The House I'm Building...

Inflamed Church

The House I’m Building…

Haggai 1:7-10

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the (MY) house, that I may take pleasure in it, and be glorified, says the LORD of hosts.” 7&8

“Why? Declares the LORD of hosts. Because of MY house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” 9

I miss leading the local church! Over the last 6 months, I’ve sat on the sidelines waiting on God to be clear about our family’s future. During this time, I have been able to really glean from different ministers and ministries, soaking up every ounce of passion they put forth each day to make the local church something that would glorify God.

As I feel God leading us back to bi-vocational ministry, what God says to Haggai stuck out this morning as I prepare for a series. If we’re honest, we all get caught dreaming. Now dreaming isn’t bad, but there are those moments when we make ministry more about our ability and less about God’s omnipotence. When this happens the house we’re building isn’t God’s house but our own

This is what is taking place in Haggai. In 587 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar and his army destroyed the city, the temple Solomon built and sent God’s people into captivity for 50 years. They were completely devastated. Everything was stripped away. Try to imagine losing everything and having nothing. After 5 decades, 50,000 get to travel back home and begin building God’s house again. As they begin to build it, they face opposition from the Samaritans. This opposition put building the temple on hold for 14 years. During that time, the Jews decided to shift their attention to their own agenda by building their own houses.

Can we be real here? Isn’t the temptation to build our own house real? Don’t we, at times get sidetracked by what God has gifted us with, and forget they it is his house we’re building?

“God said, “Therefore, the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast and all their labors.” Vs. 10

What does God do here? What happens when we lose sight of what we’re really supposed to be doing? God gets our attention! For the Jews, he took what sustained life. For us, he takes what sustains fruitful ministry. My best ideas my draw numbers, but it doesn’t mean that substance of the idea is fruitful. I don’t want to be apart of something I think I’ve done on my own without God’s help or leading. We should always strive to build his house!

Lets pray

Father, help us focus and fix our eyes on you! Forgive us for our ability to screw of what you want. Help us build your house thru gospel multiplication in the life of people around our community, state, nation, and around the world. Amen.