God is Building His Church
By Bob Goyer
God is the Master Architect.
He has drawn the plans for the Body, the Church, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of God... His building. He is not drawing up the plans that are dependent on how we go. The blueprint of Jesus' Body was drawn up long ago. And now He is building His church. He is framing the Church and fitting it together according to His blueprint.
"In whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:21-22)
Man cannot build it. Man doesn't even know what the plans look like. John the beloved had some insight. But even what he saw he couldn't describe fully. He could only relate to it according to what he knew.
Each one of us is a living stone that the Master Architect has designed to be put in the right place, in order to build the Church. Our responsibility is to allow Him to form us so we can be put in the right place. But, He won't place us until we are ready.
"You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)
Why do you think the church is so fixated on physical buildings and organized systems? The reason is because it's a counterfeit way that the enemy has encouraged and supported. He doesn't want the real thing. As long as man is building the Church, Satan is OK with that.
The early church did not have Christian books, tapes, conferences, TV, radio, etc., in order to know how to build the Church. What they did have that trumps anything modern man can devise, is the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide. If we would simply allow the Holy Spirit to do His work, the Church would be built. Man is his own worst enemy. Man has complicated something that is actually very easy.
God has not stopped building His church. However, the building process would have progressed a lot further if man would just get out of the way.
"... He who started a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)
In some ways I think it would be much better if all Christians would just stop what they are doing. Lock up all the books, tapes, etc., stop going to conferences, stop listening to what man has to say, wait on the Lord and seek to be drawn into His presence... only. If each Christian would simply lay down their lives, yield to the Holy Spirit, repent of pride and selfishness and exalt Jesus, we would see a demonstration of just how He would build the Church.
Currently, we see the result of man interfering with the building process. The Body of Christ is largely dysfunctional and only slightly influential in world events. It's focused more on building programs than lost souls. You would think with all the money, time and effort being poured into buildings, conferences, satellite TV programs reaching the world etc, that the Church would be much further along than it is, in the building process. I submit that things I mentioned are actually part of the problem.
Just imagine with me for a minute. Imagine if all churches closed their doors, all Christian TV and radio stations shut down, and all books and CD's were thrown away. Imagine that each believer waited on the Lord, praying, worshipping Jesus Christ and allowing Him to take over the building process. Personally, I think we'd see a revival like none other.
I was saved in the early 70's as the Charismatic Movement was picking up momentum. For over 20 years I was deeply involved in church leadership. Later, I transitioned from the Charismatic to the Prophetic Movement. I appreciate what happened during those years and I'm thankful to the Lord for what I learned and experienced. As good as it was though, as far as I'm concerned, it was mostly about building man's kingdom and not building the Body of Christ.
My commitment now is to allow the Lord to do the building instead of me. I'm committed to waiting on Him verses trying to do it my own way, or depending on man.
Bob Goyer, Marion OH, USA
[email protected]