You can turn to Haggai chapter 1. We'll at least start there this morning. It's a little bit of a different sermon in the sense that this is part two of part one, which was a month ago almost exactly. And I should have mandated you all listen to the sermon of a month ago twice this week so you can remember what was said. But hopefully there will be some remembrance of what happened a month ago. And a month ago we surveyed all of the book, the small book of Haggai, which was meant to be a first of two sermons, but a month apart. At that time, a month ago, it was the time of year that we focus on the incarnation of Christ. So we purposely surveyed Haggai to find Christ. prophesied and seen in the midst of this little book of prophecy. But then the point was that now, a month later, in the time of year where we focus on the Church of Christ, we wanted to return to Haggai to find the Church in those same prophecies, in those same teachings. And one of the themes of Haggai is rebuilding the temple. The Jews rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed and had been laying in waste after they returned from their exile. And you must remember that the tabernacle, or the temple, represented God with us. God's meeting place with his people, his people's access to God, and his communion with his people. And so the temple prophecies of Haggai ultimately point to Christ. And we spoke of that a month ago. Christ who is God with us. But we also said that they also point to the church of Christ, which we see from the New Testament is the temple of God now. And it's this fulfillment in the church that we'll emphasize today. In fact, a month ago, when we went through Haggai the first time, we said something like this. We said, and so we will today survey Haggai to focus on Christ prophesied and glorified, and then next month we will resurvey Haggai to focus on the Church prophesied and exhorted. Well, the month ahead is now here. This is a month from then, and so it seems fitting to now on our 12th anniversary as a church to look back at Haggai, looking again at the church prophesied and exhorted in it. And in your bulletins, there's a very simple outline. We'll look first at the church as the temple in Haggai, briefly. We'll then look at the church as the temple as the New Testament tells us. Then we'll take a brief look at the end before we sign our covenant today of, our church is the temple. How might we be building up our church and not allowing her to lay in waste? And so first of all, the church is the temple in Haggai. I do assume you've probably forgotten something about what was said a month ago. But remember that the book of Haggai records four oracles or sermons through Haggai over about four months in 520 BC. And these words were largely used to exhort the rebuilding of the temple that had lain in ruins for 70 years, before the Persian king Cyrus decreed the sending back of the Jews and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and in particular, the temple. But then 16 more years went by after they went to start rebuilding, and the temple still lay in ruins. And that's how we get to Haggai. The king Darius now re-decrees and enforces what Cyrus had decreed earlier. We need to send the Jews to be rebuilding the temple. And so the four oracles by God through Haggai are an exhortation and an encouragement to the Jews to obey and to rebuild. And the first and third oracles are rebukes, if you remember, but then followed with encouragements. God does that. while the second and fourth oracles are really promises of blessing and not so much rebuke. So look at Haggai chapter 1, starting in verse 2. We won't go through the whole book. We will focus our attention most of all on this first chapter and a little bit in chapter 2. But in Haggai chapter 1 verses 2 through 11, We see really the theme for the whole book. Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, This people says, The time has not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built. This is actually a negative statement. I hope you understand that. Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your own paneled houses, your decorated, finished houses that you built for yourselves? You took care of yourself. But this temple, my house, is to lie in ruins. You see what's going on, that the Jews have taken care of their own glory, but they've not paid attention to the righteousness and the glory of God and what they're supposed to be doing. And verse 5 says, Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways, set your heart upon what you're doing, You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but do not have enough. You drink, but you are not filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes." Understand, you're laboring, but you're Your daily needs, your daily bread, your daily blessings are not being provided. And so in v. 7, thus says the Lord of Hosts, Consider your ways, look at your heart. Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, build My house, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, but indeed it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of Hosts. Because of My house, My temple that is in ruins. It's dried up. Well, every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore, the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought. If my house stands dry, there'll be a drought called on the land, and the mountains, and the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and in all the labor of your hands. We went through this a month ago, but obviously what's happening here is that God's people were so interested in their own glories and taking care of their own houses that they were not attending to God's house, God's temple. And as a result, God was chastening them by not providing for their daily needs, which he says he will. They were not seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things were not being added unto them. I think I mentioned last time that The temple in the book of Haggai is a picture of Christ and is fulfilled in Christ as the ultimate God with us, but it's also a picture of the church of Christ. And when you see it that way, I find it a stunning warning for us to not be neglecting Christ by neglecting his church. It's a stunning warning. Maybe it's because I'm a pastor. For us not to be neglecting His church, to see it be lain in ruins while we're busy doing our own things. Because if we love Christ, we'll love His church because that's what He loves. When I see meetings of the church neglected in empty seats, I think, are we in ruins? Do we need to be built up? When I see a member of the church that maybe I or somebody else is not noticing there's a need here to be made and we're neglecting that fellow brother or sister in Christ. The picture in my mind is of a temple that's left in ruins. If the Word of God would be neglected in our church, or any church, or the worship of God would be neglected, it's pictured in the church being in ruins because it's not being built up and being the glorious structure it's meant to be for God's glory. And in the rest of Haggai chapter 1, We see the Lord saying, I am with you, which is a wonderful thing. They weren't about to the temple, which is where God is with them. But he says, I am with you. Take heart. I am with you if you read the rest of chapter one. And he says, his spirit will stir up their spirits to return to the work of God's house in obedience. And they do. God is good at those kind of things. He will provide you what you need to do what he asks you to do for his glory and for your good. And then if you look at Haggai chapter 2, you can turn the page if that's what it takes to be in Haggai chapter 2. Again, at the first part of chapter 2, the Lord says, I am with you and I will strengthen you by my Spirit. He says it again. He's not just rebuking and walking away. He's rebuking but encouraging and providing for them. And then in verse 6, we read in Haggai 2, For thus says the Lord of hosts, Once more, it is a little while, I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land, I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the desire of all nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts, and the glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts." What had happened here in chapter 2 is that the people were dejected, they were discouraged at how this rebuilt temple that they were trying to build, it wasn't anything like the former temple. They are discouraged. Now God enters in and He promises them a greater, latter temple, which is, yes, ultimately Christ, who is the, I am with you, temple of God. But it also includes Christ's church, where God is with His people, since Christ ascended to the right hand of God. And it's in Christ's church where God's glory and His peace is known with His people and offered to those outside of Christ. And we said last month that this shaking of the nations that's mentioned here in chapter 2, and the filling of the temple was in part fulfilled when the Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost next, chapter 2, with the sound of the mighty rushing wind thundering. And the new covenant church was formed and filled by the Spirit and the glory of Christ was there. And then the church, the temple of God expands and takes the gospel. So the earth shook as the world was turned upside down by the new covenant church in the expanse of the kingdom. And we're still part of that. And all this glory of Christ, but yes, even the glory in his church, the temple of his church is far greater than any building of stones and jewels and polished metals. We spoke about that a month ago. So that's our review of where we're at with Haggai. And we've kind of moved into the New Testament then with Acts chapter 2. You might be saying, well, how can you say that this is the temple, the church is the temple in the book of Haggai? It doesn't say that. But you can say that because when you look to the New Testament, you see the church described as God's temple with Old Testament language quite clearly. And so I want us to take the bulk of our time that we have left this morning to look briefly because there's much more we could be looking at that the New Testament references to the church as the temple of God. If you turn to 1 Corinthians 3, we're gonna be looking at scripture so it might be good to Do something with that little electronic thing in your hand, or if you have a real book, this way is nice. You can turn the pages to keep active with me. So if you're looking at 1 Corinthians 3, I think one thing that's interesting as you're turning there, though, is in 1 Corinthians, we have two entities referred to as the Temple of God. And sometimes we get confused about that, but in 1 Corinthians 6, The body, the physical body of the Christian is called the temple of God. It's in the context in 1 Corinthians 6 of sexual immorality, that sexual immorality is a sin against the body. And Paul writes to the church in Corinth saying, don't you know your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you? So a Christian could be called a temple, and then the scripture calls the Christian a temple. Why? Because God is with him. When you're born again, when you come to God in repentance and faith in Christ Jesus, the Spirit of God comes in you, changes you, and God is with you. And in that sense, your body's the temple of God. But in 1 Corinthians 3 and verses 16 and 17, the yous, Y-O-U, in this passage, these are plural. So one thing I do like about the King James, the plural you's are ye's. And so you can tell, is this a singular person or is this the group being talked to? But in the New King James, in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16, Paul writes, do you not know that you, this is plural, maybe in Missouri and Kansas language it would be, do you not know that you all, you, the church in Corinth, are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, to show you how important this is, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you all are in the church of Corinth. So turn to 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. As you're turning to 1 Peter 2, we'll start with verse 4. But I think it's interesting the context here when Peter's writing two churches. In 1 Peter 1, and Our Lady studied that not too long ago, I hope they haven't forgotten, but in 1 Peter 1, the emphasis is the great salvation and the inheritance that we have individually in Christ. And so the first chapter of 1 Peter is emphasizing the great salvation, the inheritance we have individually in Christ. And then we get to 1 Peter 2, starting in verse 4, now we're collecting those individual Christians into the Church of Christ, which is a nursery for Christians and a place to be building up and to be built up in so that we actually can then go out into the world and do what God has called us to do. And so in 1 Peter 2, verse 4, Peter begins with saying, coming to him, now the him is Christ Jesus, As to a living stone, which means Christ is the living stone, capital L, capital S, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. The point is, the foundation of the church, the cornerstone of the church, even more precisely, is Christ Jesus. And so we come to Christ, He is a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen by God, and there's warnings about rejecting this Christ. But then in verse 5, you, and this is plural, Speaking to churches, you all also as living stones, you have Christ as the living stone, but then the individuals in the church as living stones, plural, being built upon the life-giving living stone of Christ Jesus. You as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The word temple is maybe not used here, but it's certainly the words that we see here speaking of a temple. Christ is a living stone, the rock and the foundation, the giver of life, and we come to him as living stones with life from him and in him to be built up into the living temple of God. Temples need priests. Christ the final priest, but we can be priests in Him and we're called to be priests in Him. Temples have sacrifices and Christ gave the final and it is finished. There's no more but our lives that are to be lived as spiritual sacrifices to God through Christ. And we see that from Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 as well. You have a picture of building up with living stones on the living stone. This is far greater than the dusty stones carved out of granite, trying to be built up into something. This is a living temple of God, of God's living people built on the life of Christ. In verses 6-8, we see that Christ is the cornerstone of the temple. He's precious to His members, but a stumbling block and a fence to those who reject Him. I urge you, if you've not bowed before the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, do not reject Him. Christ is a rock of refuge and rest for the believer, but He's a rock of crushing and judgment to those who would not come to Him because of your sin. Then look at verse 9. But you, again, you all, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." This is Old Testament language for the people of God. "...his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." And so it's interesting, again, here in 1 Peter, that after teaching of salvation and the inheritance we have in Christ individually, then he moves to having those Christians being built into the temple, the church. But if you read further now from this point in the book of 1 Peter, we don't have time for that, but if you continue reading, you'll see that Peter then, after taking the believers into the church, Peter will then go on to teach how they are to live in the world, how they're to submit to the government and to masters and employers, and then how to act in their homes, and how to act and live and to suffer for Christ with Christ as an example. There's a pattern then of sinners being called out of the darkness and death of their sin in the world, and then into the light and the life of Christ Jesus, and then build up in and into the church of Christ, so that then they can be light and life in the world for Christ. And this shows the glory and the importance of the local church that should not lay in ruins, but should be built up joyously so and gloriously so. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians chapter 2, again what we see in Ephesians is similar to what we saw in 1 Peter, that in chapter 1 of Ephesians, and the first 10 verses of chapter 2 of Ephesians, We see the emphasis is on the great salvation and inheritance we have in Christ Jesus, individually in Him. And then in verses 11-18 in Ephesians 2, Paul then explains the great mystery that's wonderful, but the great mystery that the Gentiles and the Jews who hated each other are now brought together in one body, one church, one temple. And then in v. 19 of Ephesians 2, we read this, Now therefore, because of His great salvation, because of this great Christ who saves us, and because of the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles being broken down, you're being brought together. Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." It's a beautiful picture of living stones. Why are they living? Because of the living one, Christ Jesus, the rock, the cornerstone, and now the living stones are being fit together so wonderfully and delicately by our Lord into the local church. And it's much greater and much more attractive, even though you're looking around and seeing who's being fitted together with you, it's much more attractive than the glorious temple of gold and silver and all of that, even in the Old Testament. And it's interesting again that after teaching of salvation, and then being built into the temple, the church, Paul then... He goes on to teach more in chapter 3 of the mystery of the Jews and Gentiles being together. And then he details the life in the church, how it's meant to be, walking in unity and love, using our spiritual gifts, not for our own benefit, but for the good of others. And then growing as new men in Christ, growing together as the new man in Christ, which is the Church of Christ. And then, Paul, as you go through Ephesians, he then begins teaching then how we are to live in the world, in the home, in the workplace. And so again, there's a pattern of sinners being called out of the darkness and death of their sin in the world, into the light and life of Christ, and then being built up in and into the church, the temple of God. So then they can be light and life in the world for Christ. And this shows the glory and the importance of the local church that should not lay in ruins, but instead should be built up, cherished, and nourished into a holy temple of God, as Paul says. Of course, near the end of Ephesians, in Ephesians chapter 5, Any wedding has to refer to Ephesians chapter 5, and any married couple should at least once a year refer to Ephesians chapter 5. But in Ephesians chapter 5, we see that Christ loves the church so much that He gave His life for her. And He promises to nourish and to cherish the church and to build her up into a spotless, blameless bride. And that leads us to Revelation chapter 21. You can turn there if you like, but I'll just briefly mention in Revelation chapter 21, The new heavens and the new earth has been created, and New Jerusalem comes down, and New Jerusalem represents the church now made by Christ, blameless and spotless, as a bride adorned for her husband, Revelation 21 says. It's interesting, we keep talking about the temple, the temple, the temple, but now in Revelation 21 it says there is no temple now. Why? Well, because God is with his now perfected people and his now perfected church forever. God is permanently with us. There's no need for a temple. And so in Revelation 21, verse 22, John writes that there's no temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. We are forever together with our God and Savior with no sin between us. And so we see the church in Haggai. We see the church as a temple in the New Testament. What about our church as a temple? The Reformed Baptist Church of Kansas City. And if you're visiting, what about your church? These things still apply. And if you're looking for a church, find one and apply these things in a local church. That's what we're called to do as believers. There's much more that could be said and seen from the scriptures about the church as the temple of God, where God is with us. which is for God's glory, it's precious to Christ, it's essential to the Christian for his walk and his witness. I hope we can be encouraged to love Christ and to love his church, to love the things that he loves, and to be motivated to not let it lay in ruins, but instead to build her up for God's glory and for our good. You might have the question, but how do we do this? How do we build up the church? How do we build her up and not neglect her? as a temple of living stones built upon the living stone. Well, one tool that we have, it's a man-made tool, but it's thoroughly based on the scripture, is the covenant that we sign every year as believers. If you look in your bulletins, there should be one of the many inserts. There should be an insert that has our church covenant, and we're soon going to read it as a church family. and sign it. It's not legalistic righteousness, it's just we love Christ, we love one another, and these are the things we think the Scripture tells us to do, and we want to pledge to do it for His glory. Not perfectly, because we can't, but this keeps us firmly in the mind. So because of it, I think one tool that we have is how do we know how to build up the church and not let her lay in ruins? Well, follow these items. There's 13 of them in our church covenant. We believe all Christians should strive to be active and dedicated members of a local church. And so the first two items, and they are numbered this year so you can tell, the first two items show us that those who have been redeemed by Christ are to join the Church of Christ and walk together in love of Christ by the Holy Spirit. And this and these following items build us up together as living stones fitted to form the temple of God. Built together as a dwelling place of God by the Spirit, as Paul tells the Ephesians. Then items 3 through 5 speaks about our desire to be faithful in the activities inside the church, to assemble together and use our spiritual gifts for each other, to participate in the ordinances and the unity of doctrine, and even the formative, which is the day-to-day life of the Christian, of just spending time together, the formative discipline of one another, but even the corrective discipline of one another, out of love and out of grace, and contributing financially to the needs and purposes of the church. Then in items 6 through 7, We desire to be faithful in these activities outside the church to encourage one another to pursue the living of a holy life of Christ in the world as salt and light. We do it together. We're not alone. Then items eight and nine, we desire to pursue the purity in the church, encouraging one another to personal and biblical purity, both in belief and practice, graciously, prayerfully, humbly. In items 10 through 11, we express a desire to pursue edifying relationships in the church. We live life together. Relationships of helps and humility according to those wonderful one another's of scripture, which is on the back side of your covenant. Being quick to love and slow to take offense. And then in item 12, we desire to pursue the godliness of Christ in our homes. We want to encourage one another, pray for one another to do so, to pursue personal and family devotions, instruct our children in the Lord if we have children, praying for others' children in the same way, and seeking the salvation of the lost in our families, in our neighborhoods, in our lives. This is what we're to do. We want to do it. But if we're not proactive about it, it kind of gets laid aside. The last one is an interesting one, which always may be bothering. We promise that if in the providence of God we leave this church, what? We're having something, our covenant? Well, it means that this is not a for-life agreement. There are times moving. There's times with changes of doctrine and changes of things that you're called and led to go to another church. But when that happens, because of the importance of a local church, part of our covenant is, let's work together in this. So it's done graciously, kindly, in love, because you need to be planted in a church someplace. And so there's some easy things that you have before you that will be helps to building the church. And so as we renew our vows together for Christ and for one another with our covenant, be encouraged that these items that we agree to are wonderful means to build up the church, biblically, graciously, prayerfully. for God's glory, for the proclamation of Christ, for the building up of one another, and for the witness to the lost. And let us love Christ by loving his church in this way, building his temple as we love one another in him. Let's pray. Dear Lord, help us to love you more. Certainly help us to love Christ more. and to be more desirous to live for him and tell others about him. And mold our hearts that we'd love the things that Christ loves, which has to include his church, his people that he nourishes and cherishes, he loves and dies for. And we ask that we'd humbly be seeking the glory of Christ as we'd be built up together in these ways. And Lord, as a result, Lord, that others would see that we are disciples of Christ by the way that we love one another and love Him. And they too, Lord, would come to Christ as well for the glorious salvation that can only be known in Him. It's in Jesus' name we pray these things, Lord. Amen.