpose. He only uses the finest materials in the building of His House. And this morning it all comes together that we are the building materials He is using.

“⁴As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ⁵you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” – 1 Peter 2:4-5 (ESV)

The LORD sees us as precious stones used to build His house. We are the building blocks. We are used in His good work. I am encouraged completely by these words.

“¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18 (ESV)

I find it great and interesting that the LORD chooses Peter to speak to us about being the building blocks when he was identified by Jesus to the “rock” on which His church was to be built. Peter may have been the rock on which the church was built, but he wanted us to know that we are also the building blocks. Peter was just a man as we are, and yet Jesus used Him for great things as He will with you and me.

Temples and houses of worship are built using only the best material. The Tabernacle of Moses, being a tent was built using only the best materials available (see beginning in Exodus 25). No detail was left to chance. All of it was of the highest quality even as it was a tent that was to be moved with the peoples migration.

And all of the materials were provided by the people, not by the hardware store. All was the fruit of the people. God used the people to not only provide the materials, but to build the physical place. And that is what He does even today with you and me. He has made us as the building materials and the builders of His house.

Yes, Jesus is the cornerstone, and Peter is the rock, we are the materials, and we are the best of materials. We may have some blemishes and may not be very pretty, but Jesus will refine us to the glorious materials He needs for the construction of His house. Just as the materials that were available for the Tabernacle of Moses was refined to be the best for the LORD.

What is your view of the materials to build the House of the LORD? Are you searching for those materials to be provided for you? What if you were to look inward to find the beauty and best materials are you and allow yourself to be used by God to be the materials for His House?

Built up By and Through the Word

Jesus is the Temple. And we go to Him to worship and find our direction and our comfort and our mercy and our grace.

“¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1 (ESV)

Not only is Jesus the Temple where we worship, He is the Word of the LORD. I (we) have the pleasure of having the LORD with us always in Jesus. When we make our way to Him for worship we are not just entering the place where the LORD will “find” us, we find Him there as the word and can rely on Him for our everything.

“³²And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” – Acts 20:32 (ESV)

Here we find Paul speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus. He is laying out to them that they have all they need in Christ, and that he will be leaving them never to return again. Even as he will not be there to guide and carry them through the trials they will continue to face, He reminds them that they are not alone and that it was not he who was building them up and will continue to do so, but God.

We too often I believe feel as though we need someone at our side building us up and when we do not, we feel as though all is lost. Paul takes special care to ensure that the church at Ephesus know that they are not alone. They have the LORD by their side as He has always been and will always be. I (we) have to remember that as well. The LORD is always by my side and building me up.

“⁶Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” – Colossians 2:6 & 7 (ESV)

Above you see that Paul reminds the church of Colossae of the same. They have the Temple that is Jesus and the Word of the LORD to build them up. They are not left to themselves trying to make it. They have Christ by their side at all times, when they received Him and as they move forward in Him.

I am not alone. I may be by myself physically, but alone I am not. Christ is always with me as the Temple and the Word of the LORD. He provides me with all I need to make it in this world. He is my provision and certainly a blessing to me. He builds me up when I am in need, not just in the past, but now and in time to come.

What are you in need of to be built up? Are you looking for that one to be with you and when they are not, you feel all alone? What if you turned to Christ to be built up as He was with you before, is with you now, and will be with you always to build you up?

Jesus is the Temple

This morning I am reminded that indeed Jesus is the temple of worship. But isn’t it something that even knowing this, we are taken aback and do not fully understand.

“¹⁹Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ ²⁰The Jews then said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?’ – John 2:19-20 (ESV)

At the temple the people were changing money and selling animals for offering and other goods. Jesus took exception to this practice and took action, to which the people asked Him of the authority He had to take such action. Jesus answered. The people, as we all do in the moment, looked to the physical and not to the spiritual. Their literal interpretation was one of skepticism and they were not seeing the true picture as noted in the next two verses.

“²¹But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²²When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” – John 2:21-22 (ESV)

Jesus was speaking of Himself as the temple and not of the literal buildings known to the people as the temple, but His disciples knew.

“⁵⁷And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, ⁵⁸’We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.”’ ⁵⁹Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.” – Mark 14:57-59 (ESV)

Now let’s carry forward to Jesus before the council after his betrayal and arrest in the garden. There were witnesses that came forward to testify against Jesus that only provided false witness. In one of these recorded testimonies, it was said that Jesus said “He” would destroy the temple. If you look back at verse 19 from John chapter 2 above, Jesus was referring to the people destroying the temple and on top of that, He was speaking of Himself as the temple which is noted in verse 21.

So where does this leave us. Well, Jesus is the temple. Scripture is clear that the temple is not of man, but of God. God sent His Son to be the savior for us all. He sent Him to be known and be our place of worship. Jesus came and allowed Himself to be destroyed by the people and even so, He rose again, in three days to once again be our place of worship.

I am grateful to have a temple where I can devote my worship. That temple is not the building where I attend church services, but Jesus. No matter where I might be or what circumstances I may encounter, the temple that is Jesus is always available for me to worship.

What is your view of the temple? Do you attribute the temple to a building or structure? What if you were to see that Jesus is the Temple and you can attend worship there with Him always and whenever?