Now is the Time, Part 4: Tear Down | Build

GRANT FISHBOOK, LEAD TEACHING PASTOR

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

¹ There is a time for everything, 
       and a season for every activity under the sun:
² a time to be born and a time to die, 
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal, 
       a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up, 
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend, 
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate, 
       a time for war and a time for peace.
⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Solomon, the master builder says:
There is a time to tear down and a time to build.

Hebrew meaning of tear down: to cause to fall or collapse, tear down, pull down with intention

Spiritual deconstruction: The roots are disappointment, disillusionment, and disregard, which ultimately ends in despair. The cause is a .

The wrong reason to tear down: to build

Luke 12:16–21
¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
       ¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” 
     ²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
       ²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

The right reason to tear down: to start with

Colossians 3:5–10
⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Jesus specializes in a renovation of .

Hebrew meaning of build: to develop, enlarge, construct, or increase in stages

Building on the right foundation: Luke 6:46–49
⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷ As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. ⁴⁸ They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

A solid foundation of:

— talking and listening to God

— standing on God’s platform for his glory

— being the hands and feet of Jesus

— a crew of fellow demolitionists and builders

— choosing the proper authority

— refusing the relative and embracing the absolute

— Isaiah 28:16

Small Group Questions

1. Did you get to enjoy the long weekend? What did you do?
2. Have you ever done a rebuild or renovation project? What spiritual lessons did you learn?
3. What parts of your heart has God renovated? Share or write down some of the biggest changes in you since Jesus came into your life.
4. Which of the 7 foundation pillars is the toughest for you to dig into? Why?
5. What has Jesus been saying to you in this series? What are you choosing to do in this season?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?