New years message 2021 Part 2: Called to build and plant

Last week we saw that God called Jeremiah to first break down and uproot the kingdom of darkness before God called him to build and to plant. We also saw how NOT to build and plant – not in arrogance and not in our own strength, making our own plans. This week we are going to look at a few pointers from Scripture that may help us to build – even in a time of pandemics and lockdowns it is God’s intention that we will live in hope and continue building His Kingdom while we still have time. There are three Scriptures I want to point out in this regard with three key principles to keep in mind:

1. The Master Builder

In Ps 127:1,2 we read:

“Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain”.

God is the actual builder – He employs us as labourers to build His Kingdom with His resources to accomplish His agenda. If not so – we build in vain. Unless He guards the city, those that are called to be the watchmen to make alarm when the enemy approaches, do so in vain. We need to get our perspective right. We do not build God’s Kingdom – He builds His Kingdom. We are merely labourers working under His direction and instructions! Anything we build apart from what is on God’s agenda is a waste of time, energy, resources, has no purpose and will not last.

2. The Foundation, The Cornerstone and The Rock

In Ephesians 2:19-22 we read that our foundation is the apostles and prophets (through whom God’s Word was given to us) and Jesus is the cornerstone that anchors the whole building. The building is described as fitting together and growing into the holy temple in the Lord. We are being built together as a dwelling place of God. When we depart from the foundation of truth that was laid, and from The Cornerstone, then the holy temple, the dwelling place of God cannot host His presence anymore.

In Mathew 7:24-25 Jesus told the parable of the man who built his house on a rock vs the man who built his house on the sand. The house that was built on the rock could withstand the rain and the wind and the storms, the house that was built on the sand collapsed when the storms came against it. In Ps 62 and Ps 18 respectively David says that the Lord is his rock, salvation, fortress, strong tower. His deliverer and the One in Whom he trusts.

God Himself is the Foundation, the Rock, when we build on Him as labourers in His Kingdom, we are building something lasting that will bear good fruit for His Kingdom.

3. How are we to build and plant?

Often our question is how do we practically build God’s Kingdom in the spirit? In Mathew 6:33 The Word tells us:  ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Isaiah 58 in its entirety gives us very practical direction as to how and what to build as God’s labourers. I summarize, but please read the whole chapter.

• Blow the trumpet – warn my people of their sins.
• Do not get stuck in religious activity that is void of heartfelt sincerity and obedience to God.
• Set people free by loosening the bonds of wickedness, lifting burdens, let the oppressed go free, break yokes.
• Share your bread and extend your soul with the hungry.
• House the poor and the outcast.
• Dress the naked.
• Take away the pointing finger, i.e. accusation and judgement.
• Do not speak wickedness.
• Keep ourselves from doing our own pleasure, keeping our own ways and speaking our own (idle) words on the Lord’s holy day.

 Then we will:

• Become a light shining in the darkness.
• The Lord will guide us continually.
• He will satisfy our soul in drought.
• Strengthen our bones.
• We will be like a well-watered garden whose waters do not fail.

And we will build:

• The old waste places.
• We shall raise up the foundation for many generations.
• We shall be called the repairer of the breech and the restorer of the streets to dwell in.

And finally:

• We will delight ourselves in the Lord.
• He will cause us to ride on the high hills.
• He will feed us with a good heritage.
• For He has spoken it.

Adding the image of sowing and planting to this picture of building, Hosea 10:13 confirms the same principles:

“Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you”

How do we sow and plant? We must sow righteousness so that we will reap in mercy. We need to break up the fallow ground – and seek the Lord until He rains righteousness on us! Nothing we plant will ever grow into fruition without the rain of God’s righteousness. To receive His righteousness-rain we must seek the Lord and the ground needs to be prepared to receive the rain, so that what is sown will grow and bear fruit.

Our way forward should be to seek the Lord until He rains righteousness on us. Then we can plant and build in righteousness, from the right perspective of being a labourer in God’s Kingdom, labouring for the King’s purposes and in obedience to the King.

Next week we will look at a few people in the Bible who were builders in spite of living in times when they were facing adversity to the point of their future looking bleak and without much to look forward to – and yet they continued to build the Kingdom of God. 

Come worship with Rend Collective:  Build your Kingdom Here

© Jan 2021 HG Venter