A Sermon (#527) Preached By William “Bill” Touchton
Edited by Michael D. Lawson
If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Haggai…
Every year the President gives what they call a State of the Union Address…and in this speech, he tells where we have been – where we are…where we want to go to…and how much he’s going to have to raise the taxes to get us there.
Well, this morning I want to preach a State of the Church Address…Last Sunday we closed out the church year…and this morning we started the new church year…
And this morning I want to show you where we were…where we are…where we are going…and then I want to tell you how much we are going to raise your tithes and offerings to get us there…
Now listen to this…I am praying that this next year will be the greatest in the history of this church…to the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…
Now for that to take place we will have to be blessed by God…and what we want to do as a church is place ourselves in a position to be blessed by God…
Now…what happens when the blessing is gone…what happens when God removes this blessing?
Look with me at Haggai 1.1-15.
Many years ago, while attending school…I had worked all day, and was tired and really didn’t feel like going to class…but I took my shower, changed my clothes, grabbed by books and went anyway. Well, when I got to school that night my professor met me at the door and said tonight we have a choice…He said, 1) you can listen to my 3 hour lecture and take notes-or 2) you can attend a revival meeting with the rest of the guys…I said…well Doc, I was really looking forward to your lecture but since all the other guys are going to the revival, I guess I’ll go too…tell me where it is…and who’s preaching…and he did…and it kind of fired me up…for two reasons…1) this evangelist was one of the best preachers in the country…and I had always wanted to listen to him preach…2) but I was also excited about the place…this church…was one of the best in town, and people used to come from all over to worship there…and I had always wanted to see this place…so I got in my car and went to the revival meeting…but when I got there it didn’t take long to figure out that things were not as they used to be…
First of all, this church looked old and worn out…the paint was faded on the outside as well as on the inside…and the pews were old and uncomfortable…and everything in the place just looked neglected…so I walked in this huge auditorium…that could have sat 750-800 people. It was nearly empty…my guess is there were 150 people there and half of us were from the school.
Sometime later I met the pastor and over the years I developed a casual relationship with him…This church will meet this Sunday…this same pastor is there and will preach to a congregation of 50-60 people…several years ago I heard him make this statement…he said, “In the last 5 years, for every wedding…I have preached 50 funerals.”
Listen…it’s a dying church…and it’s just a matter of time before they are forced to lock the doors and walk away…and I’ve asked myself many times…how can that happen? Think about it…why, or how can a church die?
Homer Lindsey says there are only two things you need to grow a church…the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ…and lost people. If that’s true, and it is, then this aught to be one of the largest churches in the state…because it is surrounded by thousands of lost people within walking distance of the church…
And listen to this…if the church will simply be the church as God designed it to be…then the dynamic for growth is always present in the body.
Listen to this…there’s no force on earth that can keep a church from growing…if they are being the church that God has called them to be.
But listen…most churches are not what God called them to be…they are no longer interested in God’s Word…they simply want to maintain what they have…and when a church gets that mind set, God removes His blessing…and the church, and the people dry up…and that’s what you find in this passage…
CONTEXT…for years the children of Israel refused to be the people that God would have them be…they did their thing and not God’s thing…now in the last chapter of 2 Chronicles…the Bible tells us that God warned the people to repent…
But the Bible says…”they mocked the messengers of God, despised His Words and misused the prophets of God…until there was no remedy and God poured his wrath out upon Israel…
And He sent Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the city…the temple…and to carry the people into captivity…and that’s what He did…
Now 70 years later a man by the mane of Cyrus…the king of Persia came to the throne and the Bible says God stirred his heart to rebuild the temple…so he sent a proclamation throughout the kingdom…with the question…”Who is there among God’s people…who will return and build the temple…and the book of Ezra tells us that about 40,000 Jews return home to build the temple…
Now let me share three things with you…1) what was…2) what is…3) what can be…
- WHAT WAS…
Think about the excitement these people must have had knowing that God had called them to build the temple…you see, with God’s way…comes God’s blessing…so they pack their things…went home…and started construction…and they laid the foundation…
A. The Place…
Why would God want them to build a building? Because the temple represented the presence of God in a lost world. It was a place where people could come to meet God…a place where people could come and pray…a place where sacrifice had been made for sin…and the forgiveness of God…
Isn’t that what this place represents…now listen…we are the church, not this place…and if the place burned to the ground…the Wingate Road Baptist would still be alive and well…because we are the church…
But doesn’t this place also represent the presence of God…isn’t it a place where people can find God…pray to him…praise him…receive the pardon of sin…
You see these people were building a building for the purpose of bringing people to God…
B. The Problem…
But there was a problem…you see they laid the foundation…got things started…and quit…
Why? Was there opposition? According to the book of Ezra, there was-but opposition is nothing new to God’s people…anytime you rise up for God, there will always be opposition…now watch…it slowed them down…but the opposition wasn’t their problem…
There problem was they lost focus…and when they lost their focus they redirected their energy and leisures in another direction…
Look at verse 2…”the time is not come”…why not? Why postpone God’s work?
Look at verses 3 and 4…
The word or phrase “cieled houses” (ESV “paneled houses”) is a very interesting phrase. It’s found three other times in scripture…twice its used in reference to the temple work…this is how they built it…they ceiled it…once its used in reference to resources…this is not only how they built the temple…but what they used…
Here’s what he’s saying…you took the energy and resources that were supposed to be used for my house…and used it on your house…”you dwell in ceiled houses, but this house lies in ruins.”
Results…you are getting no where in life…you can’t find satisfaction…everything you do counts for nothing…
I’ve lived this wasted life for many years…
My job…it was just a job. Athletics…just the same…
Point…when a Christian gives himself to something other than God…He is simply wasting his God given energy and resources…God removes His blessing…
That’s what was…Now let’s talk about
2. WHAT IS…
In 1971, the foundation was laid for the Wingate Road Baptist Church…I wasn’t here for that…but it must have been an exciting time…and it’s my guess that the people poured their energy and resources into this place…that first year they averaged 160 and had a budget of 33,000 dollars.
But then something happened…and things changed…
160-150-130-115…
Rev. Pitts left…and we called Louis Dennison…and somehow…we got back on track…
130-160-175-210-256….
Sunday School began to grow…worship…offerings…people were being saved…in 1979…this church baptized 79 people…I didn’t have have time to look, but outside of First Baptist…my guess is no one baptized more than us…
By 1979…our attendance in Sunday School jumped to 256…we filled the buildings…
Here’s the plan…but we decided we could not do it…
And listen…if we have filled the building…and we can’t put them (people) any where else…we might as well sit back and rest…
Here’s what happened…we lost focus…
Now let me show you our 24 year history… (added baptisms and additions, subtracting deaths and transitions)
Now listen to this…in the last 10 years we have netted 44 people.
What happened?…”It was Louis’ fault.”(Some might say.)…can I suggest something else…Is it possible that we simply lost focus…Is it possible that we redirected our God given energy and resources on something other than God’s Kingdom…
Questions…
How many of you used to share your faith? But now don’t…
How many used to serve? But now you don’t…
How many used to tithe?
Pray? Thinking about the Kingdom…
Used to invite your friends?
Come on Sunday nights?
Wednesday night?
How many felt like life counted for something…and you just made time for it?
What is…we are back at the starting point…
Listen…I am thankful for this…percent wise…not numbers wise, but percent wise, we had the best year in our history.
27% increase. Over the last 6 months…36% increase. We had about 70 additions…we baptized about 25…we hired new staff…
What was…What is…
3. WHAT CAN BE
Verse 7…”consider your ways”…
Verse 8…”go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house…and I will take pleasure in it…and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.”
Watch…Go…Bring…Build…
Let me tell you what I think that means…We need to go to God in prayer…Thom Rainer says…every growing church in America has a thriving prayer ministry…
When’s the last time you prayed? You don’t have an hour to give? If not your life is out of order…
What will God do? (verse 12)
O God stir our hearts…