Proper Perspectives / Putting God First

Perspective how one looks at something and how one looks at a situation can make a lot of difference. Think about the people who thought they were some of the luckiest people alive when they were able to secure a ticket on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, and the ones who considered themselves unfortunate to have missed out on the opportunity. How different the perspective is from this side of that fateful voyage.

Perspective, how something is viewed based upon where it is viewed from, or how it is observed. Optical illusionists, commonly called magicians, make a living, or at least attempt to entertain, based upon how people are allowed to view what is happening. Their tricks are performed in ways that conceal what is really happening so the mind of the observer has to fill in missing information, usually incorrectly. Yet, I had an opportunity in high school to get a behind the scenes look at a couple of tricks and once you saw them from a different perspective it made a lot of difference to what was believed to be happening.

Then there is my favorite from of perspective recently. When one is younger they can hardly wait to grow up, move out on their own and have no rules. And there are days I wish I could go back and play outside all morning, take a nap and play out side for a couple more hours, and not have to worry about making money to pay the bills.

Sometimes perspective seems comical but other times they are serious and even life threatening. This morning’s text shows what happens with misplaced perspective. The Israelites, or a small portion of them, had returned to the Promised Land when Cyrus and the Medes and Persians conquered the Babylonians. Yet they missed the important when they returned home. That’s where we are this morning. In the book of Haggai chapter 1:2-11

Haggai 1:2-11

Haggai 1:2–11 NASB95

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” ’ ” Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. “Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. “I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.”

I. Misplaced Priority

A. Finished Houses

1. And being enjoyed

2. #1 priority

3. Getting life together

4. Priorities Me and My

a. My time

b. My money

c. My enjoyment

d. My Time

5. Things like

a. Job

b. Social media

c. Entertainment

B. Unfinished Temple

1. Lack of respect for God

2. Not lack of ability

a. People who could

b. Materials

3. Simply not acting

II. Undesired Consequences

A. Necessities

1. Some

2. Not enough

3. Even what you think you have disappears, or doesn’t go far enough.

4. Inflation

5. Market crashes

6. Unexpected expenses

7. Your investment advisor was Bernie Madoff

B. God’s Blessings

1. Covenant promises

2. Joy

3. Peace

4. Never promises that we will be overwhelmed, but that we can learn to be content in Him.

Conclusion: If our perspective is wrong, then what we do, where we spend our time and energy and even where we spend our money can and often is misplaced. That’s where Israel was, they undervalued their relationship with God and focused on their values rather than on rebuilding the Temple as they had been allowed and encouraged to do.

We might not always even realize where our perspective is not what it should be until we something from a different perspective. That is one of the things that they minor prophets are of value for. They help us to see things from God’s perspective, instead of the perspective of a sin cursed world. They help us then to align our perspective to God’s so that we can see thing clearly.