Consider Your Ways

Text: Haggai 1:1-5

Intro: Today, being the first Sunday of the month we are going to continue to have a focus on our theme for this year. However, we are not going to add another pillar today like I had originally planned. Instead of looking to build something new, we are going to look at what has been build. Haggai’s message comes to these two men, the leaders that came back from captivity with the goal of rebuilding the temple of the Lord. Haggai’s message deals with a people that had a God given purpose, but had been distracted from what that purpose truly is. Without even realizing it, they had replaced God’s purpose with there own...

These men that are called by name in Haggai, are those same men that answered the call from the Lord to return to Jerusalem.

We know from the book of Ezra that the foundation had been laid by these men. A call that was given through the proclamation of a wicked and pagan king. A king that had been spoken of my name, through Isaiah the prophet 100 years prior to his birth.

Isaiah 45:1 KJV 1900

Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, Whose right hand I have holden, To subdue nations before him; And I will loose the loins of kings, To open before him the two leaved gates; And the gates shall not be shut;

This call is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. A copy of this page from 1611 Bible was given to me and hangs on my wall in my office. When it was given, the couple that gave it to me had no idea that it was one of my favorite passages in the word of God. It means a great deal to me! Read Ezra 1:1-3

Ezra 3:1-13 In this chapter we see that worship is restored to the nation of Israel, and the people have returned to rebuild the house of the Lord. And all of this has taken place just as the Lord said it would. It has been 70 years since the first deportation of the nation. Upon the completion of the foundation we see an elated group of people because of the work on the house of the Lord!

Years: Because of the specifics given in our Bible about the kings, the months and the years. We know the the exact timing of the call, the return, the beginning of the work, and even the completion of the work. We also know the exact time-frame in which the Lord the send Haggai to these men and asked to “Consider your ways”.

I don’t think we every realize how easy it is to lose focus on God’s purpose for our life because we so focused on our own purpose. Being distracted, we think it but for a moment. Haggai’s message comes to these men 16 years after Ezra 3:8...

The but for a moment has turned into more than a decade and a half...

Paul warns in:

1 Corinthians 3:9–11 KJV 1900

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Do you know what that sounds an awful lot like? - CONSIDER YOUR WAYS...

5- times the word consider is used in Haggai’s book. It is just 2 chapters long...

There are 4 things that Haggai calls to there attention:

The people had put themselves before the Lord. Haggai 1:1-15

Twice he calls them to consider their ways, and twice I am calling on us to consider our ways. Have you sown much, and bring in little, are you clothed, but not warm, have you earned wages and put it in a bag of holes. Consider your ways.

God has a plan for your life, the has a purpose for you! Are you distracted from the building of your house of wisdom? Becoming the child of God, fulfilling the purpose that God has for you? Or are focused on fulfilling your purpose in this life?

2. Looking back instead of looking ahead. Haggai 2:1-9

We can all look back upon the failure of our lives and count ourselves out of the fight. I am not worthy to build, and we are all right for thinking that. But God uses looking back, to encourage the move ahead. Remember this is not the end, there are individual blessing for the believer that follows God. There are collective blessing to the church that follows God and fulfills His purpose. Be strong, o saint of God, for He is with you. Maybe you have back slid-en, don’t let that keep you out of the fight, let it motivate you to get back in and fight harder.

3. Failing to confess their sins. Haggai 2:10-19

Don’t let sin keep you from building your house of wisdom. Get right with God, keep on pressing on. Don’t let sin, keep you from receiving the fruited and blessed life of walking daily with Christ. Being renewed by Him, strengthened by Him, and empowered to victory, through Him!

4. Unbelief… Haggai 2:20-23

Remember the foundation is not man made… “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Don’t let unbelief rock you, move you, unsteady you. Your foundation is not moving, you are…

Closing: 1 Corinthians 1:3:9-23

Are you building your house of wisdom, according to God plan and purpose, or is it being built, with the wisdom of this world, which to God is foolishness...