I watched them tear a building down;
A band of men in a busy town.
With a `HO-HEAVE-HO’ and a lusty yell;
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.
I asked the foreman, `Are these men skilled?
And the men you’d hire if you had to build?’
He gave a laugh and said, `No indeed!
Common labor is all I need.
I can easily wreck in a day or two,
What builders have taken a year to do.’
And I thought to myself as I went on my way,
Which of these roles have I tried to play?
Am I a builder who works with care?
Measuring life by the rule and square?
Am I shaping my deeds to a well-made plan,
Patiently doing the best I can?
Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?
I’ll tell you one thing, the apostle Paul was a builder.
Just imagine starting over four churches in just 2 years and establishing elderships in each one. Now get this next part. No one sends them money for preacher support or buys their buildings for them. These new congregations are self-sustaining churches in Christ. And they flourish. That is until some Judaizers come to them from Jerusalem and corrupt their understanding of the gospel. Then Paul writes a letter to them to straighten out the doctrinal mess they are in and return them to the pure, faithful and true gospel of Christ. That letter would be the book of Galatians.
Paul was a builder and we see it in Acts 13-14 on the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. As they traveled about preaching the gospel, they went to the Jews first and this explains how there were men qualified to be elders so soon. Many of these Jews were no doubt waiting on the Christ and when they heard the word, they obeyed the gospel and continued their walk with God in the new covenant in Jesus Christ. But many Gentiles also believed and were converted to Christ meaning these were new churches of Jew/Gentile Christians.
In these chapters of Acts we find builders and we find wreckers.
As we see, all was not peaceful and calm. A powerful opposition faced these new Christians. It fell hardest on those that brought the message. Paul and Barnabas were endangered at every turn it seems. Paul particularly was the target of most of the opposition, likely due to his passionate and aggressive dedication to getting the message across and building new churches.
In every city, after they had preached and won converts to Christ, lo and behold, the Jews rose up against them and poisoned the minds of Gentiles to oppose Paul and Barnabas. The Jews were a constant threat to them and their work. Yet we see that God granted incredible success to their efforts. In spite of being chased out of every town and even stoned by a mob, Paul kept on preaching. When Paul and Barnabas finally got as far as they would go, they turned around and went right back into the very cities where they had been so in danger. There they established elders in every church. And I love this part. With prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Just think about this with me. They could set up leadership and commit these brand new churches with brand new Christians to the Lord and go home confident that they were in good hands. Why? They trusted God so Paul and Barnabas entrusted them to God!
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it. Look carefully at Paul and Barnabas’ report when they got home. It’s down in verse 27.
27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Let’s go over that report again. They reported all that who had done? God! Who opened the door of faith to the Gentiles? God did! This was why they could have such confidence in the success of these churches. They were built by God not by man! Paul and Barnabas saw themselves as coworkers with God.
That’s one of the great things about mission trips! This past summer several of us were able to go to in Nacaome, Honduras and see God do some wonderful things with us. We saw 21 people baptized into Christ in just 4 days. Santos told David that these new Christians are still faithful and continuing to grow. Also, Jenny has talked with Hector and Rachel and they are planning to go to Agua Fria and take some pictures for us of the church building there and see Santos and the church there in Nacaome.
Bogota Columbia, where Marvin is working with a mission team has had wonderful success! Buddy Baker shared some amazing numbers of new Christians in India and other places where he has traveled to work. Brothers and sisters, now is the time to be building with God! But watch out! Often when God’s people get serious about building, the devil gets serious about sending in a wrecking crew!
But knowing we will face opposition can never be our first concern. We are called to the cause of Christ! Ours is not to decide if we will, but that we will work with the Lord in building up the kingdom.
You young men and women in this church, you need to think seriously about what God may be calling you to do for his kingdom. Some of you may be being prepared right now to plant churches in other places. Are some of you resisting God? Are you sitting back when God is telling you to get busy and get ready?
Don’t trade your years of youth for cheap worldly thrills that will leave you empty and full of regrets. Be a builder for the Lord! Don’t mock this exhortation. Take serious what God says about your life. Get a vision from God of what he can do through you for things that will last forever! You’ll never regret giving your life to Christ as a builder.
In the American revolutionary war there were only about a third of the people willing to get involved. About a third were loyalist with Brittan and opposed those that revolted, and another third were just not interested enough to do anything. Were it not for those that fought and died these United States would not exist today. These, who gave themselves to the revolution, in their minds were nation builders. You should read the language they used to describe their cause. It is filled with references to God’s help and promises. They saw themselves as working for a godly cause.
How much more should we who have the clear commands of God in his word give ourselves to the cause of Christ and work with God as builders of the kingdom.
In the American Revolution a third sat by and either ignored or watched the revolution from a distance. Another third opposed the revolution and torpedoed the efforts to do so. While a third give themselves to the cause even at the cost of their lives.
In the church today there are those that sit by and watch or ignore the lost and those dying in sin in this world doing nothing to help. Others even resist or discourage the dreams or efforts of those that would prepare themselves to go. Then there are those that launch out on faith and live the adventure of the cause of Christ as kingdom builders. Sure there are hardships and uncomfortable things to face! Sure there are dangers and risks. Sure there are opponents that would seek to stop the work. So what! Whose side is God on? If I die let me die in the service of the Lord!
What can you do?
First level: Speak to people you don’t know and ask them to come to church. Can you do that? Maybe you can’t say the words, but can you hand them an invitation?
Sure you can! Just start out with the basics. Don’t think you have to be a spiritual architect the first day.
Second level: Talk about what the Lord has done in your life with people. Give the Lord room in your conversations with others. Why do you think they were called Christians at Antioch? They talked about Christ! That’s what people heard when they listened to members of the church there.
Third level: Look into being a Bible class teacher. Get involved in our VBS. Talk to David and Sonya Bible about the Truth for the World Correspondence Courses. You can teach Bible classes with people all over the world through these. And you never have to leave home. And as you grade these courses, you will learn how to teach others.
Fourth level: Plan to go on a mission trip with us.
