Look What You've Gotten Into Series

Look What You’ve Gotten Into!

Time to Rebuild – Part IV

Haggai 2:10-19

April 15, 2007

Haggai 2:10-12 (NLT)

On December 18 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord sent this message to the prophet Haggai: [11] "This is what the Lord Almighty says! Ask the priests this question about the law: [12] If one of you is carrying a holy sacrifice in his robes and happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?"

The priests replied, "No."

It’s Not Contagious

 The example of consecrated meat

 The consecration doesn’t transfer by contact

 Consecration does not occur by accident

 The unholy remains unholy

Haggai 2:13 (NLT)

Then Haggai asked, "But if someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then brushes against any of the things mentioned, will it be defiled?"

And the priests answered, "Yes."

That’s Going to Leave a Stain

 Contamination

 Occurs easily

 Negative influences easily spread

 Gossip

 Slander

 Moral compromise

Haggai 2:14 (NLT)

Then Haggai said, "That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled.

It’s All About the Heart

 Religious activity doesn’t purify

 The purification process

 Repentance

 Obedience

 Examining what lies within

It Gets on Everything

 Sinful living spreads

 To others

 To every area of life

 Even to our religious practices

 Selfish motives

 Only God’s cleansing will remove the taint

Haggai 2:15-17 (NLT)

So think about this from now on—consider how things were going for you before you began to lay the foundation of the Lord’s Temple. [16] When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty. [17] I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy all the produce of your labor. Yet, even so, you refused to return to me, says the Lord.

Comfortably Numb

 God disciplines His children

 Hand of correction

 Financial

 Relational

 Quality of life

 The numbing power of sin

 The longer we ignore discipline

 Becomes easier over time

Haggai 2:18-19 (NLT)

"On this eighteenth day of December—the day when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid—carefully consider this: [19] I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn, before you have harvested your grain and before the grapevine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have produced their crops. From this day onward I will bless you."

Incentive to Work

 God honors obedience

 Sending encouragement

 Giving increase

 The incentive of blessing

 Provides encouragement to do more

 Sustains during the hard times

 Keeps us moving forward

**powerpoint available on request