004 A Crystallization of Discontent or A Holy Discontentment? (Part 3)
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1. God delivered a message to His people.
1. God delivered a message to His people.
2. There was an indifference to the mission.
2. There was an indifference to the mission.
3. The people gained a Holy discontentment.
3. The people gained a Holy discontentment.
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.”
3. The people gained a Holy discontentment.
3. The people gained a Holy discontentment.
(2) A. The people were called to consider what was happening.
(2) A. The people were called to consider what was happening.
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways.”
This is a personal challenge.
Your way, not your neighbors way, not their enemy.
Your own way.
I tend to judge myself according to other people.
And I find people who don’t have it together as well as I do.
I also tend to make excuses according other’s decisions.
If they are doing it, then I will too.
God said look at yourself.
This was a challenge to examine their lives.
Consider your way of life.
Give careful attention to their decisions.
59 When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
(2) A. The people were called to consider what was happening.
(2) A. The people were called to consider what was happening.
We need to regularly think about our lives.
When you do that, compare it to who God is and what His expectations are for us.
Not the God that we have made Him to be.
Not what we have made His expectations to be.
Not as a God that we add on to our life.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
(2) A. The people were called to consider what was happening.
(2) A. The people were called to consider what was happening.
I no longer live.
My wants.
My desires.
My will.
My time.
Anything that is MINE no longer matters.
It has been crucified with Christ.
The only reason I live is because of Christ who gave Himself for me.
When I consider my life, my way...
This is the standard I need to use.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
(2) A. The people were called to consider what was happening.
(2) A. The people were called to consider what was happening.
This is our measuring stick.
Does my life match up to a Holy God?
You may say that: “God can’t expect those things of me...”
Isaiah’s proper view of God caused him to consider his way.
He saw that he was an undone man.
Yet those sins were forgiven.
This moved him to action!
Our theology determines our practice.
Our view of God drives our decisions.
The Jew’s view of God was low.
They let persecution stop them.
They walked passed the foundation of the temple daily.
While it was in ruins they were building luxurious houses for themselves.
It was time to consider the decisions they had been making.
(2) B. The people finally realized what God had been doing.
(2) B. The people finally realized what God had been doing.
They consider their lives!
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.
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.”
(2) B. The people finally realized what God had been doing.
(2) B. The people finally realized what God had been doing.
They were struggling economically.
Their homes were nice, but they were working harder that they should normal.
They were not gaining ground.
You have planted a lot and harvested a little bit.
The people were disappointed.
You eat, but you are not full.
The people were discontent.
You earn wages but you put them in a bag with holes.
Not only were the farmers struggling but those who worked.
They were paid in grain.
The picture was that the grain would unknowingly drain out.
They worked hard but there was nothing left over at the end of the month - if they were able to make ends meet.
This had been going on for a while, but in their indifference they were not seeing the problem.
God calls this problem out.
He jolts them awake.
A Crystallization of Discontent or A Holy Discontentment?
A Crystallization of Discontent or A Holy Discontentment?
Study’s show that almost everyone wants to change something about their life.
Their social status.
Their budget.
Their personality.
Their career.
The list goes on and on.
This is rooted in discontentment.
Strikingly, not everyone is doing something about it.
Psychologist Roy Baumeister had a thought he called “crystallization of discontent”.
Once people begin to see patterns of shortcoming they reshuffle their cor values and priorities to improve things.
This makes sense but often this kind of outward change doesn’t last.
It is more important that we have a holy discontentment.
When we begin to look around and see possible years of decisions in our lives have brought us to a point we are not content with.
Sometimes we wake up from one big event, but often it is through the process of becoming aware of many thing that become a tipping point.
God gave the people of Judah a Holy Discontentment.
11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Slothful: a delay
Zeal: diligence and purpose but denoting the urgency that the purpose is carried out.
14 for everything made visible is light. Therefore it says, Wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
15 Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the most of the time because the days are evil.
A Crystallization of Discontent or A Holy Discontentment?
A Crystallization of Discontent or A Holy Discontentment?
Lexham English Bible
As Haggai delivered the message, the people woke up!
(2) C. The people finally realized what needed to change.
(2) C. The people finally realized what needed to change.
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.
(2) C. The people finally realized what needed to change.
(2) C. The people finally realized what needed to change.
Sometime the way out of our indifference is easier than we think.
a. There was a clear plan of action out of their indifference.
a. There was a clear plan of action out of their indifference.
There was a clear direction to point their Holy Discontentment.
They were now aware of their discontentment because of their indifference.
Haggai will deliver God plan for them to act on. GO CUT TREES
This is not the only thing that needs done, but it is the first step.
I wonder if God thought they would get overwhelmed.
So He gave them the first step.
This is really the simplest part.
It is the very first thing.
Where is your indifference?
What areas of life have you identified that you have been more concerned about self than God?
Do you know what you need to do to fix it?
What is the first step?
Maybe there is something you need to quit doing to make time for something you should be doing.
Maybe its as simple as setting in your calendar or setting a reminder on your phone.
God didn’t tell them to complete the task.
God told them to begin the task!
There was a clearly defined plan of action. Do you have one?
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
a. There was a clear plan of action out of their indifference.
a. There was a clear plan of action out of their indifference.
Get in the Bible...
Profitable for reproof, correction, training in righteousness.
The Bible gives you a clear plan of action.
b. There was a specific outcome given if they followed the plan of action.
b. There was a specific outcome given if they followed the plan of action.
God would be take pleasure in it and would be glorified.
Would you rather spend time spinning your wheels on earthly things or do things that bring pleasure and glory to our GREAT GOD?
Are things I am doing bringing pleasure to God or myself?
What are you investing in?
What are you investing in?
Haggai is written to people who were investing too much in the wrong things.
You and I need to ask… are we investing in the right things.
If I asked to invest a significant amount of money and time into my company but I also told you that this company was going under in a few years.
You would not do it.
You might call me crazy.
You would warn all your friends not to take the offer.
But here’s the thing...
You and I make those investments everyday.
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Once again a reminder of what it looks like to truly lay up treasures in heaven.
1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?
20 For you are our glory and joy.
What are you investing in?
What are you investing in?