Title: House of God (1 Tim. 03:14-16)
Contents Bethel means ‘house of God’. Let's think together through the text of what kind of church this Bethel should be to fulfill its beautiful name.
First, the church must act as a pillar of truth (v. 16).
At that time, the ‘pillars’ of the building in Ephesus took an important position as a decoration that showed the beauty of the building rather than the role of supporting it. In this way, the church should be a place to show the beauty and power of the kingdom of God to the world. So, we have to take on the role of making people expect and hope for the kingdom of God.
Second, the church must be the ground of truth (verse 16).
Here, 'ground' in English is a buttress, which means the foundation that supports and maintains a building. This means that the church must be the foundation of eternal truth and the last bulwark of truth in this ever-changing world. When the church shakes, everything shakes. When the church collapses, the light of hope will go out!
Third, the church must be the house of God (verse 16).
This means that just as ‘home’ is the base of life based on love, it should be the base of everyone’s life, and it should be a place overflowing with love, comfort and rest. Of course, the owner of the house is God, and we become His children and form a loving family.
Beloved Bethel family! 33 years is by no means a short time. We thank God for protecting, guiding, and blessing us in our Bethel during this time, and let's work together to develop into a church that fully fulfills its role as the ‘house of God’ I pray that God's great blessings overflow.