Church Building Campaign

[Guest]

I heard a pastor today speaking on Exodus 25. He pointed out that the tabernacle was constructed from donations willingly given by the congregation under Moses' leadership. Then he went on to imply that this was a justification for modern building programs since the description of the tabernacle was somewhat ornate for its day. Seemed like a bit of a stretch to argue that point.

livingink

[Guest]

My response to likening a church building program to Moses building the Tabernacle would be this:

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." -- John 4:21-24

"Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built the house for him.

However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says:
" 'Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
Has not my hand made all these things?'"

-- Acts 7:44-47

If the congregation agrees that they want to pitch in and build a facility in which to hold meetings, then they should do it. But leave the Tabernacle/Temple allusions out.