This message is continued from The Bugle, our enewsletter. To receive The Bugle, click the Subscribe button on this page!

You see, David had to bring the ark back into the city, and when he did, that’s when God could restore the temple. We have to see that it’s time for us to bring the glory and the presence of God back into the House of God.

Verse 13, “It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the Lord our God broke forth in anger against us.” Listen to this! “It’s because you Levites did not bring it up the first time. You did not bring the presence of God up! You did not come bringing the presence of God! Israel dealt with God many times, because they came to temple, but they didn’t come with the presence of God. It says, “The first time the Lord your God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of Him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” What you’ll see that it says is the proper order. Due order. There is a due order that’s necessary that we bring the presence of God. There’s a due order of everything. There’s a due order of worship. There’s a due order of prayer. There’s a due order of God in every single thing that God does. He has a divine due order and when we break the order God will not show up! That’s what He said to the Levitical priests. He said, “You didn’t bring my glory to the temple.”

Ezra built the temple, but they didn’t bring the glory of God, the worship of God, back into the temple for years after the temple had been restored. How many of you know that you can have church but if you don’t have the presence of God, if you don’t bring the glory into the church, it’s nothing but a meeting. It’s no different than having a Kwanis club or a 4-H meeting. If God’s not there, if God doesn’t show up, we’ve just come together for no reason. We need to hear this! God dealt with Nehemiah and this is what happened…

Zachariah came and he prophesied, “You’ve built my temple, saith the Lord, but you have not worshiped me, even though you’ve been in the temple.” The church has been captured with itself. Listen to me! The church has been in love with itself! It’s in love with all of its fun little things. All of the stuff that it does, instead of being in love with Him. Instead of being after Him. Instead of being focused on who He is! We’ve gotten focused on a lot of things. We’ve learned how to have church without Him showing up. We’ve learned how to shout a few shouts and sing a few songs, give a few coins, and we think we’ve had church. And, I’m telling you, today, the story of Nehemiah is a prophetic warning and it’s a prophetic encouragement, that we must build God’s House according to the due order. Let’s look at this order…

There is more to this message! You can watch it on YouTube at RockCCBaltimore!