Grace Summit Community Church || Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Haggai - Consider Where You've Been

04.27.08 ...The Drift Stops Here!

HSLT – Will be leading the service in a few weeks – instead of a fund raiser, we’ve decided to have a special service.

For our kids, HSLT has pushed them further in their Christian walk than a year or two with the wife and I. Well, maybe not that much…It is good to have a special week to focus on this.

Lord, help us to set aside everything in our hearts and minds – to hear from You alone. We have a longing to hear from You. Like a baby longs for his parents, we long for You.

Rick stole my thunder about the gas prices. Maybe God’s Spirit led us here. I had a scary experience – after our men’s group Wednesday – I had fifty cents off at Giant Eagle. When the tank hit fifty dollars worth, I thought I’d better stop. This is crazy. This is affecting peoples’ lives. The government is sending out the tax relief checks tomorrow. But the reality is that the money comes in and just disappears.

Haggai 1:6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

Doesn’t that relate?! In Haggai’s day, they were going through much more than a recession – it was a full-blown depression. Their economic depression was a result of a spiritual recession in the lives of the Israelites.

They had fallen away – not completely. They were still going to church (synagogue/temple?) – but they were drifting.

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love”

If you find yourself in that situation – where you have moved away from God – that there were times in your life where you were much more faithful in your walk with God – you did not get here by accident. It is the result of a period of time of neglect and choices that you have made.

Haggai deals with this – how we got into this situation and how you can get out of it.

586 BC

When I was doing an Old Testament survey – I told you this was one of the most important dates to remember.

586 BC – The fall of Jerusalem and the Temple.

722 BC – the fall of Israel.

After the fall of Jerusalem, there was a 70 year exile.

538 BC – Cyrus’ decree.

In 544 BC – “300” – Persians had overtaken.

Cyrus decreed that people could return to their homes if they chose to do so.

About 50000 Jews returned to Jerusalem. They began to rebuild the city and especially the Temple. It had been destroyed – it was not just a building – it was where God dwelt – the center of the lives and worship and religion. They started and then had to stop – probably from running out of resources.

Another critical thing happened in 529 BC – the death of Cyrus, and the new king was not as favorable to the Jews.

Then in 522 BC Cambyses died and Darius took over. This leads us to Haggai 1

Haggai 1:1 In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest saying,

Now we know Haggai had a short ministry – maybe only a year long…

2 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, [even] the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt. "

The Lord takes a popular saying that is going around in the time – “The time has not come, [even] the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” He takes their own words – Jesus even does this - and uses them against them to point out a flaw in their lives.

We know God wants the Temple to be rebuilt – but it is just not the appropriate time. It is God’s work, but not God’s timing. They are making an excuse – There may have been all kinds of reasons – but it was an excuse to NOT get back to God’s work at that time.

The reality for us – there is always a better time in life to get started or get back into relationship with God. We think – when the kids are grown up. Or when things slow down at work. Excuse after excuse to say – THEN I will give God His time.

God is saying, “Build my house” – But they are saying that times are too hard to give. “The economy is not right for this.”

It is all a big excuse.

“I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else.” – Benjamin Franklin

3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying, 4 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [lies] desolate?"

He is saying – the time for excuses is over. He is telling Israel, I am tired of it – now stop.

We think about paneled houses…in the 60’s and 70’s everyone was paneling their basement. You never knew what was behind it, so it was always, tear that down! But in those days, paneled houses were an extra layer of comfort and luxury – while God’s house was desolate and then they were complaining that economic times were desolate.

In 1997 - 50% of Americans gave less than $400 to charities and churches. That is less than 3 lattes a week at Starbucks!

In our men’s group, we were talking about how you make time for the things that are important to you. If it is a priority, you will make time for it.

They were neglecting the business of God to take care of their own business.

Remember Peter when Jesus talked to him? Get behind me Satan, for you have set your mind on man’s interests, not God’s interests.

For us, it is not building a building. It is about having a relationship with God.

Haggai gives the steps and process to figure it out.

In the two short chapters, this coming phrase is repeated 5 times.

Haggai 1: 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, "Consider your ways!

1) Take the time to consider and think about How did you get there? What are the reasons your relationship with God has faltered? If you don’t do that…

And then, what is the result of that – what is it doing to you? Here is what it is doing to them:

6 "You have sown much, but harvest little; [you] eat, but [there is] not [enough] to be satisfied; [you] drink, but [there is] not [enough] to become drunk; [you] put on clothing, but no one is warm [enough]; and he who earns, earns wages [to put] into a purse with holes."

The things they were doing was not giving quality of life.

9 "[You] look for much, but behold, [it comes] to little; when you bring [it] home, I blow it [away.] Why?" declares the Lord of hosts, "Because of My house which [lies] desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.

Isn’t that convicting? You go at with zeal and total commitment the things of this world – but you do very little for the things of My world.

Solution –

vs. 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Consider your ways! 8 "Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified," says the Lord.

Look – get your priorities straight – rearrange your life – get to work on your walk with me and your work for me. Begin to devote your time to your relationship with God and the work He has called you to do.

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke by the commission of the Lord to the people saying, "'I am with you,' declares the Lord.

This was the first word of God that had come to them in a while. Their response is amazing. Before the exile, Israel was an awful people and their lives were miserable. But something had changed and they responded immediately when God spoke to them. They responded in obedience. When you hear, that is the time to respond.

He is saying – You have gone astray here – THAT is the time to respond. Respond NOW – when you hear.

“I am with YOU!” I am on your side, I am getting involved. God longs to be on our team – to get behind us – that is His heart and His desire. He wants to be a part of that – and to help with that and support you with that. That is His desire in every way. He can’t wait to jump in and help. He wants your response. He is waiting on you.

14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.

He gives a very specific day – He wants us to understand that there is a time and place when things change. Even if you have drifted, you do not DRIFT back into relationship with Me. It does not happen by accident – but there is a specific time and place where you make that decision.

Haggai 2:1 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying, 2 "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? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?

Let me explain this. When Solomon built the original temple, it was one of the wonders of the world. It was covered in gold and jewels and cedar from Lebanon – and Egypt brought all their riches – they had the wealth of the world. Now they are building a temple from leftovers… The tendency would be to get discouraged. But when you begin – Today! April 27, 2008 – to decide The Drift Stops! About a month from now, you will get discouraged. It never all comes together at once – it will be hard, there will be roadblocks and opposition – you are discouraged and it doesn’t look like much – take courage! 4 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord, 'take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the Lord, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. 5 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!'

When you get to that point – expect opposition – but what do you do? That is the key – when things aren’t going smoothly, what do you do? Do you stop and give up? NO! At that point you throw yourself into it completely. Then you get a promise, “I am with you”

Any good work of value will have roadblocks and difficulties. You need to be determined.

Haggai 2: 5 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!' 6 "For thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7 'And I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations; and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' declares the Lord of hosts. 9 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts, 'and in this place I shall give peace,' declares the Lord of hosts. "

There are four things promised – Protection (v5) – Provision (7,8) - Future (9) – when it is all accomplished, this will be greater – not because of jewels and gold, but the filling of the house with God Himself. Peace (9).

When we recommit – His promises come with our commitment to work. It doesn’t remove the difficulty.

Haggai 2: 15 'But now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord, 16 from that time [when] one came to a [grain] heap of twenty [measures,] there would be only ten; and [when] one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be [only] twenty. 17 'I smote you [and] every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew, and hail; yet you [did] not [come back] to Me,' declares the Lord. 18 'Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth [month]; from the day when the temple of the Lord was founded, consider: 19 'Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not borne [fruit.] Yet from this day on I will bless [you.]' "

The Lord is waiting to say that to you. He is waiting. But He needs the commitment – He needs you to consider how and why you drifted and fell away. He needs you to listen to what He is saying to your heart this day and to act in obedience to that – and then to get to work. Your relationship with God is a work to give yourself over to.

Grace Summit Community Church | 2960 Bailey Road | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221 | 330-922-3550
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Haggai - Consider Where You've Been

04.27.08 ...The Drift Stops Here!

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