What The World Needs Now Is A Word From God.
Haggai Sermon Series (2 of 3) 7/31/11 FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson Speaker
Introduction:
A We could overlook the significance of the time stamp on this text (2.1) if weren’t careful.
1 Stuff means stuff to God (Numbers, colors, dates have significance to Him.) (You will see this in late September when I begin teaching about the Tallit/Prayer Shawl.)
a “On the twenty-first of the seventh month . . .”
b Lev. 23.33,34; 41-43
aa Feast of Booths, which was/is a God appointed time to remember the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, sleeping in tents while they enjoyed the manifest presence/Shekinah glory of God 24 hours a day.
bb 1 Kings 8.2, Solomon dedicated the Temple he built during the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths!
cc From Solomon’s Temple sacrifice would have been offered on its alters, worship offered up to God, ministry performed to the Lord.
c Zerubbabel’s Temple would be continuation of this things and the encouragement given on the 21st of the seventh month is just confirmation! (Times change but ministry goes on!)
2 The people Zerubbabel was leading in the rebuilding of the Temple were not just building wall, but they were also hitting a wall spiritually. DISCOURAGED
a There were people still around who had seen Solomon’s Temple with their own eyes (Zerubbabel one of them) and all they heard was how elegant, opulent the former Temple was and it was.
aa The older generation would constantly talk about back in the day were when they were kids/coming up had this/did that and the old was much better the new.
bb (Ceilings, doors, floors, walls, furniture, molding, etc. were all covered w/ gold.)
cc (We saw Solomon’s Temple. You guys are building a Sanford & Son Temple.)
b The attitude of the older generation were crushing the younger generations spirit, tainted their attitude and discouraged them from doing what God had called them to do for that time.
c Our attitudes effect those who serve, labor, work, worship beside us.
3 Last week we learned how God dealt with 16 years of excused absences.
a How Israel allowed the oppositions opinions, money, selfishness to side-track them from fulfilling their destiny/calling for 16 years.
aa God sent the prophet Haggai to preach four sermons over about a four month period to them moving again.
b Learned how they obeyed, worshiped & went back to work on the Lord’s House. Stirred their heart.
B Today, we’ll resume this mini-sermon series with “Changing Your Attitude Altars Your Altitude”
1 We will see how . . .
a Courage is an attitude (state of mind, world-view).
b Attitudes can adjusted by the Almighty (You are not predestined to be negative, bitter, critical, scoffer, mocker).
2 Pray
I Courage is an attitude (Courage (chazaq) is used over 300 times in Scripture.)
A Three times God encourages the Temple Builders to take courage (2.4)
1 These are the same people He shredded in chapter 1 for their excuses, apathy, flawed priorities, allowing the enemy to stop the work in the first place, etc.
a You may have been disobedient, disengaged, disingenuous, derelict in Christian duty, fallen away, dropped out, embarrassed your family, friends, church . . . but God still has a destiny for you.
b If you get right with Him, He’ll have a word for you.
2 Take Courage can mean to be agile, quick, be strong, conquer, be consistent, be alert, to bind or to restrain. (opposite of cowardice.)
a The temple builders (Jews) had became discouraged in their building project.
aa Three weeks before they were on fire, revival, broken, restored, back on track...
bb Now, they are bummed out.
b This was the enemies plan “B.”
aa If the enemy couldn’t keep them from building the Lord’s House then he would attack their attitude of how they did the work!
bb The devil is just as content if we defeat ourselves as if he had done it himself.
c Solomon’s Temple was opulent, elegant, extravegent, lavish, moneyed.
aa They’d say to themselves, “What we’re doing is nothing compared to Solomon’s Temple. We’re just stacking blocks . . . we have no gold, no ark, no contents . . . just stacking blocks.”
bb v.3, God & Haggai agree it isn’t no Solomon’s Temple.
d God says, “Your not building Solomon’s Temple; you’re building my house!”
aa God doesn’t ask them to do what they and Him cannot do together; give what they cannot give; go where they cannot go with Him together.
bb The people were beating themselves up because what they were doing/building didn’t seem like much.
cc Zechariah 4.9,10, “God doesn’t despise small things...why should we?”
dd I think it is a devil’s victory when we hold ourselves to a higher standard than what God holds us to. (Where does the bible tells us not to dance?)
e This is not an excuse to be happy with small churches, small Sunday Schools, small baptismal ratios.
aa God deserves our absolute best.
bb Col. 3.23
B Our attitudes are our choice (and they can go bad).
1 “Take Courage” Zerubbabel, Joshua, People . .. “and work.” v.3 (What just happened?)
a Being fearful, discouraged, worried, bitter, overwhelmed are not excuses God accepts from us to sit on the bench.
b We have been called to serve even when we don’t feel like it, feel the urge . . . go to work!
aa If you only did it when you felt like it you’d never do it.
bb Do it and the feeling will come!
2 How could they do that, preach? God assured them that He was with them! (V.3)
a He promised He’d be with Jews in the wilderness after leaving Egypt and His promises endure! He gave His Word!
b "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."Isaiah 40:8
I am with you!
C God loves these words “Take Courage, for I am with you.”
1 On day Jesus was ministering to a group of about 5,000 and after ministering He decides to go up on the hilltop to pray alone and sends His disciples on ahead of him in their boat on the Sea of Galilee.
a Matt. 14.24-27
aa Two important words here: battered & contrary.
bb Battered means tortured/torn apart; contrary means no matter how much the disciples tried to move their sails, the wind would change directions. (IL. Sitting by a campfire trying to avoid smoke, move chair & smoke follows)
cc The disciples were in a desperate situation, no matter what they did nothing seemed to help their situation . . . sound familiar?
b Matthew tells us that the fourth watch (darkest/latest hour of the night) is when Jesus chose to show Himself and says, “Take courage, it is I . . .do not be afraid.” v.27b.
aa Remember, it was Jesus who sent them out and where God guides, He’ll provide.
bb Take courage . . . He is with us!
2 We all know what it is like to be battered in a contrarey world!
a Norway, Japan, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen have been shaken this year; Israel shaken by fears of an Iranian nuclear attack, Greece shaken by unprecedented debt crisis...We know it too!
b We face arguably the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression (No nation can spend there way to prosperity coupled with inept politicians we’re in bad shape.)
aa What if these events are not random?
bb Haggai 2.6-7
c What if God is shaking the nations?
aa The prophecy was clear in Haggai’s time & Ours, too.
bb The Lord shakes nations, individuals, institutions that we might let go of everything that doesn’t bring true, eternal peace!
cc He desires to take everything out of our hands so we might turn to Him.
3 The Lord gives us strength, courage, peace in the middle of the storm.
a Too often we expect Jesus to give us courage/peace by freeing us from the chaos when what He really wants is for us to take His peace into the chaos and go to work!
b He should glory in the promise that He is . . .
aa from above, Just rewarder of all who seek Him,
bb giver of abundant life, more than we could ask for or think
cc Sabbath rest, fountain of life, giver of wisdom.
dd First & last, author & finisher of my faith, ruler of the night & day, king forever & ever.
c I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalms 121:1-4 (NASB)
aa I’m not taking worry, regret, fear, depression, bitterness, thoughts of suicide, over whelmed . . . taking courage because God is with me.
bb With you when your best friend moves, ICU, babies dead, don’t feel like getting out of bed, husband doesn’t kisses you anymore, doctor says you have cancer, children break your hearts . . . He is with You!
Conclusion
A The builders where bummed because they couldn’t decorate the Lord’s House with Gold/Silver.
1 Haggai 2. 8,9
a The gold, silver is mine anyway!
aa Ps. 50.10,
bb God is telling us that, “All I have is yours and all you see is mine!”
b v.9, Latter glory!
aa What does that mean? Solomon’s Temple had gold, silver, elegance . . . but lacked the one thing that Zerubbabel’s Temple would have.
bb Mk. 11.11 This temple would have Jesus!
2 I’d rather have Jesus than silver, gold, riches untold, vast domain . . .give me Jesus. You can have this hold world, Give me Jesus!
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Mike Fogerson
