Building What Matters (Haggai 1)

Introduction (yourself, then text)

Story: Forgetting my food at Jack’s – routine and habits led to missing the most important thing

I used to live in Alabama before moving to Nashville.

Need: We all want to focus on the most important things in life—but often, our habits and routines drift from our stated priorities. Maybe our work

Subject Question: How do we not miss the most important thing?

Context: You might be asking, why Haggai? that's an odd choice of book.

But i think we’ll find that Haggai speaks to a people who forgot the most important thing - in their case, building the temple of God. As we examine how God handled them, we too can learn what happens when we drift from God’s prerogatives, and how we can return to building what matters

Preview Statement: So what we’re going to see today is:

the complacency of the people,

the consequences of complacency,

God’s commission to the people (what he tells them the do),

then we’ll conclude with three things we need to actually answer the call and build what matters

Haggai 1 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.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “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. 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. “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. 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.” 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. 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, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Complacency of the People (v2-4, v9)

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.”

Okay - let's pause here for a second.

To really understand what’s going on, we need to zoom out and remember the bigger story.

For centuries, God had chosen one people group t to be His covenant people (that's Israel). They were called to be set apart, to worship Him and reflect His glory to the nations. But instead of walking in obedience, they consistently turned to idols and ignored God’s numerous warnings of judgement. So eventually, judgment came. In 586 BC, the biggest nation at the time, Babylon, rode into Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple to the ground, and carried God’s covenant people into exile.

They spend 70 years, but God, in His mercy, lets them return home. King Cyrus of Persia (the nation that had conquered Babylon) lets a group of Israelites return to Jerusalem with one big, God-given task: to rebuild the temple—the visible center of worship and God’s presence among His people.

And They start of well. We see in the book of Ezra that they start building the temple. But then opposition arises. They get discouraged. Life gets busy. And eventually we see, that over time, their priorities started to shift. We pick up on the story almost 16 years later, and God’s house still lies in ruins.

That’s the moment Haggai steps into. God sends him with a message—not to condemn, but to wake His people up. To ask: How did we get here? And more importantly: where do we go from here?

how did we get here? well, what we see is that:

A. There is a tendency in us to put off the things God has called us to do (aka complacency) (v2)

Haggai 1:2 ESV

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”

The people had come back from exile with one mission - the primary task that they were supposed to do - they arent doing. Now, it might be easy to rag on them for this - until we realize that we see this pattern ALL throughout the bible (Moses, Gideon, Saul King)

AND we see this pattern in our own lives

Most of us don't usually say no to God outright—we just say ‘later.’ But delayed obedience is still disobedience.”

if you are waiting for the “right time” to do the thing God is calling you to do, you will often never do it. What do we mean when we say that? It doesn't feel right to me.

Ways We Do This Today:

Serving: We feel nudged to serve or step into ministry, but we say “Once life slows down.”

Generosity: We intend to give, tithe, or support others—but “after I pay off debt” or “when I get a raise.”

Sharing our faith: We keep saying “I’ll bring it up next time.”

Spiritual disciplines: We want to read, pray, rest, fast… just not today

B. This complacency is often driven by our own comfort and selfishness (v4, 9)

— Because, what we actually see in the story is not that the people stopped working - its that the were actually working for themselves. Look with me in verse

Haggai 1:4 ESV

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?

Haggai 1:9 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.

And honestly, we do the same.. We have the tendency to focus on our own lives, and jettison the priorities of God.

It so easy to just naturally center life around our comfort, our goals, our homes, our plans—and in the process, we quietly push God’s priorities to the background.

We even have cultural wisdom that reinforces this. If you’ve ever flown with a small child, you’ve heard the instruction: “Put on your own oxygen mask before helping others.” That’s the world we live in—self first, then others.

And while that makes sense at 30,000 feet, spiritually it’s dangerous. We get so focused on building our own lives that we forget to build what matters to God.

🔨 Practical Ways We Prioritize Our Own House’s Over God:

We plan meetings, errands, workouts, and social time—but time alone with God keeps getting bumped down the list.

1. We quickly invest in upgrading our homes, tech, and wardrobes... but withhold generosity.

We’ll spend thousands on comforts or hobbies, but hesitate to give to the church, missions, or someone in need.

2. We spent hours planning out our careers, or our social events... but neglect serving in the church.

3. We make time for Netflix, scrolling, and weekend getaways... but say we’re “too tired” for spiritual community or spiritual habits

None of these things are bad. But when they become central, and we find ourselves neglecting—we’re doing exactly what Israel did.

Jesus even warned about this - if you remember, he tells a parable about seeds and soils. You remember the third soil?

he says in mark that there was a third soil

Mark 4:7 ESV

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

In his explanation on this passage he says:

Mark 4:18-19

Mark 4:18–19 ESV

And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

My biggest fear for most of us, is not flat out reject the 10 commandments, or blaspheme God in some big way and become some devout atheists.

I think the biggest concern for most of us - is that we will be so distracted by the cares of the world and the desire for other things....while the house of the Lord lays desolate.

but there are consequences to doing this. And that leads me to the second thing that we see in this text - there are consequences to complacency

Consequences of Complacency (v. 5–6, 9–11)

the first consequence we see in this text is:

A. Never Having Enough (v5-6)

Haggai 1:5–6 ESV

Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 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.

The people had shifted their focus away from God’s priorities and toward their own comfort - but what they found was that they were working harder and enjoying less.

This is one of the great ironies of idolatry: the more you chase satisfaction apart from God, the less satisfied you become.

And we don’t have to look far to see this today.

We need no better example than Hollywood. You can live in a mansion, wear designer clothes, have millions of followers, and still we see suicides, drug overdoses, depression and anxiety.

Success, status, self-indulgence - yet, it’s never enough.

the football player, Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. After winning his third Super Bowl, he was interviewed on 60 Minutes

“Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? ... I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what it is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think: God, there’s got to be more than this.”

But this isn't just a celebrity problem—that’s an us problem.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV

he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

We chase the dream: more productivity, more money, more comfort, more security. But apart from God’s presence and priorities, there’s always a missing piece. You can busy yourself with your own pleasures and comforts, and build your own kingdom

And eventually, the blessings we thought would fill us leave us hungry again.

So one of the consequences of pursuing your own priorities over God’s is that they WILL NOT ultimately won't satisfy.

and second - God himself might even oppose you. because the second consequence we see in the story is:

B. Divine Opposition (v9)

Haggai 1:9 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.

God here is saying - I opposed you

That’s not just bad luck. That’s not just “life being hard.” That’s God. God is blowing their pursuits away.

Let that sink in for a second: it wasn’t the enemy that was frustrating their plans—it was the Lord.

God says, “You brought it home, you worked hard for this BUT I blew it away.” Why? “Because My house lies in ruins while you're busy with your own.”

God Himself will often lovingly frustrates our plans to get our attention.

God isn’t being petty or cruel. He’s being a good father.

Hebrews 12:6 ESV

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

He sees that our hands are full of lesser things, and sometimes, in mercy, He knocks them out of our grip so we can receive what’s better.

Sometimes what feels like failure is actually God's faithfulness—faithfulness to not let us be satisfied with anything less than Him.

It’s like a parent who sees their child playing with a dangerous object. They don’t gently reason it out—they snatch it away for their good. That’s what God is doing here. He’s not opposing to destroy, He’s disrupting to restore.

And maybe, just maybe… Some of the frustration you’ve been experiencing lately isn’t just “bad luck” or circumstance. Maybe God is blowing something away—not out of anger, but out of love. Not to ruin you, but to rebuild you.

I’ve seen him do this in my life so many times. He has had to painfully, but lovingly, strip away so many things from me so that i would lean more fully on to him.

[quote charles spurgeon here] I kiss the rock that threw me against the wave

Combo of the two (10-11)

Haggai 1:10–11 ESV

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.”

Transition

When we neglect God’s presence and priorities, we often find ourselves running on empty—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And we can even find God opposing our plans. Not out of hate, but out of love.

BUT the good news is that God doesn’t just confront his people, He calls us to more. Now let’s look at how God lovingly re-commissions His people.

God’s Commission to the People (v. 7-8)

Haggai 1:7–8 ESV

“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.

A. Go up to the mountain → Return to God’s presence and priorities. (v8a)

This command is about more than geography—it’s about direction. The people had likely settled outside Jerusalem, scattered around the region, and in doing so, their lives had slowly drifted away from the rythms of God. They weren’t necessarily rebellious… just distracted and disoriented.

So God says: “Go up to the mountain.” In other words: Do the legwork to come back to Me. Re-center. Re-align. Re-prioritize.

When we get so focused on building our own little kingdoms—our careers, our family, our social lives—we often don’t realize how far we’ve moved from God. But before anything can be rebuilt externally, we have to admit: I’ve drifted. And then… we climb.

Going up a mountain isn’t easy. It takes effort, resolve, and direction. But that’s where God is calling them. That’s where worship begins again. That’s where the work of spiritual renewal starts—not in the valley of ease, but on the mountain of intentional return.

Spiritual drift is effortless. Spiritual renewal is an uphill climb. But it's worth the climb, because that’s where the presence and priorities of God are found.

B. Bring Wood → Offer what you have, not what you don’t. (v8a)

God isn’t asking for gold or perfection—just trees. Just what they can carry. God will supply the rest, but their job is to bring their part. Obedience often begins not with this huge, massive undertaking - but simply taking a small step of faith into obedience.

C. Build the house for God’s glory and pleasure (v8b)

The temple was the visible symbol of God’s presence. Rebuilding it meant reprioritizing's worship, holiness, and mission. God calls His people to rebuild what’s been neglected so that He once again takes center stage.

Their work wasn’t just about finishing a building:

he wasn't some cranky project manager “these people told me they’d be done 3 months ago, they are so over contract!”

it wasn't about the building - it was about honoring the Builder.

“That I may be pleased... and be glorified,” says the Lord.

God delights in our obedience, not because He needs our effort, but because it displays our trust, our love, and our desire to put Him first.

The goal was never just to have a temple. The goal was to bring delight the Lord and to put His glory on display for the watching world.

And that’s still our goal today, he doesnt just want heartless activity, he wants our hearts aligned for him. Not just doing things for God, but doing them with a heart that wants Him to be pleased.

Faithful obedience is never about performance—it’s about worship.

Okay - so we’ve see the complacency of the people, we’ve see the consequences of complacey, we’ve looked at God’s call to the people - now how do we respond to this message.

The people have heard numerous messages from God, yet constantly rejected it. How do we actually do it?

Three things we need in order to answer the call (v12-15)

A. We need to “Shema” (hear/obey) the voice of the Lord (v12a)

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.

The Hebrew word hear literally means to listen. It can mean, hear, listen to, or obey - given the context. In Hebrew culture, if you heard you were supposed to obey.

B. We need to Fear of the Lord (not circumstances or other people) (v12b)

Haggai 1:12 ESV

And the people feared the Lord.

Most of our disobedience, hesitation, or compromise is rooted in misplaced fear:

Fear of what it might cost us.

Fear of how it will turn out.

Fear of letting go of control.

Fear that we’ll fail.

Fear of what people will think.

If we want to actually build what matters, we have to fear God and revere him over anything else.

This is what happened in Haggai’s day. The people didn’t just hear the word—they responded with reverent hearts that finally saw God clearly. And that holy fear became the fuel for faithful action.

C. We need the presence of God and the Power of the Spirit (v13-14a)

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,

If we actually want to build what matters - we cant do it without the Spirit and the presence of God. We will never accomplish anything meaningful in your life without the Spirit of God.

In this story, the Spirit of God stirs their hearts. That word “stirred” carries the idea of awakening, energizing, and mobilizing. God isn’t asking them to manufacture motivation—He’s supplying it.

✅ This is so important: God doesn’t call you to do something and then leave you to figure it out alone. He gives you Himself.

When your heart is cold, when you feel stuck or dry or aimless, this is where you start: Invite God to stir you again. Ask for fresh vision. Ask for renewed desire. Ask for the strength you don’t have. Ask for his presence and spirit.

The presence of God is not a bonus to our obedience—it’s the power behind it.

Conclusion

God’s final command in Haggai 1 was simple:

Haggai 1:8 ESV

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.

And the beauty of the gospel is this: God didnt ask His people to do something He wouldnt do Himself.

Because centuries later, Jesus would step on to the scene. And what would He do? despite the people’s countless failures, rejection and drifting's

He would go up the mountain—not just any mountain, but Golgotha.

He would carry a tree—not for a temple, but for a cross.

And He would build the house of the Lord—not with stones and beams, but with His own broken body.

Why? So that God would be pleased, and God would be glorified, and so that we—distracted, drifting, complacent people—could be brought home to the family of God.

Jesus obeyed perfectly where we fail consistently. He gave Himself entirely, so that we could give ourselves freely.

And now, because of Him, we don’t build out of guilt—we build out of grace. We don’t climb the mountain to earn God's approval—we climb because Jesus already carried us up it.

So today, maybe the Lord is calling you back. Back to His priorities. Back to His presence. Back to building what matters.

Not someday. Not when you feel more ready. Now.

Pick up what you’ve been putting off. Offer what you have, not what you don’t. Take the first small step. And build something for His pleasure and His glory.