Weirdness Surrounding Church Buildings

A growing church in a modest, rented facility decided to build their own facility to help promote even more growth. Excitement mounted as construction completed and they moved into their brand-new building. Not long after, the honeymoon ended as people began complaining about children running through the halls and touching things, drinks in the sanctuary, teachers hanging visuals on walls, and on and on. Rules put in place stifled the freedom people once felt. Even the pastor came under fire and the church split. What happened? — The building gradually became more important than the ministry that happened in it.

Have you ever noticed how conflict ensues over what color of carpet to get, the type of chairs, what can be hung on walls, etc.? Some of these disagreements can get so out of hand that a church divides. Often the original issues are long forgotten at that point. What happens? — People feel so strongly about their preferences that they get controlling. It’s no longer about making improvements to the building but who’s going to win.

Behind the Weirdness Surrounding Church Buildings

Far too often the atmosphere turns “weird” when it comes to church facilities. Something so temporal takes such a priority, and can cause so much havoc, that it’s hard to explain what’s happening. What’s behind the weirdness?

Somewhere along the line we’ve given the enemy a foothold. Our eyes have gotten off the eternal and onto the temporal. No longer spiritually alert, the enemy pounces like that lion waiting in hiding for a good time to attack. We’re warned to “be alert and of sober mind” because “your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

Our preferences turn into entitlements that become strongholds of pride. Our need to preserve the sanctity of the building becomes a stronghold of idolatry. Satan gets a grip and brings destruction unless we apply God’s solution.

God’s Solution of Breaking Down Strongholds

In addition to providing the power we need, God also gives the process we must follow.

We need to grab hold of God’s power and not apply mere worldly solutions. If we’re going to break down the idolatrous strongholds our church buildings can become, we need spiritual weaponry. We can become so attached to our earthly possessions that apart from God’s power, we won’t let go.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:3-4)

We must forcefully relinquish, with God’s power, anything that doesn’t lead people to knowing God. We can become so deceived into thinking we’re right, that we must start over with a clean slate upon which to build.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God … (2 Cor. 10:5)

And, we must replace it with that which aligns with Christ. The clean slate upon which we build is that of Christ’s priorities which are love for God and others (Matt. 22:37-40). We need to get back to loving God so much that we want to make Him known in all we do and caring for people enough to make ministry a priority over things. We also replace attitudes contrary to the humility and servanthood we see in Christ (Phil. 2:3-8). It’s amazing what can happen when we lay aside our sense of entitlement and need to be right.

… and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5)

Also Read: Church Power: Spiritual Weaponry

For More: Resources on Divine Weapons for Spiritual Warfare

Weirdness Surrounding Church Buildings

Behind the Weirdness Surrounding Church Buildings

God’s Solution of Breaking Down Strongholds

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