Heart for God's house

1 Chronicles 22:5-7 NLT “[5] David said, "My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now." So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death. [6] Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. [7] "My son, I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God," David told him.”

Bob and Stephanie Stiller's heart for the house.

•   Bob and Stephanie have been driving buses faithfully for SRFC since 1993.

•   Serving faithfully Sunday morning after Sunday morning leaving a spiritual inheritance for the hundreds of children they have impacted over the 21 years of service to God, their community, each other, and to their church.

•   Many weekends making personal connections with parents and children on the Saturdays preparing for the bus routes on Sundays. 

•   What a heart for God's house.

•   Bob told me, "Michael, when you have a heart for God's children and His house it's a privilege to do His work."

•   With no biological children of their own but hundreds of spiritually adopted children God has used this couple to grow the church, and grow the Kingdom of God.

•   They have invested their time, their talent, their treasure, all for their love of Jesus Christ and their heart for His house. 

•   May God continue to richly bless this soul winning couple as they leave their legacy.

1 Kings 15:14 NLT "[14] Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa's heart remained completely faithful to the Lord throughout his life. [15] He brought into the Temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated."

1.      The scripture says it was his heart that was fully committed, fully faithful unto the Lord.

1.      All the days of his life.

2.      He didn't just go along, he didn't just show up, he was committed to his core.

3.      Empowered with a heart for God, and a heart for God's house.

1.      We can build something when we have a people who have a heart for God and have a heart for His house.

1.      Asa, with a heart committed to the Lord all the days of his life.

2.      Not everyone gets that opportunity many of us saved at a different time in our lives but I find it so discouraging, so disheartening that those who have had that opportunity yet disregard it, or run from it.

3.      Making a commitment to God and to His house is such a powerful commitment to make.

2.      David had a heart to build a house for The Lord but the more I have read and studied it out I believe God had a heart to build His house.

1.      It's His will that we have a heart for The Lord and His house.

1.      Building people everywhere we go and in everything we do.

1 Kings 8:17-18 KJV "[17] And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. [18] And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart."

2.      God said you did well to have this in your heart.

1.      Not only was David into it but God was into it.

2.      Many times I'll bet many around us are unsure why we gather together so faithfully, so committed, so connected, so focused well it gets in your heart.

2.      Many people throughout the years have wandered around well look we're for the Kingdom and we serve the Kingdom and we minister in this way.

1.      I just don't think you can separate the Kingdom from the church, Jesus said I will build my church, the church is God's vehicle to see the work of the Lord go forward.

3.      The church is about God and people, often attitudes, thinking or books written, or some special speakers, try to scatter Christians and get Christians working a part from each other to maybe do their own thing.

4.      But the force is when the people of God understand the power of the House of God and gather around the name of Jesus.

1.      The global difference that will be made will be in and though unified efforts not solo acts.

1 Kings 9:3-4 NLT "[3] The Lord said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy-this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. [4] "As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations,"

3.      My eyes and my heart will always be there.

1.      God is talking about His house.

2.      He is talking about the location and God says it is holy, it is where my name will be honored forever and I have set it apart.

1.      Do you want to know how to get into Gods frame?

2.      We know God can see us whether in the deepest valley or the driest desert but if you want to get right in God's gaze the Lord says His eyes and His heart will always be where?

1.      Always be in and on His house.

2.      I believe His eyes are on it and His heart is in it.

3.      Don't underestimate the love that God has for His church were talking about the Old Testament temple which was described as a house.

1.      When you think about the fact that God's eyes are on it, His heart is in it and you connect that to His eternal principles I believe we connect to His Heart.

2.      Connect to His vision, connect with His perspective, connect with His honor, connect with His purpose because His eyes are on it and His heart is in it, always.

3.      I wanna connect with Gods sight, Gods heart, I wanna be in Gods purpose and I couldn't think of a better way to do that that's having a commitment to have a heart for the house of God.

4.      The scripture describes the house that David had in his heart, the house that Solomon would build and listen to it, it was described as magnificent.

1.      Not just some building out the back, worn out, needing a miracle, surviving by desperation, no it was described as magnificent, a place of splendor, and fame.

2.      You get a mindset in the church today that if you spend too much money, if the church looks too good, if it looks to glamorous that's not a good thing but lemme declare to you that nothing's too good for God. 

3.      I believe God had a heart for the house and David had it in his heart to give Him a magnificent house.

1.      One which would have fame and which would cause the word to go out amongst the nations.

2.      I don't know what kind of picture you have of Gods house but in the Old Testament he talked about going to the house of God with the multitude.

Psalm 42:4 NLT [4] My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!"

1.      A multitude is large numbers of people.

2.      A teeming mess of people pouring in one direction.

3.      Disney World, a fair, Six Flags, Walmart, Black Friday!

4.      I imagine it's like a huge crowd of people trying to squeeze in through one door.

5.      There was a momentum, the house was magnificent, it's impressive, and it's fame spreads around the world as people are pouring in the door.

1.      That's what I envision the house being, that's the vision in my heart of the church I want to Pastor.

2.      That's what I believe for in Jesus name.

3.      Not a boring, worn down, beat up, discouraged, falling apart building or people but a body of believers passionately loving God, witnessing salvation, baptisms, baby dedications, salvations, and baptisms in the Holy Spirit.

4.      A place where marriages are restored, visions are given, lives are altered, where people are called into the ministry, called into missions, called into service, a place where worship encounters take place.

1.      Not a place of discouragement, not just a place of commandments, rules, and laws.

2.      Everyone hangs their heads as they travel there wishing it wasn't that time of the week.

3.      The journey there is filled with sighs on their breath, and visions of boredom.

5.      But a place filled with excitement, a place of enlightenment, a place of healing, a place of restoration, a place of inspiration.

4.      The scripture says he was in crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!

1.      That sounds fun, that sounds exciting, that sounds engaging, that sounds pulsing, it's life giving, it's magnificent, full of grandeur.

2.      There was an atmosphere of celebration about going to the House of God.

1.      This is the day The Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.

3.      They came in with joy, they came in with thanksgiving, they came in worshipping.

4.      Here are some people who were excited about God's house.

1.      How excited are you about God's house?

1.      You going to church this weekend?

2.      I went last week.

5.      Man I want to be a part of a body of believers connected to the passion, connected to the energy, connected to the miracles, signs, and wonders of the House.

1.      I want us to keep in mind that His eyes are on it and His heart is in it and that He is there perpetually.

2.      In the Old Testament the House of God was a place of worship, and clearly it was a place where you would encounter God's presence cause in the holy of holies, in the temple and in the house of God that's where His presence resided.

3.      Now in the New Testament Jesus comes along and starts talking about the church, the Old Testament it was a temple and the New Testament it was a church.

1 Timothy 3:15 NLT "[15] so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth."

5.      Keep in mind the church is God's household, it's His family.

1.      The house hold of the "Living God" which is the pillar and foundation of truth!

1.      Man we gotta keep this place living, exciting, moving, progressing, pursuing our God.

1.      Imagine if you came in here and you couldn't find God anywhere, your looking for Him under here, looking for Him over there.

2.      You can't see Him there your looking for Him everywhere and it seems as if He is absent from the scene.

1.      Well I want this to be the household of the Living God from the moment the first guitar is strummed you can sense the presence of God, there's a praise, there's a joy, there's a thanksgiving, there's an honor, there's a multitude gathering to lift up His holy, powerful, passionate, unchanging name.

Acts 11:26 NLT "[26] When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)"

2.      Right here in the New Testament it show us a picture of the church and it's not just a little, broken down, beat up, lifeless, passionless, mission less, small group of faithful it's a mass of people.

1.      It's a large crowd, growing, learning, serving, ministering, changing their city, changing their culture.

2.      A sense of excitement, a sense of hunger, a sense of passion toward the mission of Jesus Christ, the church.

3.      I'm just believing for the day when churches all over the globe become ignited with the worship of our creator, driven with such an atmosphere of praise, multitudes of people giving thanks, giving honor, ministering one to another without any hesitation, fear, or judgment.

1.      A church that declares that Jesus is alive, that the Spirit is powerful, our great God is loving, compassionate in a way that no one could ever deny.

1.      That's a heart for Gods house.

Ephesians 5:25 NLT "[25] For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her."

Ephesians 5:27 NLT "[27] He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault."

6.      Glorious as being worthy of, bringing fame to, admiration of, having a striking beauty or splendor that evokes feelings of delighted approval and respect.

1.      That's why we'll never settle down around here we can't allow church to become mediocre, cause Gods house will be radiant, will be glorious, will be passionate, will be full of forgiveness, grace, mercy and love.

2.      His presence will be overwhelming, His power will be everlasting, a place where people will come in great numbers to honor Him, to bless Him, to strengthen one another, to worship His name forever.

1.      Holding a sense, an urgency that God wants to do something great when it comes to His church.

2.      I believe we should have an expectation, a vision, a faith that's not ruled by what we can see with our own eyes, not ruled by the mind sets and mentalities of those in the world around us but that we begin to see the heart that God has for His house.

1.      Greatness, vision, healing, ministry, salvation, eternity.

2.      Let's have faith to see what God sees, let's have a heart to fulfill what's in His heart, for His house.

3.      The church is a family, the church is a movement, the church is a body, it's continually moving, growing, developing, and ever increasing.

4.      Continually force fully advancing through generation after generation.

5.      There is a momentum to it, a cooperation to it a sense that were in this together pushing forward, purposeful, and still powerful.

1.      I see the church as a force, like this immovable powerful, unshakeable, unrelenting force.

2.      A mobilized force, reaching, teaching, helping, guiding, feeding, giving, loving, that's impacting the world around and about us.

1.      In a culture where everything works feverishly to divide and conquer I appreciate the laser beam focus of the church that keeps me on track, kept my family in good times, difficult times, and even in impossible times.

1.      The church has been an immovable, ready force in and through our lives.