The house of God

• 1. Introduction: We have a remarkable and amazing season in front of us. It is essential for each one of us to enter into it. This is a time where the church is becoming what it should be. The world may predict doom and gloom, but I got tremendous hope for the future. There is a bright future for the church and we can bring it in when we cooperate with God and what His Spirit is doing. By doing this we will make a difference in South Africa.
  We are entering into a season of remarkable fulfilment of God’s desire for His people. We are not there yet, we are only entering! I am excited by the church coming back to to what we really should be and do. I am excited because the Bible says we are dwelling or are seated in heavenly places. (Eph.1:20+2:6) If you believe in a bleak future you will have it! If you believe there is a bright future with God and if you give yourself to it, YOU WILL SEE IT COME TO PASS! Read (Hebr. 11:1+6). God’s desire is for His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
  We will see the most remarkable time in church. You need to see yourself as a REPAIRER OF THE BREACH BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH! This will happen as we understand who we are, what we are called to and the Godly resources available to us. God doesn’t want you to cruise through live on a inferior level!!!
  Read (Eph. 5:15-18 Ampl.) L.W.Where do you see yourself/church in five yrs? Sitting on the stoep on pension? Or do you see a person who is dynamic in the kingdom-healing sick, involved in people giving their lives to God, worshipping God, living in God’s manifest presence? Do you see yourself as an explorer (serving God in new ways, songs of worship, business, moving in prophetic power, demolishing demons, pulling down strongholds and excite possibilities.) Do you (as a businessman) see yourself as a wealth transform machine, as a person with a Holy Spirit anointing on you? Do you see yourself as a person breaking through in new and unknown areas, getting filfikllment so much that you can’t stop giving it away?
  Read (1 Tim. 3:15.) This letter is an instruction for local churches. Paul says I am writing this so that you can know how to conduct yourself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and stay of the truth!
  There is a certain conduct (optrede, wyse) in God’s house. There is a certain conduct or an attitude that people need to have in God’s house and for God’s house! All outward conduct starts with an inward attitude of the heart. So your conduct in church shows your attitude towards God’s house. Paul says, “I want you to have the right attitude so that your conduct may be appropriate towards the house of God. Why? Because there were people in their day and age, as today, who’s conduct were not appropriate in the house of God.
  
  2. Principles that will help us to have the right attitude in the house of God:
  
  a. This is the church of the Living God. It is very important to see the word used to describe God is LIVING! We serve a living God. God is real, He is alive and therefore His house should be alive. His house is not this building. We are the temple of the living God (1Cor. 3:16), He lives in us. So we should be alive-vibrant with the live of Jesus amongst us! ARE YOU?
  His house is where life takes place. His house is where life transformation takes place-from dead in sin to alive in Christ! His house is the place where miracles take place, it is the place where the supernatural happens. The house of God is the place where amazing things happen because the Living God is here amongst us. HALLELUJA!
  Jesus said, “Where 2 or 3 are gathered in my Name, there I AM in the midst of them.” My friends, sometimes we loose the right attitude towards God and his house. We get up on a Sunday and think we are going to church again. It is like a familiarity happens and we loose the heart and attitude of: This is the house of the living God. Jesus is here and I am going to meet with Him!
  
  In God’s house you are going to see amazing things happen. God says that He is going to do some amazing things in the lives of people (fact). He is going to do it in business, relationships, finances, etc. The reason why we don’t see or experience the amazing things of God is because we don’t have the right attitude when we come into God’s house.
  Every time when you see Jesus in the gospels in towns, hills, in a boat or gatherings of people it is a shadow or a type of God’s house. Jesus went to one place where He couldn’t do many miracles because of the people’s unbelief (Matt. 13:58). So the problem wasn’t with Jesus-He was willing to do miracles. The problem was with the heart attitude of the people. Clear on this: Jesus had the power to do miracles, but the people were not receptive to what He wanted to do! This was in Jesus hometown and the people were saying: This is the reason we don’t believe. He is only the son of Joseph the carpenter, we saw him in diapers, when He was crawling on the floor-this is just Jesus. They have gotten familiar with his humanity side. They failed to have the right heart attitude. They couldn’t recognize this is Jesus the Messiah, the Son of the living God!
  They failed to see that this is God Who wants to do the most amazing miracles in their lives. If we are not careful the same thing can happen in church today! We can get so caught up in the humanity side of church, in the usual people doing the worship, old Manie preaching again, Frank, Mike prophesying etc…My friends, this is the HOUSE OF THE LIVING GOD!
  
  b. God’s house is a Spirit-filled house. Being a Spirit filled church. By Spirit filled Church I mean a place where you can experience Spirit filled worship, Spirit filled BIBLE teaching, Christ centered, Spirit lead church of excellence. We fully expect God to do great things in our ministry together because of His Spirit, because Jesus is the King amongst us, because of the love, forgiveness and life-changing power of God! We expect Him to lead us into new things (John 16:13-15).
  We must INCREASE our capacity for more of God!
  The early Church walked in Pentecostal power. Church services were vibrant and Spirit-filled, and they featured spiritual worship, anointed preaching/teaching, and the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, godly relationships and sharing. Anything less than that in church is not God’s will.
  Hebrew word Ruach (Spirit) is a picture- word with a vivid and precise meaning. It always carries the idea of breath being blown out — as when we blow up a balloon, or blow out a candle, or pant heavily during a hard race.
  The idea behind Ruach is vigorously moving air — even violently moving air. Ruach suggests a release of energy, an invading force, the exercise of power, dynamic activity evidencing life. Read (Acts 2: Message!) this was a noisy, chaotic meeting (sinodesitting daarmee aanvang?) In some places ruach describes a wind which is immensely powerful, even destructive. But it is always under God’s control and it always effects his will.
  This is why some people have called him ‘the breath of God’. Jesus said (John 20:22) L.W
  In (Gen. 8:1; Ex. 10:13—19; 14:21; 15:10; Numbers 11:31;1 Kings 19:11; Job 1:19; 37:21; Psalm 1:4;48:7; 107:25; 135:7; 147:18; 148:8; Isaiah 7:2; 12:15; 27:8; 41:16; Jer.10:13; 49:36; 51:1; Ez. 5:2—12; 13:11—13; 27:26; 37:9; Dan. 7:2; Hosea 13:15; Jonah 1:4; 4:8 and Zech. 2:6.)
  
  These ruach passages suggest that the Spirit of God is a HURRICANE whom we cannot control or predict. He is an INVADING FORCE who TRANSFORMS wherever he blows. He is GOD’s POWER IN ACTION!
  Ruach literally means breathing out with GREAT VIOLENCE. This is not a picture of a gentle breeze. Instead, it is a picture of God taking a deep breath and blowing as hard as he can! In Ezekiel 37:1—14 the Spirit, God’s breath, brings dead bones to life and moulds them into a powerful army. Blow over us Lord, over our dead bones-some is so dead it smells. Breathe your breath of life on us!!!A spirit filled church has:
  · Spirit filled members (Eph. 5:18). If God’s Spirit is in and on you you will have the life of the Holy Spirit. (B.J.) God’s Spirit is in you for yourself and on you for others.
  · Spirit filled worship. Means we are not singing songs on Sunday morning-we are entering God’s presence with a sacrifice of praise where all of my heart, soul, emotions, voice, body and my intellect is involved in. It is impossible to really worship God unless we have had a revelation of God. Worship as an extremely valuable tool to connect you with God, so we need to minimize distractions and create an environment that lets you engage God safely and comfortably - at your own pace. Once we have had a revelation of Him, I believe it is impossible not to worship.
  · Peole filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22.)
  c. God’s house is a holy place. The Creator of the universe is here! Get to grips with that. The One that has the power over life and death is here. Almighty God Himself is amongst us. The One who loves you to the uttermost is here! In a certain sense this is holy ground. You are allowed to take of your shoes, not compulsory-expression of the holy ground we are on. We need to give expression to the fact that this is a holy place. God I am excited about being here, about meeting with you. This is a meeting place with God. We come to give Him thanks and praise, worship Him because we’ve been given the gift of salvation. We have forgiveness of our sins through Jesus Christ and we are coming to honour Him for it.
  The church is sometimes a messy place because of the life in it.
  
  d. God’s house is a happy place. Remember the story about the prodical som coming home to a great party, celebrating his return. God likes parties because there is so much to celebrate. God says through this parabell that My house is a place of celebration of the lost coming home!
  When you think of the goodness of God in your life there is so much reason to celebrate. It is a place of celebration, it is about God, all about Him. (Ps. 8:2) says, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise…to silence the foe and avenger.” When you praise god He gives strength. Bible says, “In His presence is fullness of joy (Ps. 16:11.) So when He is present there may be expressions of joy, laughter!
  The house of God is a reprieve (begenadiging, kwytskelding, grasie verleen) of the pain and trouble of the world. Most of us sitting here are facing trials, pains or difficult circumstances, but it is only temporary! God is inviting you saying, “Come into my house, I want to hug you. He says, come on let’s party because you are free.” I want to heal you, love you, teach you-I want to fill you up with joy, give you strength to face this world!
  Bible says, “Serve the Lord with gladness. “ (Ps. 100:2). Even as we give our offerings. God says He loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).
  God wants a cheerfull, happy attitude in His house. You can come with your problems and trust God to do amazing things in your life. Come and meet with God so that He can change your life! (Ps. 84:10) N.I.V. says, “Better is ONE DAY in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” So much can happen in a small amount of time when you are in God’s house. (Ps.84:4) (Frank) says, Blessed are those who dwell in your house ; they are ever praising you.” God’s house is a place of mercy, of kindness. (Ps. 89:1) “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever…” When you make house of God your priority, you may have problems; But when you come in here with the right attitude you will be still praising God as you go out, because He is going to give you the strtength to endure a multitude of mercies. I need God’s mercy every single week. Read (Ps. 26: ,23:6, 118:26). It’s a precious privilege to go to the house of the Lord. (Ps. 122) says, “I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord. Read (Ps. 36:6-8).
  
  e. God’s house is hungry place. If you are born again God births in you a supernatural hunger for Him. Don’t settle for cheap substitutes. Come to the house of God for more of Jesus, Spirit, Fatherheart. Come because the awesome living God is amongst us. Have you ever noticed that when you ate not really hungry you become picky and complaing? When you are hungry you eat!!! Receive God’s Word (bread alone Matt.4:4.)