A Renter’s Responsibility
Haggai 1:2-14 This is what the Lord Almighty says:”These people say,’The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.’” Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways-”
When is it time to build the Lord’s house? Now … every single day! It is not a trivial side issue, but the very heart God seeks. In verse 8 he says it is to his honor and for his pleasure that we build up his temple. This is where the people worship, go to God for wisdom and advice, seek his face, get to know him, where others can hear about him and his plan for mankind … the temple must be built! Are we building His temple or so focused on our wants that we’ve forgotten our responsibility as disciples? In verses 5 and 8 the Lord says, “Give careful thought to your ways” … He is concerned with how we are doing. God has great plans and dreams for us and knows how this world can distract and discourage us. In His great love for us, prophets like Haggai have been sent to keep us from ignoring or neglecting God’s house. The amazing result of the preaching was a repentant heart from among the people! God was so ï¬?red up about their hearts that he“stirred up” their spirits and gave them more heart and strength to rebuild the temple. As disciples, we too have a responsibility to build up the kingdom … as individuals, in our relationship with him, and as a church. We are simply renters here for a short time and every renter has responsibility. There are at least three areas in which we must be responsible renters to God; they are as follows:
1. Go to the Sanctuary Psalm 42:1-5. We have to know the God we worship and walk faithfully with Him. His heart for us is so apparent and amazing … he desires nothing less than the same heart from us. The writer of this psalm was intrigued by, inspired to know and longing for the living God. He wanted with all his heart to get special times with God … it is a love story between the Creator and the created! In our walk with God, we have to long for Him and do whatever it takes to stay near Him. Often,we forget who this God is that we worship and so take Him for granted and make light of who he is. Intentional or unintentional, the affect of the world on us is dramatic, unless we crave time with God and get it. Everything around a disciple says … don’t seek Him, it’s too hard to know Him, and the world is enough. We know walking with God is the joy of our lives and yet struggle to go to the sanctuary because we get distracted.
Revelation 4:1-11 is an amazing reminder of who we are following. He is the Lord God Almighty … great beings in heaven are bowing down to Him at this very moment, laying their crowns at His feet in honor of Him! All the while, we struggle to believe he is powerful. Be reminded from the scriptures … God is on His throne and angels are bowing down to sing praise to Him!
Often, even disciples make light of who God is and so minimize a relationship with him or discredit him. But here we see the real God … awesome and powerful.
2. Build a Uniï¬?ed House Mark 3:20-30. If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. They thought Jesus was crazy and demon possessed. His love for and passion for God’s will was so misunderstood that the religious leaders wanted to kill him. Before our Civil War, many thought Lincoln was crazy for defending slaves and seeking to stop the spread of slavery. He was willing to risk his life for the cause. Even my neighbors thought I was crazy the other night for having so many people over to my house all the time. They don’t understand the drive to build the kingdom, as a uniï¬?ed house…neither did the teachers of the law.
Even in our church we have to guard our hearts against Satan’s schemes … we have to be a uniï¬?ed house. Are you critical or distant from other members? Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles’teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was ï¬?lled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the the believers were together and had everything in common. What a tremendous example we are called to imitate. Thousands from all over the world, with many not speaking the same language had to live in Jerusalem as family. They were devoted to fellowship, breaking of bread, the apostles teaching, and prayer. This created a church with everything in common. That kind of temple (household) gloriï¬?es God. Are you taking part in building this God glorifying uniï¬?ed house? That’s the heart of a responsible renter.
3. Who is in the House? Mark 3:31-35. Then Jesus’mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Who is in the house? Those who do his will. People not truly doing the will of God are not going to get in the house. Jesus had very speciï¬?c directions for members of his household– they had to obey the will of God! There are four basic areas we must obey the will of God:
A. Love God with all heart, mind, soul, and strength … Mark 12:30.
B. Build a uniï¬?ed fellowship … James 2:1-13.
C. Get others in the house … Luke 19:10.
D. Keep the house clean … Revelation 21:27.
Nothing impure will enter heaven. 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 Disciples of Jesus are called to radical purity and a radical heart to deal with sin when it penetrates our hearts.
We must be people of lightening repentance! Have an immediate heart change … don’t wallow around in sin for weeks. The best defense against an impure heart is to run away from sin with a passion and to God in prayer. The spiritual man will run away from sin rather than dabbling with it and lying to himself … we cannot handle it and so must radically put it to death! Responsible renters keep the house cleaned out. Be open today about sin and run toward God.
He stoops down to make me great,
Jeremy‘s family drove all the way from New Mexico (near “Four Corners”) to witness his rebirth!
