“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
TEXT — 1 Timothy 3:14-16
Message
Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ entered the temple in Jerusalem and drove out the traders He found there for disrespecting and desecrating the house of God. The solemnity that should characterise the sanctuary had been replaced with haggling and extortion of the marketplace, and the corruption that underpins commercial practices.
In our text, Apostle Paul instructed Timothy, the young bishop of the Church at Ephesus, on proper conduct in the Church. His description of the Church as “the pillar and ground of the truth” emphasises its hallowed nature as distinct from a site for social gatherings or business activities. God expects us to approach His house with reverence and godly fear. When He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, the thick cloud and blistering thunder on Mount Sinai created fear, silence, and respect in the congregation of Israel (Exodus 19:18-25). Prophet Habakkuk warns, “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20).
Today, disrespect for the house of God is on the increase. Rich men and political officeholders habitually disrupt the flow of holy service as they come late to meetings, attracting attention as they walk up to the front seats. Some parents allow their children to become rowdy during the service, thus robbing people of the opportunity to concentrate on the word of God. The descendants of those who turned the temple into a “den of robbers”, in Christ’s day are still transacting business and making connections to further their economic interests in the assemblies today.
Many people are in the habit of using their electronic gadgets while the service is going on. Those who cannot recognise the difference between the holy and the profane transform the church into an arena of worldly entertainment or secular meetings after services. Some litter the church premises unaware that they are in the presence of God. We must henceforth heed the admonition in Psalm 89:7 that says, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.”
Thought for the day
Divine whip still dangles against those who desecrate the house of God.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
More grace in Jesus mighty name