Be Strong, For I Am With You

Sermon

Nobody Wants to Work

“Nobody wants to work anymore!”

You heard people say that? Have you said it?

Well, I still have the heart of a librarian and when a question gets into my head, I’ve gotta find an answer. And hearing that phrase over and over lately, I asked myself, “Self, I wonder if generations in the past have been as critical of the work ethic of their current generations as today seems to be.”

So I got to digging.

2022, Forbes

2016, Ventura County Star

1999, St. Petersburg Times

1981, Miami Herald

1979, News Journal

1969, The Atlanta Constitution

1952, The Evergreen Courant

1940, Wisconsin State Journal

1937, York Daily Record

1922, The Mulberry News

1916, The Binghamton Press

1905, The Edgefield Advertiser

1894, Rooks County Record

We’re going to talk about work and vocation today. You can go ahead and turn to the Book of Haggai in your Bibles. That’s on page 538 of the white pew Bible — the whole thing is on that page. It’s a really short book, another of the minor prophets.

While you’re turning let me just say this about work. Let’s cut out that phrase, “Nobody wants to work anymore,” from our vocabulary. It wasn’t true when your parents and grandparents were saying it about you, as we saw in all those news articles, and it’s not true now. People do want to work — it’s just that work looks different than it did when you were younger. Economies change, preferences change, expectations change — and with that work changes. People do want to work, and people are working, just maybe not in the same spaces they used to. But that doesn’t mean their work isn’t valuable.

The prophet Haggai talks to the people of Jerusalem about persistent, faithful work for the glory of God. And God tells them to be courageous and diligent in their work of rebuilding the temple.

Big Idea

That brings us to our Big Idea from the Book of Haggai this morning. Here it is:

Because God is with His people, and because He promises to build His Church, we can be courageous and diligent in the mission of the Church.

God promises the people of Jerusalem that His Spirit will be with them and that He is doing the work through them, so they can take heart and persist in their building, even when it looks discouraging.

Because God is with His people, and because He promises to build His Church, we can be courageous and diligent in the mission of the Church.

Let’s pray, then we’ll look at the text.

Father, make your Word a swift Word,

passing from the ear to the heart,

from the heart to the lip and conversation;

that, as the rain returns not empty,

so neither may your Word,

but accomplish that for which it is given. Amen.

In 586 BC the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and took most of the Jews into exile. About 50 years later the Persian Empire overthrew Babylon and the new king allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. All of this was owing to the sovereign hand of God fulfilling the prophecies of Jeremiah (Ezra 1:1).

When they return to Jerusalem, God raises up 2 prophets: Haggai and Zechariah. Ezra 5:1-2 sums up for us what these two prophets accomplished:

Ezra 5:1–2 CSB

But when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began to rebuild God’s house in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, helping them.

So Haggai and Zechariah were sent by God to assist in the rebuilding of the temple. Haggai 1:15 says the work began on the 24th day of the sixth month of the second year of the reign of Darius, which in our dating is September 21, 520 BC, which means that about 18 years went by between the return of the exiles and the rebuilding of the temple. That delay is what prompts God to speak through Haggai.

The way Haggai motivates the Jews to build the temple of God has a powerful application to our own efforts to build the Kingdom of God, the Church. Remember, we absolutely are Kingdom Builders, but we’re called to do that not through fighting, culture war, political power, but through self-sacrifice, tangible love of neighbor, and making disciples.

Haggai actually delivers 4 different messages to the people over the course of 5 months. This morning, we’ll focus mainly on the message Haggai delivers in 2:1–9. But it’s a short book, so I’ll summarize the 1st and 3rd as well, just for some context.

Neglecting the Temple of God

In chapter 1, the people are frustrated. Things aren’t going well in Jerusalem. And Haggai’s first message to the governor, the priest, and people is that the reason they are all frustrated is that they have tried to make their own lives comfortable while neglecting the temple of God. Verses 4–6:

Haggai 1:4–6 CSB

“Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways: You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.”

So they lived in perpetual frustration and discontentment. Nothing satisfied. And that’s a word for us today, too. If you devote yourself to sowing and eating and drinking and clothing yourselves and earning wages, but neglect your ministry in the body of Christ — which is the temple of God according to Paul in 1 Corinthians — you will live in constant frustration. If you spend your time and energy seeking comfort and security from worldly things — be that finances, politics, family relations, whatever — and do not spend yourself for the glory of God, every pleasure you pursue is going to leave an ashy aftertaste of depression and guilt and frustration. It will not satisfy and it will not be secure.

But Haggai gives them a remedy for the frustration in verse 8:

Haggai 1:8 CSB

Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house; and I will be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord.

Work for God’s glory. Now, this is important: The real problem in Jerusalem is not that they are neglecting a building — that’s the symptom. The disease is indifference to the glory of God. The temple of the Old Testament existed for the glory of God. And the Church today exists for the glory of God.

So, indifference to the spiritual growth of the Church and indifference toward its mission to make disciples is a sign of failure to love the glory of God. And the sour fruit of this failure is a life of chronic frustration.

John Piper said paraphrased Jesus’ words this way:

He who seeks to save his life will lose it to continual frustrations; but he who loses his life for the glory of God and the good of his cause will find life, deep and fulfilling.

Verse 9 sums up the situation in Jerusalem:

Haggai 1:9 CSB

“You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.

Now, there is good news because the people respond in repentance and faith. Verses 12-15 report that Zerubbabel and Joshua and the people obey and begin to work on the temple. After 18 years of neglect and frustration, the people begin to learn their lesson: Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all the other things will be added.”

Half-hearted Obedience

Now, skip down 2:10–19, the third message. Verse 10 dates it in the 24th day of the ninth month, three months after the work on the temple began. Things have not gone well.

Evidently the attitude of the people is that mere contact with the temple makes them clean in God’s sight while, in fact, they are living in sin. The holiness of the temple is not rubbing off on them. On the contrary, their sin is desecrating the temple. That’s the meaning of verses 11–14, a kind of parable applied in v. 14 to the people like this:

Haggai 2:11–14 CSB

“This is what the Lord of Armies says: Ask the priests for a ruling. If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?” The priests answered, “No.” Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.” Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before me—this is the Lord’s declaration. And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.

So, even though they have begun to obey the Lord by working on the temple, their work is unclean because of sin in their lives.

So what Haggai does in response to this imperfect obedience is point the people back to the great turning point in their experience when they began to work on the temple. Verses 15–17 tell the people to consider what they should do now, in view of how life was for them before they started building the temple.

Haggai 2:15–17 CSB

“Now from this day on, think carefully: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple, what state were you in? When someone came to a grain heap of twenty measures, it only amounted to ten; when one came to the winepress to dip fifty measures from the vat, it only amounted to twenty. I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you didn’t turn to me—this is the Lord’s declaration.

In other words, recall how miserable and frustrated you were in your disobedience before you began to lay stone on stone in the temple. The implication is: surely it is utter folly to go on in sin now, if it cost so much then. Verses 15–17 call the people to consider what they should do now, in view of how life was for them before they started building the temple. Turn away from sin. Being involved in church activities is meaningless without continual, daily repentance — turning away from the remaining sin in your life.

Now, verses 18–19 are more positive: they call the people to consider how they should live now, in view of how life has been since they began to build the temple.

Haggai 2:18–19 CSB

From this day on, think carefully; from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid; think carefully. Is there still seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”

God is saying, it has only been three months since you began to build. The seed is not in the barn but in the ground. The time for fruit-bearing is coming. I am not against you. I am for you and will help you. So consider your ways. Cleanse your hands, and keep working on my house. I promise to bless you.

So, those are Haggai’s first and third messages. Their point is to motivate the people of Jerusalem to build the temple by showing them how frustrated they were before they began to obey, and how much blessing they can expect from God if they press on in their work with clean hands, in repentance. What is at stake is the manifestation of God’s glory, not merely brick and mortar and timber.

A Paltry Replacement?

Now, let’s go back and look more closely at the second message in 2:1–9. It comes a little less than a month after the people had begun to rebuild the temple. It seems as though the work has slowed or come to a complete stop, because Haggai’s message is that they take courage and get on with the work (v. 4).

What makes this message so relevant to us is that we can see ourselves so easily in the workers. And God’s encouraging words become very easily words of strength for us, too.

Verse 3 shows why the people have become weak and discouraged in their labors. Haggai asks,

Haggai 2:3 CSB

‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem to you like nothing by comparison?

The workers are discouraged because the memory is still alive of how glorious the temple used to be. Less than 70 years ago it stood in this very spot, the magnificent achievement of Solomon that stood for centuries the center of holy worship. But instead of inspiring the people, this memory made the people look at the smaller temple they were building and feel hopeless.

“How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem to you like nothing by comparison?”

What’s the use, they say. We can’t match the glory of Solomon’s temple. We’re wasting our time. Nothing beautiful or worthwhile will ever come of it. Better to have the beauty of a great memory than a paltry imitation. So they become discouraged and start to give up.

Does that sound like anything in your experience? I think anybody who has ever undertaken a work for the cause of Christ has felt that kind of discouragement: the sense that you work and work and the product seems so paltry. You pour yourself into a thing week after week and month after month and the fruit is so minimal. Then you look back in history or across town and see the grand achievement of others, and your temple seems so trivial. And you get discouraged and are tempted to quit and put away your aspirations and drop your dreams and put your feet up and scroll through social media instead. Why would I put forth so much effort when I don’t see any fruit?

I think Gore Springs is a prime target for discouragements like these. You can look back 15, 20, 30 years ago and there was once such glory here. Sunday School was full; a thriving youth ministry; people filling up the sanctuary for morning and evening services; spiritual leaders being raised up to go and preach and teach. Maybe you remember those days and now you grow weary and discouraged over a smaller ministry. Most of you have known the discouragement of feeling that what you are doing for Christ is of so little significance that you may as well quit.

Take Courage, Work, Fear Not

If that’s you, this message from Haggai is tailor-made for your heart today. God confronts the discouragement of the people, first of all, with a heartening command in verse 4:

Haggai 2:4 CSB

Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel—this is the Lord’s declaration. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land—this is the Lord’s declaration. Work! For I am with you—the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

God clearly does not agree with their assessment of the situation. If they think their work on the temple is of so little significance that they can quit, they are very wrong, for God says, “Be strong (or, take courage)… work!”

He gives two arguments why they should take courage and work heartily. And both of these are crucial for us as well. The text continues in verses 4 and 5:

Haggai 2:4–5 (CSB)

Work! For I am with you—the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.’ ”

God’s first argument why they should “take courage,” “work,” and “fear not” is that he is with them.

Because God is with His people, we can be courageous and diligent in the mission of the Church.

When God is working at your side, nothing is trivial.

But the promise is not only that he will be at your side; he will also be in your heart encouraging you. Look back at the end of 1:13.

Haggai 1:13–14 CSB

Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you—this is the Lord’s declaration.” The Lord roused the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They began work on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God,

If we will ask him and trust him, God not only works with us, but he moves in to stir up our spirit and give us a heart for the work. God doesn’t want grouchy workers; he wants free and joyful laborers. And so he promises to be with them and stir them up to love the work. It’s worth looking at your attitude when God’s Word calls you to the work of making disciples — are you frustrated? Are you asking yourself, “Ugh, do we have to go back to that thing at church again tonight?” Praise team, is practicing music during the week a joyful exercise unto the Lord, or do you find it an inconvenience? Is your spirit roused when we are called to spend time in the word and prayer? Or do you find it a drudgery that you never get around to. Take some time and reflect on your own attitude toward the mission of the church and your own discipleship — is the Spirit working? If not, you have a direct point of confession and repentance right there. God promises to stir up our spirit and give us a heart for the work.

There is another encouraging thing about this promise. Just before David’s death he encouraged his son, Solomon, with words very similar to Haggai 2:4-5. Listen to what he said in Chronicles:

1 Chronicles 28:20 CSB

Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or abandon you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished.

The implication of this similarity is that the same God who worked with Solomon to build his great temple was at work with these people. Therefore, take courage, work, fear not. That is true for us, as well. The same God who was working in this church and in your life 30 years ago is the same one working today. The same God that was working to build Solomon’s temple is working in you today. Therefore, take courage, work, fear not.

God uses one more argument to encourage those who think their work only produces paltry results in verses 6–9:

Haggai 2:6–9 CSB

For the Lord of Armies says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of Armies. “The silver and gold belong to me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “The final glory of this house will be greater than the first,” says the Lord of Armies. “I will provide peace in this place”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

In other words, take courage, work, and fear not, because you build more than you see. All you see is a little temple. But God promises to take your work, fill it with his glory, and make your labors with a million times more than you ever imagined. God is doing the work. There is no small work when done for the glory of God.

Because God promises to build His Church, we can be courageous and diligent in the mission of the Church.

Fulfillment of the Prophecy

Now, let’s move ahead into the future and see how this promise was fulfilled. Like most prophecies, it was fulfilled in stages, and the final fulfillment is yet to come. By the time Jesus had begun his ministry, Herod had rebuilt Zerubbabel’s temple so that it was truly magnificent.

That glorious temple was destroyed in AD 70, so we know that the physical temple wasn’t the ultimate fulfillment of this promise. But, what did Jesus say in John 2 when he was clearing the temple? “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up … But he spoke of the temple of his body,” John says.

Jesus said there is a direct continuity between the Old Testament temple and himself: once God met his people in the temple, now God meets us in Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of God’s promise to fill the house with glory. The glory of God revealed in Jesus, the Christ.

The final state of eternity is described in Revelation 21:22. When the new Jerusalem descends, John says,

Revelation 21:22 CSB

I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

The point is this: God had a purpose for a temple. The people of Haggai’s day could not see it all, and what they could see seemed so small and insignificant. So God came to them with a word of promise: Take courage. You are building more than you see. The heavens and the earth and sea and land and all treasures are mine. I will take the fruit of your little labor and make it glorious beyond measure, no matter how trivial and small it may seem to you now.

There is a principle here that applies to you and me: God takes small, imperfect things and builds them into a habitation for his glory. O, how we should take courage in our little spheres of influence! Nothing you do on the mission of the Church is a trifle if you do it in the name of God. No conversation is a waste. No prayer is ineffective. No act of kindness is small. No giving up of your preference for the good of someone else is useless. No gentle word is paltry. God will shake heaven and earth to fill your labor with splendor.

God is with you, God is building His Church, so don’t be afraid. Be diligent and be courageous. Go and make disciples. Go and tell people of the glory of Jesus. Be persistent in the work, even when it feels small. Because God is doing something great through you.

Let’s pray.