Haggai (1:3 ) Thus speaks the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
(1:4) It is time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?
(1:5) Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!
(1:6) You have sown much and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; you drink but 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.”
(1:7) Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!
(1:8) Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord.
(1:9) 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 my house that is in ruins, while everyone one of you runs to his own house.
(1: 10) Therefore the heavens above you will withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.
(1:11) For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
Ok…
The setting is 538 BC and a man called Haggai this time is the chosen one from God to speak to the people of God…
I’m thankful that God has directed me to speak on the Minor Prophets…
Recently we have been able to learn of Amos … And Obadiah… and Now Haggai…
Haggai’s… the second shortest book in the bible
Not much is really known about the man himself… He is only mentioned just a few times in the Bible
It’s interesting that all of his prophecies occurred within a 4 month span in the second year of the Persian King Darius …
As I mentioned its 538 BC and some 50,000 Israelites was now allowed to return there home land under the spiritual guidance of Joshua the Priest.
About 2 years after their return … right about 536 BC there was a call to rebuild the temple of God that had been previously destroyed…
Unfortunately however, God saw then (much like today in many cases) opposition from neighbors and indifference by His own people caused the work of God to be abandoned and the temple remained in ruins for years…
And as it is told it was 16 years later that Haggai and then Zechariah would be commissioned by the Lord to stir up the people…
God would speak through his prophets to let the people know that it is time…
Time to start rebuilding the Temple of God…
Time to re-order our spiritual priorities
And since God had at that time because of the general apathy of His people toward Him the people had seen drought and crop failures … It also became time to see the harvest from the soil that they would ultimately sow into…
And the Prophet was told by God that if the people did these things then and only then would they see
Greater Peace…
Greater Prosperity
And a Divine ruler ship over their situations or circumstances…
And as you do the diagnostic on this passage what we learn about what Haggai was saying is that Haggai was saying to the People of God is that you are thinking like Dirt and its time to start thinking like Harvest…
And the interesting thing here is that the people then (just like today) believed that they loved God…
They sought God and His favor upon their lives…
They even had good days and bad days like we do today…
But like many of us today they may have acquired some things in life but still remained that void…
They may have possessions of life but have not really “cracked the code” of life itself…
They have seen some blessings but at the end of the day nothing still exists… There is no harvest because they have gone from blessed to broke so many times that for some reason they begin to believe that that is the way I am suppose to live and since I am supposed to live this way well maybe I will just give up on some things …
Maybe I won’t spend time with my family…
Maybe I will start hanging out in the wrong places…
Maybe I will stop thinking about the church as much …
And maybe I will just start going for self…
And as we start going for self and start wandering further and further away from God...
All the sudden we find ourselves now in a further drought season and instead of going from Blessed to broke we are now going from Broke to Broke…
We are truly in a drought season and we are so far in that we can’t see how we got to this place and we can’t seem to find our way out…
And the scary thing is that when we get to this dry season in out lives often times it is God that is the last thing we think of when we need help…
And this is what Haggai was saying in the scriptures to the People…
Look at verse 3 - 6
Haggai (1:3 ) Thus speaks the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
(1:4) It is time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?
(1:5) Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!
(1:6) You have sown much and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; you drink but 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.”
(1:7) Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!
PT. I THINK LIKE A HARVESTER, NOT LIKE DIRT
See this is the first point that I want you to get today …
The first Point is that you have to start thinking like a Harvester and Not like Dirt…
We have to stop thinking like Dirt and start thinking like a harvester…
See if you look in Webster’s dictionary you will find a definition of the word dirt that describes a foul, filthy substance…
It is the earth and the soil…
It is described as the grime and dust that surrounds our daily existence…
While the harvester is the gatherer…
When the fruit is ripened and ready to be picked up…
It’s the winner… It’s the one who gains as a result of sowing into the soil…
On the converse dirt …
Since it is part of the ground …
Dirt just lies around waiting for something or someone to do something with it…
Dirt is only as good as the seeds that are sown or placed into it…
And once sown, those seeds need regular attention and nurturing in order to grow life into the soil that it is connected to…
But the thing that you have to remember is that when you are thinking like dirt … Dirt is only good for the Harvester…
See and this is what Haggai was saying in the scripture…
Look at verse two first…
As soon as the people said what they said… God spoke … Look at Verse 3
Haggai (1:3) Thus speaks the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
(1:4) It is time for you yourselves to dwell (to live in, to stay in) in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?
(1:5) Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!
Now look closely at verse 6
(1:6) You have sown much and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; you drink but 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.”
(1:7) Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!
Say … Consider My Ways….
He says Consider Your Ways
Let me say this a different way…
Because Haggai was basically saying, You have God‘s temple in front of you and God will bless you if you sow into God’s soil but children of Israel you would rather
Sow into Wal-Mart … Best buy and Target …
We would rather spend 20- 30 a night to eat at Applebee’s, Chili’s, incredible Pizza, wings and things or my favorite P.F Changs then sow into God…
We would rather buy out the all the “beverages” of the world then sow into God…
We would rather spend $100 in Ross or $50.00 in syms and 75.00 at Macy’s then to sow into the spiritual soil…
In other words, what Haggai is saying is that we make money and because we don’t sow into the proper soil … When we get these blessings... It’s like throwing our money into a bag with holes into it…
Because at the end of the day, we can look at the clothes and the dining and the food and drink and we see that the proof of God’s word is in the pudding of our bank accounts and we can honestly look and see that sowing into these things… (Into this soil) has not brought back any harvest of meaning to us …
And that not only us but now 60% of the entire 300 million Americans in this country will retire with less than $10,000 in their account.
See and that’s when the words Consider your ways must begin to resonate in your heart and mind…
Consider your ways…
What am I doing with my Life?
What am I doing for God right now?
How am I Making a difference?
Am I Presenting my body as a Living Sacrifice unto God?
Consider your ways…
Matthew 6:19/20 Am I laying up my treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt? Or am I laying up treasures in heaven where thieves do not break in nor steal?
Consider Your Ways:
Proverbs Chapter 3: Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increases; so shall the barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst with new wine.
Haggai says that the Lord your God says consider your ways…
Luke 6:38 Give and it shall be given unto you…
Good measure… pressed down, and shaken together...
And running over, shall men give into your bosom
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured against to you again…
For much has been given much is required…
And it is for your good that God has done such a thing…
In Jesus name …
Come on and let’s praise Him in this house
In Jesus name I am a Harvester … I am not thinking like Dirt any longer…
If I want to think like dirt I will just lie around and wait for something or somebody to drop something into me…
No I am a harvester…
I’m a gatherer…
Which means that when I sow into something … I and Nurture that something … And attend to something… That I can expect a return…
But see this is where we get it all twisted…
We see all these things in the world that we want and we think that if I sow into those things they will reap the harvest…
But the secret is sowing into God first… Then once you begin to sow into God…. Watch what happens to your life spiritually, emotionally, economically, physically and psychologically…
Haggai was the one chosen to express this to the people
Look at verse 9 and we are almost ready to go home…
(1:9) 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 my house that is in ruins, while everyone one of you runs to his own house.
(1: 10) Therefore the heavens above you will withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.
(1:11) For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
See there with God there is a relationship that He has set up with his people that includes giving and receiving…
Now this has little to do with me except that I get to be the one who see’s you all blessed by the work of God…
Right now this ministry generated just under $16,000 in offerings this year and roughly 80% of those came from 3 people…
And I sow a large percentage of that into the ministry because of my belief in God and my commitment to God and His people…
But see but right now I am sowing into the ministry so that means that God is going to bless me…
And I don’t want to be the only one being blessed … I want everyone around me blessed to…
But God is going to ask you (maybe not this way but) are you a harvester or are you dirt?
Because if you are seeking a harvest you are going to have to sow into more than what Haggai talked about because we no that bag had nothing but holes in it…
Turn to Malachi 3:10 for a moment and I want to show you another way how this works…
Now Haggai said..
(1:9) 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 my house that is in ruins, while everyone one of you runs to his own house.
(1: 10) Therefore the heavens above you will withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.
(1:11) For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
Then when we go to Malachi 3/10 …. We see God telling another one of His prophets
Malachi 3:10 where the Lord thy God says prove me now … That If I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it…
And look at Verse 11
And I will rebuke the Devourer for your sakes and he will not destroy the fruits of your ground…
Say it’s for my sake…
See God told Malachi for your sake that If you gave to God’s work and His kingdom that He would Rebuke (to Rebuke means to Disapprove, or Reprimand)…
You have to remember the Devil is like a pit-bull but he is on a leash…
He has power but it is limited and minimized by the power of God…
That He would literally, disapprove and reprimand the one who comes to swallow up your blessing…
The one who comes to consume the fruit of your labor…
The one who intellectually tries to keep you as dirt and in the process comes to steal, kill and destroy what has belonged to you…
See it’s funny that you are called the seed of Abraham because even in that analogy God using you to sow into something to bring a harvest…
Think about it since you are from a seed… a seed can only bring a harvest…
And a harvest is a season when ripened crops are gathered…
And a ripened crop means that the crop is ready to be taken by the person or the entity which has beared or occupies the seed….
Tell the Lord “I’m Ready”…
Tell Him I’m Ready….
I’m ready to receive your promises…
I’m ready to look to the Harvest time
I’m ready to renew my covenant with you
I’m ready to receive what you have for me…
I’m ready…
Say I’m ready…
I’m ready…
I’m ready,
I’m ready,
And No weapon formed against me shall prosper…
I can have what you said I can have…
I receive what you want for me …
I can do all things through you…
I m ready …
Give Him praise in the House this morning…
Read Matthew 6:19 - 33 (Ask Janice or Elisha to Read)
This is the critical sentence to end this message today…
We have talked about and learned abut the difference between Harvester thinking and soil thinking…
We have learned about the relationship that God has with His people in relationship to His people… That when you give to God and His work… God will bless you…
But before we go home I want to have Janice Read this passage to you because some of us even after hearing Haggai and Malachi, Isaiah the Satan is still messing with you saying you will never be able to do this and do not trust in God with you resources and your time …
Well let’s close with what God Him self said about that…
Read Matthew 6:19-33
Stop Right there at … Remember what Haggai said? He said…
(1:6) You have sown much and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; you drink but 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.”
Matthew (6:31) Lining perfectly with God 550 years later in history Look what Jesus said in verse 31
(6:31) therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(6:32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But here is the critical piece… The lynch pin of this message and the takeaway on how to stop thinking like dirt and how to start thinking like a harvester…
(6:33) But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you…
One day I need to preach a message just on that verse of scripture …
But for now I want to give you this… Because I love you and I want what I know is the best for you in your personal relationship with God and this ministry…
But I want to tell you this …
You will have everything you have asked God for and In some cases much much more…
Some of us here are going to be blessing beyond what we have ever imagined in our lives…
And you know what? It won’t be a fluke at all…
But unfortunately….some of us won’t … And the difference between those that will and those that won’t will be Matthew 6:33.
In other words… Most of society hasn’t figured out yet that if God is sincerely first in your life… Not only will you get it … But you will keep it…
And also… If God is not sincerely in your life… You need to pray and you need to take a little time to study what you don’t understand or believe so that you have that understanding…
Because my goal is to ensure that everyone I come in contact with has the opportunity to go to heaven…
You will live eternally in one of two destinations…
And some may believe it doesn’t matter one way or the other…
And that they are all crazy about something that just doesn’t matter…
Well all I know is that if your right then then I guess we both lose but If we are right its going to be another instance all together…
Young lady e-mailed me yesterday saying that her mother was stricken with a Kidney Ailment…
(Latonya Ellis Kidney Failure Victim Story)…
Cancer Victim…
If you are thinking to yourself… man I really don’t know where I would go if I died today…
If you want to ensure that if something happened to you that you will be in heaven with your parents… or your grand mama…
Well if the bible says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.... you will be saved…
If you believe that I want you to come….
Tired of being anything less than a harvester? Now is the time to begin believing on God for what his word says…
