Introduction
A theological foundation for our three-week discussion of the church in Sunday School. We’ll get really practical: next week talking about financial giving and the final week the calendar plus some other stuff. But we need to look at the foundation…again…so that we’re building the right way.
Please let me go through the “lesson” without question and comments. Then I’ll take questions at the end. Then we’ll discuss these “expansions.”
Please try to listen closely, even though this is dense and “theological.”
Lesson
Some wintry evening you might be walking the dog, and you happen to look up into the night sky, and for some reason the distance suggests remoteness then remoteness suggests infinity and suddenly in a moment your mind/spirit/soul is taken up to the heavens. You’ve had a brush with God. Those are powerful moments, and they might stay with you all your life.
However, those transcendent experiences don’t go far enough. To explain that, we could start by saying that they don’t take into account your long feud with God, and certainly don’t mend that relationship. They might be a glimpse into the Eternal God but they’re not grounds for permanent residency with Him; they don’t certify possession of the Eternal Life that is knowing God.
I grew up watching Star Trek and there was the transporter room from where you could be beamed down to the planet. There you are in the room, then you’re kinda pixelated, and then you you’re pixelated on the planet, and then you’re fully there. A couple of the Star Trek episodes had the transporter room malfunctioning, and so the person is pixelated, and then pixelated on the planet, but then never fully arrives.
That’s kinda what happens in these episodes of transcendence – you get off to a start, but the thing we’re after…or at least should be after – reaching God so to stay with Him – well, we never fully get there.
Christianity says: Jesus is the transporter room. “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:51. The ladder between the realm of God and the human realm is Jesus. “I am the Door,” John 10:9 Jesus says. “I am the way, the truth, the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”John 14:6
Another way of saying that is Jesus is the Temple. John 2:21. He himself – His own embodied Person – is the intersection of Heaven and earth. He’s 100% the Man of earth who was here in the flesh – “what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and touched with our hands…” 1 John 1:1 And He’s 100% God of Heaven.
Have you ever been around a person who is captivating, who has special charisma? Not only is the person attractive, but you even like yourself better when you’re with him.
Well, you might think that would be the effect that the God-Man had on people. But what occurred is that, while the crowds did throng about him and generally “heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37), often individuals that dealt with him felt testy, annoyed, threatened, even incensed by Jesus…and eventually determined to get rid of him. Even those closest to him were often left confused by his explanations and decisions. In meeting Jesus, the light was shown on their ignorance, greed, envy, shallowness, cowardice. The sin of the world seemed to gather to Jesus.
Of course, eventually Jesus was killed, publicly executed. But this was the strange plan for Reconciliation, for clearing the passage between God and man. Jesus’ bleeding body was still the Temple, the intersection of heaven and earth. As evil gathers to Jesus, and the tip of man’s rebellion against God comes against Jesus and kills him, Jesus’ broken, bloodied body opened the way for humans finally to arrive at and remain with God. In his death all our trespasses are judged, all God’s anger against us is propitiated. Forgiveness! RECONCILIATION!
But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works so that we can serve the living God? Hebrews 9:11-14
How exactly did a person gain access to God forever through Jesus? Not simply by living at the same time and in the same place as him. It wasn’t enough to just be next to the Portal, one had to step through it. Ah, but what does that look like? Permanent access to God came through faith in Jesus. Faith. Belief. Trust. Faith can be described by close attention to, then reception of Jesus – his acts and words – that is prepared to act on what it has learned… and over time proves it has staying power.
While Jesus was here, some believed him. Yes, there were some who became followers of Jesus, taking direction from him because they believed him that he was from God and returning to God. And having been given the insight to trust him, and growing to trust him more and more, the Spirit of Jesus, as it were, entered them. Now, with his Spirit their life was bound to his.
And so, by faith and the Spirit these people entered the gate to God, their spirits “gone to heaven,” they were caught up into the life of the Triune God.
And also through their faith in Jesus, Heaven came to earth. Into the realm of sin and satanic darkness broke ray after ray of light- – – at this address, in this workplace, in this relationship…
But afterward, Jesus did bodily return to heaven. After he had said this, he was taken up as [the followers] were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven. Acts 1:9-11
KEY QUESTION: WITH JESUS GONE, HOW CAN LATER GENERATIONS ENCOUNTER HIM TO BELIEVE IN HIM AND SO BE BROUGHT ONTO HEAVEN AND EARTH’S LADDER? HOW WILL PEOPLE TODAY ARRIVE TO GOD??
Something occurred after the Resurrection, before Jesus left: When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:19-23
The intersection of Heaven and earth, the open gate separating man’s space from God’s space, goes away. Before he leaves, he breathes his Spirit on his disciples and commissions them, “as the Father sent me I also send you.” His disciples are not to repeat his unique achievements; they are to implement what he has already achieved. Thus, the disciples, and the Church they would build upon Jesus Christ in the power of his Spirit, become the Temple, the meeting place of Heaven and earth – by which the earth will ascend to Heaven, and Heaven will descend to earth.
Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16
Specifically, Jesus says the sins of people are forgiven or retained through the disciples/ Church. Again, this is not by the Church doing anything original or by virtue of any power that is sourced in the Church itself, but as they implement the achievement of Christ in the power of the Spirit. That is, as they preserve from error and proclaim the Word of Jesus Christ and people respond to that Word, their sins will be forgiven… or retained.
Expansions
- People arrive safely and finally to Heaven only through Jesus the Temple, and now by His indwelling Spirit, via the Church, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone Ephesians 2:20.
- Heaven came to earth through Jesus, and now by his Spirit through the body of Christ it comes to Somers, to the Hartford, to UCONN, to the medical clinic, to your children, to your spouse, to your neighborhood vibe.
- We, individuals within the Church, make up the Temple as individual stones… Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? 1 Cor 6:18… who are being fitted together. As you come to him, a living stone – rejected by people but chosen and honored by God – you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2: 4,5.
So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22 The Temple grows as each individual does his thing AND in relationship with other believers.
- We, the church, are the Temple – the intersection of heaven and earth – not only or mainly as we directly evangelize to outsiders, but generally as we abide in the apostle’s doctrine – words having to do with, for instance, our communication, our marriages, our conduct at work, our implementation of the roles of elders and deacons, our baptisms, especially our thoughts… Important addendum: With all its variety and far-reaching applications, the apostle doctrine is centered in the events of the gospel: Jesus’ “sent-ness,” death for sin, and resurrection.
- I write these things to you, hoping to come to you soon. But I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth. 1 Timothy 3: 14, 15 There is a structure and protocol to properly being the Temple. Including its core ingredients of elders and deacons, which Paul has just written about.’
- According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. IF anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved – but only as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 Each person that makes up the church should take his role and work in the Temple seriously: how he is in himself; how he relates to other temple stones…always asking, is this in line with the foundation?
- As the Church functions as the meeting spot of Heaven and earth, it should reflect/ expand on Jesus the Cornerstone. If we’re building on Jesus, that’ll mean, for instance, that growth does not happen through anything close to flattery or marketing or accommodation. Prayer is the constant fuel. Submission to God – this is the way. And sometimes what should be emphasized is the high cost – and thus the unlikeliness – of following Jesus.
Three Takeaway Statements:
- You cannot overemphasize the importance of the Church in God’s plan for the world. No additives necessary!
- Take your churchmanship seriously. You will be judged for it.
- In being the church, follow the apostolic Word exactly.
Conclusion
We began with talking about a transcendental experience while walking the dog some wintry night – an accidental one. Of course, there’s a hunger for these contacts with the Sublime, and so people pursue them – sometimes that pursuit is organized into a whole religion.
And sometimes people pursue these experiences because they’re bored with the Church, in which it doesn’t appear much at all is happening. Imagine being around a campfire at night and there are people wearing funky outfits that are chanting and dancing. Whoa, what a scene. Magical…mystical…powerful. Now think of a church gathered and there are families sitting in pews and everyone’s quiet while the guy is up front explaining the old book, sometimes mixing in rebukes and corrections. Not so much whoa.
But just use your imagination [cue Hans Zimmer, “Time”]: the congregation gathers on Sunday and miscellaneous times, and as weeks come and go the living Temple is being constructed as the eternal God meets in time with his people. Through the thick lies of the prince of the power of the air, God air drops apostolic Truth – preserved exactly at great cost – onto his people. By the Spirit’s power broken stones are being tended to, and patiently, skillfully repaired to be fitted into the whole structure. By this Word his people are being formed in such a way that the next generation is affected, and then the next.
So in those gatherings the Life of God is pushing back against the death culture. From the pulpit and among the pews and over coffee streams wisdom that will save some, and eventually many, from suffering, that over time will produce happy marriages and bring forth wealth and yield inventions that will change the world. Heaven is coming to earth.
And through the building up of the Temple by the Spirit through the Word and submission to it, image bearers away from God come up to the heavenly ladder, are being brought back to God – not just for fleeting experiences but unto Eternal Life and being formed for eternal glory.
And so it goes congregation by congregation throughout the world, the building up of the Temple until the earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.
Drama! Even if no one notices it. We certainly don’t need to add to it. Sometimes we want to notice it and get excited. But we don’t need to. Great things are happening in and through the Church.
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