Bob the Builder

Yesterday I spoke on the tendency towards expertise ism that seeps into us as people, and  the movements of God. I hoped to challenge  us to not let that happen in this movement of SOM (Simple/Organic/Missional) Kingdom lifestyle. If  it's not about the experts, than what does that look like?

 Today, I want to talk a bit about the importance of each of us as Kingdom builders. Co-laborers with Christ as He Himself builds His Church.  We participate by our obedience to use every aspect of our lives and who we are, to be transformed and transformers.

A few years ago, there was a popular toy and television show called "Bob the Builder".  My kids were older by then, and not interested in it, but I found it a wonderful toy.  Basically, Bob made it fun for everyone to be a builder.  

In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we see the re-establishment of the Jews to their promised land.  The books of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi also add to this time in history and restoration of the Jewish people to their homeland and subsequent rebuilding of Israel.  If you read through these books, and I would encourage you to do so, you see that God was restoring all aspects of what it meant to be re-established as the people of God.  The temple was rebuilt, as also the walls of the city, and homes of people.  Ceremonies, temple treasures, relationships, scriptures, worship, giving and more were re-established and sanctified to the Lord.  There was a renewal of the hearts of people and they felt alive again with their commitment to the Lord and His Ways.  It took place over many years and had times of setback and struggle and yet the work progressed because each person found a place to be joined to the work and built.

In Nehemiah 2:20, after receiving a lot of harassment from the opposition, Nehemiah responds with; "So I answered them and said to them, 'The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build,.."

What follows in Chapter 3 is a listing of all those who arose to build the wall, gates and towers.

If you take the time to read it, you'll be amazed at how everyone contributed and were counted in the building.  Names of men, brothers, families, daughters, servants, priests, goldsmiths and merchants.  Persons of no renown giving themselves to the rebuilding.  Rebuilding by creating, repairing, opening gates, and laying support beams and bolts to hold things together.  Building 

homes and business that lined the wall and formed the community.  Each person or family took a section.  There was no competition, or striving for "more" wall than was their section.  All sections of the wall and city were important and necessary for its completion.  Each one a builder, a person of transformation.  A co-laborer in Gods Kingdom.

Does this sound like the SOM movement today?  Put your own name, and those you know into chapter 3.  Are you one building homes to restore what healthy family looks like and welcoming others into it for their "building up?" Are you one that is opening gates for others to walk through and into a simple, intimate, purposeful relationship with God?  Maybe your a repairer of brokenness, truth and restoration.  Others are creating new and exciting venues of what ministry really looks like to a world that is hungry for something real in their neighborhoods, jobs and business's.  Which of you are support beam layers, those who encourage and strengthen and keep it all bolted with truth and love in action?

I would use the words of the Lord, in Haggai 2: 4; "take courage.....and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the Lord, 'and work; for I AM with you', says the Lord of Hosts.  'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt; My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!" 

So all you "Bob the Builders"; arise and build! Take your section and transform it!