Part 2 of 3
What EDIFIES the church?
If the church isn’t edifying; can it edify us? No.
Scripture will take you to ( answer is a verse in the N.T.- ” “). But first to put breath on the bones of the answer I will start with these verses: Proverbs 2:6; Proverbs 1:7; Psalms 18:15; Proverbs 15:14; Proverbs 2:1-2; Proverbs 1:29; Psalms 119:66; Proverbs 20:15
Read those verses and examine the nugget and nucleus that is the source of edification for the church. Without that nugget the church can NOT edify its’ people.
A parable to help: When you get up each morning, you expect a certain amount of routine. When you get older, you depend upon even more routine. When that routine is broken, what do you need? You need the knowledge of how to overcome the problem/ dilemma/chaos in front of you. What happens with experience and knowledge of overcoming past problems? The small ones and numbers of past problems gives you the ability to recognize it might be big, but the LION/GOLIATH can be killed. YOU WILL GET EATEN without the nugget.
There was a time when I flew a plane. The expression of “being ahead of the jet” was paramount! If you weren’t, you could easily die! How do you “get ahead” of situations/dilemmas/chaos/LIONS/GOLIATHS ? The answer scripture tells us the nugget is it! It you don’t have that nugget you better be a passenger.
With all that said, scripture teaches that the CHURCH had “better be ahead”! The church is flying/leading its passengers. The passengers CAN NOT FLY THE JET. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TO FLIGHT SCHOOL ( they are spirtually lost and the ones that are saved are still needing direction and edification from the church).
How does the church “get ahead” in spiritual teaching? 1 Cor. 14 says by prohecy. Prophecy/ “being ahead” edifies the church! Jesus uses the construction of the “temple” as a parable for the “church”. When lost souls see the construction of the temple, they will hear the call for the need of salvation/the gospel small and large/ milk or meat. The temple isn’t really the physical construction of a building but the nugget that can be found in the church (so no real construction needs to be taking place). The people in the church being edified will come out of that church and their mouth will tell others about the construction ( the building going on in their hearts). Each visit/worship service has to be LIKE ALL THE MEMBERS HAMMERING AND NAILING AND CUTTING JOIST AND PUTTING UP SHEETROCK IN A SPIRITUAL MANNER. Each member needs to see CHANGES taken place in a word picture form that represents the TEMPLE INSIDE THEM IS GETTING MUCH MORE LIKE THE TEMPLE WANTS TO RESIDE IN!!
“PROPHECY” is “BEING AHEAD” IN YOUR THINKING/IN YOUR ABILITY TO HANDLE THE CHAOS STARRING AT YOU NOSE TO NOSE, TEMPTING YOU to just simply go to sleep ( It is what Satan did to Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane after he had experienced having enough faith to fly/move a mountain with his words! Sleep, such a hard thing for the flesh to overcome; yet Peter left the little nugget he had at I home I guess; because he acted as if he had NONE! So, what had the church better get in order to edify its seat seaters? It needs and had better concentrate on REAL NUGGETS which gives the ability to anyone of GOD’S to overcome!
