Haggai

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anyways back to the book of haggai in what is not my normal preaching Bible we come to this book and we come on the heels of all the other prophets we've been looking at we started with Isaiah and Jeremiah and Daniel and Ezekiel and we've gone through all those guys and what we saw was them for telling Israel was going to be judged wait, we saw him for telling that because God's people had forgotten about God that God was going to judge them because they had been unrighteous their righteous. God was going to have to allow them to experience the consequences of their sinning of the Rebellion against him every single Prophet that we've looked at so far has been declaring a message of judgment to people and most of those profits were declaring that message to the kingdom of Judah. Excuse me, the kingdom of Judah was the southern Kingdom of Israel that the nation of kind of split into two. You have the northern tribes in the southern tribes in Northern tribes were carried into Exile by the Assyrian Empire and they never got to come back. The southern tribes however, were carried into Exile by the nation of Babylon and the prophets kept saying coming it's coming while in 586 BC. It happened and the nation gets captured by Babylon and many of them get taken off to the capital of Babylon as slaves. But there's a prophecy that says hey after 70 years in Babylon, you'll get to come home. You'll get to come back to the promise. They do get to come back to Jerusalem will get to come back to everything that you were taken from. Well haggai picks that up but he picks up the story must later. He picked it up after the Exiles have returned. If you're familiar with the Old Testament think the time frame of Ezra and Nehemiah couple of historical books, right Ezra and Nehemiah are the same time frame as haggai. And the people of God have seen the word of God come true. They've seen yes judgment for their sin, but they've seen the grace of God and that God brought them back to their land. And they've seen all of that but haggai says there's a problem still you've seen God's judgment. You've seen the consequences of sin. You've seen his grace and you've been brought back into your Homeland. But the temple of God is still in Ruins. You've neglected The God Who is gracious to you? You've neglected the God who brought you back and said each of you has just been focused on your own home. And you see this here in chapter 1 verses 1 through 11. We're not going to read it together just yet. But that's what you see. There is is haggai telling people look you've been back and we know historically cuz he gives us some date we know they've been back for almost 18 years. And they haven't got around to fixing the temple of God sohag. I challenge the temple first. Quit worrying about your own stuff and start fixing his well the people begin to listen and they do what a guy says. But as they're doing it the first part of chapter 2 their really discouraged and the people are looking at this Temple that they're building and some of them remember the temple that Babylon had destroyed some of them. Remember the grand Temple that Solomon had made in his day that it stood for so many years as a testimony to Israel's God there was magnificent to look at and you're looking at the pathetic little structure they've built And wondering just how pitiful. It must appear to everyone who sees it. Did the king of the universe would have such a tiny little poor little? Temple when compared with the former one And how a guy says look you're looking at it all wrong. God asked you to do his work first to put him first the size of the building that your building does not matter to him. What matters is not the edifice that you've raised. What matters is what God is going to do with it. So don't look at this thing. That seems so small in your eyes. Look what God is going to do out of that. Look at the plan of God, and these are the focuses that did haggai has he says do the Lord's work first then he says quit worrying about how small and insignificant your labor seems to be. He says instead what you need to do is look at God's plan and he says ultimately that plan is real. This is at the very end. Ultimately that plan. Is going to result in in spite of the sin of his people it's going to result in God bringing about the restoration of all things bringing about the Redemption of his creation going to bring about God silencing evil and Rebellion once and for all and instead installing a king who will reign in righteousness forever. That's the message of haggai. But the question ought to come up into our minds. Because we're not living in Israel in 5:10, BC. What is this have to do with me? I I started the service today with something. I say a lot of times a lot of Sundays We Gather I will remind us. Hey, don't forget. This isn't the temple. This isn't the church, right? This is just a building that the church meets in and so if if the temple is not important. Then what is the message like the book of haggai mean for me? We saw the temple being important to Israel. But Jesus when he comes along he says you don't need temples anymore. No matter fact in one right? He's looking at the temple and he says tear this Temple down or rebuild it in three days in the Jews are flabbergasted. It took us forty six years to build that thing. I don't know. What can you say you'll build in 3 days, but John gives us a little parenthetical comment. I love parenthetical comments too, by the way.

That was a parenthetical comment English joke. Sorry guys. Write John tells us the reason Jesus said that he's not talking about that Temple that temples been superseded by the Temple of his body. Jesus's body is now the temple. That's the Old Testament here. If you want to just pick the cliff notes version the Old Testament the temple was where God's people went to meet with God. In the New Testament Jesus is where God comes to meet with his people. We don't need a temple. Any more. Jesus said we look at the the Fulfillment of all things. We look at Revelation chapter 21 and in there we see what there's no longer going to be any Temple for the Lamb of God is the temple Jesus is the temple so high guy, what does it mean to us? If they're being enjoying to build up the temple? How does that apply to us?

I'll tell you how it applies to us. and it doesn't have to do with the building program and it doesn't have to do with fixing the walls in our in our structure here what it has to do with us is this We know from the New Testament that Christ is risen Christ has a body but we are also called what his body no matter fact when you get into the New Testament, this becomes a huge image for the New Testament writers in and over and over and over the people of God are referred to as the temple of God. Write a lot of us will quote from 1st Corinthians right about your body as a Temple Run chapter 6 that's talking about the individual body. But in Chapter 3 of 1st Corinthians, guess what that's talking about. It's a plural there. It's not a singular you your body Church. You are the body of Christ. You are the Temple of the Living God and so haggai relates directly to us. Are we more concerned with our own things then when within with building up the body of Christ Are we more so are we so focused on our own lives that we neglect the life that God has given us together Body of Christ working together. The body of Christ is the Temple and so when a guy talks to the people of Israel to give them these things he says, you know, you need to focus on what the Lord is doing you need to not let your personal send get in the way of this broader work. Those are words directed to us because we no longer have to go someplace to meet with God but God and Christ came and met with us. Any formed us together to be his body to represent him on Earth? And so what we need to do is ask is how do we today build the temple of God? It's not with bricks. That was mortar. With love for one another it's with Fellowship together. It's using our gifts to serve one another. That's how we do it with me.

Turn to Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians chapter 2 the Paul who's riding this one of the early Apostles early Christ followers who went around and told others about Jesus. He writes this book of Ephesians to a church in Ephesus, but I think is the word stand for us. We're going to read a longer sex. I want you to turn to fusions chapter 2. We're going to look at verses 11 through 22.

Therefore remember that it one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel in stranger to the covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the world. He talks to those of us Gentiles those who did not grow up under the old Covenant who did not grow up in Israel. He talks to us and he says look you were once defined as being separated from God's people you could not meet with God in the temple temple when it was originally built. It had an inner sanctum for nobody but the high priest went once a year and then I had an outer Sanctuary where only the priests were able to go in and it had his Courtyard where only Jews were able to go in and outside of that was something called the court of the Gentiles. Right, that's where you and I that's the closest we could get. To the king of the universe three Paces outside three removes from him. So, this is a big deal for Paul. He says look you Gentiles in Ephesus and into us today you Gentiles in Enoch and Cedar City you were separated from God you had no hope But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off you were once exiled in that form the sides of the court of the Gentiles. You've now been brought near you've now been brought into the holy place. You've now met with God face to face because of Christ Jesus.

40 himself is our peace.

Who is made us both one, Jew and Gentile has broken down in his flesh the wall of hostility the wall that was built between Gentiles and Jews that Mark these people is in in these people is out that's been broken down. Now everybody is invited to access the god of the universe through the blood of Christ. This is a big deal for Paul. It's a big deal that the temple for Paul a very observant Jew is a big deal that he would say the temple doesn't matter anymore because in Christ, we have a new Temple Run without separation one where there's not does In Crowd in this out crowd, but everyone in crisis in the presence of God, he's a ball as the law of Commandments Express in ordinances that he might create a name self one new man in place of the two so making peace and my reconcile us both the god in one body through the cross there by killing the hostility and he came and preached peace to you who are far off and peace to those who are near or through him. We have access in one Spirit to the father. So then You are no longer strangers and aliens. But you are fellow citizens of the Saints members of the household of God. Listen to how we describe this built on the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets Christ. Jesus himself being the Cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy Temple in the Lord in him. You also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the spirit church. A guy says build the temple before you build your life. To us through Christ Paul would say Christian build the body of Christ. before you build yourself We don't get this.

And I'm afraid that's because most of us in here are Americans. We have been steeped all of our lives in a culture of radical individualism. We have been told from the moment. We were born. What matters most in your life is its you find some way to express your true self. Follow your heart the Disney Princesses sing. Do what you want to do all of our classic romances tell us. Don't worry what your family says, don't worry about. Says do what you want to do. That's the way to be happy. No, it's not. No, it's not. You don't have to look very far to see that. All you got to do is wait a couple weeks cuz here Christmas morning is going to come around pretty quick and guess what kids are going to open presents you might get to open some presents at least if your spouse is a better Gift Giver than I am. Right, you'll get to open a present your kids look at your present something if waiting for something if you wanted in 2 weeks go by and it's now just keeps on the pile with all of the other old boring toys to getting the things that are heart wants does not fulfill us. It just shows us again. How empty self satisfaction is it's a Christian when you walked in the doors this morning. Did you come to build the body of Christ or did you come to be fed? I hate that term. Well Pastor your sermon said he just didn't really feed me.

Okay.

my bad Wasn't I preached it?

I appreciate him more than I can say.

You'll laugh at my jokes are welcome anytime.

When you walked in this morning, did you come to experience some worship to get some Goosebumps to feel good? Where did you come?

to see your brothers and sisters to talk to them Beyond just hey, look at the snow out there to say, how can I pray for you? How can I meet your needs? How can I build you up? Right when we gather church, we don't gather for ourselves. That was the problem that Israel was facing turn back to haggai with me. Haggai chapter one we see this right. We'll look at it in depth in just a second. But that's the problem they come back and they're all building their houses and plant in their Gardens and working their crops and doing their trade season going about their lives in for 18 years. God is neglected. The guy who just brought them back after 70 years in Exile. They're ignoring him. How do you think God feels when we walk in on a Sunday and say God meet my needs. God the sermon better be good or I'm out of here God the music better be good or I'm just going to have a bad week God. You better meet my expectations. Do you see the problem? No, haggai and Ephesians and really the entire message of the Bible. Is this you come before the god of creation? And you fall down and worship. You come before the god of creation and instead of demanding. He meets your needs you say. Okay? What do you want me to do now? What's next God? How can I serve as a church if your guest of ours if you haven't been here very very often. I just need you to kind of get some backstory here. And if you've been here for a while, you're tired of hearing me say this this is the moment to take a nap. Now I'm just kidding this matters. This is important as a church. We've said what we want to be identified as not we don't want to be identified by a building. We don't want to be identified by a name. We don't want to be identified by any human distinction. We want to be identified as a group of people who follow Jesus together. We want to be identified as a group of people who obey Jesus. Who come before the king of creation and say all right. What do you want us to do next and we have a shorthand way that we talked about that and that is

love God love others make disciples. Here's the problem with that if your guest of ours that's new to you that those just come from some of the basic commands that Jesus gave. What's the greatest commandment teach? You love the Lord your God second ones like it love your neighbor as yourself. And then before he leaves his church. She says go and make disciples. That's love God love others and make disciples and there's there's different ways that we do that when it comes to loving God as a church. We said okay in the New Testament we see is the church loving God by worship by prayer and by studying the word and so we come together. We say what we want to do that and on Sunday morning and sometimes our Friday night. We worship God together. And we pray we have for a prayer list where we text prayer request out and in Sunday school. We will talk about prayer request. We're looking for ways to be better prayers as a body. We come together. We study the word. We open it in our service. We open in Sunday school. We open it on Wednesday night. We open it in small groups throughout the year. We wanted love God by worshiping praying and studying the word right? We want to love others. And so we commit to Fellowship. We commit to being together and actually liking it. Right, that's the hardest part because we're a bunch of people and we're all different from one another we've got different interest in different thoughts and different opinions and yet our Lord commands us to be together. Love one another we say, okay, we want to do that and we're going to work on doing that better. Right. We want to serve not just each other. We want to serve our community. We want to be a blessing to the place. We call home. We want to be a blessing individually to our neighbors. We want to be a blessing corporately to the community that God has sovereignly put us in we give Lottie Moon as part of that. But we give to other causes. We give to local organizations that help we give to people in need. We give to missions organizations, right? We do all of these things together because we want to love others. We want to make disciples. We want to make disciples. We want to see men and women. Change from being self-centered radical individual is constantly thinking next high in a consumer Society to being sold out followers of Christ. You want nothing more than to do what he says do that's discipleship that path of transformation. We want to do that one of your disciples if we want to do we want to go to people without hope and tell them Here's Hope We want to go to people without Grace and say here is Grace we want to go to people and say Jesus lives and that's the best news ever. We want to tell the good news. That's all evangelism mean. We want to do missions. We don't want to just do that here. We want to go around the world and do that. We want to send people out. Did you know that it is one of my greatest Ambitions as your pastor? To kick people out of the church in a good way. Is one of my greatest Ambitions to see this building empty because so many people have gone out to serve Christ around the world that be the greatest thing ever when I show up and nobody else is here.

The church is a lot worse when that happens. But if everybody's going everybody serving, let's do it when I'm trying to gather a crowd here. We're trying to say no we're going to make disciples who tell the good news and go around the world to do it. That's it. We want to love God love others make disciples. That's what I would call building the body of Christ write in a guy's day. The people were carrying Stones the people were putting mortar between and they were stacking bricks. Are bricks are mortar is love God love others and make disciples. So how we going to do that while we go back to haggai and say okay. How did they do their Temple? All right, what principles can we gain from that how can we learn from that the first thing that I would say haggai teaches us even though we're not working with bricks-and-mortar. We're working with people working with ourselves. Obeying Christ. We say if we want to build the body of Christ. We can't wait to start until we get everything else done. We've got to start now. We can't put this off. This is not something that you can kind of push a pause button and say well, okay. I'm going to do that whole building up the body of Christ thing. Once I finish school, right? That was a Temptation for your pastor this last semester.

It's a temptation to say I'm going to I'm going to wait to serve Christ. I'm going to wait to build up the body until you know, I meet the one and we get married and we kind of started life together. Well, then the very next thing is what I'm just going to wait until the kids are grown and out of the house first comes love then comes marriage, right? Then comes the baby in the baby carriage. I'm just going to wait till that babies no longer in the baby carriage and instead he's in the car that I bought him that he's wrecked three times already, then I'll serve Jesus.

And then it turns into you know what I'm going to serve Jesus once I retire. Well, how can I serve Jesus after I've done a couple of the things that I want to do on my bucket list?

And then you're dead. And you don't have that option anymore. See if we keep waiting if we keep postponing building up the body serving Christ. We keep waiting until the next thing is done. We're never going to get started. And so we start now Jesus was approached by several people in the in the Book of Luke. You don't have to turn there. I think I've got it on the screen. In the Book of Luke Jesus is approached by several different people. I'm waiting for a signal to see if I do I don't turn to the Book of Luke.

Luke chapter 9

it look chapter 9 we see Jesus.

As he is going about his ministry. He's an appealing guy, like people see Jesus and they want to be near him. This one guy someone Luke says Luke chapter 9 verse 57 whatever going along the road. So I will follow you wherever you go. I will follow you wherever you go. Well that sounds pretty good. But Jesus said foxes have holes in the birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. O really you'll follow me wherever I go. What is that means you're sleeping under the stars? What if that means you're homeless? Cuz that's what it means to follow me.

To go wherever I call regardless of how comfortable it is for you to another he said follow me, but that one said Lord. Let me first go and bury my father. Jesus said to him leave the dead to bury their own dead asked for you going to claim the kingdom of God. That's the most insensitive thing. I think I've ever seen come out of somebody's mouth. Jesus my dad's dead, so

Jesus with somebody who appealed the people, but Jesus did not make any distinction. for anybody following me is a wholehearted kind of thing and anything that you would put between yourself and following me has to be done away with I'm not advocating. Not mourning the loss of a loved one, but I am saying when Jesus says go you go. We live in the most amazing time in history for Missions. We just got a prayer request this morning from a family whose connected to our church asking for prayer for another missionary who is facing a Health crisis and they were able to fly back to their home country to get the medical attention. They needed in a day.

People come home from the mission field when somebody passes away because of technology that was not always an option. Add an item Judson is one of my favorite missionaries. If you've never read about adding a room Judson, I would encourage you to do so. When he was getting ready to go on the mission field, there was a young lady. Who he wanted to marry, but he wanted to ask her dad's permission, and so he wrote a letter, and he said dear sir. I wonder if you could consent to part with your daughter for the rest of your life. Never again to see her this side of Eternity to sacrifice her and to give her up to hardships to sickness to death at the hands of savages. Will you give me permission to marry her?

That's the kind of commitment that Jesus is looking for not waiting until you get everything else in order not waiting until you get your family relationships straightened out not waiting until you get all your bucket list crossed off now. Another one came up that I'll Follow You Lord, but first, let me say farewell to those at my home. Jesus said no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Don't wait to start building up the body of Christ start now. Start using your gifts you I was really tempted to give a little practical illustration this morning before the sermon. I was tempted to walk out right as the last song finished. And just leave this Awkward Moment. Where what happens next to doing something, but I didn't want to give Michelle a heart attack.

Right. It's noticeable when the worship team. Doesn't do what God has called them to do. It's noticeable when the preacher doesn't get up and do what he's called. Did you called to do do you know that it's the same when each member of the body fails to do what God is asking them to do. The impact is just as great. When we put our own selves ahead of building up the body of Christ. Don't wait start now. Second that we see from haggai turn back there with me. In haggai, the people say okay. We're on board. We're going to do this work. We're going to do what you call us to do and in Chapter 2. We see some of their disappointment they get discouraged by how small this building is that they are building. So my encouragement to you as you seek to build the body of Christ. Don't get discouraged by how small your contribution is. Remember, how big God's plan is look at chapter 2 verses 1 through 9 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 ruble to Center CLT El Governor of Judah to Joshua the son of jehozadak the high priest in to all the other people and say who is left among you who saw this house and its former glory. How do you say it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes yet now be strong old was a Ruble declares the Lord be strong. Oh Joshua, son of jehozadak the high priest be strong. All you people of the land of work for I Am with You declares the Lord of hosts according the Covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt my spirit remains in your midst fear not for that says the Lord of hosts yet once more in a little while. I will shake the heavens and the Earth in the sea in the dry land. I will shake all the nations. So does the treasures of all the nations shall come in I will fill this house with Glory says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine. The Gold is mine declares the Lord. Glory of this house will be greater than the former says the Lord of hosts. And in this place, I will give peace declares the Lord of hosts. Look at that last race against the latter Glory of this house will be greater than the former. This thing that we do in building up the body can seem so small.

It's hard sometimes for me to get up and preach. Because it seems like it's such a small thing.

Words are just air.

And it is easy for me to despise the small things that I do. On Sunday morning, and it's easy to get discouraged. When all you're doing is pushing air week by week. But it's just as easy to get discouraged when you're on the rotation in the nursery and that one kid comes in and he's crying again and you can't get him settled down in the mom looks at you like you keep pinching her, baby. It's easy to get discouraged. It's easy to get discouraged when you are greeting people as they come in and yet you hear from somebody will that your church? This isn't that friendly it's easy to get discouraged. Easy to say what such a small thing. What does it really matter? What I do here. What does it really matter this active service that I give here in the body of Christ? God says get your eyes off of what you doing and look at what I'm about to do. What's your doing? Maybe a small thing, but I'm going to do something great with it Church. It had any time we need this reminder. We need this reminder at Christmas time to not despise the small things. Did Mary despise those first few flutterings that she felt in her belly and realize hey, that wasn't the taco I hate. Not that they tacos in first century Palestine. Did she realize hey that that was a baby. Those were limbs. Those were feet. Those were hands. That small thing.

What a week gift. God has given to the world. Did she despise the small thing who is born to take the sins of the world know? I don't think she did. No, she marveled at these things when we read the the Christmas story is Protestant. Sometimes we're at a loss cuz we don't see Mary and her face. We need to look again and recognize Mary. Is a great example of trusting God in small things to become great things, Red Hills. Mini if you are new here many of you there are very few left to remember the early days of Red Hills Red Hill started in about the smallest meanest Brokenness way, you could we started out of a broken Fellowship less than 30 years ago. We're just a small thing, but don't despise the small thing. God loves to take Brokenness and make it whole God loves to use small things to accomplish. His will Red Hills is a small thing. The God can use us to transform Southern Utah to transform the world as we are faithful to him not for our sake but for his sake. You're a small thing. But don't despise yourself. You may look and you may safe. I'll never have that ability. I wish I could do what he does. I wish I could do what she does but I just can't and I'm so pathetic and I'm so low and I'm so mean and God looks at you and you are vital to the work that I'm doing in building up my body. You are absolutely essential to the work that's taking place in this Fellowship. That's how God looks at. You do not despise the small things. Do not look at this and feel like that's just nothing. That's not nothing. That's God's work in you and your small little contribution is part of God's great big plan for the world, which is to redeem all of creation and bring it back into fellowship with him. Yes even changing diapers in the nursery. Sweeping hallways shoveling snow. These are things that God uses in Mighty way, so don't get discouraged by how small your contribution is. Remember how Big Lots plan is the next thing we see as haggai encourages. The people is don't let personal sin pollute the work that we do together instead repents forgive and restore It's interesting here as he is talking haggai through the Lord through haggai goes to the priest and he asked them to question. This is in chapter 2 verse 12. If someone carries holy meat in the fold of His Garment and touches with his full bred or stew or wine or oil any kind of food. Does it become holy the priest said no, then a guy said if someone who is unclean because I touched a dead body touches any of these does it become and clean the priest answered and said, it does become clean. So a guy says so is this nation to me this nation. It was meant to be holy. to invite other people to come in and be Sanctified has instead been going out and making things unclean taking their sin their personal sin and polluting the work that I'm doing and if these sinful hands are building this Temple, Will the temple be clean or will it be unclean the answer in plaid by haggai is it'll be unclean.

Church if we together don't deal with our sin with one another. The work doesn't happen the body's not built up. We can pollute we can derail what God is doing here if we're not careful and that's not just me. Although we've seen so many evidences of this. This is not just Bryant or Dan or Richard are other pastors. We've seen so many evidences in our culture where somebody the celebrity Christian this guy up on a pedestal somewhere falls in the sand and then the ministry the lives that he's touched have been impacted. So drastically that's not just up there thing. That's not just an up here thing, though.

Pray for your pastors to keep from sin but pray for yourselves as well. Because if we let sin take root in our hearts what God is doing amongst us will fail. We forget this we forget that we're bound up together. We forget that our actions have implications for one another gentleman. In particular what you watch on a screen when you think nobody's watching has a radical impact on your relationships with your sisters in Christ with your wife and with your kids. Lady the conversations in this is not just ladies guys were guilty of this too. But the conversations you have just between us have a radicle impact on the fellowship of this body have a radicle impact on your own hearts.

We are bound up together millennials. Hey.

How we respect our elders has an impact on this church, whether or not we value the years of sacrifice that they have given to the work long before we showed up matters.

older Generations how you treat those Generations coming up will determine whether or not there's a church here after you're gone. How we deal with one another the words we use the way we interact matters. Our sin is not isolated our sin impacts the work and so as we're seeking to build the body of Christ. Don't let our personal send flute that work instead. We have to repent to one another. We ought to go to those who weep during a grudge against and say hey look you did this, but my grudges been entirely out of keeping with that. Would you please forgive me? We ought to go to one another and say look. This that you did really hurt me but I forgive you just as God in Christ has forgiven me. We have to go to one another and say not just that we're going to coexist not that just we're going to agree to disagree in walk by each other and not glanced at each other not speak to each other so that hopefully, you know, nothing blows up again, but we have to be actively working to restore relationships in the church because this matters the final thing that I think a guy would encourage us just like he encouraged the people of Israel is he would say don't lose sight of God's promise. Don't lose sight of God's promise Don't Take Your Eyes Off of Jesus in the midst of this we can get so wrapped up into building the body of Christ where we're at we can get so wrapped up in making Red Hills function efficiently and communicate well in and be organizationally grates and well-known and respected in the community that we lose sight of Jesus. We start doing things for our sake and not for his don't lose sight of God's promise in in in the way. Haggai. Does this is he holds up zerubbabel the leader of Judah and he says I'm going to make you and the fact that you are rain will continue going to make that a symbol of the fact that one day there is coming a king who will reign forever the ruble you're going to be this Signet ring this sign of my kingdom.

But that sign was pointing us to Christ Church. We can't lose sight of Christ boy. This is this is important at Christmas time. Easy to lose sight of Jesus in the midst of all the lights there's a house over here on Minersville highway right off of the highway. They've got like the light displays synced up with the music and everything. We sat there for an hour the other night. Listening to music and watching lights blink.

And it's been a struggle some nights for us to set aside time to read the word with our kids and remind ourselves. This is what this is about to take 15 minutes and open the Bible together if they were waiting for Jesus just like the Jews did just like the world has we're waiting for Jesus Don't Take Your Eyes Off Of Christ Church. Don't lose sight of what we're building here. We are not building Brandon's personal Empire. We are not building the perfect church as you imagine it our goal is not to meet every single women more desire of our fellowship. Our goal is to keep our eyes on Christ and to let nothing distract us from him. Is that your goal? Build the body of Christ for the sake of Christ for the name of Christ. So That Others May No Cry so that Christ would be glorified in his kingdom. Would, would you pray with me?

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