Well, good morning everyone. Today is the 16th of August, 2020, Sunday morning. I hope you're having a good weekend. We are told in the Bible that Jesus Christ is the temple, not made with hands. In the Old Testament, Solomon constructed a beautiful, beautiful building and he was given the pattern to build that temple with all of its magnificence. And there was a lot of gold in the temple, there was a lot of brass and ivory and very expensive materials, cloth. But Christ told them in the New Testament that if you destroy this temple, I'll rebuild it in three days. They didn't understand that He was talking about His temple. The home that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly, exceeding magnificent. 1 Chronicles 22 5 Ye are as lively stones, or build up a spiritual house, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye are also built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 6.16 Ephesians 2.19-22 Well, there are those today that are talking about the rebuilding of the temple. The rebuilding of the temple. in Jerusalem. That is Antichrist because Jesus Christ has replaced the physical temple, the material structure. Jesus Christ is the Holy Temple and the Lord. He is before all things and by Him all things consist. Jesus Christ, as describing Himself, said, The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways before the works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, wherever the earth was. When He prepared the heavens, I was there. When He set a compass upon the face of the death, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the foundations of the deep, when He gave to the sea His decree that the waters should not pass His commandment, I was daily His delight. Rejoicing always before Him, yea, before the day was, I am He, the Lord slain from the foundation of the world. the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame as set down on the right hand of the throne of God. I just read Colossians 1.17, Revelation 3.14, Colossians 1.18, Proverbs 8.22, 23, 27, and 30, Isaiah 43.13, Revelation 13.8, and Hebrews 12.2. Jesus Christ is the Most Holy Temple. the building made without hands. I'm glad we don't have to worship in a temple. There will be no temple in heaven. There will be no temple in heaven, for He is the temple. There will be no sun in heaven, for He is the light thereof. And so, I'm glad that we have an eternal temple. Jesus Christ himself, who is the chief cornerstone, who was verily ordained from the foundation of the world to be part of this Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All making up that perfect Temple of God. Many people put too much faith in buildings, don't they? You see these mega churches and they are replacing the temple of God with a physical structure. Remember when the devil tempted Christ, he took him up in the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, didn't he? Christ as He stood in the synagogue. Matthew 12, 6 said, But I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple. Jesus Christ is preeminent over any physical temple. I've told people many times, you know, they say, well, I've got to go to church. And church is not a place you go to. Church is a position in Christ as a bride of Christ. The temple of God The Holy Spirit resides in every one of His elect. The temple cannot heal you, but Jesus Christ, the great temple, is the healer. Matthew 21.14 The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. Your church building cannot do anything for you. It's brick and stone and mortar. It has no spiritual impetus. There's nothing there but just brick and mortar. Matthew 21 15, when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple saying, Hosanna to the Son of David. They were displeased. When you start exalting Jesus Christ over men's structures, there are going to be people that are displeased. Matthew 21.3.23 when he was coming to the temple the chief priest and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching and said by what authority doest thou these things? who gave us thee this authority? Jesus Christ is the master builder he's a temple made without hands Matthew 23 16 Woe unto ye, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing, but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he's a debtor. Well, he says, ye fools and blind guides, for whether it is greater the gold or the temple that sanctifyeth the gold. And whosoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein. You know, it's amazing how much emphasis people put on buildings. What color carpet we're gonna have in the church. Let's invest in a $10,000 baptismal font. Let's pave our parking lot and be sure and put a special parking lot parking space for the reverend. you know, let's have padded pews and fire robes and priestly gowns. Matthew 24 1, Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. Matthew 26 61 and said this fellow said I'm able to destroy the temple of God in the building in three days Matthew 27 40 saying now has destroyed the temple now that destroys the temple and billows in three days save thyself that thou be the Son of God come down from the cross They mocked Jesus Christ and what he had told them. What happened when Jesus Christ said it is finished in Matthew 27, 51? Behold, the veil of the temple was entwined from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. Well, you know, the temple was a example of perfection. And Jesus Christ is the ultimate temple of perfection. You know? Mark 13, 1, as he went out of the temple, one of his The disciples said to him, Master, see what man are stones and what buildings are here? The disciples were caught up in these beautiful edifices. Jesus Christ was the greatest building a perfection that could ever be. Mark 14 58 we heard him say I will destroy this temple that is made with hands and within three days I will build another made without hands. Jesus is the temple made without hands. Are we worshipping a physical edifice? Or are we worshipping the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the greatest temple? You know, Jesus Christ taught in the temple. But He was the temple of all temples. Luke 19.47 he daily taught in the temple but the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him and Luke 21.38 and all the people came early in the morning to him at the temple for to hear him Luke 22 53 when I was daily with you in the temple you stretched forth no hands against me, but this is your hour and the power of darkness Well, he threw the money changers out of the temple Judas betrayed Jesus, the temple of God, for thirty pieces of silver. John 2.20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. John 2.21 Well, one of these days all buildings will be destroyed by fire. All of these megachurch buildings, all of these edifices will be destroyed by fire. And it will be burned up. but the everlasting temple will remain Jesus Christ. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. We don't have to put our faith in some building, some Oedipus. John 18, 20, Jesus answered, Him I speak openly to the world. I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple where the Jews always resort. Are you resorting in the false temple? Are you resting in Jesus Christ and Him alone? Well, this morning I think we need to be reminded that we are worshiping the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the temple made without hands. and the temple over there that they're trying to rebuild in Jerusalem is not the temple of God Acts 17 24 God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of heavens and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands dwelleth not in temples made with hands There's all kind of false temples out there. In Acts, we see the temple, the shrine made for the goddess Diana, didn't we? And we see that there was many, many idolatries, and there still is. And Jesus Christ is the purest temple. He's not defiled. 1 Corinthians 3.16, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, shall God destroy? For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. If we're in Christ, we're a part of that temple. 1 Corinthians 6.19 Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? We've been bought with the price. Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 Corinthians 6.16 What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Ephesians 2.21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord. Well, the Roman Catholic Pontiff sits in the temple, doesn't he? 2 Thessalonians 2, 4, Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Well, there's a big contrast between the Holy Temple of God, which is Jesus Christ, and some earthly edifice. Revelation 3.12, Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God. And he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God. and the name of the city of my God, which is the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of the heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name. Revelation 7.15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Revelation 16, 1, I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, go your way and pour out the vials of wrath of God upon the earth. Well, I'm glad to know that there's no physical temple in heaven. Revelation 21, 22, and I saw no temple therein. for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Well, this morning let us recall to mind that Jesus Christ is the everlasting temple. He is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. Hello, J. Michael. It's good to see you this morning. I've been so preoccupied with reading scripture there. J. Michael gives some scripture here in John 14, too. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also. We are His mansion. First Corinthians 6 19 what know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and you are not your own. For you are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's. Good morning, J. Michael. It's good to see you this morning. Well, we're on the same page, J. Michael. the page of reality that Jesus Christ is the only temple. And they can talk about rebuilding that temple in Jerusalem, but it's a temple made with hands. There's a lot of lies that's purported by the dispensationalists and the Zionists. But the Apostle Paul's focus was on Christ and Him crucified. He told the story until they killed the Apostle Paul and he died. This should be our focus for our remaining days to tell the wonder story how Christ came to save. It's easy to get off track and focus on other things, like baptism, fellowship dinners, and how the choir sings. But there's nothing more important that the Christian should do than proclaiming that Christ was crucified and proclaiming it to the world too. We cannot add to or subtract from the bride of Christ, but preaching the gospel like Paul should for us suffice. Let's not pretend we're proclaiming Christ and Him crucified when we're never telling the world that for sinners Christ did die. Worthy is the Lamb to receive glory, honor, and power. Christ has put all things under His feet. Praise God for the mercy seat, or Satan would his people devour. To think that Christ sits in glory interceding for me should give me enough reason to praise and honor the Son for dying on the cross to work. of salvation was done. Well, may the good Lord be with you today in a special way, and let us always remember that Jesus Christ is the temple, the stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the temple. And He is the head of all things, and by Him all things consist. May you have a blessed day today in the Lord. God bless.