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(Psa 127:1)
February 11, 2018
Read Psa 127:1a – This is a day to celebrate. But it’s also a time to increase
vigilance. Time of triumph often cause us to let our guard down. When Jack
Dempsey lost his heavy weight title to Gene Tunney on 9/23/26, he explained
to his wife, “Honey, I just forgot to duck” which was the same line Pres
Reagan when he almost lost his life to assassination in 1981. “Honey, I forgot
to duck.” Well, Beloved, we must not forget to duck.
Even as we celebrate, we can anticipate some new blows from our Enemy. It’s
inevitable. God is giving us this building bc He has some plans for it. But so
does Satan. We can anticipate what some of those are. Forewarned is
forearmed. So, let’s consider a few examples of both sets of plans briefly,
hoping we’ll remember to duck the ones, and cooperate with the others.
A new building can’t please everyone. Decisions have been made for the sake
of costs and other concerns that will cause us to wonder, how come they did it
that way? Why that color? Why didn’t they include this or that? Why wasn’t I
consulted? Can we have our opinion? Yes, with kindness and grace. But,
listen. We are in great danger of division caused by criticism, complaints,
disagreements, second-guessing, differences of opinion, taste and defense of
rights. We must tenaciously reject all such temptation to talk behind people’s
backs, criticize their motives, and create hard feelings – even if we are right!
Even if we are right. That is Satan’s plan for this building, not God’s.
One of the things I love about our current building is you can come by almost
any day of the week now and things are happening here to further the gospel.
We have a great school system in Eaton, and I love, pray for and support
100% the teachers and administrators, coaches, some in our own church, who
are tending the academic and spiritual lives of our students. They are heroes to
me.
But I also love that our church houses a school where students can get an
excellent academic education with an underlying Christian worldview. It
allows our facility to be fruitfully utilized virtually every day. I hope our new
building will find similar utilization of multiple ways to get the gospel out.
Bible studies, youth meetings, outreach, conferences, seminars, prayer
meetings.
Jesus said in Luke 14:12) “When you give a banquet (the gospel), do not invite
your friends [and family] . . . But invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the
blind, 14) and you will be blessed.” This building is for us, yes. But it’s also for
reaching our community and world or we’ve wasted God’s time and money.
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You use that new car, right? But you also take care of it. You wash it, polish
it, change the oil and keep the tires inflated. You want it to look good and last
as long as possible – same goal for this building – look good, last long!
You wouldn’t put in new carpet and give your kids free rein, right? So, let’s
keep food and drink in designated areas; let’s avoid bumping walls when
moving things. Let’s fix what needs fixing. Let’s help our kids learn to care
for church property just like we would home property. Let’s be good stewards,
and let’s help it look good and last long.
The price of faithfulness is eternal vigilance. Satan will attack the deity of
Christ, His substitutionary atonement, and other key doctrines. He will tempt
us to compromise our standards to fit those of the world around us, so we must
work and pray to insure that the message from this building will always be the
good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We won’t be perfect at this, but that’s
why it must also be a place of repentance and growth.
The Duke of Wellington, the English general who defeated Napoleon, saw his
success this way: “British soldiers are not braver than French soldiers, they
are only brave five minutes longer.” That’s our great challenge now. Be
faithful five minutes longer. After hours on the cross, Jesus said, “It is
finished!” Salvation paid in full. That’s our motivation to get this job done.
Haymakers are coming. Get ready to duck.
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A. Worship Center – To worship God is to declare His worth and
then live like we believe it. And it starts when we gather for weekly corporate
worship, declaring as one His majesty, making our building a worship center.
Jn 4:24: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and
truth.” That’s our goal every week – worship from our heart (spirit) and
worship based on His truth (Word). NT believers did that weekly (I Cor 16:2)
in synagogues, houses, catacombs and later their own buildings – as God has
blessed us to do. So let’s do it! Psa 95:6, “Oh come, let us worship and bow
down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” Let’s together bow before
Him, declare His worth God’s and then go forth to live like it. This building is
first and foremost a worship center. That’s God’s plan.
To Know Him – Jn 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” So our first job is to
help people come to know Him. Without that there is no eternal life. And how
does that happen? Rom 10:14: “How then will they call on him in whom they
have not believed? And how are them to believe in him of whom they have
never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? . . . 17So
faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” How do
people come to know God? Thru preaching the gospel that Jesus died for our
sins, rose for His glory and saves all who believe in Him.
I Cor 1:21b: “It pleased God thru the folly of what we preach (κηρυσσω –
proclaim, exhort, herald – not dialogue, debate, or exchange ideas, but preach)
to save those who believe.” We come to hear God’s Words, Beloved, not vice
versa. Jesus says in Lu 8:8c: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” There’s
a reason God gave us two ears and one mouth. Nothing trumps the preaching
of the Word. I pray that preaching and prayer will always be foremost here.
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really want one more opinion? I have one purpose and one purpose only; to
make the voice of God audible.” That’s how people come to know God.
Paul says in I Tim 4:13, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading
of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” Read the text, explain the text and
apply the text. This is how you know God and grow up in Him. There’s no
plan B. So someday when I’m gone, you must find someone devoted to this:
Read the text, explain the text, apply the text. That’s how we grow. I Pet 2:2:
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk (the Word), that by it
you may grow up into salvation.” God’s plan? Train Godly people.
Conc – So, who’s plan? Satan’s or God’s. Will we pray diligently and use
faithfully? Or will we sit on our laurels? If we faithfully use it as a worship,
training, mission and legacy center, think of the people who will in heaven
one day as a result! Let’s pray and work that God’s plans prevail.
We have the greatest message in the world – the good news that Jesus “died
for our sins . . . that he was buried, that he rose again on the third day” and
that “whoever believes in him has eternal life. He does not come into
judgment, but has passed from death to life” (I Cor 15:3-4; Jn 5:24). This
building is intended by God to be a means of spreading that message as far as
possible. Let’s duck Satan’s blows – and by the grace of God, let’s land a few
of our own!
During the reign of Bloody Mary in England, Bishop Latimer and Nicholas
Ridley were condemned to be burned at the stake. As the fire was lighted
Latimer turned to his co-martyr and said, “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley,
and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in
England as I trust shall never be put out.” Our sacrifices have been far less,
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but I pray that this building will light a candle in Eaton that will never be put
out. As we pray for that, and stay faithful to God’s call, so it will be. Let’s
pray.