25-0727a - Detailed Summary

Preacher Scott introduces the sermon, titled "A Royal Priesthood Reprise," which reflects on his past sermons to inspire the small congregation to see themselves as God’s holy temple, a sacred space for His Spirit, capable of reflecting His love and truth. The sermon’s purpose is to encourage the church to invite new members, trusting God to build His house. Scott references his sermon series influenced by Del Tackett’s "Seven Threats in Our Times," presented from July 2023 to February 2024, covering themes such as equipping the saints, the holy temple, the royal priesthood, the mysterious union (unio mystica), the loss of younger generations, and a current series on Genesis 1-11. The congregation has also completed Tackett’s Truth Project and is preparing to start the Engagement Project. Scott mentions using Grok, an AI tool, to summarize sermons from six preachers in the church, but when asked to distill his sermons for a lesson on church growth, Grok could not confirm access to all summaries. However, it provided a key insight: the church must rediscover its identity as God’s holy temple where His Spirit dwells. This theme frames the sermon, introduced through the metaphor of a temple standing firm in a storm.

Scott vividly describes the church as a small, sturdy temple on a hill, standing firm against raging storms, symbolizing the congregation’s resilience despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to reduced attendance and quieter pews. He portrays the congregation—approximately 20 members, including elderly, middle-aged, and a few children—as a faithful remnant, with each group contributing uniquely to the church’s strength. Citing Ephesians 2:19-22, Scott emphasizes that the church is no longer composed of strangers but is part of God’s household, built on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone, forming a holy temple where God’s Spirit dwells. He connects this to the "Seven Threats" series, which identified cultural storms such as scoffers rejecting truth, human pride, and attacks on the biblical family and faith. Scott encourages the congregation to see themselves as God’s temple, called to shine His light and invite others, trusting God, the architect, to build His house, as reinforced by Psalm 127:1.

Scott elaborates on the church as God’s purposefully designed temple, reflecting divine order and beauty, as illustrated in Genesis 1-11 and the Truth Project’s Tour 7 on Sociology, which highlights God’s imprint of unity and love, mirroring the Trinity. He cites 1 Peter 2:4-5, describing the congregation as living stones in God’s spiritual house, with each member—whether elderly (granite-like in wisdom), middle-aged (pillars of strength), or children (bright mosaics of joy)—playing a vital role. Despite feeling small or weathered, the church is chosen by God. Scott revisits the "Seven Threats," focusing on the rise of the scoffer and depraved mind (Romans 1:28), cultural lies like relativism, and attacks on the biblical family, which undermine God’s design. The Truth Project’s Tour 4 on theology counters these by affirming God’s holiness and love. Scott emphasizes Christ as the unshakeable cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20), ensuring the temple’s stability against storms like pandemics or cultural lies. He draws a parallel to Nehemiah’s rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, where a small group trusted God’s plan to succeed, encouraging the congregation to hold fast to their role in God’s eternal design.

Scott discusses how the church, as God’s temple, is equipped to resist cultural threats, drawing from the "Equipping the Saints" series (April-June 2024). He cites 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, affirming the church’s sacredness as God’s dwelling place, protected and equipped by Him. First, God equips through His Word, with Genesis 1-11 grounding believers in creation’s truth against demonic worldviews. The Truth Project’s Tour 6 on history encourages remembering God’s works, such as Israel’s memorial stones (Joshua 4), to counter historical revisionism. Second, God equips through His Spirit, as explored in the "Unio Mystica" sermon (John 15:5), where abiding in Christ empowers believers to bear fruit against threats like Homo Deus (human self-exaltation). Third, God equips through community, as highlighted in the Engagement Project and the Truth Project’s Tour 9 on the state, which prioritizes God’s authority (Romans 13). Scott compares the church’s small community to Nehemiah’s team, rebuilding through love and unity. He acknowledges the weariness felt since 2020’s membership losses but encourages trust in God’s eternal plans, as reinforced by the Truth Project’s Tour 6.

Scott concludes this part by addressing how the small church can grow by inviting others, rooted in its identity as God’s temple. He references the Truth Project’s Tour 12 on community and 1 Peter 2:9, which calls believers a royal priesthood tasked with proclaiming God’s praises. In a post-2020 world, Scott sees a significant opportunity for Christianity, as people face loneliness, addiction (Threat 6), and broken families (Threat 7). He urges the congregation to invite neighbors and coworkers into God’s light, emphasizing that the fields are ready for harvest. This call to action positions the church as a beacon of hope and truth, inviting others to join God’s family.

Scott continues the theme of church growth by offering practical strategies for inviting new members, building on the sermon’s call to embody the church’s identity as a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). He references the "Why Are We Losing Them?" series, which highlighted the need for a loving, truth-grounded community to retain youth, and connects this to Genesis 1-11, which teaches that God created humans for relationship with Him and each other. The Truth Project’s Tour 7 on sociology underscores the church as God’s design for fellowship, reflecting the relational unity of the Trinity (Ephesians 5:22-33). Scott encourages the congregation, despite its small size of about 20 members, to act as a lighthouse. He suggests specific actions: elderly members can invite neighbors for coffee or share testimonies with caregivers, while those in their 40s can reach out to coworkers or friends with children, inviting them to church events like potlucks, which the church previously hosted. He proposes a simple goal for the following week: each member should invite one person to church or share a story about the church’s impact, such as answered prayers or meaningful lessons. Additionally, Scott promotes the upcoming Engagement Project, starting Wednesday, which focuses on engaging society with faith. He encourages the congregation to pray for five new families to join within the year, asking members to write down one or two names for regular prayer. Scott ties these actions to the Truth Project’s Tour 10 on the American Experiment, noting that small acts of Christian virtue can spark revival, emphasizing that God uses the congregation’s hands and hearts to open doors for growth.

In the sermon’s conclusion, Scott revisits the metaphor of the church as a temple on a hill, standing firm against storms like scoffers, pride, and broken families, with Jesus as the unshakeable cornerstone. He reaffirms the congregation of approximately 20 as God’s holy temple, a sacred dwelling place for His Spirit, despite the darkness of the world highlighted in the "Seven Threats" series. Drawing from the Truth Project, the "A Holy Temple" series, "Unio Mystica," and Genesis 1-11, Scott emphasizes that God’s light shines through the church, just as it did at creation. He encourages the congregation to trust God, the architect, referencing Psalm 127:1 (“unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain”). Acknowledging the post-2020 membership losses that may make the church feel small, Scott reminds them that God is big and capable of rebuilding. He urges members to pray for new members, invite others with courage, and love one another deeply, reinforcing their identity as God’s living temple, built to shine His truth and love in a broken world. This trust in God’s design and equipping empowers the church to stand firm and grow.

Scott closes with a heartfelt prayer, thanking God for building the congregation into His holy temple and asking for strength to stand against cultural threats with His Spirit. He seeks courage to trust God’s plan and invite others into His family, praying for the church’s rebuilding for God’s glory in Jesus’ name. The sermon concludes with an invitation to stand and sing, led by Thomas, uniting the congregation in worship and reinforcing their collective commitment to God’s mission. This closing act encapsulates the sermon’s themes of trust, community, and active participation in God’s plan for growth.