Responding to God

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Haggai 1:1-15 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: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 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.

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 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. 9 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. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 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.”

The People Obey the Lord

12 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. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 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, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Quick Review

Materialism has existed since the Fall of mankind.

Haggai is speaking to a people whose heart’s have been captured by materialism’s persuasion.

The people of Haggai are no different than us and our culture.

In our materialistic age, how easy is it for God’s people to lose sight of gospel priorities and focus on personal agendas?

Haggai challenges us by asking, are we seeking God or our own pleasures and comfort?

Jesus gave this same challenge in Matthew 6:33 when He said...

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Haggai warns us that if we seek our own kingdom first, God will withhold material blessings (1:7–11).

And, His withholding is meant to gain our attention...

And, help us refocus on what truly matters...

And, who can truly satisfy…God alone.

And, that is always an expression of God’s grace and mercy.

Opening Prayer

God’s Message to the People

So, after confronting the people with their sinful mindset and behavior…v.2-4

And explaining to them that their neglect of Him is why they have had less…v.6-11

Which was a mercy from God...

Within that message that God sends through His prophet Haggai...

There is an additional message that I want us to look at this morning...

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 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.

First, we see immediately that God is straight forward with the solution.

Abandon your excuses...

And reorder your priorities.

Correctly prioritize your treasures.

Stop neglecting me.

Stop living as if you don’t need me.

Stop living as if I’m not supremely and ultimately critical to life, provision and happiness.

All things we need to hear, frequently.

But, within this message God says something remarkable.

He tells them to stop what they’re doing and start rebuilding the temple...

And, then God says He will take pleasure in the rebuilding of the Temple...

And, that He will be glorified.

8 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.

How in the world does rebuilding the Temple glorify God?

How can a temporal building made of temporal substances glorify an eternal, majestic, sovereign God..

Who cannot be contained by the Temple?!

At the surface, this statement seems way off mark.

Listen to God speaking through the prophet Isaiah...

Isaiah 1:11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts;I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.

Isaiah 66:1-2 Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord.

So, how in the world does rebuilding the Temple glorify God?

Let’s start to answer that question...

Look with me at Haggai 1:12 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.

We immediately notice a very important and proper thing...

The People Searched their Own Heart

The first and best way to hear God speaking to you...

Notice God says, “Consider your ways!”

Not, “Consider their ways!”

Our natural tendency is to think of others...

When we hear of sinful behavior and warnings against such behavior.

God wants us to be concerned, primarily, about our own behavior.

Which is exactly why Jesus said, [make sure the log is out of your own eye before you worry about the splinter in someone else’s eye.]

Now, the text says two things I want to zero in on...

First, is this...

And the people feared the Lord.

The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Obedience to God is wise.

So, the fear of the Lord always precedes obedience to the Lord.

What kind of fear is intended here?

It’s not just a reverent fear.

It is a reverent fear, but that’s not all it is.

It is in addition to reverence, that they recognized that God’s verdict of them was correct.

That they had neglected God.

They had lost interest in His presence.

That He would be just in punishing.

But, and this is critical...

And, this is where wisdom comes in with regards to our knowing God...

They also knew that He is merciful.

And, so rather than turning away from God...

They wisely turn to Him.

Rather than suppress truth they wisely obeyed.

The second thing I want us to see is...

Their Obedience

Not only did they obey...

But, something more importantly about their obedience...

Remember in Haggai 1:8…God is saying to the people, start gathering resources and use them to rebuild the Temple and let it glorify me.

What? How does a building glorify God?

What is one way by which God draws attention to His worthiness to be obeyed and worshipped?

Through the obedience of His people.

Whether you eat or drink, do it all to the glory of God.

Whether we work, build, rebuild, socialize, clean, maintain...

Use it all for the purpose of glorifying God.

In the book of Hebrews, God says...

Strive for holiness, without which you will not see the Lord

God is holy.

We imitate what we love.

We obey what/who we love.

So, when we obey the Lord, live for the Lord...

It expresses a supreme love for God...

And, we express that God is the “supreme treasure” to seek.

To a world of people trying to suppress the loveliness of God.

Jesus said, if you love me you will keep my commandments.

He didn’t say this for us to conclude obedience earned His love.

He said this for us to conclude that obedience to God is the ultimate expression of our love for Him.

So, not only does a heart of obedience glorify God...

But, the act of obedience glorifies God, as well.

So, God is not so much delighting in and being glorified in a building...

But, what the building of the Temple symbolizes.

That the people are finding their supreme treasure in God.

v.8 God is with you.

And, an additional act of mercy and grace by God towards us...

Is that the context of our obedience to God is what actually brings us the greatest:

Pleasure

Happiness

Joy

In this life and the next.

Not because we earn our salvation...

But, because in the free gift of salvation found in Christ...

God allows our joy in experience to be heightened through glorifying Him...

With and through our obedience.

And, those eternal treasures we invest in…in this life...

Will be enjoyed in the context of eternal life, as well.

God, dear Christian, is abounding in graciousness.

And, His love for His children abounds for our good and His glory.

Take-Away

We like to think the Pharisees and Religious leaders of today are so different than us.

How could they not see Jesus was the Messsiah?

How could they not hear His message and repent?

But, dear Christian, how often do we hear the Words of God and not heed them?

How often are we convicted by the Word of God and walk away indifferent and unchanged?

How often do we return right back to our old ways?

Oh that our fervent prayer would be for our omnipotent God to change us from the inside out.

Lord, give us ears to hear Your word, afresh.

Lord, give us hearts to heed Your word, afresh.

Take-Away

I want us to see the courage of God’s messenger.

Haggai knew the people.

He knew the cultural mindset.

We don’t have time for God.

We’re not interested in His glory.

He knew what could happen to prophets that spoke a message that wasn’t wanted.

But, he trusted the Lord.

He knew he couldn’t force the people to heed God’s Word.

Haggai knew that he did not have the power to change hearts.

He was, however, committed to sowing the seed.

And, let God give the increase.

Are you trusting God?

Are you sowing the seed?

Prayer Thoughts

Let’s ask God for a few things...

May we have at the forefront of our mind that our obedience to God:

Glorifies God.

Brings us supreme joy and happiness.

May we be quick to hear and quick to obey.

May we be willing sowers of the seed/evangelizers.

Closing Prayer