When Building God A House Series

I Kings 6:1-8:66; II Chronicles 2:1-7:22

Pre-intro – Some of my fondest high school memories aren’t of school at all. They’re from the summers. I had the privilege of living in CO and taking backpack trips through our church camp there. They were great! We’d pack in 10 miles or so, carrying everything we needed to live for the week, set up camp, and then spend the days hiking around, climbing mountains, and fishing. It was beautiful scenery. For me, one of the greatest features was going places mostly untouched by people. There were no roads, no buildings, no traffic noise, no pollution. We’d hike around, but I especially liked to visit the water. I did a lot of fishing in lakes and streams that were as clear and as beautiful as they get. On one of the excursions we took, out in the middle of nowhere, where there were no people and no signs of people, we found an old silver mine. Not only was there a mine, but there was a sluice and tons of equipment – a boiler, rails, steal cables – tons of it. It was over 100 years old. And it occurred to me: someone also had been there before! In fact, how on earth did anyone get all that stuff there? They didn’t have helicopter drops in the late 1800’s! One thing was sure: it didn’t get there on its own. In fact, it had taken several people a lot of hard work to haul all that stuff in there and set it all up. It’s that way with anything big – every building, every project got there on purpose – not by chance or accident.

Every week here we have a group of volunteers who set up and tear down for whatever events are going on. Sometimes it takes a lot of moving furniture, even the walls, and when it’s all over, it all has to be set up for the next thing. Remember that when you see it. It didn’t just get there by accident.

The same is true of this building. Many of you were here as it was built. You know, as does anyone who sees it, it didn’t get here by chance. It took some deliberate effort to build a building for God’s use. Ask anyone who’s been involved in a church building project – it’s a lot of work. It takes a lot of sacrifice. Right now, outside by where the vans are parked, we’re staking off to build a garage. It has already been a lot of work. These things just don’t build themselves!

Today, we’re going to talk about what ought to go on in God’s House – especially about building God’s House.

(end of pre-intro. Break to song set, Lord’s Supper, Offering)

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Israel went through a period of just over 300 years where they had no king. That’s not good, because during that time, everyone just did what was right in his own eyes. That’s why we’re wisely concerning ourselves with all of the unrest in the Middle East these days. God had given Israel good leadership – prophets and judges – but Israel decided they wanted more. “Give us a king!” they said, “Like all the other nations have!” Samuel, God’s prophet at that time, was disappointed, but under God’s instruction he anointed, appointed, and installed Saul, son of Kish, as the 1st king of Israel.

(move over by crown)

He was an impressive man. He just looked kingly. He became an impulsive man, and finally an obsessive and jealous man. So, God took the kingdom from him and handed it over to David. The David and Goliath scene was really just a taste of what was to come. David was a fascinating mix of faithfulness and failure, of singer and soldier.

(move over by sword)

It was David who paid to marry Saul’s daughter Michal by going out and killing 300 Philistines.

Just last night, we had people camping out here. It was fun! But part of what makes camping out fun is knowing that you don’t have to stay there forever. You don’t live in that tent – it’s just for a short time.

Well, David began to feel bad about having a nice house while God was still being worshiped in a tent, he set his heart to build a house for God – a temple. But God told him,

1 Chronicles 28:3 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'

Instead, it would be his son. David at least helped collect materials, and the building plans were all drawn up before he died. He died before God had a nice house, but not before his son was installed as king.