BUILDING GOD¡¦S HOUSE - A Ground Breaking Celebration
As we begin to build this new facility - what are we really building? We’ve said it enough around here, but we are not about building structures. In fact, while we have a children’s and office building that will need to be built in the next two years, I’m officially resigning from the building committe today! Its a lot of work, very frustrating, and God didn’t call me to be a builder. But regardless of what we do on this property or any other place in this community, what will our efforts really produce for us?
Paul told the Corinthians, "Don’t you realize that all of you together are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives among you in his house?" 1 Corinthians 3:16 (Living) What we are really building is God’s House - not made of blocks or steel or concrete - but made from the changed lives of individuals within our community.
So today, as we prepare to launch out in a new era for us as a church, what does this building represent for us in a spiritual, yet tangible way? What does it mean to Build God’s House?
Building God¡¦s House Means:
1. Breaking Up The Hard Ground
Anytime you begin a building, you have to break up the ground. You have to DISTURB that which was untouched. For some people, especially a Farmer, there¡¦s nothing like a newly plowed field. For a builder, they love to see the ground broke up, leveled and ready to build on. For the farmer ¡V it¡¦s time to plant. For the builder ¡V it¡¦s time to build.
But not ever bodies happy. That poor gophers not happy to have his home destroyed in the field. The weeds and other plants that began to move in on the farmers field ¡V they don¡¦t like having their roots ripped out either. When land is being prepared for a building ¡V not every one is happy. Environmentalist don¡¦t like it when you knock down the trees. (By the way ¡V I love plants & I¡¦m sympathetic to those who want to protect the environment. I hate the idea of knocking down some of our trees too). Neighbors ¡V who don¡¦t want progress often complain of the noise or the addition. So far - We haven¡¦t received any criticize from those outside the Church, nor is anyone complaining INSIDE the Church!! And that¡¦s significant ¡V because Building Programs often cause some to question and argue and squabble. As a congregation ¡V a Family ¡V it is obvious that we are united in our effort. Now ¡V if a time should arise when you feel the need to voice your objection ¡V we have provided a special place for you to drop your written complaints. Right next to the Box as you head out the door ¡V is another receptacle just for you. It¡¦s about this high with a plastic bag. Ignore the fact that it looks like a trash can! Some people just don¡¦t like Change!
But change is necessary to Grow!
¡§Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.¡¨ Hosea 10:12 (NLT)
The ground Hosea is talking about is the Ground of our Hearts. People don¡¦t want to be bothered. They like their lives just the way they are ¡V thank you very much!! But Hosea says ¡V and God says ¡V that if we are going to Grow ¡V if we are going to REAP a new and DIFFERENT LIFE ¡V WE MUST BREAK UP THE GROUND! WE must break up our HARDENED Hearts!! WE must prepare ourselves for change.
As we stand on the brink of building this new facility! It will be the catalyst for bringing about change in the lives of people!! Some of that change ¡V some will not want to face!! Every week ¡V we meet folks who are STUBBORNINGLY holding on to Past hurts & Failures and Habits, and REFUSE to Change their present situation. Sometimes ¡V we¡¦ve grown so COMFORTABLE with the Status Quo ¡V We don¡¦t want to Change!! Then there are those who come here READY TO CHANGE!! ¡V But it¡¦s HARD to break up OLD WAYS!
It¡¦s HARD TO Break Up OLD ADDICTIONS & TRADITIONS!! The Ground of Our Past ISSUES has Compacted our Hearts to Be ROCK SOLID!!
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8 (NIV)
Do those things that prove you have turned to God and have changed the way you think and act. Matthew 3:8 (GW)
There are two biblical ideas when it comes to repentance. The first talks about a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas. Matthew 27:3 says that when he ¡§. . . saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse¡¨ This Type of Repentance is IMPORTANT!! But it¡¦s Not COMPLETE!! What Difference does it Make If You Feel BAD About What You DID ¡V YOU NEVER CHANGE? I’ve heard the definition of INSANITY is "Doing the Same Thing OVER & OVER Again, In the SAME Way Yet expecting A different result."
The second, and more complete Understanding of Repentance in the Bible is to change one’s mind and purpose, and LIFESTYLE!! That¡¦s Complete Repentance ¡V NOT Just to Feel SORRY for My Actions!! But to Change My Actions!! We hear about a lot of Politicians and SuperStars who are ¡§REPENTANT¡¨ for their Bad Behavior ¡V But NEVER Intend on Changing it!!
This New Facility will be a House of Repentance!! It will be a house that will CHALLENGE the Hearts & Minds of the People in our Community to BREAK UP Their Old Ways & HABITS & Thoughts. To Allow Change To Come!!
2.Building God’s House Means Establishing A Strong Foundation.
Our builder will be at our Ground Breaking Celebration, and he will tell you that the Foundation is probably one of the Most Difficult Portions of the Building to build. It¡¦s the Least Visible! But, One of the MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS. If the Foundation isn¡¦t RIGHT ¡V The Floor Crack s, the Walls will Lean, and the ceiling could come crashing down.
"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. [25] Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit¡Xbut nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. [26] "But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. [27] When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards." Matthew 7:24-27 (MsgB)
Boy ¡V I hope no one is offended by that!! But it¡¦s TRUE!! King James calls the later person ¡§Foolish¡¨
How Foolish to build One¡¦s house on a SHAKEY FOUNDATION!!
Our Buildings Foundation has gone under a host of scrutiny . Due to FEMA Rules, it has had to be Raise 3-4 Feet - which as you can imagine will cost a lot of money in fill dirt. WHY? We¡¦ll - we have four Reasons ¡V Charley, Jeanne, Ivan, & Francis!!
Those Aren¡¦t the FOUR MEMBERS Of the Group ¡V ABBA!!
Those were our Friendly Hurricanes that visited us this past year. And if we’ve learned one thing in Florida, its that the foundation had better be pretty secure. Nature throws some Some Pretty NASTY Storms At Us. We All Witnessed its Destructive Power and How Buildings that Are NOT Grounded & Well Built ¡V DON¡¦T STAND UP in the DISASTER!!
It¡¦s No Different In Our Lives!! What Are You Building Your LIFE ON? What is Your LIFES FOUNDATION? When A Loved One Dies, or A Job is Lost, or the Stock Market Crashes, or A Serious Illness or Terminal Disease is Diagnosed ¡V Upon WHAT is Your LIFE BUILT??
The Bible talks about THREE Foundational elements in our Lives!!
ƒÜ 1st FOUNDATION is ESTABLISHED By God¡V It’s JESUS CHRIST
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:11 (NIV)
ƒÜ 2nd FOUNDATION is Maintained By the Church¡V it’s GOD¡¦S WORD
"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on.¡¨ Matthew 7:24
The Words of Jesus ¡V His Teachings ¡V become the FOUNDATION by which we build our lives. As the CHURCH ¡V it¡¦s our job to Keep Teaching those Foundational Principles into the Live of People. Not just MY JOB ¡V Primary ¡V But also those who teach our Preschoolers, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Small Groups & LD Classes.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. [17] It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 (NLT)
ƒÜ 3rd ¡V FOUNDATION WE DEPOSIT INDIVIDUALLY!! ¡V Its our GOOD WORKS
Tell (Believers) to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. [19] By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life. 1Timothy 6:18-19 (NLT)
Now anyone who builds on that foundation [Referring to Jesus ¡V see verse above] may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. [13] But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone’s work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. 1 Corinthians 3:12-13 (NLT)
(Message Bible) ¡§Eventually there is going to be an inspection - thorough and rigorous.¡¨
Our Building Project is under the careful eye or controlled by Four Separate Agencies:
FEMA ¡V National Gov / DOT & SWFTMD¡V State / City of St. Pete Building Dept. & City Commissioners (EDC). If you don¡¦t want to build bad enough ¡V FORGET IT!!
Architect / Civil Engineer / Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & AC Engineer / Structural Engineer / Contractor / Building Consultant / Building Team /
One Day ¡V ALL OF OUR WORK IS GOING TO BE SCRUTINIZED. Some Pencil pushing Builder from the City (Another work in the Building Dept? Good!!) ¡V Going to Show up on our Site and INSPECT OUR WORK!! We Will Be HELD ACCOUNTABLE!! The Design that we Choose / The Materials that We Used / The Quality of the Work!!
Get the Picture!! One Day ¡V ALL OF USE will stand before God and our WORK and it¡¦s Quality will be Inspected. I don¡¦t have Time to go into this ¡V but Don¡¦t YOU Want to make sure that What You¡¦ve Invested Your Time & Your Talents & Your Treasure Into Will Be WORTH IT ALL?
This New Building Will be A WORK PLACE / A Construction site whereby the SOLID FOUNDATION will be Laid In Lives Every week. Lives Built on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ and His Word - A place where Good Works can be Accomplished that will Lay A solid Foundation In our Lives for the Future.
3rd ¡V Building A Permanent STRUCTURE
One of the First Approvals we had to have when we went to the city was from the EDC ¡V Environmental Development Commission ¡V of St Petersburg which is made up of City Commissioners. Their job is to keep track of the general or overall building within the city and to help set policy as to What is Built & it¡¦s overall function, and How it¡¦s Ascetics Blend with the Community. When they approved our Building, the One Condition they Made was that they Didn¡¦t Want us to Build a Metal or Warehouse Style building, but if we did, they didn¡¦t want to see the Metal Siding from the Road (North, East, & South Sides). Three Months of Work finally revealed we couldn¡¦t build a metal structure anymore reasonably than a BLOCK BUILDING. Personally, I prefer the Look of a Block Building ¡V But it¡¦s Not UP TO ME!! I¡¦m am ONLY a Steward of This Churches Resources & Our Building Team wanted to Explore all the Possibilities!! So ¡V In the Next Month as you drive by, you¡¦ll begin to see BLOCKS being built upon one another that will form the Shell of our Building!!
Here¡¦s the Point ¡V And The Reason that I am So Glad We are Building with Blocks. For as Each Block is Set into place, it will be representative of the Lives that will be changed within its walls!!
¡§You have become living building-stones for God’s use in building his house.¡¨ 1 Peter 2:5 (LB)
[VIDEO ¡V Schindler¡¦s List]
[SONG ¡V Solid Foundation, Miriam & Chuck]
¡§Without the help of the Lord it is useless to build a home¡¨ Psalm 127:1 (CEV)
