Haggai (10)

Background: Approximately 50,000 of God’s people had returned to Jerusalem after being in exile for nearly 70 years. They had been commissioned by Cyrus , king of Persia, to rebuild God’s temple. However, because of distress, discouragements, and distraction they had left the construction project untouched for 15 years. Now, through the prophet Haggai, God is summonsing His people to get to work.

Transition: Three major truths about God, which will then inform our own understanding about ourselves as God’s people.

God Declares

right time, through right person, to right people.

What did He say?

Rebuild the house (1:8),

Consider your ways (1:5,7, 2:15,18)

I have called for a drought, I struck you 1:11

I am with you. 1:13

Be strong and work (2:4-5

I will shake and make (2:7&21)

A. When the shake-able expectations of our lives are broken off, what is left?

I will give peace (2:9)

I will bless you (2:19)

God’s mercy provokes godliness.

I have chosen you (2:23)

2. Point: Who is it speaking? God’s word never fails. God’s word stirs a right response. (1:12-15)

a. Obeyed, feared, Hebrew 1

3. Application: What is my current attitude toward God’s word? Knowing full well that we cannot separate God’s word from God Himself. Sometimes we think that I can love God and be in faithful relationship to Him but not obey the Bible. The Bible is God’s revealed word and therefore contains the revelation of God Himself. To not obey the Scriptures is to not obey God. What is my attitude toward the Scriptures? Anything other response that obedience reveals one of two possibilities. Either, I am His child and am directly disobeying my Father and willfully sinning and should therefore expect to be disciplined. Or I am not His at all and I'm simply play some religious game where I get to pick and choose what parts of God I think is best for my life.

God Disciplines

Warning against the sin of self glory. in relationship to their distress, disappointment, and distraction. The parable of soils as a teaching to inform the main problem. SEEKING SATISFACTION OUTSIDE OF OBEYING GOD.When God is glorified we are satisfied. Some have suggested that the main problem of the remnant people here was misplaced priorities. They simply need to put God first and all these things will be added to them. That may be true in part, but their problem is much deeper. They are in fact guilty of forsaking God’s covenant. Their sin is that of unfaithfulness to the word of God. They have selfishly busied themselves with their own glories.

Jesus satisfies God’s holy requirements to make His people His dwelling place.

God’s discipline is loving and transforming (Hebrews 12:1-11)

Consider our ways, strength, and hope.

3. Application: Are we practicing the rhythm of repentance?

God Decides

1. Why would God decide to have His temple rebuilt? What makes this building project so important? From the beginning, God decided to dwell with His creation. However, when Adam sinned there was separation between God and humanity. Sin caused a wall. The only way for that wall to be broken down was God initiating a way for our sin to be cleansed. The temple served as the place where God would receive sacrifice for sin and forgive His people. All of the regulations that surrounded the temple were a picture of what God had decided before the foundations of the world to accomplish through His Son Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of the temple. This rebuilding of the temple teaches us that God planned to use a particular people in order to save a peculiar people.

a. The Holy Spirit is God’s signet ring seal upon those who are in Christ. The church is being built up as the temple of God.

2. Application: Since the birth of the church, she has continually had to fight against a false identity. What we might call an identity crisis. This is true of local congregations throughout the ages, and it is true for those of you who are members of Hillcrest. We have often viewed ourselves as something less than how God views us. As a result, many individuals who make up the collective body of Christ will impose our own definitions and conclusions about how we should build God’s temple. Sadly, this pragmatic approach leads to a crashing down of the walls of what we suppose is Jesus’ church. We may be tempted to be discouraged as we look around and assume that God has decided to remove our lampstand. Maybe we are not going to last. Do not loose heart. Yes, there is no doubt that in revelation chapters 2-3, the King of the church, Jesus Christ has told His church that if we do not repent, He will remove our lampstand. However, He also said in Matthew 16 that ...”I will build by church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” So what about it church? What if God has granted us the great privileged of receiving His loving discipline and has decided to break down our thinly built walls so that we can repent by landing on the firm foundations of His Son? What if what we have before us today is an opportunity to build upon the cornerstone of Christ and be the people He has chosen us to be? Not groping for gadgets and gizmos. Not building with wood , hay ,and stubble. Rather, for His glory, being built together as His dwelling place, according to His Word!