God is Building His Church (Seven powerful & practical ways to embrace your role when it doesn’t look like what He said it would.)
At church, we’re going through the book of Ephesians, which some call the Local Church book. It’s called that because it clarifies the mystery of the Church and informs us of its purpose and structure. In our series at church, we’re answering three hot-button questions that people are asking in culture today:
Is the church necessary or even Biblical in its current context?
Is the church doing more harm than good?
Is the local church a viable solution for community and belonging? (When we find community in other places like work, school, our kid’s extracurricular groups, etc.)
We recently covered Ephesians chapter two and discussed how God builds His church; our main focus of the message was how we can respond when we don’t like how He builds. Let me explain…
Not many will disagree when we say, “It is God who builds The Church.” But when we ask, “How does He build the church?” Many of us may not know how to answer that question, yet all of us would be able to explain how (from our own perspective) the Bride of Christ is imperfect.
Using Ephesians 2 as our guide, we see that appointed men and women will make decisions that align with Christ, the Cornerstone, and those decisions will make them more holy. Together, each of us is being raised up in Christ Jesus, in holiness, and God is leading us in that process and building in us for himself a dwelling place.
Now, on to the decisions of men and women that are frustrating… because, let’s be real, this is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we want and need our theology and faith strengthened.
How does someone else’s frustrating decision build holiness in me?
Let’s go to scripture to find out.
Turn to Exodus 7:13-8:19.
The first verse we’ll read says, “And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.” Wait, what? Here’s the story: God meets Moses at the burning bush and tells him to go to Pharaoh and say, “Let my people go, that they may worship me in the wilderness for three days.” Moses argues that he isn’t eloquent enough, and God convicts him, reminding him that He is the creator of man’s mouth. Ultimately, Moses obeys and returns to Egypt to converse with Pharaoh. When Moses speaks with Pharaoh, the Bible says what we just read… “And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.”
Pharaoh told Moses no and did not let the Children of Israel go. In fact, he said no, ten times; thus, God brought on the Egyptians and all who lived among them the 10 plagues.
I’ve been in situations thinking, “But God, you said…and I’m seeing something different.” Just like Moses knowing God said he’d free the Children of Israel but also experiencing Pharaoh’s no. Moses had to discern what God was doing to write God was hardening Pharaoh’s heart in the Pentateuch. Here is what we can gather from this scripture for our own learning:
There was purpose in the promise and in the “no.”
You see, God needed to show the superpower of the Ancient World, Egypt, and His chosen family, Israel, that He was God and no one else was. He is all-powerful. There are no other gods before him.
God’s purpose in the Pharaoh’s “no” was to purify the Children of Israel. It’s the same with us.
We’re not completely innocent, just like the Children of Israel were not innocent. They were in Egypt for so long that they picked up the unholy behaviors and mindsets of the Egyptians, and God, wanting to dwell among his chosen people, had to see them made holy, set apart for His purpose, first.
Have you been in a “But God, you said…” situation? Perhaps it’s in ministry, business, health, finances, singleness, or family. We’ve all been in situations where someone did the opposite of what God said would happen. Maybe that someone was US!
Remember, God builds the house through our choosing to align ourselves to Christ, our Cornerstone, which is us leaning into the process of being made holy (sanctification). God builds us up together when we, the individuals that make up The Church, recognize we are appointed to make these decisions that reflect Christ’s character and welcome the presence of God into our lives.
So what do we do when God is building His church, and we’re not seeing the promise we wholeheartedly believed was made? We’re hurt and frustrated and waiting longer than we expected for the fulfillment of the promise. What do we do with our hearts, time, and attention instead of spinning out or quitting?
May I share what I learned from a personal experience about 8 years ago? Here are seven powerful and practical things we can do to embrace our role in the “building up” process and align ourselves with Christ, our cornerstone.
Seven things we can do when God is building His church and we don’t understand why we don’t see promises fulfilled (yet):
Instead of chasing momentum, chase development.
As humans, we’ll feel the momentum. We’re drawn to whatever or whoever is moving. We’re attracted to movement. Unfortunately, even if that movement is in the wrong direction. The Word, as our anchor, shapes our values and convictions. It keeps us from chasing every exciting thing that ultimately makes us unstable.
So lean into each situation and ask the Lord, “What can I learn from this?” “What are you trying to teach me?” Discover where you can repent, reset, or renew your efforts and grow! Identify and strengthen the area in your soul that wants to follow momentum rather than remain faithful.
Instead of choosing whose side you want to be on or looking for a way out, remain obedient to God's last clear instructions.
It’s so easy to want to choose someone’s side, especially if we love them or if culture tugs at us to pick a side in a situation. We live in an era where many let other people's decisions determine how committed they’ll be to the Cause of Christ. Rather, choose to remain immovable.
Remind yourself that just because it burns doesn’t mean it’s bad. Let’s talk about sacrifice for a minute. You and I, as Christians, are a living sacrifice. We are daily giving up our desires to live a life designed by God. Our life of sacrifice is an “acceptable” worship to the Lord. (Ref. Romans 12:1-2) Living sold out for the Lord is the least we could do in return for all He’s done for us. So when choosing humility and forgiveness burns, embrace the mess of it all; it’s burning away our pride and the seeds of bitterness that could choke us later. TIP: Counseling helps with this!
Instead of being emotional, be missional. Yes, emotions are from God. Yes, emotions are signals that should inform us to ask questions. But no, emotions do not make our decisions. Emotions should inform our decisions but not make them. It’s important in situations where God is building His church, and we’re not sure why it’s happening this way or that, to remain on the mission. Remember your WHY. Remember your Word from the Lord. Rest and adjust expectations to care for yourself and your loved ones, but don’t give up the mission. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Instead of being nearsighted, think long-term. Life is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. Think of the long-term benefits of faithfulness in studying the Bible and being planted in a church community. Think of the long-term benefits of faithfulness and purity in your marriage. Think of the long-term benefits of personal development in specific skills and strengths in the workplace.
Look for the Hand of God instead of staring at the closed door. May I frame in your expectations here? Instead of looking for the hand of God to open another door, look for the hand of God to grab hold of it and develop a deeper trust in the sovereignty of God. Learn how to trust the sovereignty of God more than the decisions of the people of God or others. Bonus: This also produces the Fruit of the Spirit: Joy, Faithfulness, and Self-control.
Lastly, prayerfully step out in faith. Believe for the impossible to be done in and through you. Get people to pray for and with you as you take your next steps. Don’t take these steps alone.
Each of these points is another way to say to embrace the process of sanctification and the hand of God in your life that is building you up and making you more holy.
1 Peter 2:19 tells us, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Proverbs 21:1 tells us the King's heart is in the Lord's hand, and He turns it in whatever direction he wants to.
As a member of God’s royal family,
is your heart surrendered in the hand of God?
When life happens, when church members or leaders make decisions that appear to be opposite to what you think should happen, will your life remain surrendered to the hand of God on your life? Will you remain faithful when God builds His house, however he decides?
God has been building His church through imperfect people since the beginning of the Church in Acts. Daily remind yourself: You are chosen, you are valuable, and you are anointed. You are not alone.
May the following scriptures encourage you as you follow and serve Him faithfully as He builds His church.
Ephesians 2: 8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2: 19-22 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Final Thought: We see in part. We understand in part. (Ref. 1 Corinthians 13: 12) But there are times, like with Moses, we’re sure we know what should happen and how. I’m so grateful for scripture, which shows us these vulnerable leadership moments so that we can learn from them and serve our promise-keeping God with confidence. He will build is church and he will keep his promise to you.
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To access the Ephesians series from our church, click here for Ephesians chapter one, and you’ll see the rest of the series there.