010 God's Call to Full Obedience (part 2)
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10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet,
11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law:
12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.”
14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.
15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord,
16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.
17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord.
18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider:
19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”
Introduction:
What do you want most in life?
I wan’t God’s blessing.
On my family.
On my ministries.
On my disciple-making relationships.
On our church.
This passage talks about how to get God’s blessing.
God’s blessing in the Old Testament was different than it is today.
God’s blessing was primarily physical in the Old Testament.
God’s blessing is primarily spiritual in the New Testament.
We are going to go through this passage backwards.
1. God’s blessing comes when we make obedience our priority.
1. God’s blessing comes when we make obedience our priority.
15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord,
16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.
17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord.
18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider:
19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”
(1) A. When we don’t obey, God will discipline us.
(1) A. When we don’t obey, God will discipline us.
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.
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
(1) B. When obedience is our priority, we will gain true blessing from Him.
(1) B. When obedience is our priority, we will gain true blessing from Him.
19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”
God’s blessing is the most important thing we can have while we work.
God’s blessing is the most important thing we can have while we work.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
God has already given us all the blessings we need.
God has already given us all the blessings we need.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
The scope of our blessings is all encompassing.
The scope of our blessings is all encompassing.
ALL
Every possible blessing for time and eternity.
The nature of our blessings is spiritual.
The nature of our blessings is spiritual.
Spiritual blessing.
Especially mentioned in vs 1-14
choosing us
making known the mystery of His will
adopting us
giving us an inheritance.
The place of our blessings is heavenly.
The place of our blessings is heavenly.
These are the blessings we want.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Our citizenship is there.
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.
Our treasure should be there.
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Our mind and affections should be there.
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
The place of our blessings is heavenly.
The place of our blessings is heavenly.
Our hope is there.
So… If...
God’s blessing is the most important thing we can have when serving Him.
AND… we have already been given ALL blessings. Why don’t we always see God’s blessing?
Five things that may cause us to miss God’s blessing.
Five things that may cause us to miss God’s blessing.
1. We are not submitting to God’s will.
1. We are not submitting to God’s will.
Simply put, we are not obeying.
When they started submitting, they recieved blessing.
Blessing meant restoration with God!
2. We have not asked for God’s blessing.
2. We have not asked for God’s blessing.
2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
This is not about asking God to bless what we are doing.
Rather, we are aligning our hearts with His.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
2. We have not asked for God’s blessing.
2. We have not asked for God’s blessing.
Then continuously recognizing that we need Him for this to be anything at all.
3. We have wrong motives.
3. We have wrong motives.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
3. We have wrong motives.
3. We have wrong motives.
We are doing it because have to.
We are trying to do it with our own abilities
We are doing it for our own good.
We are doing it to please someone else.
4. There are other areas of unconfessed sin in our lives.
4. There are other areas of unconfessed sin in our lives.
We talked about sin.
5. We are not willing to do it God’s way.
5. We are not willing to do it God’s way.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
5. We are not willing to do it God’s way.
5. We are not willing to do it God’s way.
Now that we have seen the importance of and how to not miss God’s blessing, let’s understand a couple more things...
God’s blessing is not always seen immediately.
God’s blessing is not always seen immediately.
The seeds were planted. They were waiting on the harvest.
These are days of trusting God’s promise even though you cannot see it yet.
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
We don’t like to wait for anything. Especially God’s blessing.
We always need to remember God’s TIMING.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
God’s blessing is not always seen immediately.
God’s blessing is not always seen immediately.
God’s blessing does not mean we have no problems, but that He will work them for our good and His glory.
God’s blessing does not mean we have no problems, but that He will work them for our good and His glory.
The Jews were still under foreign rule.
Enemies were still on their borders.
They were still just a small remnant with a huge job.
The greatest blessings we receive are not earthly blessings.
The best blessings are those that are waiting for us in glory.
The ones we will never see on earth, but are eternal.
The bible tells us that to receive those blessings, we need to walk through struggles here.
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
God’s blessing does not mean we have no problems, but that He will work them for our good and His glory.
God’s blessing does not mean we have no problems, but that He will work them for our good and His glory.
THEME: Obedience brings blessing!