Temple Building In Progress

In my lifetime I've had the privilege of participating in several building projects. My wife and I have supervised the building of two houses that became our homes. As a pastor I guided the building of five building projects, including sanctuaries, classrooms, offices and fellowship halls. They all presented their own unique challenges and opportunities.

In Hebrews 3, as we've been hearing in two previous blogs, we learn that Christ is also a builder, the builder of God's house. But this house is more than a literal building. It refers to the people rather than merely to the structure itself.  Christ is forever in the building business. His steadfast love is an eternal building in which we, His children, dwell.

I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness." You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah - Psa 89:1-4 ESV

 Originally this psalm referred to the chosen Children of Israel, but later the LORD promised to incorporate also the Gentile nations in this immense building. That's where we Gentiles come in.

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, 'As the LORD lives,' even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. - Jer 12:16 ESV

This promise is being fulfilled in Christ. His new building includes not only Israel, but all who put their faith in Him, regardless of their race or nationality. This is what the writer to the Hebrews refers to when he says that . . .

Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses--as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. - Hebrews 3:3-6 ESV

Jesus is the rock-solid foundation of this wondrous building, the builder of this great structure. In  Him and through Him Israelites and Gentiles are growing together as living stones of the Temple of God. This is a great work in progress. The Apostle Peter puts it like this:

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 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. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame" (Isaiah 28:16). So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone"(Ps. 118:22), and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense"(Isa. 8:14). They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. - 1Pet 2:4-9 ESV 

Wherever we read about God's building project, we are filled with joy and hope. He is at work, always building, adding new stones, new rooms, new projects. He who is the Builder is also the foundation, the solid rock upon which His church, His people stand firm. This is our message. This is our Good News, our Gospel.

"I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations." Ps. 89:1 ESV

Building On The Right Foundation.

What happens if you don't build properly? Here's a cartoon by Ed Stein I found in the December 12, 2008 issue of Rocky Mountain News that illustrates my point. Stein is illustrating the failures of the American auto industry and their desire to receive bailout money from Washington. In their case it seems they needed to rebuild and restructure their business practices in the light of the ever-changing world economy. Failing to do that, they faced collapse. Views on this issue abound.

Here's what Jesus says,

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." - Mat 7:24-27 ESV

This is what the church has always taught. We must both hear and do the Word of our Lord Christ. Any individual, any church, any church body that fails to do that sets himself/herself up for failure. And the ultimate failure will come when the foundation is tested at the end of this age. In the verses just prior to those quoted, Jesus says,

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' - Mat 7:21-23 ESV

Who is a worker of lawlessness? And what is Jesus getting at? Just this. Everyone knows, in some sense, right from wrong. We come packaged that way. It is in our hearts. We know we are to love and worship God alone. We know we are to love and care for those around us.

But what is also in our hearts is the overwhelming desire to do it my way! and ignore our obligations to love and serve the Lord with all our heart, mind and will. Our natural focus is upon ME! That's called sin. When we hear God's Law revealed in Holy Scripture that sense of sin is deepened and sharpened even more. The primary purpose of God's Law is to reveal our hopeless condition. We are sinners and under judgment. There is no way out.

It is at that point that Jesus comes to us to tell us that He has carried the full weight of our sin in His body on the cross. "Give up on yourself!" He says. "I've already laid a new foundation for your life. Put your faith and your entire trust on Me! And then you will never need to be afraid and guilty again. From this point on, your life is built upon the Rock!"

This is why we are so very, very concerned about the correct teaching of God's Word. Anything taught, said or done that draws us away from that foundation must be rejected and denounced. This is why we will tell you not to commune at the Lord's Supper when we serve it in our public worship services. We insist that you hear us out first. We need to explain in detail why this central, vital, and overwhelmingly important teaching about Jesus Christ is critical. When you hear us out and agree, then we all know we are building together on the one and only foundation. Then we hold hands and kneel before our Lord and Master together. And we rejoice together as we hear Him say,

"Take and eat. Take and drink. This is My body and My Blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins. Go in peace and serve Me!" 

Impressions of New York By A Midwesterner

One of my favorite correspondents sent me a paragraph from Mary Hollingsworth's delightful book of stories by children, Little Wonders. She writes that at the end of each year, she and other Sunday School teachers give the children pencils and paper and ask them to chronicle what they have learned in Bible study. This assignment never fails to elicit some intriguing responses.

In case you're a little foggy on your biblical history, here's a sample of what her junior church students compiled from their essays.

"Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people.   These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.   God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti.   Then He gave them His top ten Commandments.  These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's bottom (the Bible uses a bad word for bottom that I'm not supposed to say.  But my Dad uses it sometimes when he talks about the President. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more:  Humor they father and thy mother."

Though I'm not your father, humor me a bit further, because I have a serious concern. Sylvia and I just returned from a weekend in New York City to visit our son. While there we wandered around in Manhattan and visited the site of the former World Trade Center. By the way, there's a lot of building activity going on there, but the builders are a long, long way from finishing the proposed memorials and other buildings. There is a new Trade Center building however.



What struck me--again--about NYC and especially Manhattan is the lack of certain types of buildings. Millions of people are crowded into row after row of apartments and condos. The streets are lined with every possible kind of restaurants and shops. Huge sky scrapers are filled with offices. Businesses of every kind are booming. Listen to the people passing by and you will hear many strange languages. Watch the people sitting across from you on the subway and you will observe people of all races.

But where are the churches? We saw a few pushed in among the multitudes, a synagogue urging Sabbath observation, a Seventh Day Adventist church advertising 11 AM Saturday morning worship and an Episcopal chapel directly across from the WTC site. But if I were to venture a totally non-scientific observation, I would have to say that, based upon their lack of religious buildings, these New Yorkers are not a religious people. And yet Americans as a nation are. It's just that this vast city does not reflect it in their buildings.

Geitner Simmons, the editorial page editor of the Omaha World-Herald is a Midwesterner, a Southerner, a husband, a father, and a son. In his Blog he posts maps, developed by the Cincinnati-based Glenmary Research Center, showing religious adherence to be greatest in the middle of the country — from Texas and Louisiana up through the Dakotas. Religious adherence in the Southeast, long dubbed the "Bible Belt," is more spotty that one might expect.

He also posts maps of the influence of religious bodies upon various parts of the country. As I knew, we Lutherans are located largely in the upper midwest. Baptists dominate the South. There is a general Catholic presence around the country. Mormons are strong in the West, particularly Utah. Methodist have strong holdings in various parts of central and eastern United States. And so it goes. Over 80% of the religious people in this country are Christian.

And yet I have a hard time shaking off my impressions of New York City. Perhaps that has to do with my being born in Minnesota and spending all of my professional life in the midwest. Nevertheless I have a question that must be addressed regardless of where one lives. Who is your God and what do you worship? Answer that question and you will answer many questions about morality, life styles and dreams.