Title The pillar the Lord wants (1 Kings 7...
Contents
The pillar the Lord wants (1 Kings 7:13-22) 2001.11.04.
The Lord has been waiting for 10 years!
There are many young people in our church, but they mainly attend the first service, which is early in the morning, and serve diligently in the choir. I would like to introduce.
In this way, the return of one life to the Lord is what God is most pleased with and is the most reliable pillar supporting the body of Christ, the church. This Friday (November 9), our church will have the 2001 New Life Feast. Please do all your efforts to lead many new lives to the Lord, including those who attended the open district service, so that this feast can be a feast of life in which many lost sheep participate.
Today's text is the part with records related to the completion of the two pillars supporting Solomon's temple. The two pillars were made by Hiram, a shopkeeper of Nod, the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and he named these two pillars: Jachin on the right (south side) and Boaz on the left side (north side). And two pillars were installed in the front porch of the temple entrance.
Whenever I think of these two pillars, Jachin and Boaz, who stand strong in front of the temple, I hope that there will be many people in our church who play the role of such pillars. What kind of pillar must be the pillars of the temple like Jachin and Boaz? What kind of pillar does the Lord want for the beauty of the church?
straight pillars
The column must be straight so that it can perform its role well. If the columns are bent or crooked, the building cannot be supported. In church life, you must be upright to become a pillar of the church. But the most important thing is to have a straight relationship with the Lord. As we live the church life, acting as pillars, we will surely see disappointment because of our frail human nature. However, as long as your relationship with the Lord is straight, that disappointment is less visible. So, by thinking of the Lord, you will be able to consistently take on the role of a pillar.
And the Lord wants us to straighten our backs and live proudly. There should be no atrophied, anxious, or too obsessed with blessings, and even when evangelizing or visiting, you should show that you bow down in love and service, but in your personal life, you should show your back and live proudly. .
The most fundamentally, the church must come to receive grace by becoming grace to them. However, if you come to know that you can't be without you, you will not be willing to obey. Then, when things don't go their way, they understand deeply what the principles of the church are, and they begin to complain without thinking of lowering their exalted heart. It's unfortunate for the church, but it's also very unfortunate for me.
Therefore, we should not bow with begging, ejaculation, and embarrassment, even if we bow down with a heart of humility, love and service. We should all live proudly with the attitude and principles of Christian life that we can bow our heads in service, but do not bow in embarrassment.
Because people are spiritual beings, they can trust their dignified appearance. However, we must never forget to bow down with humility, gentleness and love while living proudly in the grace of God. Humility, gentleness, and boldness without love can give birth to false guts and appear daring. Therefore, the church pillar should always be a straight pillar that does not lose its humility.
a pillar that holds one's place
The pillars are placed in the most suitable place to support the building. So if you leave the place, the building will be in trouble. Likewise, you must have a good posture to keep your place on the pillars of the church. An attitude that values the right position rather than thinking about a particularly high position! Such an attitude is an attitude that is used before God and is a proper attitude.
When a person moves out of position, the first part to fail is the ear. At that time, even good sounds sound bad, and nothing can be heard purely. So what happens if you keep trying to leave your seat? One person stops the whole group and makes it difficult. Then, eventually, they leave and find a new place. Of course, it is God's providence to leave the old place and go to the new place. Because everyone learns a lot and matures in the process. But it is better to learn wisely than to learn from conflict and wounds. So, it is a very wise attitude to keep one's place.
load-bearing pillar
The pillars serve to support the heavy load of the building. Likewise, we must not forget that the pillars of the church exist not to be received, but to bear the burden of the church. If you want the position but hate the burden, you will never be a pillar. Glory and respect go to those who have fulfilled their responsibilities and duties. Therefore, you should not try to become a pillar with an attitude of asking for knowledge. It is the right attitude to try to take on the role of a pillar with an attitude of service.
In that sense, the church should make the right things to serve and work. Leaders must find suitable jobs, and members must focus on service. As a result, a good leader should try to keep the unemployed within the church, and a good pillar should try not to become unemployed in the church with only honor. Those who are truly blessed want to do the Lord's work. Also, I want to give something and I want to give it. And in the end, such people become pillars that support the church.
Also, the pillar must have a position to bear the load in front of the church. Just as Jachin and Boaz were built on the front porch of the temple, the pillars of the church must be able to stand in the front and face difficulties, and also have the attitude to welcome those who come to the church in advance. So the more pillars of the church, the more diligent, bright and dedicated.
People are basically selfish beings. So usually they ask to know only themselves and to love only themselves. At that moment, people who can turn their gaze to others and bear the burden of serving are well-trained in faith and are truly qualified to be pillars of the church.
Pillars of Knowing the Principles of Community
Rarely is a building supported by a single column. Likewise, no pillar, no matter how good, can serve as a pillar of a building on its own. This is also the reason why people with good spirituality do not actually play a big role. Your own spirituality is important, but you also need to be able to think about the spirituality of others. My grace and my feelings are important, but you also have to think about the grace and feelings of others.
This is where the principle of balance comes into play. The church is a living being of God, but because it is a human community, the community suffers if they do not know the principles of leadership to effectively guide people. You must become a person who knows that the spirituality of the community is more valuable than the spirituality of one's own, and can examine the goals, direction, vision and flow of the community. However, if you ignore the principle of community spirituality and continue to immerse yourself in your own spirituality, it may not be evidence of <spiritual depth> but may be evidence of <spiritual laziness>. This is because, in order to become a successful member of the community while thinking about the spirituality of the community, you have to consider other people's positions with a thoughtful attitude and have a lot of interest.