Building God’s House

Recap

Last time, we started exploring this series we have titled, “The house of God”, and we said, the honor you have for a place, is precisely because of whom you see in that place.

Psalm 5:7 NKJV

7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.

Notice David’s words, in fear of You, I will worship toward Your holy temple. This is precisely what we are attempting to work with here;

The honor David is placing on the holy Temple, is precisely because of his awe for the Lord.

Hence, when I see the gathering of believers, that is exactly who we are;

Ephesians 2:19–22 NKJV

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

We are God’s people, in his house.

What that means therefore is, there is a way for us to build the house of God, to make it grow.

Before that, let me say, God is the one, that specifies “HOW” to build for him.

Look at Noah and the Ark;

Genesis 6:13–15 NKJV

13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.

Notice the phrase “This is HOW you shall make it”. Meaning, it is for God, and it is BY MAN.

Genesis 6:22 NKJV

22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

So, there is a “how” to build, when we are building for God.

Let us look at one more;

1 Chronicles 28:11–12 NKJV

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; 12 and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things;

verse 19;

1 Chronicles 28:19 NKJV

19 “All this,” said David, “the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.”

“All the works of these plans”. Hence, what we will see, is that the Lord gave to him, the plans.

So, we being the house of God, we have to ask, “HOW has the Lord asked us to build his house?” How does the house of God grow?

We will pick one today, and get to the rest in the coming weeks;

How to build

Look at Acts 2:40 “40 And with many other words he solemnly urged and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation!””

Look at Acts 2:47 “47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding every day to the total of those who were being saved.”

The Lord was adding every day to the church daily “not invites, rather, those who were being saved”

Meaning, the temple of God was built, it grew.

Now, we would think this was magical, but no; let me show you more;

Acts 5:17–20 NKJV

17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”

When the apostles were taken, the door was opened and the Lord said Go speak to the people all the words of this life.

Meaning, “The Lord indeed was adding, yet, he had men who were doiing the preaching”

Acts 5:22–25 NKJV

22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23 saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

They were standing in the temple and teaching the people!

Go to verse 42;

Acts 5:42 NKJV

42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

They did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Acts 6:1 NKJV

1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

Why was the number of the disciples multiplying? Precisely because they did not cease TEACHING AND PREACHING Jesus as the Christ.

Let me say this;

The first thing we will see is, it wasn’t automatic, yet, GOD WANTS HIS HOUSE TO GROW. HE WANTS HIS TEMPLE TO BE BUILT. Yet, it must be by HOW he wants it built.

By Preaching and Teaching Jesus as the Christ.

Is it on your heart? Many times, when we say we don’t have the opportunity or doors opened up for us to share the gospel, is because, it is not first in many of our hearts.

What is chief on your heart? What are you given to? What is the greatest on your heart?

Look at what David said, and it sets us the pattern;

1 Chronicles 28:1–2 NKJV

1 Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel: the officers of the tribes and the captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officials, the valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor. 2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it.

I had in my heart. What is in your heart? What desire do you have to build the house of God?

Exodus 35:21 NKJV

21 Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.

Exodus 35:29 NKJV

29 The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.

This is what differenciates! The having it in my heart! The hearts were willing!

What is in your heart? What is your desire? Do you want to see the house of the Lord built? Are you cultivating that desire to see the temple of God built?