August 27, 2006

Can God Really Live In A Building?

 

by Rev. Dr. Jim Carlson

1 Kings 8

Opening Illustration – Japan: ambiguous textbooks

The committee charged with revising history textbooks meets in Tokyo’s unsightly Mombusho building, which houses Japan’s Education Ministry. Experts usually update textbooks every two years to incorporate new information–archaeological discoveries and decisive revelations–or make changes required by a modified curriculum. This year, the routine task provoked an international controversy.

The committee revised and approved nine high school history textbooks. All of them had to be corrected. One, published by Fusosha, which belongs to the conservative Fuji-Sankei press group, underwent over 200 modifications.

Despite the requested corrections, the Fusosha textbook, written by a group of nationalistic professors, asserts that there is “no proof” the Japanese slaughtered 300,000 people during a massacre in Nanjing, China, in 1937.

Slide – unquestionable reality. Provoked riots in China last year. Why revising? Historical debate? No statement about present day Japan-China relations.

Passage really deals with question about how we understand the relationship of God to the buildings where we worship.

Order of Israelite kings: (Slide) Saul, David, Solomon. Divided monarchy, exile, restoration.

Portable tabernacle in use up to Solomon’s reign. God chooses Solomon to build temple and Jerusalem as the place. God to be associated with Promised Land.

Solomon builds expensive temple. This passage is about dedication ceremony.

Ark is carried into temple. Sacrifices offered. Glory of God fills the temple.

Solomon makes prayer of dedication and long speech. 2 points in prayer. (Slide)

Asks God to keep someone from David’s royal line on the throne forever.
Clarifies the use of the temple: prayer.

Speech to the people – in form of prayer. Asks God to forgive certain situations that might arise. (Slide)

All these things happened. Generally interpreted by scholars as written during exile by historian who wanted to make a statement about the meaning of historical events in Israel’s history.

I want to focus on two issues Solomon raises: First, relationship of God to the building. Solomon saw building as a place where God lives.

Baptists usually teach God lives in the people through the Holy Spirit. Sins committed in church building more grievous to God?

Church is not the building which bears God’s name/power. It is a place for sacrifice of praise and prayer.

Second: Solomon saw church building as place where foreigners could ask God’s assistance. As close as we get to evangelism in OT.

Sanctuary for out of town guests. Building is a place where locals and visitors can encounter God’s presence.

People don’t always know us, especially out of town folks. Keeping up a good building is important because it lets people know where they can encounter God.

Solomon’s vision extends beyond church visitors on Sunday morning. Renters also find place of refuge – encounter Christian love in dealing with us.

Kerry’s word of thanks.

No rededication of church building today. Leave with new or renewed understanding of what this building means and how God wants us to use it.