Built Together: God's Family on Mission
In the grand tapestry of faith, we often find ourselves pondering our place in God's design. Are we mere spectators in the story of redemption, or are we called to be active participants in something far greater? The truth is, God is crafting a masterpiece and each of us plays a vital role in that masterpiece.
Imagine for a moment that you're watching a construction project unfold. At first, it doesn't look like much. Just dirt being moved, trenches being dug, and foundations being poured. It's not glamorous or impressive to the casual observer. But those unseen foundations determine the strength and endurance of everything that follows. Without them, the entire structure is at risk.
In the same way, God is building something in our midst that goes far beyond what meets the eye. He's not concerned with flash or speed, but with depth and strength. He's laying a foundation of His presence, His Word, and His Spirit. And remarkably, He's shaping each one of us into living stones, carefully fitted together to form His spiritual house.
This spiritual edifice isn't just about gathering for worship – it's about scattering for mission. We're being built together not to stand idle, but to reflect God's glory and extend His grace wherever we go. It's a calling that transforms our identity, grounds us in unshakable truth, and propels us into the world with divine purpose.
A New Identity in Christ
The apostle Paul captures this beautifully in Ephesians 2:19 (NIV): "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." Think about the profound shift this represents. Before encountering Christ, many of us were spiritual wanderers – disconnected, searching for belonging, trying to find our identity in all the wrong places. We may have had friends, family, even communities but our souls remained homesick.
But then grace stepped in. Jesus drew us close, and the cross became the bridge that turned strangers into sons and daughters, wanderers into worshipers, outcasts into family. This is the miracle of the gospel. God didn't just rescue us from sin; He welcomed us into His household.
This means that our faith journey is not a solo experience it's a shared life. When God saves us, He doesn't send us off to live in isolation; He places us in community. Just as a coal pulled from the fire grows cold, a believer separated from the family of faith loses warmth and strength. We were designed to grow together.
A Firm Foundation
Yet even the best family needs something solid to stand on. That's why Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 2:20-21 (ESV): "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
This imagery of a cornerstone is powerful. In ancient architecture, the cornerstone was the first and most important stone laid. Everything else was measured, aligned, and held together by that stone. If it was off, even slightly, the entire building would be unstable. But if set true and square, every wall, every stone, every layer would line up perfectly.
That's exactly what Christ is for us. Everything we are including our beliefs, our worship, our mission, our relationships must align with Jesus. When He is our foundation and alignment, everything else stands firm. Without Him, we become just another human institution are full of activity but empty of power. But with Him, we become what we were always meant to be: the dwelling place of God's presence on earth.
A Dwelling Place for God
And this brings us to one of the most awe-inspiring truths of our faith. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:22 (ESV): "In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." Let that sink in for a moment. We are not just a gathering of like-minded people or a spiritual social club. We are the very place where God Himself chooses to dwell by His Spirit.
Throughout Scripture, we see God's desire to draw near to His people. In the Old Testament, His glory filled the tabernacle and later the temple. But now, under the new covenant, something even more remarkable has occurred. God no longer dwells in temples made by human hands (Acts 17:24). He now makes His home in His people. Together, we are His temple, not built with bricks and mortar, but with hearts redeemed by grace.
This means that when we gather as believers, something supernatural takes place. God's Spirit dwells among us. What we experience in worship isn't just emotion or energy it is the presence of the living God filling His people. And when we go out into our communities, serving others and showing His love, His presence goes with us. We become walking temples, carriers of His light and power to the world.
A Chosen People on Mission
But God doesn't build us up just to admire the structure. He builds us up to send us out. As Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may declare the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
Our new identity comes with a new mission. We exist to declare His praises, to tell the story of a God who brought us out of sin's darkness and into His marvelous light. Every believer is a missionary in our neighborhoods, workplaces, friendships, and networks are our mission fields. We gather to be filled, but we scatter to be sent.
This is our calling: to be a Spirit-filled people who shine His light, declare His praises, and carry His mission wherever we go. We are not just saved from something. We are saved for something. We are a people on mission, built for God's glory and living for others' good.
As we reflect on these truths, let's ask ourselves: Is our life truly built on Christ, the Cornerstone? Are we actively participating in the community of faith, allowing ourselves to be shaped and fitted together with other believers? And are we embracing our mission, carrying God's presence into the world around us?
The invitation is clear. God is building something beautiful, and He wants us to be part of it. Not just as spectators, but as living stones in His spiritual house. Not just gathered for ourselves, but sent out for His glory and the good of others. This is the adventure of faith – to be built together and sent out, reflecting the light of Christ in a world that desperately needs hope.
May we embrace this calling with open hearts, allowing God to continue His work in us and through us. For what He builds, He builds to last and He's not finished yet.
Hope everyone has a blessed week,
Jay
Imagine for a moment that you're watching a construction project unfold. At first, it doesn't look like much. Just dirt being moved, trenches being dug, and foundations being poured. It's not glamorous or impressive to the casual observer. But those unseen foundations determine the strength and endurance of everything that follows. Without them, the entire structure is at risk.
In the same way, God is building something in our midst that goes far beyond what meets the eye. He's not concerned with flash or speed, but with depth and strength. He's laying a foundation of His presence, His Word, and His Spirit. And remarkably, He's shaping each one of us into living stones, carefully fitted together to form His spiritual house.
This spiritual edifice isn't just about gathering for worship – it's about scattering for mission. We're being built together not to stand idle, but to reflect God's glory and extend His grace wherever we go. It's a calling that transforms our identity, grounds us in unshakable truth, and propels us into the world with divine purpose.
A New Identity in Christ
The apostle Paul captures this beautifully in Ephesians 2:19 (NIV): "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." Think about the profound shift this represents. Before encountering Christ, many of us were spiritual wanderers – disconnected, searching for belonging, trying to find our identity in all the wrong places. We may have had friends, family, even communities but our souls remained homesick.
But then grace stepped in. Jesus drew us close, and the cross became the bridge that turned strangers into sons and daughters, wanderers into worshipers, outcasts into family. This is the miracle of the gospel. God didn't just rescue us from sin; He welcomed us into His household.
This means that our faith journey is not a solo experience it's a shared life. When God saves us, He doesn't send us off to live in isolation; He places us in community. Just as a coal pulled from the fire grows cold, a believer separated from the family of faith loses warmth and strength. We were designed to grow together.
A Firm Foundation
Yet even the best family needs something solid to stand on. That's why Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 2:20-21 (ESV): "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
This imagery of a cornerstone is powerful. In ancient architecture, the cornerstone was the first and most important stone laid. Everything else was measured, aligned, and held together by that stone. If it was off, even slightly, the entire building would be unstable. But if set true and square, every wall, every stone, every layer would line up perfectly.
That's exactly what Christ is for us. Everything we are including our beliefs, our worship, our mission, our relationships must align with Jesus. When He is our foundation and alignment, everything else stands firm. Without Him, we become just another human institution are full of activity but empty of power. But with Him, we become what we were always meant to be: the dwelling place of God's presence on earth.
A Dwelling Place for God
And this brings us to one of the most awe-inspiring truths of our faith. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:22 (ESV): "In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." Let that sink in for a moment. We are not just a gathering of like-minded people or a spiritual social club. We are the very place where God Himself chooses to dwell by His Spirit.
Throughout Scripture, we see God's desire to draw near to His people. In the Old Testament, His glory filled the tabernacle and later the temple. But now, under the new covenant, something even more remarkable has occurred. God no longer dwells in temples made by human hands (Acts 17:24). He now makes His home in His people. Together, we are His temple, not built with bricks and mortar, but with hearts redeemed by grace.
This means that when we gather as believers, something supernatural takes place. God's Spirit dwells among us. What we experience in worship isn't just emotion or energy it is the presence of the living God filling His people. And when we go out into our communities, serving others and showing His love, His presence goes with us. We become walking temples, carriers of His light and power to the world.
A Chosen People on Mission
But God doesn't build us up just to admire the structure. He builds us up to send us out. As Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may declare the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
Our new identity comes with a new mission. We exist to declare His praises, to tell the story of a God who brought us out of sin's darkness and into His marvelous light. Every believer is a missionary in our neighborhoods, workplaces, friendships, and networks are our mission fields. We gather to be filled, but we scatter to be sent.
This is our calling: to be a Spirit-filled people who shine His light, declare His praises, and carry His mission wherever we go. We are not just saved from something. We are saved for something. We are a people on mission, built for God's glory and living for others' good.
As we reflect on these truths, let's ask ourselves: Is our life truly built on Christ, the Cornerstone? Are we actively participating in the community of faith, allowing ourselves to be shaped and fitted together with other believers? And are we embracing our mission, carrying God's presence into the world around us?
The invitation is clear. God is building something beautiful, and He wants us to be part of it. Not just as spectators, but as living stones in His spiritual house. Not just gathered for ourselves, but sent out for His glory and the good of others. This is the adventure of faith – to be built together and sent out, reflecting the light of Christ in a world that desperately needs hope.
May we embrace this calling with open hearts, allowing God to continue His work in us and through us. For what He builds, He builds to last and He's not finished yet.
Hope everyone has a blessed week,
Jay
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