(Note: For this series I am using the Greek names “Christ” and “JESUS” for obvious reasons, though I prefer to use the Hebrew names “Messiah” and “YESHUA.”)
Along with having what seems to be an unusual infatuation with money, Christianity appears to have a similar infatuation with constructing buildings. Have you noticed? Churches seem to be in a never ending building campaign to have the biggest, the bestest (bestest???:>), newest, most unique, eye catching facilities imaginable!
An internet search using “Church Building Projects Underway” produced 165000 links! I haven’t looked at all of them, but I did take a quick look at several. It seems that the announcement of NEW CONSTRUCTION! or COMPLETE RENOVATION! have been discovered as a reliable way to get folks to take notice and maybe realize that “we are the happening church in this area and you need to come and check us out!” I’m sure that’s not the motive behind EVERY church building program, but it does seem to work for some… And folks get so excited about inviting friends and family to “come and see our new…sanctuary, youth gymnasium, nursery suite…etc.” One might get the impression that GOD’S Word is not quite as exciting as a “new building, addition, etc…”
I don’t want to leave the impression that I think having a building is “of the devil” or something. We have been in the same facility (a retired high school building) that we purchased at an incredible price over 22 years ago. We’ve put 5 to 6 times the amount of money that we paid for it in upkeep, remodeling and essentials over the years, but it’s paid for and it keeps us out of the elements (most of the time :>). All in all it’s been a blessing and we’ll probably continue to use it as long as we can. There have been folks over the years that have wanted us to build a new building, but BLESS GOD! there have always been more of us who are partial to owning and outnumbered those willing to make payments! Payments!?! I heard of a church out west that spent $16M on a facility! That’s only $85,891.46 per month if the entire $16M was financed at 5% for 30 years!!!! Wow, it’s no wonder that once church leaders are yoked with that kind of financial indebtedness, for them to allow the proclamation of pure biblical truth gets increasingly difficult. Making people uncomfortable enough to leave by preaching on sin, consequently results in those church leaders being saddled with payments like that does not sound very appealing! What a diabolical plan that the enemy has contrived to silence the gospel… Unfortunately, this scenario is more prevalent than folks want to admit…
So, what was JESUS’ answer when asked about buildings? We find it in Luke 22:5-6 “Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6“These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”
This kind of blew their minds! Wouldn’t it yours? The building that was at the very heart of Judaism and of their religious worship to be completely obliterated? Forty years of construction down the drain? No more Levitical Priesthood? No more sacrifice or offering? Where would the people congregate? What would be their identity? What would happen to all of the gold and the articles used for worship??
They wanted to know “when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?” They understood that if this was going to happen to THE most important building in Jerusalem, this also meant that it was going to be a very bad time for them as well. JESUS answers by giving them one of the most intense prophetic teachings of HIS earthly ministry. HE gives them descriptions of events and signs to look for. HE tells them to be ready to flee when they see certain signs in the heavens and on the earth. HE tells them that they will be taken captive, but are to actually be witnesses of HIM and the Truth of GOD’S Word to those who rarely, if at all, ever darken the door of their buildings. HE tells them that their ministry will actually increase instead of decreasing, like they might have thought not having a building. The chapter ends with two more references to the Temple as being the place where JESUS spent the day teaching…
Over the years the question that I have asked folks regarding the Temple is, “Whose idea was it anyway?” Folks would shout out “GOD’S, it was GOD’S idea to build the Temple!” What do you say? According to 2 Samuel 7, it wasn’t GOD’S idea, even though HE went along with it.
Then what two Construction Projects (regarding buildings) according to the Scriptures WERE GOD’S?
- The Tabernacle inspired by GOD, as it reflects the Tabernacle in heaven as described in Exodus 25-40.
- The Temple / Tabernacle not made with human hands as described in:
1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Hebrews 9:11 “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.”
1 Peter 2:4-5 “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
So, it appears that Christianity is left with a choice as to which Construction Project we are to put our efforts into. Are we to put all our time, money and resources into those temporal dwellings of man-made vision and intuition, or are we to put our time, money and resources into THE Eternal building of GOD, not made with human hands? Which one will YOU invest in?
