Substituting brass for gold 2

Dear Pentecostal /Charismatic minister (2) Can we talk ?
Substituting Brass for Gold (2)-
What are we building ?
The word "building "builded "etc are used severally in both old and
New Testament texts of scriptures .
The Old Testaments building was peculiar to it .
2 Chronicles 3:1-3 KJV [1] Then Solomon began to build the house
of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord
appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had
prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2] And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in
the fourth year of his reign.
3] Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for
the building of the house of God.
The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits,
and the breadth twenty cubits.
It was made with physical materials ,beautiful artifacts ,designs
done with very skilled architects and professionals.
Moses had built one earlier ,and several others like Nehemiah
,Haggai,Ezra etc were all involved in building for The Lord.
Yet God spoke in this wise
Isaiah 66:1 KJV [1] Thus saith the Lord , The heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto
me? and where is the place of my rest?
He said this whilst a subsisting edifice called " His house " was in
place .
Jesus made this comment as well
John 2:19 KJV [19] Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
It sounded ridiculous to the hearers hence their question
John 2:20 KJV
20] Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in
building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
But they were spiritually oblivious .
John 2:21-22 KJV [21] But he spake of the temple of his body. [22]
When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples
remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the
scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
For His fathers house wasn't a physical edifice .
It's a spiritual structure ,in the Spirit .
Much later he enlightened us further
John 14:2-3 KJV [2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so , I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
His Fathers house wasn't the temple either Moses or Solomon or
anyone else built .
Only Jesus builds the house .
With no engineers .
Hebrews 3:6 KJV [6] But Christ as a son over his own house;
whose house are we.
We are this house .
Upon His resurrection the Father will dwell in believers .
His house .
John 14:23 KJV [23] Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man
love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and
we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Hence He never attempted to build a new temple or structure for
His church .
The Apostles taught this clearly in all their letters .
Hear Paul 1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV [16] Know ye not that ye are the
temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
The house of God refers to people not physical buildings .
Ephesians 2:21-22 KJV [21] In whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord :
22] In whom ye
also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
This house is in the Spirit
Peter reiterated this as well
1 Peter 2:5 KJV [5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
It's a spiritual house and it's not purchased with money .
When we gather ,this is His house not where we gather
Matthew 18:20 KJV [20] For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Two or three make up this house as a gathering Paul in addressing
Timothy pointed this out too
1 Timothy 3:15 KJV [15] But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know
how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
This is our gathering . God dwells In us collectively and individually
Hence when we come together with this consciousness ,the
unsaved will see this Not in the venue but the congregants
1 Corinthians 14:23-25 KJV [23] If therefore the whole church be
come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
24] But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or
one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25] And
thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
This happens via his / their experience with us .
It's worthy the epistles teach on building as well but definitely not
physical structures .
1 Corinthians 3:9-12 KJV [9] For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10] According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a
wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ.
12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
This is the work of ministry gifts highlighted here .
It's not erecting physical structures but spiritual edifices .
It's done by teaching ,preaching and ministering by the Spirit .
1 Corinthians 14:4,12,26 KJV [4] He that speaketh in an unknown
tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
12] Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts ,
seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
26] How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of
you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation,
hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
The Word " edify " is the original word oikodomeo ,it means
erecting a structure and equipping it .
It was translated from the same words used for Solomon's building
,but different materials and focus .
This is the ministry of the Local Church .
Ephesians 4:12-16 KJV [12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13] Till
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ:
14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men,
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, even Christ
: [16] From whom the whole body fitly joined together and
compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the
effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
This is the building the local church ought to engage in .
Whilst we must seek ,search ,secure and if necessary purchase
places of gathering ,it MUST never replace the building God looks
for and seeks .
Jesus discarded the emphasis on the place to thePeople
John 4:21,23-24 KJV [21] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe
me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor
yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
23] But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers
shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Hence The spiritual edification of believers . It's noteworthy that for
about 500years after the ascension of Jesus ,the church did not
own properties nor real estate .
Yet ,it influenced whole cities and nations .
Infact the book of acts and the Epistles mentioned with strong
emphasis homes of the saints for church gatherings .
Acts 2:46 KJV [46] And they, continuing daily with one accord in
the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Acts 20:20 KJV [20] And how I kept back nothing that was
profitable unto you , but have shewed you,and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,
Romans 16:5 KJV [5] Likewise greet the church that is in theirhouse. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
Erecting of structures was never mentioned but rather building of believers spiritually .
It's noteworthy what happened in Ephesus .
Acts 19:9,20 KJV [9] But when divers were hardened, and believed
not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departedfrom them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in theschool of one Tyrannus.
20] So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
The influence of the message grew with great power .
Today,for modernity sake ,we might need to get spaces to meet and gather .
At times very large spaces if our congregants are as much .
But we MUST never think this is our focus .
Our work is to build men , If the church in the Apostles day were
into tens of thousands yet they didn't erect structures but had immense influence ,the church of today needs to re focus .
The people or the venue ?
Property or spiritual growth ?
Architectural designs or gifts of the Spirit ?
Things or spirits ?
How much focus are we placing on our teaching ,prayers and gifts
of the spirit in operation amongst us .
Are we building saints or cathedrals in place of saints ?
You can't build the church with engineers .
You can only build it with the Word .
It's noteworthy that what we received from Our Lord Jesus and the
Apostles is the teaching of the gospel .
That's what will last and outlast buildings and physical structures
So before we embark on a church building project which can be
necessary ,we must ask if have we placed spiritual growth above this .
If we don't ,the same fate that befell cathedrals of yore ,with
massive and enormous heights but today are standing carcasses
and caricatures ,this fate will yet befall our massive and eye catching structures eventually
Let's build men above buildings .
Grace to you....