I thought I'd try a cheesy sermon title and see if it attracted interest. Actually, it is a very good title in relation to our scripture passage...
Haggai 1:15-2:9
In the second year of King Darius, 1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.' 6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 8 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 9 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."
I'm wondering if this Word of the LORD to his people Israel could be a Word to the established church today. He reminded them of their former glory and asked them to believe that he could shake the world up and fill his house with his glory again. We often get stuck thinking of the "good old days" without being imaginative enough about today and how God may want to shake things up and fill this land with his glory through a new thing in his church. What are your thoughts about this?
As we enter into the discernment process about our future at Community Reformed, with the Discernment Team, what insight does this passage offer?
Community Reformed Church - Newton, Iowa
Sunday, November 4, 2007
God's Gonna Rock this House
Posted by
Pastor Eric
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2 comments:
I believe that God is still able and willing to "fill His house with His Glory again", but is He wondering why we're not calling out in His name for Him to do so.
Jesus wept over the city because they couldn't see what He had in store for them. He may still weep over us today because we also, don't see what He has in store for us. I wonder if some of our charter or long time members believe things will or can improve like they once were like at CRC.
The discernment team may be a big step in steering this church where it needs to go. But there will have to be some more changes, and we have a very hard time accepting change, or even wanting to change sometimes.
For those who think the "good old days" will be hard to beat, here is some food for thought:
Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?"
For it is not wise to ask such questions. (Ecclesiastes 7:10)
Do we limit God's work when we want to dwell on how good it used to be, instead of how good it could or is going to be?
To have no hope or desire for improvements, would make anyone discouraged. But Jesus says, "Behold, I have overcome the world."
May He restore unto the members of CRC the "Joy of our salvation".
I don't mind hearing of the "good old days"...as long as the desire for those days is not just kept to the past. What about having the "good old days" NOW?
In my family on my mother's side, when my grandparents and great aunt passed away, I realized then just after high school how my faith had been passed down from generation to generation. I felt so blessed that my family cared enough to pass down their faith to the next generation (me). I hope to do that for my children too - and that they will be even stronger in their faith.
Sometimes I think God knows that we won't know what we've got until it's gone. And so, if we didn't have "the good old days" we might not know what we desired NOW.
I feel we sometimes miss God's encouragement (be strong, I am with you, do not fear) which furthers us to do God's work. We doubt and don't believe His words that He will shake all nations and fill this house with glory. What He has to offer is so abundant beyond our furthest imaginations and if we believed and our desires were made known to Him, perhaps He would reign down his glory on us.
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