1 Corinthians (Program #24) – Transformation for the Building

In the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians we are told specifically and clearly that every believer during the course of their days on the earth is engaged in a building work.

How we build, what we build and what we build with are the crucial questions that we all must explore during our course of days on this earth.

1 Corinthians 3 tells us very clearly, ” ……let each man take heed how he builds upon it. For another foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, stubble, The work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself will prove each one’s work, of what sort it is.”

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1 Corinthians (Program #21) – The Building Work with Natural Materials

In the realm of Christian service and ministry many things are done in the name of Christian work.  But 1 Corinthians 3 is a key chapter that points out absolutely clearly that the unique work all of us as the believers should be engaged in is a building work.  Verse 11 and 12 in this chapter say it:

“For another foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, stubble, “

Two categories of materials. And the first category, the materials are mineral, very precious and enduring gold, silver and precious stones.  In the second category however the materials are all perishable and natural  wood, grass and stubble.  The significant of these two categories becomes very relevant for us and the Christian work in the very next verses.

“The work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself will prove each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built upon the foundation remains, he will receive a reward;  If anyone’s work is consumed, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. “

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1 Corinthians (Program #20) – The Building Work with Transformed Materials (1)

The goal of the Christian life is not merely to live a proper and upright life, died and then go to heaven. The goal as presented in 1 Corinthians has to do with being built up into a spiritual building that ultimately becomes God’s dwelling place on earth with His people. In short this building is the church becoming the real temple of God on earth.

What a high calling, our real work in the Christian life is a building work.  And to this end Paul instructed the Corinthians believers and us in chapter three of 1 Corinthians :

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s cultivated land, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each man take heed how he builds upon it. For another foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, stubble, the work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire. ”

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1 Corinthians (Program #16) – The Church, God’s Farm, God’s Building (1)

The first two chapters of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians are very rich in their presentation of Christ. Paul clearly was doing all he could to bring the troubled Corinthians to Christ in their experience.

But in Chapter three Paul turns his focus to the church. Though not in shallow or superficial language rather he speaks in marvelous profound expressions referring to the church in types.  First as a farm growing, producing a rich crop. Then as a building and ultimately as a temple, a divine dwelling place, build out of priceless materials such as gold, silver and precious stones. Of course these materials are not literally either but types of the transformation work that the Holy Spirit is engaged in with all of us, God’s redeemed.

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Exodus (Program #125) – The Priestly Garments (10 & 11) Urim and Thummin

There is a very tender picture of our Lord Jesus holding His redeemed ones in love in the Old Testament book of Exodus.  This picture matches the New Testament revelation as well as our own experience of being held by His love.  But the picture in the Old Testament reveals that God’s people are not only held by His love, they are also upheld by His strength.

This week we have been looking at Ephod and the 3 items that were attached to it or added to it in the priest’s garment.  These are the two shoulder pieces that had onyx stones attached and then also the breast plate worn in front by the priest.  This piece also contains precious stones, 12 of them actually.  We seen that the Ephod, this vest-like outer garment is a clear picture of Jesus Christ.  What are these added items, these precious stone items signify?

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Exodus (Program #120) – The Priestly Garments (5) The Priestly Garments (5) Breastplate and Onyx Stones

In Genesis, God created man from the dust of the ground.  Soon after He placed man by a river.  By the flow of the river were precious stones.  Though man was made of dust, his destiny in God’s plan is to become something so precious; not precious dust, but precious stones.

We want to take another look today at this most unique item of the priestly garments, and that is the Ephod.  We mentioned earlier that the Hebrew word Ephod has no English equivalent.  This is the actual Hebrew word.  It refers to an item that we don’t know a great deal about, other than it look somewhat like a vest, apparently from the description here in Exodus 28.  What do we know about the Ephod and what it look like?

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Exodus (Program #117) – The Priestly Garments (2)

Today we are going to bring you again one of our highlight programs from a previous life study and in our life study of Exodus, we are at a point of looking at the precious stones.   These messages are bringing us to the vision in Scripture of God’s building.  We had an outstanding message several months ago when we were in the life study of the book of Acts on this very thing, God’s building as seen in Scripture.  We feel it is a good time to go back and revisit that message.

As Christians we all know Christ as our Savior and our Lord.  We may also know Him as our friend even our healer and many other precious items.   Yet can we say that we, like Peter in Acts 4, know Christ as the stone for God’s building?

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1 Peter (Program #14) -Growth in Life and Its Results (4)

The Bible in both the Old Testament and New tells us that man was formed of the dust of the ground and even as living creatures, we all are but clay in the hands of God. Yet the apostle Peter in his epistles boldly declares that we have become living stones useful in building up God’s house.  Chapter 2:5 of his first epistle says “You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  I think we can all easily relate to being lumps of clay but it may be more difficult for us to relate to being living stones, useful for God’s building and precious.   How is it that such a transformation from clay to precious stone is possible?  Peter in both his words and by example of his own spiritual progress gives us a marvelous pattern.

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