Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. *MATTHEW 16:18 NLT *
“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’” Then the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.” *HAGGAI 1:2-7 NLT *
Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.” JOHN 2:17 NLT
Jesus loves God’s house because he loves God’s people.
… you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the churchof the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 TIMOTHY 3:15 NLT
“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” LUKE 6:46 NLT
Then… the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the LORD their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the LORD their God had sent, the people feared the LORD. HAGGAI 1:12-13 NLT
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. PROVERBS 9:10 NLT
Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: “I am with you, says the LORD!” So the LORD sparked the enthusiasm… of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign. HAGGAI 1:13-15 NLT
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” MATTHEW 11:28-30 NLT
Find a quiet place where you can be alone with God. Spend a few moments reflecting on your time at Sandals Church. Hand the disappointments and the hurts over to God. Trust him to care for these things. Now spend time looking at the good things. What are a couple of things that have grown, comforted, or helped you in your relationship with God? Let yourself sit for a moment with that. Now ask God to use these things to build your passion for his church. Ask him to grow in you a passion for his people, the desire to share with them the good that you have experienced. Finally, ask God to use both the good and the bad things that have happened to make you wise and gentle as you interact with his church, both in the coming week and as our church grows.