19th March 2006 AM

THEY CONTINUED TO MEET TOGETHER IN THE TEMPLE COURTS Pastor Linton Smith

Say the word ‘church’ and people will think of different things.

Some will think of something they do – we go to church.

Some will think of buildings - some of cathedrals, high roofs, spires and altars; some of much simpler and plainer buildings; some of converted warehouses.

Others will think of a group of people – believers both local and worldwide.

And when it comes to church buildings, some will say they are necessary. And others will ask, Why? Why not meet in homes.. or rented halls?

Before I came to Riverton I served a church in Canberra. For just over 2 years we used our own very small facilities during the week and met on Sundays in school halls. Then we built our own building. What a change! Then we did not have to transport all manner of things to the hall on a Sunday. Then we had roomy facilities for meetings and ministries during the week.

I believe in church buildings.

My thinking about church buildings is shaped by three truths. First..

THE CHURCH IS PEOPLE, NOT A BUILDING.

At the time of Jesus there was a magnificent temple in Jerusalem.

King Herod had begun to build it 46 years before. It was still being built and would not be finished for about another 35 years. In about AD 62 there were still 18,000 workmen on the job [Ant. Jud., XX, ix, 7].

One day Jesus entered the Temple courts and was distressed by what he saw – people selling animals and birds for sacrifices and changing money. He plaited a whip out of cords.. turned over their tables.. and drove them all out.

The people challenged Him. What right have you to do these things?

John tells us in John 2:19-21.. Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

He was saying.. destroy my body.. and I will raise it up again.. within 3 days.

And He was saying, My body is the temple! God lives in me. I am God!

He did rise from the dead.. and some time later the Apostle Paul described how God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion..

And went on to say in Ephesians 1:22,23.. God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

The church is His body. The church is the Temple in which God lives.

Paul expands on this in..

Ephesians 2:19-22.. You are.. fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

The church is people.. people who have been born again through faith in the Lord Jesus. They are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. They are God’s Temple!

The church is people, not a building. This building.. or the one being built.. is not Riverton Baptist Church. The people who meet here.. are Riverton Baptist Church. The sign at the front is wrong!

That brings me to the second truth that shapes my thinking about church buildings.

A CHURCH BUILDING IS A MEETING PLACE FOR THE CHURCH.

The very first believers met together in the temple courts and in their homes. In The Acts of the Apostles we read..

Acts 2:46,47.. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 5:12.. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.

These colonnades were magnificent. The raised area on which the Temple was built was about 300 x 450 metres. It was enclosed by a wall all the way around.. and just inside the walls were these covered colonnades.. with rows of white marble columns.. over 11 metres high.. and covered with a roof.

This is where the very early believers met.. every day.. Here they praised God.. here they prayed.. here they were taught by the Apostles.. here they encouraged one another..

It is important that believers meet together.. it is God’s will that we meet!

In Hebrews 10:25 we read.. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Where do we meet? We meet in homes and some other places.. and here in this building. God willing, in a year’s time we will be meeting in a new and larger building. The building is not the church. It is a meeting place for the church.

I hope our new sign will read.. not.. Riverton Baptist Church.. but something like.. Meeting Place of Riverton Baptist Church.. or Riverton Baptist Church meets here.. or even Riverton Baptist Church Community Centre.

That brings me to the third truth that shapes my thinking about church buildings.

A CHURCH BUILDING IS A PLACE WHERE THE CHURCH MINISTERS.

What sort of things did the early believers do when they met? They praised God, prayed, were taught, encouraged one another.. AND.. they ministered to people.

The very early believers used the Temple courts as a place of ministry.

In the Acts of the Apostles we read about a crippled man.. who was being carried to a Temple gate.. to beg there.. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple courts.. he began to beg.. then we read in..

Acts 3:7,8.. Taking him by the right hand, he [Peter] helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

The New Testament tells us only a snippet of what the new believers did.

I am confident that this kind of thing took place quite often.. in or near the temple courts.. that the believers ministered to hundreds.. perhaps thousands of people.. meeting their needs.

Later in Acts we read..

Acts 5:21.. At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

Acts 5:42.. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

The early believers used the temple courts as a place for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

Then we read in Acts 6:1,2.. In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together..

Where did this meeting take place? Where else but the Temple courts? Here food was distributed.. daily.. to the needy.

They used the temple courts as a place for ministry.

A church building should be just that.. a place where the church ministers to people.. all sorts of people.

And it is God’s will that we minister.

Peter writes.. 1 Peter 4:10.. Each one should use whatever gift he has to serve others.

The church is people, not a building.

The building we are constructing will be a place for Riverton Baptist Church to meet.. and to minister.

It will not be the only place we meet or minister. Individually and in small groups we will continue to meet and minister in many other places.. in homes.. at places of work.. in cafes.. in aged care facilities.. in gaols.. the list could go on.

But it will be a centre for those ministries.. and it will be a place where the church ministers.

That is how this building is being used.. This last week.. starting with Sunday.. about 850 people have passed through this building.. People have taken home bread.. young people have participated in brigades and other activities.. people have been inspired.. people have found strength as someone listened to them.. and prayed for them..

Imagine what it will be like in the expanded building!

I see it being used seven days a week.

I see people praising God.. praying.. being taught.

I see human needs being met.

I see people hearing the good news of Jesus Christ.. and meeting Jesus Christ.. and then serving Him here.. and around the world.

Be part of this!

Be part of it when it is built. Be part of it now!

Let God move you to give.. and give as He leads.

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