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 God’s Church Is Sacred In This Earth

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. – 1 Corinthians 3:17

There are many things that are considered sacred in this earth. Certain old artefacts, museum pieces are considered irreplaceable and are reverenced as a very special thing. There are certain buildings in our culture that represent special purposes such as court houses, parliament buildings and other government buildings of authority. And such things are important and if someone would harm or ruin these things there are severe consequences. A jewish person would think immediately of Solomon’s temple, something that was considered the holiest site in Israel. Yet above all these sacred things the most sacred thing in the world to the Lord is His Church that he is building. Jesus said he would build His Church (Matthew 16:18) and to this day he is still building this temple. Paul the Apostle shares that the temple is God’s people who are assembled together as the Church. God has a called out people that are holy towards his purposes in the earth and who are doing good, loving the poor, preaching the Good News in the earth. We read the very sober words that warns us that this work of the Church, if someone seeks to destroy or hurt this work, the Lord will defend it. Gamaliel gave the sound counsel that if we oppose Gods work we “find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:39).

Many people in our day do not have a sense of the holy things of God, they do not consider things sacred. Sadly such people oppose God’s work without fear, speak evil of things they do not understand. Jude speaks of such people who “reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings” (Jude 1:8). No one is holy to them and they do not want to submit to authority but feel themselves above all authority. They speak against things that are holy and end up even destroying themselves. God treats his work as a very holy thing, when we oppose his work we set ourselves against God Himself. It seems extreme to say but our passage even says that “God will destroy them.” When someone would neglect the holiness of solomon’s temple and walk into the holiest of all they would be destroyed. Likewise in the days of the prophet Samuel when people who lacked reverence for the sacred, “God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them” (1 Samuel 6:19). Likewise Ananias and Sapphira spoke with holy Apostles without the fear of the Lord (Acts 5:1-11). God is still at work, although the Church is not perfect it is what God is doing in this earth. May we see what he is doing as holy and have reverence for what is sacred.

from: https://greggordon.home.blog/2018/11/18/gods-church-is-sacred-in-this-earth/


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2018/11/18 8:41Profile
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 Re: God’s Church Is Sacred In This Earth

It says that the Church is not perfect but it is what God is doing in the earth and should be treated accordingly with fear and reverence. I couldn't agree more. Church bashing is in vogue in many quarters today and I question if those in the Body who speak boldly many times of God's soon coming judgment on the true Church have heard from God at all.


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David Winter

 2018/11/18 9:15Profile
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 Re: God’s Church Is Sacred In This Earth

Quote: "We read the very sober words that warns us that this work of the Church, if someone seeks to destroy or hurt this work, the Lord will defend it. Gamaliel gave the sound counsel that if we oppose Gods work we “find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:39)."

Of course we must agree, if this refers to His true church, which is invisible. Also, in context, these words were referring to the newly born church, filled with power and led by the Lord's original messengers.

As far as certain visible representations of the church today, assemblies of people purporting to be His and representing Him, but showing themselves to be His enemies by their words and deeds, should these not be spoken against and resisted?

If an assembly is gathered together, in Jesus Name, and are seeking to honour Him and His revealed Word by their words and deeds, and seeking to make disciples of all nations according to the Lord's command, they should certainly not have to fear resistance from their true brethren.


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William

 2018/11/19 7:59Profile
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/As far as certain visible representations of the church today, assemblies of people purporting to be His and representing Him, but showing themselves to be His enemies by their words and deeds, should these not be spoken against and resisted?/

Yes they should be spoken against and resisted. It's been my experience though that many times these self called so called prophets like to badger and beat upon the true Body of Christ and pronounce that judgment is soon to come on this Church. One of the signs is lumping the true Church in with the apostate Church as judgment is pronounced on all as if they are one and the same thing. God never has been nor is in covenant with the apostate Church. There's a vast difference. The good things the true Church has been doing and is doing as local congregations strive to grow together in Christ and spread His message is usually ignored.


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David Winter

 2018/11/19 12:30Profile









 Re: God’s Church Is Sacred In This Earth

This article is a rehash of Francis Chan's recent sermon. https://youtu.be/UHuue9ZXzmM ...........bro Frank

 2018/11/19 12:59









 Re:

Danger of plagirism there Greg, is that why you put up Chan's sermon? ............bro Frank

 2018/11/19 20:22
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 Re:

Quote:
Danger of plagirism there Greg, is that why you put up Chan's sermon? ............bro Frank



I wrote this devotional just about 2 years ago. I am just re-publishing it as its very much the same thing the Lord showed Francis Chan so I thought it would be good to share again. Just an fyi!


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2018/11/19 21:05Profile









 Re:

Where did you publish it brother, just for clarity sake? Would not like to think you would take another man's thoughts and present them as your own. Just wanted to add that we must be careful in this regard and I do not expect you would do this............bro Frank

 2018/11/19 22:56
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 Re:

brother,

Just to set your heart at ease. Here it is shown published date on May 26, 2015:
https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/god-s-church-is-sacred-in-this-earth-greg-gordon-sermon-on-temple-193965


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2018/11/20 6:30Profile









 Re:

Well bro, you guys definately seem to be playing from the same play book no doubt. Dont forget the advice you got that the application of Chan's video was wrong, from an older brother we both respect...........bro Frank

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 NIV)

There is another word, which just means that which has escaped from slavery and is breathing free air. That is a fine picture, a fine portrait for Overcomers – that which has escaped from slavery and is breathing free air. I dare not stay to interpret that. Some of us, even in our Christian lives and histories, know what it is to escape from slavery. Oh, the old bondage of the Christian system and order, expectation and demand, all the old rota and legality! – to be free of it all! Not only to be raised with Christ, but to have the grave clothes taken off and to be breathing the free air of the spiritually emancipated! That is what this word calls a “remnant,” and that is not something extra to Christianity. It is exactly what you find at the beginning with the Church.

The Lord had cried in the midst of a burdened, tyrannized, religious nation – “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). What is the old yoke, the old burden, which has harassed and worn these people so that they are weary to death, drawing out His compassionate appeal – “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest”? It is the old yoke and burden of legalistic religion, ‘thou shalt’ and ‘thou shalt not’: ‘you must’ and ‘you must not’ – the whole system built up like that; a great burden.

“They bind heavy burdens,” He said, “and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with their finger” (Matt. 23:4). And this word for “remnant” means such as have escaped slavery and are breathing the free air. You find them in the beginning of the book of the Acts. Overcomers are those who go back to the beginning in experience. They do not take up something further which is deeper teaching or fuller light. It is the primal freshness and fullness of Christ that Overcomers represent – unfortunately, in contrast to the general situation.

By T. Austin-Sparks from: Overcomer Testimony – Chapter 2

 2018/11/20 8:55





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