Haggai 1:1-15 KJV
[1] In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, [2] Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built. [3] Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, [4] Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? [5] Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. [6] Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. [7] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. [8] Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. [9] Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. [10] Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. [11] And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands. [12] Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord. [13] Then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. [14] And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, [15] In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
Title “Temple Builders”
Subtitle “The Glory of Today Will Be Greater Than The Glory Of Yesterday”
Israel was a place that was given by God to His people. They had a temple.
They had an established system.
They had an established faith.
Sadly, Babylon came in and destroyed Israel from top to bottom. They destroyed the temple and took the ark of the covenant along with the rest of the things that were in it. The ark of the covenant is still supposedly lost today. some say that it is in Ethiopia. Some say that it is in Jerusalem being protected.
Along with the destruction, they were captured and taken into Babylonian captivity. The children of Israel were there for about 60 years. Around an entire generation.
In 538 bc, Cyrus a Persian King, captured Babylon.
He was a more charismatic and nicer dictator. He told the Jewish people that they could return to Israel. He told them that they could rebuild their temple that Babylon completely destroyed. He told them that he wanted them to pray to God almighty on his behalf.
In the event, only 50,000 Jews decided to return to an Israel that was completely destroyed.
They had no homes. They had no temple. Everything was gone. There wasn’t a rock left unturned.
The rest of them, the Jewish people, having mostly been born in Babylon, and having established themselves as business men and women in Babylon, decided to stay.
Babylon was on a major trade route, and many of the Jews had become rich.
Jerusalem did not have the same advantages. As I said earlier, they had no temple. They had no homes. Everything was destroyed.
There were two individual who led those who returned. A prince named Zerubbabel, whose name means “seat of Babylon” and Joshua the high priest. There is always a Joshua to lead the people out. Joshua was there when they entered into the promise land after leaving Egypt. Then there was another Joshua when they came back from Babylon. Now there is a Joshua that will lead US into the Promise Land. Jesus' name in Hebrew was “Yeshua” which translates to English as Joshua.
Zerubbabel had been born in exile and had never visited Israel. He was the grandson of the last rightful king of Israel.
He was the only remaining member of David’s royal bloodline, so he had to return if God’s promise, that there would be always a son of David on the throne of Israel, would to be fulfilled.
Many who returned to Israel returned because they wanted to see the Glory of God in the temple again.
They knew they were not going to be wealthy. They knew that it was going to be a hard struggle in a land that had not been cultivated in 70 years. They knew that it would be hard to go to a city with no walls of protection.
Whenever Zerubbabel and Joshua returned to the country, their first priority was to build an altar.
Then it was to rebuild a temple, to surround it, and re-establish themselves as God’s people.
*We cannot and must not underestimate the great sacrifice that they made.
•They left their friends relatives in Babylon.
•They left their brick-built homes in Babylon.
•They exchanged prosperity for poverty.
•They exchanged money for poor.
•They gave up fruitful trading for land that had not been cultivated for 70 years.
•But they had a vision.
•I’m about to go somewhere with this. They had a vision from God.
Their vision was from the book of Chronicles of re-establishing a royal kingdom with their own king.
They wanted to be the people of God in the land God had promised their forefathers.
*This generation is not like the last generation.
My Grandfather, Arlie Petree used to go to church when it was packed out. The old timers of The Church of God Mountain Assembly have seen the Glory of the Lord more than my generation has.
They have testimonies of miracles, signs, and wonders.
Now we, as a generation of young people, have to start all over with this Glory thing.
The devil has come in and destroyed so much.
Men and women of old have went on to be with Jesus.
Much of our churches have became smaller and many have closed.
• I know that God is moving but I’m stating the obvious of what’s going on in our assembly and quite frankly, around the world.
We are the generation that’s going to have to stand up, get up, speak up, and sit down and shut up, if we’re going to see the Glory of the Lord like the days of old.
•Rev. John Parks paid a price. (Former General Overseer of the Church of God Mountain Assembly)
•Prophetess Annie Petree paid a price.
•Rev. Luther Gibson paid a price.
•Rev. Andrew Silcox paid a price.
•Rev. Jerome Walden, Bishop James Walden Sr, Rev. Simon Petree, Rev. Al Newton, Rev. Robert Gilreath all paid a price.
Now we have an assembly but those people of old are gone.
+ Sometimes I feel as if this generation is in the midst of confusion.
•We don’t know what to do in this generation.
•We don’t know where to go in this generation.
•But we must look to the Glory of the past if we’re going to see the glory in the future or in the NOW.
+ The task of constructing the temple on the other hand was formidable.
It looked like an impossibility. They were a small group with little resources. They had to chose to construct a much smaller temple than Solomon’s temple.
Even this seemed too much for them.
*We get upset because we don’t see the Glory like we used to.
The churches aren’t as large as they used to be.
The General Assembly don’t have attendance numbers over 2000 anymore.
We don’t have big garage doors where people would be piled outside as the older generation would preach and sing and shout and see the glory of the Lord.
We feel as we don’t have the direction.
Listen to me closely. John Parks is gone. Annie Petree is gone. Luther Gibson is gone. Bro Silcox is gone.
Let me go beyond our Assembly. Bro. RW Schambach is gone. Lester Summerall is gone. Smith Wigglesworth is gone. Aimie Semple McPherson is gone.
Now is the time that we become Legacy Builders.
+As they started to try to rebuild the temple, the samaritans opposed them.
When Darius took over as king they lost the financial support that Cyrus had provided them to restore the temple. Darius cut the subsidies that had been given to the people to build the temple. He was more worried about the finance of his military campaign.
The problem today is that we are more worried about worldly things than Godly things.
•It takes money to run this youth department.
•It takes money to run this church.
•We can’t pay church bills and light bills with good looks.
And when we refuse to support because of political differences and different viewpoints, we are stopping this generation from seeing a move of God like the good old days.
Fantasy gave way. The reality the size of the task discouraged the people and their hearts sank. The rebuilding of the temple looked impossible. It looked too big.
They got so discouraged that they quit altogether.
And the problem is, we got too many young people today who are quitting.
•They haven’t seen the Glory in their churches.
•Your pastor hasn’t spoke in tongues in 12 years.
•Your youth pastor ain’t even filled with The Holy Ghost.
•Most of y’all ain’t even got a youth pastor.
•You’ve been to more church funerals than you have been to baptisms.
•You’ve been to more gossip sessions than prayer meetings.
•You’ve been to church camp, and sadly that’s the only time you get anything from God.
You go to church camp, get on fire, get filled with the Holy Ghost, then go back to your home church the Sunday to see that it so dead and dry that you literally can’t even stand to be there.
Instead of people praying in the altar with you, you get asked by the old lady in the back what you did in order to need to be in the altar.
**•• I’m calling on the older generation to be more encouraging to this generation. Because you don’t know the Hell that we have to put up with.
•They are telling us that there are more than 2 genders.
•Now we have drag queens dragging their hellish junk in our local schools and even some so-called churches.
•America has preachers saying that it’s okay to be gay.
•They are now teaching that a little alcohol is okay.
•Teachers in the schools are teaching that a boy can change himself into a girl and that a girl can change herself to a boy.
•5 year olds are wondering what they even are.
•They are saying that you can be non binary and not even have a gender.
•The schools that I sub at have litter boxes in the bathrooms for the kids who think that they are cats and dogs.
* All while the old generation sits in the back row with their arms folded.
* All while the older generation calls us saved folk too radical.
•They say our music is too loud.
•They say out preaching is too loud.
•They say our beats are too groovy.
•They say that our dancing is too funny.
All while we’re in a part of a generation that is going to hell on a slip and slide.
•I say we should shout louder.
•I say we should sing louder.
•Get out the electric guitar and play it for Jesus.
•Beat those drums till the sticks break.
•Shout and dance in the altar to Break Every Chain and Reckless Love.
•Dye your hair blue if you have to but chase the Glory!
•Chase the Glory!
•Chase the Glory!
Seek the Holy Ghost. Look for Miracles. Look for Signs. Look for Wonders.
You need to know that God made you what you are. You are not a cat you are a human being.
You are not a pickle, you are a human being.
*They say us preachers need to shut up and back down but I rebuke that in the name of Jesus.
•Sue me if you have to.
•Yell at me if you have to.
•Scream at me if you have to.
•But sin is still sin.
•Homosexuality is still an abomination and a stench in the nostrils of God.
•Sex before marriage is an abomination.
•I know that this will make people so mad they they might throw rocks at us but let me say it, THERE ARE ONLY 2 GENDERS.
•THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO HEAVEN AND THAT IS THROUGH JESUS.
You need to know;
•You are beautifully and wonderfully made.
•You are called.
•You are chosen.
*In the midst of a crazy generation, stand up and say “My time is now, the glory of God will be on my life, I am chosen, and I am who I am by the GRACE OF GOD”
•I refuse to be lied to.
•I refuse to let my young people be told that it’s ok to commit abominations in the name of sweet love.
It time that our young people take a STAND and say RIGHT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IS WRONG!
* Now, the people of Israel stopped building the temple after only two years.
The average time of a Christian experience for our young people is only two years. They have no leadership, discipleship, or guidance. So they stray away. They are not being equipped in the church.
•Why do they want to go to church when all they hear is how horrible they are?
•Why do they want to go to church when the wicked world has more to offer than our dead churches do?
*After 2 years they stopped and for 14 years didn't put another stone on the temple. All they accomplished to build was a foundation.
An entire new temple that was as beautiful and grand as the old one was a luxury that they could not afford.
This assembly and the church as a whole only has a foundation at the moment.
•This youth department has a foundation.
•This mission department has a foundation.
•I’ve read the old CGMA minute books and I’ll state the obvious.
•We don’t have as much money as we used to.
•We don’t have as many people as we used to.
•We don’t have as many churches as we used to.
•We’ve seen things in the past, but we’re in the process of rebuilding everything that the devil messed up.
The people of Israel had a new concern rather than a concern for the temple.
They had to worry about how they were going to survive. The economy had entered a deep recession. Food became scarce. Inflation skyrocketed and the food supply was decreased by droughts and disease.
They had spent all of the money they had saved in Babylon on food and clothing so they had no savings. It was a major letdown.
They went back to Israel and had returned with the intention of rebuilding a nation and temple but instead, discovered that they were barely surviving. They felt that they had made the right decision to return but that they had chosen the wrong time to do it.
Then they got like we do today.
•They began to wonder if they should have stayed in Babylon longer.
•They began to wonder if they should have saved more money and waited until they were fit enough to return in greater power and prosperity.
*Now is the time to do the work of God.
*I told God when I went to Markle, IN, that of I have to crawl across broken glass to be in the will of God, and to be where the Glory is, I will.
Many of them complained and said that Babylon was a better place anyway.
They had money. They had brick houses. They had all that they could have wanted.
The problem with this generation is that even though we can get them out of Babylon, we can’t get Babylon out of them.
•We pray for our young people but they refuse to pray.
•They don’t want the Holy Ghost power.
•We speak of miracles and they say that it was just coincidence.
•They want money.
•They want cars.
•They want popularity.
•They want the worldly ways.
*But you can’t live in Israel with a Babylon mentality.
*You can’t build a temple with the Glory of God with a White House mentality.
Abraham was content with a tent and an altar. John Parks was content with Jellico Creek church. The men and women of old were content, and solid in their faith.
My great grandmother Annie Petree used to testify and she would say, “When I got saved, I didn’t go back because I GOT ON THE ROCK”
+The people of Israel was in a place of “STUCK”.
Someone look to your neighbor and tell them, “we’re stuck”.
It was into this depressing situation that Haggai spoke his prophecy.
•Sometimes, even God’s very best people need a special word from the Lord.
•Even the Church of God Mountain Assembly needs a word from God.
•Even I need a Word from God.
•Even I need to be encouraged, primed, pumped, and pushed.
So God gave Haggai the prophet a series of messages that was meant to challenge the people to continue His work.
Haggai wanted to get them going again. He told them that it’s time to start rebuilding the temple. He told them that there was no more time to waste.
There was no time to wait.
Now is the time to build because in this generation, we need the GLORY more than ever.
Matthew 6:33 says Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.
After God spoke to Haggai, as I read the entire first chapter, God spoke again in the second chapter.
Haggai 2:3-9 KJV
[3] Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? [4] Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord ; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts: [5] According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. [6] For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land ; [7] And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. [8] The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. [9] The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
The second message was sent about seven weeks after the first message.
After they heard the word of the Lord the first time, the people began to do the Lord’s work with fresh zeal and determination.
The first time God spoke to Haggai, it was to encourage the new generation. The second time God spoke to Haggai, is to encourage and give reassurance to the older generation.
As they started to build again, those who remembered Solomon’s temple in its splendor and gold were disheartened.
They said that it didn’t look like the good old days. They were upset because they couldn’t rebuild it like it used to look.
I had a lady in my church get mad because we got rid of our old pews and got new chairs. I know a pastor who lost people because he got rid of his wooden pulpit for a metal one.
Haggai told the old generation that they were looking in the wrong direction. Haggai said you don't comprehend what true greatness entails.
You need to know that big in size and beauty does not always imply greatness.
“ it is entirely possible and greatly probable to decrease in numbers, and increase in anointing.” -Dr. Rod Parsley
Ezra 3:12 KJV
[12] But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
Listen if we're not careful, the good old days might become a source of despair rather than encouragement. We began to cast doubt on what God is attempting to accomplish in the NOW because it looks different than what He accomplished in the YESTERDAY.
We can become critical of the NOW if we get caught up in the YESTERDAY.
•I got something to say to the older generation,
•I give all of the respect and appreciation that I can give.
•My heart screams thank you for the sacrifices that you’ve made.
•However, The way I shout may not look like the way you shout but let’s shout together.
•The songs I sing might have a different beat but let’s sing together.
•My style might be grey, black, and blue, and yours might be Pepto Bismol pink and purple but let’s praise Him on each others carpets.
We might not have the people like we used to have but we’re working. We’re working beyond the foundation.
We might not have services like we used to but let’s pray in the same altar until the Glory comes down! We’re working beyond the foundation.
Someone tell your neighbor, “We’re going beyond the foundation.”
God used the term “be strong” 3 times through Haggai.
•We are to be strong in the Lord’s work.
•We are strong in the Church of God Mountain Assembly.
•Young people, we are strong,
•Listen Gen X, we are strong
•Listen, Gen Z, we are strong
•Listen, Millennials, we are stong
•Listen, Boomer! We are stong!!
Why?! Because we have the assurance of God’s presence.
We have the assurance of his faithfulness and we have the confidence of His ability.
God is getting ready to pour out His spirit like never before.
Get ready.
Get ready.
Get ready.
Get ready to baptize
Get ready to fill the altars
Get ready to see the Shakina Glory fill the room to where you can literally see The Spirit of The Lord.
Get ready to see people raised from the dead
Get ready to see people baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of Speaking in other Tongues!
Get ready to see people saved like never before!
Get ready, The Glory of THIS TEMPLE WILL BE GREATER THAN THE FORMER
WE AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET!
•We might not have gold to build the temple, but the glory will be greater.
•We might not have silver to build the temple, but the glory will be greater.
•We may have to labor harder, work harder, get sticks and stone from the mountain top, but the GLORY will be greater!!!
Hebrews 12:26 KJV
[26] Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
God did a thing in the past but THIS TIME…. I feel like preaching.
Someone turn around and touch a dozen people and tell them THIS TIME!! THIS TIME!!
THIS TIME WILL BE GREATER
THIS TIME WILL BE MORE GLORIOUS
THIS TIME WILL BE MORE ANOINTED
THIS TIME WILL BE MORE POWERFUL
THIS TIME WILL BE MORE AMAZING
THIS TIME THIS TIME THIS TIME THIS TIME
According to the Bible, God will eventually build a new Heaven and a new earth.
Focus your attention on the things that cannot be shaken.
God’s throne
God’s word
God’s promises
God’s children and eternity are all unshakable
He is saying, I will shake all things with my power so that the things that cannot be shaken remain!
God revealed to Haggai that something larger than Solomon’s temple would take place in this structure. Many years later, Jesus went into the temple and He brought far greater glory than they had ever seen. Jesus fulfilled the law when He died upon the Cross.
•Greatness is not a location
•Greatness is not a style
•Greatness is not a number or a competition
•The Lord Jesus Christ is a person of greatness
•The greatest thing that might happen in any church is for a rumor to spread that Jesus is present in the temple.
Jesus is in this work
Jesus is in the National Youth Department
Jesus is in our church
Jesus is in our camp
Jesus is in our Faith
Oh how beautiful it is when Christ comes and stamps his mark on your life.
“I have chosen you” God said to Zarubabell
God told Haggai, I've searched the field and selected you.
I’m talking to every person in this room. We have been called to return back to Israel and rebuild the temple.
It’s time that we get out of Babylon and get busy.
God is calling on you to get out of your sin.
God is calling someone in this room to preach.
God is calling someone to start singing.
God is calling children’s ministry workers.
God is calling Kingdom builders.
God is calling some of you to come home.
If you’re not saved, come home.
If you’re not living for Jesus, backslider, come home. There’s work to be done.
Altar call.
