Building Blocks

Building Blocks
Sermon by Bud Fenner (preached 3/7/99)I. Introduction-

This morning, building on lessons previously given, I would like to suggest that the church will grow if we know who we are, where we're going, and how to get there. So as we search the Scripture today, I’d like to answer these questions:
   *Who are we? - Identity
   *Where are we going? - Direction
   *How do we get there? - Process

I. Who Are we? -Please open your Bibles to Ephesians.

A. Saints of God.

2. Paul referred to all Christians as “saints”. Here are some examples:
*Romans 1:7- to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

*1 Corinthians 1:2- to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
(cf. also Acts 26:10; 2 Cor.1:2; Phil. 1:1; Col 1:2; 1 Thes.3:13; 2 Thes.1:10)

To really understand the depth of the term saint and who we are, lets take a moment to look at who we were. Read Ephesians 2: 1-5

B. No Longer Dead “Children of Wrath”
1. “The walking dead” according to verse 2.
2. Made alive by God’s grace (vs. 4-5)
3. Saved (from God’s wrath)

C. No Longer “Far Off” Read Ephesians 2:11-18
1. Gentiles, unclean, uncircumcised, separate.- terms referring to ungodly.
2. We who were excluded are now included. (v.13)
3. Reconciled in one body (v.16)
4. One access to the Father (v.18)

D. No Longer Strangers and Aliens
1. Citizens with the saints (Jewish holy ones) (v.19)
2. God’s Household (v.20)
3. Built upon the foundation of Apostles, Prophets, & Jesus
(*lay 3 large building blocks on the table labeled as such)

II. Where Are We going? -Please open your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 3:9-15

A. Going Upward
1. We are of God’s building -not of our own (V.9)
2. We are to be building upon the foundation of Jesus(vs. 10-11) (cf. Matt 7:24-27)
3. We all have something different to offer (v.12)

B. We Are Going Through “Fire”
1. This is a testing of each man’s work
2. Not a burning of the Christian, but of the wasted material- a refining
3. A checking of motive or method for our works.

C. We Are Going To Be Rewarded
1. Individually (v.14)
2. Reward not salvation - The Christian will be saved in spite of the quality of work.
3. Just Keep on building! (v.15)

III. How do we get there? -Please open your Bibles to 1 Peter 2:4-10

A. Be a living Stone (v.4) -An active part of the body (building) cf. Rom.12:1
(Pull out a block from the bottom to show the result of inactive members)

B. Do Your priestly service(v.5)
1. Some will accept -Some will reject (vs.6-8)
2. We must remember who we are and our purpose in Christ. (Vs.9-10)

Conclusion: Remember who you are. You are a servant of the living God who is to serve Him daily until He appoints for you a day of rest. Be added to the church. Be faithful until death. Be a light to the world. Glorify God in the church.

(1 Peter 2:11-12) Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. (12) Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

(Ephesians 3:20-21) Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, (21) to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.