PERSEVERING IN THE LORD’S WORK
Haggai 2:1-9
Quite often, I begin certain projects and about halfway through the process I ask, “what was I thinking getting myself into this?” Sometimes tasks that we think will be relatively easy to accomplish become far more complicated than we expected and it isn’t long before discouragement and frustration set in.
The same is true concerning our work for the Lord. We may volunteer for a certain position within the church, seek to advance the Kingdom in some way outside of the church, or even surrender to a specific call to ministry with great excitement and the best of intentions. Then, after a period of time we find that things are far more difficult that we could have ever imagined. At times we experience great frustration and discouragement and that may lead us to a point where we are ready to give up and quit.
Our selected text shows us that when the Lord calls us to serve Him in any capacity, if we will be faithful and obedient, we can trust in the reality that He is with us, He will equip us, and He will enable us to accomplish any task that He assigns. I would like for us to examine this passage and consider the subject “Persevering In The Lord’s Work”.
Less than a month after beginning the work of reconstructing the Temple, the remnant began to experience great frustration and discouragement. There were some who were alive before the Babylonian exile and had seen Solomon’s Temple before it was destroyed. The current ruins of the Temple seemed “as nothing in their eyes” compared to “the former glory” they once observed.
In a moment that reveals the intimate interest that God takes in the lives of His children, the Lord sent another message of hope through the prophet Haggai. In an effort to encourage His people, the Lord said, “Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts” (v3).
God goes on to assure His people that He would be with them just as He was with their ancestors when He established the nation through a covenant at Sinai. Similar to the way that He shook Pharaoh and the Egyptians, the LORD declares that “in a little while”, He will once again “shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land and …all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in”. “The LORD of Hosts” went on to promise that He will “fill this house with glory”. The LORD wanted His people to know that the silver and gold belongs to Him and “the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former”.
This passage provides much encouragement for those who are currently serving the Lord. It also provides reassurance for those who have become discouraged. The remainder of the Book of Haggai shows us that
WE CAN KNOW GOD’S PLAN
Haggai’s first oracle was delivered to the people on August 29; twenty-three days later on September 21st, 520 BC the people began to work; now, less than a month later the Lord sends His people another message though His prophet Haggai. This oracle was delivered “on the twenty-first day of the (seventh) month”, which would be October 17th, 520 B.C. This would have been the next to last day of the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles).
The Feast of Tabernacles is the seventh feast that the Lord commanded Israel to observe and one of the three feasts that Jews were to observe each year by going to “appear before the LORD your God in the place which He shall choose” (Deuteronomy 16:16). Interestingly, it was during the Feast of Tabernacles that Solomon’s Temple was dedicated to the Lord (1 Kings 8:2).
This feast (as well as the others) was instituted by God as a way of reminding Israelites in every generation of their deliverance by God from Egypt. The Feast of Tabernacles begins and ends with a special Sabbath day of rest. During the days of the feast, all Israelites were to dwell in booths to remind them that God had delivered them out of the land of Egypt, and to look forward to the coming Messiah who would deliver His people from the bondage of sin. All of the prescribed feasts of Israel were a constant reminder to the Jews of God’s provision, protection, and steadfast love.
In chapter one the Lord sent a message through “Haggai”, to “Zerubbabel” & “Joshua”, and then to “the remnant of the people”. In that first message the Lord confronted the people’s attitude; the Temple was not their priority; they were focused instead on building luxurious homes for themselves. Admirably, the people received the Lord’s message and responded with fear and obedience. By this point they have been working on the Temple for three weeks and many had already become discouraged. Now, the Lord sends another message to the same people He had previously instructed to build the Temple.
God has made His plan abundantly clear to those of us who belong to Him. Our LORD does not want us to build Him a Temple, in fact, He does not even expect us to build (or grow) a Church; this is the Lord’s doing! Jesus told Peter, “I will build my Church”, and the Book of Acts shows us that it is the Lord who provides growth in His Church. God’s plan for us, the task that He has assigned is for us to spread the Gospel and advance His Kingdom.
I would like to point out that being active in a local assembly is very important in the process of Kingdom growth. We join together each week to pray, study, and worship the Lord. However, our greatest opportunity to spread the seeds of the Gospel occurs when we walk out those doors. In essence, “we gather to scatter”.
I am certain that many of you are looking for God’s will for your life. I am not equipped to reveal God’s specific call on your life. (He will make it clear when the time is right). However, I can tell you that God would have you to be faithful wherever you are. Rather than spending your time searching for specifics, seize the opportunities that are put in front of you. God would have each of us to shine as a light in a dark world and be witnesses of Christ everywhere we go. That is God’s plan and laid out for us in His Word,
- As Christians, it is a great privilege to know God’s plan! Not only can we know God’s plan:
WE CAN FEEL GOD’S PRESENCE
The Lord instructed Haggai to pose a series of questions to the people. He said, ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?
The Lord once again addresses the attitudes of His people. Some of those who recently had no concern about the Temple are now frustrated and dispirited because they had seen “this house in its former glory”, now it seems “as nothing” in their eyes. Among this remnant were some in their 70s (or older) who could remember the glory of Solomon’s Temple.
Only being three weeks into this process, it is possible that the actual construction had yet to begin. It is likely that the people were still in the process of going “to the hills” and “getting wood” so that they could eventually “build the house”. Furthermore, by comparing the current state of progress to the “former glory” of Solomon’s temple the task may have seemed impossible.
Solomon’s temple involved a workforce of more than 180,000 men and took seven years to complete. Furthermore, the resources included over 285 tons of gold, 625 tons of silver, and bronze beyond measure. The remnant in Haggai’s day only possessed a small fraction of the workforce and resources of those in Solomon’s day.
It is easy to see how Haggai’s contemporaries could become discouraged. There is no question that they faced a daunting task; however, the people seem to have forgotten the wonderful promise that they had received, in Haggai’s second oracle the Lord declared “I am with you” (1:9). Now, the Lord speaks again and seeks to encourage His discouraged servants. Notice:
Verses 4-5 record three clear, specific, and important commands given to “the remnant of the people”. Yahweh says: “be strong”, “work”, and “fear not”. At this point it would be another four years before the Temple would be complete. One of the most special and important aspects of the Temple is that it was the place where the Lord’s glory dwelt. However, God assures His people that they do not have to wait until work was completed; He was currently with them and His spirit would “remain in their midst”.
God had made a covenant with His people “when they came out of Egypt” and He would not break that covenant. Therefore, even though their circumstances were discouraging, they could be strengthened and encouraged by the assurance that God was (and would remain) with them. This comfort and encouragement came with the expectation that they would “be strong”, “work”, and “fear not”.
Serving the Lord is the most important task that we will ever be engaged in. Knowing that our labor concerns matters that are eternal, there are times when we are overwhelmed at the weightiness of this responsibility. However, we must never forget that we are not alone. The Lord is with us every step of the way. The Great Commission involves spreading the Gospel and making disciples all over the world, this is intimidating and may seem impossible; however, the Great Commission comes with a promise from Christ to His followers; He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
No matter the task, whatever your area of Christian service, you can rest in the reality that Jesus is always with you. Like the believing remnant in Haggai’s day, you can “be strong”, “work”, and “fear not” because God is with you!
When you are frustrated and discouraged, you can find great encouragement in the promise that God is with you. And as we have already seen in this study, when the all-powerful God is on your side nothing is impossible. Verses 6-8 show us the awe-inspiring power of Yahweh. Notice:
WE CAN TRUST GOD’S POWER
The Lord says, “Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens… earth… sea… and dry land”. The phrase “once more” highlights the reality that this is something God had done in the past; in fact, it is something that He had done on several occasions. When He initiated His covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai the mountain “was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly” (Exodus 19:18).
Five times in verses 6-9 we see the phrase “Lord of Hosts”; this is a great reminder that our Lord is sovereign and possess authority over all things. When the Lord led His people from Sinai to His sanctuary, as He “marched through the wilderness, the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain” (Psalm 68:7). Moreover, He scattered the nations in Israel’s path, and Israel gathered their gold and silver in plunder. This plunder was used to adorn the Lord’s dwelling place at Jerusalem.
Just as Israel’s history began with a mighty shaking of heaven and earth, that brought about the “shaking” of the surrounding “nations” so that their plunder could glorify the house of the Lord. The Lord declares, “I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine…” (v7-8). There would come a day, “in a little while” when God would once again shake things up and use the treasure of the nations to adorn His house!
Though the current condition of the Temple was a disaster and “as nothing” compared to the glory of Solomon’s Temple. One day, that pile of ruins would become the dwelling place for God’s glory. “The treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The Lord goes on to promise that (in His time) there would be a manifestation of His glory that would even surpass the glory one seen at Solomon’s Temple. The Lord declares that this will happen “in a little while.”
This promise shows us that we even when we experience frustration and are tempted to walk away from our service to the Lord, He is the source of our strength and He is all powerful. Furthermore, He has a plan that WILL be accomplished and He is able to empower us to overcome any obstacles that we may encounter. There will be times when the work seems impossible and the resources seem to be unavailable; in such times we must remember that we serve the Almighty God and His resources are unlimited.
We live in an increasingly wicked society; things are bad and getting worse. Opposition and hostility towards Christ and His followers is increasing at a rapid pace. The call for us to “let our lights shine” and to have a positive spiritual impact in this world may seem at times to be an impossible task. Those of us who actively seek to spread the Gospel and advance the Kingdom may feel as if our efforts are futile.
In times such as these we must remember that we are merely vessels. It is God who saves lost souls, it is Christ who “builds His Church”, it is God who “gives the increase”, and grows His Church, it is the Lord who changes lives. All He expects from us is to be faithful to serve Him. Like the remnant in Haggai’s day, God has told us where to go, what to do, why to do it, and He has promised that He will be with us every step of the way. In the process, His mighty power is what will ultimately accomplish His perfect plan. When you are discouraged and ready to walk away from your service to the Lord, trust God’s power!
- We can know God’s plan, we can feel God’s presence, we can trust God’s power, and:
WE CAN CLAIM GOD’S PROMISE
Sometimes God’s promises sound impossible. The people are looking at a pile of ruins and many of them remember the grand and glorious Temple what once stood in that same location. The task had been assigned and the mission seemed impossible. However. God assures His people that “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts’ ” (v9).
When comparing the ruins to the grandeur of Solomon’s temple, I am sure that some of those who were present doubted God’s promise that the glory of the former temple would be surpassed by the one yet to come. Furthermore, God assures His people that “in this place” He would “give peace”. It was important for the remnant to resist the temptation to give up; they must guard against becoming discouraged by looking to the past. Instead, they must claim God’s promise, trust His power, and focus on His plan, knowing that He was with them and would remain throughout this process.
The task that the Lord would have you to accomplish for Him may be a daunting one, but don’t take for granted the privilege of being able to know God’s plan. There will be times when the work seems impossible but you can draw great encouragement from the reality that you can feel God’s presence and this should cause you to trust in His power. With these encouraging truths, there is nothing to prevent you from claiming God’s promise
The truths that are recorded in the opening verses of Haggai chapter two show us how to persevere in the Lord’s work. We can know His plan, feel His presence, trust His power, and claim His promises.
I am so thankful for the many devoted Christian servants here at Antioch Baptist Church! We are so blessed with numerous Christians who have heard God’s call and seek to faithfully serve Him. I also know that Christian service can be frustrating and discouraging at times. Part of the reason is that we have an adversary who will use any of the resources at his disposal to prevent us from serving Jesus, or to convince us to cease our labors.
When the temptation to walk away comes, I encourage you to look back to this amazing passage of scripture. The verses that we have examined today should serve as a reminder of the intimate interest that God takes in the lives of His children. Therefore:
DON'T BE DISCOURAGED, GOD SEES YOUR EFFORT
Many Christians get discouraged if they are not recognized by their peers. They feel that no one sees their effort and no one cares about their service. Others get discouraged if they do not have the success that it seems others have. However, if you are serving the Lord for the purpose of bringing Him glory, you can rest assured that God sees your effort. If God is pleased with your service to Him nothing else matters!
- Let me also say to the servants of the Lord:
DON'T GIVE UP, GOD WILL PROVIDE STRENGTH
When you labor for the Lord there will be times when you become weak physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. In these times, look to Jesus for the strength and endurance that you need to complete the task that has been assigned.
- Let me also say to my fellow laborers in the Kingdom work:
DON'T BE AFRAID, GOD IS IN CONTROL
When seeking to serve the Lord, Satan will attempt to convince us that the work is impossible. He will whisper in your ear that you do not have the ability to succeed in your work for the Lord. In times such as these we must remember that the One who called us is all powerful, He has all the necessary resources, and He is the One who will equip us for success!
During an especially trying time in the work of the China Inland Mission, Hudson Taylor wrote to his wife, "We have twenty-five cents--and all the promises of God! - W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 242.
We may not have much according to the world's standards, but we have all of the promises of God! If you look at the assigned task and the resources seem scarce, remember that you serve the One who owns it all! If fear has gripped your mind and you are considering ceasing your labor for the Lord, God would tell you not to fear because He is in control!
- Let me also say to my fellow Christian servants:
DON'T LOOK BACK, GOD HAS A GREATER PLAN
Israel would move forward for the Lord as long as they looked to the past. The same is true for us today. This church has a rich history; God has used this ministry for his glory for almost 200 years. Likewise, many of you (as individuals) have been used of the Lord for decades. However, if we spend our time gazing into the past the future will pass us by. We can praise God for what He has done, but we must set our sights on what He wants to use us to do in the future!
I hope and pray that you know Jesus. If you don’t it is important for you to know that according to God’s Word, you are dead in trespasses and sins. If you continue in your sinful condition, there are severe and eternal consequences for your rebellion. The wonderful news is that God has made a way for you to be experience eternal forgiveness and to be brought into His family. Jesus Christ has paid your sin debt in full and if you repent and believe in Him, you can receive salvation and experience the assurance of eternal life.
If you have done this, then you are expected to serve the Lord. If you serve the Lord there will be times of discouragement and you may even want to quit. If so, let me remind you that: We can know God’s plan, we can feel God’s presence, we can trust God’s power and we can claim God’s promises.
If you have already ceased your labor for the Lord, let me encourage you to return to Him today. If you are tempted to walk away, let me encourage you to: Don’t be discouraged, God sees your effort, don’t give up, God provides strength, don’t be afraid, God is in control, and don’t look back, God has a greater plan. When we have the proper perspective, we can persevere in the Lord’s Work!
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