Ephesians 2: 20 – 22 says:
“. . . having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. “
Building people or organizations is not an easy task. God calls us to build people, who will in turn help to build organizations. You can’t build a successful organization if you don’t have the right builders/laborers. In the same way, God built the man before He built the ministry.
There are a lot of people building, but God did not call them to build. Building requires the gift, anointing and talent to do so. Furthermore, you have to build from a plan – a blueprint – and the blueprint is always given by the Head of the construction, that is, the Visionary/Visionaries. Oftentimes, the builders on the construction site want to dictate what should be in the plan. Sometimes they want to ignore what is in the plan and want to change the drawing, which ultimately causes delay and a host of problems.
The laborer’s role is to follow the plan! Every laborer has different skills; the plumber would not be assigned to do the work of the mason! No building is built overnight. It is hard work, especially when it comes to the foundation, it takes long hours, sweat, tears, debris removal, opposition, competition, deception, depression, discouragement, complaints, rebellion, Sanballat & Tobiah, False Prophets that are all there to stop the work! Sometimes we have to build without seeing the resources – building by faith!
Matthew 7: 24 – 29 lets us know that a person or group can build anything they want to build. Some build on sand and others build on solid rock! We build on the Solid Rock – Who is Jesus Christ!
There are two (2) types of builders – the Wise Builder and the Foolish Builder. The Wise Builder builds on the rock and the Foolish Builder builds on sand.
Every building must and will be tested with Wind, Storm and Rain. Can the building you are building stand the test? Anything God did not build or plant He will tear down or uproot.
The devil only fights a building that has the right dimensions because he knows it will stand. When Nehemiah was building, if he did not know God, he would stop the building. The enemy even paid prophets to prophesy lying words.
When God is building a mighty building, He does both spiritually and physically. What it means is that the laborers will constantly go under pruning, training, re-training, mind renewal, transformation and constant changing in order to maintain effectiveness and be maintained as a part of the organization.
Building requires commitment, faithfulness, unity, sacrifice, hardship and total focus on the finished work! In building, many may think that the architect/visionary(ies) don’t know what they are doing! If the laborers don’t think they know what they are doing, then they are also saying that they don’t think God knows what He is doing! If there is no hardship or struggle in the building process, then it is not of God! (I Corinthians 3: 8 – 9)
Everyone on the building site will receive his/her reward according to his/her own labor. There is constant evaluation during the building process! Once the foundation is laid for the building, each person will need to stick to the plan. (I Corinthians 3: 10) If a person comes with a different way of building, God will move them! Anything that does not line up with Christ’s Word – including His suffering, death and resurrection – He is going to uproot it. Any material used to build, which is not prescribed by God, that is, not what He required – your heart, motive, attitude and action, God will test to see what you are about! (I Corinthians 3: 13)
Gold, silver and precious stones speak of sound doctrine and living a life of fidelity to the truth. This leading converts to spiritual maturity. To build with would, hay and straw, is building with perishable materials, inadequate or unsound teaching, or to compromise the truth by demonstrating a lifestyle that contradicts or fails to align with the model!
Every leader will stand accountable before God; and every laborer will do the same! (II Corinthians5: 10; Hebrews 13: 17; Matthew 16: 18)
Many want to build, but don’t want the Lord to build them by purging and pruning them! A person’s academic qualifications are not the qualifying factors for building! A person needs a revelation from the Holy Spirit of God which will allow illumination and transformation in the congregation! Then we go to nations!
Regardless of how brilliant our ideas are, if we don’t pray or live a holy life, success will not be guaranteed! Holiness does not only relate to sexual sins or sexual purity, but rebellion, hypocrisy, slander, negative speaking, disloyalty, bitterness and unfaithfulness are part of un-holiness! You are God’s building and the image of the people as buildings under construction highlight the responsibility of church leaders to be faithful regardless of what we go through.
Let us unite and build to the Glory of God!