3:16: Temples And Churches

 

Series Summary

In this series, called 3:16, we will be exploring several significant passages in the Bible that are located at the 3:16 chapter and verse marker in their respective books. These passages cover a wide range of variety, from a variety of authors, covering a variety of topics, through a variety of time periods of Israel’s and the church’s history. The only common denominator in this series is where each of those passages is located in the Bible, at a 3:16 mile marker. You likely already know that all Scripture is inspired by God. That fact is stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, which is one of the 3:16’s we’ll look at in this series. But while all Scripture is inspired, the chapter and verse designators are not. Those came later – the Old Testament around the 13th century, and the New Testament a little later. They were added to help make it easier to find a particular passage, especially when someone was trying to manipulate a bulky, awkward scroll instead of a book. But, even though the verse numbers aren’t inspired, it’s curious that so many weighty passages are found at the 3:16 mile marker. Maybe God knew that we needed some things to be easy to remember. In this series, we will be looking at several different passages that are found at 3:16, in different books of the Bible. In some cases, we may only look at the verse, or maybe two or three. For others, we may need a good portion of the chapter in order to understand it completely. But all of them are found at the 3:16 point. Among the 3:16's we'll examine are John, Genesis,  Proverbs, Colossians, Daniel, Ephesians, 1 Peter, 2 Timothy, and more. It'll be unique. It’ll be enlightening. And we hope you’ll join us as we examine the 3:16’s of the Bible!

Sermon Summary

The church in Corinth was a church that Paul planted, and a church that Paul loved. But it was also a church with some problems that Paul had to address, and one of those problems was spiritual immaturity. In chapter 3, Paul describes the church using several metaphors, but the one he stresses the most vividly is that we are a temple for the Holy Spirit. If that is what we are, then spiritual immaturity makes no sense, and our goal should be to grow. If God's Spirit lives within us, then we should make the most of our lives, under our own power, as an act of worship and gratitude, and then watch as God accomplishes what we cannot and grows us even more. It's an amazing thing, for sure. And we have not only a front row seat, but we get to participate in that growth, and be part of what God is doing in our lives, and in the lives of the people around us!