What Time Is It?
Haggai 1:1-11 / Romans 13:11-14
* (READ Haggai) In 1969 a rock album entitled “The Chicago Transit Authority” was released with huge success. One of the songs on that album was entitled “Does anybody really know what time it is.” Candidly, that song is considered a rock classic these days. The words to the chorus are “Does anybody really know what time it is, does anybody really care? If so, I can’t imagine why. We’ve all got time enough to cry.” Interestingly, the second chorus changes the word ‘cry’ to ‘fly’ while the third chorus change this word to ‘die.’ That is the truth. We will die.
* Today, I ask question; “What time is it?” Everybody has their own answer, but there is only one answer which interests me, that is, God’s answer. After reading our text, let’s take a deep breath and a sincere look into the story in God’s word.
* The stars of our story would be the Children of Israel. Their history is marked with all types of behavior. They were captives in Egypt and were led out by Moses under the mighty hand of Jehovah God. God parted the Red Sea and led them to the edge of the land He promised them where their stab at the Baptist Democratic process proved to be disastrous. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, burying over 1.2 million adults (including Moses), and demonstrating a propensity for abandoning God at every opportunity; God led them back to the promised land, across the Jordan river, and gave them victory to possess the land. Even after God has blessed them immensely, they repeatedly disobeyed & turned from God. Yet God still had a heart for them.
* Now fast forward through the Kingships of Saul, David, and Solomon, and once again, this stubborn, stiff-necked people, defied God until His patience ran out. When you belong to God, He will treat you like His own (2 Chronicles 36)
* The first year of King Cyrus (Persia) would be approximately 539BC which is the year that God told this pagan King, “It is time to build the temple in Jerusalem.” God soften the heart of the King to begin to release the Jewish people to return and build. So the return began – but the building never happened. How often does God get us out of trouble, give us a task to do, and we refuse to do it?
* Now go back to Haggai and understand that the 2nd of Darius is now 520BC which means almost 20 years had passed since God said BUILD! Do you know why?
1. The Problematic Condition of the People – Before we become judgmental about the inaction from the returning exiles, perhaps we can see how we are like them.
a. They were Insubordinate (to God) – Actually insubordinate is the one of the nicer words I could find for them (and us). To read that God said, “It’s time” and know that they said, “We don’t think so” borders on arrogance, conceit, & pride.
* When the one in charge says something, you don’t debate you do, you don’t give you opinion – you give your best. Can you hear the change of tone from verse 2- 4 to verse 5? The frightening part is found is verse 4, “Is it really time for you to take care of yourself, your family, & your stuff, while mine lies in ruins?”
* Why am I a preacher? Because God called me. Why am I here in this place? Because God called. Why do you do whatever it is you do? If there is any other answer besides “God called you”, you are like them, meaning outside of His will.
b. They were Incompetent (on their own) – Verse 6 begins, “You planted much, but harvested little” and gives us a view into God’s heart. The church of the 21st century is way too busy taking care “of us.” We are busy, busy, busy, until we become (what the Bible calls) ‘busybodies.’ We do and do and do – we plant much and, as God looks down, we have little to show for it. We tend to think God is interested in things He is not interested in. Tim Tebow made the point very well. When the Denver Broncos were on their winning streak and pagan reporters were trying to get Tim to say “God did it”, what He did say was, “This is a football game. He’s has more important things on His mind.” God view and vision is eternal. Candidly, nothing we do on our own measures up.
c. They were Insatiable (about things) – Verse 6 continues by saying, “You never have enough food, drink, clothes, or money.” How much is enough? More!
* We are insatiable about good things as well as bad things. When we are on a roll to get our way, nothing is ever enough. As the pastor’s conference, I heard Bro. Herb Revis put it clear – “In our worship wars, there is no pleasing us because we are insatiable. You can’t get traditional enough, contemporary enough, country enough, bluegrass enough, or gospel enough for some people. No matter what you do, it won’t be enough.” As long as we try to feed our carnal desire, you will discover the more we have, the more we want.
* The question today is “WHAT TIME IS IT?” It’s time for us to learn our lessons from history (both Biblical and ours) and make a decided, divine change in
2. The Powerful Call for the People (US!) – Before we leave Haggai, please make a few mental and spiritual notes (verses 5, 7, and 9-11). Think carefully about your ways; “Will you hear or will you ignore?” “Will God bless or curse us?” (Rom 13)
a. To Wake Up – Paul’s call to wake up implies that his readers are asleep. The funny thing about being asleep is that you have ‘no idea of what is going on around you.’ It can rain, wind can blow, and storms can threaten – and you don’t know it. My “granddad” slept through the very heart of Hurricane Camille. A tree was on his garage, limbs were all over his yard and house, and his valued workshop was damaged; but he didn’t know it because he was asleep. I submit the call to wake up is a call which the church in America needs (& we are ‘they’).
* I am praying for 2012 to be the year we become painfully aware of the spiritual condition or the lostness of our community and that we open our eyes to see the people who, without our efforts, may not make it to heaven. Because God has given US the mission of people. The very reason Jesus said, “Open your eyes and see the fields” was because HE knew that when we see the need, we’ll respond. Our call is to wake up and see. Are you awake or asleep today?
b. To Give Up – You know what it means to give up, it means to surrender. Paul says, “Discard the deeds of darkness.” When Moses was at the burning bush, God said, “Throw down your rod.” This was not a request, it was a command. But the question is ‘why?’ Why would God make Moses throw down a rod? I’ll suggest that Moses had mastered his rod, it was his one true possession in Midian, and it was HIS! When Moses threw down the rod it became a snake. Then Moses picked it up ‘by the tail.’ Both of these truths are significant. Jack Taylor taught me this truth 35 years ago. There is about anything which we hold in our hand that has not been thrown down to God the nature of a snake. Think about the rod after it had been thrown down to God. In Exodus 3:20, this is referred to as the “Rod of God.” Before this, Moses & the rod possessed all the power of MOSES. After this, the man of God and the Rod of God with the power of God! Moses took the rod and went to Egypt decimating Egyptian mythology.
* As an aside, Moses took it up by the tail (the lesser end) while God took the business end. We need to give up running our lives & our church.
* One last thing about giving up: When you hang on to your rod, even if it is a good thing, and don’t surrender or give it up to God, it will become a tool in the hands of the enemy. I submit that the church in America has held on to the past for so long, that we have almost lost an entire generation. There is nothing wrong with our past unless it becomes our God and our focus. Anything which we cannot give up or turn loose of will become our undoing. It’s an old story but Native tribes would catch monkeys by hollowing out coconuts, filling them with bait, then tethering them to trees to lure the monkeys. When the monkey reached into the small opening in the coconut, his hand fit. But once his fist was full of the bait, he couldn’t retrieve it--the monkey was trapped.
* All the monkey had to do to escape was give up the bait, turn it loose, and let it go. Do you know what time it is? It is the time and this is the year for you and me to turn loose of ANYTHING (I.E. possession, relationship, attitude, tradition) which is more important to us than Jesus and fix our eye on HIM.
* Giving up for some will mean to quit running from the call of Christ to be saved. Reading about Leonard Ravenhill I keep hearing his testimony about people he said, “Were SOUNDLY SAVED.” Have you been soundly saved? Is Jesus first place in your life? He died, rose, and lives for you? Do you live for Him?
* It is time for us to wake up, to give up and next:
c. To Dress Up – Consider those in military service. When military men attend functions, they have dress uniforms. These uniforms display what branch of service they are in, which tells the onlooker ‘whose they are.’ We are to put on the armor of light for a couple of reason and the first is that people will know “Whose we are.” Do you wear you ‘armor of light’, the dress of the Lord every day in such a way that all you see will know WHO YOU BELONG TO? It is time for God’s people to display God’s armor, God logo, and God’s flag. This world has not really seen God’s people displaying HIM. Michael Catt said it well, “The world knows more about what we hate than who we love.” Do you want to know what time it is? It’s time God’s people to display Him and His character to neighbors, friends, and family. We need to put on Him and let people see.
* There is another reason we ‘dress up’ and this is because we are on enemy ground, what the military calls ‘hostile territory.’ In hostile territory you will always find ‘hostiles.’ When military people go into hostile territory they wear a different type of dress than they do to the ‘functions’. Paul later writes from a prison cell to the church of Ephesus to ‘put on the FULL armor’ of the Lord. I can imagine that, as he was writing, he was looking at his Roman jailor and naming every part of the soldier’s armor. The devil is still throwing fiery darts at us!
d. To Step Up – All that I’ve said thus far is to get us to this point – It’s time for us to step up. Let’s not pull any punches (or throw any). In under a month this church family begins a month long celebration of 40 years! One member has told me repeatedly that his heartache is that we have less people today than when this church began. Admittedly, this congregation has experienced pain from places you never expect. It has been over 15 years since you have endured the pain from fallen leaders. And with as much of God’s love as I can offer, “It’s time.” It’s time for us to forget those unmentionable things, focus our lives and our hearts on our Lord and HIS MISSION for us, and step up for HIM. The Children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years – but they had to step up to possess the promise land. Today, I call on us to step up in such a way that if this church were to close that this community would miss it. If this church, our community, and our children mean anything to us – we will do our best to act, live, and walk in step with our loving Savior.
* Paul tells us to walk with decency as in the daylight. Here are the qualifications; don’t carouse or get drunk, don’t be immoral, don’t quarrel or be jealous, and make no plan to satisfy your flesh. What time is it? It’s time to step up.
* Some people won’t like it if you choose to step up for the Father. They’ll attack you, antagonize you, and maybe even ostracize you.
* Yet, this is the year we need to step up. Stepping up requires action; this year we need to be about showing people a “Jesus” church. The only way to do this is to become Jesus people. (Joyful, Encouraging, Sensitive, Unselfish, Serving) How?
* The Deacons meeting last Thursday was extended wrestling with the concept. Your Pastor, Deacon Body, and hopefully other leaders will lock arms to provide opportunities for this church to become a church, that if we were to close our doors, the community would know because of the void left behind.
* First is our 40th Anniversary; Every Sunday in February we have a special emphasis surrounding the birthday of HBC. It is a great time (4 weeks) to invite people. Brochures go out in 8 days, but talk now!
* With our deacons, most of them spent several weeks studying a list of “100 ways to engage the community.” (82)
* Next, the men have chosen 3 points of touching for us. In the calendar year of 2012 we desire to have several movie nights (FTG, Fireproof, or Courageous, etc), plus we want to have at least 3 community events (BBQ, local community Easter Egg Hunt). As an aside, someone has expressed an interest in overseeing a clothes closet based here in our building.
* Finally, we want to restart, promote, & focus on ‘loving our community’ card.
