The other day I was playing with my sons. We were building a house out of blocks. Up and up the structure went until it would reach a certain point, and, then it toppled over. So we’d start over. Higher and higher the blocks would go until they fell over. This happened a couple of times and finally, Joshua, our oldest, said, “I’m sure glad nobody lives in our house.”
It got me to thinking about our dwelling place as Christians. I’m not referring to our church or any other physical structure. I’m talking about the place we dwell as God’s children through faith; the spiritual house of God. I’d like to consider that thought this morning: WE DWELL IN GOD’S HOUSE 1) Even if our hearts try to evict us, and because 2) It’s Where His Heart Is.
Home Sweet Home. There’s no other place like it, right? What is it that makes a house a “home”? If a guest were to stay at your home, I’m sure he’d find all sorts of proof that it is your place. There’d be the pictures of family and other knick-knacks. You might have some mail lying on the counter addressed to you. And the most obvious – you might have your last name either mounted on some sort of plaque outside the front door, or labeled on the mailbox.
There are certain curios that make God’s house unique and distinguished. St. John explains: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
There is a certain ornament or heirloom that is unique to God’s house. It is love shown in actions and truth. God’s children don’t give lip service to the idea of love, but they put some feet on their words. It is important that what we say reflects the love of Christ. That’s because words can be deceptive, even empty. Actions are always direct and truthful. To say, “I love you”, can be a hollow statement, especially if one’s actions are contrary to the statement. To say, “I love you” and to follow it with a kiss, or to say, “I love you” and back it up with a deed of kindness, this is truthful. There is no potential for falsehood then. It is to be even more so in our Christian lives. For a Christian to say, “I love you”, means those words will be backed up with appropriate actions. It means we offer encouragement, instruction, admonition, charity, or prayer.
If someone were always criticizing, gossiping, or backbiting, would you consider that person to be very loving? I don’t think so. If we say that we care about each other and then do nothing to help in time of need, what does that make us out to be? It makes us liars. You don’t need me to tell you this. Our own hearts convict us of this truth.
We might try to deny the whole matter, though, and pass the blame onto others. We like to turn the tables and say such things as, “Well, if people were nicer to me, maybe I’d be kind to them.” To say such a thing is to be nothing more than a liar. If we tie conditions to our love and kindness, making it dependant on the action of others – “I’ll love if you love me” – then we might as well take Christ himself, stuff him in an old storage trunk and pack him away in mothballs.
What we’re saying is that we don’t need Christ or appreciate all he’s done for us. We turn God’s good home of faith and love into a slum and his children into beggars. We take his tokens of love and charity and plaster them with the trash of selfishness, greed, and arrogance.
We all know that we have hated rather than shown compassion. We’ve gotten frustrated rather than demonstrated patience. We’ve been cold and calloused towards one another when God calls us to be gentle and kind. And our own hearts try to evict us. We become plagued with guilt. We begin to think that we really don’t belong in God’s family. And so we’re tempted to just up and leave before we get thrown out.
It’s true. Our hearts do condemn us. We fall short in so many things. We don’t always love as God’s children. We might feel like homeless beggars who don’t deserve God’s blessing or the company of fellow Christians. When guilt wells up in your soul and your heart threatens to evict you from God’s family, then remember this blessed truth: “God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” God is bigger than our hearts or anyone else that might condemn us. God assures us that wherever we have fallen behind in love, out of weakness, our faults and failures are covered up with the warm blanket of Christ’s righteousness.
We are not homeless beggars. We are God’s beloved children. We dwell in the Lord’s house. The truth is that we have Christ’s love wrapped around us, covering all our guilt and resentment. For every time we have failed to rise to the occasion to love as Christ loves us, for all the times we’ve denied his love claiming that we’re unforgivable, there is Jesus’ heart, full of perfect warmth and compassion, showering love on all, and covering over a multitude of sins!
There’s a saying, “Home is where the heart is.” How true when it comes to God’s house. We have the very heart of Christ. Jesus’ love is perfect. And we are wrapped up in such a love. Jesus’ great love for us has made us children of God. God covers up our sins, and as a result, our hearts cannot condemn us. We can look to God with fresh confidence, knowing we are forgiven. And our hearts find peace.
That’s the foundation of our faith. St. John tells us about this foundation: “To believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” That’s the foundation to God’s house. It’s faith in his Son as it is expressed in deeds of love. If you were to give someone directions to your home, you’d give the street name, house number, and then you’d probably get more specific. You might say something such as, “it’s the third house on the left,” or, “the one with the green shutters.” You’d describe it in detail, so that the person would know exactly what to look for. But you’d describe the exterior, not the interior. You wouldn’t likely tell your friend to look for the blue couch in the living room.
Well, that’s exactly what God is doing for us here. You want to know what God’s house looks like, well, look at how he describes it. He describes the interior, though. Understand that God cares little for the color of shutters or sides of streets. God isn’t so concerned that his house have a 40’ steeple, huge stained glass windows, or a massive pipe organ. He isn’t really interested in the 8,000-seat auditorium, the plush nursery, or the state-of-the-art sound system. God really isn’t interested in grand recreation rooms for the youth. Now, none of those exterior designs are bad in and of themselves. Yet, if all we look for in God’s house is the exterior design, then we miss the point. God doesn’t want us to be preoccupied with “feel-good” accessories in an attempt to try to validate our worth and sense of belonging. God knows that entertainment or interior design doesn’t change lives, and it doesn’t retain souls.
Still, we’re tempted to think that we need to give God some decorating tips. God’s house needs some fun! It needs a makeover, or a remodeling job. A lot of churches build huge facilities, offer program after program of social activities, and they throw in all sorts of “sanctified fun and games.” They attract lots of people, but it is seldom seen as a family. Instead it’s more like an audience – each person is there to simply satisfy his/her own needs, and doesn’t really care about anyone else. What happens is that the heart is cut out of God’s home. When we focus on what we feel God’s family needs, then we’re denying the heart of Christ. Our focus will always end up on what we think is important to our faith. I could stand here and tell what I think our church needs to be competitive, successful, and on the “cutting edge.” And I could tell you all I think you need to do in order to prove you’re God’s child. I could say you need to visit a shut-in, a hospital patient, or help out at a rescue mission. I could tell you that only real Christians park far away from Winn-Dixie and leave the closer spots for someone else, or that only true believers are good parents, children, or spouses. What have I done? I’ve just decorated God’s house with spray paint instead of fine latex. I’ve made window treatments out of dirty bed sheets. I’ve insisted that my own heart is good enough. God’s isn’t necessary.
What happens when we cut out each other’s hearts? What happens when we fall into sin and don’t love one another? Who’s to blame? Your faith or lack of faith? Your fellow Christian? Your God? You want to be free of guilt and resentment over your failures and sins? You want to know how you can have confidence and peace? Know that Christ loves you. Period. He has done everything well for you. End of discussion! He is your perfect Savior and Brother. Understand God has forgiven you. When you realize that truth, you will freely pour your heart out to your heavenly Father. You will worship your Savior with confidence and peace. And it won’t matter what music style is used, or what kind of technology is available. You will live like God’s child because you believe he has made you his own.
The Christian faith is not mainly about what you can do for God, it’s first about what God has done for you. The Holy Spirit has made God’s heart known to us. God has wrapped you up in his heart. He has poured his love onto you. It is in this sense of confidence that we dare turn our hearts towards one another and strive to love again.
The fact that we love one another is proof of Christ’s love for us. None of us deserve each other’s love. We’re all capable of doing and saying things that are utterly heartless and cruel (we may have even done and said some of the things.) Yet, the fact we are still here in this congregation is not of our design. If we were designing God’s home, we’d put walls where there ought to be doors. We’d decorate it with our own trinkets and “feel-good” knickknacks. Yet, God tears down walls and remodels our lives according to his heart. God’s home is where his heart is. It’s designed around his forgiveness. God’s house is designed around those who strive to hold onto his Word in all its truth. It’s designed for those who strive to forgive, even as they’ve been forgiven.
Have you ever gone away on a long trip, either on a vacation or business travel? How did you feel when you came home? I’m sure you felt relieved. You felt a sense of comfort and security. Well, remember that you dwell in God’s house. The Spirit has made you one with the Father thorough faith in his Son. No matter where you travel in this life, you have a place in God’s home with his family. Amen.
