BUILDING A SPIRITUAL HOUSE (6 OF 18)
Scripture: I PETER 2:4-10
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Building a Spiritual House (6 of 18)
Series: Epistles of Peter
Dr. J. Gerald Harris
I Peter 2:4-10
The Bible gives us several pictures of the church. It is pictured as an army; it is pictured as a family; it is pictured as a bride; it is pictured as a body; and it is pictured as a building.
As an army we should be advancing; as a family we should be nurturing; as a bride we should be loving; as a body we should be serving; and as a building we should be standing. But is the church standing as a tower of strength in the name of God in our day?
Will the church provide that place of strength and stability and security in our present world? I fear that the world looks upon the church as ''something to be neither seriously fought nor seriously defended.'' It has only ''marginal relevance'' to modern man -- a place for weddings, funerals, and a good place to send the children on Sunday mornings. The church is looked upon as a mild-mannered, toothless old lion -- a relic of the past to be tolerated and patronized, but not to be taken seriously.
The church is meant to be an extension of Jesus Christ into the present century. And since the church is meant to be an extension of Jesus Christ into the present day, it must be holy. It must express concern and compassion. It must demonstrate power. For it was the nature of Jesus to be holy. It was the nature of Jesus to express concern and compassion. It was the nature of Jesus to demonstrate power. In fact, Jesus addressed the would-be church when He said, ''He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father'' (John 14:12). Dear friend, the eyes of the world are upon the church, but they look in vain for a demonstration of ''greater works.'' It is time for the church to demonstrate the power of God or we have no justification for being, no right to expect the world to pay any attention to us.
Beloved, I want our church to be ev ...
Series: Epistles of Peter
Dr. J. Gerald Harris
I Peter 2:4-10
The Bible gives us several pictures of the church. It is pictured as an army; it is pictured as a family; it is pictured as a bride; it is pictured as a body; and it is pictured as a building.
As an army we should be advancing; as a family we should be nurturing; as a bride we should be loving; as a body we should be serving; and as a building we should be standing. But is the church standing as a tower of strength in the name of God in our day?
Will the church provide that place of strength and stability and security in our present world? I fear that the world looks upon the church as ''something to be neither seriously fought nor seriously defended.'' It has only ''marginal relevance'' to modern man -- a place for weddings, funerals, and a good place to send the children on Sunday mornings. The church is looked upon as a mild-mannered, toothless old lion -- a relic of the past to be tolerated and patronized, but not to be taken seriously.
The church is meant to be an extension of Jesus Christ into the present century. And since the church is meant to be an extension of Jesus Christ into the present day, it must be holy. It must express concern and compassion. It must demonstrate power. For it was the nature of Jesus to be holy. It was the nature of Jesus to express concern and compassion. It was the nature of Jesus to demonstrate power. In fact, Jesus addressed the would-be church when He said, ''He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father'' (John 14:12). Dear friend, the eyes of the world are upon the church, but they look in vain for a demonstration of ''greater works.'' It is time for the church to demonstrate the power of God or we have no justification for being, no right to expect the world to pay any attention to us.
Beloved, I want our church to be ev ...
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