20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. —Ephesians 2:20-22

The Church will only be

I. Key Component – Chief cornerstone 2:20

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, —Ephesians 2:20

• A. Interpretive Question
  
  1. Apostles laid the foundation
  2. Apostles part of the foundation
  3. Apostles built on the same foundation
• B. Main point – Everything starts and finishes with Christ!
  

The Church must fight against the pressure to conform to

II. Critical Process 2:20-21

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. —Ephesians 2:20-21

• A. Alignment - 1st to Christ, 2nd to Apostles’ teaching
• B. Connecting to one another
  
  1. “Being joined together” 2:21
  2. “built together” 2:22
• C. Growth – ever-growing
  

Growth is a by-product of

III. Ultimate Purpose 2:22

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. —Ephesians 2:22

• A. Stated – “Holy Temple”; “being built together into a dwelling place for God”

• B. Implications

  1. We are to live our lives to worship I Peter 2:4-5

     4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. —I Peter 2:4-5
     

  2. We are to live our lives in purity I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 6:16-7:1

     19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. —I Corinthians 6:19-20
     16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. —II Corinthians 6:16-7:1
     

  3. We are to live our lives to build the Church I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-13
     I Corinthians 12 - YouVersion, Blue Letter Bible, ESV.org

     11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, —Ephesians 4:11-13
     

The primary goal is not

Small Group Questions

1. What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.

2. What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind? This would be a great opportunity as a group to use the Ask a Pastor feature and that way we can address it either directly or in the messages in the future.

3. How can we be sure that trends or traditions are aligning us to Christ rather than hindering our alignment?

4. When you evaluate your life, would you say you are more of a spectator or participant in the work of Christ?

5. Spend some time praying together for greater effectiveness for CBC in reaching our community and world.