'It Is Time To Build The LORD'S House'
"It Is Time To Build The LORD'S House"
Haggai 1:1-11
INTRO. Christ, Our Savior said in Matthew 16:18, "Upon this rock I will build
my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The
Church is built upon the true foundation, Christ Jesus. The Church
is not yet completed, but the construction process going on. And will
go on until Christ returns for His own!
I want to title the message, "It Is Time To Build The LORD'S House."
1 Peter 2:5 says, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ." We, as members of Christ's Body, are built
upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, into a Spiritual House. A house that
offers up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God!
We, as a Church of the living God, should go forward and keep
growing. But, sadly enough, too many of God's Churches today are at
a standstill, instead of marching forward. The services are dry, the
people are cold, and the power is gone! God can't bless, because the
people's minds aren't fixed on Him and His house. God and His Work
should be foremost in our minds!
In our text, we see Haggai, the prophet, writing after the 70 years of
Babylonian captivity. His message is to rebuild the LORD'S house.
But, as seems to be the case today, the people's interests are on
themselves, and not on God and His cause! We have a job to do, the
BUILDING MUST GO ON!
It is time we begin again building a spiritual house that offers
spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God! I want to you to see with me
the importance of building of LORD'S House; and the consequences of
not building.
(1) Consider The People's Priorities
Text: Haggai 1:1-4
A. THE PEOPLE’S ANSWER (v2). God’s message was first to the priests, the ones with the greatest responsibility (v1). Zerubbabel is spoken of both as the “prince” and the “governor” Ezr_5:14, of Judah. With him is joined “Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest,” whose father went into captivity 1Ch_6:15, when his grandfather Seraiah was slain by Nebuchadnezzar 2Ki_25:18-21…Haggai addresses these two, the one of the royal, the other of the priestly, line, as jointly responsible for the negligence of the people; he addresses the people only through them (Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Bible). Someone has said, “Everything rises or falls on leadership.” When we have corrupt leaders those under them will be corrupt. We can see the results of this in our Country after eight years of corrupt leadership. The people’s answer was “the time is not come, that the LORD’S house should be built.” In other words, our comfort, our prosperity, and our pleasures are more important than seeking the Lord! Is there not a tendency in us all to be slack and backward about facing facts? The last part of v4 speaking of the LORD’S house says, “…This house lie waste,” while the people were dwelling in “ceiled houses.” The word ceiled here means “luxurious.” Is it not true that in our Churches, the man of God has to beg God’s people to seek the Lord, support God’s work, and share Christ with the lost, but yet, the things we desire in this life we pursue with our whole heart?
B. THE PEOPLE’S AFFECTION (vv. 3-4). Whatever we love the most we will pursue with the greatest fervor. The people were content with their own prosperity while the Lord’s house was in ruins. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33—“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” And in Colossians 3:1-2 we read, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection of things above, not on things on the earth.” The people’s affection were on their own houses not the LORD’S house. Friend, where is your affection today? Is it set on your own possessions, pursuits, and pleasures or is it set on pleasing God and seeking His will?
(2) Consider The Results Of The People's Choice
Text: Haggai 1 5-6, 9-11
A. THE CONSIDERATION (v5). Notice the Lord’s words in this verse, “Consider your ways.” The word consider here is translated from a Hebrew word which literally means “set your heart upon” your ways. This call is made to a thoughtless, procrastinating people. A people like many in our Churches today! The Lord is asking “Is it fit that you should be building yourselves elegant houses, and neglect a place for the worship of that God who has restored you from captivity?” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary On The Bible). From time to time we need to reappraise our priorities and give preeminence to God our relationship to Him! God will not bless us when we live in disobedience to Him.
B. THE CONSEQUENCES (vv. 6, 9-11). Galatians 6:7 tells us, “Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also reap.” We must live with the consequences of our choices!
What were some of the consequences of the people’s choice:
1. Physical Needs Were Not Being Met (vv. 6a, 9-10).
2. Financial Needs Were Not Being Met (vv. 6b, 11).
Many Christians today fail to put God first in their lives and fail to serve God with all they have and then wonder why they face such
struggles and difficulties and why God doesn’t bless them more!
(3) Consider The Reasons To Build The LORD'S House
Text: Haggai 1:7-8
*WE SHOULD BUILD THE LORD’S HOUSE BECAUSE:
A. THE LORD COMMANDS IT. In Haggai 1:8a we see two commands of the Lord:
1. “Go up to the mountain and bring wood...". They were not required to buy, expend, but simply to give their own labor. They were themselves to “go up to the mountain,” i.e., the mountainous country where the trees grew, “and bring” them. (Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Bible). All they had to do was be obedient. God wants us to by faith live in obedience to Him! We know what it takes to “build the Lord’s house.” It takes Time, Talent, and Treasures. And God wants us by faith to be obedient in offering them.
2. “Build the house...". Employ all that the Lord has blessed you with to build the house. Don’t let circumstances, difficulties, discouragement, or defeats hinder the work from going on! Warren Wiersbe writes: “How easy it is to make excuses for not doing God’s work! The weather is too bad to go visiting or to attend church, but not too bad for a hunting trip or a shopping spree. People will sit through a double header baseball game and never complain, yet they start to fidget if a church service runs five minutes overtime” (Warren W. Wiersbe. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on The Old Testament. pp. 619-620).
B. THE LORD IS PLEASED AND GLORIFIED IN IT. The Lord makes us
a promise in the last part of v8 that if we will by faith build the house,
"I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.” God is
greatly glorified when His people are actively serving, praying, and
fulfilling the Word of God! The reason many of our Churches are in the
state they are in is because we have failed to follow the Lord’s
command to “build the house”! We must heed the words of 2
Chronicles 7:14 where the Lord tells us, “If my people, which are
called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my
face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and
will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
CLOSING: In Ephesians 2:19-22 Paul wrote, "Now ye are no more strangers
and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the
household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself, being the chief corner
stone. In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto a
holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for a
habitation of God through the Spirit."
The Church is built upon the ROCK, the chief cornerstone, Jesus
Christ. But the building doesn't stop there, we, as living stones,
MUST CONTINUE BUILDING a spiritual house that offers
spiritual sacrifices pleasing unto God!
Will YOU as a member of this BODY help with the building?
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