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I attend a church called Chatswood Presbyterian Church in Sydney Australia. For the most part our sermons work through books of the Bible, from start to finish.
Each week as I listen to the Bible talk I take notes using my Macbook.
Today we started a series on II Chronicles.
These are the sermon notes I took, if it seems a little disjointed it is because they are written as the sermon is being preached. I am an extensive note taker, but sometimes it can be a bit disjointed.
II Chronicles
Part One
The Wise Builder
II Chronicles 1:1 5:1
Jeff Read
There is a saying if you don t learn from history you are doomed to repeat it.
We should be learning from modern and ancient history.
An example. The Trojan horse
Hid soldiers inside a large wooden horse
Important lesson beware of Greeks bearing gifts
In other words if your enemy offers you a gift be very careful
Make sure it is not something that can hurt you
Modern history Email scams.
Don t trust these people and their gifts.
We can learn from ancient history.
That is what the author of I and II chronicles is doing.
About 400 BC about events hundreds of years before
Solomon 960 BC
It is an ancient history lesson
It would be like writing about the War of the Roses today
It is not history for the sake of it, it is teaching the readers lessons.
One of the big things he is teaching them is about temple worship.
Temple had been destroyed and rebuilt 515 BC.
They have, one hundred years later lost enthusiasm
You can see this in Malachi Israel were offering lame animals, their scraps.
In Nehemiah 10:32-39
The Jews making their promises to God
Nehemiah 13:6-11
They broke all their promises
The temple rented out to pagans
In the time this book is written there is a constant temptation to neglect the temple for the issues of life
II Chronicles 1:1
Solomon made himself a great king
II Chronicles 1:5-7
Solomon asked God for guidance and was made an offer from God whatever he wanted.
Solomon asks for wisdom and knowledge to govern God s people.
II Chronicles 1:8-10
A good, selfless answer, which God is pleased about, and he gives him wisdom and a lot more
II Chronicles 1:11-12
Solomon has the wisdom of God and gifted with that he reigns and does well
He brings prosperity to Israel
II Chronicles 1:13-17
Solomon builds a temple and a palace for himself
Hear no more about the palace
But we hear how Solomon goes to extraordinary lengths to build the temple
II Chronicles 2:2
The rest of the chapter is a trade agreement of goods for timber
II Chronicles 2:12
Solomon is wise to build the temple and the palace
II Chronicles 3:1-2
The temple building begins
The rest of the chapter is building the temple
27 metres long
9 metres wide
Dressed stone and wood
The inside of it is line with expensive cedar and lined with gold and precious stones
No expense spared
II Chronicles 4
The furnishings inside the temple
Solid gold and solid bronze
By II Chronicles 5 the temple was finished
II Chronicles 5:1
God gives Solomon wisdom and prosperity to rule his temple
Fundamentally Solomon expresses his wisdom to build the temple for God
Why would the author of Chronicles tell this story?
What is the lesson in 400 BC?
The issue of Israel struggling to be enthusiastic for the temple
Wise people focus on temple building.
Wise people build the temple and their palace.
For us this story is very ancient.
For us things are different
We are not Israel
And we have Jesus
We have no temple
There is no such thing
Jesus was the fulfilment of the temple
The temple was where God dwelt with his people
Where sacrifices were offered
Where priests mediated for the people to God
These are all fulfilled in Jesus
The temple was a shadow and it was destroyed in 70 AD never to be built again and we do not need it
The temple is Jesus and then built on that it is all of the people who trust in Jesus.
Ephesians 2:19-22
We do not have a temple lime Israel
We do have a temple us
We have a temple building job
To tell people about Jesus and build them up in their faith in Jesus
This history lesson has something to say to us
Wise people build the temple
Wise people build the temple and their palace
Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise with non-Christians make the most of every opportunity
Conversations with grace seasoned with salt
Talk to people about Jesus
Ephesians 5:15-20
A wise person encourages each other in Christ, singing praise to God
Wise people build the temple
Temple in Milan
3 inscriptions
All that pleases is but for a moment
All that troubles us is but for a moment
That only is important is eternal
It is only what God and his people that really matters
Wise people don t just making a prosperous life
Wise people build the temple
Wise people seek first the kingdom of God
Are you being wise?
Are you living a wise life?
In your family life?
Are you building your families in the Lord Jesus?
Parents are you bringing your children in the way of the Lord?
You can be an ordinary pagan in your family or a temple builder
Work or study life
Are you working with God as your employer?
Are you working that people will see your deeds and glorify your father in heaven?
Are you an ordinary worker or a wise temple builder?
What if you took an inventory over your life?
My life What I have done for God
Two columns
How would the two columns compare
Would they show a wise person or something else?
This is an ancient lesson to learn
Wise people just don t build their palace they build the temple.
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