It's time to get back to gods work
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
Brand New Series | No Idea - Last Week was primer | Not Here, Prodigal Son, We said what to do when your far from Home | When you are far from God | What about when we are far from God’s work? Far from His Purpose? His Plans?
Excited | Not a more important time
Dive into big book - Not in Size | But in spiritual meat
Series called; Haggai - It’s time to Build. | Going through book of Haggai - 2 Chapters - but it’s a big book - Hope we get started today.
If you feel far from His Purpose - His Work - His People - This is for you. Close to His Purpose, His work, His People - This is for You.
Haggai 2 : 4 b
English Standard Version Chapter 2
Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts
**Pray for Series**
My Back yard - Started the good work, didn’t finish it - argh just want to be stirred back up to do it | discouraged
Today, I want to talk about picking back up the Good work - Or maybe you haven’t started the good work | God asking you to
Title: It’s time to get back to God’s work
My Hope: You will be stirred to pick up what God is asking you to. to be part of the most glorious building project that you could ever imagine - The Church - That you are valued - that you are loved - that you are required
**Prayer**
Lets have wake up call | Stirred up for God’s work | Might not be easy | God is saying, I am with you and He will Bless the work.
Context
Haggai - Ministry was only 4-5 months. That’s it. Highly significant - Most prophets called to lord was ignored - Not Haggai - They listened - God wanted to say something
First Point: What you see as small work, is significant to God
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
As you’ll see - Haggai changed the world | through what? A massive Ministry? no, Loving obedience - That’s what this entire book about | Loving obedience
OK, Year of Kings - back story - Isreal fell to idolatry & Paganism - Turned away from God - In repsonse God sent propets to say turn from your ways, over and over - God destroyed crops, sent weather situations (You think your a slow learner)
after hundreds years disobedience - God allowed enemies isreal take over.
Eventually God said final invasion | First time Assyrian army came and conqured North - 150 years later Judah fell to Babylonian.
Jeremiah prophesied - Then lived through it - God also told Jeremiah - They would be carried off for 70 years - During this 70 years the babylonians conquered by Persian - Cyrus became king - Gave permission Jews go build temple - Nebakanasah destroyed.
As you can imagine - Excited Jews - In captivity, released - Given purpose - Sound familiar?
something happened - 1 year to start.
Ezra 3:8a (ESV)
Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning,
then It says - Trumpets sounded - Cymbals clashed - Everyone is celebrating.
The world celebrates when you finish the good work, God celebrates when you start.
Foundation was laid - but just the foundation. As soon as Foundation went up - They started getting opposition. Check this;
Ezra 4:1–2 (ESV)
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.”
bulldust - Altar got built when they got there - no alta for sacrifices before . So They say mate - Take a hike. They where after the Work (Glory) not the Heart.
Ezra 4:4–5 (ESV)
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
So this is what’s happening - Important because this is environment that haggai begins to prophesy in - I want you to ask yourself “Am I in this environment?” - Constant frustration, Difficulty, Opposition?
Ever doing something for Lord, feel frustrated? It doesn’t mean your not doing what the Lord wants you to do for Him - Paul - imagine if he stopped after first city.
Any time God leads you to anything good, meaningful, generous, lasting,
expect opposition | obstacles | Resistance.
AdamEve/ Serpent | Moses/Pharoah | David/Goliath | Jesus-Herod-Pharisees-Jewish leaders-Judas-devil-demons | Batman/Joker.
Opposition and frustation doesn’t disqualify your calling.
Advancement invites oppositon. The devil doesn’t bother those that are not a threat.
Question; What foundation have you started and then been discouraged? What has God started in your heart -
Maybe parenting slipped? Slab was laid you said you going ot be best parents ever, let it slip, discouraged nothing going right, business idea?
Take it to God
There is nothing too big for God’s power or Too small for God’s Heart
Might be some or all of those - but it’s definitely God’s church - The slab was laid - by Jesus’ death and the apostles, We have the Cornerstone - Will you come build it? And if you think i’m talking about serving on a Sunday - oh boy.
Easiest time get discouraged is when our work just starting because faith is small |
When the work goes down, Opposition shows up.
Too many chirstians on side line - not cause not called - because they have been discouraged.
Don’t let the enemy discourage you from doing God’s Work.
What Good work are you being called back to? Maybe called to build upon?
There is foundation in your heart - Ask God to reveal it.
Doing God’s Work - Don’t Come Down - Big Purpose, or Little Purpose...
Listen - Dissapointment is place enemy wants to get you to - If he can get you dissapointed, He can get you to Paralysis.
Dissapointed with God > Discouraged > Paralysed > Just Stop > . This is what Discouragement Does > Enemy is constantly trying to get you there.
Don’t be discouraged - World success diff to God Success. Haggai 5 months - why wasn’t ministry longer - Imagine if he Knew.
When the work goes down, Opposition shows up.
And this is what happened to people in Judah - Laid foundation - Got Discouraged - Result - 16 years did nothing -
So this the ministry of haggai | Getting people out of their paralysis - Wake up call - This is where it starts . Frustrated, faced opposition, everyone against, laid foundation.
Haggai - Starts with them justifying, let’s read
Haggai 1:1–2 (ESV)
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”
Starts with justification “It isn’t the time” - trouble, opposition, isn’t time to do this. I’m busy - Not right now - Not the time.
How does the Lord respond?
Haggai 1:4–5 (ESV)
“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.
Consider your ways - Right now - Asking you - Consider your ways - God is saying - Haven’t you noticed-
Haggai 1:6 (ESV)
You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.
When you go to eat, your not full - Never satisfied- things of this world is not satisfying the longings of your heart - Have friends but no family?
You looked but I gave nothing, why? Because my house lies in ruins.
There is a blessing, when the Body is in unity.
All through acts - They Devoted themselves to the Body, And God Blessed. Signs and wonders came AFTER they where devoted.
Psalm 133:1–3 (ESV)
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Why did God hold back? To show, they took position FEAR | based on discouragement, Paralysed them from doing the Work |
Serving the God who made all things, to serving the things God made - Something has gone wrong. Neglecting God’s work is Neglecting God Himself.
Cyras released you - to come back to your land - I bought you back - even though that happened- they got discouraged - now what does the lord say?
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.
Let’s get busy! Let’s get building - Church I am asking you - Do you want to build it?
Why should we?
So that God, may be Glorified!
Their discouragement made it about “ME” but God is saying it’s about “WE”.
Isolation turns our focus inward and takes our eyes off Jesus
Perhaps you’re not bothered about God’s building project - because you’re not bothered about God’s Glory.
It’s not about a building - Not just physical, but spiritual - What is the temple of today?
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
When we become less concerned about the growth, the unity and the mission of GOd’s church it’s probably a sign of our failure to love the glory of God.
We are the modern day temples - and God wants us to dwell in unity.
Not just Sunday morning - Though it’s a HUGE part of it - But doing life together | Spurring each other on helping you build foundation on your heart.
John 17:21 (ESV)
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
For HIS Glory | We are to Encourage each other | Spur Each other on | 70% of Children to call Jesus their Lord and saviour = Served in the Church, Had Parents serve in the church, Had another couple to look up to as parents, one spiritual activity as a family.
That Foundation you have? Man, don’t come down | Start the Good work |
Heart - Pumps blood to the body - Hits every Organ - Maybe you feel dry from God’s work because you’re far from God’s family > Concentrating on your own thing.
Inspo and Close
Inspo and Close
The Lord asks twice in Haggai - Consider your ways. So I will ask you; Consider your ways.
What are you going to do? Work on the Foundation that God has put on your heart or stay in discouragement from the enemy?
Yep, when the work goes down, opposition will show up.
what will you do when opposition shows up? Isolate, or integrate?
The Body needs you, and God wants to use you.
What happened to the people of Haggai? They obeyed - They Feared and they Obeyed - Finally, after 16 years.
and The Lord was Patient - Even after 16 years, the Scripture says;
Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.”
Doesn’t matter how far you’ve strayed, turn, and the LORD IS WITH YOU. THAT THING THAT FEAR IS HOLDING BACK - THE LORD IS WITH YOU. That Marraige that is failing - THE LORD IS WITH YOU.
The lord was with them then, and the Lord is with us now.
Jesus Christ - Ministry - Spirit Now lives in Us.
**Prayer**
**Altar Call**