Caring For God's House Series

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Caring for God’s House

Haggai 1:1-9

Past 2 weeks we have been considering 5 dream teams for TBC 60th

Remember the vision of God will not merely happen to us

God’s vision will happen through us

Began with worship, discipleship, today facilities not too exciting

Want you to remember with me TBC facilities through the years

TBC began Sept 21, 1947 in a tent, 1948 Quonset Hut

August 15, 1960 A frame building, burned June 14, 1969

For 2 years met at Crawford and Julia R Ewan school

October 3, 1971 present building dedicated

Might say pastor why all this stuff about buildings

Isn’t the church to be the people of God? More than building

True, but LHL headline, “Cats might just have everything now:

Hot shooting coincides w\opening of $30 Mill practice facility”

Wrote that before yesterday, stools with players names on it

Key card entry to get in, hot tubs, message areas

See buildings matter, so a part of our dreams for next 60 years

Include dreams for our facilities, consider prophet Haggai today

Haggai is easy to overlook, probably not many sermons from it

But great story, about 600 BC Bible says & history confirms

Jews were conquered by Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel Hananiah, Azariah & Mishael taken into captivity.

Nebuchadnezzar found Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem

Had a lot of gold so took it back spoils to Babylon.

Over 65 years Jews endured captivity, hundreds of miles from home,

When Persian Empire rose to power defeated Babylon.

King Cyrus, no beef w\Jews so let Jews return home to rebuild

Estimated 40,000 did so in but some stayed in Babylon or Persia

536 BC book of Ezra describes temple work started w\excitement

Worship amidst ruin of Solomon temple to reclaim spiritual life

Haggai picks up story 16 yrs later when temple still only foundation

Book is carefully chronicled see vs 1 spoke over 4 month period

Call to care for God’s house, two lessons for us

1. Face OPPOSITION AND DIFFICULTIES

Haggai 1st of the 3 prophets in OT who spoke to the remnant

It’s possible that Haggai is an old man in his 70’s or 80’s;

if so he one of few in Israel who could remember the majesty &

splendor of Solomon’s temple been destroyed by the Babylonians

Seems for Haggai temple represented home of the presence of God

So why did they not finish the job?

Ezra 4:4-6 NLT hints, 4 Then the local residents tried to discourage

& frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work.

They bribed agents to work against them & to frustrate their plans.

This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and

lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.

Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah

wrote a letter of accusation vs the people of Judah & Jerusalem.

In other words city got all upset, why TBC no new sanctuary

City said not enough parking,

After a couple of years the people lost heart about temple

Went on to building their own homes finally 520 BC

Zechariah called out Zerubbabel & people to resume temple work.

Warning! THE WORK OF GOD CAN BE DELAYED

God will not force His people to do what they do not want to do!

When Jesus went to Nazareth could not do many miracles

Because of the people’s unbelief

16 years later people said vs 2 It’s not time to build temple yet

People lived in paneled houses, God’s temple in rubble and ruin

Vision of God does not happen to us but through us

People had other priorities fixing up own places, starting new life

No time yet for God, sound familiar? I am too busy to help

I have to work Sundays not time for churchboss

I’m working 6 days a week Sunday is only day I have for myself

& family. Excuses why no worship God each week.

Recipe for frustration STARTING BUT NOT FINISHING, SELF-CENTERED LIVING, MISLEADING APPEARANCES, NO LONG TERM PURPOSE will be mad every time

Worst of all people began to believe and live down to what enemies said they believed in opposition & difficulties more than did God! WATCH OUT they same can happen to us they didn’t have the $$ or the people to do it either, they were busy too

The people allowed FRUSTRATION to become PROCRASTINATION 16 yrs Israel walked around foundation, & dreamed about a temple, but it did not happen.

Opposition of those around them, so they gave up

They got so used to way things were never asked what could be

Why the prophets called the people to remember! To dream again

In this our 60th year we need to as well