Haggai 1: 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 Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 2 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built. 3 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? 5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. 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.
We never have to apologize for knowing Jesus as Savior. The only apology needed is to the Lord for not being the person he made us to be or not doing the things for him we once did. In the time of Haggai the people had come back home to Israel out of captivity. Not everything was right; their homeland was a wreck because of what the enemy had done. Our nation is a wreck. Homes are in ruin. Houses of God that used to be full are empty. Many used to have Sunday night and midweek services but now only have a Sunday morning service. What this tells us is that to many people church isn’t worth coming to.
Many would like to have our health and be able to come to church. Do you decide every Sunday morning and night if you’re coming to church? Do I feel like it? Am I too tired? Do I need to do something else? It’s as if God’s house has lost its shine. Some say if it was like it used to be I’d go. Guess what. How it is, is up to the people. God understands if you are really cannot come, but if your want-to-go to church is not there, you have a problem. When we’re able and not hindered, God’s house should have priority. It’s time to build the wall back like Israel did in Haggai’s day. We can’t claim membership in something we never come to. I’d rather be labeled a hypocrite for coming than to constantly lay out and continue to claim to be a Christian.
God put us in a local church for fellowship that we won’t find anywhere else. Is it the same old, same old? Maybe so, but I’m glad it is. Many aren’t doing that and have lost what it really means. There’s a lot of trying to cover tracks for what we do and blame it on someone else. It’s not up to someone else to keep you in church. You have to do it or you’re in trouble. We’re among those mocked for continuing to use the King James Version. All I know is that’s what put me under conviction. It spoke to me calling me to preach. It still speaks when I backslide away from God to get me back where I belong. Our family made it through with this book and we will too. This is the book that tells us not to forsake assembling together in the house of God.
We’ll never run out of something to do when it comes to keeping up the church. The most important part is not the heat pump or the padded pews. It is us! What’s the building worth if nobody comes? I pass former churches that are now homes, garages, and even barns. The house of God is meant for his people. Many of you were saved at this very altar. Some were saved at another church’s altar and are now here. I don’t think we have a rut, but you can find order here. Paul scolded the church at Corinth for throwing out order and making it a social club. Some don’t even call them churches anymore. It is our duty to keep it the house of God and in doing so there are things to obey in the order of the Lord.
Do you think there is no blessing anymore? If you come with your lip out and talk about people and this and that, no wonder! I’ve come to church before and been aggravated or upset about something. I go home empty while others praised the Lord. The Lord told me the problem was not T-H-E-M; it is Y-O-U. My fault, nobody else’s. It’s time to leave the junk outside. Clean up the heart and bless the Lord. Then he can bless us. The only thing wrong with our church is me and you.
Is it worth coming to? It is if we make it that way. Let’s do it.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 