Acts 7:48-50: Where does God live?

“48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:  49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’”NIV

Perhaps verse 48 should be inscribed over the doorway of every church building: ‘’However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands.’’

‘’Yet that doesn’t mean that Most High God lives in a building made by carpenters and masons.’’ The Message.

It’s important to understand that the building where we meet for Christian worship is not ‘the church’. Rather, the church is ‘’God’s building’’ (1 Corinthians 3;9), composed of people who are ‘’like living stones’’ (1 Peter 2:5). God’s presence cannot be contained in any one building. He fills the universe, and yet at the same time He transcends it. Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple reflects this understanding (1 Kings 8:27).

God does not live in buildings made of brick, but He does live among His people (Corinthians 3:16, 17)), and in their bodies individually (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20), by His Spirit.

For hundreds of years there were no formal church buildings. This should help to free up our thinking to see that local churches can meet in homes, halls, community centres etc. There are so many possibilities, and we should not let the lack of a church building stifle our desire to plant churches. It didn’t seem to be a hindrance to the early church!