Heart for the House

Introduction

ILLUSTRATION:

When I first joined this church little over a year ago - I was aware immediately that this church was different from any other church that I had ever been to or been a part of.

And God spoke to me and revealed to me that this church was MEANT to be different. With people like Char and James running around I was like don’t worry Lord - I think we’re pretty different already.

But it wasn’t until little over a month ago that the Lord spoke again on this issue - this time He gave me a Word: Disruption. I sought the Lord more on it - disrupt what? disrupt who? disrupt where? And I immediately thought of a company like Uber that came into the market and completely disrupted the private transport scene. All of a sudden a company that basically owned no cars was now the largest private transport company in the world. And then AirBNB, a company that owned no real estate came in and was now the largest rental agency worldwide.

These two companies completely redefined - completely DISRUPTED their respective industries. They forced everyone to change, to adapt to new technology, new business models, new pathways to growth.

Can I tell you HFTC - that I believe we are called to Disrupt the church scene. But not in an arrogant, we’re the only ones who know what we’re doing way. But in a way that we have a SIGNIFICANT contribution to make to the Kingdom - culture to bring, models to display that will HELP other churches grow, build and thrive. Like we are here to help the Kingdom advance as a WHOLE.

And you know one area that I KNOW that we are meant to disrupt in particular? I just KNOW that we are called to bring peoples HEARTS back to the Lord. I say this because I’ve encountered far too many Christians that know how to act, that know what to say, that offer great lip service to God - but that’s all it is. They aren’t moved because their HEARTS aren’t near God.

We are a church that has been called to win peoples HEARTS back to God - not just their minds, not just their words.

The only way we can capture God’s Heart for the City - is if our Hearts are close enough to receive it from Him.

You know later on, we’re going to have a real moment, where we have the opportunity to give to God - to contribute to the building of not just any house - this house.

And it can be so easy on a night like tonight to give our lip service to God. We go through the motions on giving - but our hearts are far from the Lord, disconnected from His cause. Worse still - we say we’re Christians but our hearts can’t even be moved to give to the Lord.

Tonight, before anyone gives even a cent - I want to challenge us on our heart stance. Where does your heart lie?

Let’s pray *together*

Segment 1: Worship, not Waste

Mark 14:3–10 NIV

3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.

A passage and story that I’m sure that you’re all familiar with - one that I’ve studied so many times and preached from multiple times.

And yet this time when I was reading through this passage - something stood out to me that I previously had not really paid much attention to.

And that was the Pharisses comment in v4. “Why this waste of perfume?”

In fact this thought ran so deep with them - that Dan taught that it was this act of extravagance which pushed Judas over the line to betray Jesus. (v10)

Judas saw this act and was like this is ridiculous - and went to betray Jesus to the priests. That’s how extravagant, that’s how “wasteful” this act was.

Here was a woman pouring out what scripture says was a years wage of Perfume. She lavishes this perfume on Jesus in an act of complete extravagance.

How can one person see this as a beautiful, worthwhile action - while another looking at the same thing sees only waste?

The answer is in the heart. Where your heart is.

Scripture says in Matthew 6:21 “21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This woman poured her treasure out on the feet of Jesus - and made a declaration at the same time, this is where my heart is. This is where my heart belongs. Her heart belonged to Jesus.

This woman’s heart was the reason she didn’t see waste - she saw worship.

Everyone who’s hearts were far from Jesus looked at this and immediately cursed and complained - “what a waste!” “why would you do that?” “do you know what we could have used the money for?” “do you know how many of the poor we could have fed?”

When their hearts were far from the Lord - all they saw in this beautiful act of worship was waste. Worship became waste.

On a night like tonight - where you know the church is asking for an offering to build the house of God - I know for some people all you hear is “give us your money.” Some may even be tempted to think “man do you know what I could do with this money?” “do you know how hard I worked to get this money?”.

If all you hear is “waste” if all you think is “waste” - then my friend can I humbly suggest that tonight is not a question of money - but a matter of heart.

Because I just know that when your heart is near to to the Lord, for those whos hearts burn with His purpose and His fire - then even great financial sacrifice still looks like worship.

ILLUSTRATION: Char and the KFC

You know Dinda had a 30th birthday party recently (shoutout to Dinda) and at this party Char decided to re-ignite an age old debate with me. In case you didn’t know - Char, when he was youth pastor, used to spend up to $500 a week on KFC for the youth. He said it was “instrumental” to the growth of the youth group, that it brought kids in for the first time (to be fed) many of whom are still in this room today.

When I came and took over central it was literally the first thing I got rid of because nothing justifies spending up to $26,000 a year on KFC refreshments. What a waste!!! But because Char is a turd, he kept trying to prove me wrong; he went around asking this stupid question “Hey Dinda - if you could spend $26,000 to grow your youth group, your YA group to the size it is today, would you?” and he literally went around asking like 10 people at this party just to prove me wrong. Not many agreed with him.

But you know what? After the party I was sitting there and I just felt the Lord reveal to me Char’s heart. It was a heart that said, $26,000 is nothing to pay if it means we get to build this church. The heart that said, God if all it took was $26,000 I would do it all over again just to see this church built. The heart that was so FOR the Kingdom that it saw - that’s wasn’t a waste, that’s was worship.

I was caught out. I found myself repenting of that mindset. No - that wasn’t a waste, that was worship.

Segment 2: Even worth can be turned into waste

See the Pharisaic mindset of waste is not something new. This has been going on for a long time past. Let’s turn to Haggai.

Haggai 1:2–9 ESV

2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.”

Can you see that how even here, back in the OT - we have the same problem. The passage literally opens with these people saying “the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”

The Israelites have literally just returned from exile and they’re rebuilding the city. They’re in a desperate way. But their actions betray the state of their hearts - instead of building the temple first, they have left it in a broken, dishevelled state - and they have gone on to build “panelled houses” which was a sign of wealth.

These people were building their OWN homes into mansions - while giving the reason “it is not time to build the Lord’s house yet”.

It shows their hearts are not with the Lord, their hearts are far from the Lord. In fact their hearts are in their own state of affairs, in their own houses, their own possessions, their own status.

Just like the pharisees in the passage before - the hearts are far from the Lord and so the same complaint arises “It’s not time to build the house of the Lord” “What a waste of perfume.” - They see waste, not worship.

Some of us save up our money to spend on THINGS, on clothes, on vehicles, on food - and I want to be ABSOLUTELY clear on something; there is NOTHING wrong with this. You worked hard for your money - enjoy that blessing from the Lord.

But what I am also saying is that if you can spend all that money on yourself - and give barely anything, give your leftovers to the Lord - then my friends heed this warning. Where your treasure is - there your heart will be also. Without even knowing it - you are sowing yourself further away from the Lord. And it culminates in this:

That when our hearts are far from the Lord - worship begins to look like waste.

When our hearts are far from the Lord - the things of the Lord, His house, His people, His burdens - look less like worship and more like waste to us.

So what does God do? We see in v6 and in v9 the warning that the Lord brings to them. They sow and don’t harvest, they eat but don’t have enough, they drink and aren’t filled - no clothes keep them warm; all of their efforts that they spend building their own homes and gathering go to waste.

Notice - God doesn’t get RID of their wealth, He doesn’t bankrupt them. He REMOVES the satisfaction from their work, the contentment from their efforts, the fruit from their labour.

Why does He do that? Why doesn’t He just destroy everything they have? Remove all their wealth, Bankrupt them?

Because this isn’t about MATERIAL THINGS; it’s not about what they had, it’s about how they were USING it.

This isn’t about POSSESSIONS, this is about PRIORITIES.

This isn’t about RESOURCES, it’s about REVERENCE.

Understand this: God has no material need - He didn’t need a “house” to exist - that’s not the point. The point is what the building of His HOUSE represented: That His people VALUED His presence. That their HEARTS were with Him.

Building God’s house was never about CONSTRUCTION - it was always about COMMUNION.

By building HIS house first - they would be declaring that “we value you above all else.” “your presence matters more than our comfort” “we WANT You here Lord!” “We NEED you here”.

God was ALWAYS after their hearts, it was never about their wealth. The heart of the matter was a matter of their hearts.

And tonight for us - it is no different than back then; tonight is not a question of money - it is a question of heart: Will you build His house? Will you value His presence among us? Does He have your heart? Worship or waste?

ILLUSTRATION: The opposite of busies himself with his own house

Do you guys know why I want to build this house so badly? Its because this is a house after God’s heart.

James (youth pastor serving without pay gladly)

Dan (whos credit score is so bad because for the first decade of church his credit card was the church credit card)

People like Doh Nay who came at 11PM last night and worked hours to make sure the projectors were working after they failed last week

Thomas, Ev, Nathan, Elly and Josh who planted southside without a salary as a step of faith - as a family of 5

We have a Youth and YA leaders who are being told off by their parents for spending TOO much time in the church, for giving TOO much to the church

Yewon who gave up her violin school to be more present in ministry, and who uses her business resources and time to serve the church’s media too

Pete and Pam from the AM service who should be happily enjoying their retirement but come to the church EVERY Monday and Thursday to clean the toilets, restock refreshments, fix and maintain the building, clear the bins

The chairman of our board, Peter Phan - who told me before we even thought about taking this offering that he was going to give a sum that I cant disclose - but honestly might be more than we’re expecting to collect from this entire service.

Hey I could go - ON and ON and ON but what I’m telling you is that you BELONG to a House that has its heart in the right place. You BELONG to a house that VALUES having the right heart. You BELONG to a house that is SOLD OUT for the Kingdom, that is UTTERLY and totally in love with Jesus. This is a house filled with people who like that woman - who would gladly pour out their perfume on the feet of Jesus. THIS IS THE HOUSE WE ARE WANTING TO BUILD. THIS IS THE HOUSE YOU ARE SOWING INTO TONIGHT.

And I’m asking you today - young person, would you catch that heart? God wants your heart tonight.

Segment 3: Psalm 132

Can I show you what this heart looks like in Scripture? I think David summed it up perfectly:

Psalm 132:1–5 “1 Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured, 2 how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3 “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5 until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.””

David was known as a man after God’s heart - and THIS passage shows us exactly why.

“God don’t let me sleep, I won’t even get into bed until I find a place for the Lord” This is the same heart as the woman who poured the perfume over Jesus who didn’t have to say anything - her actions did all the talking. “My treasure is with you God - as is my heart. Take it all, it’s all for you.”

And you may look at this and go - that’s a bit much isn’t it David? Really? You won’t sleep? No but don’t miss the point that David is trying to make:

David knew that great commitments are derailed by small compromises.

Like when we were first saved and that fire burned so bright and we told the Lord - anything for you Lord! Or at camps where we re-made commitments to God that burned so brightly.

How did these get derailed? Small compromises

Maybe I’ll miss one week, maybe I’ll just sin this once, maybe I’ll forego this offering, maybe prayer isn’t so important - this is always how it starts.

Compromise is the devil’s favourite tool

Man we don’t want to build a church like that - we want to build a church that is COMPLETELY sold out for God.

A church that is AFTER God’s heart.

A church FILLED with people who want MORE of God.

A church that sees a whole lot of worship where the world sees a whole lot of waste

A church that PRIORITISES God ABOVE our POSSESSIONS.

A church that REVERENCES God WITH our RESOURCES

That’s the church that we want to build - that’s the church you’re sowing into tonight.

ILLUSTRATION: James and the 1K

You know I haven’t actually got his permission to say this so I can’t give names or amounts. But I was talking to someone on the youth leadership team the other day. And they asked me “ps Jon - what are you expecting to get from the youth?” and I gave them a figure, and it wasn’t like a huge figure because they’re kids mostly with no jobs - but it definitely wasn’t a small amount either.

And the leader thought for a second, looked at me and said, “you know what? I may not have much money. But I do have that much - and I’ll gladly give it. So here pastor Jon, tell you what - even before we do this offering. We’ve achieved your goal.” Wow.

You know I thought youth would raise about $5k, that would be a good night. On Friday - they went on to raise $32,000.

That heart? That’s what we want to grow here at Heart for the City.

That leader, that youth group has God’s heart for the house. God’s heart for the city.

Let’s Pray

Altar Call

I just want to share something before you give today. You know the most exciting thing about giving today is that you have no idea what your money here is going to plant.

What I mean by that is - you have no idea the work that is going to be birthed out of this church. Yeah sure your money goes to this building, but from it, we will probably plant HFTC Mirra, HFTC Athens, HFTC San Salvador, HFTC America. Helpers international, Like you have no idea how many people that your sowing will bring into the kingdom. Just from even having a new building - you have no clue. I have no clue.

But one thing I can promise you - it’ll be epic. Because everything God does is epic.