Chapter three

The danger of focusing only on the physical temple

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Matthew 23:27-38

Our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, warned the religious people of His time. He rebuked them for their outward righteousness and inward corruption. It is no news that most of the religious people of our time act like the scribes and Pharisees. By God’s grace, the Holy Spirit has revealed to me in dreams and visions several ministers of the gospel who are wolves in sheep's clothing. It is disturbing to know these “pastors” have large congregations with thousands of followers on social media.

There’s nothing wrong with building a beautiful, modern church. But constructing a great temple without spiritual power is a waste of resources. We must not become like the scribes and Pharisees who practiced righteousness only for show while hiding pride, greed, and wickedness inside.

God cares more about the body of Christ than the building (Kuriakon) itself. To please God, we must prioritize the real temple (the people) over the physical building. It’s good to have large congregations with advanced lighting, sound, technology, and comforts. But our first focus must be building people morally, spiritually, and mentally before concentrating on the building. Just like any structure, a proper foundation determines its strength and longevity. We can’t build lasting churches with corrupt hearts. It would be like training thieves in comfort. If we focus only on the physical and neglect the spiritual, we leave the door open for the enemy.

But when we build people first, the enemy finds it much harder to steal, kill, or destroy. Division is one of the enemy’s greatest tools. The enemy uses spiritually weak vessels to divide the church. If we do not build people in God’s ways, confusion and conflict take root. Sadly, many large churches with all the latest technological systems still struggle with corruption. If we neglect people's spiritual growth, we end up with lukewarm, greedy, corrupt members who will rise to become corrupt leaders. It is no news that many churches today lack spiritual power, real impact, and the love of God.

In some churches, leaders even turn to occult practices. Often, the true power of the Holy Spirit is absent in such churches (dead churches). When the church focuses only on buildings, corrupt worldly policies take over, and that’s not how it should be.

I’ve visited churches where many struggled with spiritual darkness. Churches that focus only on the physical temple often feel spiritually dry. Miracles and the movement of the Holy Spirit are rare in such places. Sadly, the Holy Spirit rejects congregations that neglect the people for the sake of the building.

…the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

Physically, Eliab looked like he had built his outward temple. But he hadn’t built himself spiritually, so God rejected him. Likewise, many churches with grand auditoriums have lost the presence of the Holy Spirit by neglecting the real temple (the people). God is far more interested in people than buildings. If you have a large church filled with spiritually strong members, that’s wonderful! But our focus must always be on building people in God’s way; then, together, we can build a better church (2 Timothy 3:5; 1 Corinthians 2:1–5).