I'll take the latter

The Church is God’s Idea

I had the privelege of traveling this globe for 13 years with my Pastor hearing many sermons, many quotes and many teachings that sustain me even til today and every now and again depending on how I am feeling I will pull one of those sayings out to encourage me and durinf this journey one statement that has kept me centered is that starting a Church cannot be a good idea but it must be a God idea… tell somebody the Church is God’s idea. (Barbershop conversation)

The Church is God’s demonstration to the world of his love for them, the Church is the light that shines in a dark community, the Church is where many couples have come into covenant, the Church is where many pay their last respects, the Church is the strength of the nation, the Church is the bride of Christ, it is the symbol of the responsibility of a husband to his wife, it is the ekklesia the gathering of faithful believers, we have many flaws like any other institution but before I leave the Church and try to figure out life myself I’ll stay in the Church and see what the end will be, tell somebody the Church is God’s idea. But even though the Church is God’s idea and everything God does is well does not mean the Church does not have flaws, ask your neighbor what’s wrong with us? We as individuals can be fickle we can be inconsistent we can be unfaithful we can have doubt in the God who has never failed us but I am so glad that when I was unfaithful to God he remained faithful to me when I was fickle with God he never changed his mind on me while I was falling to simple things he remained the lamb slained before the foundation of the world, tell your neighbor that’s my God, can you take 10 and brag on God and what he is to you...

HE’S A WAYMAKER

HE’S A CONFIDANT

HE’S A PROVIDER

HE’S A HEALER

HE’S A SUSTAINER

HE’S A PROMISE MAKER

AND A PROMISE KEEPER

TELL SOMEBODY THAAT’S MY GOD!!!

Sometimes we forget the supplier because we are focused on the provision.

And this is where our text slips in, after being released released from their Babylonian captivity, the people of Judah have received a word from God that says eventhough your leader desires to build me a house now is not the time because your priorities are not straight, he asks them is it time for you to live in your mansion and forget your Saturday to clean the Church will you start buying things with your stimulus check but never pays tithes on it, will you have designer clothes and yet the house of God remains uncovered? This is not about the House of God but it is about your committment to your supplier, have we received so much that we no longer consult God about our finacnes and therefore we don’t pay our tithes anymore, he says you’ll make a whole lot of money but you’ll spend it and never know where or why you spent, he says you’ll eat and never be sacrificed, you’ll drink and still be thirsty, can I remind you that you’ll never be fully satisfied as long as you forget to honor God in what you do and say. He says because my house is in ruins, whenever you get something I’ll blow it away until you put me back at the center and so if God is going to do anything for his people he must first call them into order for their is no way to lay a foundation on something that is unstable for Jesus even says a wise man doesn’t build his house on sand that is unstable but he builds his house on a rock and we know that rock is Jesus, build your hopes on things eternal tell somebody hold on to God, my stability is in God, my assurance is in God, my confidence is not in myself but its in the track record of God, and his track record says he’s never lost a battle, and he never will, elbow somebody and tell them hes never lost!

So something amazing happens and that is the people obey God and eastblish order and the Elders and prophets start working on the temple and everyone is excited but just like anything in life counterfeit support shows up, they are working and their advesaries came by the work site and offer their service, and when that doesn’t work because two can’t accomplish anything except they agree and I can’t have you building a temple to a God you don’t worship because it effects yout performance, and when that doesn’t work, they hired counselors or professional advice givers to frustrate their purpose and be careful of those who prefer logic over faith, I can imagine the frustration building up and now they have written letters to stop the building and it works but, this is where some of us are we are standing still waiting for God to send that word for our next step and what we should do because someone sent a letter and said Churches have to shutdown, Churches can only have 10%, Churches can noe have 25% percent, and many have decided to quit along the way giving a plague power over the God that allowed the plague and can end it whenerer he pleases, but the prophet comes and tells the Elders BUILD WHILE YOU WAIT, i know your waiting for everything to get back to normal but this is the time where God is giving you everything you need to thrive in a plague, for he did not equip you to give up at the sight of a storm but he tells Peter step out of the boat and make a move.

Tell somebody move in a plague, as they are building God sends a word he says tell your leaders, tell your people, a few things.

#1. I am with you

#2. The promise still stands

#3. Do not Fear

#4. I’m going to shake everything

#5. I’m sending my glory

and lastly, because of you were obedient, because you survived your advesary, the glory of the latter house WILL be greater than the former, in other words YOU AINT SEEN NOTHING YET

GO!!!!!!!!