Getting Started Again
Haggai 1:1-4
Rev. Brian Bill
1/8/12
I came across some funny school excuses that parents have sent in.
• Please excuse John from being absent on January 28, 29, 30, and 33.
• Marge could not come to school because she was bothered with very close veins.
• John has been absent from school because he had two teeth taken out of his face.
• Please excuse Joe on Friday. He had loose vowels.
• Please excuse Blanch from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday, she fell out of a tree and misplaced her hip.
• Please excuse Johnny from being. It was his father’s fault.
While these excuses make us laugh, the making of excuses is not funny to God, especially when we’re trying to excuse something that He expects us to do.
I sensed during the sermon last week that the Holy Spirit was really moving. Recognizing that our good intentions don’t always lead to application and our excuses can pile up like old Christmas trees on the curb, I thought it would benefit each of us to go back and pick up some of the main points. If you’re like me, you’ve already forgotten most of that message, and your attempts at living it out may have gotten off-track. If you were not here, you can read or listen to the entire sermon here.
Our main text was Ephesians 5:15-17: “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Our outline was simple:
• Live wisely (15)
• Leverage your time (16)
• Learn God’s will (17)
And we put the sermon into a sentence: Since our time on earth is limited, let’s make the most of the time we have left. Here were some of the main points.
• Let’s start saying, “Carpe Momento,” which means “Seize the Moment.”
• Every time you can do something good you should.
• God doesn’t want us to kill our time; he wants us to fill our time. Wasting the gift of time insults the giver of time.
• The “Lord’s will” is primarily focused on transformation, and less on location. We tend to focus on where God wants us while God is all about who we’re becoming. If you want to know God’s will then do the will of God that you already know.
• Read the Bible through in 2012. There are several Bible reading plans available at the Resource Center or you can download a wide variety by clicking on the Resources tab on our website (www.pontiacbible.org).
• Plug into a Connection Group. I’d like to make one change about what I said last week. We have more people interested in joining a group than we have qualified leaders willing to lead one. If you’re a member of PBC and you’re gifted in this way, please contact Pastor Andy.
After preaching the sermon I realized that there were two huge areas of application that I missed. I thought about them all week. If you’ll allow me a “do-over,” here’s what I’d like to add.
1. Related to the topic of God’s will, the Bible is very clear about what God wants for each of us. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.”
2. Speaking of God’s will, if you are a parent or a grandparent, can I urge you to live wisely with your family? Will you leverage your time with your children and grandchildren? The window of opportunity is short…it will close one day. Many parents in this community got a scare when the high school issued a “Code Red” on Thursday. None of us really knew what was going on initially but we knew “Code Red” was something potentially very serious. Thankfully, it looks like it was a prank but it served as a reminder to not take the time we have for granted. God wants us to do all we can to connect our kids and grandkids to Jesus and then equip them to be growing and faithful followers.
We’re going to take a look at some major excuse-makers this morning. They started off strong and then they fell off. It’s timely on the second Sunday of the New Year, isn’t it? Their resolve had dissolved and their excitement had turned to excuses. That reminds me of something I heard this week: A resolution goes in one Year and out the other.
Would you please turn to the Book of Haggai? This is the second-shortest book in the Old Testament so it’s a bit difficult to locate. It’s right between Zephaniah and Zechariah, which is probably not all that helpful. The easiest way to find it is to go to Matthew and then hang a left three books. By the way, this was initially going to be a four-part series, but we’ve doubled it to eight weeks because there is so much that God wants to say to us in this section of Scripture.
His-Story
Before we jump in, we need to understand a bit about the setting. In order to properly interpret and apply this brief book, we must put it into its historical context. I’m going to do my best to explain the story of God as it unfolds in the Old Testament. Here’s the deal. If you’ll lock in, I’ll try my hardest to explain some of the history in a way that is understandable and even interesting. I’m excited because if you and I understand this brief overview, we’ll develop a deeper appreciation for the Old Testament. Once we learn the major points in God’s redemptive history, we’ll have a greater appreciation for how all the books go together and we’ll better be able to apply their lessons.
Let’s start with a man named Abraham. He came from a pagan country and was promised a place and a people by God. He and his wife gave birth to a son named Isaac. He became the father of Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons, who became known as the 12 Tribes of Israel. They ended up in bondage in Egypt for 400 years. Moses led them out and then God gave His people instructions for how to worship Him in a portable worship center, called the Tabernacle.
After entering the land of promise, they were given three kings, each of whom ruled 40 years. Their names were Saul, David and Solomon. David wanted to build a permanent worship structure but that honor was given to his son Solomon, who constructed a magnificent Temple. It was the centerpiece of the nation and the focal point of their worship.
But things went downhill from there. After King Solomon died; Israel was split into two kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom had ten tribes and was referred to as Israel. This is a bit confusing because sometimes “Israel” is used to refer to all of God’s people. The Southern Kingdom had two tribes and was referred to as Judah. By the way, this is where the name “Jew” comes from.
Because of their disobedience, the Assyrians conquered Israel and the northern tribes were scattered and became known as the “ten lost tribes of Israel.” Even though the southern tribes saw all this happen, they, too, continued to rebel against God. Many years later the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, decimated the Temple, and deported the Jews to what is now modern-day Iraq.
Many of God’s prophets predicted that this captivity would not destroy the nation; it would eventually end and 70 years later God’s people would be allowed to go back home. Years later He allowed the Persians to conquer the Babylonians and he moved King Cyrus to make a decree to let some of the Jews return. And in three stages, they were allowed to jet back to Jerusalem.
In that first group, 50,000 Israelites returned to Judah with Zerubbabel and rebuilt the altar and began offering sacrifices. Two years later they finished the foundation of the Temple. Unfortunately, they got discouraged and quit. God then sent them the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage them to finish the project. Ezra was also sent to help restore their spiritual fervor and Nehemiah rallied them to rebuild the walls.
Let me introduce a word that is important to remember to understand the second half of the Old Testament. It’s the word exile, which refers to the time that Judah was in Babylon as a punishment for their faithlessness. Some of the Old Testament prophets ministered before the exile, some during it and others after it.
Sixteen years pass and then Haggai comes on the scene to deliver four brief sermons in five months. The message is clear: It’s time to finish what was started by putting first things first. His style is simple and direct and he doesn’t waste any words.
Let’s look at verse 1: “In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.” The title “Lord” refers to God as the covenant-keeper. The “first day” would be a day when everyone would gather to worship, so a lot of people would be present. Keep in mind that while Haggai is speaking they are standing near the foundation that was now covered with weeds. Zerubbabel was the civic leader and Joshua was the spiritual leader. This message comes first to the leaders.
In the second verse of the book, Haggai lets loose with what the “Lord Almighty” has to say about their excuses: “This is what the Lord Almighty says…” These are not Haggai’s suggestions but the words of God. This name for God is “Jehovah Sabaoth” which references Him as the commander of all the armies of heaven. It’s used over 270 times in the Bible and 14 times alone in this short book! Jehovah, or Yahweh, occurs 34 times in 38 verses and means that He is the self-existent one who is personal, present, powerful, and the ultimate promise-keeper.
It doesn’t say so, but I get the feeling that the people are probably saying something like this: “Oh, oh, we’re busted because the Lord Almighty has showed up.” But before we start busting on these people, we should cut them some slack. After all, they were brave enough to leave Babylon when a lot of other Jews decided to stay behind. When they arrived in Israel, they went to work and built the foundation for the Temple. And, of course, there was some pretty major opposition from the people who lived in the land, especially the Samaritans (see Ezra 3:8-13; 4:1-5, 24). One other thing was going on. King Cyrus, who had showed them so much favor, had died and his successor was putting some pressure on them to stop working.
If you’ve been following Christ for awhile, it’s no surprise to you that problems always come up. Difficulties and discouragement will set in. That happened to me just this week. Friends, listen. If you wait for a time when everything will be easy before you move forward, you’ll be waiting a long time.
I want us to see that God first addresses their hearts before urging them to get back to work. The heart is always the issue, isn’t it? Proverbs 4:23 in the New Living Translation says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Let’s look at two lessons we can learn in the opening verses.
1. Proceed, don’t procrastinate. Even though the people faced some mounting problems, God summarizes their lame excuse in verse 2: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.’” By referring to them as “these” people and not “my people,” God was indicating that they were not acting like his people because nothing had happened for 16 years!
Would you notice that none of them are claiming that it wasn’t important to build God’s house. They just didn’t think the time was right. By the way, that’s how it happens for each of us. When we put something off, we think we’ll get to it later…and then a month goes by...and then a year…and then a decade…and then your daughters are 12, 17, 20 and 23!
If you had asked them why they hadn’t been working on the temple they might have said something like this: “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m all for rebuilding it but the time isn’t somehow right. We’re in an economic downturn here and there’s a lot of political uncertainty right now. I got other things I have to take care of first, like my farm and my house. I’ll get around to making God a priority…I promise.” Their excuses sound familiar, don’t they? They even sound reasonable and realistic. But listen. Excuses always sound that way.
• I have too much going on to make it to church every Sunday. I mean, come on, it’s my only day to sleep in!
• People at church are hypocrites and I don’t like some of them.
• I can’t commit to anything right now because of a sports schedule. Maybe later.
• I’ll think about leading a Connection Group when things settle down a bit.
• I’ll give more when I have more to give.
• I’ll surrender myself totally to the Lord after I finish school, or when I get some rest, or when I retire.
John Henry Newman once said: “No one sins without making some excuse to himself for sinning.” Benjamin Franklin wrote, “I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else.” James Montgomery Boice put it like this, “If there is no wrong-doing, there is no need to make excuses.”
2. Prioritize God, not your own pleasure. Then the God of the angel armies asks a very penetrating question, which gets to the heart of the issue. It’s not that they were unable; they were unwilling. Some of us would be more honest if instead of saying, “I can’t,” we would say, “I won’t.”
Let’s look at verses 3-4: “Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Do you catch the contrast between the desolate Temple and their ornate houses? This is brought out vividly by saying, “you yourselves.” They were all about themselves, not about God. Also, notice that they are not just spending time building their homes; they are now living luxuriously in them.
When you see the word “paneled” houses, don’t think of a cheap way to put a room down in the basement. Paneling back then was like wainscoting, made out of cedar or oak. It was typically only used in the palaces of kings as seen in 1 Kings 7:7 where we read about King Solomon: “He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge, and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling.”
It’s quite possible that the paneling that had been reserved for the temple construction was now being used in their homes. We know from Ezra 3:7 that King Cyrus had provided money to buy hardwood to rebuild the temple; it’s likely that they used this instead for their own homes. We know that most houses were normally modest dwellings built of stone, but these homes were luxurious while the Lord’s home was in shambles. In contrast to what they were building for themselves, the word “ruins” means that God’s house was “desolate and decaying; parched.”
How can they say the time is not right after God had moved a pagan king to send them back to do the job? He had even given them both materials and money. Simply put, they didn’t get care about God. They were much more into their own pleasure. This is the exact opposite of what King David said years earlier when he realized that he was living in a nice home but there was nothing built for God. 2 Samuel 7:2: “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” Later he wrote this in Psalm 132:3-5: “I will not enter my house or go to my bed - I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
They stopped doing the chief work that they had been commissioned to do – that’s why they were sent back to the land. Likewise, our main job today is to bring glory to God by living out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, to connect people to Jesus and to equip them to be growing and faithful followers. That’s why we’re here!
Like them, our default setting is selfishness. If we give no thought to how we’re living we’ll automatically live for own agendas. Pastor P.G. Matthew has a great perspective: “Whenever we face a new year, we must ask ourselves, ‘Why has God allowed us to see this new year? Is it so that we can enter into greater self-indulgence and serve ourselves during this coming year?”
Here are the two lessons God wants us to learn today:
• Let’s proceed and stop procrastinating
• Let’s prioritize God and stop living for our own pleasure
The bottom line is that the people were living like they could do life without God at the center. We’ll discover how this was working out for them next week. Likewise, it is very easy for us to live our lives without God in His rightful place. They thought God was nice; they just didn’t see Him as a necessity. They had settled in the land and settled spiritually as well. And then Haggai comes on the scene and issues a “Code Red” alarm.
Are you settling today? Are you living without the Lord at the center of your life? Check out what Pastor Steven Cole writes and see if this describes you.
We need to see ourselves in this picture. If you know Christ, there was a time you made a personal commitment to Him…At first, you were zealous for spiritual things. You read your Bible every day…You got involved serving…But perhaps your efforts met with difficulties. You had a personality clash with another Christian, or you were disillusioned…or you encountered personal trials that God didn’t remove, even after much prayer.
Meanwhile, life moved on. You started a career and a family. You had bills to pay and other demands on your time. Church and the Lord’s work drifted into the background. You still attend church as often as you can, but it has become a slice of life, not the center. You tell yourself that you just don’t have time to serve as you used to…without deliberately rebelling against God, you have drifted into putting your house above God’s house.
As we transition to Communion, I want to draw your attention to two truths that can totally change your life if you comprehend them. We’re not called to build a physical temple. This church building is not “God’s house” either.
1. The church body is God’s temple now. 1 Corinthians 3:16 – “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?”
2. The Christian’s body is God’s temple now. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
How is God’s Temple among the people of PBC doing today? 1 Corinthians 11:28 calls us to a time of reflection, to a time when we consider our ways: “A man out to examine himself before He eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”
Let’s examine ourselves…and refuse to make any excuses.
