Why do I talk so much about building the church?

Tonight, during AWANA, one our children approached me with a great question. He asked, "Pastor: why do you talk so much about building the church?" My answer was simple, ". . . because Jesus talked so much about building the church!" Read Jesus and you must conclude that the Kingdom of God is ever-expanding and growing!

Jesus statement to Peter comes to mind first, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18).

Through the parables, Jesus taught of a growing kingdom. For example: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough (Matthew 13:31-33). And again, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how (Mark 4:26-27).

I talk so much about building the church because the church is built with the souls of the redeemed. As long as there is still one more person who hasn't found salvation and restoration through Jesus' gospel we must keep building. When is the church big enough?--only when "everyone" has called upon the name of the Lord. Until then, we keep building! It is our purpose! It is our function! It is our life! Rick Warren recently said, “I am addicted to changed lives.” May we all share His addiction!