Words of Life|Pastor Balan Swaminathan|HIPM

- Ezra was a man who studied, followed and taught the word of God

Corruption came into the church or church started compromising with its surroundings in the very early age.

- Jesus in His teachings and Paul in his writings warned about this

If we  talk to a missionary, he or she may say that, there are souls perishing in the continents such as South Africa and Asia, that’s where the focus of the church should be.  Try to send missionaries and support missionaries instead of talking about church inside four walls.  But the truth is in the mission field, souls are going to hell not knowing Christ, but in Christian nations, souls are going to hell knowing Jesus.  Listen to the sermon to be delivered from compromising. 

- Cyrus honored God

This sermon explores King David who was a temple builder:

- David's longing for the temple of God

- Zerubabel was a man encouraged by God's Words

Today we need to realize that God has given us the signet ring, His power and authority as He has sealed us with the Holy Spirit.

- Power to do the work of God.

As we know the history, God's children were taken as captives in the year 605 BC to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. They lived in the captivity for seventy long years.  God orchestrated their return to the native land after seventy years in a supernatural way.

- The first batch of captives returned under the leadership of Zerubbabel as God stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus to build the temple of God.----more----

Listen to the sermon to hear more about how God used Nehemiah as a builder of His temple. 

Read Exodus 31:1-11

Though Moses is given the vision of the tabernacle (Exod 25:40), and the people are called to furnish the materials (25:1-8; 35:4-9), it is the Spirit-endowed skill possessed by Bezalel that made it possible for the tabernacle to be constructed.

This is re-emphasized in Exodus 35:30-35 (Read), also in Exodus 38:22 (Read)

There Moses records that “Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.”----more---- 

Let us closely look at this man who was called by God to be a temple builder building the tabernacle in the wilderness.  History doesn't tell much about this man, but Moses didn't fail to write about this man who was called by God and anointed by God for the specific work of building the tabernacle.

Bezalel:

- Was from the tribe of Judah

King Solomon was known for his wisdom, his wealth and his writings.  Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba. Solomon had a great military power.  He controlled the entire region west of the Euphrates and had peace on his borders.  People from surrounding nations also came to hear Solomon’s wisdom. He composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,000 songs. He wrote the Song of Songs, the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.  Solomon built the magnificent temple of God.  The construction took seven long years.

1 Chronicles 29:2-6 The cost of the temple in today’s money is estimated to equal 3 to 6 billion dollars.----more----

At the time of temple dedication, Solomon offered 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep as sacrifice.

Listen to the sermon to know more about King Solomon and how he followed God's promise to build a temple. 

Most of the ancient religions are filled with examples of buildings and shrines as houses for idols or gods and goddesses. Many religionists believe that spirits live in trees, rocks, caves, or sacred groves. The Egyptians worshipped crocodiles, cats, cows, birds and beetles. The Greeks and Romans assigned to their gods splendid mansions and palaces as their dwelling places. 

But the God revealed in the Bible is fundamentally different than the gods of the nations.----more---- He does not need houses or temples to dwell in.  He says, Isaiah 66:1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?

There is a purpose for our existence.  Do we know what is that?

We heard enough, we prayed enough, our faith is great, we have a great deal of experience, it is time that we start building God's temple.  Touching lives around us.  Changing lives around us.

God is calling all of us into this move of God.  Let us get ready to do what God wants us to do.

There are four major aspects where God wants the church to be together:

- In God's work

Snow flakes are very frail little things, but if you get enough of them together, they can strop traffic. This is the power of unity.----more----

There are two things God wants you to stand alone on:

- Faith in Jesus Christ

Listen to this sermon to know more.