THE NEED TO BUILD GOD S HOUSE (Hag 1:1-15)

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1 MARANATHA MESSENGER Weekly Newsletter of Private Circulation Only MARANATHA BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 27 August 2006 Present e man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). Address: 63 Cranwell Road, Singapore Tel: (65) Fax: (65) maranatha.bpc@pacific.net.sg Website: * Sunday School: 9.45 am Worship Service: am Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 8.00 pm Pastor: Rev (Dr) Jack Sin (HP: ) THE NEED TO BUILD GOD S HOUSE (Hag 1:1-15) Introduction When the foundations of the temple were laid in Jerusalem in the year 536 BC the younger men shouted for joy while the older men wept (Ezra 3:8-13). Although the prophet Haggai probably had seen Solomon s temple in its glory (Hag 2:3), he was undoubtedly among those who expressed joy for the Lord who was at work among His people. But it doesn t take long for the zeal of God s people to cool and apathy to set in particularly in the face of official opposition. This caused the work to cease (Ezra 4:1-6, 24); and the temple laid unfinished from 536 BC to 520 BC when Haggai and Zechariah brought God s message to Zerubbabel and Joshua. This is the background when God raised the prophet Haggai to speak to His people calling and warning them to renew their commitment and service to God before it is too late. The prophet Haggai gave four admonitions to the leaders and the people to encourage them to go back to work and finish rebuilding the temple. I would like to submit that these admonitions are equally applicable to us today. 1. Putting God first in our lives (v.1-4). The first statement in the divine message went right to the heart of the problem and exposed the hypocrisy and unbelief of the people. Excuses: Haggai wasted no time in dealing with Judah s excuses for not completing the temple. The rebuke came from the LORD of hosts (LORD of armies), a phrase used by post-exilic prophets to describe an all-powerful God who will accomplish what He has decreed. This was a strong rebuke to a procrastinating people especially when God would remove any hindrance to enable them to finish the construction of the temple. Notice here that God did not refer to them as His people, but as this people, indicating His displeasure over their disobedience. Evidence: What more evidence did the Jews need that God s time had come? How could they doubt that it was God s will for them to rebuild the temple and restore true worship in Jerusalem? Did not God move King Cyrus to free the exiles and commission them to return to Jerusalem for that very purpose (2Chron 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4)? Did not the king generously give them the money and materials they needed and did not the Lord graciously protect the exiles carrying the temple treasures as they traveled from Babylon to Judah? The Jews certainly knew the words that the prophet Isaiah had recorded about Cyrus in Isa 44:28: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Isaiah had also written in Isa 45:13: I have raised him (Cyrus) up in

2 righteousness and I will direct all his ways; he shall build my city and he shall let go my captives... (Isa 45:13). By stopping their work, the Jews were admitting that they had no faith in God s Word or in God s power to perform it. Evasion: The people were terribly inconsistent: it was not time to build the house of God, but it was time to build their own houses! The prophet identified three sins of the people: a) Their selfishness they had time and money to construct their own houses, but not God s house. And some of the people had built not just ordinary dwellings, but paneled houses the kind that kings built for themselves (1 Kg 7:3, 7: Jer 22:14). b) The people had become indifferent to the temple because they had worshipped without it for 70 years in Babylon. c) Hostile neighbors had disillusioned them from building the temple. God was not rebuking the people for building fine houses for themselves but for building their own houses while totally neglecting the Lord s house. They were putting self-interest above the Lord s will. How different was the attitude of King David; although he resided in a cedar house, he was totally committed to building a glorious temple for God (2 Sam 7:2). Many Christians today worship in buildings inadequate for the congregation or in buildings that have a great need for repair claiming they lack the funds to upgrade the church building. Yet this same people spare no expense in beautifying or upgrading their own houses along with securing all the creature comforts that come along with it. Like Judah, many Christians today are unaware that their actions have the withholding of God s bountiful blessings upon them. In this regard we remember the teaching in Matt 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. All these things would include food, clothing and shelter. The Jews had not heard of this great promise but the principle behind the words of Christ was written into their Law. Honor the LORD with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. (Prov 3:9-10). Other verses are found in Lev 26:3-13; Deut 16:17; 28:1-14; 30:3-9. It is obvious that the priorities of the Jewish nation were confused, but are God s people today any different from those ancient Jews? Have work and leisure overtaken the will and work of God or our lives? When we put God first and give Him what is rightfully His, we open the door to spiritual enrichment and the kind of stewardship that honors the Lord. One hundred years after Haggai prophesied, Malachi accused the people of robbing God of tithes and offerings and thereby robbing themselves of blessing (Mal 3:7-12). His words need to be heeded today as many may be forfeiting the blessing of giving to the Lord and dishonouring God instead. 2. Believe God s promises (v.5-6, 9-11) Haggai s second admonition invited the people to examine their lifestyle and actions in the light of the covenant God made with them before the nation entered the Promised Land (Lev 26; Deut 27-28). The word translated consider in the KJV is give careful thought to. It was time for the people to do some serious selfexamination before the Lord. God s covenant stated clearly that He would bless them if they obeyed Him, and discipline them if they disobeyed. The people sowed abundantly but reaped a meager harvest as all their efforts would come to nought. When they ate and drank, they were not filled or satisfied. Their clothing did not keep them warm and their income did not cover their expenses. Inflation was spiraling out of control because of famine and the scarcity of goods. Because the Jews returned to the land in obedience to the Lord, they thought He would give them special blessings because of their sacrifices, but they were disappointed

3 (v.9). Instead, the Lord intervened directly in the affairs of Judah to cause an economic disaster and called for a drought and withheld both the dew and the rain. He took His blessing away from the men who laboured in the fields, vineyards and orchards. In verse 11, Haggai named the basic products that the people needed to survive: water, grain (barley and wheat), wine and oil (olive oil is used in food, medicine and ointment). Such crop failures would devastate humans and animals alike, depriving them of the needed sustenance to live. Although Singapore is not an agricultural community, God has over the years used other methods to cause economic disaster e.g. the Asian financial crisis in 1997/98 and the consequent economic recession resulting in widespread unemployment as well as the plunge in the stock market causing financial misfortunes to many people. In our pursuit of wealth and materialism, we have failed to heed God s warning and miss the joy of serving God with our substance and talents. 3. Glorify God s name (v.7-8) Once again the prophet Haggai called Judah to consider their ways and gather more timber to build the temple. They were to repent of their sins and get on with the task of rebuilding the temple. In so doing, God would take pleasure in the temple be glorified or honored through its completion. This is turn would be a sign to the surrounding nations that God has restored Judah to its previous state and it was now in a position to receive His blessing. The Lord told the people through Haggai to build the house and He will take pleasure in it and that He will be glorified. God delights in the obedient service of His people and His name is glorified when we sacrifice for Him and serve Him. Therefore, it did not please God or honor His name when we neglect God s house and build elaborate houses for ourselves. We know that God does not live in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48-50) and that our church buildings are not His holy habitation, but our attitude towards building the house of God would reflect our spiritual priorities and our love for Him. 4. Obey His command (v.12-15) When God speaks to us by His Word, there is only one acceptable response, that is, to obey. We don t weigh the options, we don t examine the alternatives and we don t negotiate the terms. We simply obey and leave the rest to God. The leaders and all the people united in obeying God s instructions and they were motivated by a reverential fear of the Lord. After all, He is the Lord of hosts a title used ten times in this little book (vs. 2, 9, 14; 2:4, 7-9, 23). The obedience of the leaders and people was the result of God working in their hearts, just as He had worked in the heart of King Cyrus and in the hearts of the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel (Ezra 1:5). Upon witnessing Judah s repentance, renewal and reverential fear for the Lord, the tone of Haggai s message changed from judgment to comfort. God s comforting word was short and encouraging: I am with you. This divine assurance from God would empower, protect, guide and accomplish His task through His people. Such a word of encouragement should drive out all fear and fortify us to embark on and complete what God required of us in the church building project in Bangalore. These words have encouraged God s people through the centuries: Isaac and Jacob (Gen 26:3; 28:15); Moses in delivering Israel (Ex 4:12); Joshua leading Israel to Canaan (Josh 1:5); Jeremiah at his call (Jer1:8); Israel during times of tribulation (Isa 43:1); the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20); Paul in going to Corinth (Acts 18:10). If God was with these men of old, will He not be with us today? He has promised to be with all those who are obedient to His voice (Rom 8:31; Heb 13:5). Haggai s prophecy stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel.Joshua.and the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD (v.14). Similarly, like Judah, we should

4 take stock of ourselves and ask the following penetrating questions: Has my spiritual vision and zeal for the Lord s house been dimmed by my pursuits of wealth and materialism? Has commitment to my work, profession, family, business or studies consumed both time and energy so that there is none left for the Lord s service? Am I so caught in the web of financial burden that my giving and tithing to the Lord s work is, at best, insufficient, superficial or almost nonexistent? Conclusion Judah had to rethink its priorities and draw up a new blueprint for its spiritual life. Today, we should do likewise. It is time to build God s house as we launch out to build Covenant Bible Presbyterian Church of India together in Bangalore. Let us give to the Lord and build a life that will please God! May the Lord help us. Elder Thomas Liaw Covenant BPC, India 27 Aug 2006 ******** Q&A What is wrong (if any) with the belief or teaching by some that you have to be baptized to be saved? Introduction First of all, the doctrine of salvation is not a trivial matter and we cannot err in this important doctrine for error here is damnable heresy. There are over 100 places in the Bible that refer to salvation by grace through faith alone and not via water baptism. Here are just a few examples of such verses, like John 1:12 says, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: and Romans 10:9,10, Ephesians 2:8,9, John 3:36, just to name a few. Consider also the necessity of the atonement at the cross if we could be made righteous by doing some great deed or having some religious work done to us like a sacrament of baptism, then it would not have been necessary for Jesus to die on the cross. Galatians 2:21 if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. We are not saved by works of righteousness, but by faith as given in Matthew 3:13-15, which says Jesus baptism was done to fulfill all righteousness and Titus 3:5 says that works of righteousness do not save, and therefore, baptism does not and cannot save. We are saved by the blood of Jesus and not through baptismal waters. Clearly from the scriptures such as 1 John 1:7 and Revelation 1:5, we see that it is not water that washes away our sin but the precious blood of Jesus. 1 John 1:7 the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. Revelation 1:5... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, considers also the people in the New Testament were saved without water baptism. Both the thief on the cross and Cornelius household are examples of New Testament believers who were saved without the benefit of water baptism. Luke 23:43 (Jesus speaking to the thief on the cross), And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Acts 10:47 (spoken by

5 Peter in reference to Cornelius household), Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (They already had the Holy Ghost, they were already saved, and then they were baptized with water in obedience to the command of God.) There are many who teach that the church began at Pentecost, and that one must be baptized into the church in order to avoid going to hell. The following question needs to be asked of those false teachers, Are Abraham, David, Peter, James and John in hell today because they were not baptized into the church after the day of Pentecost? The answer is obvious. It is interesting to note that the Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 1:17, For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect, that he was not sent to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Paul contrasted baptism with the gospel. He clearly stated that he was not sent to baptize, but he was sent to preach the gospel. If baptism was a central part of the gospel and necessary for salvation, it would have been ridiculous for Paul to make such a statement. Furthermore, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, that he has delivered the gospel message in its entirety. The gospel message is Christ s death, burial and resurrection; no baptism is mentioned. This was the content of the gospel that Paul preached - there is only one gospel and nothing should be added to it, making it another gospel (Galatians 1:6-8). Those who belong to the Church of Christ and Central Christian Church here teach baptismal regeneration. They may object to the term Baptismal Regeneration and claim that they do not believe in such a doctrine. However, they teach that when a man repents, believes, and confesses Jesus as his Saviour he is still not saved. They claim that he lacks Baptism still! Baptize him, they say, and he will be saved. So, what is that but baptismal regeneration? Some who believes in baptismal regeneration infer from Mark 16:16, that one must be baptized to be saved, which is a false interpretation of it. Mark 16:16 says, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Notice that this verse says nothing about a person who is not baptized being condemned, it only states that the one who does not believe shall be condemned. It is the absence of faith (belief) which causes one to be condemned. It is faith which saves from condemnation, not water baptism. In John 3:5-6, 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Some teach that water baptism is necessary for the new birth, which is a misunderstanding of the verse and a defective view of soteriology. First consider the fact that Jesus says nothing about being water baptized in John 3:5. The word baptize is not found at all in this discussion between our Lord and Nicodemus, which is significant. Any mention of baptism by those who interpret this passage is simply arbitrary and based on preconceived notions and defective doctrines. To be born of water meant to be born physically and has absolutely nothing to do with water baptism. In verse 4, Nicodemus certainly thought to be born again meant physical birth. This is apparent from his statement about one going back into the womb while he is old. In verse 5, Jesus differentiated between the physical birth which Nicodemus was thinking of and the spiritual birth which

6 Jesus was referring to. Jesus says, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee, believed that since he was born a Jew, he would automatically enter into the kingdom of God. However, Jesus showed that simply being a Jew was not enough, you need the spiritual regeneration of the heart. One cannot produce a spiritual birth with physical means. Therefore, born of water in verse 5 cannot possibly mean literal water. If it meant literal water, then applying a physical substance (water) to a physical being would bring about a spiritual change. Even if one has no knowledge of the Pharisee s teaching (that being born of water was to be born physically), Jesus interprets verse 5 for us in the very next verse. In verse 6, Jesus states, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. In the context, this is an obvious interpretation of the previous verse where Jesus speaks of the water and the spirit. Being born of water refers to a physical birth and being born of the spirit plainly refers to a spiritual birth. Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus that he had already had a physical birth, now he needed a new birth, a second spiritual birth from the Spirit of God above in order to enter the kingdom of God (Titus 3:5). When verse 8 is read in the context, it becomes apparent that the emphasis is not on water or anything physical (even though Nicodemus had erroneously thought it referred to a physical birth), but of the Spirit. The spirit is the means of the new birth. It is the Spirit of God himself who regenerates the believer, not anything of water and not anything physical at all. Another passage that they quote is from Acts 2:38, where some teach that baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of sins, which is erroneous and hardly supported by scripture at all. Acts 2:21 & say, 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Look at the context of Acts 2:38. In Acts 2:21 (quoted above), Peter has already told the crowd how to be saved. In verse 37 they cried, what shall we do? They did not ask, what should we do to be saved? That question had already been answered clearly in Acts 2:21. They already knew what they needed to do in order to be saved, and having heard and believed the word of God they wanted to know what they were to do next. Peter told them to repent and be baptized. Now, the misunderstanding over Acts 2:38 comes with the next little word. The word for is what has confused so many people because they have brought their preconceived notions and doctrines into this passage. Peter says, repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins. What does the word for mean in the context of this verse? If a man is put in jail for a crime, is it in order to commit a crime, or because of a crime that he has committed? If a policeman stops you on the PIE and gives you a ticket for speeding, is it in order to speed or because of your speeding. Acts 2:38 does not teach that one is baptized in order to be saved but rather a person is baptized because he is saved already. In like manner, baptism does not save but is a testimony of the truth that your sins have been remitted when you believed on the Lord Jesus and confessed him as your Saviour and Lord. Some of the adherents also infer from Romans 6:3-4 that water baptism is the

7 entrance into Christ. But this is totally untrue and preposterous, Romans 6:3-4, 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Notice that water is not mentioned at any point in Romans 6 when Romans 6:3 speaks of being baptized into Jesus Christ, it is not a reference to being sprinkled or immersed in water. Instead, it refers to being directly in the Lord Jesus Christ so that we may then say that we are in (or believed in) Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1; 16:3; 1 Corinthians 1:2,30; 4:15; Galatians 2:4; 3:28; Ephesians 1:1; 2:10; Philippians 1:1; 4:21). In the same manner, we are baptized into his death according to Romans 6:4, that is, we identify with his death. Some claimed that from 1 Peter 3:21 that water baptism saves, which is totally untenable in its context. These verses says, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:18-21 refers to the gospel being preached by Noah when the ark was being prepared. In other words, the people of Noah s time were without excuse because the Spirit of God spoke to them through Noah. They had ample opportunities to accept Christ, but only eight souls repented and accepted God s grace. All of the rest rejected Noah s preaching. What saved Noah and his family? Was it the water or the ark? It was definitely the ark. The water drowned those who did not get in the ark. Those souls that were inside the ark were brought safely through the water and escaped the flood. Corresponding to that figure baptism now saves us and not the washing off of material defilement, but the craving of a good conscience after God and it is through the resurrection of Christ. In other words, we are saved by that of which baptism speaks, namely, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Remember, the eight souls that were saved were in the ark, they were not swimming in the flood water. The ark was a type of Christ. Notice that the salvation of Noah s soul is not even in question here. Noah was saved from sin a long time before the flood. That is why God spared him from this awful judgement because he was already a saved man! Genesis 6:9 tells us that he was already a justified man in his standing before God. There are three important observations which need to be made if one is to properly understand this passage of scripture. First, notice that baptism is a figure the record says,... the like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us. It is a testimony given by the person being baptized. It testifies of their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation. Thus, baptism is a figure of what saves them. Second, observe that the passage says,... not the putting away of the filth of the flesh.... Baptism does not put away our sins. The bible

8 says the filth of the flesh is not washed away in or by any baptismal water. According to 1 John 1:7, it is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from our sins. Third, notice that baptism is described as... the answer of a good conscience toward God.... Baptism is the answer of an already good conscience! The only way a man can have a good conscience is to be saved. Hebrews 9:14 tells us that a man s conscience is purged by the blood of Christ. If a man has a good conscience, it is only because he has been cleansed from his sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. Some teach that a man has to go through the water of baptism to get to the death and blood of Christ, but this passage plainly shows that a man must go through the blood of Christ before he is in any condition to go through the water baptism. A man must go through the blood of Christ and have his conscience cleansed before he goes through the like figure which is the symbolic act of water baptism. In other words, the Bible teaches that water baptism is postsalvific rather than pre-salvific. Conclusion Soteriology is an important doctrine of our Christian faith and scripture is to be clearly understood. 1 Peter 3:21 and other relevant passages teach that a person is saved by the blood of Christ, and later he ought to be baptized, setting forth in a figurative symbolism of the doctrine of his salvation: that is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and is not part of salvation itself. Hope this helps to understand this important doctrine correctly and not err in our faith and doctrinal stand. Jack Sin ********** Sharing from Yeo Yuen Kee at Bangalore I am thankful for the opportunity to visit twice this year due to work requirements and both trips coincided with Sunday and I was able to worship at CBPCI. My recent trip was on 13 August This time I was blessed with the Lord s message delivered by Brother Justin Paul and fellowship with the familiar faces and new visitors. I also witnessed how the Lord has led CBPCI to buy a better piece of land which Pastor George had brought me to take a look. The harvest field in Bangalore is ripe, the people are receptive. I am encouraged by the zeal of Pastor George and Brother Justin as they labour for the Lord. ******** At the Pulpit Theme for the Quarter: The Christian & Current Spiritual/Moral/Ethical Concerns Dr Jack Sin Edifying Christian Communication (Col 4:2-6; Eph 4:25-32) [End of MM]