While I was listening to that song, the line, trusting in my father's wise bestowment, I have no cause for worry or for fear. I can relax with that. I have no cause for worry or for fear. Three thens, turn back to Ezra chapter four. They had been work on the temple, they'd already built the altar, and they were now building the temple, and they were given commandment to cease, then cease the work of the house of God, which is in Jerusalem. And there's a 15-year period in which it ceased. And God told them, house, build up the walls, build the altar, build the temple, and they ceased.

And we know from the book of Haggai that they shouldn't have ceased because Haggai rebuked them for it. But they had force and power before them. I guess that was enough to make, I probably would have done the same thing. They thought, well, the Lord must not be in this right now. They ceased.

Verse 1 of chapter 5, then the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Adu, prophesied unto the Jews who were in Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel even unto them. Now during this period, these two prophets were raised up by God. As a matter of fact, they're both writers of the scripture. You're familiar with the book of Haggai, the book of Zechariah, where they were prophesying during this time.

Preaching, prophesying, I don't know what the difference is, but they were prophesying. And I don't know how long they were doing this, but we read in verse three, or verse two, then, after this prophesying, then rose up Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Josedach, and began to build the house of God, which is at Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

Three thems. Then they ceased. Then they prophesied. Then they started again through the preaching of these two men. Now, the rebuilding of the temple. Let me remind you. Through their sinfulness, God sent Nebuchadnezzar and all the people of Israel and Judah were uprooted and brought into Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple. It was left in rubbles. The walls were torn down, and it was nothing but ruins.

70 years it lays that way, and God said 200 years before this took place, I'm gonna raise up Cyrus, and the temple is going to be rebuilt. God said this 200 years before it took place, before the children of Israel were brought into the land of Babylon. And 70 years passed by, and just as God said to Jeremiah, the children of Israel are going to return.

And I love the way the Lord stirred up the heart of Cyrus. He can do that with anybody. He did this with his heathen king. He stirred him up so that he said, everybody who is willing, go back to Jerusalem, rebuild the temple. It's going to be at my expenses. And so over 50,000 of them went back to rebuild.

And I think it's interesting that they began with the altar. They didn't build the temple first, they didn't build the walls first, they built the altar first. The sacrifice of Christ is first and last and everything in between. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, that one comes first. They didn't, like I said, I would have built the walls first for protection, but not then. They knew their only protection truly was in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And they built the altar, They began to rebuild the temple, and we can read of the events in chapter four that caused them to have to quit rebuilding the temple, and they ceased for 15 years. Now, I want you to think about the temple. The temple is analogous to Jesus Christ and him crucified. That's the purpose of the temple. What came first in the temple?

The altar. the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. To enter into the tabernacle, you first had to slay a lamb. Blood on that altar. And you couldn't get in without that blood. And I love the fact that that altar was not on the outside of the tabernacle. It was on the inside of the tabernacle. Everything is in Christ. The sacrifice is in Christ. And then we have the labor where you had to come in and wash your hands before you could go in.

This speaks of the continual cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ. How often do you sin? How often do you need to be cleansed? There's a continual cleansing of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That lavery doesn't represent us cleaning up ourselves and washing up ourselves.

It's talking about the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and its continual cleansing. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us, present, tense, active, from all sin. And then when you went into the tabernacle, which they would have in the temple as well, You had the candlestick.

Christ our light. I see how God can love me only through Christ and his sacrifice. I see how God can see me as perfect through Christ and his sacrifice. I see all of the gospel through Christ and his sacrifice. He's the light as to how God saves sinners.

We have the table of showbread. Christ our sustenance. Except a man eat my flesh and drink my blood, he has no life in him. And we feed off the Lord Jesus Christ. Not off our works, but off of him. We have the altar of incense, Christ our intercessor. You know why my prayers are heard? Because Christ presents him to the Father. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. I love that scripture. He's able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

This is what is being built up. And then in the Holy of Holies, it was this way both in the tabernacle and in the temple. You had the Ark of the Covenant. Inside that Ark, we're told there was a copy of the law, the Ten Commandments, Christ our righteousness. You had Aaron's rod that budded.

It wasn't rooted into the ground, it was all by itself, yet life came out of it. Christ, my life. We have that manna, a pot of manna. Christ, the bread of heaven. They were rebuilding the temple. Oh, how important the temple. This is Jesus Christ and him crucified.

We have the great day of atonement that took place. in that Ark of the Covenant, there was over it what's called the mercy seat or the lid of propitiation. Now, propitiation, God removing my sin through this sacrifice. I need the Lord to do something about my sin. If he doesn't do something about my sin, there's no hope for me. But if he does something about my sin and removes it by the propitiatory sacrifice, that mercy seat was put over the Ark of the Covenant we have the temple, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, this temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar as God's judgment against Israel. They're carried off to Babylon for 70 years. At the end of those 70 years, Cyrus, in answer to that prophecy, says, go back and rebuild the temple. His heart being stirred by God and 50,000 Jews went. Now, seven months later, the building began, Jerusalem was inhabited by these 50,000 people rebuilding the altar, the temple.

And in Nehemiah, they're going to build the walls. But as soon as they started building the temple, they start experiencing opposition. There's always going to be opposition to the gospel, always. It's never not that way. I mean, you think of the first story after the fall, Cain and Abel. Abel brought the blood. What did his brother do? He opposed him. He killed him. He murdered him. And it's that way throughout the scriptures.

There's always opposition to the gospel. I expect opposition to the gospel. I'm not wanting it. I'm wanting it in the sense that if I'm not having it, I'm not preaching the gospel. I want it in that sense. I'm not talking about looking for a fight. I don't want to do that. I want to be a peaceful man. But if I don't have opposition, I'm not preaching the gospel. and they had opposition.

We read about that last week in chapter four, and the building of the temple ceased. Now, 15 years, it ceases. Does that mean God's purpose was thwarted? Does that mean God's will was not done? Did the men who opposed building Temple stopped God's purpose?

Certainly not. Now, we know that ahead of time. Whatever it is, it's Him doing His will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay His hand or say unto Him, what doest thou? Whatever is going on is God's will. Well, why did they cease building it? It was all according to God's purpose. The building will go up. The walls will go up. The altar does go up. Temple worship will be restored.

But at this time, there was opposition and it ceased according to the will of God. You read in verse 23 of chapter 4, now when the copy of King Anaxerxes' letter was read before Rehom, he's the one who said, stop it. And Shemsi the scribe and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem under the Jews and made them deceased by force and power."

They used military might. You're going to stop this. They said, we're stopping. And they did for 15 years. Now, according to Haggai, they should have never stopped. You see, this building represents the preaching of the gospel. And should the preaching of the gospel ever cease? No, not under any circumstance, but it did.

I want you to turn to the book of Haggai for a moment. It's the third to the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi, Zechariah, and Haggai. After this message, the next two messages, I want to bring a message just from Haggai and one from Zechariah to look at their preaching.

But we're just going to read this historical event right now. In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, is that the time when the building began again? He's talking about this current event. In the second year of Darius, the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel, the son of Shehetal, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Joshedach, the high priest.

Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, These people say, The time is not come. The time has not come that the Lord's house should be built. Now, the Lord said to build the house. They said the time has not come to build the house. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet saying, is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your sealed houses?

And this house lie waste. Now, a sealed house was a very expensive house. And they gave much time and much effort during this 15-year period to build their own homes and get settled in. And he says, is it time for you to build your homes and let the temple of the Lord, the house of the Lord, lay waste? So they're being rebuked for this. Verse five, now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. And here's what's happened during this time of activity.

You've so much, and bring in little. You eat, but you have not enough. You drink, but you're not filled with drink. You clothe you, but there's none warm. And he that earneth wages, earneth wages to be put into a bag with holes. You lose everything you make.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house. I will take pleasure in it and I'll be glorified, saith the Lord. Build the house. That's what I take pleasure in. Now it's not that building, that building can't contain Him, you know it, but it's what that building represents, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does God take pleasure in? He takes pleasure in His Son. He takes pleasure in His precious blood. He takes pleasure in His perfect righteousness. He takes pleasure in Christ. Oh, God says, you build that house. That's where I find my pleasure.

So we see that although they had ceased from political pressure, arms put up against them, they were wrong in doing it. You see, if God's for us, who can be against us? I wish that was in our thought every second. If God be for me, who can be against me? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely? Freely! Give us all things. You say it's not time for the house to be built. It is time for the house to be built. Back to Ezra.

Then the prophets, we just read a statement by Haggai. Then the prophet Haggai and the prophet Zechariah, son of Iddu, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even to them. Now this is during this time of inactivity. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel. These are not our words. These are his words. The God of Israel, the living God. the true and living God, the God of the Bible, the only God. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel. I love Israel, the name, Jacob. He's a cheat. That's what his name means.

That's what his brother accused him of, a swindler, Jacob. But before this ever took place, God said, Jacob have I loved. God calls himself the God of Jacob. And you remember that wrestling match when the Lord came upon him and wrestled him down to the ground and Jacob said, what's your name? He said, it's wonderful. You're Jacob, the angel says, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

But you're not gonna be Jacob anymore. You're gonna be Israel. a prince with God, for as a prince with God, thou hast prevailed. Christ is the true prince of God. Christ is the true Israel, and everybody in him is the true Israel of God. The God of Israel, the creator, the only savior. They prophesied in his name in spite of all opposition, and I'm sure there was opposition It kept going on. Now here's what happened during their preaching.

Then, there's the third then, then cease they the work, verse 24, then the prophets began to prophesy. Then rose up Zerubbabel, the son of Shittael, and Joshua, the son of Josedach, and began to build the house of God, which was at Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God helping them. Now the Lord blessed this preaching, to where they began the building again. Turn with me to chapter 6, verse 14.

And the elders of the Jews built it, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Edo. And they built it and finished it according to the commandment of the God of Israel. They profited through the preaching of these two brothers.

Now, what I was thinking of, these people had lost the urgency to build. They became satisfied with where they were at. They lost the urgency of the necessity of a finished building. finished work. They started becoming concerned with their own things, and you and I know exactly how easy that is for all of us to be.

And they were called upon to finish the work which represented the completed gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But this made me think of the importance of preaching, not the importance of the preacher. I hate it when preachers use this to try to promote themselves. This is not about the importance of the preacher, but this is about the importance of preaching. It pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. God has manifested his word through preaching. Now, once again, this is not placing the preacher on a pedestal, nor is it some attempt to create some kind of clergy and laity.

Paul said, we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves, your servants, for Jesus' sake. Paul said, with regard to himself, even though he knew he was an apostle, he said, though I be not behind the chiefest apostles, I am nothing. A true preacher that doesn't realize he's nothing is not a true preacher. He's never been called by God. Every preacher God calls knows what he is. But here's the importance of preaching. The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved, the power of God, the message of the cross. Faith cometh by hearing. Not by doing, not by studying, not by reading. Somebody says, are you saying we don't need to study, we don't need to read, we don't need to do? Of course I'm not saying that. But faith doesn't come that way. Faith cometh by what?

Hearing. You know, there's nothing more passive than hearing. Just sitting there and listening to what is said. hearing. Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to pop off in objection, swift to hear. Faith cometh by hearing. And you, there's nothing in the world that I love more, unless I've deceived myself, there's nothing I love more than to be able to hear the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. And when I hear the gospel as gospel, it's gospel to me, and I know I'm saved. I love, when I hear preaching that makes me think maybe I'm not saved, I'm not hearing the gospel. When I hear the true preaching of the gospel, I know him, and I know this is his message. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. I think of Elisha. This is my favorite example in the scripture preaching. Elisha's in his house.

And Naaman, the Syrian, mighty man of valor, general of the host of the Syrians, he was a leper. And he heard that there was a prophet in Israel that would cure him of his leprosy. So the king of Syria sends him there with many gifts, changes of clothes, gold, all kinds of stuff. sits there at Elisha's house. Name it. He doesn't knock on the door, he just waits for him to come out. And Elisha's servant sees him, comes back in and tells his master Elisha about it.

And Elisha said, well, you go back out there and tell him, go dip in the River Jordan seven times and you'll be clean as the driven snow. Your leprosy will be gone. Faith cometh by hearing. And you know what he said? I thought, that's where we get in trouble. I thought, surely he'll come out to me and strike his hand over this place and do something magnificent and heal the leper. And he went away in a rage. Are not the waters of Syria better than this ditch water, muddy water of Jordan? I'm not gonna go down in that. He went away in a rage.

And a servant said, if the prophet bid you do something, you would have done it. But how about just dip down and be clean? And he went and dipped down seven times, seven the time of perfection, and he came up cleansed of that leprosy. Faith cometh by hearing. He heard. Didn't hear very well at first, did he? And you know, most people, when they hear the gospel, they get angry at first. I don't like that. He went down under and was cleansed completely. You know, it's so humbling.

God will not speak to me directly, but through the foolishness of preaching. And listen to me, the issue is not, can God speak without preaching? Of course he can. Do you think he needs a preacher? Of course not. The issue is, does he speak apart from the preaching of the gospel?

Well, what's the Bible say? It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. I love when the Ethiopian eunuch listened to Philip say, do you understand what you're reading? What a humble answer. How can I? Except some man should guide me. That is the place of the preaching of the gospel. You and I can't figure this thing out. You can't just up and, I'm gonna study till I get this thing figured out. It doesn't work that way. God speaks through the foolishness of preaching.

He sent these men And that's when they began to build again. What does the world need? And what are we called upon to do? Preach the gospel. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth in his baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. Turn to Luke 24. Luke 24.

These are his marching orders to his disciples after his resurrection, before he ascended back to heaven. Verse 44, and he said unto them, these are the words which I have spake unto you while I was yet with you. that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me, the gospels concerning him. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures And he said unto them, thus it's written, and thus it behooved Christ. It was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And you are witness of these things, repentance and remission of sins. Now, what is repentance? It's a change of mind. It's a change of mind. And it's a change of mind regarding the remission of sins. Every one of us by nature believe that the remission of sins is the end of me doing this and me stopping doing that. No, salvation begins with the complete remission of sins. There's a change of mind with regard to the remission of sins."

I love what Paul said to the Thessalonians. He said, knowing brethren beloved your election of God. How can you say that Paul? For our gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and the Holy Ghost and much assurance. You're assured this is God's message. That's how I know you're the elect of God.

But did you know a believer can get into a state like the people who stopped the work, complacent, stationary, static? They were this way for 15 years. What if the Lord removed his hand from you for 15 years? Now, I'm sure it happened to them. And I'm sure they had a good excuse and a good reason. If I had the army looking at me, I might have done the same thing, probably would have done the same thing. But God's people can get into a state where they stop the work, become complacent.

Rather than being general, the Lord has given us some specific instructions from the seven churches of Asia that deal with the problem every one of us face. So I want you to turn to the book of Revelation chapter two. I'm gonna be, this is the conclusion of this message. Revelation chapter two.

Verse one, and the angel of the church at Ephesus write, these things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. That's where he walks, in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, which are the churches. I know that works. He begins each letter to these seven churches with this, I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles or not, and hast found them liars, and has borne, and has had patience for my namesake, has labored, and has not fainted. That's a pretty good resume, isn't it?

Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love. Oh, make me thine forever, and should I fainting be. Oh, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee. Thou hast left thy first love. Now, when you first look to Christ, you realize that He was everything in your salvation. He was all that God required, and you loved Him. You loved Him. And the Lord said, you've done all these good things, but you've left your first love. Now in the following rebukes to the churches, he gives the symptoms of leaving the first love.

He said to the church of Pergamos in verse 12, and to the angel of the church of Pergamos, write, these things sayeth he which hath a sharp sword with two edges. I know that works. And where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seed is, and thou holdest fast my name. And it's not denied my faith, even in these days when Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwells.

But I have a few things against thee. Number one, thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam, the doctrine of compromise. who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."

Now, to eat things sacrificed to idols, what this means is you have them there that are teaching that you can benefit from that which is not the truth. Idolatry. A gospel that is not the gospel. You have them there that are teaching that. I've got that against you. How is it they feel comfortable teaching that way? You've got them there in your midst teaching to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.

Now, I don't believe that that's a reference to the actual physical committing of fornication. That's a horrible sin. It's evil. There's no question about that. But what he's talking about is looking for pleasure outside of the covenant, looking for peace and assurance outside of the covenant, spiritual fornication, spiritual adultery. And this is a symptom of losing your first love. Something that at one time would have been utterly offensive to you is okay with them.

It says in verse 15, so has thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. What is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? Now, the only way you can interpret scripture, you can't go outside of the scripture to find out what some scripture means. Some people say, well, these were a bunch of heretics in this day or that day, and you'd have to read history books to find out about it.

The word means above the people. Here's the introduction of clergy and laity above the people. You get it? You tolerate preacher worship. Which thing I hate, God says. Verse 20 of the same chapter. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols. The same thing. You're allowing this. You suffer that woman Jezebel to teach these things that you can draw spiritual nourishment from that which is not the truth. eating things sacrificed to idols and committing fornication, looking for pleasure outside of the one covenant.

Look in chapter three. This is a product of losing my first love. And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, these things say of he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know thy works that thou hast in name, that thou livest and are dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent."

Now, these are people living in the past. You have a name, a name that you live. You look into your past experience. There was a time when you were really whatever it might be. You got a name. You remember when you first believe. You remember that in your present assurance based on what happened to you back in the past. You got a name that you live, and you're dead.

Strengthen the things that remain. Chapter 3, verse 14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.

You know what it feels to feel cold. Your heart is unmoved by the gospel. And you know what it is to feel hot with a burning desire to hear and a burning desire to see Christ and a love for his glory, a love for the promotion of his gospel. Cold is uncomfortable. Hot is uncomfortable.

I willed that thou were cold nor hot, so then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot. You know when you're lukewarm, you don't even know it. These people didn't know it. Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth, because thou sayest, everything's good, I'm good, I'm rich. I'm increased with goods. I have need of nothing. I'm in good shape, I'm okay. You don't need to be worried about me. I'm in good shape. I'm rich.

And you don't know that you're wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, since the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." Boy, I want to be one of these people, don't you? Be zealous, therefore, and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I'll come in to him and will sup with him and he with me. To him that overcometh, I'll grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my father in his throne. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Now, they quit building. for 15 years. And the prophets Haggai and Zechariah came, and I believe their message was something like this. And they began to rebuild. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that you would never allow us to leave our first love. We ask that we might be consumed with a love for thy dear son. We ask that you would deliver us from the spirit of compromise, finding nourishment in that which is nothing more than sacrifice to idols, that which is false and not according to the gospel. We ask that you deliver us from the Nicolaitans making a difference between believers, some above others. We ask that you would deliver us from living in the past. Lord, we ask that you would deliver us from becoming lukewarm and satisfied and saying we're rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing when we don't know the reality of the fact that we're wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

Lord, bless this message to our hearts. Lord, how we thank you for the temple of the Lord Jesus Christ. How we thank you for his sacrifice, how we thank you for the continual cleansing of his blood, how we thank you that he is our light as to how you can accept us, how we thank you for his intercession, how we thank you that he's our sustenance, how we thank you that he's our righteousness, he's our life, he's the bread of life, how we thank you for the lid of propitiation, the sin-removing sacrifice of your son. Lord, let us deliver us from being complacent in this thing of a finished work. In Christ's name we pray, amen.