The Church – Kingdom, Temple, and Family of God
A. LAST 2 LESSONS – PAST CONDITION OF GENTILE CHRISTIONS
CONTRASTED WITH THE PRESENT.
1. The were spiritually dead – Now alive in Christ.
2. Once far off – Now made alive
B. THIS WEEK WE WANT TO LOOK AT THEIR PAST & PRESENT FROM
ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW.
A. STRANGERS: xenos, “alien, without knowledge of, without share in.” – Thayer.
NO SHARE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
B. SOJOURNERS: paroikos, “a stranger, foreigner, one who lives in a place without the
right of citizenship” – Thayer.
A. FELLOW CITIZENS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD (vs. 19b)
1. Fellow citizens, though strangers in the world (1 Pet. 2:11-12).
2. A spiritual kingdom (John 18:36; Luke 17:20-21; Phil. 3:20).
3. The kingdom was established during NT times (Mark 9:1).
4. Jesus gives the sign of the kingdom’s coming (Acts 1:6-8; 2:1-4, 32).
5. Christ is king (Eph. 20-23; 1 Tim. 6:15).
6. How is citizenship obtained? (Matt. 7:21).
B. OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD (vs. 19c).
1. God’s family – God is the Father (Matt. 23:9).
2. Christ is God’s Son over his house (Heb. 3:6).
3. Christians are his brethren (Heb. 2:12).
4. Christians are children of God
a. They are heirs (Rom. 8:15-16).
b. They can approach God as their father (Matt. 6:6-9).
c. Fatherly protection (Rom. 8:31-32).
d. Fatherly correction (Heb. 12:4-11).
e. Fatherly provision (James 1:17).
5. How does one become a child of God? (Gal. 3:26-27).
C. A TEMPLE OF GOD (vs. 20-22).
1. Suggests priesthood and worship (1 Pet. 2:9).
2. Temple built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets (vs. 20).
– Their preaching credited with the start of the church (1 Cor. 3:6-7; 10-11).
3. Christ is the chief cornerstone (vs. 20).
a. The church is built upon Christ – It is dependent upon him for existence
(1 Cor. 3:11).
b. It is founded upon the rock (Matt. 16:16-18).
a. Peter – petros, Stone or pebble.
b. Rock – petra, Boulder or mass of rock..
4. Peter and other Christians are living stones in this building (1 Pet. 2:4-5).
5. Each of us as a living stone has a place (Eph. 2:21).
6. Together we are God’s dwelling place – His presence is in the church
(1 Cor. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 6:16).
A. THERE WAS A CHANGE WROUGHT IN THE GENTILES WHEN THEY
BECAME CHRISTIANS.
1. They were dead, now they are alive.
2. They were far off, now they are reconciled.
3. They were strangers and sojourners, now fellow-citizens, family and
temple of God.
B. THIS CHANGE CAN BE WROUGHT IN YOU.
C. BUT ONLY IN THE CHURCH.