First Things First

Haggai 1:1-9

1 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

2 "Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: 'This people says, "The time has not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built." ' "

3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

4 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?"

5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways!

6 "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes."

7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways!

8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the LORD.

9 "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.

After 70 years of exile, and being able to return to Jerusalem, the city begin to have some kind normalcy. Homes were built, stores opened, commerce established, fields planted, crops harvested.

They even tried rebuilding the Temple, but without much success and then something terrible happen, they got used to life without the Temple.

The foundations were probably overgrown with weeds.

They had not taken care of God's house.

Fourteen to 16 years passed, and then Haggai comes with a message: It's time to finish rebuilding the Temple.

Excuses

Verse 2-"Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: 'This people says, "The time has not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built." ' "

We can come up with all kinds of excuses, why we don’t attend church, read our bible, pray, tithe, evangelize.

We’ll get more active when the kids older!

We’ll go to church more when we get older!!

We’ll be more active when things slow down at work!

We’ll give more, when we get some of these bills paid off!

I’ll read my bible more when I have a little bit more time, things are hectic right now!

I’d pray more, but I just forget too!

I’d pray more, but when I do, I dose off!

If you looking for perfect time to get more involved, the perfect time read your bible more, the perfect time to give more, There ain’t one!!!

Let me say, if you are looking for the perfect church….There ain’t one of those either!! (At least not here on earth!)

The devil is going to make sure, there ain’t no perfect time, no perfect place, so that you won’t serve the Lord like your suppose too!!

Verse 4-"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?"

I like this preacher, his kind of a smart-aleck!

“Hey, I know you say that, don’t have time or it’s not time to rebuild the temple but I notice your houses have roofs on them!”

They made sure they took care of themselves, before they took care of the place they worshipped God!

The condemnation wasn’t because they had homes, it wasn’t even if they had nice homes, the problem was how long did the house of God lay in ruin after their houses was built!!

The indictment is that comes to us, is spending all our money on ourselves, and not giving of our tithe or not helping anyone else!

That’s what gets us in trouble!!

Spending countless hours on our own pursuits, and very little time on the things of God!!

Spending countless hours, and money working on our own house, and not spending any time or effort, or money to fix up, or keep up the house of God!!

(Doors that won’t shut or lock right, painting that needs to be done, green mold on the back of the church)

The problem is we revert back to the excuses again….I don’t have time, that’s not my job, I don’t want offend someone by doing it!!

God’s house should be the best looking building in the neighborhood!!

It’s way too easy to get wrapped up in the things we desire, and forget about what God desires!!

It’s easy to surrender to our will and not surrender to God’s will!!