Dont settle for brass

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Dont settle for brass
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• And King Solomon made two hundred large shields
  of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered
  gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three
  hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred
  shekels of gold went into each shield. The king
  put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 2
  Chron 915-16 (NKJV)

3

• The Temple was the dwelling place of God
•  indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and
  singers were as one, to make one sound to be
  heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when
  they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and
  cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the
  Lord, saying "For He is good, For His mercy
  endures forever," that the house, the house of
  the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the
  priests could not continue ministering because of
  the cloud for the glory of the Lord filled the
  house of God. 2 Chron 513-14 (NKJV)

4

• These golden shields represented the
• A. Purity of Gods holiness
• B. Integrity of His Person
• C. Excellence of His Word

5

• Thoughts on the Temple
• It was designed by God not man.
• It was consecrated by God with His Presence

6

• Rehoboam followed his father as king over Israel.
  He failed to prepare his heart.
• Thus Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem
  and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old
  when he became king and he reigned seventeen
  years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had
  chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put
  His name there. His mother's name was Naamah, an
  Ammonitess. 14 And he did evil, because he did
  not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. 2 Chron
  1213-14 (NKJV)

7

• God got his attention!
• So Shishak king of Egypt came up against
  Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the
  house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's
  house he took everything. He also carried away
  the gold shields which Solomon had made. 10 Then
  King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place,
  and committed them to the hands of the captains
  of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the
  king's house. 11 And whenever the king entered
  the house of the Lord, the guard would go and
  bring them out then they would take them back
  into the guardroom 2 Chron 129-11 (NKJV)

8

• Instead of calling the men to war, he settled for
  the shields of brass!
• Brass is no substitute for Gold.

9

• The Apostle Paul spoke about another temple.
• Do you not know that you are the temple of God
  and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Cor
  316 (NKJV)

10

• Like Solomens temple our life has been designed
  by God.
• God wants me to consecrate my temple
• My temple belongs to God

11

• Each of us have choices to make. Do we settle for
  brass or gold?
• 1. The gold shield of revival replaced by the
  brass shield of remembering.

12

• "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,
  governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of
  Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of
  the people, saying 3 'Who is left among you who
  saw this temple in its former glory? And how do
  you see it now? In comparison with it, is this
  not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong,
  Zerubbabel,' says the Lord 'and be strong,
  Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest and be
  strong, all you people of the land,' says the
  Lord, 'and work for I am with you,' says the
  Lord of hosts. 5 'According to the word that I
  covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt,
  so My Spirit remains among you do not fear!' Hag
  22-5 (NKJV)

13

• 2. The gold shield of Excellence replaced by the
  Brass Shield of Acceptance.
• Do we lower Gods standards? No!

14

• They have also healed the hurt of My people
  slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is
  no peace. 15 Were they ashamed when they had
  committed abomination? No! They were not at all
  ashamed Nor did they know how to blush.
  Therefore they shall fall among those who fall
  At the time I punish them, They shall be cast
  down," says the Lord. Jer 614-15 (NKJV)

15

• Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the
  excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
  Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all
  things, and count them as rubbish, that I may
  gain Christ Phil 38 (NKJV)

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• 3. The Gold Shield of Righteousnessreplaced by
  the Brass Shield of Being Right
• Gods Word teaches absolutes.

17

• But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our
  righteousness's are like filthy rags We all fade
  as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind,
  Have taken us away. Isaiah 646 (NKJV)

18

• and be found in Him, not having my own
  righteousness, which is from the law, but that
  which is through faith in Christ, the
  righteousness which is from God by faith Phil
  39 (NKJV)

19

• The Gold Shield of Prayerreplaced by
• The Brass Shield of Pondering
•  pray without ceasing 1 Thess 517 (NKJV)

20

• Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
  prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
  your requests be made known to God Phil 46
  (NKJV)

21

• 5. The Gold Shield of Accountability replaced
  by the Brass Shield of Attendance.
• not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
  together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting
  one another, and so much the more as you see the
  Day approaching. Heb 1025 (NKJV)

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• God wants us to do more than just show up, He
  wants us to serve others.
• So then each of us shall give account of himself
  to God. Romans 1412 (NKJV)

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• For we must all appear before the judgment seat
  of Christ, that each one may receive the things
  done in the body, according to what he has done,
  whether good or bad. 2 Cor 510 (NKJV)

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• 6. The Gold Shield of Working replaced by the
  Brass Shield of Waiting.
• There is a time to wait and a time to work

25

•  But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their
  strength They shall mount up with wings like
  eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They
  shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 4031 (NKJV)

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• The Shields of Brass looked good on the outside
  but they were not Gods Best!
• Good is the enemy of the Best!