What The World Needs Now Is A Word From God.
Haggai Sermon Series (1 of 3) 7/24/11 FBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson Speaker
Introduction:
A In 607 BC (or 587 BC), Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian war machine destroyed Jerusalem & the Jewish Temple (AKA, Solomon’s Temple)
1 The Temple was stone, so the timbers would have been the only thing burned, stones displaced but not destroyed.
a The Temple furniture was carted off to the temple in Babylon until 50 years later.
b After Nebuchadnezzar’s death, the toppling of Babylonian government (Medo-Persian), the establishment of King Cyrus rule sent the Jews back to their home land: God had moved the heart of a nonbelieving (Gentile) monarchy to release the Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem, rebuild Temple, restore worship, and gave them his black American Exp. Card.aa November 1953, just a few months after leaving the presidency of the United States, Harry S. Truman was brought to the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York to meet a group of Jewish dignitaries. Accompanying him was his good friend Eddie Jacobson, a comrade from his Army days and former business partner in a short-lived men's haberdashery 30 years earlier. Jacobson introduced his friend to the assembled theologians: "This is the man who helped create the State of Israel." Truman retorted, "What do you mean, 'helped to create'? I am Cyrus. I am Cyrus."
bb In 538 BC, the Jews with the full support, backing, financing, authority of the King of the Empire went back to Judea (Israel) to rebuild the House of the Lord. Ezra 5.13-1
cc Ordered wood (Ezra 3.7), organized Temple furniture, prepared to build.
c Ezra 3.10-13, The people rejoiced, experienced revival, shouts of joy, tears of repentance . . . worship being restored in Jerusalem.
d Israel should I have been posed for victory, restoration, re-establishment, reinstating, revival.
2 When God’s people get stirred (Ezra 1.5; Haggai 1.14) the enemy’s radar goes off & he goes into high alert.
a He calls out the soldiers and armies of hell to do everything in his power to “stop the stir.”
b Ezra 4.1-4 (A few people rumble, questioning motives, complaining, . . . and the move of God came to a halt for 16 years.)
aa What I find amazing is that the enemy offered to help build the Temple. (Devil masquerading not as an angel of light but as a church consultant)
bb IL. In the 1970's, during the Cold War, the U.S. and the USSR agreed to build new embassies for each other in Moscow & Washington. The 8 story building has cost America over half-a-billion dollars. When the Soviets built the building they put secret microphones, bugs everywhere they could. The best bugged building ever built! NO WONDER IT WAS NEVER USED . . . IT WAS TAPPED BY THE ENEMY!
c We should never listen to the enemy when he offers advice or assistance to the church (Comes as criticizers, grumblers, fault-finders often in the disguise of someone wanting to help.)
B The enemy found a like minded king to agree with their side (Ezra 4.7, 21-24). (Sent a letter telling them to stop!)
1 God’s house stood untouched for 16 years because somebody complained and broke their spirit.
a They had the approval of a bigger, stronger king in Cyrus.
aa Operated with his full blessing, approval, support, resources, favor, authority.
bb A little pion tells them to stop and they did!
b What they should have said is . . .
aa You can go back to your boss and tell him that he has no say so here,
bb My King is bigger than yours, more powerful than yours, richer than yours . . .
cc And if your king doesn’t like it tell him to take up with the Kings whom authority I operate under.
2 16 years later, Ezra 5.1-3, God sent a prophet Haggai (& Zechariah) to speak & stir the people once again. . . once again the enemy wants to act like he’s in control. (BTW, the enemy has a new name but nothing has changed with his motive.) “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple?”
a King Darius gets his legal department on it and finds King Cyrus original grant letter (cf. Ezra 6.1b-12)
aa v.3, 12.
bb The enemy gets the letter and then leaves the people of God alone! (V.13)
cc The enemy has to obey the orders from the King.
b Haggai was sent to Zerubbabel (the governor), Joshua (the priest) & the people.
aa Zerubbabel was a great, great way on back grandson of David; Joshua was a great (w.o.b.) Grandson of Aaron. (Haggai 1.1)
bb Although Zerubbabel/Joshua had made some mistakes/were not always right . . . they were in authority so God went to them. (Your leaders are not always right . . . but they are always in authority because they were put there by God.)
c Haggai would preach four messages over about a four month period: challenged them to get back to building the Temple.
aa Twice in chapter one, “CONSIDER YOUR WAYS” (v.5, 7) “Give careful thought to your ways”
bb Self examination, check yourself before you wreck yourself.
cc There will be rejoicing at the end of this book, but they will be split wide open first.
3 I want to spend three weeks on Haggai as we approach the 74th Anniversary of FBC because I want to move forward into a time of renewed blessing, power, anointing as church.
a I’ll preach through the first chapter today, and divide up chapter two over the next two Sundays.
b Pray
I The first sermon was called “16 Years of Excused Absences”
A On top the Temple Mount Compound was a half-built shell of the Temple that had stood for nearly 20 years now.
(I don’t know what they were waiting on: 1) 70 years anniversary of exile, 2) Enemies wouldn’t mind them building, 3) More money . . . The truth is is that things aren’t usually perfect to build God’s house or to do God’s Work.)
1 For a while there were several piles of imported cedar wood, but several of the people had begun taking it to panel their own homes.
a (v.2, 4, 8) You boys need to replace what you’ve stolen from God’s house.
b Their own homes had been tended to, build, poured their labor/love into their own homes but God’s house was “desolate” (Parched, dry, ruined)
2 You can work as hard as you want, acquire as much wealth as you can . . . but you won’t know God’s full measure of blessing until you put His House first.
a You can say, “I can worship just fine at home with the TV, Radio, Internet . . . outdoors . . . .where ever to your friends, family, preacher . . . don’t you tell that to God.”
aa If staying at home was alright with God He wouldn’t have had such a fit about the House of Worship/Prayer being left undone.
bb Well, Sunday is the only day I get to be at home with my family.
cc Sunday is the Lord’s Day and He wants you at His House. What is more important than bring your family to the Lord’s House on the Lord’s day?
b I believe that is one modern day application for us from this mess in Haggai 1.
3 Due to their excuses, misappropriate priorities towards the Lord, other areas of their lives were
a v.6, They were hard workers, but never got ahead.
aa Farmed, but the harvest was small; Ate/Drank but never really got satisfied.
bb Clothes didn’t keep them warm & income didn’t cover their expenses.
cc As supplies got scarcer, prices went up and they might as well have carried their money in pockets with holes in them.
b Why were they working so hard and not getting ahead? (V. 9b) “ . . . Why? Declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate while each of you runs to his own house.”
aa v. 8, tells us God would have been pleased, glorified if His people put His house ahead of their own.
bb vv.10-11; Are more of the same things that happen as a result of not putting God’s House first
cc (No fresh oil, new wine, bread, meat)
B We see the leadership & people come into confession/repentance with two words: “obeyed” & “showed reverence.” (V.12b)
1 When God spoke to the rebellious people there was only one acceptable response, obedience!
a We don’t weigh the options, examine alternatives, negotiate terms. . . . just do & leave the rest to Him.
b An old English preacher use to say, “Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, it’s obeying in spite of consequence.”
2 They moved forward knowing that God had their back, after all, He’s the Lord of Hosts.
3 Lord of Hosts (used 10 times in 38 verses): Jehovah Sabaoth
a Title means, “The Lord of the Armies”
aa Commander & Chief of the armies of heaven, & over all the armies of the earth.
bb He is in complete, total control
cc For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is His name. Amos 4:13 (NASB)
And one called out to another and said,"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory."Isaiah 6:3 (NASB)
b He’s not “the big man upstairs” or “someone up there who likes me”. “HE’S WITH YOU!” V. 13
aa King of Glory, strong, mighty, Kingdom, power, glory, God of cherubim, God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Israel, Warrior (The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name.Ex 15:3 (NASB)), His Kingdom advances by force, He is a consuming fire, the Bright & Morning Star, Conqueror of death, hell, & the grave.
bb When you find yourself at the end of your rope, your resources are inadequate, when there is no other help-Jehovah Sabaoth is the strong tower when we’ve done all to hold on...let the Lord of Hosts fight for you!
4 Christian, through Jesus, you are to live under & in the authority that Jesus has given you.
a Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:19 (NASB)
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.17 "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues...Mark 16:15-17 (NASB)
aa He has given us the power to use His name. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost...Matt 28:18-19 (KJV)
bb ...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints ,19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Eph 1:17-21 (NASB)
b Authority doesn’t have any value unless you have the power to enforce it (Wal-Mart vs. CMHC)
c God does His part, & He gives us the power to do our part.
5 God “stirred” the spirits of Zerubbabel, Joshua, People!
a They were asleep so God stirred them awake!
b They had to obey & fear before the awakening could happen. (V. 12, 14).
aa It’s fun to be revived, stoked, stirred but if it is not birthed out of prayer, brokenness you’ll go back to sleep.
bb You can be obedient w/o being stirred ...called sleep walking; You can be stirred w/o being obedient . . . emotional experience.
c It’s not obedience or stirred, motion or emotion, . . . it’s not either or, but rather both and!
6 What was the end result? “. . . they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.” v. 14.
Conclusion:
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
