"We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord." (Ephesians 2:20,21) NLT
Tonight I received a call from a close friend. Unfortunately, we haven't been in communication with each other as much as I would like, due to "the typical 21st Century turmoil"-- life. As we spoke about our families, jobs, churches and our relationships with God, I realized that here was a relationship that I'd neglected to my own detriment.
Paul reminds us in Ephesians chapter two that when we, as believers, are "carefully joined together" we fulfill the role that God has assigned for us on this earth... we become a "holy temple for the Lord." Our relationships with other Christians are incredibly important. The foundation of these relationships is of prime importance. The foundation is "the apostles and the prophets". To put it plainly, the teachings of the apostles and prophets (the Bible, God's Word) is to be the foundation upon which we build our relationships and subsequently, God's church. A building built upon a faulty foundation cannot stand. Likewise, a building that is not "carefully joined together" cannot stand.
As my friend and I discussed the progression of our Christian walks and the lessons we learned as we worked together in the 90's, I began to get a mental picture of two buildings: one was a house of cards, the other was a brick house. There is a very important difference in how these two types of buildings are constructed.
On the other hand, a brick house is built by laying bricks end to end, and then placing layer upon layer. The first layer is put in place, a layer of mortar is applied, and then the second layer is very carefully laid on top of the first. This continues, with each layer being carefully laid upon the preceding layer.
Tonight I received a call from a close friend. Unfortunately, we haven't been in communication with each other as much as I would like, due to "the typical 21st Century turmoil"-- life. As we spoke about our families, jobs, churches and our relationships with God, I realized that here was a relationship that I'd neglected to my own detriment.
Paul reminds us in Ephesians chapter two that when we, as believers, are "carefully joined together" we fulfill the role that God has assigned for us on this earth... we become a "holy temple for the Lord." Our relationships with other Christians are incredibly important. The foundation of these relationships is of prime importance. The foundation is "the apostles and the prophets". To put it plainly, the teachings of the apostles and prophets (the Bible, God's Word) is to be the foundation upon which we build our relationships and subsequently, God's church. A building built upon a faulty foundation cannot stand. Likewise, a building that is not "carefully joined together" cannot stand.
As my friend and I discussed the progression of our Christian walks and the lessons we learned as we worked together in the 90's, I began to get a mental picture of two buildings: one was a house of cards, the other was a brick house. There is a very important difference in how these two types of buildings are constructed.
A House of Cards
A house of cards is typically built by taking two or three cards, standing them on their edges and leaning them against each other. Other cards are subsequently added in the same manner: they are stood on edge and then leaned against one of the cards that was just put in place.- If one of the first two cards in a card house is suddenly removed, the entire house will collapse.
A House of Bricks
On the other hand, a brick house is built by laying bricks end to end, and then placing layer upon layer. The first layer is put in place, a layer of mortar is applied, and then the second layer is very carefully laid on top of the first. This continues, with each layer being carefully laid upon the preceding layer.
- If one of the first two bricks in the wall of a brick house is suddenly removed, a portion of the structure may be weakened, but the integrity of the entire structure is not compromised (I witnessed this a couple weeks ago, when a car ran into a house down the street from us).
As I look back now on several churches of the 90's, I realize that some were built as a house of cards... they were dependent upon one or two strong personalities for their success. Each subsequent member that was added to the church was dependent upon the relationship they had with the individuals that were in prime leadership positions. The strength of the church was entirely dependent upon how successfully the leaders stood. If the leaders stumbled, or fell (and some did), then the church collapsed.
Successful churches are brick factories. They develop believers that become true disciples--people that are grounded in the Word of God, that can stand strong on their own relationship with God (ever try to stand one card up by itself? Try the same thing with a brick...which stands longer?). These disciples realize that even though they can stand on their own relationship with God their true purpose is to join with other believers to form a true "temple of the Lord."
The two churches that I've attended in the new millennium are awesome examples of brick factories. The leadership of my current church (Crossroads Christian Church) is not a cult of personality, but instead is a group of responsible elders working towards a goal of furthering God's kingdom in our city and around the globe. They are accountable to God and to the members of the church. They take their responsibility very seriously. At the same time, I feel that if any one of the leaders were to step aside, for any reason, the church would continue to grow. The strength of the church is based on the strength of the member's relationships with God, and how they are joined together as a body (their relationships with each other). The leadership is focused on discipling the members--developing/strengthening their relationships with God and each other--building bricks.
Another important component of the church Paul references in Ephesians chapter two is the "cornerstone." When building a stone foundation for an ancient structure, the cornerstone was the first stone laid. All of the other stones were aligned to it. The cornerstone of the true church is Jesus Christ. He provides direction for the church, and determines its layout. In modern buildings the cornerstone has become a ceremonial object--we must think of this scripture in its proper context. To Paul, the cornerstone was not merely a ceremonial object upon which the owner of the building placed his/her name--the cornerstone was instead the most important stone in the building.
So... looking at this scripture and the cards vs. bricks metaphor, we can derive the following practical applications:
Successful churches are brick factories. They develop believers that become true disciples--people that are grounded in the Word of God, that can stand strong on their own relationship with God (ever try to stand one card up by itself? Try the same thing with a brick...which stands longer?). These disciples realize that even though they can stand on their own relationship with God their true purpose is to join with other believers to form a true "temple of the Lord."
The two churches that I've attended in the new millennium are awesome examples of brick factories. The leadership of my current church (Crossroads Christian Church) is not a cult of personality, but instead is a group of responsible elders working towards a goal of furthering God's kingdom in our city and around the globe. They are accountable to God and to the members of the church. They take their responsibility very seriously. At the same time, I feel that if any one of the leaders were to step aside, for any reason, the church would continue to grow. The strength of the church is based on the strength of the member's relationships with God, and how they are joined together as a body (their relationships with each other). The leadership is focused on discipling the members--developing/strengthening their relationships with God and each other--building bricks.
Another important component of the church Paul references in Ephesians chapter two is the "cornerstone." When building a stone foundation for an ancient structure, the cornerstone was the first stone laid. All of the other stones were aligned to it. The cornerstone of the true church is Jesus Christ. He provides direction for the church, and determines its layout. In modern buildings the cornerstone has become a ceremonial object--we must think of this scripture in its proper context. To Paul, the cornerstone was not merely a ceremonial object upon which the owner of the building placed his/her name--the cornerstone was instead the most important stone in the building.
So... looking at this scripture and the cards vs. bricks metaphor, we can derive the following practical applications:
Criteria for selecting a church:
- Is Jesus Christ its source of direction?
- Is it built upon the foundation of God's Word?
- Is it a brick factory (or is it just a house of cards)?
Vitality of strong Christian relationships
It is very important that we are "carefully joined together" with other believers. It is through these relationships that the true temple of the Lord is formed. We cannot neglect our relationships with other believers! We cannot count on the relationships our leaders have with each other and with God to get us through this life.
- We have to know the Word in order to have a firm foundation upon which to build successful relationships with God and other believers.
- We have to work to maintain these relationships.
God, my prayer today is that you grant me wisdom. Help me be a brick. Help me form meaningful, God-centered relationships with other believers so that together we can build a temple that glorifies you. Help me exhibit this to my family--use me as an example that they can follow. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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