A Place Where God Lives

By Pastor Matt Black

25 April 2007

Midweek Bible Study
Ephesians 2:22

Introduction:  Open your Bibles to Ephesians 2, and let’s read verse 22.  I passed by this verse in our study of Ephesians so quickly, and I regretted it, because it is a precious verse.  It is Ephesians 2:22, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” The title of this evening’s message is: “A Place Where God Lives”. 

What kind of place do you live in?  Whether it is big or small, or however it is decorated, it is a reflection of who you are.  Houses are pretty important.  It is where we spend a significant amount of time.  God says He has a house, and it is in those who bear His name.  In the soul and body of Christians is where God lives.  That the basic teaching of this verse.  Now if God lives in Christians, then God should be able to be seen in the lives of Christians.

Illustration:  When I was a kid, I grew up on Stuart Lane in Oak Forest, Illinois.  Every one knew everyone else in the neighborhood.  Each house reflected the person living inside. 

Ø I remember my neighbor Billy loved cars.  In front of his house were several cars—and he was always working on them. 

Ø Joe Oliver down the street always had his garage open at night.  During the summers, all the dads would meet in his garage in lawn chairs and talk into the night.  All the kids would gather there and we would play “kick the can” into the night. 

Ø Our house was the horse shoe house.  On the weekends, there were always people in our back yard playing horse shoes. 

Ø There was a lady down the street all us children called Aunt Em.  They had all kinds of flowers at their house.  If we ever wanted to give a flower to my mom, we knew Aunt Em would be glad to give us a rose or a carnation.  She had so many flowers there.

Ø I could tell you about our next door neighbor Bernie who always had candy waiting for any child that came by her door.  Actually there were several neighbors that would do that, and we always availed ourselves of their generosity!

Ø There was a house on the other side of the block with a mean woman in it.  Nobody knew her name. 

Now notice, the houses in my neighborhood were not all that important.  It was the people that lived inside of them.  The houses were known by who lived inside.  Each person brought a certain atmosphere to the home!

Proposition: As a Christian, you are the place where God lives.  If you are saved, God lives in you.  Where ever you go, He goes.  Whatever you think, he is there always observing your thoughts.  He is putting His thoughts in your mind.  He is putting a hunger in your heart for His voice—His Word.  He knows us, and we know Him.  He tells us where to go, what to do, how to behave.  We are moved by Him.  He changes us on the inside.  He transforms our thoughts.  He softens our attitudes.  He put love for Him and for others in our heart. 

So let me ask you, what is the atmosphere of your life?  Is it such that people say—Hey, God lives there!  When people talk to you do they know they are going to hear the voice of the Saviour through you?  

Are you a habitation of God?  Is your body the Temple of the Holy Spirit?  Ask yourself this question: “Is my life a life where people can say, ‘God lives there’”?

How can you know?: You can know by FRUIT. How do you know a pear tree from an apple tree?  How do you know a grape vine from a briar patch?  You look at it!  You know it by its fruits!  In other words you can tell by the atmosphere of a person’s life.

Matthew 7:16-20, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” 

When God is inside of a person, it is noticeable.  There is no such thing as a private relationship with Christ.  “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  If God is living in you, you are different!  Jesus would describe you as being “born again” (John 3:3).  Something amazing has happened. 

Luke 17:20, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”  If God lives in you, then He reigns in your heart! 

Ephesians 2:22, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”  This verse is talking about the church as a whole, but the Spirit filled life also takes place on an individual level. 

I. As a Christian (Indivicual)….

A. You have the mind of Jesus

Paul says as Christians, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).  A Christian says with the Psalmist in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”  Paul said, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5). 

B. You have the holiness of Jesus!  It shows in the life!  This is probably the most important fruit of the Christian life.  Are you living a holy life?  1 John 1:5 “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Holiness is impossible without a constant awareness of the Spirit of God!  Is the mind of Christ in you?  A Christian is a holy person.  On the last day, many people will have various views on how to get to heaven, but those who go to heaven will have “done the will of my father” (Matthew 7:21).  Those who don’t enter in are those who work “iniquity” or literally “lawlessness”.  God didn’t have charge of their inner most being!  You see if He does have charge, then he’s going to clean house!!  1 Peter 1:15-16, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

God’s going to clean house!! 

Bachelor Illustration:  Hey listen, do you want to know what the atmosphere of my house was when I was a bachelor?  Let me tell you about a visitor I had one day to describe what it was like.  I was not yet married to Jill, but I was to go over to my future in-laws home.  I can’t remember what we were doing that night.  I told them I would meet them outside at a certain time.  Well, one thing I learned that night was that my father-in-law is always early!  And he decided he would come inside my bachelor pad.  He didn’t even knock!

I was pretty horrified because my floor was filled with dirty laundry and books.  My sink was filled with dishes.  Saturday was cleaning day for me, and it was only Friday.

Can I tell you something that when I got married the atmosphere of my home changed?  It never looks like a bachelor pad!

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

C. You have the heart of Jesus

1. A Heart of Love.

John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  Are you kind as Jesus is kind?  How can you know if you have the heart of Christ?  Christ gave everything for us.  You are constantly looking out for the rest of the world. 

2. A Heart of Unity.

If you have the heart of Jesus you will have a heart for unity!

Ephesians 4:3, “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

The great teaching of this verse is that God is in us.  Jesus spoke of this in His prayer in John 17:20-23.  Jesus is praying for the twelve apostles, but he goes on to pray for us.  He says in verse 20, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

Your favorite people to be with are God’s people.  You are one with them because you see Jesus in them.

3. A Heart of Passion for God. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).  Is this seen in your life? 

4. A Heart of Prayer.  Christ constantly prayed.  John 14:13-14, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

Psalm 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

D. You have the hands of Jesus.  Matthew 25:31, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory”… Look at verse 34, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

People visit our church every week.  They come through the church doors.  What are you doing to reach out to them and visit them?  My Bible says that when a visitor comes to the door—that’s Jesus!  Would you go visit Jesus at his house if he visited our church? 

When is the last time you were in someone’s home and gave them the Gospel?  I want to speak the truth to you in love.  We are not here for ourselves.  We are the hands and feet of Jesus in this world.  When you open your eyes do you see what Jesus sees?  I want to help you.  I want to give you opportunities.

We’ve had eight people sign up.  Now I trust you will be able to commit just seven Saturdays in the next six months to this.  It’s only seven.  I want to ask you to seriously consider the training!   It will make you more like Christ to visit people in their homes!

II. As a Church (Together-corporate).  I could have mentioned much more, but let’s look at this on a church wide level.  Ephesians 2:22, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”  You are filled with God, and you are divinely attracted to those who are filled with God.  You are one with all believers every where. 

God wants to make us when we are together a place where God is known.  He wants us all to have that pure life.  I wonder, is our church a church that people say, “God lives there?” 

The church by its very nature is selfless.  It is everyone depending on one another.  Let me encourage you that you come to church not for yourself, but for others!  You should come to encourage others.  You come to pray for and with others.

Conclusion:  When people look at your life—do they know who lives there?  Are you a holy, prayerful person?  Are you a living walking Temple of God?  Is your life the Holy of Holies for God?  Are you making encouraging others in this church to be holy?  Is your life a light that makes those at this church uncomfortable?

My heart is that this church would be a place where God’s light would be so bright that there would be a discomfort of sin and so full of live that there would be ahope for forgiven for every person that enters our door!!

Closing Hymn:  460 He Leadeth Me