Whose Kingdom are You Building?

It's good to see many of you here this morning and those who are joining us on the live stream. Dr. Monroe challenged us this year to seek first the Kingdom of God.

I hope you remember that. That was early this year and we've been reiterating the four challenges and one of that was to seek first the Kingdom of God. How are we doing with that challenge? Whose kingdom are you living for today? Are you focused on God's kingdom or are you busy building your own kingdoms?

What is your priority today? Comfort and security here on earth or is it fulfilling God-given purposes in the Kingdom of God? This morning I pray that we will learn from the post-exilic Jews who misplaced their priorities and their effort and resources instead of following the instruction of the Lord to fulfill His purposes.

They got distracted and started building the wrong kingdom, their own kingdoms. But later, stirred by the Spirit of God, they set their priorities in order. We will be in the book of Haggai. I don't know, someone said this morning Haggai.

I don't know, I say that Haggai. It's a tiny little book, small but yet profound. It is right in somewhere in the middle of your Bible. It is the third last book of the Old Testament. Dr. Monroe has been going through the book of Matthew for several months.

Next Sunday, God willing, he will be in the pulpit, back in the pulpit. If you are able to find the book of Matthew, turn three books backward and you would get to the book of Haggai. You get to Malachi, then Zechariah, then Haggai.

Now let me give you some background to the book before we start reading that. In 586 BC, if you know your Old Testament history, and I think the dates are on the slides. In 586 BC, the Jews in Jerusalem were taken captive by then Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. This was God's punishment for the people of Israel for their idolatry after repeated warnings. They failed to repent truly and turn back to their only king. They continued in their disobedience and idolatry.

Later in 539 BC, Cyrus the king of Persia conquered Babylon. And this new king, Cyrus the king of Persia, the following year was stirred by the Lord and he permitted the Jewish people to go back to Judea and rebuild their broken temple in Jerusalem. Ezra chapter 6 verse 14 says that it was the Lord's decree. It was the Lord's commandment. By the Lord's commandment, they returned back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. So, under the leadership of a man by the name of Zerubbabel, a small group of people divinely entrusted by the Lord to fulfill his purposes, which is to rebuild the temple, made their way back to Jerusalem. Now, we read in Ezra chapter 3.

We won't have time to go through the chapter. We will go to a couple of verses there. But in Ezra chapter 3, we are told that they were united in their purpose. They were so focused at the task at hand to rebuild the temple.

There was so much enthusiasm. There was so much passion to obey the Lord that they offered the sacrifices that was commanded in the Old Testament. Let's read a couple of verses from Ezra chapter 3 verses 6 and 7. This is Ezra chapter 3 verses 6 and 7. From the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord.

But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. So, what did they do? So, they gave money to the masons and carpenters and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus, king of Persia. So, what are they doing? They are freely paying the workers. They are freely, they are generously providing for those who are bringing these building materials, especially very expensive cedar wood from Lebanon.

For what? For the reconstruction of the temple. So, soon after they started the building project in 536 BC, oppositions arose and the temple building was stopped. Then for at least 10 years, there were no significant effort to rebuild the temple.

What started with such enthusiasm now has come to a gloomy halt. But didn't God commissioned them to go back and rebuild the temple? Why did they stop the building of the temple, the rebuilding of the temple for more than 10 years?

Why did they do that? There is a spiritual reason behind that. So, let's turn to the book of Haggai, chapter 1, where the prophet is recording God's assessment of the spiritual condition of the people.

He also gives us insight into why they stopped the work. So, we are in Haggai, chapter 1, verses 1 to 4. In the second year of Darius, or Darius, the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai, the prophet, to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehoshadak, the high priest. Thus says the Lord of hosts. These people say, the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai, the prophet.

Is it a time for you, yourselves, to dwell in paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? Now, we saw earlier from Ezra, chapter 3, that there was much enthusiasm in rebuilding the temple, and that was back in 538 BC. They were paying the workers, they were bringing all the raw materials needed to the rebuilding of the temple.

They successfully started the rebuilding in 536 BC. But, when we get to the book of Haggai, which is 520 BC, we see the temple is in ruins. What happened? Where are the people? Where did they go? Did they go back because they were not able to fulfill the purposes with which they came to Jerusalem? Ah, no.

When we come to the book of Haggai, we see the people are living in paneled houses, referring to either fully constructed homes or luxuriously constructed homes. This is indicative of their spiritual condition. They lost their focus. They lost their focus. They were spiritually lethargic. Consequently, they were tired of striving to rebuild the temple.

Now, it is true. There were oppositions. It is true that the local non-Jews frustrated the Jews in their attempt to rebuild the temple. We read about that in Ezra chapter 4.

We won't have time to go through that. But in Ezra chapter 4, these people were actively trying to stop the building. But look at what God says about the situation and about the post-exilic Jews. Look with me to verse 9, the latter portion of verse 9. We're going to break in the middle of that verse with the question, why? This is the Lord speaking. Why declares the Lord of hosts? Because of my house that lies in ruins while each of you busies himself with his house.

Notice the word, busies. There is a sense of urgency. There is a sense of importance. There is a sense of excitement when it came to building their own homes, which was lacking when it came to building God's house, the temple. God's assessment is that the priority and the passion of the post-exilic Jews were to build their own houses instead of the house of God, the temple. They were more concerned about their own comfort and security rather than striving to fulfill their God-given purposes with which they came to Jerusalem in the first place. They were okay living in their panel homes, watching, seeing, probably on a daily basis, the temple in ruins.

Also notice what they did. Remember in Ezra, we read that they were bringing all these raw materials, expensive cedar wood from Lebanon, they bring it by sea and they brought it in for the reconstruction of the temple. Look at what the Lord says in verse 8 now. Verse 8, go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house that I may take pleasure in it.

Wait a second. What happened to the wood they brought already? What happened to the wood that was already collected? Apparently, it seems that they used up the raw material for their houses. Few commentators do say that the implication of that question there, of the commandment there is that all the raw materials that was brought in were either used up or unusable.

If it is the case, they used the material for their homes. Nevertheless, they were okay living in well-built houses, seeking their reputation while they let God's glory be diminished, reflected in an unfinished temple. But instead of repenting and refocusing, they became more indifferent to God's kingdom, His glory and His temple that they made excuses and justified their self-centered priority.

So first, the lost focus, second, the lame excuse. Let's read Haggai chapter 1 verse 2. Thus says the Lord of hosts, these people say that time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. Now, it is not the case that they didn't want to rebuild the temple.

I don't think so. They wanted to rebuild the temple, but their excuse is it is not time yet. I will do it later, not now, later. Let me finish my house first. The temple can wait, right? I mean, it's been in ruins for all these years. It wouldn't hurt if I would turn my attention a little bit to my house. Let me build my house first. Or they may be saying, no, we really want to start the rebuilding again.

We do, but we have already invested in our own houses. We can't stop now. God wants us to be comfortable, right?

He wants us to be secure, right? I'll do it later. Or you might hear them saying, you just don't understand. You just don't understand. We are struggling to have enough food and enough drink and enough clothing and money that we are not able to even provide for ourselves. And you want us to now refocus on the temple? Not now, later. The excuse is for not fulfilling the purposes of the one who gave them freedom and provided for them miraculously. The lost focus, the lame excuse. What about us?

Is it possible for us to lose focus? Is it possible for us to use God-given blessings and privileges to secure our own lives on earth rather than living for the Kingdom of God? Now, it is true. It is true that we believers in Jesus Christ, those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior are never asked to build a temple for God or a physical kingdom for God.

That is true. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are the temple of God. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 19 onward.

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19 onward. So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the house of God built on the foundation of the apostles and 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 are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. We are the temple. Those of us who are believers in Jesus Christ are the temple of God.

We are never asked to build a physical temple. The kingdom that the believers in Jesus Christ are called into is a spiritual kingdom, at least for now. Later, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back in glory, he is going to establish his physical kingdom. But right now, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called into a spiritual kingdom. We don't get into the kingdom by our own strength. We don't just walk into the kingdom. We are granted access into the kingdom.

That itself is a privilege. When we believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and when we accept him for the forgiveness of our sins and as we surrender our lives to the lordship and the kingship of the one and only king, we are granted entrance into this glorious kingdom of God. Turn with me to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1 verses 12 and 13. Giving thanks to the Father, look at what he says.

Who has qualified you? It is the Father who qualifies us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom. Whose kingdom?

Of his beloved son, Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins. It's his kingdom. We are granted access into his kingdom. Speaking first the kingdom then means your highest priority is the fulfillment of the will and desires of the one and only king. Not your desires, not your will, but the one and only king, Jesus Christ. Living for this kingdom then means that you arrange your lives around the desires of Christ the king. Not mine, not yours. It is the desires of the king because the kingdom belongs to him.

Whose kingdom are you living for? We looked at the lost focus. We looked at the lame excuse. How we lost focus?

Do we find excuse to justify our self-centered priority? Listen to the Lord's exhortation for us this morning. Let's read from verses 5 to 11. So first a warning, then the promise.

The warning, verses 5 to 11. Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. You have sown much and harvested little. You eat but you never have enough. You drink but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

Do you experience that? Thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build a house that I may take pleasure in it. That I may be glorified says the Lord. You looked for much and behold it came to little.

And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why declares the Lord of hosts? Because of my house that lies in ruins while each of you beseeze himself with his own house. 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 and what the ground brings forth, on man and beast and on all their labors. The post-exilic Jews used the available resources to provide for themselves. They spend their energy, their time, their money trying to satisfy themselves, seeking comfort and security for themselves, relying only on themselves. But they found themselves significantly lacking. The blessing of the Lord was not on them.

God was disciplining them. The warning, consider your ways. Examine yourself that means. Look at the path that you have taken.

Evaluate the plans that you have made. Consider your ways. Whose kingdom are you living for? If you go down the path of accumulating wealth and seeking comfort and securing your life at the cost of God's kingdom, you will only find yourself lacking. There is nothing that can satisfy you and me except for the Lord Jesus Christ.

The book of Ecclesiastes says God has put eternity into the hearts of men. You try as many times or as much as you can. Nothing can satisfy you unless the Lord Jesus is in that spot. Nothing can satisfy you. There's only one thing that can give you fulfillment. That is when you engage in the purposes and the plans of the one who created you and the one who called you into that kingdom. That is the only thing that can fulfill you. Isn't that what the Lord Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6 verse 33? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. All these things shall be added unto you. He is the only one who can satisfy our deepest needs. Nobody else can.

Why do people strive behind accumulating wealth, building their own kingdoms? The warning, consider your ways. Consider your ways. Now you might say it's difficult, you don't know what I'm going through. It is very difficult. It is very difficult to take my eyes off the problems that is in front of me and to put my focus on God's kingdom.

It is very difficult. That is true. That is true. Living for God's kingdom in a world that has openly declared war on God and His people and His plans and His purposes is very difficult.

It is. But you don't have to do that on your own. Look at the Lord's promise. Look at verse 13 of chapter 1. Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, I am with you, declares the Lord. This is Yahweh speaking, I am with you.

You don't have to do this on your own. When we come to the New Testament, what does the Lord Jesus say? I am with you till the end of age.

The Creator, the King, the Lord of Lords, God with us, Emmanuel. He is with us. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us.

He is with us till the very end. Keep your eyes on Christ. Whose kingdom are you living for?

In fact, we cannot do this by ourselves. It is in Christ Jesus we enter the kingdom of God. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit we live for God's kingdom.

Now there might be some here who are intimidated by the opposition. Weary because of the discouragement, distracted by all the enticements and the lure that is in the world at the very verge of giving up. Listen to this promise. I am with you declares Yahweh. Reminds me of Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 and 13.

Work out your salvation in fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you. Not only to will but also to work for His good pleasure.

He is the one who helps us. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit we do these things. So we read in verses 12 and 13. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jehoshadak the high priest with all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God. And the words of Haggai the prophet as the Lord their God had sent him. Also skip down to verse 14. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the governor of Judah and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehoshadak the high priest and the spirit of all the remnant of the people and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts.