“God has called me to build a new church.” Those were not words I expected to hear from my pastor during a meeting this past week concerning struggling ministries in our church. Build a new one? What about the one we’re in? He went on to say that God has called him to build a new church within our church--a revived body of believers pouring the Word into each other and growing from within in order to grow out.
Isn’t that how the church should always be?? We should be constantly on fire and be moving, working, and growing in order to spread the gospel. The church building is not the church, the building is stationary. The church body is meant to be like a body: moving! We cannot grow lazy and settle into weekly routines without actively pouring into each other and pursuing our Great Commission.
The center of everything we do should be to worship God with our lives. If you are truly worshipping, how can you be still?
In Ezra, the Jews had been sojourners in foreign lands for a really long time when God called on them through a pagan king (that in itself is cool) to rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. He provided them with everything they would need to build it. When they arrived in Jerusalem in chapter 3, their first step was to build the altar and worship. We would think they would start with the foundation, but no! That showed what their foundation was--worship! It comes first. It is why they were there, why they were going to build the church in the first place.
When a new church has been build, those people are super excited--they are pouring into their ministries in any way they can, they are going out and sharing with people. They are active! This is how the church should be no matter how “old” it is. We should be excited to worship together! If our focus is on worshipping Jesus, we can’t help but be empowered to invest in our ministries for children, youth, students, and adults! There should be a line of people offering to serve in any way possible! I mean, God gave us each specific gifts to serve and glorify Him!
What I am saying today is this: pray ask if you need to rebuild your church. Step up and be willing to serve. Center your heart on worshipping the Lord. Pray that your heart and church will be on God’s mission, our ultimate honor of spreading the gospel. I am excited to see how God is moving my church family, and I pray He brings the same to you. I pray that He awakens your heart with the joy and passion to rebuild His church.
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
