Under Construction
Under Construction Notes:
Reconstruction: many things can be reconstructed. The face can be, we call it “plastic surgery”. Financial and business status can be, we call in “consultants”. Cities/villages can be, especially after war or natural disaster and we call it “rebuilding”. Crimes can be, we call in the CSI! (reconstruct bullet directions, murder scenes, automobile accidents) and lastly, as we all are familiar with in Greater Vancouver summer time, road construction! Traffic jams all over town!
Teens’ Camp theme was Renovate. I’d like to continue that kind of idea. Renovations or upgrading or fixing up are very common with homes, cars and all that I’ve mentioned. But I want to talk about rebuilding! Let’s look at Heb. 11
When you reconstruct or renovate or fix up, you’re not building a new thing! You can rip out everything but you can’t tear up the foundation and the root. You can repaint, build a new stair, rip out a wall here and there. You can graft some skin here and there, do a lift. You can put new tires, new color paint, new seats, cut out a sun roof! But you can’t rip out the corner stone, the cement foundation, your skull, bones and brain! Your engine and body frame! Because when you do…it’s no longer the same house, face or car! You have a new structure, a different person, a different car!
Here we read God is the “architect and builder”. I’m talking about a new structure, a new building, a new creation! There is a new city; a new Jerusalem God has built! He didn’t renovate, or rebuild from an old city! Some of you became a Christian from teens' camp weekend. You took the step of FAITH. You repented, you believed and you have claimed Jesus as your Savior and Lord. You now have a new foundation! Your faith in Jesus Christ! Your old foundation of unbelief or other beliefs are torn away! God is now building on that foundation of your new life in Christ. YOU ARE NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION! (1st frame). And it’s not an easy life. There’s a lot of nailing, sawing, cutting, hammering in your new life. And it’s going to take time! A life time! But, we have confidence that this new life will be a great work of masterpiece because the builder and architect is God! (2nd frame)You ever worked on a project and things just doesn’t seem to go the way you planned? Something goes wrong with the material, some parts are lost or broken? Well, we can do the same thing to God! We disobey, we procrastinate, we are slow to learn, and we fail completely! But God doesn’t throw up His hand at us and say “forget it! He’s hopeless or she’s worthless! Can’t continue building anymore!” NO! No! He is a Master Builder! As long as the foundation stays strong God will continue to build and complete His masterpiece!
You’re all familiar with the “before and after” concept? Remember the weight lost commercials? Laundry commercials? Well here’s a few before and after…(3rd frame)As a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ, we are a new creation! You watched “Extreme maker over”? The old house/structure is completely demolished! It’s NOT the same house anymore! A totally new structure, new house! We use to live life without a perspective of God. Nor did we care about our actions, words or thoughts that would displease Him. But now, we’re a different person. We know what pleases God and what doesn’t. We make every thought captive, having the mind of Christ. We know our actions should produce love and compassion towards one another. We know our words should build up and encourage others. We know what is right, and what is wrong by God’s standard. It’s a new life! We’re spiritually alive and rooted in Christ!
And we now live life with God’s purpose, not purposeless. (4th frame)God has a plan and He wants us to know that plan! The blueprint is to show how the masterpiece is supposed to be made. He has a design uniquely for you and for me. The way our personality is, the way we’re brought up, our background, our own experiences of trials and victories. Our talents and gifts and our passions. It’s all in there! Every detail!
One day! We’ll see the finished work! The master piece! (5th frame)Not only of heaven but of our new bodies, our sinless state!
Not only has God built a new city, mansions and rooms for each of us. He is building us. He is working in you and in me. The work isn’t finished yet. There’s still a lot of construction work! But one day…soon…He will finish! You and I will be complete, indestructible and living forever in the presence of God. And in the mean time, here on earth and in this mortal body, God wants to show each of us His blue print for our lives and He wants to bless us as we work with Him and see and understand who we are and what good works we are made to do!