When real ministry is occurring, one of the things you can expect to see is something of a mess. “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: But much increase is by the strength of the ox” (Prov. 14:4). Dying churches are usually clean and tidy. Growing churches, flourishing churches, are characterized by “situations” that crop up, quite regularly.
In the book of Acts, the church enjoyed a rapid explosion of growth. The result of this growth was a ball drop in their mercy ministries. The Hellenistic widows were overlooked in the distribution of food (Acts 6:1). When the problem was voiced, the church addressed it forthrightly, carefully, and scripturally, appointing seven godly men to oversee the distribution. What was the result of this godly response? Well, the result was more growth (Acts 6:7).
In other words, if you address the problems caused by growth scripturally, the solution is going to be more problems caused by growth.
Building a sanctuary can be seen in two ways. One way is to see it as carving out a niche, a place where we can go to stop growing, a place where we can nurse along our market share. The sanctuary is seen as a retreat center. The other way of seeing it is to view it as a staging area, preparing for the next great advance. The former is death, the latter is what we want to insist upon.
In other words, if we are thinking that all we need to do is establish a couple of Reformed churches in Moscow, and then we can call it good, we have stepped away from the Great Commission. The house is all the elect whom God will call on the Palouse. Our sanctuary is just one part of the down payment.
So let the stones cry out.