Building a Spiritual House

Building a Spiritual House

How to Build A Spiritual House…that Will Endure!

1 Peter 2:1-12

By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© April 28, 2013
www.pastorkennedy.com

There are many ways to live your life…many ways to mature and develop as a person.
There are many projects in life, in which we involve ourselves, and few are so coveted as the place we purchase, build, or rent to live in – the place we call “home”. We enjoy painting the walls colors pleasing to our senses. We like to decorate our home with art and furnishings that reveal our tastes and provide us comfort. “This is where we live,” we like to tell others. We come home to rest, to have nourishment, to enjoy the blessings of family, and in it to raise the future generations of the world.

There is another dimension of our life…a hidden “home” whose importance we do not always seem to recognize or even understand. It is more complex, more demanding and more critical to life than any piece of furnishing, any blueprint of building, or any physical quality that has ever been purchased to grace what we might call our earthly “home”. It is the “home” of our Spirit.

This Spiritual home is the internal spiritual, emotional, and mental home in which the “real me” lives all the time. We are constantly building dimensions in this internal home whether we realize it or not, because this unique home is not made of wood, plastic and mortar, but is a living, growing, vital presence within us. At our non-verbal, but very real promptings, we build within us flexible or rigid “living” walls, backrooms, or banquet halls, according to our personal spiritual, emotional, and intellectual needs. This involves each person’s pleasure or displeasure, spiritual intent, or carnal behavior.

Most of the time, it seems, we tend to avoid honest discussions about this internal home, because there may be dimensions of this home that we may not want anyone to observe. Our normal greetings give this part of us away.

“Hi, how are you doing?”
“Fine.”
“That’s good, see you later.”

We become clever about covering up our real feelings, thoughts, theological questions, hates, anxieties and passions. We can often camouflage our own pride and purposes, and our real intent, if a full disclosure would make us look bad or hurt our pride. This part of us is our very real home.
Example of the Importance of our Inner Home

• All of us have a spiritual home, inside.
• What we look like on the outside does not necessarily reflect who we are on the inside.

• For illustration, let’s imagine a young man who had just graduated from High School and wanted to know what to do with the rest of his life. He enlisted in the army medical corps and successfully completed his medical training. After serving his commitment to the army, he continued with specialized medical training and became a skilled physician. He had a beautiful home, a wife and three children. To those looking on, he was a successful specimen of humankind in every meaning of the word, but, on the inside, he had also been building a spiritual house. He knew how to take care of his body, but for years his inner spirit had been slowly eaten away by dissipation, abusive substances, sin, unfaithfulness and anxiety. He was dying a slow and painful death in his real internal home. He was not what he outwardly seemed to be.

• We have all known men or women who have lived like this.

No outside artisan can craft this non-tangible “place” occupied by our spirit, our mind, our heart, our emotions, and our will. This place is formed of a material that creates what the Scripture identifies as “Living Stones”. God’s desire is that these Living Stones structure an individual “Temple” which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, that in turn, co-mingle with others in God’s Kingdom to one day form a Grand and Eternal Temple for God.
• Our Bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).

Jesus’ Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders
Matthew 7:24–27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

To be wise in our building, let’s consider today, I Peter 2:1-12 and learn from it how to build a spiritual home that will endure.

Key Passage
1 Peter 2:1-12
2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,”
8 and,
“A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

How to build a Spiritual House and make it an enduring Spiritual Home:

1. Deep Foundation: We should understand the depth and integrity of the foundation on which we build our Spiritual home as a Believer in Jesus Christ.

Our faith in Christ is not a faith that has come from random “spiritual” visions, dreams or pseudo-angelic proclamations. It has come from God, from the beginning of earthly time – starting from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15), and confirmed throughout history, by Spirit-inspired Prophets – pointing to the coming Messiah, Savior and Coming King, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We have a sure word, given by the Prophets and Apostles (2 Peter 1:19-21).

John 1:45
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
John 5:46 (Jesus told the Jewish leaders…)
46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.

(Moses’ declaration of a coming Prophet like himself – who must be listened to)
Deuteronomy 18:15
15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
(This prophecy of Moses was referred to by Peter and Stephen in their messages about Christ, in Acts 3:22 and 7:37.)

(In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus who both died…Lazarus went to “Abraham’s side” and the rich man found himself “in torment” and wanted Abraham to have Lazarus tell his brothers not to come to his place of torment.)

Luke 16:29, 31
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ …
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Luke 24:25–27 (Jesus speaking to the two on the road to Emmaus, following His Resurrection)
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Acts 26:22–23 (Included in Paul’s defense before King Agrippa)
22 But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

Acts 28:23 (Paul speaks to the Jews in Rome)
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Messiah have a deep, deep foundation of Spiritual Heritage on which to build his or her life upon.

2. Cornerstone Faith: A Believer in Jesus Christ, by faith, establishes the security and direction of his or her Spiritual home on the Cornerstone of Jesus Christ, who is God’s Messiah, Sacrificial Redeemer Savior, and Coming King.

What is a “Cornerstone”?
“The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornerstone)

1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,”
8 and,
“A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

Ephesians 2:19–22
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

3. Dispose of Garbage:
From our needing to take the trash out of our houses on a routine basis, to our body’s continuing need to purge itself of waste, anything that is living not only must have nutrition but it must also dispose of that which is destructive and will make us sick if we do not throw it out. Our Spiritual home is no different. When we realize that destructive, corruptible things are attacking our spirit, we must “put it out of our Spiritual home”.

The Scripture clearly instructs us to “Lay aside”, “Put off”, and “Die to”, those things, which are destructive to the integrity of a Spiritual home. If we do not take away the garbage, the disease it carries with it will severely infect us…and through us, those around us.

1 Peter 2:1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind….
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

See also Ephesians 4:20-32; Galatians 2:20; and Colossians 3, etc.

Dispose of the garbage if you want to have a healthy Spiritual home.
Do not let it surround you, overcome you and corrupt you. Break its authority through the Authority of the Blood of Jesus Christ!
4. Drink Nourishing “Spiritual Milk”: Allow the Truth of God’s Word to nourish our spirit as we begin building our Spiritual home.

1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

Begin to take conscious steps to gather and administer the building materials that will strengthen the growth of your Spiritual home as you live your life. Immerse your spirit in the knowledge of God’s Word and in communion with God by His Spirit and Prayer.

5. Understanding Trials: Treat the trials of life as those things, which will build our Spiritual home into a stronger and more stable Spiritual haven, resource, and retreat. While walking with God on the hills and valleys of blessings and trials, we learn to trust God and experience His Hand of constant care; we also may enter into the “fellowship of His sufferings” (1 Peter 1:6-9; James 1:2-4; Phil. 3:7-11)

6. Growing into Spiritual Maturity: God’s goal for us is to become like His Son, Jesus Christ, in the maturity of our faith, evidencing more and more of the fruit of His Holy Spirit, and deeper comprehension of His Word (Heb. 5:11-6:2).

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control – (Galatians 5:22-23)

Draw nourishment and resource from those who are Godly who have gone before and from those who are currently faithfully ministering the Word of God.

Ephesians 4:11-13; 15-16
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ….

15 …Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

7. Make your life a habitation for God’s Spirit, Looking forward to Christ’s Coming: Every day seek to please God and be filled and guided by His Presence. Allow your life to be His blessed dwelling in which God gives abundant Spiritual fruit, by His Spirit. Look for Christ’s Coming! Those who have the hope of Christ’s Coming keep themselves pure and reveal their hope of eternal life (1 John 3:2-3; Titus 2:11-14).

Conclusion

How do we build a Spiritual house that will endure?

1. Deep Foundation: We should understand the depth and integrity of the foundation on which we build our Spiritual home as a Believer in Jesus Christ when we comprehend how the Prophets, inspired by God’s Spirit, had proclaimed Christ from the beginning of time.

2. Cornerstone Faith: A Believer in Jesus Christ, by faith, establishes the security and direction of his or her Spiritual home on the Cornerstone of Jesus Christ, who is God’s Messiah, Sacrificial Redeemer Savior, and Coming King.

3. Dispose of Garbage: When we realize that destructive, corruptible things are attacking our spirit, we must “put it out of our Spiritual home”.

4. Drink Nourishing “Spiritual Milk”: Allow the Truth of God’s Word to nourish our spirit as we begin building our Spiritual home.

5. Understanding Trials: Treat the trials of life as those things, which will build our Spiritual home into a stronger and more stable Spiritual haven, resource, and retreat.

6. Growing into Spiritual Maturity: God’s goal for us is to become like His Son, Jesus Christ, in the maturity of our faith, evidencing more and more of the fruit of His Holy Spirit, and deeper comprehension of His Word.

7. Make your life a habitation for God’s Spirit, Looking forward to Christ’s Coming: Every day seek to please God and be filled and guided by His Presence. Look for Christ’s Coming! Those who have the hope of Christ’s Coming keep themselves pure and reveal their hope of eternal life.

We have a choice.

Every day we build within us backrooms, banquet halls, flexible or rigid “living” walls according to our personal spiritual, emotional, and intellectual needs.

No outside artisan can craft this non-tangible “place” occupied by our spirit, our mind, our heart, our emotions, and our will. This place is formed of a material that creates what the Scripture identifies as “Living Stones”. God’s desire is that these Living Stones structure an individual “Temple” which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, that in turn, co-mingle with others in God’s Kingdom to one day form a Grand and Eternal Temple for God (1 Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 2:19–22).
Let us yield to the work of God’s Spirit in our life to build a Spiritual home that will give us Spiritual growth, maturity and blessing, which will endure for eternity!

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people,
but now you are the people of God;
Once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10