Being Church Outline

BEING THE CHURCH WHERE YOU ARE

Living Christianity in Authentic Way

Matthew 5:24

I. Church is YOU – 1 Cor. 3:16

A. Old Testament Temple – Building

1. ‘Make me a tabernacle that I may dwell with my people.’ Since from the beginning God wants to live with His own people.

a. Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden of Eden.

b. Enoch walked with God and He was not because God took him.

2. When God chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through Jacob God named him Israel and all his descendants became God’s own people. And God lives with them through the Tabernacle that Moses built.

3. This covenant makes Israel, the people of God different from other nations of the earth. Covenant includes:

a. The Laws

b. The sacrifice

c. The priest and

d. The temple.

4. Its purpose is one: To make them different.

B. New Testament Temple – Body

1. ‘For the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ –John 1:14

a. When God became flesh through Christ and lived among us it means that there’s a problem.

- The Covenant that is the first has no more effect. The Laws only makes man know that he’s a sinner and therefore guilty. According to the Law, ‘It is written, no one is righteous, not even one.’ All have sinned and needs to die. Man cannot save himself. He needs a Savior.

- Christ came in the likeness of a sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh. The law requires a sacrifice of sin and a priest to mediate to God. In the Old Covenant, people bring a sacrifice, a lamb, in the temple and the priest would offer it to God to cover the sin of His people. Priest would do this once a year every year.

b. When God became flesh through Christ, He fulfills the requirements of the law by sacrificing Himself on the cross [Matt. 5:17; Rom. 10:4]. He is the sacrifice [Jn. 1:29], He became the sinner therefore He died to pay the wages of sin, He died once and for all, He is the high priest of God by offering Himself [Heb. 8:1,2], He became the mediator between God and man [Heb. 8:6, 2 Tim. 2:5]. He fulfills the law to Himself.

c. He fulfills the law to us by becoming the sinner, the sacrifice and the High Priest.

2. The word ‘dwelt’ in Greek is Tabernacle. John 1:14 read, ‘The Word became flesh and tabernacle among us.’

a. ‘I will write the law in the minds.’

b. ‘You shall be my priest.’ 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:5

c. ‘Christ offered His life for me on the cross so I will offer my life as a living sacrifice.’ Rom. 12:1

d. ‘You are the temple of God.’ 1 Cor. 3:16

3. The New Covenant fulfilled the Old Covenant. The New is better than the old. [Heb. 8:6]

FIRST/OLD COVENANT SECOND/NEW COVENANT APPLICATION

Law I will write my laws in their minds Obey Christ’s commands [Jn. 13:35]

Sacrifice /Blood of lamb in temple Christ body/blood offered in heaven Offer our lives as living sacrifice [Rom. 12:1]

Priest Christ became our High Priest We are priest of God [2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:5]

Temple Christ’s body/The Church Being church where we live

Flesh Circumcision Heart Circumcision Obedience in the heart

Note: Old and New Covenant has only one goal – to make the people of God different from all the peoples of the earth, to be holy.