Calling When the Temple Grows Old

Calling

When the Temple Grows Old

You and I are called to be the temple of the living God

In the days of Ezra the youth rejoiced

And the seniors mourned the laying of the temple foundation 

But God says in Haggai 2:7-9

I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty.   '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."

You are the temple of the Spirit of God

As you and I get older, God wants us, His dwelling place,

To become greater in glory than our former years

In order for this to happen we will need to make preparations

I believe God’s greatest resource in the earth are the seniors

God has been working throughout their whole life, whether success or failure

God has been at work to make it all good for His Glory

So don’t let the temple of God get in disrepair

God wants to do great things for His Glory in you, the tent He has chosen to live in

When the Temple Grows Old

You and I are called to be

the temple of the living God.

The dwelling place of God was

in tents in the days of Moses.

And in magnificent structures of precious stones,

gold and silver in the days of Solomon.

In the New Testament we

see God wants to dwell in us.

2 Corinthians 5 illustrates our bodies

like a tent that gets old and wears out…

Where we are given a

 hope of a heavenly body.

What happened to the dwelling place of

God in tents and temples is a picture of us.

None of the places God dwelt in,

in the Old Testament, survived.

They had days of glory

and days of destruction.

I have always found Ezra 3 fascinating.

The temple of God had been destroyed

and a new foundation was built…

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.

Ezra 3:11,12

  

Generations come.

In our youth, we are excited about

the power of God and what God will do

as He builds us into His personal temple.

As we get older, we see the changes

in the tent we live in and changes

in the songs and ways of worship.

Getting older is a time of passing the baton.

But those who have seen the glory of God in

their lives don’t want to be put out to pasture.

There is great glory in youthful strength

as well as seasoned wisdom.

It is God’s intention that both work

together for generational glory.

In 2008, devastating economical

change was taking place in the world.

It effected the church as well as the world.

I saw men and women who had given

their lives to the ministry…

 Those who served at home in the states,

as well as, many missionaries…

 Come home, because there

was no support for them.

Faithful ministers of the

Gospel not knowing what to do.

It was a time that broke my heart.

 I could identify, because I too

had suffered in those times.

You and I are called to be

the temple of the Spirit of God.

Which means we have even a greater

responsibility to take care of these temples.

We have a physical responsibility…

 Which become more challenging as we get older.

We have a financial responsibility…

As money is the common denominator

for obtaining the necessities of life

like shelter, food, transportation, etc.

There is a truth is Jesus’ words…

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you as well.

 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

 Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33-34

Our first responsibility is to

seek the kingdom and righteous.

We should not worry about tomorrow…

But that does not mean we do not have

a responsibility to make preparations.

 

The Word of God is just as much about

stewardship as it is about miraculous provision.

Haggai spoke of a future day…

 

I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty.   '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."

Haggai 2:7-9

  I believe every one of us called by God

wants to see this passage fulfilled in us.

  

 God’s glory in us the temple He lives in…

The resources of silver and gold out of

the ground where He placed it in our

hands to support us and the ministry.

Greater and better things than

the generations before us…

And PEACE

God wants us to finish well.

To finish well we will need

God’s grace and wisdom.

We will need to be disciplined in order

to see this tent, the tabernacle of God,

 increase in glory as we get older.

Remember those who have faithfully served.

Seek the Lord.

 Make preparations for the days

you will have to work smarter because

you are too old to work harder.

Don’t worry about tomorrow…

But prepare yourself for it.

Remember the ant who stores up for winter

Proverbs 6:6   

Go for the Glory of the latter

house being greater than the former.

I believe God’s greatest

resource in the earth are the seniors.

God has been working throughout their

whole life, whether success or failure.

God has been at work to

make it all good for His Glory.

So don’t let the temple of God get in disrepair.

God wants to do great things for His Glory

in you, the tent, He has chosen to live in.

   

Scripture Reading

Haggai 2:6-9 NIV

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 the desired of 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."

Ezra 3:10-4:1 NIV

10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel. 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD:

"He is good;

his love to Israel endures forever."

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.