You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5 (NKJV)
On a trip to Israel, I visited the Temple Mount, one of the most important religious sites in Jerusalem. Over the years, several temples have been demolished and rebuilt on top of a foundation believed to be created in Solomon’s time.
As I looked at the ancient construction, it made me realize that we need to think like the leaders of old. They weren’t just concerned with their generation; they built things that would truly stand the test of time.
I’m not saying that we need to build physical structures that last for centuries. After all, when a Samaritan woman asked Jesus where she should worship, He said, “the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem… true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21–23, NLT). Today, it’s not about the building, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t called to build.
What are we called to build? Jesus said that He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). And we as believers are being built into His spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5) so we can “do his work and speak out for him” (1 Peter 2:9–10).
We are called to build Jesus’ church, and we need to build it to last. Let’s build up our youth so they can become the leaders of tomorrow. That way our churches will have a strong foundation they can build upon for generations to come.