Three Attitudes Regarding Building of The Church

Waking up every morning, I would go eagerly to the window and observe the progress of the church construction. Right now, the exterior wooden frame has been erected. At dusk when the workers have departed, I would walk into the site and wander among the wall supports, assessing the latest building condition. Where is the worship assembly? Where is the fellowship room? Where is the ancillary hall? The locations have been clearly marked. My thoughts go to the day when we will be preaching God¡¦s wonderful truth, spreading Jesus Christ¡¦s gospel of peace, and testifying to new guests about the preciousness of the grace of salvation in these rooms. Here as well, together with our brothers and sisters, we will learn the Word of God, sing hymns of praise, pray with one mind, have fellowship with one and another, and encourage each other. When I think of these things that will soon be, my heart is thrilled.

Thank God for His salvation, election and coordination, so that we are able at this historic moment to build a testifying lampstand on No. 5 Rd in His name. This construction project involves not only a building of wood and rock, but also a pile of living stones, being built by God into a spiritual house that is His holy dwelling. While the outward construction work is going full steam ahead, are our spiritual lives within also being renewed and changed daily by the Holy Spirit? Dear brothers and sisters, as we face these rapidly changing times, we must possess the following three basic attitudes regarding the church building:

1. Sense of Mission ¡V In accordance with the instruction of Jesus Christ, the church is a spiritual organization with a sense of mission. We carry the ¡§Go¡¨ mission, to make more people on earth disciples of the Lord. We hold the ¡§Preach¡¨ mission, so that those close to destruction can hear the gospel of God¡¦s salvation. We perform the ¡§Open¡¨ mission, to let those whose spiritual eye is blinded see the true light of Christ. And we always have the ¡§Send¡¨ mission, to send more of those with a sense of mission for the Kingdom of God to different places to lead the lost back to the true God. We expend so much manpower, money and time to build a temple of worship and testimony. The final goal is to enlarge the Kingdom of God so that Christ receives glory through us. We should possess this sense of mission when building a church.

2. Sense of Danger ¡V We all know that No. 5 Rd. is a place where heathen religions abound, and false gods and idols stake out. To bear witness in an area where Satan is active truly carries many dangers since we are still battling the evil forces of darkness. Therefore, we must not become careless. The whole church must constantly be vigilant and steadfast, hold on to the Lord firmly, and always carry a sense of danger so that the devil cannot seize any opportunity to destroy the work of God. Observe how the climate of social morality in Canada recently has continued to deteriorate. In this state where Individualism is ever increasing, truth becomes relative, and human rights and freedom are abusively manipulated, the power of the homosexuals is constantly expanding. The church is the testimony of God. We must have a spiritual awareness towards these perilous times. Use the truth of God to make accurate assessments. Always carry a sense of danger, so that the influences of the world will not slowly overcome us and the next generation.

3. Sense of Responsibility ¡V The responsibility of building the church has fallen onto our generation. Facing this difficult job, we must rely on the Lord and dare to take up the yoke. Many people just see the numbers increasing at the church and our children slowly growing up so that space is becoming ever more inadequate, and know the church needs more room to develop and nurture the next generation. Yet, the needs of the church and our support go in lockstep. Because of the mission that has been entrusted by God and the many hazards just ahead, we must carry a sense of responsibility for the glorious name of God and the spiritual future of the next generation. Do not waver in the face of hardship, but stay strong in the Lord, and strive to complete God¡¦s job of building among us.

By: Daniel To