How Does It Look To You Now?

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER

RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

(Revised: 2019)

TEXT: Haggai 2:3-7; Philippians 2:13

Our scripture text this morning is from Haggai, the third book from the end of the OT. And in chapter 2, vs's 3-7 the prophet Haggai is delivering a message from God to the people of Israel. He says:

"`Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord.

‘Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the Lord, ‘& work. For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty.

‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.' This is what the Lord Almighty says:

‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens & the earth, the sea & the dry land. I will shake all nations, & the desired of all nations will come, & I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty."

A. Now the subject God is talking about here is an important one, & we'll get to it a little bit later in this sermon.

But right now I particularly want us to notice the question in the middle of the third verse, "How does it look to you now?" That is a good question to ask during the first few weeks of a new year, "How does it look to you now?"

1. Look back over 2018, how does it look to you now? Now we can look back & see all the hopes & dreams, disappointments & sorrows of 2018.

2. We can also ask this question about 2019. As we look forward, some prophets of doom tell us that this year is going to be a bad year. But others say that 2019 will be a great year!

B. So what do you see?

ILL. Behavioral scientists have discovered that we usually see things that we prepare ourselves to see, & that this is all centered in a network of nerve cells called the "Reticular Activating System." And everybody here today has a "Reticular Activating System." Did you know that?

The Reticular Activating System works like this. Once something has been brought to our attention & we have been prepared to see it, we'll see it virtually everywhere we go.

For example, if you decide to buy a new car & you make up your mind that you are going to buy a certain brand, a certain body style, & a certain color, all of a sudden you'll see those cars everywhere.

You'll see them on the roads, in TV advertisements, in newspapers & magazines. They're everywhere.

Now what has happened? They were always there, but the moment you focused your attention to see them, your Reticular Activating System kicked in, & suddenly you saw them everywhere.

C. It happens in other areas of life, too. We see what we are prepared to see. If we're prepared to see doom & gloom, that's what we'll see. If, on the other hand, we have prepared ourselves to see sunshine & opportunities, then that is what we are going to see.

So let's ask the question, "How does it look to you now?" & consider it in 3 different areas.

I. HOW DO YOU LOOK TO YOURSELF?

A. First of all, how do you look to yourself? When you look in the mirror, what kind of person looks back - someone who is weak, who isn't worth very much?

Or do you see an eager, optimistic person who can hardly wait for each day to begin because there are so many things to do? What do you see when you look at yourself?

I hear people say things like, "Why, I can't do that." Or, "That's just too hard." Others say, "I know I'm hard to get along with, but that's just the way I am. Lord knows, I've tried, but I can't seem to change."

But the Bible says that when God's Holy Spirit comes to live in our lives He can bring about dramatic & drastic changes, if we will let Him.

When He came into the life of Saul of Tarsus, who was persecuting the church, He changed Saul into the gentle & yet strong Apostle Paul. And He can make the same kind of changes in our lives, too.

B. But a lot depends upon what we see. How do you look to yourself? Let me challenge you from Scripture to see yourself the way God sees you.

In Philippians 2:13 God says something that ought to influence how we see ourselves. "For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey Him, and then helping you to do what He wants." (TLB)