BUILDING PONDEROSA – 1 Kings 6:11
“Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgements, keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you which I spoke to your father David and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”
This is a message for Solomon - the leader of the people Israel as well as for us in our modern day – 3000 years later. They were beginning the monumental project of building the temple. And God spoke to Solomon and gave him some good advice. The presence of God would be important in the temple, the presence of God is important here. That’s what worship is all about! So long as we are aware of the presence of holiness - the presence of God’s majesty, his power - his glory – we’re OK. That’s why we come here.
The message is to Solomon – the leader – this message is to our next preacher – the leader of the flock Ponderosa Baptist Church. He’s not here of course – but this is a sermon for him. He’ll be the one who leads us in the next stage of our building program. He’ll be the one God will speak to. God is saying to Solomon - "My presence in this house you are going to build - will depend on the kind of person you are." if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgements, keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you which I spoke to your father David and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
Who the pastor is and what he is - is important to spiritual health of any church. Let’s preach this sermon to the next pastor of Ponderosa.
The building of the temple – 950 years before the birth of Jesus is a high water mark in the history of God’s people.
There was a place for the people to worship during their whole history – beginning with the time they escaped from Egypt – went to Sinai – and God gave them instructions for a tent – a moveable temple – one they could take with them during the 40 years in the wilderness.
But that was all over - the wilderness wandering was over many years ago – and the tabernacle was still the central place for Israel’s worship.
In the words of David, “I dwell in a house of Cedar and my God lives in a tent.” It wasn’t right in his mind – he wanted to build the temple – but because he had been a man of war –and killing – God prevented him from doing that – and it fell Solomon’s lot – to do that job. The temple would be the center of the community - the place where the people came regularly to meet God. Solomon must have been concerned about this and sometime in the process of building – the word of the Lord came to him with this good advice. Let’s look at what He said and remember, he is saying it to the leader of the nation.
I. THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO SOLOMON.
A. The word of the Lord comes to people who are listening. Solomon for all his faults was God’s man – with all his faults he knew how to listen to the voice of God speaking to him. The word of the Lord came to Solomon. Remember now, this is a sermon for the preacher, the one who wrote the book of Proverbs – Eccliastes – Song of Solomon.
B. The word of the Lord comes to us – preachers and all Christians, when we know how that:
1. Prayer is a two sided conversation.
a. We can tell God all about our lives – our building – our church – our family – and about our personal wants and needs.
b. Do that – God is listening – the line is open – talk to him – he will always hear you. He wants me to do that - he wants you to do it too.
2. But let’s know this – when we pray – We are talking to God – and He is talking to us. Our prayer is not a one way conversation to somebody who cannot speak back. God is as able to communicate as I am and as you are. The word of the Lord came to Solomon – and the word of the Lord comes to me and to you – WHEN WE LISTEN. ARE WE LISTENING?
II. CONCERNING THIS TEMPLE WHICH YOU ARE BUILDING.
A. Israel was undertaking a marvelous building project.
1. God knew all about it – more about it than Solomon knew.
2. God was ready to help him.
3. God had some conditions – he would help him if . . .
B. We are beginning to think about another building project.
1. We are building a life – you may be building a family – We are even building the church.
a. All three of these projects are marvelous in their own right.
(1) What is more important to you than your life? Jesus said, “What would a man give in exchange for his own soul?
(2) Is our family relationships part of our important building project? I’m going to tell you that it is – and it becomes even more important as the years go by. When Jean and I talk about any of our kids – you may notice the tears in our eyes – because we love them. They are important - I’m sure you feel the same way about your family - kids - parents.
(3) Our church is an important building project. If you don’t know that – trust me – it is important to our life – to the life of our families – and to the life of the community and the world.
(a) Paul said, Ephesians 4:11 “And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (Building up of the body of Christ.)
b. All of these projects - building our lives – building our family relationships, and building our church are marvelous building projects in their own right. They deserve the very best effort we can give them.
C. And so much depends on the pastor. Now He won’t be a king - I know that - but he will be the leader - and he will have some of the same responsibilities as the leader of Israel. God wan’s to be here - but there’s a condition - the leader has to "walk in My statutes, execute My judgements, keep all my commandments and walk in them."
1. Now that’s a tall order.
a. Keep God’s rules. God hasn’t changed his mind about morality - about goodness - about patience - about long-suffering - about forgiveness. His rule is wrapped up in one statement Jesus made. "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you, and by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another."
b. Execute my judgements. When he’s confronted with a decision, he’ll have to ask, "What would Jesus do? What does God want? And then make his decision based on that question.
c. Keep my commandments and walk in them. Now this is what God expects of any leader. No group of people ever rise any higher than their leader. It’s an awesome responsibility.
III. THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PASTOR - APPLIES TO EVERY CHRISTIAN.
A. You have a responsibility to all of those who look to you as an example.
1. You have the privilege of having people watch you – watch your life – watch the way you live – watch what you do – watch what you don’t do. And people are judging not only you, but your church and even more than that, they are judging Jesus by the way you act. That responsibility is really your privilege. God help us not to live below our privilege.
IV. LET’S PRAY FOR EACH OTHER.
A. Pray for the pastor who is to follow me. When you seen him doing something you don’t agree with - don’t whisper that fact to somebody else - tell him. When you are disappointed in him – tell him. He’s God’s man, he’s worth telling, even it is becomes uncomfortable.
B. You should pray for him and he should pray for you.
So the fact is - I have failed in all of this. I have not walked in his statutes - I have not executed his judgements - I have not kept all his commandments - and God is here - right now - how come?
Because of Jesus - Jesus takes up some slack - his death is redeeming - and we’re grateful - but we cannot take that as a license to do wrong.
God has high expectations of his pastor - and high expectations of his people. We can do right and people will experience Him in here - and we can do wrong and mess it up. God will always be here - but our awareness of that presence depends on the way I am and the way the pastor will be and the way you are.
