Sermon: God's Presence Manifest in the Christian Sunday November 11, 2012

Sermon: God's Presence Manifest in the Christian Sunday November 11, 2012 How many of you were following the U.S. presidential elections? How many of you are glad it's finally over? Well, the country voted. President Obama won and got his four more years. Mitt Romney lost and is now figuring out what to do next. Actually, Mitt Romney put a lot of time and effort into his presidential run. He invested not just the past few months but the past six years of his life working hard to try to become president. In fact, did you know that his life-long dream has been to become the president of the United States. Whatever your politics, you have to respect or at least acknowledge his determination in pursuing his dream. Perhaps there is someone you can think of - whether in your life or just someone you've heard of - who worked tirelessly, committed themselves relentlessly, who persevered unfailingly through setback after setback in pursuit of their dream. And this person is so passionate that whenever you think of them, you automatically associate them with their dream. Nelson Mandela had a dream. He worked as an activist and leader most of his life. He was beaten, attacked and spent 27 years in prison. But whenever we think of him, we also think about his dream of a South Africa where black people and white people live in peace and experience the same freedoms and rights. William Wilberforce had a dream. He was an English politician who spent 26 years campaigning against a certain British trade practice that was common throughout Europe. The bills he proposed in Parliament were defeated time after time. But whenever we think of him, we also think of his dream for the abolition of the slave trade. Have you ever thought that God also has a dream. He's been working towards this dream since he created the world. He's experienced the setbacks of human sin and rebellion. Yet he is just as passionate now to see his dream become reality as he has ever been. What is God's dream? We're in a series these days called Making Space: God is Moving [IN]. We've been talking about how God's great passion, God's great dream is to dwell with his people, to make his home here on earth. 1

Home is a place of love, intimacy and safety. Where people are embraced and accepted. Where people find comfort and strength. Where people celebrate and rejoice together...... and God wants to make his home with us. And not just us. God's grand dream is to make his home extend across the borders of the earth until all of creation is filled with his presence. As the prophet Habbakuk puts it: the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Hab 2:14) Pastor Steve reminded us last week that the biblical story doesn't end with people going up to heaven like we often believe. Instead, all history will be fulfilled when heaven comes down to earth. A new heavens and earth will be created and God's presence will make his permanent home here where he will dwell with his people forever. The Apostle John describes this vision to close off his letter: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (Rev 21:3) This is a picture of home - and it's not just God's dream. It's your dream and it's my dream. It's the dream of every human heart because we were all created in the image of God. An early Christian father put it like this: You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. (Augustine) We see God's dream of wanting to be with his people throughout the pages of Scripture. In the book of Genesis, we see God dwelling with Adam and Eve in the garden. It's a picture of friendship and intimacy as they talk together and go on walks together. Then we see God dwelling with his people first in a tabernacle and later in the temple. Then we see God making his home not in a tent or a building but in a person, in Jesus Christ. This morning, we're going to consider God's presence manifest in the Christian - in your life and mine. Please turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2:4-6. 2

4 As you come to him, the living Stone rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house [a] 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. [b] What imagery is being described here - living stones... built into a spiritual house...? Do you realize that God is working on a building project! He's doing away with the old temple and He's replacing it with a new one. In fact this new building project is so grand that it will extend throughout the world! You see, the temple was never meant to be the permanent dwelling place for God. There are many important reasons for this that we don't have the time to get into this morning. But one of the reasons is that in the temple, God's presence was in a way restricted by geography. Where was the temple located? In Jerusalem. So if you wanted to dwell in God's presence, you'd have to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, which a lot of Jews did during those days. Even when God came to earth in human form in the person of Jesus, his presence was still limited. Although Jesus could walk and travel to different places, God's presence was still restricted to wherever Jesus was. If Jesus was in Nazareth, that's where God's presence would be. If Jesus was in Jerusalem, that's where God's presence would be. But something happened soon after Jesus' death and resurrection that would change everything. God was rolling out his new building project. He was establishing a new temple in which to dwell. And this temple was not a building, it was a people. At so at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given. God was now making his home in the hearts of his believers. The church is now the dwelling place of God's Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul writes: Don t you know that you yourselves are God s temple and that God s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God s temple, God will destroy that person; for God s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (1 Cor 3:16-17) 3

At the creation of the church at Pentecost, for the first time in the history of the earth, God's presence was no longer limited to one location. And so, with God's presence dwelling in the church, as these faith communities spread into the different cultures and nations, the boundaries of God's new temple were being extended. This idea that the Christian church is the dwelling place of God is a rich theme that touches on among other things our identity and mission. We'll be unpacking this topic in the following two messages. But this morning, we're asking the question, What does it mean for me that God is dwelling in my life? That my body is God's temple? That I'm a living stone? That I'm part of this grand building project that's expanding throughout the earth? I want to start off by doing a quick multiple choice quiz. Here's the question: who is the person ultimately responsible for your spiritual growth? (We're talking about studying God's Word and learning to walk with God and live like Jesus.) [Multiple choice: a) your pastor; b) the person who brought you to church; c) your small group leader/accountability partner/best friend; d) the person in your family with the "stronger" faith; e) you] The answer of course is e. You are the one who's ultimately responsible for your spiritual growth. How are you doing with that? If you were to give yourself a score between 0-100 on that, what mark would you get? Why don't you turn to the person next to you and tell them your score... It's interesting the difference language can make. In verse 5, the passage reads you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house. The NIV translates the verb to build in the passive tense. Other scholars including theologian and professor Scot McKnight make a strong argument that the verb should instead be translated in the imperative - build yourselves. And it makes a world of difference whether you live with an attitude of being built or build yourself doesn't it? If you are being built, you are passively being acted upon. If you build yourself, you take initiative and responsibility and action. If you are being built, you say "Feed me". If you build yourself, you're a self-feeder. If you are being built, you rely on the preaching and worship time to inspire you for the week. If you build yourself, you regularly engage in Christian disciplines like Bible reading, prayer, community to nourish your soul and the Sunday worship time (as important as it is) supplements what you are already doing. 4

Now when Peter says build yourself, what he's not saying is that it's all up to you and God has no part in it. According to the Bible, it's God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Peter's also not taking away from the idea that God is the ultimate builder who's building his temple. But what Peter is saying is that we're part of God's grand temple re-building project. We are a living stone in this building so we have an important role to play. God's presence dwells in you and in me for the world to see. So let's agree to Own the responsibility for our spiritual growth. We would agree with this principle in every other area of our life. When we're saving up for a major purchase, we hire a financial advisor, we set a budget, we make a plan. When we want to get in shape, we eat healthier, we get a gym membership, we hire a trainer. When we want to move up in our careers, we get more training, we take on better projects, we work longer hours. So why is it that we often don't put in the same discipline and effort when it comes to cultivating our relationship with God? I think maybe there's the thinking that because we've been saved by grace, that we don't need to do anything. That to study and practice and work hard would only be a form of legalism. Listen to how theologian Dallas Willard challenges that idea. He says: Grace is opposed to earning, not effort. Because in the New Testament, the Apostle Peter himself urges Christians to make every effort to add to their faith [or increase, grow in their faith]. (2 Peter 1:5) The Apostle Paul said: Work out [not work for] your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) In other words, own the responsibility for your spiritual growth. None of you would starve your bodies. You know that your body needs food in order to function properly and be healthy. And so you eat regularly and hopefully healthy foods. But when it comes to our soul, it's easy to neglect it because we're so busy. We have no time to read our Bibles, or to pray, or to join a small group. As a result, many of us are starving and malnourished spiritually - and we might not even know it. 5

If you're a Christian and you're not spending regular time with God, I'd strongly encourage you to take time to read at least a little bit of Scripture every day. Most mornings, I'll start my day with my Bible and my journal. I'll start off by quieting my heart and centering my mind on Jesus. Then I'll read some scripture and if there's a verse that stands out to me, I'll write it down in my journal. I'll think about what God is saying to me or challenging me with or how I can apply that verse in my life and I'll write that down too. Sometimes I'll end by writing out a short prayer. It doesn't have to take a long time. You may have your own way of reading and journaling. But if you're a Christian and you're not spending time in God's presence regularly, this is something you need to do. Own the responsibility for your spiritual growth and start feeding yourself with God's word. We can have great teaching and worship time on Sundays. You might even have some great friendships with people here at the church. But if you're not owning your responsibility to dig into the word yourself and nurture your relationship with God regularly then you simply aren't going to grow very much. On our Pledge Day on December 2nd, we're all going to have a chance to make a number of pledges as part of our Making Space Campaign. One of the pledges is a commitment to make space for God to [IN]habit your one life. Making this pledge can be a line in the sand you draw where you say, I will make every effort, I will own the responsibility for my own spiritual growth. Whether it's Bible reading, prayer, or some other spiritual discipline - making space for God in your life can transform you in ways you've never imagined. And you don't need to do this alone. Next year we'll be offering what we're calling Learning Labs. These are similar to semester groups in the sense that they're shortterm small group gatherings. But the focus will be on learning by actually doing and practicing. One person describes these experiments as kind of a Jesus dojo. In martial arts, a dojo is a place where people practice an art or skill or discipline. A Jesus dojo is a space where we can wrestle with how to apply Jesus' teachings in our lives by actually doing them. 6

Imagine being part of a group where you learn about how to hear God's voice and then you actually try a listening or prayer exercise. Imagine brainstorming a customized plan to experience Jesus' presence in your daily life and then sharing about it and learning from others about their experiments during your weekly gatherings. Imagine trying perhaps a new spiritual practice like solitude or sabbathkeeping or honouring your body as part of your spirituality. Maybe even going on a retreat together. These are some of the opportunities we'll be offering next year. You can look out for them as ways to help you to fulfill your pledge to make space for God to [IN]habit your one life. But whatever the specifics, I would just urge you to make every effort to own your responsibility for your spiritual growth. Be a self-feeder. One of God's attributes that is most recognized and honoured is his holiness. One Bible scholar describes God "as the one who is supreme over all, he is transcendent, exalted and different from everything he has made." Now, what do you think happens to a people when a holy God dwells among them? They become a holy people. It doesn't mean they're better than others; it means that by virtue of the fact that there is a holy God present in their midst, they're marked off, they're distinguished, they're set apart from other ways. God's holy presence in our life demands holiness of life in response. The Apostle Peter writes: just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:15-16) Believers live in the same world as nonbelievers. We often watch the same movies, get exposed to the same sexually-driven advertisements, have the same access to a lot of trash on the internet... Yet we have the challenge and calling to separate ourselves from some of those values and ways of living that compromise who we are in Christ. Why? It's not just so we can escape the destructive consequences that result from those things. It's not just so we can experience the abundant life Jesus came to give. It's certainly not so we can take on a holier-than-thou attitude towards others. The Apostle Peter says it like this: Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage 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. (1 Peter 1:11-12) 7

We live holy lives so that our lives can point people to God. Our exemplary lives demonstrate what life looks like when God is in our midst. As living stones in God's temple, how we live witnesses to the invisible God through our visible good deeds. And so many of you have already been doing this. Some of you have chosen to manage your workplace responsibilities with different values than just the bottom line. Some of you have made significant financial sacrifices for great kingdom causes. Some of you have gone all out to serve those who needed a special touch. Some of you have made significant efforts to develop relationships with people in your neighbourhood. Some of you have handled stress, uncertainty, conflict, disappointment and pain with a peace that passes understanding and a strength that comes only from Christ. Some of you have journeyed through a painful struggle with cancer but have maintained the conviction that God is good - all the time. And when you do this, you are as the Apostle Peter puts it declaring God's praises. And many people are noticing. They're re-examining how they spend their money and time. They're considering what kind of spouse or parent or business owner they really want to be. They're re-thinking the very foundation of their identity and where they get their security. Basically, they're thinking: I want what you have. And many of these people have had conversations with you. You've invited them to church or introduced them to your friends. Some of them have since crossed the line of faith themselves. A handful of people have gotten baptized here at Cornerstone within the past few months directly as a result of the witness of people here at Cornerstone. And now we've been able to add more living stones to this temple that God is building. As many of you know Cornerstone is in the midst of a capital campaign. Our goal is to raise $3 million in the next three years so that we can build a community centre facility in the Greensborough community. Our hope is that this building will be a place where people from the community will be welcomed and participate in seminars, sports and recreational activities, where they will develop meaningful relationships. 8

But let's be clear, the vision for this community centre isn't something we just happen to think is a cool idea. It's a vision we feel God has given us and it comes out of God's great dream to expand his living temple throughout the world. Some churches are called to meet out of traditional church buildings or rented spaces. We feel that God has called us to construct this facility - and we've been affirmed of this time and time again. God's dream is to extend the boundaries of his temple throughout the earth, including right here in Markham. And if that is true, as great of a gift as it would be to build this incredible community centre in our community - do you know what an even greater gift is? It's us. It's lives that are being renewed and transformed. It's hearts that are being formed to love and embrace and listen and heal and serve just like Jesus. Our Making Space Campaign is not just about what we're doing or what we're giving (as important and as needed as all those things are). Making Space is ultimately about who we are becoming in Christ because that is the greatest gift we can offer others. Why? It's because the world doesn't change because we do certain things. It changes when we become the kind of people through whom God can work to extend his love and healing in the world. That's the vision driving our Making Space campaign. That's the vision behind the Cornerstone Community Life Centre. Pastor John Ortberg comments that in the Middle Ages, maps weren't so much used for travel as they were to reflect on the meaning of the world. That's why in those days, many maps depicted historical and biblical scenes. A common feature of these maps was that Jerusalem was often located at the centre of the earth. Bible scholar N.T. Wright points out that this reflects the ancient belief that Jerusalem and particularly the temple was considered the holiest place on earth. The temple was a physical reminder of the God who created the universe. It was a reminder that this God has plans to deal with sin and injustice and suffering. And that one day all the earth will be filled with his glory. You see, Heaven and earth aren't two separate spheres. They actually overlap and intersect each other. The temple became the place where heaven and earth meet. It's where a bit of heaven invades earth and special things happen when heaven invades earth. 9

Sins are forgiven. People who are broken and hurting get healing and restoration. The marginalized find acceptance and welcome. Relationships are restored. Human beings discover their divine identity and true calling. Israel believed that in this one building, you could get a glimpse of what it would be like for heaven to invade earth. And for centuries, it gave them hope and strength and peace whatever their circumstances. God is doing a new thing. He's working on a new temple rebuilding project. Heaven continues to invade earth but it doesn't happen in a building anymore. It happens through you and me. The Apostle Paul wrote: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). When you use your gifts to serve others, when you teach and encourage a child, when you invest your finances in kingdom causes, when you forgive someone who's hurt you, when you pray faithfully for a friend, when you encourage someone, when you work on your marriage instead of giving up, when you embrace someone who is different than you... Then once again the temple is at the centre of life. And your life has become the channel through which heaven has invaded earth. Heaven is invading earth. And it's happening in homes and workplaces and schools and neighbourhoods all over Markham and Toronto and North York and Scarborough. It's happening in Honduras and Mexico and Nicaragua and China and Tanzania. Heaven is invading earth. And God continues to dream about that day when his living temple would extend throughout the whole earth so that he might dwell with his people once again. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 10