Haggai: The House of The Lord

We're going to be in the book of haggai today third from the end of the Old Testament to help you out a little bit. We've been going through the Minor Prophets the last 12 books of the Old Testament one a week. And we mentioned that the Minor Prophets are not minor like the minor leagues compared to the Major Prophets as if somehow Isaiah and Jeremiah were the Heavy Hitters The A-Team but rather than the Minor Prophets because they're short in length all 12 could fit on a scroll. And will be in haggai and is returning there. I was reminded rereading the book this morning of Jesus word seek, first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you the first we learn as a song and children's Sunday School in many of us know it so well and had a guy. is writing to a people that are seeking their own things first rather than gods and judgment has happened but had guy gives them hope in fact that God has not abandoned them and that he will keep them and this book is about the temple or the house of the Lord It's the place where God dwells among his people what I'd like to do for a minute or two here is give you a short biblical Theology of the temple and when I use the word biblical theology, it's a little bit of a technical word that we use at the Seminary contrasting it not with unbiblical theology that which might be what you think about but rather it's it's something slightly different than Systematic Theology, which is what you see when you take everything the Bible has to say about a subject and you bring it together so you would have a system at Theology of the doctrine of God for example, but in biblical theology what you're doing is you're telling the story from Genesis to Revelation and how there's a thread of something that starts in the Book of Genesis and Carries through the whole Bible all the way to the Book of Revelation. So what I want to do for you very shortly is give you a Biblical Theology of the temple in Genesis 1 and 2 is God creates The World God tells Adam in Genesis, 2:15. To keep and to serve the garden. He says 2:15 the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and to keep it in the Hebrew words their Shemar Nevada to work in to keep those words are carried through the rest of the first five books of the Bible the pentateuch to refer to the Tabernacle in the wilderness and how the priests kept and worked served in the Tabernacle. So this Garden in Eden is the Prototype Temple and Adam is the first priest in the temple who is working or serving in the garden. He's also keeping or guarding the garden and this is what the Levites would then pick up in the Book of Numbers Chapter 3 and chapter 4 well, End up happening. Is this Tabernacle is carried through the Wilderness Journey. It's then as David brings the the the Tabernacle home to Jerusalem. And then he brings the Ark of the Covenant which was in the holy of holies. Remember Indiana Jones, right? Did any brings it into the holy of holies? And he places it there and then David is reflecting in 2nd Samuel 7 about. Wow. I've now Built My Palace my house, but God doesn't have a house. This tent is still in Jerusalem, but God needs a house in Temple until I want to build him a house and David praise and he receives an answer in 2nd Samuel 7 from God that David is not going to be the one to build a house, but one of his sons will build the house. And I want to read from 2nd Samuel 7 to you what God says to David through the prophet Nathan.

2nd Samuel 7 and he says

Versace this is what God is saying to the prophet to David there for Russia. You say to my servant David that says the Lord of hosts. I took you from the pasture from following the sheet that you should be Prince Over My People Israel, and I've been with you wherever you went and if cut off all your enemies from before you and I will make for you a great name like the name of the great ones on the earth and I will appoint a place for My People Israel in will plant them so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more in Violent Men shall afflict them. No more. He goes on to say down in verse 12 when your days are filled and you lie down with your father's I will raise up your Offspring after you who shall come from your body and I will establish his kingdom and he shall build a house for my name and I will establish the Throne of his kingdom. forever And so David responds down in verse 18, he goes and sits down and said you talking about my house for a long time to come God forever. That's a long time and this descendants going to come and he's going to establish. He's going to build God's house and he's going to establish the kingdom forever. Well Solomon David's son, you know built the temple and Solomon's Temple was glorious and it was in many ways that the Golden Age of the nation of Israel people would come from all over the world to see this Temple. But as great as this Temple was God would still say in 1st Kings 8, will God indeed dwell on Earth behold heaven in the highest Heaven cannot contain you how much less this house that I've built Solomon says regarding God. In Solomon's Temple was destroyed in 586 BC and we've been talking about it the last couple months that first the northern kingdom was conquered by Assyria and taken into captivity. And then the southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon and taken into captivity and that's when the temple was destroyed and all of the gold and all of the goods were taken off into captivity. But then under the reign of Cyrus. There was a command to rebuild the Temple complete with the help of Darius and so a number of Israelites returned to the land and they begin to rebuild Jerusalem the wall and they begin to rebuild the Temple and you can find those stories in the book of Ezra in the book of Nehemiah and haggai and Zechariah were two of the prophets who were ministering at that time when they were rebuilding And this is the time. These last three books of the Old Testament are after they've returned to the land. They're rebuilding things but they grow weary. Well first aid begin to look after their own things in their rebuked and then second they begin to grow weary. So haggai the last little bit I want to show you is on the slide behind me. You have this a b b a formation is called a key azzam. It's not Abba. It's not a reference to you know, a dancing queen or something like that. But you have this formation that the first part of the book The Curse of an unbuilt house is bookended at the end with the blessings of a rebuilt house. And then in the middle God reminds them I'm with you. My presence is with you energizing the present work of rebuilding the temple and the presence of the Lord guaranteeing a future coming Glory which will talk about but I bet you know what that's going. So let's read the book of haggai chapter 1 together. In the second year of Darius the king in the six month on the first day of the month the word of the Lord came by the hand of haggai to the profit. The profit is Aruba bull the son of she LTL governor of Judah enter Joshua the son of jehozadak the high priest thus says the Lord of hosts. These people say the time is not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of haggai the Prophet. Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your panel houses while this house lies in Ruins. Now, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts consider your ways you've sown much and harvested little you eat, but you never have enough you drink but you never have your field you clothe yourselves but no one is warm and he who earns wages does soda put them into a bag with holes that says the Lord of hosts consider your ways go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house that I may take pleasure in it and then I might be glorified says the Lord you look for much and behold it. I am too little and when you brought it home and I blew it away why declares the Lord of hosts because of my house that lies in Ruins while each of you busy simself with his own house there for the heavens above you have withheld to do in the earth is withheld its produce and I've called for a drought on the land and on the hills and on the grain the new wine the oil on what the ground brings forth on man and Beast and on all their labors. Here's this indictment because you haven't finished building the house of the Lord. There's been judgment upon the land first 12 then has a removable the son of she LTL and Joshua the son of jehozadak the high priest with all the remnants of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God in the words of haggai. The Prophet is the Lord of God had sent him in the people feared the Lord then haggai the messenger of the Lord spoke to the people with the Lord's message. I'm with you declares the Lord in the Lord stirred up the spirit of zerubbabel the son of she LTL governor of Judah and the spirit of Joshua the son of jehozadak the high priest in the spirit of all the remnants of the people and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts their God on the 24th day of the month in the 6th month in the second year of Darius the king. So you have this message given from haggai and we know the date is August 29th. 5:20 BC. I did the the translation for you of what the Jewish calendar said. They're basically five years before the temple is completed haggai brings this word and tells the people you've gotten off track. You've lost your priority. You were supposed to finish building the Temple and you didn't and what we're going to see later in the book the presence of the Lord in his house among his people. This was a promise of his presence with him. That was a promise of a greater coming presence of God among his people. And so the message does the ruble in Joshua is the Lord's House has is unbuilt did we we see there that they say in verse to the people that time has not yet. Come to rebuild the house. Why would they say it while they knew we'd read in the book of Ezra chapter 1 and chapter 4, they knew they had to command an obligation to build this Temple to rebuild it, but they were saying the time has not yet come and we see from the rest of chapter one that they were giving weak excuses. They were busy building their own houses. They're described as paneled houses. Well, that was a luxury. I know those of you who had wood paneling in the seventies and eighties mean that was the height of middle-class America right there wood paneling. Well this paneled houses in Israel. This was the mark of luxury and what they're saying is we're busy building our own house is we don't have time yet to build God's house. And the the important thing about this is not that the house needed to be completed just for the building. But what did the house represent? The house being completed was the knowledge that inside the holy of holies. The Manifest presence of the Lord would be among his people so you haven't finished building my house so that my glory in my presence would be with you. It's not a priority to so what they were saying to refuse to build it was I don't care if the Lords present with us or not. I'm busy, you know working on my own home building my career spending my money doing my things. It's a really what they're saying is to not build a house was we don't want you lord your presence in our midst. And it's interesting that Joshua and zerubbabel are mentioned by name. Zerubbabel. Besides being hard to pronounce. Chris said there's a Chris is not in here. There's a baby name for you Kristen. There's a baby named for his approval be popular among the kids. He was a descendant of David. He's the royalty of Israel and God had promised David one of your descendants would build his house and would restore the kingdom and so by addressing zerubbabel. Haggai. The Lord is saying through haggai. Don't you want the Messiah to come? Don't you want him to come it doesn't seem to be a priority to you. And Joshua was a descendant of Aaron the priesthood of Israel. It's like haggai. God is saying through haggai. Don't you want to serve as a priest in the presence of God again? Don't you want to be in the presence of the Lord and serving him again? What an indictment? And so the second main point the message to the people we see in versus 3211. The neglected house is the cause of the curse verse for the people were living in paneled houses of luxury and comfort while the Lord's House was in ruin verse 5, they're called to consider their ways verse 6 their food their drink their clothing. It was not satisfying to them. So the problem was not a lack of good they weren't living in poverty, but that they had a lack of the good that is God's presence in their midst. They were not satisfied and this is isn't it amazing that it doesn't matter what culture you're in doesn't matter where you live. That if you try to find satisfaction in food and drink and clothing material things, you'll never be satisfied. It's never enough. They always wear out. They never bring ultimate Joy or peace there terrible saviors. If I could just have this great career and a great retirement accounts and I could retire at the age of 30, then I could be set and I'd be happy. It's a terrible savior.

Silver seven there verse 6 rather it says their wages are like in a bag with holes. All of us can say Amen to that doesn't seem like living in the Bay Area our wages or like in a bag with holes. Again. It's kind of a reference. Not that they didn't have money but it didn't go very far inflation must have been hitting them as well verse 7, they're called again to consider their ways verse 8 the Lord calls them to use existing materials look at this. So they're saying it's not yet time. You know, we don't have the money. The money is not going as far we can't build you the house that you deserve God after all Solomon's Temple was glorious. And God says I'll tell you what you do go up into the hills verse 8 get the would just go grab a bunch of scrap wood all the stuff that fell you come back and you build the temple you build the house so that I would take pleasure in it and be glorified in it what God is saying to them is the important thing is not the size of the magnificence of the house, but the existence of it that is that you would want God's presence among you.

Verse 9 through 11. They blame their cursed are the proud of the blame for their cursed economy is because they have neglected the house of the Lord and it's it's like I said the opposite of Matthew 6:33 seek, first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all those things will be added to you food clothing benefits blessings. He goes on to the workers verses 12 to 15 and says the Lord's presence is in your midst, even though they were rebuked by haggai beginning and verse 12. They obeyed the voice of the Lord their God many listened. So this is our first book in the Minor Prophets where we see an immediate repentance. That's not true Jonah preach to Nineveh and they repented immediately. I mean Jonah wasn't happy about it. He he got up on the hill and pouted but but we see here the people have got a repentant immediately. They hear the word that we have been loving our things rather than loving God and they repented. The national response and verse 12 Day respond to the word of the Lord verse 13. The profits are encouraged by the word. I Am with You declares the Lord and God says in verse 14 that they are quickened by the spirit of the Lord stirred up the spirit of observable and Joshua these two leaders and they came and worked on the house of the Lord. What an incredible picture of God's working in bringing repentance in what I find interesting is in verse 14. You have up until this point in the book of haggai. The one addressing them over and over is the Lord of hosts. Yahweh sabaoth, the Lord of hosts. The lord of the Heavenly armies the host of Heaven now, that's a little intimidating, isn't it? If the if God said, he uses his title. I'm the lord of the hosts of heaven and you're not listening to me and you don't want me in your presence. That's a little scary the picture of God with all of Heaven's armies behind him saying you're under a curse because you haven't built the house. But now he says I am your God at the end of verse 14 and the rest of the book. He is the Lord their God who addresses them. He's Drawing Near to them so that they would draw near to him. The Lord is the central blessing his people need we need God With Us. That's what we desire is god with us. So they begin to work. We know from the end of verse 15 that it is September 21st, 5:20 BC one month after you don't have to remember those dates. There's no test. I might be showing off a bit that I just read a commentary and got our calendar date, but

They begin to work one month later that the fourth point the message to the leaders and people is the Lord's presence will be with them now and into the future all the way down to 2 verse 9. Let's read chapter 2 down two verse nine in the seventh month on the 21st day of the month the word of the Lord came by the hand of haggai the Prophet speak now to zerubbabel the son of she LTL governor of Judah and to Joshua the son of jehozadak the high priest into all the remnants of the people and say who is left among you who saw this house and its former glory. How do you see it now is it is not as nothing in your eyes yet now be strong has a removable declares the Lord be strong. Oh Joshua, son of jehozadak the high priest be strong. All you people of the land declares the Lord work for I Am with You declares the Lord of hosts. According to the Covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt my spirit remains in your midst fear not For thus says the Lord of hosts yet once more in a little while. I will shake the heavens and the Earth in this seat and the dry land and I will shake all the nations so that the Treasure of all the nations shall come in and I will fill this house with Glory says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine and the gold is mine declares the Lord of hosts. The latter Glory of this house shall be greater than the former says the Lord of hosts in in this place. I will give peace declares the Lord of hosts. So this second message is not a message of rebuke this time, but a message of encouragement did not grow weary in well-doing. Now imagine you're one of the people of Israel you've been convicted because hag I told you you're loving your house rather than God's house. So you go up to the hills. You grab would the best you can you start building in the house and putting it together you get some work done substantially and you stand back and look and just think Yeah nailed it that shabby. That was a joke. So you're looking at in your thinking it's terrible it it doesn't look anything like Solomon's house. The older people that had experienced. They had seen would Solomon's Temple look like 70 years prior. They're saying it doesn't look the same.

That doesn't even seem fit for God. And so what God does is he says? Oh, yeah. You remember verse three the past Glory of Solomon's Temple vs. 4 & 5 Don't be disheartened. I'm with you look at verse 4. Be strong for I Am with You declares the Lord of hosts. According to the Covenant I made with you when you came out of Egypt and my spirit remains in your midst. He reminds them that he's always been with them that he delivered them out of Egypt that his Spirit was in their midst. His glory was in their midst and he's still with them. So don't grow weary in well-doing. What a reminder isn't attempting to think we don't have a temple where the temple I'm going to get to that here in a minute, but it's tempting to think that by God's glory is no longer with us. His presence isn't with us. Maybe we think man that the Glory Days were behind us. The Golden Age was behind us. And is there ever going to be a day when we see God's spirit work and Revival come and people come to the Lord and our loved ones come to Jesus and see people whose hearts are devoted and on Fire Burning For the Glory of God to be revealed.

And we're tempted to think maybe God's abandon us. What a reminder it's not the outward appearances that determine God's presence with us. It's his promises. It's his Covenant. He keeps his promises.

Versus 629 he in this verse is promising a future Glory a ladder Glory. He says in verse 9 that's going to be greater than even the former glory of Solomon's Temple a temple is going to be far greater than that thing that all the world came to see in Solomon's day. There's going to be a pimple that is more glorious. It's going to be verse 7 full of Glory verse 9 filled with the presence of God. It's going to bring all the nations in verse 7 verse 9. It's going to bring peace this Hebrew word shalom. The world is God intends it to be. Jesus the Messiah is the promised Prince of Peace. The one who is David's descendant who brings peace and makes peace through the blood of his cross and this cobbled-together Temple. Is there looking at it made of wood from the hills thinking how will this thing be more glorious than Solomon's Temple what we know how guys not speaking of zerubbabel Temple. He's speaking of Jesus the Messiah the true Temple Remember the name in the beginning of Matthew that's given to Jesus. His name Shall be Called Emmanuel. What does that mean? God With Us. What is the point of the temple? God is with us. His presence is with us Adam in the garden. Remember that was the Prototype Temple Adam walked with God in the coolness of the garden that was lost in the fall God's glory is restored in the Old Testament Tabernacle and later the temple his presence in the holy of holies, but then Jesus comes as the greater and true Temple and his name is Emmanuel God With Us. And what does he say at the end of The Book of Matthew I'm with you always even to the End of the Age. He's with us. Now. The reason the latter glory is going to be greater than the former is that it's not only the building but the people who are going to be filled with the presence of God us. What is God's that we heard it in 1st Corinthians 3. We are his Temple now. The Jesus is risen and his Spirit dwells in us. The presence of God is in us to think that back then if someone wanted to draw near to the Manifest presence of God. Now we know God was that God is everywhere God is infinite his attribute of being infinite and omnipresent means he's everywhere all at once. And yet God manifested his presence among within the temple in the holy of holies in a special way.

Now if people want to draw near to the Manifest presence of God, they don't go to Jerusalem. They come to us the church all of these local churches. They draw near to the presence of God in us the temple getting a little bit ahead of myself, but that is massive, isn't it? That's glorious that has implications for us that give us great hope and courage when we wake up tomorrow morning to face work and trials to to face when we leave here and we Face the things that we were facing before we walked in. That we are the temple of God In God's Presence is with us. His glory is with us. And so we don't have reason to fear the latter glory is far greater than the former.

1 versus 10 to 19 the fifth message to the priest and the people are fifth in my outline this message to the priests in the people. The restored house is the cause of the blessing verse 10 on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius the word of the Lord came by haggai. The prophet thus says the Lord of hosts ask the priests about the law. If someone carries holy meat in the fold of His Garment in touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food. Does it become wholly and the priests answered and said no then had a guy said if someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these does it become unclean and the priests answered and said it does become unclean then I got answered and said, so it is with this people in with this nation before me declares the Lord and so with every work of their hands and what they offer there is unclean now then consider from this day onward before Stone was placed upon Stone in the temple of the Lord. How did you fare? When one here one came to a heap of 20 measures they were but ten when one came to the wine-vault to draw 50 measures there were about twenty. I struck you in all the products of your toil with blight in with mildew and with hail and yet you did not turn to me declares the Lord consider from this day onward from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month since the day that the foundation of the Lord's Temple was laid consider is the seed yet in the barn indeed the vine the Fig Tree the pomegranate and the Olive Tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you. So this third message comes might as well be consistent December 18th, 5:20 BC, you know right those down the unclean people in versus 10 to 14. What what God is teaching. The people is that Holiness is not contagious but uncleanness is the people need a messiah a savior because Holiness is the prerequisite to worship and then in verses 15 to 19 this blessed people and the commentators are divided on this section is haggai rebuking them again for their uncleanness because they're living in sin or is haggai reminding them what it was like before so that they do not grow weary. Now that they've repented. Those are the two ways the commentators. Look at this. I lean towards the latter because of the whole flow of the book is that they repented in chapter one. They were building they got discouraged but they were encouraged by The Lord At the beginning of chapter 2. And so what God is saying, Same as you remember how it was before but now you've repented don't grow weary. In fact, I'm with you verse 19 from this day on I will bless you. the Blessed people are the remnant or faithful who are rebuilding the temple in the Lord is living in their midst to bless them while the book concludes with a message to zerubbabel. David's house will be built the word of the Lord came a second time to haggai on that same day the 24th of the month speak to zerubbabel governor of Judah saying I'm about to shake the heavens and the Earth in to overthrow the kingdoms of the Nations and overthrow the Chariots and their riders in the horses and their Riders shall go down every one of the song by The Sword of his brother and on that day declares the Lord of hosts. I will take you always a rouble my servant the sun if she LTL declares the Lord and make you like a Signet ring for I've chosen you declares. The Lord of hosts now is a removable this descendant of David is not the Messiah. But there is a messiah coming and what he says is this descendant of David and verse 21 will come to his throne and shake the heavens and the Earth in verse 22 bring Divine judgment on a sinful World in verse 22 just disposed of destroy opposing kingdoms and deliver his people from their enemies and then in verse 23 return and restore David's house to Divine favor. I want to point you back to 2:7. I will shake All Nations so that the treasures of all Nations shall come in and I will fill this house with Glory says the Lord of hosts. This is probably a reference to the Messiah. In fact, if you sang that Christmas song that calls him the desire of the nation's come O come O come Emmanuel and one of the line says desire of Nations come they're getting it from haggai 2 7 The Treasure of the nation's the word is singular in the Hebrew and so many over the centuries have taken it to be a reference to Jesus. And if so, the end of the book in the latter glory is about this Messiah this desire of the nation's his Rule and Reign his work to restore the House of David and build a more. Glorious Temple. I'll give you one more bit of evidence there. Let's turn over to Hebrews chapter 12 in closing.

the author of Hebrews picks up on this and Hebrews chapter 12 Any quotes the book of haggai? Hebrews 12 verse 26

At this time at that time rather, let lets go back to verse 20 man. Okay 20

First 22 you come to Mount Zion to the city of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to innumerable angels and Festival Gathering until the Assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven and God the judge of all kinds of the spirits of the righteous made perfect in to Jesus the mediator of a New Covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel seeds that you do not refuse him you speaking if they did not Escape when they refused him who warned them on Earth much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven and now he quotes the book of haggai at that time his voice shook the Earth, but now he is Promised yet once more I will shake not only the Earth but also the heavens and this phrase yet. Once Mooring indicates, the removal of things that are shaking that is things that have been made in order that the things that cannot be shaken May remain therefore. Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and let us off To God acceptable worship with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire. Our worship is tied to our priesthood. The author of Hebrews takes the book of haggai and says guess what we're living in that latter Glory. We're living in that Kingdom that can't be shaken the one who was the desire of the nation's. Jesus has come and he's brought in this Kingdom. See John 1:14, John says the word became flesh and heat tabernacled among us and we beheld his glory glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. This is our savior. He's Emmanuel God With Us. He's the desire of the Nations and because we're in him, we're now being built into a temple 1st Peter 2 Ephesians 2 and the latter Glory when Jesus returns what he makes all things new when we receive that Kingdom that cannot be shaken. God says that's going to be far more glorious than anything Solomon everbilt Hallelujah and for all eternity that ladder Glory the whole new creation becomes the temple all of the new heavens and a new Earth becomes the temple filled with God's presence. Okay, sorry, one more passage Revelation 7 verses 15 to 17. I want you to see the end of the story of this biblical Theology of a temple. Therefore There Before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple. Where's the Throne of God in Revelation? It's come down to earth is glorious filling the new Earth. It says he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more. Neither thirst anymore the sun shall not strike them nor any scorching heat for the lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd and he will guide them to Springs of Living Water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. So Adam was told to keep and serve the garden here in verse 15 us who are in Jesus are going to serve him same word day and night in his temple in his presence for ever. That's why in Revelation chapter one. We called the kingdom of priests who are serving him and the church by the way beloved is exhibit a of what God is doing. So when we look around this room and we see the church. This is what God is doing to build his Temple to bring in peace to bring in the latter glory and were a priest to the Believers serving one another as We Gather is we saying As we celebrate as we pray as we serve one another as we go into the community, we're priesthood of believers who are the temple who are offering our bodies a Living Sacrifice. We don't offer animals anymore. We offer our bodies which is simply another way of saying everything that we are everything that we have. I'm yours. Jesus do with me whatever you want and whatever he wants is the life of worship and service. It's practice rehearsal for what we're going to be doing forever in his presence in the new heavens and a new Earth. And so the application is is pretty obvious to me that if you are here today and you're coming in and you've put other things before the Lord repent, Turn from that. If you put food and clothing and shelter and success and money before the Lord repent turn from that. Because God says it'll never satisfy. It's like a bag with holes. God is interested in your best. He's not doing it to be mean he's doing it because he loves you.

There Is No Greater Joy than serving Our Lord Jesus. It's more blessed to give than to receive Jesus says. And if your beloved as you think about this reality if you forgotten who you are in Christ, if you forgotten that you have a glorious inheritance the God is with you maybe just the cares of life and weighed you down and you think God has forgotten about you. It's not true. That's what Satan wants you to believe but the reality is it matters to God about him about you first. Peter tells us that cast your cares on him because he cares for you it matters to him about you. He's with you. His presence is with you. He's the New Covenant says his spirit is dwelling inside of you and powering you so you don't have to fear you could be of great courage. And the application is to draw near with full Assurance of faith faith faith to draw near to the Lord. That you would find grace and mercy to help in your time of need. Let's pray father. Thank you for this time. Thank you for this word. What a promise. I think about how much this encourages my face. the believing in Jesus This has been your plan from the beginning that you would send.

A savior a hero a messiah to Common undo what happened in the fall? You'd made a promise to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob into David that one of their descendants would come in and repair. What was broken. and Jesus came and he died on the cross in our place for our sins so that we might be brought in here and we might be forgiven and we might be made children of God and placed into your kingdom forever. And he's coming back. He's going to make all things new and we're going to serve you day and night in your temple in your presents and we long for that day as we turn to the table now and take communion father would you?

Be pleased and blessed with our worship. Maybe a reminder that you have drawn near to us in Christ so that we can draw near to you. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.