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Welcome. Come in and join us as we get together in the Word. Welcome to From House to House.
Im Carol Brooke. We are in a 28 part series. Its lengthy but were covering important issues
that we find in Ecclesiastes 3 about times and seasons, which is the name of this series.
Today were going to do lesson 14 called To Gather Stones. Last time we talked about stones
that needed to be cast away and get rid of. This time is about stones we need to gather,
thinking of the spiritual application as believers. Were grateful to have you participate with
our filming, ladies. Turn to Ecclesiastes 3:1,5 from the Amplified Bible, TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time
for every matter and purpose under heaven: A time to cast away stones and a time to gather
stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. Remember, were
focusing on the fact that theres a time within a season and a purpose for these seasons that
God allows. There are 28 seasons mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3. Were focusing on To Gather
Stones today. When you think of stones, you think of strength because rock material is
strong, it has constancy that will last, it is more un-moveable in the storms of life.
These are things when youre talking about stones that would be symbolized in that subject.
So, lets think about the kind of stones we want to gather. It would be great if we gathered
worship stones, such as they did in days of David and Solomon when they built the Temple
to worship God. So lets gather worship stones. Hang on to Ecclesiastes 3, and turn to I Chronicles
22:2 in the Amplified. And read about David gathering fine stones to build a temple to
worship God. David commanded to gather together the strangers who were in the land of Israel,
and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God. He was in a position
of authority, as king, so he knew that God said he couldnt build a temple. God was going
to allow his son to do it because David had been too much of a bloody man of warfare.
And Solomon was the more, as his name means, peaceable one. It would be more a time of
peace than what David knew. So he would build the Temple. But David wanted to participate
as parents do when their children are involved in projects. So he began to get materials
prepared. One of the things he prepared were great stones to build this beautiful Temple
with, that was going to be for the God he loved so much. He had the stone-cutters hew
these out of the mountain and prepare the rock to build with. Not only did he do that,
but as Solomon took over and became king, we read that he continued preparing these
great stones to build Solomons Temple. Now, turn to I Chronicles 29:1-3 King James and
were going to read about Solomon gathering stones. Furthermore David the king said unto
all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender,
and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God. Now I have
prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold,
and the silver for things to be made of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron
for things of iron, and the wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set,
glistening stones, and of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble
stones in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I
have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of
my God… These were beautiful stones, not just any stone would do because he wanted
to give his best to God. And in I Kings 5:17,18 Amplified, Solomon moves onto the scene. It
says, The king commanded, referring to Solomon, and they hewed and brought out great, costly
stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stone. Solomons builders
and Hirams builders and the men of Gebal did the hewing and prepared the timber and stones
to build the house. Theyre speaking of the house of God, in the natural. But these stones
were huge, costly; hewed out and wonderfully prepared. In the Amplified Bible, theres a
footnote that some of the stones gathered for Solomons temple remain to this day. One
has been measured to be 39 feet long. That is a huge stone. Imagine what it took to move
that heavy thing. What a challenge it was to build this temple of stone as huge as this
one they have that is still visible. Thats quite a stone. That was in the natural. But
we are likened to being the same thing in the Spirit. We are a temple, a place inhabited
by the Holy Spirit and the Lord wants to fill His Church with the Holy Ghost so that the
works of God can be manifest, that mens lives be dramatically changed for His glory and
praise. The scripture makes clear that God no longer dwells in the temples made by men.
Its a habitation for God through the Spirit. In Acts 7:47 it says –God doesnt dwell in
temples made with the hands of men. The temple He now has is a spiritual edifice, that means
something built up, a body of believers. Look in the New Testament at I Peter 2:4-6 Amplified,
and there the scripture says Come to Him [then, to that] Living Stone which men tried and
threw away, but which is chosen [and] precious in Gods sight. [Come] and ,like living stones,
be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood,
to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through
Jesus Christ. For thus it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a chosen (honored),
precious chief Cornerstone, and he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies
on Him] shall never be disappointed or put to shame. What were seeing in the New Testament
is Gods will and plan that He as a living stone, we also will be considered a living
stone. This is symbolic that we are being built, , stone by stone, wherever we are placed
in the Body of Christ. We are beneath some. We are above others. Well be beside others.
But its all stones built and put together. This becomes real to me because my husband
and I, when we were young, we built our own home with my brothers help. We did that with
slump block and its the same process where, block by block – you have foundation, then
the corners, draw a string-line and fill in the blocks in alignment with that string that
matches the level of the corners to keep your lines of blocks straight and in alignment
– one upon the other, above or beneath all blended in. As children of God we are like
living stones in this building of worship to God. And we may serve places beneath others
or be required to minister above or down to others. But weve got to learn to be compatible.
We cant be one rock off on a mountain-side by ourselves, a building for God. Weve got
to be fitted together as it says in Ephesians, by the Holy Spirit. And sometimes God has
to knock rough edges off us so we can smoothly fit with others. Have you found at times,
its hard to work with others in Christ? Maybe you or they, have rough edges that need to
be sanded down. We are fitted together for God through the Spirit. But Jesus is a Living
Stone and were called to be living stones. We are the temple today even as David and
Solomon prepared this grand edifice for God to be worshipped, today we are fulfilling
that spiritually. Isaiah 28:16, Amplified says, Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold,
I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone of
sure foundation; he who believes (trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone) will
not be ashamed or give way or hasten away [in sudden panic]. Im glad our foundation
in Christ is sure. We put our faith in Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone who sets the
measure for all the rest. He is a proven stone, a precious stone. We dont have to be ashamed,
the scripture says: the Lord knows those that are His, Timothy speaks in Ephesians about
us being a part of these stones that are gathered. Im glad, as a child, the Holy Spirit put it
on someones heart to reach out for me because my family couldnt provide that. God touched
a heart to be really concerned about me as a child and bring me into His kingdom so I
could be a part of the habitation of God for the Spirit. Arent you glad, Child of God?
Can you say, Im grateful to God that I have been gathered. As we sit here so grateful,
we need to say Theres someone going down the road – my neighbor, my relative and theyve
not been gathered by the Holy Spirit to be a part of this wonderful habitation for God.
We need to pray, to do what we can do to help be hands extended in Jesus name, to gather
living stones in this temple that Hes building. With more stories to be filled with His presence.
Ephesians 2:20-22, Amplified, You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets
with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined (bound,
welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple
in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. In
Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this
structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through)
the Spirit. What a privilege to be gathered. But think about those that need to be gathered.
There was a day when Elijah gathered stones of the altar that had been destroyed. We need
to gather stones to build an altar of worship individually to God. I Kings 18:31, 32 in
the Amplified. Then Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the
sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying Israel shall be your name. And
with the stones Elijah built an altar in the name [and self-revelation] of the Lord. He
made a trench about the altar as great as would contain two measures of seed. We see
Elijah gathering stones to build an altar, to offer a sacrifice to God that he loved
and served. When Elijah built an altar and put a sacrifice on it, the glory of God came
down to receive his sacrifice. By supernatural fire it consumed the sacrifice he presented
because our God is a living, answering, hearing, knowing God. We need to build a private, spiritual
altar. Im not saying you have to have a physical altar. It wouldnt hurt if you did have a place
somewhere to connect with God daily, a place easy to get in tune with the things of the
Spirit. In our hearts we need to build an altar of dedication to the Lord. I remember
as a child we heard preaching of how we need to dedicate our lives to God, to set our lives
apart, holy unto the Lord – that is the focus; what is your life about – to be used
of God, to fulfill your place in the Body of Christ for the sake of His kingdom and
promote the gospel. Weve been called to the altar to pray, be anointed to dedicate our
life to God, to say Yes, Lord, Im willing to go where you say go, do what you say, to
say what you tell me to say. So, we were made aware of the need of dedication in our lives
to God, setting our life apart unto God. Timothy speaks of this great spiritual house we form.
There are vessels unto honor. But there will also be vessels to dishonor. I want to be
a vessel to honor, dont you? We dont want to be in the house of a king but be a vessel
that dishonors Him. It says in that great house – the house of course is spiritually
speaking –there will be vessels of gold. Those are ones having really been tested by
fire. Theyve come out of that fiery trial as pure as gold. They are refined through
the test. There will be ones of silver which is a wonderful metal but its not as valuable
as the gold. Silver symbolizes redemption. It also speaks of vessels of wood, clay and
lesser materials. It doesnt mean we are better than others or God has respect of persons.
Its a matter of qualifying; dedicating your life to God and saying Im willing to go through
the fires so the dross in my life will be purged away and my vessel will be at least
silver to show His redeeming hand in my life. If you give me the grace so I can go through
the fiery trials, I will become a vessel of gold to glorify You. There are stones we need
to gather to give to God at the altar. There are things like commitment? I feel sorry for
some pastors. Ive always been glad I wasnt called to be a pastor or pastors wife – they
find it difficult to find individuals who want to commit. People want to receive, to
benefit but not to commit. Its hard to get working hands, who really want to help, that
you can count on to be faithful. People want convenience to do a little thing for God.
But really follow after Christ means commitment, which is willingness to follow through and
be accountable. Faithfulness is something God is looking for. He didnt ask that we be
fantastic servants but faithful. Some are like an old plow horse, plodding along day
after day, but you are there. You can find us out in the field with the Father, doing
the Fathers business. We may not be fast or fantastic. But were faithful. Thats the high
calling – to be faithful. Romans says, I beg of you my brother that you present your
body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is but our reasonable service.
Another stone to build an altar, is godly living. God does not appreciate a polluted
sacrifice. He wants a sanctified vessel. Let the Holy Spirit sanctify you and get out the
ungodly things that are not Christ-like. Of course that is a process. Another stone is
faith to build this altar. What about a Spirit of willingness? Thats a good stone for our
altar. What about obedience? Sometimes were not obedient or willing. We grit our teeth.
Think about stones that are good that could be added in your altar, stones that need to
be gathered. David gathered stones. I Samuel 17:40, David gathered stones to attack Goliath,
representing satanic powers. As that giant taunted Israel day after day, God used little David – he took his sling and with
the stones out of the river that had been smoothed by years of water running over them.
When they first fell into the river, they were rough. But time smoothed them till they
were perfect and when David put them in his sling and it hit right in the center of the
forehead of the giant, it brought Goliath down, a symbol of satanic power – God had that stone. Maybe youre in the riverbed
of life and things are flowing over you but its smoothing you down. Gods getting you ready
to be used to defeat the powers of darkness. God is preparing you for battle against the
enemy. He needs us to be smooth. God needs smooth stones to use, prepared for battle
and victory. I will close with Luke 19: 40. And he answered and said unto them, I tell
you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. The
disciples were praising and glorifying God. The Pharisees said, Shut them up, Lord! And
the Lord said, If they are quiet, these stones are going to cry out praises to God. If we
fail to worship God, God will allow the stones to praise Him. Lets worship our Lord as living
stones. Lift up our voices to Him. Gather good stones. Next time is about: A season
To Embrace. God bless you, I pray. Amen.