Rebuild the Temple - Keep up the Momentum

Haggai 1:1-11

Haggai 1:2 ““Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.””

Haggai 1:4 ““Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”

Haggai 1:5–6 “Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.”

For people of God…

prioritize yourself and you’ll be in lack

Prioritize God and you’ll live in abundance

What’s the difference between living in Lack vs. living with Little? Spiritual Fruit.

Haggai says they live in lack is because they have neglected to honor and build the house of God. They neglect the power and presence of God.

The result is: depression, want, no satisfaction in their work, left desiring more, no joy or peace. It’s the aimless wandering. Going from church to church looking for a “hit” of the Holy Spirit. Trying to go somewhere where the presence is but never receiving it for yourself.

Living in lack looks like this:

Exodus 20:19, 21 “and [the people] said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die. The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.”

Are you living in lack or just living with little? Here’s the main identifier: If you live with lack, you are near the presence of God but never let the presence change you.

You wander from place to place like the people of Israel wandering in the desert in Exodus. Following the presence of God. Following the pillar of clouds by day. The pillar of fire by night. Following the anointed pastor Sundays mornings and the fire worship nights Saturday evenings.

But if the presence of God comes too close, you say no. Your heart is beating fast. You start getting sweaty palms. The speaker just called for an altar call of repentance. It’s awkward. I don’t want to go down. That’s not my style. This is for pastors. Or really messed up people. I don’t know, it’s just embarrassing. All the while the Spirit of the Lord is screaming within you. GO! ENTER my presence and you’ll find freedom! You’ll weep in the presence of God. Chains will fall.

But you feel chains on your wrists like they are chained to your chair. Those chains of a demon’s voice saying don’t go. You can’t go. See those chains on your wrists? They’re attached to your chair. You can find freedom right here in your chair. This whole boldness thing? It’s not for you.

But if you just listen to the Holy Spirit screaming saying, child, please Go! Look down, those chains on your wrist? They’re not tied to your chair. They’re not tied to your current location.

Those chains are not tied to your current state of life.

You’ve wandered off the path God ordained for you to walk down. And you got stuck in a trap.

You’re literally an elephant.

When elephants are young, a trainer ties them with a small rope that they’re too weak to break. As they grow, they become powerful enough to snap it easily — but they never try, because they’ve been conditioned to believe the restraint is unbreakable.

So even as full-grown, massive animals, a simple rope keeps them “trapped.”

Bro, stop listing to that idiotic lie from the devil that you aren’t strong enough to break the chains. God has been pouring into you. You are eating solid food. You aren’t a little baby sucking on a bottle of milk. Get your butt out of that chair, walk down to the altar, and enter the presence of God where that dumb little rope of sin you think is trapping you will just fall off!

Don’t be near the temple of God but never rebuilding the presence of God for yourself.

…………......

We are stopping right here right now in the middle of Bible study. Everyone close your eyes and bow your heads. With boldness. Step into the presence of God. When I say to do so, I want you raising your hand boldly if you want freedom from a sin that is tying you down. Raise your hand boldly if you are done living in lack. Raise your hand boldly if you want freedom in the name of Jesus. Raise your hand boldly if you are done living in lack. Lacking the presence of God. Lacking in purpose.

Don’t be embarrassed. Don’t wait any longer for those chains to break and sanctification to come. The presence of God is here right now.

And when you raise your hand in boldness. An anointed man or woman of God who’s on the MJK team will come to you and pray with you.

If you don’t raise your hand. We are interceding right now on behalf of every individual in this room that chains may break in the name of Jesus.

Now raise your hand with boldness come on…

…………

We are no longer living in lack baby. We are living in victory!

What’s the difference between living in Lack vs. living with Little? Spiritual Fruit.

Every person who said I’m done living in lack. God wants to bless. We know this! But yet there’s the unavoidable truth, some Godly people live with little.

In Acts 12 Christians are massacred just for believing in Jesus.

in Acts 16 Paul and Silas are imprisoned

Acts 16:24–31 “…he put [Paul and Silas] into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,

Fruit. Rejoicing and praising God in all situations. Living not in lack but with little.

and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.

The presence of God came.

“And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.””

Being tortured for Christ. Being killed, imprisoned, beaten. It all sounds worse than just living in lack.

The difference is these men of God. They live with little but they are so rich in the kingdom. The fruit is seen. Even when living in what appears as little from an earthly lens. They are living in abundance from a heavenly lens.

There is no separation from God. There is no lack of the Spirit. They are living in the overflow.

In Nigeria 100,000 Christians have been killed and 18,000 churches burned by the Islamist group, Boko Haram in the last 15 years.

In the last few months over 7k Christians have been brutally murdered.

About 1/2 the country identifies as Christian and the other 1/2 Muslim. But, the current muslim government is bent on eliminating Christianity from Nigeria. And making it an exclusive Muslim country.

But the pastors and priests of God. They worship. They live with little to nothing. But they have fruit and they worship.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8jBOKYuhem/

This is living with little. But in their weakness then they are made strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

We must rebuild the temple. Rebuild the presence of God. Rebuild the reverence for God. That we may have fruit. Not just presence for the sake of presence.

We must seek the Lord so we can experience the presence that yields power for a purpose.

So that when we pray and sing hymns to God. Lives are changed. People are touched. And the power of God pours out.

How do I rebuild the presence of God in MY life?

Haggai 1:8 “Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.”

Step 1: God said rebuild his house. It’s in ruin. Your body is the temple of God. Rebuild your body and you rebuild the house of God. Are you living in sin? Clean it up. Are you struggling with lust, put it off. Jesus came to pay the debt for your sin. He loves you. It’s not too late. It’s never too late. The Lord sent Haggai to prophecy to the people of Israel so they stop wasting their time. They stop doing things mans way and start doing things God’s way. Instead of having worldly ambition they have God sized dreams and Godly ambition.

Practically: find friends and do life with them. Get discipled and disciple others. Eat bread, hangout, have fun, and be open.

Spiritually: Read your Bible every day. At least 15 minutes a day. Pray intentionally every day. At least 15 minutes a day. Fast periodically. Tell people about Jesus.

Step 2: What’s the last thing God asked of you? The last thing God told the Israelites was rebuild my temple. Nothing is going to work out for you until you do the last thing I told you. It’s 1 step at a time. God doesn’t light up the whole road of life. It’s one step at a time.

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

One step at a time. That lamp lights up just in front of you. Maybe I can’t see the full reason God told me to start this Bible study. When 7 people were here at the first study and 5 of them were required to come because they’re on our team. But God said it and that settles it. So I’m going to give it my all. Teach the word with passion and conviction right from the start because God said this is the next step. And I’m going to steward it to my best ability.

He didn’t show me the whole path. He just showed me this step. And I’m still walking down this path.

What’s the last thing God asked you that you haven’t yet done? Go back to it. You won’t get another prophetic word or direction until you step into it.

Step 3: Do it all for God. God said in Haggai 1:8

Build MY house

I will take pleasure

I may be glorified

Do a gut check. What are you rebuilding? Godly ambition is good! Have Godly ambition. I want you thinking God called you to make $100m so you can be a major blessing to the kingdom. Or you are called to be a famous musician. Writing top billboard songs to the glory of God. Or you are called to be a stay at home wife and raise your children to the glory of God.

None of that is prideful. Or selfish. Unless it’s done with the wrong intentions.

To build your house

So you can have pleasure in this world

And you can be glorified among man

But there really is nothing like a loving Godly rebuke.

Haggai 1:4 ““Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”

I know you got love in your heart Haggai. It sucks to hear and it’s kind of awkward. But honestly, you’re right. I vetted your word. And it aligns with scripture. We are living in lack because we didn’t do what God last told us. And you know what, rather than interpreting that as condemnation, I’m going to interpret it as the truth in love.

And praise God, he still has that calling on my life. It’s not too late. I gotta keep up the momentum that God has built in my life. The dead dream I had 2 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago. It’s getting revived.

I’m seeing passion and power outpour in the presence of God and dang, I want that! I don’t want to just experience it on the outskirts. I refuse to be like the generation who died in the wilderness. The people of Israel who saw God’s presence come down, felt the glory and let Moses expect the encounter and manage it for me.

Let Moses hear from God, really get that refining fire, and speak to me.

No, I want to hear from God directly. I want to be purified by God directly.

I’m done living in depression and want. I’m done having no satisfaction in my work, left desiring more, living without joy or peace. Aimlessly wandering and feeling purposeless. Going from church to church looking for a “hit” of the Holy Spirit. Going to a worship night where the presence of God is but just experiencing it from the outskirts.

I’m all in baby. Give me that refining fire. I’m taking up a hammer in one hand and a sword in the other.

I’m rebuilding the presence of God in my life. The temple of God in my life with one hand. And fighting the enemy with the sword of the spirit in the other.

I’m doing the hard grueling work of putting up walls around the temple of God so the enemy can’t come in.

Who’s ready to rebuild the temple! Who’s ready to attack the enemy in their life! Oh baby, Revival is here and God wants to use you! He’s ready to restore you. He’s ready to capture that city on a hill. Rebuild the temple, restore its walls and ignite a fire in it so that the light of Christ burns with power to all those around. Let’s get after it!

Pray for one another. Last week I asked you to read at least 1 additional chapter of the Bible a day. And pray for 10 minutes a day. Did you do it? Let’s get in groups. Hold each other accountable. And restore the walls in our city. No condemnation. Only truth and encouragement baby.

We are running it back for a round 2 this week. Seriously, create a group chat, pray for 10 minutes a day. And read at least 1 additional chapter of the Bible a day. And hold each other accountable!