- Eccles. 3:1-6 (NIV) There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to harvest...a time to tear down and a time to build...a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them...a time to embrace and a time to refrain...a time to search and a time to give up...
For a long season in our church, we have deliberately focused away from emphasis on a facility of our own. Sure, we've been working on the plans, but we've not made the building the center of attention. There is a time for everything, though, and a season for every activity under heaven...even the construction of a building. This is our time to build, our time to gather stones, our time to harvest.
The season for the Israelites was, for a long time, a season with no Temple...no 'church building'. King David wanted to build, but God told him that the time was not right. The time eventually did come, though, and the Temple was constructed. But over time, it had been destroyed. People ignored it and only paid attention to their own houses and their own wealth. This is what God said to them through the prophet Haggai:
- Haggai 1:5-8 (NIV) Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the Lord.
The season had come for the Israelites to turn their attention away from their own houses and to rebuilding of the church house. The time had come for them.
...and the time has come for us.
Today, the PCC family voted unanimously to build our first building. We have followed the commands of God to first put the needs of others above our own. We've given sacrificially to serve the church in Belize, the people in Mississippi, and those in need around us in Powhatan and Cumberland. We will continue to give time and money to these causes, but the season for us to focus some energy and resources on our building is upon us. The time has come.
I don't know if you can relate to the words that God spoke to Haggai, but I can. "you earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it." In other words, it goes out as fast as it comes in! And, "You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill." It seems that no matter how much I have, it's never enough. I never look around and say, "Wow. I just don't want one more thing!" There is always something else I'm convinced I need. But the reality is that I have all that I need already. God has blessed each of us with riches that exceed 99% of the population of the world. We live like royalty compared to most people on the planet. And, truth be told, we focus most of that wealth on...ourselves. Even those who tithe (Susan and I have been giving 10% of our income to the church for many years now) still focus the other 90% on ourselves.
But the time is upon us now...it's time to focus some of our resources on the building of our facility. This building will not house God because God cannot be limited to the confines of brick and mortar. Nor will it contain the church, because the church is the people, not the real estate. But what the building will do is allow us to Reach our fullest potential, one life at a time. There are 12,000 people around us who don't go to church anywhere. We can reach them. The building will give us greater flexibility and enhance our ability to reach people who are far from God and outside of other churches.
Now is the season for us to listen to God speak to each of us. He will call us to give sacrificially and boldly and courageously beyond our normal giving to make this building a reality. I hope you will commit this to prayer and respond to the voice of God in you.
The time has come. And what an exciting time it is!
Grateful to build with you,
Brian
Very well put Brian. I like the scripture relationship and really makes me think about how to serve God even more and put aside my petty wants. Jim
ReplyDeleteWe agree whole-heartedly – this is an exciting time at PCC! This is not just a building project in front of us – this is a time of building for eternity. Isn’t it exciting to know that we are not only building a building, but we are building for future generations! Our children, our grandchildren, great-grandchildren and on down through many generations will come into the building that we built to worship our Father and King. That is exciting!
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to fall into the attitude of thinking that what we have is ours. Paul says in Philippians that “my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. If we think of that verse as a promise from God, we really do not have any needs, because Jesus is all we need. Our family has learned over the years that we cannot out-give God. The more we give to Him, He gives far beyond our small portion. A 10% tithe is just a starting point. Malachi 3:10 gives a challenge from the Lord on tithing – that if we do our small 10%, then He will “pour out a blessing, and there will not be room enough to receive it”. No matter how much we give starting with that first 10%, we cannot out-give our Lord God. He has already blest us with our PCC family, and He has many more blessings in store for PCC! Dan & Susan