Covid didn’t stop us. We have had outdoor concerts, movie nights and worship every Sunday together. It has been a great summer. Before we read some of Haggai, let me give you a little background.
Haggai had probably seen the temple in all its glory before the most of the population was led into bablonyan exile. So while many had never seen the splendor of an ornate temple, he had. He was probably as excited as everyone else when they returned and the work on the temple began. But just like many of us today, we begin a project with a lot of zeal only to slowly realize how big the project really is. We work and toil to the point it becomes functional, we then unintentionally slow down and stop. It's not on purpose. Life gets in the way. After a while the feeling we need to finish fades. We become comfortable with the way it is. It's “good enough.”
The difference between complacency and apathy is that complacency is a feeling of contented self-satisfaction while apathy is a complete lack of emotion or motivation about a person, activity, or object; lack of interest or enthusiasm; disinterest.
There was a Danish philosopher named Soren Kierkegaard who wrote a parable to illustrate the simple slide into complacency. The parable begins, one Spring, a duck was flying north with a flock. In the Danish countryside that particular duck spotted a barnyard where tame ducks lived. The duck dropped down and he discovered these ducks had wonderful corn to eat. So he stayed for an hour....then for the day....a week then went by and a month. And because the corn and the safe barnyard were so fine, our duck ended up staying the whole Summer at that farm. Then one crisp Fall day, some wild ducks flew overhead, quacking as they winged their way south. He looked up and heard them -- and he was stirred with a strange sense of joy and delight. And then, with all his might he began flapping his wings and rose into the air, planning to join his comrades for the trip south.
But all that corn had made the duck both soft and heavy -- and he couldn't manage to fly any higher than the barn roof. So he dropped back to that barnyard and he said to himself, "Oh well, my life here is safe and the food is good!" After that in the Spring and in the Fall, that duck would hear wild ducks honking as they passed overhead -- and for a minute, his eyes would look and gleam -- he'd start flapping his wings almost without realizing it...but then a day came, when those others would pass overhead uttering their cry -- and the now tame duck would not pay the slightest attention.
American Christians have been attacked by the exact same diseases of apathy and complacency as soren's barnyard duck. We have been tamed....and spoiled...in the process, we've lost whose we are and what we're to be about. Complacency is a disease that sneaks up on us. It’s also the disease that has snuck up on the nation of Israel.
The nation of Israel had become complacent. All the refurbishing or rebuilding of the temple had stopped for 16 years. It was “good enough” for everyone but the prophets who knew the full implication of having a temple stand out in the community. Hence, both prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, would bring the word of the Lord to the leadership. It wasn’t to rehab the facility for the facility’s sake. It was an act of remembering that as they had learned growing up - it was a SHEMA idea. A declaration of the basic principle of Jewish belief, proclaiming the absolute unity of God. It can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4-6.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
God was calling those who had become complacent and or apathetic back to him using four admonishments (or courses of action)
The first call to overcome complacency is to literally and figuratively “Put God first in your life.” Period. Drop the microphone. Reset your priorities.
Verse 4 reads like someone repeating an overheard excuse.
“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this (my) house remains a ruin?”
But the writer is relaying God's thoughts.
The famous preacher Billy Sunday used to say an excuse is “the skin of reason stuffed with a lie” and Ben Franklin once said, "I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good for anything else.”
It’s somewhat comforting to note that humankind rarely changes. They made excuses back then and they make excuses today. The Jews knew it was God’s favor who supplied it all but they wandered away. It's still true today.
People know God’s favor consciously. It’s God who provides but overtime we get complacent and begin to believe we did something to deserve all that we have. If that were true, why were you born here and not a third world country? From the moment of conception until today, God has shown you favor. Doesn’t he at least deserve your first thought, act and even reward?
Haggi’s second recommended course of action to overcome complacency is to “believe in God’s promises.” in verse 5-6 he says:
“Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
The idea behind “Give careful thought” is a command to seriously self-examine oneself in light of the Lord and His law. The covenant relationship between God and his people was the promise that God would bless them IF they obeyed and discipline them if they didn’t. It’s obvious the people had their priorities mixed up. They had taken care of themselves before looking to the Lord.
Now, I don’t believe the Old Testament tithe is demanded of the New Testament believer (acts 5:1-4). However, I do think that tithing is a good place to start when it comes to systematic stewardship of the Lord’s gifts. After all, if a law abiding Jew could live the law of the tithe before having a connection to the Holy Spirit, why shouldn’t a New Testament believer do any less?
Haggai attempts to stress this concept by pointing out the law of the harvest - you reap what you sow. They were not being blessed by God because they had not honored God and trusted in his blessing of them. Faith requires we take the step and trust in God for the outcome.
Haggi’s third recommended course of action to overcome complacency comes in the command to “Honor God’s Name.” Haggai 1:7-8 says:
7 “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,”
When I first read this, I wondered why they had to go get the wood for the temple? What happened to the original wood. Was there a run on wood at the Menards? Was this a slight dig at those who might have absconded with the materials the first time they started building? Did they acquire the wood and never replace it? The scripture doesn’t tell us but I’ll bet there is another story there. The second part of the scripture was just as thought proving because of the word “Honored”. Why did God say he would take pleasure in being honored? Had the complacency become so great they had stopped recognizing how sweet his love is and thereby slowly rejected his presence?
It’s crazy to think people use God’s resources for their own benefit. However, It has happened since the beginning of time and there is a heavy price to be paid. Not monetarily but spiritually. I am always amazed when we do drives for soccer balls or supplies for kids in Haiti and we get really used equipment, uniforms and shoes. Much of the equipment is what I categorize as “junk for Jesus.” It's not any good but there is a sense that by donating it, the "gift" magically can be renewed and reused. This is not giving to the Lord. This is just a feel good trash pick-up.
Honoring God is not giving Him your leftovers - leftover cash, clothes or food. It will not be blessed. We are never to give gifts to others (as christians), we would be embarrassed to give our own family. When we do, we commit two sins: we displease our Lord AND we disgrace our Lord. We are all precious in God’s eyes so when we return His love with gifts we don’t need or can live without. We are saying he is less than us and therefore not worthy of our praise. I was challenged by this one year as a new christian when I challenged myself to look at my greatest expenditures in lieu of what I gave to God - this included time, money and talents. It was scary to admit the truth when I followed the money. How about you? What do your expenditures say about your priorities?
Haggi’s fourth recommended course of action to overcome complacency comes in the command “Obey”
“I am with you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God..
When God speaks to us by his word, there is only one response. We shouldn’t weigh the options. We shouldn't doubt. We should act because the Spirit of God comes close when we take the first step.
The famous british preacher Geoffrey Kennedy once said, “Faith is not believing in spite of evidence. It is obeying in spite of consequence.”
Now, I know there are few in the audience today asking “But how do I know what God wants? After all, I am not a bible scholar. I’m not the paid good guy.” or you're thinking, "I would act if God or his agent spoke to me directly."
Well, then let me remind us. We believe the Bible is God's word to us and as such He has and is speaking to us.
We will make it simple. It comes right off the scriptures from another minor prophet called Malachi. You can find it at 6:8: “Do justice. Love Mercy and walk humbly with your God.” Do what's right in most of the world’s eyes. When you fail, know God will make it right. When you’re wronged, know God is expecting you to offer mercy to the same extent He gives it to you. Finally, the phrase “walk with God” means be in relationship. Just like so many do these days. Take a walk with your friend Jesus. Share your life. Listen to what He is up to. Humbly ask him to share more with you. And then, act when that little squishy feeling in the pit of your stomach says, “Trust in me.”
If you decide not to and it haunts you after, ask God for another opportunity. He will. God is always speaking and leading.
Chapter 2 reminds God's people:
But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’
So today, we challenge you to put God's command into practice by working against complacency by being strong and:
Putting God First
Acting as if you believe in His promises
Honoring Him by giving your first fruit
Obeying the daily challenge to place yourselves under the rule and reign of the creator.
www.communitycenter.life
