"BUILDING A HOLY TEMPLE TOGETHER IN THE SPIRIT"

5/6/13

1 Cor. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

I think from reading this section of scripture that one would readily see that we need each other, and we need what each other brings to the body of Christ at large. No one person is alone. No one person can complete the task at hand; all are important. It also becomes evident as we live out this life of ours in Christ, that even the most gifted, are lacking in another area or more, and this is where someone else can come along and complete the task at hand. In a marriage this becomes very evident, because oftentimes, as we know, opposites are given in this union and where one is lacking, the other one has something in them, in their character, in their gifting, that can help the other.

The apostle used the illustration of the human body to illustrate his theme in the verses above, but there are other references or illustrations, that one could use. We see a building, and one must obviously begin with a foundation, or else the rest of the structure is useless. The other day I was driving and I noticed a foundation that had just been poured with the footing. While I've known the illustration and I've read it countless times before, the Lord stirred in my spirit the necessity for this footing and foundation to be strong enough for the structure to rest upon top of it. For this foundation is made up of the apostles and prophets with Jesus being the Chief Cornerstone. "

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;"--Eph. 2 Jesus said to His disciples that whoever would be greatest among you, must be the servant of all. "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."--Matt. 23:11

These foundational ministries serve, and they are on the bottom, the footing, so that all the other ministries are set upon them. They ultimately must serve the others. Jesus being the example of the greatest servant that lived, gave himself as we know, for us in his death and resurrection. He bore the entire "weight" of all the sins of the world.

But let's return to what I had originally said how we all are lacking in one area or not. We can't do this alone. As someone who "sees" things in the spirit and those who speak the word of the Lord, they most likely can't tell others how to "walk these things out in their own lives." This is where the teacher comes in and instructs others and lays out the bricks and mortar of the building. Of course the apostle will touch all the other ministries and knows how to implement these things and oversees how they might be carried out. But without the workers, without those who are intercessors, the work won't get done. Perhaps they are like the walls of the building. Each person brings a "stone" that fits into this grand scheme of this holy temple which rises into the air.

Then there are those who are building their own kingdoms, their own cathedrals. Perhaps they began well, but as time went on they began using other materials.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. I Cor. 3

These are those who have used the materials of this world to continue in their building, and as we see, they may well just escape through the flames. The fire will burn up their work, but they themselves will be saved.

Stephen Hanson