Christian Life Church
January 7, 2024 at 8:30am & 10:00am
The Lord keeps His Promise. 2:5, 23 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’ 23 On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of armies.
Locations & Times
Christian Life Church Columbia
2700 Bush River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
Consider Your Ways
1.7.2024
Haggai 1:1-11 NASB In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2“This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” 3Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4“Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remainsdesolate?” 5Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “Consider your ways! 6You have sown much, only to harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.” 7The Lord of armies says this: “Consider your ways! 8Go up to the mountains, bring wood, and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9“You start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies. “It is because of My house which remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11And I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on mankind, on cattle, and on all the products of the labor of your hands.”
I. When discouragement takes hold
A. Nearly 20 years after the decree of Cyrus - but no Temple.
B. Cp. Ezra 5:1; 6:4
C. Please understand that God was not against them building houses.
D. They faced…
1. Opposition
2. Persecution
3. Adversity
4. Delay
5. Dysfunction
6. Desensitization
E. The result of all this was seriously flawed thinking.
F. Consider your ways: “Think about what you are thinking...”
II. When discouragement meets doctrine
A. Let encouragement flow from doctrine.
B. Remember the Word of The Lord.
C. The most significant change occurs in small increments.
D. Haggai delivered four prophetic messages in 3 months and 2 days.
E. Seize your moment.
Christian Life Lessons
1. Don’t get stuck in the past. 2:7-9 I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of armies. 8‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. 9‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.”
2. God is always with us. 1:13, 14; 2:4, 5 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, “‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of armies,4 But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of armies. 5 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’
3. Trials are invitations to move closer. 2:17 I struck you and every work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me’ declares the Lord.
4. God is faithful even when we aren’t. 2:19 Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”
5. The Lord keeps His Promise. 2:5, 23 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’23 On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of armies.
Haggai 2:1-9 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 2“Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? 4But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of armies. 5‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’6For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of armies. 8‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. 9‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.”
1.7.2024
Haggai 1:1-11 NASB In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2“This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” 3Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4“Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remainsdesolate?” 5Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “Consider your ways! 6You have sown much, only to harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.” 7The Lord of armies says this: “Consider your ways! 8Go up to the mountains, bring wood, and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9“You start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies. “It is because of My house which remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11And I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on mankind, on cattle, and on all the products of the labor of your hands.”
I. When discouragement takes hold
A. Nearly 20 years after the decree of Cyrus - but no Temple.
B. Cp. Ezra 5:1; 6:4
C. Please understand that God was not against them building houses.
D. They faced…
1. Opposition
2. Persecution
3. Adversity
4. Delay
5. Dysfunction
6. Desensitization
E. The result of all this was seriously flawed thinking.
F. Consider your ways: “Think about what you are thinking...”
II. When discouragement meets doctrine
A. Let encouragement flow from doctrine.
B. Remember the Word of The Lord.
C. The most significant change occurs in small increments.
D. Haggai delivered four prophetic messages in 3 months and 2 days.
E. Seize your moment.
Christian Life Lessons
1. Don’t get stuck in the past. 2:7-9 I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of armies. 8‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. 9‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.”
2. God is always with us. 1:13, 14; 2:4, 5 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, “‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of armies,4 But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of armies. 5 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’
3. Trials are invitations to move closer. 2:17 I struck you and every work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me’ declares the Lord.
4. God is faithful even when we aren’t. 2:19 Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”
5. The Lord keeps His Promise. 2:5, 23 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’23 On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of armies.
Haggai 2:1-9 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 2“Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? 4But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of armies. 5‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’6For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of armies. 8‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. 9‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.”