Which Church Are We Like?

Reflection:  Over the last couple of days, we have seen the juxtaposition in our OT and NT readings of the grandiosity of the temple that David’s son Solomon built, and the organic nature of the Church in Acts, which met in houses not a temple.  The idea of the temple was that God would finally have a place to dwell or reside, after having resided in tabernacles as the Israelites lived their nomadic lifestyle.  As the Israelites conquered the Promised Land through David’s leadership, his son, Solomon built the temple as a witness to the glory of God and the power of His might. 

But over time Israel’s faith became more about the temple, than the God in the temple.  The leaders became more about their own power, than the power of God.  As Israel moved away from the covenant God had given them, that He would be their God and they would be His people, God withdraw his presence and in time Israel’s temple was ransacked and they were sent into exile.  Then there was a long period of time where a new temple was envisioned that would not be built by human hands but by God. 

As the disciples received the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts, the power and residency of God was not in a building, but the gathered people of God in the name of Jesus and the power of His Spirit.  This kept the focus on God, and not human beings.  Over time, as the spiritual potency of the Church led to it becoming the dominant religion in Roman Empire, they once again started to build buildings.  As the church became institutionalized, the focus became more about the buildings and human pride than the movement of God through the Spirit. 

In time the church became a lot like Israel in the Old Testament, and revival was needed to bring the church back to the spiritual potency that characterized the church in Acts that we have been reading about. 

The question for us is what church do we more resemble today?  The church in Acts, led by the apostles Peter and Paul.  Or, the institutionalized human led church, we have seen through history that has little missional power.  Many church leaders are going back to the blueprint of the church in Acts as it looks to be effective in what God wants to do in the world today.  Churches that focus on its buildings end up losing their ability to make the Gospel relevant to the people who God is trying to reach today. 

Jesus we pray that you would use us to reach a world with lost people who need you.  Help us to put our eyes on You and be led by Your Spirit as we accomplish the Father’s will in our land today!  Amen. 

Psalm 18:37-45

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;

    they fell beneath my feet.

39 You armed me with strength for battle;

    you humbled my adversaries before me.

40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,

    and I destroyed my foes.

41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—

    to the Lord, but he did not answer.

42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;

    I trampled them like mud in the streets.

43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;

    you have made me the head of nations.

People I did not know now serve me,

44     foreigners cower before me;

    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.

45 They all lose heart;

    they come trembling from their strongholds.

2 Chronicles 3:1-5:1

Solomon Builds the Temple

3 Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David. 2 He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. 3 The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide (using the cubit of the old standard). 4 The portico at the front of the temple was twenty cubits long across the width of the building and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. 5 He paneled the main hall with juniper and covered it with fine gold and decorated it with palm tree and chain designs. 6 He adorned the temple with precious stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim. 7 He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls. 8 He built the Most Holy Place, its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents of fine gold. 9 The gold nails weighed fifty shekels. He also overlaid the upper parts with gold. 10 For the Most Holy Place he made a pair of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold. 11 The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and touched the temple wall, while its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 Similarly one wing of the second cherub was five cubits long and touched the other temple wall, and its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main hall.14 He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim worked into it. 15 For the front of the temple he made two pillars, which together were thirty-five cubits long, each with a capital five cubits high. 16 He made interwoven chains and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates and attached them to the chains. 17 He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.

Acts 18:8-21

8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. 12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.” 14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them off. 17 Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Isaiah 5:21 (NIV)

In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3

O Master-builder of creation, may we, like wisdom, rejoice before you always, treasuring instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. Amen.