Current topic: Introduction to Salt of the Earth – a study worth reading.
Good morning.
We are looking at 1 Corinthians 3, which you’ll find at this link: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%203&version=NIV1984. Please read the previous two messages as well.
In the context of our previous message (V9-15) we read these words: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple,” (V16, 17). How can we destroy God’s temple?
We can build with straw, which are things like worldly ideas, wrong doctrines such as a focus on materialism (mammon), carelessness, neglect, etc. When we see our fellow disciple headed in a wrong direction and we do nothing, or when we give a person secular or unbiblical advice, or when we see a person doing sinful or harmful activities such as listening to destructive music, being caught up with pornography or gossip and we don’t act, we’re involved with the destruction of the temple of God (Luke 15:3-7 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2015:3-7&version=NIV1984).
The words ‘you yourselves’ indicate also a congregation as the temple of God. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them,” (Matthew 18:20). If a pastor or church leaders are self-centred with their own agenda and do not look after the needs of the congregation, but build their own kingdom for their own glory, such a leader destroys not only the temple of the church body, but also individual temples. We need to build with gold into the temples of God and gold could only be sourced in heaven. Those who live in heaven during their private time, so to speak, and give to the people what they’ve received from the Holy Spirit, will give that which they’ve received from heaven – gold, and their people will flourish.
Where do we get the straw, which destroys the temple of God, from? We get it from religion and other people’s ideas, which are usually not anointed. Gold is everlasting, fresh and clean, sparkling with value and hard to come by. Those who find it went to great trouble to seek the Lord’s face for it. Straw is dead, useless and easy to come by and those who use it are lazy, following the easy route.
Building a building that lasts takes time, sacrifice and dedication. It takes only a few hours to knock together a straw hut, but a proper building demands much work. How much time are you prepared to spend with those buildings the Lord gave you to build? Are you aware of those with needs in your congregation or those that cross your way individually? Not everybody talks about their needs. Sometimes we need to be sensitive to people’s body language and the voice of the Holy Spirit, who points us in their direction. In order to do this we need to care – to look out. Our time is not our own and neither is our energy. We belong to the Lord and unless we build well at His temple, this passage said He’ll destroy us.
To build well at a temple brings much reward even here on earth. To see how an individual denies sin and grow in faith and their love for the Lord, or a congregation in their love and dedication to the Lord as a result of our input, gives much satisfaction and fulfilment. No earthly entertainment or adventure can compare with it. But it demands care, dedication and sacrifice.
How do you feel about your building work? How does God feel about it?
Lord, teach me to care, sacrifice and be dedicated.
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