Friday, August 6, 2010
Luke 11:28 Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!
HOW BELIEVERS PICK A CHURCH ...
Who is Haggai? I remember that he was a prophet in the Old Testament times, but what did he do? When the Southern Kingdom of Judah had been taken into captivity, Jerusalem was burned and the Temple was destroyed. In 536 BC the people were freed by edict of King Cyrus and returning to their own land they began to rebuild the temple. Haggai points out the people compared the new temple with the old one and were disappointed because it lacked the splendor of the old. As they made this comparison they became lazy and indifferent in their work. Under the spiritual leadership of Haggai and Zechariah, work was finally completed on the temple in 516 BC.
Hebrews 12 teaches us the importance of replacing outward things (things that can be shaken) with the True Glory of Jesus Christ (things which cannot be shaken). What is the True Glory of God's Temple? Physical appearance is insignificant. Obviously, we should take pride in God's building and property and keep it, clean, neat, and looking as good as possible. Yet our glory dare not be in the bricks, stone, boards, furnishings, etc., but in the dwelling of the Triune God through His Word. We don't pick a church because it is nearby, beautiful, large or small, convenient, the pastor is nice, the people are friendly or "I was born there," etc. Believers pick a physical church by looking for what is needed -- Jesus and His presence in the pure Word and Sacraments. That's why every departure from the Word of truth threatens that presence and also our faith.
When I think of my own church, it's certainly nice, comfortable, and easy on the eyes. Even so, I'm reminded of what the LORD said to Samuel before the prophet anointed David as future king, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). My prayer is that my place of worship isn't focused simply on the outward appearance or how many people sit in its pews, but what is at the church's heart: a gathering where the Word of God is heard and kept. Surely The Lord will spiritually bless the gathering of believers in that church.
-- Adapted from the Vacation Bible School series "A Day in the Courts of the LORD"
