Tonight's Blog for June 3, 2013

How would you build a house, that GOD would live in? Our churches have struggled with the word "church" used as a place. We have preferred to say that, "we meet in a church building, but we are the church." There are some reasons for us to call attention to this preference. First, there were no church buildings during the most explosive expansion of the church during the first three hundred years. The christian faith was illegal for most of that time, or at least barely tolerated. Not until after 313 a.d. do we find Christianity recognized as legal. With this change, churches met in homes and other available places. 

After Christianity became "legal", the emphasis was no longer on people, becoming disciples, but now was on places. Many were used before the change for other kinds of worship, and were simply "baptized" and had a cross added to make them into instant churches. Without disciples, there are no churches!

So, my initial question was, "how to build a house that GOD would live in?" Does He really care? One preacher wrote a book on the physical and spiritual aspects involved, called, "When GOD builds a Church." While it is a very good book, and gives ten principles for growing a dynamic church, there are some questions that we still have to ask if we are to continue to honor GOD and seek to have our Goals coincide with His intentions for His Church. Remember, Jesus said, "… I will build my church, and the gates of hades will not prevail against it." Since we are HIS church, well, you see my dilemma. 

This idea certainly isn't a new problem. Solomon wrestled with the idea at the dedication of the first building that GOD allowed to be built for Him. In 1 Kings 8:27 we hear the doubt in his prayer, "“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" Not just a building, but the whole world was lacking a suitable place for God to live!

In the speech by deacon Stephen in Acts 7: 48-50, we see a quote from an o.t. prophet that spoke to the point, "But it was Solomon who built a house for him. However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

" ‘Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

What kind of house will you build for me?

says the Lord.

Or where will my resting place be?

Has not my hand made all these things?’ "

The speech by Paul on Mars Hill gives the best explanation for me. Talking to the people who were very much like many of our contemporaries today, his audience was was educated, religious, and uninformed. He gave us our answer in Acts 17:24, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands." 

So, I started with a trick question, "How would you build a house, that GOD would live in?" The answer is, "You can't!" Paul let his audience to a different conclusion, "It never was a building that GOD wanted to build, HE wants to build people" One part of the process is the word he introduced to the Athenians in verse 30, "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent." Repent? Yes one of the key steps in our walk with Christ has been neglected if we forget that WE are HIS Temple, and that HE won't ever build a church building until HE has built a church! GOD Bless you, as HE continues HIS good work in you." big marv