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The Eternal House of David (How God Builds #4)
Christ Church on June 26, 2022
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Christ the Cornerstone (How God Builds #3)

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THE TEXT

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 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. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”

8 and

“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (1 Pet. 2:4-10).

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Wrecking All Rivalry (How God Builds #2)

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INTRODUCTION

Rivalry, envy, and vain-glory has gunked up the gears of human relationships from the very first pages of Scripture down to the present. Regardless of the relationship, whether between individuals or nations, rivalry slowly begins to fill the room with fumes. An explosion is waiting to ignite from the smallest spark. Man has accustomed himself to building his empires this way. This isn’t how God builds.

THE TEXT

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:11–22).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Passing from the good news of Ephesians 1:15-2:10, Paul then turns to assure the Ephesian Gentiles that they are not second class citizens in God’s household. They were once called “the Uncircumcised”, and thus were strangers to the covenant promises, without hope & without God (vv.11-12).

But the blood of Jesus has brought near those who were once far off (v13), bringing peace by demolishing the wall which prevented Gentiles from coming any closer (v14). The rivalry which once marked the relationship between Jew & Gentile has been abolished by Christ’s flesh, because by His incarnation as the True Israel of God, national Israel’s laws have not only been fulfilled and satisfied, but the blessings promised to Israel have been expanded to include all nations (v15).

This reconciliation was possible by the cross, where enmity was slain (v16). Paul cites Isaiah’s prophecy of the messianic restoration of Israel (Is. 57:19), and applies it to Jesus. Christ accomplished what Isaiah foretold: peace to both far and near through His Word, granting access to the Father by the same Spirit (vv17-18).

Now, the Ephesian Gentiles were no longer reckoned as strangers, but fellow-citizens, of God’s household, they didn’t need a visitor’s visa (v19). The foundation of this house was the teaching of the apostles & prophets, but the chief cornerstone is Jesus Christ (v20). It’s by this ministry of reconciliation that God is building a dwelling place for Himself (21-22). God takes Jewish bricks & Gentile bricks, and by the mortar of Christ’s blood, builds a temple in which His presence dwells.

ENGINES WITHOUT OIL

Trying to get a group of people to get along without the regenerating power of the Spirit is like trying to get an engine to work without any oil. Inevitably the friction of slights, envies, gripes, and grievances will cause the engine to seize up.

Mankind has tried several workarounds. But these routes only make things worse: the route of avoidance, the route of compromise, & the route of war. But regardless of the level of the relationship––whether it be intimate relationships like marriage, or national relationships––the temptation to enmity & rivalry is too irresistible.

When you take the route of avoidance, you’re opting to endure the noxious fumes rather than clear the air. You’d rather suffocate from the carbon monoxide of pent up grievances, than make peace with “them”. Or else you covet the position of being included in some group of “them.” You compromise your conscience & tear others down in order to get in. Or else you choose war, and go scorched earth on “them”. Your rival must be wiped off the face of the earth, or at least the family group chat. In other words, we’re a tangled mess of disappointed desires, gnawing envies, and arrogant boastings.

ONE NEW MAN

This is the temptation which faced believing Jews & Gentiles in Ephesus. A long-standing bitter rivalry existed between them. One commentator notes that the Jews’ feelings for the Gentiles was that “The Gentiles were created by God to be fuel for the fires of hell.” The Gentiles were dogs. They were the Uncircumcision & Unclean.

The Gentiles weren’t innocent in this ongoing feud. Gentile nations, after all, refused to help Israel during the Exodus (Ex. 17:8). They’d cheered when Babylon razed Jerusalem (Ps. 137:7). There was deeply ingrained animosity towards the Jews (Cf. Acts 16:20). These frequent skirmishes led to Jerusalem’s utter destruction in 70AD.

This human tendency to break into Hatfields & McCoys is one of the central dramas of human existence. The central problem wasn’t the fact that humans developed distinctions. That’s the natural outcome being fruitful & multiplying. The central problem was that we were sundered from God Himself. Having turned from God in Eden, mankind had been driven out from the presence of God. The fruit of this was seen in the next episode: brother slaying brother.

While the Jews had been given the privilege of coming near to God, it wasn’t from any special deserving on their part (Deu. 7:7-8). They had no cause for glorying. God had chosen them, yes. But He’d chosen them to solve the math equation in front of the whole class. The Israelite nation had, on the whole, failed miserably.

Meanwhile, the Gentiles had continued to run from God’s presence, worshipping the demons behind their idols. Neither the Jew who was near to God through the covenant, nor the Gentile who was far from God could stand before the holiness of God (Cf. Rom. 3:9ff). Both stood guilty before God’s holy law.

Christ came as a wrecking ball to all vain-glory, whether it be individual vain-glory, national vain-glory, or any other variety of human boasting. By His righteous life & death He broke down the partition wall between earthly rivals, because He first tore the veil which separated man from God. In so doing, He made one new man, a temple for His glory.

A BLOOD LOYALTY

The realization that the tendency to claw each other’s eyes out at the slightest provocation lies just under the surface for any of us, does nothing to free us from it. You can know that rivalry can use anything for fuel, and still find yourself running from those you should reconcile with, or fighting with those you should reconcile with, or capitulating to those you shouldn’t be sidling up to.

All human enterprises will escalate into fractious bickering until blood is shed. All our efforts to hold society together requires blood to be shed. The “others” must be slain. The “invaders” must be slaughtered. The “pariah” must be sacrificed to appease the gods.

Mankind demands loyalty. But it’s a loyalty based on the shame of sin. Sinful loyalties lay their foundation on ethnic vain-glory, or bitterness towards other’s success, or irrational fear of man, or having joined together to shed innocent blood. Notice that modern day appeals for unity & inclusion seek it on the basis of shared sin & approval for sin.

Christian unity is founded on shared forgiveness for sin. What Christ has done is make it possible that your sins, and “their” sins can all be forgiven. And thus we can forgive each other, as God through Christ forgave us (Eph. 4:32). Christ proclaims peace to both near & far. Only there, at the cross, do we find peace. Peace with God & peace with each other. The cross demands us to all see our own sin, and to see God’s wrath upon it. But also, we see there our righteousness. If you’re both in Christ, God calls you––and your rival––righteous.

ENMITY IS SLAIN

As one pastor once wrote, “This enmity cannot be cured, it must be slain.” You cannot kill it, but die it must. Who is your rival? Who pushes your buttons? Who do you schmooze & flatter? Who do you despise?

Are they your brother or sister in Christ? Then your boasting or envy or rivalry is a return to the old man, not resting in the one new man which Christ has made. Are they an unbeliever? Then your envious wrangling with them is trying to erect a wall which Christ broke down. You are to invite those far off to come in close.

Outside of Christ the law declares everyone guilty. Apart from the Messiah, everyone is a covenant breaker driven far off from God’s presence. Without Jesus, your passport says you aren’t a citizen. But all your guilt. All your shame. All your rivalry. All your enmity with God & man. It is slain. The only way for all your enmity to die, is if it dies in Christ. This holds true for all who come; even your fiercest rival.

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A House Filled With Fire (How God Builds #1)

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INTRODUCTION

As we embark on a new work here in Moscow, we must begin by getting our thinking in line as to how God builds. History is the story of how God built His house. He didn’t do a cost/benefit analysis. He built it despite all the conniving of hell & earth. He built it without outside investors. He built it at the cost of His only Begotten Son. And, as we shall see, He’s now filled it with fire.

THE TEXT

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:41-47).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

As the miraculous day of Pentecost concluded, the shockwaves were only just beginning. At the end of Peter’s sermon a multitude (3000 to be precise) gladly received his word and were baptized (v41); this is a callback to the first “Pentecost,” when 3000 Israelite idolaters were cut down after the Golden Calf debacle (Ex. 32:28).

The early church is described in its corporate worship as being steadfast in the Apostles’ teaching––the basis for their fellowship––breaking the bread, and prayers (v42). The remarkable signs & wonders continued––fulfilling the prophetic word in Joel 2:19, 30––and great awe came upon every soul (v43).

Their corporate worship, daily in the temple, spilled over into the rest of life. The Believers were marked by generosity without compulsion, which manifested in a particular care for the host of sojourners in Jerusalem (vs.44-45). Not only did they gather daily in the temple, but also from house to house. The fellowship which they enjoyed through the Apostles’ doctrine spilled over into a joyful singularity of heart (v46), and faithful praise to God. The fruit of their faithful diligence in formal & informal worship & fellowship was favor amongst the people. This, in turn, produced rapid growth (v47).

THE GOD WHO SCATTERS

The day of Pentecost is unmistakably mirroring the ancient events which took place at the Tower of Babel. Babel was man’s attempt to climb into heaven to obtain a name for himself. Whereas God had tasked Adam & Eve to fill the world with His glory & name. The project of Babel was to find a unifying principle for the universe in man apart from God. So God scattered this blasphemous work. He confounded their language, fulfilling their worst fears (Gen. 11:4) of being scattering across the face of the earth.

This imagery is picked up later in the warnings to Israel, when the Lord threatens them with being scattered due to covenant breaking. “And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you (Deu. 4:27).” Israel was also to be God’s means of frustrating and scattering the city of man, which we see in their battle hymn, “And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee (Num 10:35).”

When man sets out to build apart from God, and in rivalry to God, God will scatter him. The Hebrew word used for “scatter” means dashing a vessel into a million shattered pieces. When man sets himself in rivalry to God the end result isn’t unity, it’s all the unity of a tornado in a trailer park. If Israel, the household of God, abandoned God and sought to build the kingdom apart from their Covenant King, the result would be what we find in the book of Acts: an Israel scattered to the four winds.

GATHERED TOGETHER IN CHRIST

The nations which are represented at Pentecost echoes the Table of Nations in Genesis 10. These Seventy nations had been scattered and frustrated in their opposition to God’s redemptive purposes. Now, however, these scattered nations, represented by Jews from the Diaspora, are gathered together as one by the mighty work of the Spirit.

Peter warned the Pentecost crowd to flee from this wicked generation (Acts 2:40), referring to unbelieving Israel, which itself had become a new Babel, of sorts. The Lord Jehovah who’d descended upon Altars, and the Tabernacle/Temple as a flaming fire (Cf. Gen. 15:17, Lev. 9:24, Jdg. 13:20, 1 Kg. 18:38,  1Ch 21:26, 2Ch 7:1ff), now sent His Spirit to dwell in a house of people; even people from all nations.

What marked these early Christians as a result of the Spirit’s working? Fidelity to the Gospel as taught by the Apostles, fellowship, breaking the bread, prayers both spoken and sung, hospitality, glad simplicity, and praise to God.

This was (and is) the secret sauce to church growth. Modern Christians think they can build the kingdom of God by using the bricks of Babel. We see it in the way evangelical leaders capitulate to the talking points of godless politicians. We see it in the way worship services are turned into entertainment events. We see it in how the plain Word of the Gospel is dulled and blunted in order to nuzzle into the same space as Oprah, Dr. Phil, and the self-care counselors on TikTok. We see it in the way we ignore the plain command to show hospitality, considering it an inconvenience to our personal schedule and possessions.

But God gathers people into His house by the faithful preaching of the scandal of the Gospel. The house of Israel crucified Jesus, the promised Messiah, the rejected cornerstone. But God wasn’t thwarted in His purpose. That same Jesus was now exalted to be the true & eternal King of Israel. His first act was to accompany the preaching of His Kingdom with the power of the Spirit to enable His citizens to joyfully obey their King.

FILLED UP TO WORK OUT

The Spirit was poured out, and the people weren’t idle. Just as the Spirit equipped the ancient saints with skill to build the tabernacle, the Spirit now fills His people to build a temple of people. People in whom God pleases to dwell. The Spirit’s outpouring became a flood of good works: fellowship, praise, covenant faithfulness, hospitality, and simplicity of heart.

So, what is the work that God has set in front of you to do? The progression of our text makes one thing plain, the Apostles’ doctrine was inseparable from the practice of the saints. The Word went forth, and the people lived out the Word. The works of righteousness followed the Word of the Righteous One.

Nothing, in principle, has been altered since that day of Pentecost. The description of the early church is what the true church is & always shall be defined by. Pentecost displays in vivid detail how God builds. God builds by scattering the proud and their vain imaginations. Then, just because He can, He gathers up the humble as a house of people.

God then filled that house with fire. The Spirit’s fire equips the saints with His presence, the presence of the Almighty. Thus we’re enabled to minister in His house. God’s household isn’t a silent, empty cathedral; it’s full of the bustle & hum of joyful saints busy with sacred work.

And what is that work? Our first duty is to believe the Apostles’ teaching: God has made Jesus, whom the House of Israel crucified, both Lord & Christ (Acts. 2:36). Secondly, we faithfully worship. Third, we throw the best parties.

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