Hag. 1:12-2:5: This house isn't going to build itself

Listen from the church of Christ in Normal. Watch this lesson on YouTube.

Intro

1)     In Hag. 1:1-11, Haggai told the people:

A)   Your priorities are out of line. You’ve been putting yourselves ahead of God.

B)    Consider your ways.

2)     SHOCKER: The people actually listened!

3)     In this lesson, we’ll look at what the people did to get back on track. These are the things we all need to be doing in our lives today.

What am I supposed to do? (OUR PART)

1)     Obey (1:12a)

A)   Others

1)     OT – Deut. 13:4 (most of what is in this lesson is in this verse)

2)     NT – James 1:21-23a, 25b: It’s one thing to hear the word and know what it says. It is a completely different thing to actually do something about it.

B)    Let’s think about ourselves.

1)     How many of us listened to the last lesson about mixed up priorities and felt convicted (even a little)? “Yeah, the huge amount of my time and money is spent on myself and what I want rather than for God and his glory.”

2)     How many of us who feel convicted by that are just going to keep on doing what we’ve been doing? Tomorrow is going to look just like yesterday, and nothing is going to change.

C)    The proper response is to hear the word, and then to actually do something about it. The people in Haggai obeyed God.

2)     Fear the Lord (1:12b)

A)   Def. Holy reverence or profound awe

B)    Others

1)     OT – Ex. 20:18-20 (“that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”)

2)     NT – 1 Pet. 1:17 – Our lives should be characterized by deep respect (reverence) towards God.

3)     BOTH (fear and obey) Ecc. 12:13 – “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

C)    POINT – The people did the right thing (obeyed) for the right reasons (fear of God).

1)     It’s not enough for the people to obey God and get busy with the temple.

2)     We are called to do the right things for the right reasons (motivated by fear/reverence/respect).

3)     Work (1:14b; 2:4b)

A)   Others

1)     OT – 1 Chron. 28:10, 20

2)     NT – 1 Cor. 15:58: “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord”

B)    Quote attributed to Tommy Lasorda (MLB player and LA Dodgers coach) – “The world is divided into three classes of people: a very small group who make things happen, a somewhat larger group who watch things happen, and the great majority who never know what happened.”

C)    Unfortunately, God’s Kingdom is no different. We have workers and watchers.

1)     Haggai’s message is equally true for us today: This temple isn’t going to build itself.

2)     Someone has to teach people the Gospel (evangelism).

3)     Someone has to teach them how to be Christians (discipleship).

4)     Somebody needs to take visitors to lunch.

5)     Somebody needs stay up late so our teens can get together on Friday night.

6)     There’s really no reason why it shouldn’t be you. It’s time to get busy and work.

(a)   God did not put you in this body to WATCH other people do all the work.

(b)   He put you in the body to WORK. There is something that YOU can be busy with.

4)     Be strong (2:4)

A)   Def. Inner courage to initiate and persist in daunting tasks.

B)    Others

1)     OT – Josh. 1:6-9

2)     NT – 1 Cor. 16:13: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

C)    Context:

1)     Haggai: Build the temple.

2)     Israel: Man, this is really hard.

3)     Haggai: Yep.

D)   I made a list of words that describe some of the different feelings I’ve experienced while working for the Lord over an extended period of time. (This is only one side of things to make this point.)

1)     Disappointing, discouraging, disheartening, frustrating, tedious, thankless, overwhelming

2)     I get tired, burned out, drained, demoralized

3)     God says, “Be strong” because none of this is easy. If it was easy they would’ve just done it in the first place.

5)     Fear not (1:5b)

A)   Others

1)     OT – Is. 41:10

2)     Matt. 6:25-34 – “Do not be anxious about your life…”

(a)   These are easy words to SAY, but extremely difficult words to make a part of our lives.

B)    I don’t know the right way to do this: Have you ever been in a situation where someone is just paralyzed and overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, stress? What do we say in this situations?

1)     Everyone on the internet will tell me this is the wrong things to say…

2)     But God said, “Don’t be afraid.” Over and over again in the Bible this is his message.

3)     Put your faith in Him.

GOD’S PART

These are not only the WHY, but also the HOW for the 5 points above.

6)     “I am with you” (1:13; 2:4)

A)   This is another one of those phrases that we should recognize as important throughout the Bible.

1)     Isaac – Gen. 26:3, 23-24

2)     Jacob (running from Esau) – Gen. 28:15

3)     Moses’ call at the burning bush – Ex. 3:10-12

4)     Joshua – Deut. 31:7-8; Josh. 1:5

5)     David to Solomon – 1 Chron. 28:20 (temple building context)

6)     Jesus to his Apostles (the Great Commission) – Matt. 28:19-20

(a)   Immanuel – God with us

B)    Do you remember when your kids were little and they woke up screaming because they had a nightmare, and you run into their room and scoop them up and say, “Don’t worry. I’m here.” The lights are still off in the dark room, and the scary closet door is still cracked, but the whole situation is completely different when your parents are in the room with you.  

C)    The promise of God’s presence is where we find the peace that surpasses all understanding.

7)     “the Lord stirred up the spirit…” (1:14)

A)   What does it mean that God stirred up their spirit?

1)     Waking up from sleep.

2)     Is. 42:13 – A warrior getting worked up

3)     Restoration context

(a)   2 Chron. 36:22 / Ezra 1:1 (cf. Is. 13:17; 45:1, 13; Jer. 50:9; 51:1, 11)

(b)   Ezra 1:5

4)     Trans.

(a)   NET – “the Lord energized and encouraged…”

(b)   NLT – “the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of…”

B)    Haggai told the people God’s words, and God stirred up their spirits.

1)     Jer. 23:29 – “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”

2)     Heb. 4:12 – “The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword…”

Conclusion: Maybe you are like the people in Haggai…

1)     Prioritizing the wrong things and pouring all your energy into building up the fancy paneled houses of your career, or bank account, or status, or some other part of your life.

2)     Maybe you are apathetic, or exhausted or overwhelmed by the huge scale of what needs to be done.

3)     Question: What do you do after 15 years of procrastination and putting off what God has called us to?

4)     Prayer: God, stir up our spirits. Shake us and wake us up to…obey, fear you, get to work, be strong, and not be afraid because we know that you are with is.