"Consider Your Ways” Series

Sermon – “Consider Your Ways”

Scripture Text: Haggai Chapter 1-15

Introduction: Let me share a story with you about some church people… It’s about 4 people in the church whose names were Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. The story goes as follows, “The church had some financial responsibilities, and Everybody was asked to help… Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it… Anybody could have done it… But you know who did it? Nobody… It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Then the church grounds needed some work, and Somebody was asked to help… But Somebody got mad, because Anybody could have done it, and after all, it was really Everybody’s job… In the end the work was given to Nobody, and Nobody did a fine job.

On & on it went… Whenever work was to be done, Nobody could always be counted on… Nobody visited the sick, Nobody gave his time, Nobody shared his faith… In short, Nobody was a very faithful member…

Finally, the day came when Somebody left the church and took Anybody and Everybody with him… Guess who was left. Nobody! Isn’t that a sad story?

Consider Your ways. The Message translation says, “Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over.” Have you looked around lately? What’s going on? The pop singer, Marvin Gaye in his hit song said, “Mother, mother, There's too many of you crying; Brother, brother, brother, There's far too many of you dying. You know we've got to find a way, To bring some loving here today, yea! Father, father, We don't need to escalate. You see, war is not the answer, For only love can conquer hate, You know we've got to find a way, To bring some loving here today.” The question is still relevant today, what’s going on?

Today, the church faces the same issue it did in Haggai’s time. Many believers have convinced themselves that it’s not the right time to return to the church house nor is it time to do the work of the ministry. The believers in Haggai’s day put off work on God’s House and turned their focus to their own homes. Today many believers have their priorities in life mixed up just like in Haggai’s day, which will rob them of personal satisfaction and hinder the flow of God’s blessings in their lives just like it did the Israelites in Haggai’s day.

Listen to our Scripture Text from Haggai Chapter One,

“On August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’” Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!”

7-11 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”

12-15 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!” So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign.