WHAT ARE WE BUILDING?

“For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.” – Hebrews 3:4.

A house can be beautiful, unique even, but the amazing thing is that someone thought of it, and was able to carry it through. The builder is given the accolades, not the house. If you want a really spectacular house, you have to find a builder capable of creating such a home. You wouldn’t be as sure of getting a great house without that builder. Hebrews 3:4 has a straightforward and empowering message. God is the builder of our faith, salvation, trust, courage, challenges, guidance, and victory in Christ Jesus.

One of the things we learn about God in the Bible is that He is a builder. All throughout the pages of Scripture, we read about holy building projects. In creation, God constructed the world. Jesus presented Himself to us as the builder of the church. Jesus is returning and will build a new heaven and earth. God is a builder, and if we are to be like Him, we, too, must be builders. But what are we called to build?

We are called to build up ourselves spiritually. “But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit …” ( Jude 1:20 Msg). Pursuing the Lord through studying His Word is key to building yourself up spiritually. There is something extraordinary about the Word of God, and it is the fact that it produces power and transmits life into us when we open our hearts. When you have His words in you and commit to putting them into practice, you will experience such a transformation of life that no human education or academic qualifications could have made possible.

We are called to build up the church. ” … Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church” — 1 Corinthians 14:12 (NIV). Christians are called to build the church, and every member is essential.  Ephesians 4:12 says, “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

We are called to build up one another. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” ( Ephesians 4:29).  “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up …” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). These are people who genuinely care about you, ask how you are doing, chip in to give you a hand when you are in need, and will listen without trying to formulate an answer.  They are builders.

What are we building?

Discussion Questions:

1. It takes everyone to build the church. Agree or disagree and why?
2. What area of building do you need to work on?