Rise and Rebuild - Haggai 1:9-2:9

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INTRO

My wife has great book recommendations.

We’re currently reading Spurgeon Bios (Her - Suzie me - Charles)

One book she got me to read was The Hiding Place

It tells the story of Corrie ten Boom

Corrie’s story is a powerful example of faith amid unimaginable hardship.

During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Corrie and her family risked their lives to hide and smuggle Jewish citizens to safety.

In 1944, a betrayal led to their arrest, and Corrie, along with her sister Betsie, was sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

In the midst of the horrors they faced, Corrie experienced the sustaining power of God's presence.

She managed to smuggle a small Bible into the camp, and each night, she and Betsie would read Scripture and pray with the other women crammed into their barracks.

One passage that stood out to them the first day was 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances.”

This was the scripture that was fresh in their minds when they entered their barracks for the first time and realized they would be sleeping in a room infested with fleas.

Corrie told her sister that she was grateful for many things, even in Ravensbruck, but she would not be thankful for fleas.

It was not long into their imprisonment at Ravensbruck that Corrie and Betsie realized why they could even be thankful for the fleas.

They realized the guards were aware of the presence of the fleas, and they stayed far away from the barracks.

This allowed the women to freely pray and read scripture every night.

It was a tangible reminder that God’s presence was with them, even in the darkest and most unexpected places.

Corrie’s story teaches us that God’s presence can transform even the most difficult circumstances,

His presence calls us to rebuild our lives on His enduring promises—even in a place as bleak as Ravensbrück.

Through His presence, we can find reasons to be grateful, even when the world around us seems hopeless.

Just as Corrie ten Boom found strength in God’s presence to endure and rebuild her faith amidst the horrors of Ravensbrück,

Haggai called the Israelites to rise and rebuild the temple, not just as a structure, but as a symbol of their renewed commitment to God.

Today, we are called to rebuild our lives on the firm foundation of Christ,

to trust that His presence with us will transform our challenges into opportunities for His glory.

Big Idea: The presence of God calls us to rebuild our lives on His enduring promises.

Last week we were challenged to consider our ways.

We can drift away from the things of God into complacency.

Today let’s go to our text and see how we can move from apathy to action

1. Apathy to Action (Haggai 1:9-15)

A. Where Apathy Leads

RECAP - Remember- People had returned from captivity in Babylon, grew discouraged and then ultimately grew complacent.

God called them to look at their circumstances and ask, are they satisfied?

We see God calling them to be obedient, back to the abundant life.

Now he goes on and is explicit about the consequences of apathy

Look at verse 9 let’s see where apathy has led:

Haggai 1:9–11 (ESV)

You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”

Haggai reads very differently than a lot of other minor prophets.

Rather than a chiding rebuke of judgement and woe, its a call to wake up!

The people had failed to realize all that God had done.

The were delivered from exile and were back in the promised land.

Their apathy and sin had led them into the difficult circumstances they were in.

They missed that their situation, the struggle they were in the thick of, was a direct result of their disobedient apathetic hearts.

This is what apathy does, it make us numb.

God is saying, wake up and take a look at your life!

Are you content?

Do you notice how difficult life is?

God says, That’s because I want you to seek me!

The call to build the temple is so much more than a call to a building.

It is about the dwelling place of God.

The dwelling place of God was a visual representation of transcendent spiritual realities.

What does that mean?

It means that God longs to dwell with his people, but the peoples hearts had wandered far from him.

God is showing us that when we build our lives on sand they are bound to crumble.

Are you awake to things of God?

ILLUSTRATION

Reformer Martin Luther shared this anecdote:

The Devil held a great anniversary, at which his emissaries were convened to report the results of their several missions.

One demon spoke up

“I let loose the wild beasts of the desert on a caravan of Christians; and their bones are now bleaching on the sands.”

“What of that?” said the Devil, “their souls were all saved.”

Another demon spoke up

“For ten years, I tried to get a single Christian asleep and I succeeded, and left him so.”

Then the Devil shouted, and the night stars of hell sang for joy.

TRANSITION

God wants us to wake up!

God would call us away from apathy to action

Look at verse 12

Haggai 1:12 (ESV)

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 feared the Lord.

Looking away from their indifference the people of Israel obey.

We see Zerubbabel and Joshua leading out in obedience.

[As an aside…men you want to lead your families? Lead out in repentance and obedience.]

We see the people respond with fear.

The fear of the Lord is that deep, childlike wonder and reverence for God’s greatness that compels us to worship and follow Him as He commands in His Word.

It’s an act of faith that sees beyond the visible and grasps the reality of the unseen.

The Israelites lost their drive for the work of the Kingdom when they got caught up in the hostility around them.

But everything changed when they became aware of God’s presence and were gripped by a holy fear.

I love the way Joel Beeke says it, What we fear always determines our behavior.

What we fear most always shapes our actions.

To fear the Lord is to live with a constant awareness of Him, letting that awareness influence every part of our lives.

Illustration

A scene from Prince Caspian

The Children return to Narnia and are following the Dwarf Trumpkin to find the rightful heir to the Throne Prince Caspain.

Along the way the youngest child Lucy keeps seeing Aslan, the allegorical Christ figure and the other kids struggle to believe her.

When Aslan reveals himself the children are so overwhelmed both with joy and fear

Aslan had stopped and turned and stood facing them, looking so majestic that they felt as glad as anyone can who feels afraid, and as afraid as anyone can who feels glad. _C.S. Lewis

This nails the fear of the Lord.

A reverence that stirs the heart to fear, and yet a deep desire to be near.

Transition

Look at how the Lord responds to their fear

Haggai 1:13–14 (ESV)

Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” And 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,

Like a loving Father he reminds the people of his presence.

When God promises that He’s with us, He’s not just talking about being in the background

He’s right there beside us, bringing His powerful presence into everything we do.

Our service to the Lord isn’t a solo act; it’s a partnership with the strong Son of God who stands with us as we teach, sing, or serve in His name.

That was the reality the exiles experienced when they returned to rebuild.

But God didn’t stop there—He didn’t just show up;

He also breathed new life into the community.

He “stirred up” (v. 14) their hearts, giving them fresh vision and renewed energy for the work ahead.

A complete transformation took place—suddenly, the leaders and the people were fired up to do God’s work.

It wasn’t just about duty anymore; they shared a unified passion and purpose because God had met them and changed them from the inside out.

Oh that the spirit of the living God would so stir us and compel us to carry out the work.

Illustration

Michael and I went to a conference a while back and while we were there Michael started geeking out because we were sitting beside Jordan Kauflin.

Of course like most of you in the room I said, “who is that”

Billy he wrote the song All I Have is Christ.

One of my favorite lines from that song is:

“Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone And live so all might see, the strength to follow Your commands could never come from me.”

We need the Spirit to awaken us from apathy to action!

So we see the people begin the work but it isn't long before they are discouraged in the work.

Let’s see second

2. Empowered To Continue ( Haggai 2:1-5)

Look at verse 3

Haggai 2:3 (ESV)

‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?

There’s this thing we all do—we romanticize the past.

We talk about the "glory days," those moments we remember with a kind of wistful nostalgia, as if everything was perfect back then.

We think back to our childhoods, simpler times, and long for the way things used to be.

And sure, there’s value in remembering—God actually commands His people to do it.

But here’s the thing: it’s easy to slip from remembering God’s faithfulness to idolizing a past that, truth be told, never really existed.

So here’s the scene:

The people had just started rebuilding the temple, and they were likely feeling pretty discouraged.

The work was hard, and on top of that, they had just finished this feast (that’s what verse 1 is talking about) that reminded them of how God provided for their ancestors in the wilderness.

Back then, God’s presence was visible in a pillar of fire and cloud, guiding and protecting them as they lived in tents.

This was the same feast that had seen Solomon’s temple dedicated generations earlier.

And now, after their own "second exodus" from Babylon, they were being called to rebuild God’s house.

You can imagine the conversations they were having—how this new temple would never be like the one in Solomon’s day.

They were stuck in the past, thinking the best days were behind them.

But Haggai, speaking God’s word, asks them a rhetorical question:

Who remembers the former glory?

He’s challenging them to shift their perspective.

The point isn’t to dwell on what was, but to look forward to what will be.

The glory days aren’t behind us—they’re ahead.

For the people of God, the real glory days are yet to come.

The days when we will worship Him forever, in His presence, in the new heavens and the new earth.

I love how God speaks to their discouraged hearts:

Haggai 2:4–5 (ESV)

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.

We have have a dangerous tendency to romanticize the past, thinking that the glory days are behind us.

The people of Haggai’s time looked back to the former temple, just as we might look back to the days of the great preachers and revivals of the past.

We think, “What incredible works were done back then! What powerful sermons, what mighty conversions!

Everything now seems to have declined, diminished, and degenerated.”

We look at the giants of the past and feel like we’re walking in their shadows, insignificant by comparison.

But, brothers and sisters, we must not let this sense of inadequacy hold us back.

God can take our seemingly small efforts and use them for His glory.

He is not limited by our littleness—in fact, He delights in using it to accomplish His purposes.

So, let’s not despise the day of small things, but trust that God can and will use even our smallest efforts for His kingdom.

IN the middle of all the nostalgia for Israel’s glory days, Haggai delivers a message that cuts through their longing with a powerful reminder:

God’s presence is with them.

Haggai’s words are filled with hope.

The people needed to remember that God hadn’t abandoned them; He was right there in their midst.

The Israelites were discouraged, but when they shifted their focus from their circumstances to God’s presence, they found strength for the work ahead.

This work wouldn’t be easy, but with God’s presence, it was filled with hope.

The so-called glory days were nothing compared to the glory of God dwelling among His people.

The past wasn’t meant to be idolized; it was a testament to God’s unchanging faithfulness—a foundation to trust Him for the future.

In two short verses, Haggai commands the people to “be strong” three times—words that echoed the encouragement given to Joshua as he led Israel into the Promised Land.

The encouragement from God is hinged on the covenant promises of God and the reminder of when the people had been led out of Egypt by the Lord.

This wasn’t just history; it was a reminder of God’s ongoing faithfulness.

And at the heart of this encouragement?

The promise of God’s presence.

From the garden with Adam and Eve to the tabernacle, the temple, and Jesus as Immanuel, God’s desire to dwell with His people is the thread that runs through the entire Bible.

This is why rebuilding the temple was so vital—it wasn’t just about a building; it was a declaration that God longs to be with His people.

Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Build your life on the sure promise of the presence of God.

Now this one thing is enough for us, that is, when God declares that he is with us; for his aid, we know, is stronger than the whole world, however Satan may on every side attempt to resist us. _John Calvin (French Reformer)

Application

I mentioned already how Hannah and I are reading Spurgeon Biographies.

When Charles was first courting his wife Suzie he wrote this on the inside of Pilgrim’s Progress he gave to her:

Oh, that you and I might get into the very heart of the Word of God, and get that Word into ourselves! I have seen the silkworm eat into the leaf, and consume it, so ought we to do with the Word of the Lord—not crawl over its surface, but eat right into it till we have taken it into our inmost parts. It is idle merely to let the eye glance over the words, or to recollect the poetical expressions, or the historic facts; but it is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible until, at last, you come to talk in Scriptural language, and your very style is fashioned upon Scripture models, and, what is better still, your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord. _C.H. Spurgeon

Do you know the promises of God? Do you know his steadfast assurance? RIFF HERE

Illustration

Spurgeon Illustration: Imagine two creatures at work: a spider and a bee.

The spider spins its web from within, relying entirely on what it produces by itself.

The web may look intricate and well-crafted, but it’s incredibly fragile—one swipe of a broom, and it’s gone.

The spider’s web is a perfect picture of the false hopes we build when we rely on our own efforts, our own righteousness, or our own sense of goodness.

These self-made hopes may seem strong, but when life’s trials hit, or when we stand before God, they’re swept away, leaving us with nothing.

Now consider the bee.

The bee doesn’t produce its honey from within; it gathers nectar from the flowers around it.

The bee’s work results in something sweet and lasting, something that can nourish and sustain.

In the same way, true believers don’t rely on what they can produce on their own.

Instead, they draw their hope and strength from the promises of God, from the sweetness of His Word.

This is the kind of hope that lasts, that isn’t swept away when trouble comes, because it’s not based on ourselves but on something far greater.

So, let’s not be like the spider, spinning fragile webs of self-reliance.

Let’s be like the bee, gathering our hope and strength from the rich promises of God, building a life that’s not easily shaken.

Transition

With the assurance of God’s presence empowering them to rise and rebuild, the people were not just called to restore what was lost, but to look forward to an even greater glory.

As we finish up our passage we see that God’s promises extend beyond the present work—He points to a future where His glory will fill the earth in ways that far surpass anything they had seen before.

3. Greater Glory (Haggai 2:6-9)

Look at verse 6

Haggai 2:6–9 (ESV)

For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’ ”

The sovereign, covenant-keeping God will always fulfill His promises.

He will never fail His people, and His Word stands unshaken.

Right after the people’s lament and God’s encouragement to be strong and get to work because He is with them, we find a promise that’s as ancient as the first pages of Scripture and as consistent as the heartbeat of the Bible:

the glory of God will shine, and He will dwell with His people.

This promise is vast, rooted in God’s glory and His sovereign rule over all creation.

In these few verses, the Lord is called the Lord of Hosts five times, emphasizing His dominion over everything—from angel armies to the earth itself.

Just as He shook the world during the Exodus, God promises to do something incredible once more.

Our God is not finished—He will do great things again.

We’re told these things will happen “in just a little while,” not pointing to a specific time but conveying a divine urgency.

It’s on God’s timetable, not ours, and with Him, a day is like a thousand years.

There was an immediate fulfillment when King Darius provided resources for the temple, but far greater fulfillments were yet to come.

Even now, we wait expectantly for the God who always keeps His promises.

As we read this passage, it’s clear that all the action is attributed to God alone.

He’s reminding the people—and us—that history is about what He has done, not what we have accomplished.

Even our obedience is a gift of His Spirit.

The partial fulfillment of this promise in Haggai’s day pointed to a much greater reality.

From Genesis to Revelation, the theme of God dwelling with His people is central to the gospel story.

The temple they were building couldn’t compare to Solomon’s, yet there was a promise of something far more glorious to come.

Haggai was pointing to Jesus.

Through the incarnation, the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.

The very temple they were discouraged by would be the temple that the son of the living God would be dedicated in.

It would be on those steps that as a 12 year old he would leave the religious leaders dumbfounded by his wisdom.

Later, Jesus declared Himself to be the true temple, greater than any physical structure.

God’s ultimate plan was to build His temple through His Son, who became the sacrifice we desperately needed.

Christ didn’t come to restore a physical building; He came to reconcile us to God.

On the cross, the true temple—Christ’s body—was torn down as He bore the wrath of God for our sins.

But three days later, that temple was raised again in glory when Jesus walked out of the tomb, defeating death and securing eternal life for all who trust in Him.

In Jesus, we see God’s ultimate plan unfold—a plan to build His true temple not with bricks, but with people united to Him.

We are now the living stones, being built into a spiritual house where God Himself dwells.

The story of Haggai isn’t just about a temple being rebuilt;

it’s about God’s promise to dwell with His people, fulfilled in Jesus, the true and better temple.

Revelation 21:22 (ESV)

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.

In that day, there will be no need for a physical temple, for God Himself will dwell with us, and we will worship Him forever.

All praise to our sovereign God, who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, making us the very temple of His presence.

If you haven’t yet placed your trust in Jesus, I urge you to do so today.

He is the true temple, the only one who can bridge the gap between you and God.

Jesus took on the full weight of your sin and offers you forgiveness, new life, and an eternal home with Him.

Come to Him, believe in His name, and let Him make you a part of His living temple—where His Spirit dwells, and His glory shines forever.

Illustration

Years ago a submarine sank.… As soon as possible divers descended.

They walked about the disabled ship endeavoring to find some signs of life within.

At last they heard a gentle tapping.

Listening intently they recognized the dots and dashes of the Morse code.

These were the words spelled out, “Is there hope?” “IS THERE HOPE?”

This is the constant cry of humanity, and the Gospel is the answer to that cry.

Illustration

Have you ever heard about someone who didn’t trust banks, so they hid their money somewhere in their house?

Time and again, we hear stories of large sums of money found stuffed in mattresses or hidden under floorboards.

These people lived their lives in need, often struggling to meet their basic needs, yet after their death, a fortune was discovered—untouched and unused.

It makes you wonder: What treasures are we holding onto but never using?

Many of us as believers are sitting on spiritual riches, yet we live as though we’re impoverished.

God has given us the promises of His Word, the power of His Spirit, and the assurance of His presence, but too often, we fail to draw on these resources.

Instead of living like the royalty God intended, we settle for spiritual poverty.

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me: “He ever liveth to make intercession.” _Robert Murray McCheyne

So, let’s not leave the treasures God has given us hidden and unused.

The presence of God calls us to rebuild our lives on His enduring promises.

Let’s live fully in the abundance of His grace, drawing on the riches of His promises every day, and sharing that wealth with those around us.

How can I become more aware of God’s presence in my daily life?

Am I looking back with nostalgia or forward with hope in God’s promises?

In what ways is God calling me to rise and rebuild my life on the firm foundation of Christ? What steps can I take to respond in obedience?

Do I believe my best days in Christ are ahead? How does this shape my future?

PRAYER

School:

Students

Parents

Teachers

Staff

DSS Party

That the church’s songs would teach members to biblically confess, lament, and praise.

Lynn and Baby Sayler

BENEDICTION

May the Lord who has never failed in any of His good promises,

Who does not leave or forsake His own, May He turn your hearts to Him, To walk in His Ways

And to keep His commands that he gave our fathers in the Faith.

Go in the peace of Christ and in the hope of his promises!