Build The House: A Call To Build The ChurchSample

“Whose Idea Was This?"

Have you ever wondered where the idea of gathering in a single space to worship God came from? We most often associate the church as organized religion. Even that term carries a negative stigma with it in our current culture. You will find there are many people today who will say they love God but dislike organized religion.

However, if you study the Scriptures, you will discover that the idea of organizing in a single location to worship God was actually God’s idea! I know, it seems like it is something church leaders came up with so they could have a nice building. But this was not just a God idea; it was something that God ordained.

After God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He gave Moses some specific instructions to create a portable church known as the Tabernacle. In Exodus 25, God instructed Moses to have all the Israelites give so that he could build a dwelling for God. This dwelling is where God would reside among the nation until Solomon would build a permanent building.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that this sanctuary was actually a replica of what is found in heaven. Even the heavenly hosts gather in a location to worship God. The idea that people would gather to worship God in a structure wasn’t from men, but from God.

Thankfully, because of Jesus, we are not limited to worship God in a single building anymore. Yet, when we do gather together as a church, we can experience the powerful presence of God.