Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Conscientiousness
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Misplaced Priorities
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”
(Haggai 1:2 ESV)
“These People” (verse 2)
Not “my people”
Devine rebuke.
This is not going to be a good message.
“These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”
Jerusalem, including the temple, was destroyed by Babylonians.
15 years had passed since the foundation was laid
Got some resistance and stopped.
Temple still remained in ruins.
You learn to live with a lot of things.
You know it is something you need to do
Eventually it just fades into the scenery.
We are restoring our house
Coming across things that needed my attention years ago.
God’s people were in that same place.
“Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,” (Haggai 1:3 ESV)
If living with a destroyed temple wasn’t bad enough, God brings their apathy into perspective in verse 4.
“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4 ESV)
paneled houses – luxury in that time.
Special lumber would need to be cut, brought in and then installed.
All this while the temple (God’s house) lays in ruins.
At some point you don’t even notice the temple anymore.
You didn’t need a “sign” to make your place look nice.
In other words, God is calling them out on how ridiculous their excuses are.
(Well, God, when you say it like that.)
God is calling out their misplaces priorities.
They were busy “building a good life for themselves”
Meanwhile God’s dwelling was in shambles.
Their own houses (which represent them) where something to be admired.
God’s house (which represents God & His activity in their lives) was an embarrassment.
The importance of God’s house:
Where God dwelled
A sign to the world of God’s presence with His people
A sign to God’s people of His covenant relationship with them, which would one day bring the Messiah.
Why is this important to us, today?
Today’s temple is the church, the body of Christ.
Fruitless Prosperity
“Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.”
Haggai 1:5 (ESV)
Consider your ways #1…
Let’s just put this in perspective for a second.
“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.”
(Haggai 1:6 ESV)
All this work you do to “build a life for yourself” … for nothing.
How many can relate to this scenario.
“…And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.”
These people had seen some bad times for sure.
We can relate to their desire to build a live for themselves.
But not at the expense of ignoring God’s house.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.”
Haggai 1:7 (ESV)
“Consider your ways” #2
After God focuses their attention.. then He opens their eyes
He shows them what is really going on.
(Verses 8-9)
· (Verse 8):
This is what you should be doing.
“You looked for much, and behold, it came to little.
And when you brought it home, I blew it away.”
Wait…WHAT?!!!
So not only was a profit hard to come by, when you did get one, God blew it away?
Why would God do that?
….funny you should ask.
“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’s house: (reminder from verse 4)
Where God dwelled
A sign to the world of God’s presence with His people
A sign to God’s people of His covenant relationship with them, which would one day bring the Messiah.
Why is this important to us, today?
Today’s temple is the church, (the body of Christ.)
So, how do we connect this to our giving in the Church today?
Tithing is a descriptive term from the Old Testament.
(10%)
New Testament there is no longer a legal system to tithe.
(more like 26%)
New Testament is really more about GIVING.
This really calls our priorities into view.
When our priorities honor God and His work, He does gives us promises to lean on.
(BUT) This isn’t the prosperity Gospel.
God’s main priority is NOT your prosperity.
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