The House that God Built

Start with Prayer---

Gen. 6:14-16–the building of the ark and the specifications of it.

Ex. 25:8-9– the making of the tabernacle and the specifications of it and all the vessels belonging to it.

1 Kings 6:1-9– the building of the temple by Solomon and the specifications of it.

I’ve always been curious as to why the scriptures give so much detail on the dimensions of the ark, the dimensions of the tabernacle and the temple.  Everything is recorded in such detail.  I always wondered why.  Although it stands to reason the Lord wanted things a certain way, built with specific materials to certain specifications, I just didn’t completely understand the necessity or significance of listing everything right down to the last teeny, tiny detail.  I mean come on, it’s not like we are going to be able to or attempt to physically rebuild any of these things.  Those men from way back then may have used their hands to build those things according to God’s plan, nevertheless, it was God’s blueprint and God made sure things were made just how he wanted them.  The same is true today.  However, as God gave specific instructions in building they physical ark, tabernacle and temple; Christ also gave us specific instructions for building our spiritual temple, and that is the significance of why God has had every single detail listed and recorded.   It’s to let us know that details matter.  God still has a blueprint and he wants it followed to the “T”.  The only difference now is that the temple of God is not made with man’s hands nor is it a building made with bricks and mortar. 

And that’s our lesson for today.  Today we are going to talk about “THE HOUSE THAT GOD BUILT”.  Or should I say the houses that God is building.  We are going to find out what and where that house is and hopefully find out how he wants it built to meet his very specific standards.

First let’s find out what (or should I say who) this house is—

1 Cor. 6:19—What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

1 Cor. 3:16— Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  

Ah Ha, our bodies (including our mind) are God’s temple, and that means we don’t belong to ourselves to do just whatever we want to do.  We belong to God for him to do whatsoever he wants with us.  Every minute of our lives and every event that happens is the process by which we are being built.  Everyday is a part of the building process.  

Romans 12:1—I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

When we were baptized in Jesus’ name and received the Holy Ghost we became the temple of the Holy Ghost and from that point on God started building us according to his perfect specifications.  God does have a special plan for each and every one of us.  We are instructed here to give ourselves to the Lords hands so that he can perform his perfect work in us.  So that we can be made according to his specifications.  

2 Cor. 5:17—Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

If we are being built by God, let’s see where our building starts.  What is our foundation? 

Eph. 2:20-22—And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (everything in the word of God), Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The stuff we’ve been studying lately found in the sermon on the mount, are the building blocks to continue building this (point to self, and to them) body.  Think of the bible as a toolbox.  Each lesson is a tool to build this body.  

2 Cor. 5:1—For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Our spiritual body is the (temple of God)

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

NOTE:  You may wish to bring graham crackers and a can of cake icing as a snack.  The children can "build" houses using the icing to hold the graham crackers together.  Then they can enjoy eating them.

The Half-Hearted Sacrifice

Start with Prayer—

Scripture text: Mal. 3:7-12; Mal. 1:7-14

I know you have all heard the first scriptures I read before, “will a man rob God?”.  We have all heard it associated with money, with “tithes and offerings” as the scriptures point out.  I can imagine there have been a million sermons taught on that very subject and I imagine you all have heard some.  The question asked “will a man rob God” and the answer given... that he has been robbed in tithes and offerings however, is not just about money.  Yes, it can be and has been associated with money the majority of the time, but the scriptures leading up to this passage are not talking about money at all.  It is talking about the condition of the sacrifices offered to the Lord by the priests on behalf of themselves and the saints.  

First let’s define offering.  

An offering is any gift you “offer” to someone or something.  It can be money, food, drink, homemade wares, skills, anything.  

What is tithes? Tithes as the bible defines is the first tenth of anything you have gained whether money, other goods, how about time, skills, knowledge.  Those are all things that we gain, right?  What about a person who never works and brings in a pay check.  Are they exempt from tithing?  I say not.  God has given them 24 hours in a day that say as we are given.  They owe to God 2.4 hours of their time daily the same as we do.   

Now what is a sacrifice?  It’s to commit something of value to be used for or to be offered as a gift. 

The people in our scripture text offered cattle up to be sacrificed in those days because for one, God required a blood sacrifice for their sins and also because cattle was sort of like their “money”.  It is what they paid for things with most of the time.  Cattle was their “wealth”.  The more cattle you had the better you were.  However, as our text points out, they got to the place where they would give God a less than perfect sacrifice and saved the best cattle for themselves.  They would offer up to God those animals that had deformities, the lame, sick and diseased ones because they knew they weren’t any good for anything else.  Even as Miranda can tell you, in today’s times, what do they do with a lame horse?  They kill it because It is no good for anything.  It can’t work and it can’t be sold so it is a liability to it’s owner.  But, God said to them, why don’t you offer these sickly sacrifices to the governor.  Do you think he would he accept this “trash” at your hand?  No, so why should I?  After all I am the great king!

 

The problem was, the people in our scripture text had begun taking God for granite.  He was no longer special to them anymore.  He was no longer “god” to them anymore.  He was just another thing in their lives so they began giving him less than perfect sacrifices or offerings because he just wasn’t important enough to them to give their best. 

Not only were they giving a low quality sacrifice to the Lord but they even said in their hearts that it was “vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?  They didn’t even feel it was profitable for them to serve God.  Church had become just another duty to perform each week.  

I wonder how often we come to church feeling that way?  All of us at one time or another have dreaded coming to church for various reasons, or maybe we have come to church for other reasons than to meet with God.  Maybe we were more excited about meeting with our friends than worshiping the one who has given us all that he had so we might have abundant life. 

I like the story of the widow’s mite.  Mark 12:41-44 (also Luke 21:1-4)—The poor widow didn’t give as much “money” as the others as earthly value would have it, but she gave more because her offering was truly a sacrifice.  It doesn’t matter if you don’t have as much to give as someone else.  It really matters with what heart you give it.  As Jesus said it...”she did cast in all that she had, even all her living”.  Jesus gave his all for us.  I wonder are we giving our all back?  (Jesus noticed this poor woman, not because she was poor but because of her sacrifice), and out of her want (I believe her desire after God) gave sacrificially.  Do you want to be noticed by Jesus?  How about coming to church with such a desire after God and getting closer to him that we give as much of ourselves as possible.  Let us give all that we have.  

“Will a man rob God?”  You see, It’s not just about money, but withholding from him your very best. I ask you today, what kind of offering are you bringing to God.  Is it all or is it lame.  Don’t be guilty of offering the “half-hearted sacrifice”.

Prayer

What is prayer?—Answer: Communication with God.  It is not just asking for what we need or want.  It is also loving communication and worship.  It is the venue in which we praise, repent, ask for help for ourselves and others.

How do we pray?

First— we must come before the Lord humbly and with respect

The Pharisee and the Publican— Luke 18:9-14

Second—We are not to use vain repetitious prayer—Matt. 6:7-8 (discuss what that means)

Third—Let’s see how Jesus taught his disciples to pray—Matt. 6:9-13

Discuss how Jesus taught the disciples to pray.   

• He first addressed the father–letting God know he was being spoken to and showing how to do it in a respectful, humble manner.  (Not like the Pharisee)

• He then stated that God (the father) is the one in control here no matter what I ask or say you are the one who’s will, will be done.

• Asked for what he had need of.

• Asked to be forgiven and at the same time forgave those who had wronged him.

(mind you Jesus needed not to ask forgiveness, he had never sinned, but this was to teach us how to pray)

• Then he asked for guidance and protection from evil.  He asked for help for future knowing, stating and believing that the Father is in control of all things and that he has the power to do all that we have asked him.

He didn’t tell them to pray that particular prayer everyday, 3 times a day.  That would be vain and repetitious.  He gave a demonstration of how we are to approach God, how we ask for what we need, how to ask forgiveness and to give forgiveness, and to seek his guidance and safety in our daily lives.  He showed us that we must be aware that God is the one in control, that we are the ones that need him, that we need to be humble like the Publican was before the Lord. 

With all that said prayer is something that we must do everyday.  Most Christians start out their day with prayer and end their day with prayer.  This takes discipline.  It’s not easy to get out of bed in the morning and immediately begin praying.  Sometimes we get busy before bedtime planning for the next day and forget to pray and thank the Lord for the day we have had.

I too am human and I am not a very disciplined person, and I have to admit that just kneeling down and praying (especially in the morning) is boring and puts me right back to sleep.  After all praying to an invisible God is not like talking to someone that you see face to face and can hear them talking back.  

However, there are some ways that we can pray that makes prayer time more interesting.  Praying isn’t just getting on your knees in your room or at church.

You can go to places outdoors.  Maybe the park our just out in your yard.  A quite place that is special and serene.

Believe it or not you can pray by writing your prayers to the Lord.  That is the kind of prayer you can do maybe at school when you need to Lord’s help.  No one can hear you and you don’t have to close your eyes.  Maybe you are just not in the talkative mood.

You can pray when walking.  That’s a good way to get exercise too.  Take a walk and talk to God.  You can pray for those in your neighborhood with each house to pass, say a prayer for those that live inside those walls.  You never know what they might be going through.

You can make a prayer scrapbook.  Make a scrapbook page for each person of your family or some friends.  A page for people that need healing.  A page for people on the mission field.  A page for those who are lost.  A page for those who need deliverance from addictions.  You name it everyone needs prayer.   You can get that scrapbook out and say a prayer at every page for the person or issue on that page.

You can invent a prayer game.  Place a poster on your wall with six pockets.  Each pocket has a different thing to pray for, i.e. Missions, healing, addictions, family members, church growth, spiritual health and church members, lost friends, teachers and family, etc. You can make up sheets to go in the pockets to describe what that pocket is for, with pictures of the people or things you are praying for from that pocket.  Once you have made your poster board and filled the pockets with things to prayer for, roll a die and whatever number it lands on is the number of the pocket you select to pray for the things in it that day. 

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The most important thing to know about prayer is that it works.  God answers every single prayer.  Sometimes it’s no but he does answer.  Not only that prayer is communication between us and God and God does speak back to us.  He speaks to our hearts and our minds.  

There is an exercise you can do when praying and that is be a “scribe”.  A scribe would write down everything that God said.  While you are praying you may receive thoughts of assurance that God is going to do what you asked him for, you may hear him tell you how much he loves you and that he’s proud of you.  He may guide you to pray for someone, or something in particular.  After you are done praying write down the things he told you and reflect on them knowing that God has spoken to you and that he does hear you.  You also helps to refer back to your prayers because it helps you to see which ones God has answered positively.  Keep a “scribe journal”. 

Memory Verse:   1 Thess. 5:17— Pray without ceasing.

(You guys are sooooo lucky, I was going to have you memorize the Lord’s prayer!)