The Case For The Church
Haggai 1:3-6 (NKJV)
3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”
5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
6 “You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
History:
This message was to the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem after living in captivity in Babylon. They had begun to rebuild Jerusalem and began to rebuild their lives.
However:
They had not rebuilt the temple!
Why?
The Reason
Haggai 1:2 (NKJV)
2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ”
Excuses why people don’t attend church!
The Reality
Haggai 1:4 (NKJV)
4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”
Priorities out of order!
The Result
Haggai 1:6 (NKJV)
6 “You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
Haggai 1:9 (NKJV)
9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.
When you are not in church you do not have the blessing of the Lord!
The Challenge
The Exhortation
Haggai 1:7 (NKJV)
7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
The Encouragement
Haggai 1:14 (NKJV)
14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,
The Excitement
Haggai 2:9 (NKJV)
9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
Jesus will build His Church!
I love His church
Ephesians 5:25 (NKJV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Love His church
Ephesians 5:29 (NKJV)
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
Care for His church
Ephesians 5:31 (NKJV)
31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Be faithful to His church
Explanation
Ephesians 5:32-33 (NKJV)
32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Love and reverence His church
Let’s love and care for His church
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV)
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Christ and His church!