The Church as God's Living Temple: Building with Purpose and Reverence

Pastor Darren Gerald

September 7, 2025

This sermon explores the concept of God's people as His living temple, both collectively and individually. It emphasizes the importance of building the church with care, reverence, and purpose, focusing on Christ as the cornerstone. The pastor highlights the tension between maintaining excellence in worship spaces and avoiding entertainment-driven approaches that can detract from true worship. He also stresses the individual responsibility of believers to honor God with their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit.

Key Points:
- The church is described as God's temple, with believers as living stones
- Building the church is not by human power or might, but by God's Spirit
- We must be careful how we build upon the foundation of Christ
- There's a tension between making people comfortable and making God comfortable in His house
- Believers' bodies are individual temples of the Holy Spirit
- We are bought with a price and should honor God with our bodies
- God cares for us holistically - spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially

Scripture Reference:
- 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
- Mark 13:1-2
- Zechariah 4:6
- 1 Peter 2:4-6
- Ephesians 2:19-22