A New Work

From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. Ezra 3:6 (ESV)

The work has now begun! Wait until you see what has been done to our sanctuary. Of course, our temporary place of worship this Sunday, (and for the next few months), will be in our fellowship hall. It will be a little tight, with a few inconveniences, and we might have to sit a little bit closer than Presbyterians are accustomed. Yet, it will be so good and joyful to adjust for something greater God is doing in our church.
Something is happening that is beyond the physical construction and remodeling, it is a renewed sense of the priority of worship and the value of what we offer to our Sovereign God for the glory of His praise. That is my earnest prayer above all we do and see done this Spring and Summer. Yes, I am excited about the new things are being done to the building. These are needed improvements and needed repairs. As the workers pull away floors, walls and carpets, it has revealed long term damage that has been cosmetically covered. We are quickly learning that this work is a necessity.
Our souls are just like that. It is so easy to put up some cosmetic covering and show the world we are ok. We can convince ourselves that things are not that bad. Then the Holy Spirit pulls away the layers of our attempts to look good. The Protestant Reformation was a renewal of worship and a renewal of the Gospel. My friends, the two go together. I am so thrilled to be the pastor of a congregation that loves the Gospel of Christ and is committed to reforming and renewing our worship. My sense is that what is happening to our building is what God is doing in our hearts. He is giving us a greater love for the Gospel and love for His Church.
When Israel returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple under Cyrus of Persia, we are told that worship became the great desire of the returning exiles. They worshiped the Lord on the first day of the seventh month, just like the early Christians gathered on the Lord ’s Day. It would be another year before the foundation of the Temple would be built, but they were already worshipping without the sanctuary. A year later, the old priests who had seen the former building destroyed, wept at the building of the foundation. With old eyes filled with tears they saw that future generations would be worshipping the eternal God.
Come Sunday to both the morning and evening worship services and open your heart to the purging, cleansing power of the Word the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. With one voice we can sing to the praise of our One Lord, confess the One Faith, and worship the One God and Father of our Savior Jesus Christ.