Jump Start # 3653
Hebrews 3:4 “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”
One verse—that’s all it takes. No deep dive into sciences. No stack of books written by PhDs. No understanding words that one cannot pronounce. Just one verse. This one verse destroys the house of cards built by the unproven theories of evolution.
Every house is built by someone. This could be labeled as cause and effect. This could be folded into the design theory. But one doesn’t have to understand those concepts. Every house had a builder, it’s just that simple. Nothing just happens.
And, “house” can stand for a lot more than just a house. A car. Someone built the car. Iphone. Someone built the Iphone. A book. Someone printed the book. Someone wrote the book.
When the claim is made that a cosmic big bang caused the energy and force to create the mechanism that led to life, what caused the big bang? Every house is built by someone. Who made the energy and who or what brought all the parts together at the right time for everything to get started?
Every house is built by someone. It just happened, doesn’t fly with this verse. Houses don’t just appear. Someone builds them. Someone begins a congregation. Someone spreads the gospel about Jesus. Even our light shinning passage reflects this principle. Shine your light in such a way that men will see your good work and glorify your Father in Heaven. Why do people not glorify the one who shined the light? Why is there another step beyond the person doing good deeds? The answer is because every house is built by someone. The reason the person shines his light and does good deeds is because of his faith in the Lord. God is the one who has shown that person how to do what is right and good and noble.
Now, some thoughts from this:
First, the house looks the way it does because of the way it was built and the way the occupants took care of it. Look beyond a physical house. Congregations are that way. Started because some were angry at another place, and focusing upon why everyone else is wrong, and the congregation will look the way it was built. But, build a church on simple faith in the Lord, honor the Lord, praise the Lord, obey the Lord and emphasize the Lord, and that will be the reflection of that church.
Families are the same way. Built on jealousy, selfishness and materialism, the family will look that way. They will be too good to help others. They are so much into their selfie world that they ignore the needs around them. The house looks the way it was built and the way it was maintained.
Second, there are a lot of steps in building a house. We have lived in a lot of houses through the years. We had one built from scratch. Standing in a field and trying to imagine what the finished project would look like was something hard to do. Ideas were put on paper. Blueprints were drawn. Lots of permits were acquired. Money was paid. Then the process of moving dirt, laying a foundation began. Wood beams went up. A roof was put on. Long days and days of workers putting in the electrical wiring, finishing the plumbing, putting in furnace and air conditioning. Dry wall, floors, paint and months and months after we first began the process, we were able to walk into our new home. Who built the house? There was a company name, but dozens and dozens of people made the job possible.
In Corinthians, Paul said that he planted and Apollos watered, but God caused the increase. Who builds the church? God does. But, there are dozens of people that are often involved, from the smiling faces that greet us on a Sunday morning, to the passionate sermons that are preached, to the insightful look into the death of our Lord for the Lord’s Supper, to the thoughtful hymns that are sung, to the encouraging comments made in a class. But this is not all. The many personal studies that take place through the week. The phone calls, emails and texts, busily answering honest questions. Through these steps a church grows in number and in strength. Who causes it? Who built the house? God did.
You want a strong family? Build it that way. That means turning the TV off and getting outside to play with the kids. Teach them how to patiently take turns. At the dinner table, teach them manners. Teach them to pray. Have discussions about Jesus. Build. Build. Build.
You want a strong congregation. Build it that way. Pour energy into the very things that will make faith flourish and grow. Have special classes. Bring in quality preachers. Provide the tools throughout the week for people to connect with the Lord.
Houses are not just built. Families are not just built. Congregations are not just built. Things do not just happen. Someone builds them. That someone is YOU, with the Lord’s help.
Roger