The Church is the House of God
Part 4
4th November 2016
So far, we've seen that the church is God's one and only temple. And we've seen that the church is God's house, the place where God lives. Although God lives everywhere, of course, He presences Himself in the church, as he used to presence himself in the Jerusalem temple. And we've seen that the church - the totality of those who are born again, redeemed by grace, followers of Jesus, Christians - is a place of sacrifice, both a sacrifice of praise and a sacrifice of our will, our preferences, and our comfort, to the glory of God.
What else can we say about the house of God?
The first reference to the house of God in the Bible comes in Genesis 28, in the episode usually called Jacob's Ladder. Jacob, whom God would later rename Israel, stopped for the night in the middle of the desert, with only a stone for a pillow. He saw a vision of a stairway to heaven, with angels going up and down it, and God spoke to him.
Genesis 28:16
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought,"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." He was afraid and
said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."
So this first reference tells us firstly that the house of God is the place where God dwells. Secondly, it tells us that the house of God - the church - is awesome. And thirdly, it tells us that the house of God is the gate of heaven. To find heaven, come to the house of God. Come to church.
We read an important promise that God made to King Solomon just after the Jerusalem temple had been constructed in:
2 Chronicles 7:11-16
When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind
to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace,
the LORD appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for
sacrifices.
"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
The house of God - the temple - the church - is to be a house of prayer. So we know from this passage that God promises his eyes are open and his ears are attentive to prayers offered in the temple - God's house. But we also know that God only promises to answer those prayers if we will humble ourselves, and pray, and seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised "my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." And now it is! Prayer is offered to God in the church in every nation on earth. When you come to church, come to pray.
And finally, consider this passage from the book of Ecclesiastes:
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not
know that they do wrong.
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are
on earth, so let your words be few.
The house of God is a holy place. We should come to church with reverence in our hearts and in our actions.
It's wonderful that God has made us his church - his temple. He's made us his chosen people, his royal priesthood, his holy nation, his house. It's great to rejoice. It's great to greet our friends and share our stories. It's great to be together. But we are God's house, and we should behave with the holiness that befits the temple of the Lord of Lords.
Let us pray fervently. Let us rejoice wholeheartedly. Let us use spiritual gifts to build up the church. Let us encourage one another. And let us show reverence in Gods' house.