Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. We have all heard that principle. Just do it. How do you rebuild a temple? One stone at a time. It is not that simple when an entire nation is worn out from captivity and the work seems beyond their capability. It needs to start somewhere and in this case, it started when Zerubbabel and Jeshua made a beginning. It wasn’t long before this beginning grew into excitement, cooperation, and industriousness to complete the task at hand, which at this time, was only the foundation but a temple need to be founded on something.
When the Lord said he will build his church, he made a beginning, with the rock, Peter. Then the apostles got excited and preached in the temple courts. Then 3,000 people also got excited. There was a spirit of cooperation so that by the end of Acts 2, the church was united in the gospel and well thought of by outsiders.
Now here we are, a few leaders are excited and the congregation is excited and cooperating with the work of the Great Commission. Sure there will be opponents. Ezra had them, as did Nehemiah, but the work was finished because someone made a beginning.
Dear Lord, thank you that you will build your church. Help us, as living stones, build each other up in the process. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church