Building the Beautiful Temple

REFLECTION QUOTES

“The soul cannot celebrate alone.”

~Abraham Joshua Heschel in The Sabbath p.19

“An Instagram-age reader will note that Narcissus, in his statue-like stillness, is posing, and that his obsession with his own, intangible image has come about as a punishment for pride and for scorning real-life relationships…. Narcissus’s isolation and loneliness, his inability to encounter, much less, to love, anyone in the flesh is recognizable to us as one of the core anxieties of our 21st century, digitally refracted existence.”

~Avi Steinberg in “The Murky Meaning of the Killer Selfie”
in The New York Times Magazine, December 11, 2015

“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”

~Cesar Chavez (1927-1993), American labor and civil rights leader

“Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together.”

~Paul Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

“You have as much laughter as you have faith.”

“True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue.”

~Martin Luther (1483-1546), 16th century German reformer

“Grace is the essence of theology and gratitude is the essence of ethics.”

~G.C. Berkouwer

SERMON PASSAGE

1 Peter 1:1,13,22

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen…

13 …prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart…

1 Peter 2:1-5, 9-10

1 … putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

9 …you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 3:8-12

8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 4:8-11

8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:1,10,11

1 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.