The Church Imagined - The Temple

In this episode, Pastor Nate gives the second teaching from The Church Imagined series. This series explores the various facets of church as it is described through various illustrations in the New Testament. This week, we explore one of those powerful images of the Church: the Temple of the Living God. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 3, Ephesians 2, and 1 Peter 2, the sermon reminds us that the holy temple of God is not a building or a place, but a people in whom God’s very presence now dwells through the Holy Spirit.

By tracing the purpose of the Old Testament temple (God’s desire to dwell with His people) we see how Jesus fulfills everything the temple pointed toward. Through the work of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, God now makes His home in and among His people. Together, we are being built by God himself into a holy dwelling place for His glory.

The teaching then calls the church to live out this identity with purpose: holiness, as a people set apart for God; worship, not just through songs but through lives offered as living sacrifices; and hospitality, as a house of prayer for all peoples, welcoming the world without compromising the truth of the gospel.

This teaching invites us to see ourselves and one another with fresh eyes as the Holy Temple of the Living God, called to reflect His presence, His purity, and His love to the world.