Together - Daily DevotionalSample

The Church – a Building

Reading: 1 Pet.2:4-10

Key Verse: “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 2 Pet.1:5

We have been emphasising that the church is an assembly of people and not a building. However, one of the Biblical pictures of a church is as a building!  Paul also uses this analogy in 1 Cor.3 and Eph.2. These references relate not to just any building but to the very specific construction of the temple in the OT. 

The original temple was built by Solomon who was King David’s son. We can read about it in 1 Kings 5-8 and 2 Chronicles 2:2-7. It was a massive undertaking involving up to two hundred thousand men. Each had their own important role whether it was quarrying stone, cutting timber, supervising or perhaps even just providing the workmen with food and drink. The quarried stone blocks were fitted together to form the outer structure which was then decorated internally with precious metals and materials. The purpose of the temple was to provide a meeting place of God and man so when it was finished it was filled with the glory of the Lord as the musicians worshipped (1 Ks.8:10-11, 1 Chron.5:12-14).

The church is built not with hard inert rock but with living stones – you and me to declare the praises of God!

Prayer: I worship Jesus who has chosen me as a living stone to help build Your church so it may be filled with Your glory