Repairing God's House Series

Today we begin our renovation campaign of “Building in Faith.” Taking care of the facilities God has blessed us with is important. The condition of God’s house often is a reflection of God’s people who gather there. If the house is in disrepair, the surrounding community would think the people who gather there are in disrepair as well. This campaign is a much about revitalizing God’s people as we renovate God’s house. As we build up God house, we must also be building up God’s people.

This 5 week sermon series, “The Revitalization of the Lord’s House and People,” will take us up through to March 10th, our high attendance day, or “Pack the Pews Day” when were are asking for pledge cards to be returned. The sermon today we are looking at “Repairing God’s House.” In today’s reading we will see that Solomon’s Temple, on the Temple mount in Jerusalem, was in need of some serious repair. It had been neglected and vandalized. The Temple was a little over a century old at this point. A parallel passage can be found in 2 Kings 12 and we'll be visiting a few verses from that account of the story.

2 Chronicles 24:4–14 (NKJV)

Warren Wiersbe comments that there must be a balance between those who oppose church buildings and say its all a waste of money while there are others who almost worship their buildings. However he did He related this experience: “I recall preaching one Sunday evening to a congregation that met in a church building that was in such disrepair that it couldn’t help but embarrass the members and the visitors they brought. It was doubtful that any of the members lived in houses in that condition (Hag. 1:1–6). I asked one of the church leaders why they didn’t fix things up, and he replied somewhat sarcastically, “Oh, most of our budget has to go to foreign missions. And do you know what the missionaries do with the money we send them? They fix their buildings!” It wasn’t a matter of either home or foreign [missions] but of balance.” [1]

Others have mentioned that the care of this place is a duty, so we can perform ministry to our community. From our passage I want to emphasize 3 points.

1. Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord.

2. The people gladly gave with joy.

3. All funds were rightfully handled.

Let’s look at the first point: 1. Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord.

Joash became king at age seven. He was mentored by the priest Jehoiada. Joash did right as long as he had godly counsel from Jehoiada. If you read the rest of the chapter, you will see that when Jehoiada dies, Joash listened to ungodly counsel and fell away from doing right. For a sermon at another time, you can see the importance of keeping godly counsel and mentors around you.

2 Chronicles 24:4 (NKJV) Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD.

As you can see from the offering envelopes and pledge cards, this verse is our theme verse for this campaign. Why did Joash set his heart on doing this. He was calling the nation back to the Lord and the Temple was their symbol of their devotion to God. The previous administration had left the temple in disrepair.

2 Chronicles 24:7 (NKJV) For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also presented all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD to the Baals.

Athaliah was the mother of the previous king, Ahaziah. See had advised him to do wicked, and when he died she took over. She killed off all the heirs to the throne except Joash, who was hidden away. The Temple need to be brought back to the splendor it once had.

2 Chronicles 24:13 (NKJV) So the workmen labored, and the work was completed by them; they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it.

In fact, the work was done efficiently and plenty of funds were given so that there was funds left over to replace the articles of worship.

2 Chronicles 24:14 (NKJV) When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; they made from it articles for the house of the LORD, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

But with many major restoration projects, not everything went smoothly at first.

2 Chronicles 24:5–6 (NKJV) Then he gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you do it quickly.” However the Levites did not do it quickly.