You can listen to the full sermon here:-
http://www.nec.org.au/listen-to-a-sermon-series/haggai/
Message
I have most of my report cards from grade 2 through to grade 12. In all of the reports there is a distinct pattern. I was much better at Maths and Science then I was at Spelling and English. Which is kind of ironic.
I hardly ever use any of the Maths and Science I learnt at school.
My whole job revolves around using English.
Which proves the point I am going to make really well.
You see we live in a world where people feel that they need to be good at everything.
And there are some people who feel like real failures when they struggle in one way or another.
Which makes life really hard and can really drain you if that is what you feel.
Because everyone always fails at something. In fact a lot of us fail in all sorts of ways.
But, when I was younger, my parents didn’t place unrealistic expectations on me. They gave me encouragement even in my failures. So even when I failed I could still feel energised.
My point here is that we can still be energised even when we fail.
That is a lesson so many of us need to hear and be reminded of.
And that is the focus of our message today because it is the focus of our Scripture passage.
Read Haggai 2:10-23
Now it might be a little difficult to see at the beginning. But what is happening here is that God is pointing out the weaknesses and the failures of the people.
The specific weakness God is focusing on is a lack of holiness.
How do we know holiness is the issue?
Because of the two questions which are asked about how the OT law works.
If a person carries consecrated (holy) meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does (that which has been touched) become consecrated (holy)?
In those days when sacrifices were made, part of the sacrificial meat was saved and eaten either by the priests or the Israelite bringing the offering. That meat would be holy because it had been part of the sacrifice – and to bring it home the meat would be carried in a fold in one's garment. When you get home you literally have something holy entering your house.
If that thing which is holy touches something else can that holiness be transferred? The priests answered, “No”. Holiness was not transferable in such a way. The priests are correct – or course – there is no law in the Bible where holiness is transferred.
So we come to the second question.
If a person is defiled (unholy) by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does that which has been touched become defiled (unholy)?
Holiness is not transferable. What about being defiled … being unholy … is that transferable? The answer is easy to find.
Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.
Numbers 19:22
Lack of holiness, uncleanness, being defiled … it can all be transferred.
In one way that doesn’t make sense – think about it in terms of sickness and health.
If you're sick and you go out among people, you spread your sickness as you come in contact with people.
But if you're healthy, you don't spread around your healthiness when you come in contract with sick people.
Just like sickness spreads but health doesn't, so unholiness spreads but holiness doesn't.
So we are using maths! Here is the formula.
holiness + touching ? holiness.
unholiness + touching = unholiness.
But what has all that got to do with the building of the temple and the people who were working there?
The temple is a holy place.
The people would reason that, because they were working at this holy place, or they were helping in some way, or because they were part of the nation that was doing the project … because of that they might think that somehow they were also holy.
They looked the part didn’t they? They were working hard.
But was their heart really in it?
Had they really made a core-deep change in their lives?
Had they really changed?
We have good reason to suspect they had not.
Have a look at the first chapter of next book – Zechariah.
Read Zechariah 1:1-4
In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:
“The Lord was very angry with your forefathers. Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. Do not be like your forefathers, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.
Zechariah speaks in the eighth month of the second year of Darius. Haggai speaks on the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year of Darius. So they are speaking around the same time to the same people. And obviously there is still a spiritual problem.
The people were still struggling in their relationship with God.
From the outside the people were committed, but it is clear that their hearts had not really changed.
Not all of them, but a lot of them seem to be thinking “We are working on the temple, the temple is holy, so we must be holy”.
But remember the Math.
holiness + touching ? holiness.
unholiness + touching = unholiness.
Working on the temple was not making them holy. In fact the opposite was happening. Haggai says in 2:14 Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled. From the outside it looks like great works for God are being done – but God sees the heart – and something is not right.
Now what has all that got to do with us? Let me read you a few passages from Scripture to put this all into perspective.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 7:21-23
Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.
Luke 6:46-49
They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
Titus 1:16
Do you see what is happening?
You can’t presume all is right in your spiritual life just because you look the part.
Doing holy stuff isn’t necessarily going to make you holy.
Church attendance. Bible Study. Prayer. Devotional life. Works of service. Leadership. Involvement. Giving.
They are all important and necessary responses … but don’t presume you are holy just because you are participating in these activities.
Christianity is not an action.
Christianity is a relationship.
Do we somehow think that we are holy because we come to a holy place and are involved in holy work? If that is what we think then our thinking is wrong. More to the point, if this is the reality of service then what hope do we have?
We know that even the very best we do is stained with sin.
We want to serve, but that service isn’t 100% perfect.
We say that we are giving the Lord our best … but are words matched with action?
We say we are giving the Lord our all … but what are we holding back?
We all fail.
No matter how spiritually mature we are all of us have our weaknesses.
All of us have dark secrets.
All of us hide some part of our true self from others.
Am I right?
The look on all your faces tells me I am.
So how many of us now are felling energised?
All this talk about sin and weaknesses and mistakes.
It’s enough to make us feel … well we feel quite discouraged, and guilty, and ashamed … and a whole range of other things.
It’s here then that we see so clearly the wisdom of God.
When we try and encourage people we say things like:-
You’re not that bad.
You impact so many people.
You have done so much good.
You’re an inspiration.
That is how it goes doesn’t it. Which may be true, but it doesn’t help resolve the issue.
Because the actual issue … in fact one of our biggest problems … is our lack of holiness. And the fact that every think we touch often turns to rubbish.
And God wants to fix that problem.
That is where this person called Zerubbabel comes to the forefront. Notice that two prophecies are spoken by Haggai on the same day … the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year of Darius. That means that these two words from God are linked.
To see why Zerubbabel is so important let me give you a quick history lesson. The reason all of these prophesies are dated according to the rule of Darius is because Judah, at this time, considered a provinces of the Persian empire. All the provinces were controlled by a very strong central government.
The people of God had some freedom.
But the overall authority was with King Darius of Persia.
Zerubbabel governed Judah on behalf of King Darius.
Into that situation comes the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel.
• I will shake the heavens and the earth.
• I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of foreign kingdoms.
• I will make you My signet ring for I have chosen you.
God was going to do a mighty work. He was going to bring a King to Israel who was going to bring earth-shattering changes.
This new King would rule with might and Israel will once again be the delight of the Lord. No more would the Israelites be under foreign ownership.
That was the promise. Zerabbabel as a new king would rule in faithfulness … and in the process the authority and power of Israel would be restored. The only problem with this promise is that history seemed to prove otherwise.
After the nation of Persia collapsed, Greece became the world power.
After the nation of Greece collapsed, Rome became the world power.
All in all it looked like God had failed. Until we have a look at Matthew 1:12-16
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Eliud,
15 Eliud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
The promised King did come. The King in the line of David and Zerubbabel. A King who is so much greater than David and Zerubbabel.
David could lead them, but he couldn’t deal with their sin.
Zerubbabel could lead them, but he couldn’t deal with their sin.
Jesus will lead them, and He can deal with their sin.
In the chaos of the nation that continues to struggle with failure is born Jesus.
For the times in our lives when we need help dealing with our failures Jesus is born.
When we know we are unholy and in need of rescue … Jesus is born.
This King sees our heart.
He sees the darkness.
He sees the inconsistencies.
He sees the unholiness.
He sees our sin.
He sees us warts and all.
Yet He looks us in the eye and He says to each one of us … You are Mine.
You are mine … You who are so aware of your weaknesses.
You are mine … You who wonder if you have a purpose.
You are mine … You who are acting in an unholy manner and making a mess of it all.
You are mine … You who are so aware of your weaknesses.
God makes you so aware of your unholiness … and then He energises you with His grace.
That’s how God energises you … even when you are so aware of how far you fall short.
Prayer
