WEBVTT 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:02.040 Haggai chapter two. 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:09.300 If you're if you're just picking up with us and you're wondering what this book is about, I'm going to give a little bit of backdrop for us and show how this 00:00:09.300 --> 00:00:12.120 passage of Scripture applies to our life. 00:00:12.220 --> 00:00:16.120 And the title of this morning's message is, what do I do when I'm in over my head? 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:20.140 Because it fits precisely where Haggai chapter two falls into place for us. 00:00:21.020 --> 00:00:27.760 And one of the things that we've been following as a theme for us as a church family is we are we are a fairly new church. 00:00:28.280 --> 00:00:34.270 We've been in this city for about six years, but our beginning was very meager, to say the least. 00:00:34.540 --> 00:00:39.460 And so we started in a just a living room, just gathering with some believers. 00:00:39.480 --> 00:00:40.620 And we've been growing ever since. 00:00:40.680 --> 00:00:44.000 And we talked about last week, we've been growing at about 30% over the last six years. 00:00:44.860 --> 00:00:47.600 And we're still looking beyond what God has for us. 00:00:48.180 --> 00:00:51.640 And that's exactly where Haggai fits into our lives. 00:00:51.800 --> 00:00:58.980 This book was written over 26 right around 2600 years ago, but the thoughts of that God incorporates in the book of Haggai is still very 00:00:58.980 --> 00:01:00.500 practical to us today. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:08.080 And so we're searching through this text as the people of Haggai were going through this experience to glean from it what we can learn, what God would desire for us 00:01:08.160 --> 00:01:08.610 to know. 00:01:09.340 --> 00:01:13.750 And sometimes we get to a place, especially when you walk with the Lord, that you just say, you know what? 00:01:13.940 --> 00:01:15.200 I'm in over my head. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:17.500 I don't God, I don't know how to share you in this. 00:01:17.500 --> 00:01:18.820 I don't know how to be a light for you in this. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:21.080 And I just want you to know when you walk with Jesus. 00:01:21.360 --> 00:01:21.520 Really? 00:01:21.520 --> 00:01:22.540 That's about every day. 00:01:23.220 --> 00:01:28.160 Every day as you walk with the Lord, he gives an opportunity to stretch you in your faith. 00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:30.600 And rather than trusting yourself to trust in him. 00:01:31.720 --> 00:01:35.490 And so the book of Haggai puts us in a place specifically for us as a church family. 00:01:35.500 --> 00:01:40.190 We're looking at our future, and there's a lot of question marks as we continue to grow and how that's going to happen. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:43.500 But we're just trusting in the Lord for what he has for us. 00:01:44.340 --> 00:01:51.540 In this book of Haggai, written almost 600 years before Jesus came, the nation of Israel has just returned 00:01:51.540 --> 00:01:54.380 from captivity, the nation of Israel. 00:01:54.420 --> 00:02:00.500 In 722 BC, the northern tribes, ten tribes to the north, and Israel were taken into captivity by the Assyrians. 00:02:01.540 --> 00:02:07.750 And then 586 BC, the southern tribes of Israel, two of them were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. 00:02:08.620 --> 00:02:15.320 That siege against the southern tribes of Israel started in 606, concluded in 586. 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:22.520 In 536, under the Persian rule, the king Cyrus allowed the nation of Israel to return to rebuild the temple that was 00:02:22.600 --> 00:02:24.760 destroyed when the Babylonians came in and conquered. 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:32.880 And so when you jump into the book of Haggai, you jump into a specific place in time where the nation of Israel has now returned to their land. 00:02:32.880 --> 00:02:38.820 Out of all the people that were taken captive, only 50,000 returned to rebuild their land and rebuild their temple. 00:02:40.500 --> 00:02:47.500 Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, or historical books that take place during this time period and the prophetic books Zechariah, Haggai are just a 00:02:47.500 --> 00:02:53.580 couple of those written during this era in which Israel is getting back on their feet and rebuilding what was lost. 00:02:54.720 --> 00:02:56.360 When they left with 50,000 people. 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:03.040 They left with all the ambition in the world, thinking of all the possibilities of what could happen as they reenter into this promised land. 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:06.240 And they see, they see God moving in their lives again. 00:03:08.060 --> 00:03:15.200 It was said by one commentary, said this it's one thing to get God's people back to work, and quite another thing to keep them 00:03:15.200 --> 00:03:16.240 on the job. 00:03:18.540 --> 00:03:25.620 And you think maybe in our in your life there was something that you've encountered in life that you were really ambitious, really excited for, 00:03:25.860 --> 00:03:26.940 couldn't wait to get started. 00:03:27.420 --> 00:03:34.800 You got into it, you met a couple of bumps in the road, and then you begin to question whether or not this was where you should 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:36.220 be or what you should be doing. 00:03:36.220 --> 00:03:40.360 It begins to be a challenge in that leading in your life. 00:03:40.480 --> 00:03:42.540 Is it something that God desires for you? 00:03:42.540 --> 00:03:42.970 Is it not? 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:45.700 And so this is where the book of Haggai begins. 00:03:46.040 --> 00:03:53.230 And in chapter two and verse one of Haggai, when Haggai, there we go. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:04:00.620 When Haggai begins to read to the people, or share what God has laid upon his heart, Haggai dates the time in which he's sharing, 00:04:00.660 --> 00:04:02.320 and this comes in the month of October. 00:04:03.300 --> 00:04:08.470 In about 520 BC, the first verse would tell us that according to the Jewish calendar, they follow a lunar calendar. 00:04:08.740 --> 00:04:10.630 So it's not the same as our calendar today. 00:04:10.880 --> 00:04:18.269 But it says on the 21st of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:26.100 governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, who is left among you who saw 00:04:26.100 --> 00:04:28.180 this temple in its former glory? 00:04:29.440 --> 00:04:30.430 How do you see it now? 00:04:31.520 --> 00:04:35.210 Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:40.600 Israel arrived back in the Promised Land in 536. 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:44.600 By 520, the temple is still not complete. 00:04:44.820 --> 00:04:47.240 God raises up Haggai to challenge the people in the rebuilding of the temple. 00:04:48.700 --> 00:04:55.760 Chapter one tells us that Israel got diverted from the calling of going back to the Promised Land and rebuilding this temple, and they started to focus on their 00:04:55.760 --> 00:04:56.250 own homes. 00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:01.480 In chapter one of Haggai told us that they build built paneled houses. 00:05:01.820 --> 00:05:03.540 Look out the paneled houses. 00:05:04.400 --> 00:05:08.060 But the point is that they got sidetracked from what God had called them to do. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.540 And the reason was when Israel got into the Promised Land to rebuild the temple. 00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:19.960 When Israel was looking around them, they began to notice that the other nations were starting to oppress them, come against them, and try to thwart their work 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:21.330 on rebuilding this temple. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:26.620 And Sir Israel used that diversion to get them to stop the work. 00:05:27.200 --> 00:05:28.540 And finally Haggai comes in. 00:05:28.540 --> 00:05:29.800 He shares this message with them. 00:05:29.820 --> 00:05:35.410 Israel gets back into working on this temple, and Haggai is honest with them. 00:05:36.440 --> 00:05:42.980 Because when they left Israel and went to Babylon in captivity, it was for some people just 50 years ago. 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:49.560 And some of these people make the journey back to Israel again, back to their promised land. 00:05:50.900 --> 00:05:53.820 And they remember what Solomon's Temple looked like in its glory. 00:05:56.600 --> 00:05:57.970 And Haggai just asked him. 00:06:00.490 --> 00:06:01.120 Does this temple. 00:06:03.320 --> 00:06:04.140 Look like it's former glory. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:07.260 How do you see it now? 00:06:08.540 --> 00:06:10.940 Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? 00:06:13.100 --> 00:06:20.320 It's interesting, if you were to read the Book of Ezra in comparison to this book of Haggai in chapter three of Ezra, 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:22.340 it's talking about the rebuilding of the temple. 00:06:22.340 --> 00:06:29.500 In verse 12 it says, it says in verse 12 that some people weep when they start rebuilding the temple, and some 00:06:29.500 --> 00:06:30.260 people cheer. 00:06:32.440 --> 00:06:36.660 The ones that had no idea what the temple looked like in its former glory had nothing to compare it to. 00:06:36.660 --> 00:06:43.880 And so they're all excited about what God's doing, the people that had something to compare it to when they step in and they start to see what they're doing now, 00:06:43.940 --> 00:06:48.910 they start to weep, knowing that the glory of what the temple was and what it is now, it's nothing in comparison. 00:06:49.420 --> 00:06:50.980 And so they're saddened by it. 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:58.060 It's kind of like this at ABC if you're just if you're just jumping on now, I mean, the ones that were that started in the beginning with our 00:06:58.060 --> 00:07:02.520 church, we look at this building maybe, I don't know, I'm just kind of reading minds a little bit. 00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:04.480 We look at this building, we're like, yeah, look what we got. 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:05.020 We got a bar. 00:07:05.280 --> 00:07:10.200 And then some people, when you show up on Sunday morning for the first time, you look at the outside, you're like, where am I? 00:07:10.220 --> 00:07:10.740 What is this? 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:13.820 It's all it's all compared to perspective. 00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:15.020 We see it honestly. 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:22.770 It's a place where God has shown his hand to us, and knowing where we started and where we're going, it's an incredible thing. 00:07:23.060 --> 00:07:25.890 And that's where Haggai comes into the picture. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:29.370 And he's honest with the people. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:35.900 Saying, if you compare what it was to what it is now. 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:37.960 You're right. 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:39.500 It doesn't hold a candle to. 00:07:40.980 --> 00:07:41.980 To what Solomon had built. 00:07:43.580 --> 00:07:44.630 For the people of Israel. 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:51.140 But now Haggai takes the perspective of the people's minds, and he begins to focus it on what matters. 00:07:53.740 --> 00:07:57.620 It's not about comparing. 00:07:58.120 --> 00:07:59.200 We said last week. 00:07:59.480 --> 00:07:59.480 When? 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:03.660 When God calls you to something, he doesn't expect you to be Superman. 00:08:06.020 --> 00:08:09.510 What God desires is for you to be faithful with what he's given you. 00:08:11.340 --> 00:08:18.000 And if we just took a tally around us in this room, according to our gifts and talents and what God has given us in this life, it's going to be different. 00:08:20.520 --> 00:08:23.080 And God doesn't call you to be me or me to be you. 00:08:23.100 --> 00:08:24.740 God calls me to be faithful to him. 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:28.960 And Haggai brings the people of Israel to a place to recognize. 00:08:28.960 --> 00:08:29.380 You know what? 00:08:29.420 --> 00:08:33.760 You don't have what Solomon's given you, but you have what God has given you. 00:08:33.760 --> 00:08:40.159 And God will meet you where you are, and he will transform your life to accomplish what God has created you for in him. 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:45.060 Haggai helps them see how to get their. 00:08:47.220 --> 00:08:48.820 And so in verse four he goes on and says this. 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:50.060 But now take courage. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:52.800 Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. 00:08:53.520 --> 00:08:54.100 Take courage. 00:08:54.180 --> 00:09:00.580 Also Joshua Zerubbabel's the governor Joshua was the priest, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land. 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:02.660 Take courage, declares the Lord, and work. 00:09:02.760 --> 00:09:04.340 For I am with you, declares the Lord. 00:09:15.920 --> 00:09:16.280 For of hosts, as you promise, which I I made when you came out of Egypt. 00:09:16.280 --> 00:09:21.090 When Haggai shares this message, the nation of Israel, he picks a very timely position in their history to do so. 00:09:23.700 --> 00:09:25.320 When Haggai shares this message. 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:29.520 It's coming in the month of October, in the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles. 00:09:32.460 --> 00:09:39.460 The Feast of Tabernacles is a reminder to Israel to celebration that they had annually to remind themselves 00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:41.280 where God has brought them. 00:09:43.430 --> 00:09:46.380 In First Chronicles chapter 28. 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:53.520 It happens a few times within the Book of Chronicles when David hands off the leadership of the nation of 00:09:53.520 --> 00:09:57.780 Israel to his son Solomon, God had called Solomon to build the temple. 00:09:57.780 --> 00:10:05.300 And so when David hands off this calling and this position as king to Solomon, David repeatedly said in first Chronicles, 00:10:05.420 --> 00:10:12.470 chapter 28, in chapter 22, and in verses uh 13, God had said to Solomon repeatedly, 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:14.460 be strong. 00:10:16.780 --> 00:10:17.260 Be strong. 00:10:21.280 --> 00:10:24.440 When Haggai talks to the nation of Israel. 00:10:25.880 --> 00:10:27.130 And the rebuilding of this temple. 00:10:28.680 --> 00:10:29.860 He quotes King David. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:31.660 Speaking to Solomon. 00:10:33.140 --> 00:10:34.240 And the building of this temple. 00:10:35.640 --> 00:10:36.080 Be strong. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.700 David said to Solomon, be strong and courageous and act. 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:44.100 Do not fear, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God my God is with you. 00:10:44.100 --> 00:10:50.480 He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. 00:10:54.500 --> 00:10:55.860 God doesn't expect you to be Superman. 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:01.880 What God desires for you to be is just faithful. 00:11:03.800 --> 00:11:04.060 God. 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:08.680 God meets you where you are and he works through you to transform your life. 00:11:08.680 --> 00:11:09.380 God's not like this. 00:11:09.540 --> 00:11:09.620 Okay? 00:11:09.680 --> 00:11:10.490 Who wants to help me? 00:11:10.940 --> 00:11:11.760 Oh, Tim. 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:14.000 No, not Tim. 00:11:14.760 --> 00:11:15.600 All right, let me pretend. 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:17.080 Let's act like Tim didn't stand up here. 00:11:17.280 --> 00:11:18.240 Let's ask someone else. 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:18.380 God. 00:11:18.700 --> 00:11:19.900 God has called you. 00:11:19.920 --> 00:11:21.660 God has gifted you God. 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:25.130 God has made you unique for the purpose he has created you in this world. 00:11:28.060 --> 00:11:29.060 No one can do that but you. 00:11:31.860 --> 00:11:34.740 God doesn't expect you to be someone different than who you are. 00:11:37.760 --> 00:11:38.920 God wants to use you. 00:11:41.400 --> 00:11:48.400 In fact, if you were to read the book of First Corinthians in chapter one, the second half of First Corinthians, chapter one is all about how God uses the 00:11:48.400 --> 00:11:50.290 weak things of the world to confound the wise. 00:11:53.460 --> 00:11:57.400 God uses the small things of this world to take down the powerful. 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:01.360 You know why God likes to do that? 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:07.590 Because there's no other justifiable reason to explain it other than his hand at work. 00:12:11.880 --> 00:12:12.700 In our weaknesses. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:14.310 Where God really shines. 00:12:17.220 --> 00:12:21.860 It's important for us to remember that God's hand has been with us or is with us. 00:12:22.140 --> 00:12:25.430 And Haggai just starts with that reminder for the nation of Israel. 00:12:27.060 --> 00:12:32.360 But God has brought you back to your land, and he didn't just bring you back to your land just to dump you. 00:12:34.220 --> 00:12:37.040 But he led you back to your land because he wants to use you. 00:12:39.100 --> 00:12:41.060 He wants to walk with you. 00:12:41.060 --> 00:12:41.660 And so on. 00:12:41.820 --> 00:12:45.160 The Feast of Tabernacles we're called, sometimes called the Feast of Booths. 00:12:45.560 --> 00:12:47.860 He stands before Israel, who's building the temple? 00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:52.220 And he reminds Israel of what David said to Solomon when Solomon takes over the temple. 00:12:53.620 --> 00:12:58.360 You can imagine in Solomon's own place at the end of the building of the temple. 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:05.400 Maybe in his mind he knew what glory the temple would hold, but to stare at the possibility of failing, or to stare at the possibility of even beginning this 00:13:05.400 --> 00:13:07.540 work would have seemed overwhelming to him. 00:13:07.580 --> 00:13:08.380 Do you know how we know that? 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:11.420 Because David would have never said, be strong and courageous. 00:13:13.560 --> 00:13:17.180 If Solomon wasn't challenging that calling on his life. 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:26.370 Those are words you speak to people when you realize that they recognize a challenge before them. 00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:29.210 Be strong and courageous. 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:39.380 On the Feast of Booths is when the this Temple of Solomon ends up being dedicated in First Kings chapter 00:13:39.560 --> 00:13:40.110 eight. 00:13:41.680 --> 00:13:48.740 Since during the Feast of Booths, that Jesus comes along and John seven and he and he says, and eight 00:13:48.740 --> 00:13:53.460 as well, that if anyone are thirsty, let him come unto me and have a drink. 00:13:55.760 --> 00:14:03.280 Can imagine in John seven, during the Feast of Booths, when Jesus Jesus makes such a statement at the end of the Feast of Booths, there's a particular 00:14:03.300 --> 00:14:07.840 ceremony where they pour water as an offering to God. 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:14.900 And as this ceremony is taking place, to identify not not that the importance of this ceremony, but Jesus, who this 00:14:14.900 --> 00:14:20.120 ceremony points to, he stands in front of the whole crowd in the temple and says, I am this living water. 00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:26.860 And it goes on and says, I am also the light of the world. 00:14:30.620 --> 00:14:32.720 This feast was important for Israel. 00:14:35.300 --> 00:14:42.800 God told Israel in Leviticus 28, when the nation was taken out of Egypt in slavery under the hand of Moses to 00:14:42.800 --> 00:14:44.380 celebrate this Feast of Booths. 00:14:45.920 --> 00:14:52.950 Ezra would literally get into tents during a harvest time and remember how God provided for them. 00:14:53.640 --> 00:14:56.640 And so if you want an excuse to go camping, your spouse is not with you. 00:14:56.660 --> 00:14:58.620 Just be like, it's biblical feast of booths, right? 00:14:58.720 --> 00:14:59.420 They camped in tents. 00:14:59.780 --> 00:15:00.270 We camped intense. 00:15:00.880 --> 00:15:01.380 I'm. 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:07.930 For Israel, this feast was a reminder to them. 00:15:09.300 --> 00:15:10.420 Of God's provision. 00:15:12.460 --> 00:15:12.760 God's hand. 00:15:14.660 --> 00:15:16.040 Of God being with them. 00:15:17.900 --> 00:15:19.420 You know, I think God does that for us. 00:15:21.180 --> 00:15:24.570 Because there comes a time in our lives where the road doesn't always look easy. 00:15:26.900 --> 00:15:31.840 And those times in our lives we need to be able to set before the Lord. 00:15:33.500 --> 00:15:33.960 And recognize. 00:15:35.500 --> 00:15:37.660 God doesn't lead us just to leave us. 00:15:40.620 --> 00:15:45.710 But God leads us and he continues to lead us and provide for us just as he's begun. 00:15:48.880 --> 00:15:52.220 Not only was God with them, but God also promises. 00:15:52.220 --> 00:15:54.500 In this passage he says in the very end of verse five. 00:15:55.020 --> 00:16:00.540 As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, my spirit is abiding in your midst. 00:16:00.660 --> 00:16:01.260 Do not fear. 00:16:01.340 --> 00:16:03.380 Not only was God with them. 00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:06.470 But God is still with them. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:09.060 And God's going to continue to be with him. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:11.840 His spirit is with them. 00:16:12.980 --> 00:16:20.080 You know, one of the things you read as you read on the book of Haggai in chapter two, if you see in verse 17, God even tells them, listen, it wasn't me 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:21.220 that was ever not with you. 00:16:21.540 --> 00:16:22.400 You're the one that left me. 00:16:24.860 --> 00:16:31.880 If you're experiencing trials and challenges, and this isn't always the case for us in life, I don't want to make us think that this is what happens every time we have 00:16:31.900 --> 00:16:32.240 a bad experience. 00:16:32.680 --> 00:16:38.640 But in verse 17, God's saying, I'm allowing the difficult circumstances into your life because you're not with me. 00:16:40.880 --> 00:16:43.340 I want you to recognize that I've always been with you. 00:16:43.420 --> 00:16:45.060 But it's you that have left me. 00:16:48.160 --> 00:16:48.500 A.w. 00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:49.320 Tozer said this. 00:16:50.840 --> 00:16:57.920 I think it's helpful for us to recognize that if we know God's with us, how to respond as people in the power of his strength 00:16:57.920 --> 00:16:58.640 and not our own. 00:16:58.680 --> 00:17:05.819 But Tozer says this If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what we're doing in our churches would go right 00:17:05.819 --> 00:17:10.210 on and nobody would know the difference. 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:19.430 His point is this if God is really with his people, it gives us the ability to dream big in him. 00:17:21.099 --> 00:17:25.700 To think of the things that he could do not to not to dream within our own power. 00:17:25.780 --> 00:17:31.700 Because when it's accomplished within our own power, there's no real recognition that God really provided in those moments. 00:17:31.780 --> 00:17:39.100 But when we imagine the possibilities of what God could do in our lives as we're trusting in him because of the power of His Spirit that rests 00:17:39.260 --> 00:17:42.790 with us, he gets the glory. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:49.560 The things that you think in your life, it's never possible. 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:54.980 Unless something supernaturally happens. 00:17:57.260 --> 00:17:59.760 I think that's the way God desires for us to dream in him. 00:18:02.610 --> 00:18:03.340 I'm going to tell you. 00:18:05.700 --> 00:18:06.920 Living that way. 00:18:08.460 --> 00:18:08.960 Scary. 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.660 Remember every step we've taken as a church. 00:18:17.580 --> 00:18:24.680 Every time we went to sign our name to a dotted line on some lease or some building project, we could not afford where we were about 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:25.380 to go. 00:18:27.280 --> 00:18:29.900 Usually results with me having heartburn for a couple nights. 00:18:32.860 --> 00:18:38.160 And I go back into my office and looking at our church and what God's doing here and how it's growing. 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:45.320 And I think about what the next step is for us and expanding and growing and to be honest, there's always a part of me that says, and I don't 00:18:45.320 --> 00:18:46.020 want to do that. 00:18:46.360 --> 00:18:48.320 I don't want to I don't want to do it again. 00:18:48.340 --> 00:18:49.380 But here's what I don't want to do. 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:52.390 I don't want to see God's people limited for what God's called them to do. 00:18:55.700 --> 00:18:58.540 I don't want to hinder God's church from being who God's called us to be. 00:19:00.940 --> 00:19:02.560 And so it puts us in a place to trust. 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:06.280 And that's just in a building perspective. 00:19:06.780 --> 00:19:08.740 But you think in your own personal engagement in this world. 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:14.460 How easy it is to talk yourself down from standing for Christ. 00:19:16.800 --> 00:19:20.520 When you think of people in your life, you're like, man, they need Jesus. 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:30.280 God, if I could just taste the goodness of who you are and just experience your grace and mercy and let you set 00:19:30.280 --> 00:19:30.960 them free. 00:19:34.040 --> 00:19:36.920 But they're impossible, right? 00:19:37.220 --> 00:19:38.650 There's no way that's ever going to happen. 00:19:42.090 --> 00:19:44.230 Nah, it would take a miraculous event. 00:19:44.820 --> 00:19:46.040 And I'm just me and. 00:19:49.280 --> 00:19:51.320 Not only has God been with you. 00:19:54.080 --> 00:19:55.320 But God is with you. 00:19:56.720 --> 00:19:59.160 And God didn't lead you just to drop you. 00:19:59.260 --> 00:20:03.580 But he wants his word to prevail, and his desire is to use you for that. 00:20:03.620 --> 00:20:10.680 And so the nation of Israel, they're picturing their temple, and some are weeping over the fact that the temple looks nothing like the beauty of 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:11.580 what it was before. 00:20:11.860 --> 00:20:14.200 And some are celebrating because they had nothing to compare it to. 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:16.160 And so they're just so happy that they have something. 00:20:16.800 --> 00:20:23.840 But either way, Haggai uses in verse six this moment to just say to the people, now I want you to start dreaming for just a minute. 00:20:24.260 --> 00:20:24.720 It's not. 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:26.540 It's not about where you start. 00:20:26.540 --> 00:20:28.320 It's really about where you finish. 00:20:28.340 --> 00:20:34.780 And if you're just faithful to him, just looking at what God can do and dreaming in his strength and not your own, it is. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:37.580 It is incredible to think about the way God can move. 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:44.760 And so Haggai says that in verse six, for thus saith the Lord of hosts once more, in a little while I'm going to shake the heavens and the earth and the sea 00:20:44.760 --> 00:20:50.040 and the dry land, and I will shake all the nations, and they will come with the wealth of all the nations. 00:20:50.080 --> 00:20:52.480 And I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of host. 00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:55.700 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of host. 00:20:56.100 --> 00:21:00.000 The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. 00:21:00.380 --> 00:21:03.880 And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts. 00:21:06.080 --> 00:21:10.690 Now I've said this, but let me say it again this word Lord of hosts, he just continues to repeat it within this passage. 00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:13.100 So it's worthy to recognize this word. 00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:18.210 Lord of hosts signifies a king ready for battle, surrounded by his army. 00:21:19.100 --> 00:21:20.460 This is a God ready for action. 00:21:21.780 --> 00:21:23.820 Calling you to join him in this action. 00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:27.220 And so Haggai is sharing this thought. 00:21:27.300 --> 00:21:33.180 Listen, he is this God prepared to let his word go forth to shake the kingdoms and allow you to be a part of it. 00:21:33.420 --> 00:21:35.140 You think this temple is small? 00:21:35.180 --> 00:21:40.300 You think this temple has humble beginnings, but it's from here God is going to shake the world. 00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:44.940 And he did. 00:21:46.150 --> 00:21:49.110 This was the temple that was built under Zerubbabel. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:52.670 Through which Jesus would come. 00:21:53.190 --> 00:21:54.360 To reach the nation's. 00:21:57.320 --> 00:21:57.800 Not only. 00:21:59.300 --> 00:22:01.880 Did God use this place to shake the world then? 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:07.910 The book of Hebrews in the New Testament tells us that God will continue to shake the world. 00:22:10.420 --> 00:22:15.260 In chapter 12, the writer of Hebrews quotes Haggai chapter two and verse six. 00:22:17.260 --> 00:22:20.740 That's something that only that has taken place, but something that will continue to take place. 00:22:22.360 --> 00:22:29.460 Now, I know when we read about future events, everyone likes to break out their eschatology charts and tell me, tell people exactly when Jesus is coming and exactly 00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:30.340 how that's going to look. 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:33.720 But I'm just going to tell you, according to this verse, this is what it says, okay. 00:22:34.080 --> 00:22:35.470 I'm going to read it, and I'm going to tell you what it says. 00:22:35.760 --> 00:22:42.820 And he shook and his voice shook the earth then but now he has promised, saying, yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also 00:22:42.820 --> 00:22:43.440 the heaven. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:50.460 This expression, yet once more denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken as of created things, so that those things which 00:22:50.460 --> 00:22:52.040 cannot be shaken may remain. 00:22:52.300 --> 00:22:59.700 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God and acceptable service with reverence 00:22:59.740 --> 00:23:00.080 and awe. 00:23:00.220 --> 00:23:02.610 For our God is a consuming fire. 00:23:04.620 --> 00:23:05.220 Here's what he's saying. 00:23:06.800 --> 00:23:09.040 Jesus wins. 00:23:10.620 --> 00:23:16.390 Look, regardless about the way you think anything is going to work out, the most important thing is Jesus wins. 00:23:18.660 --> 00:23:23.840 This temple of humble beginnings, this temple where people were crying over thinking about its former glory. 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:30.080 It's in this and faithfulness to this that Jesus comes through this and God promises all nations will be shook. 00:23:33.060 --> 00:23:34.020 It's not about where you start. 00:23:36.620 --> 00:23:38.950 It's about crossing the finish line with Christ. 00:23:42.280 --> 00:23:44.480 God can use the simplest things for his glory. 00:23:46.840 --> 00:23:48.890 You know what he really wants to use in all of it. 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:53.120 Faithful people. 00:23:53.820 --> 00:23:54.840 That's all he's looking for. 00:23:56.700 --> 00:23:57.690 The faithful people. 00:24:00.040 --> 00:24:01.960 God can transform anything. 00:24:03.700 --> 00:24:04.590 With faithful people. 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:07.840 In verse ten. 00:24:09.560 --> 00:24:11.350 He goes a little further, reminds us this. 00:24:14.800 --> 00:24:16.140 Haggai gives one final illustration. 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:22.480 He says, if a man carries holy meat into the fold of his garment. 00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:25.050 And touch his bread with his fold. 00:24:26.340 --> 00:24:29.440 Or cooked food, wine, oil or any other food, will it become holy? 00:24:30.820 --> 00:24:31.690 And the priest says no. 00:24:33.480 --> 00:24:40.580 Then Haggai said, if one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these things, which the latter becomes unclean, the priest answered, it will 00:24:40.580 --> 00:24:41.980 become unclean. 00:24:43.020 --> 00:24:43.680 And like I said. 00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:45.870 So is this people. 00:24:47.040 --> 00:24:48.860 And so is this nation before me. 00:24:52.040 --> 00:24:59.180 Haggis, these priests, these couple of thoughts, he says, listen, if you have something that's holy, dedicated to God, 00:24:59.540 --> 00:25:02.870 and you go touch something with it, do you have the ability to make it holy? 00:25:02.940 --> 00:25:04.240 Does that make something holy? 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:05.340 No. 00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:10.340 Well, if you and your unholiness begin to interact with things that are sacred to use for God, does it? 00:25:10.420 --> 00:25:11.360 Does it taint or does it? 00:25:11.660 --> 00:25:12.290 Does it make it unholy? 00:25:12.800 --> 00:25:13.840 And the priest says, yes. 00:25:14.020 --> 00:25:15.760 And here's God's point. 00:25:18.520 --> 00:25:21.810 You don't have the ability to make things sacred for him. 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:28.790 What you have the ability to do is give yourself to him. 00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:33.900 It's not your job to make it sacred and holy. 00:25:34.020 --> 00:25:35.420 It's God's. 00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:46.580 But what God wants to make sure that you do is take what he has created for him, which is sacred and 00:25:46.580 --> 00:25:46.580 holy, and allow him to use it for his glory. 00:25:46.580 --> 00:25:47.330 Haggai chapter two. 00:25:47.560 --> 00:25:49.100 He's reminding the people of Israel. 00:25:49.100 --> 00:25:51.920 Listen, it's not up to your strength to do this. 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:52.360 It's. 00:25:52.560 --> 00:25:55.060 It's up to me to work this through you. 00:25:55.520 --> 00:25:58.300 And what we can do as people isn't make things better. 00:25:58.300 --> 00:26:02.160 But what we can do, and we do it within our own strength is take things from him. 00:26:04.380 --> 00:26:11.560 What God intends for him, we remove from him by giving ourselves to other things apart from him, which is what Israel was 00:26:11.560 --> 00:26:12.000 doing. 00:26:12.020 --> 00:26:19.220 It tells us in verse 17 and in chapter one, when they devoted themselves to the building of their homes, apart from what God had called them to do. 00:26:22.520 --> 00:26:23.900 God's desire. 00:26:25.120 --> 00:26:27.640 Is just you. 00:26:28.940 --> 00:26:32.110 We give ourselves to him and he's the one that brings life to it. 00:26:35.520 --> 00:26:35.700 God. 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:39.450 Has done this for the people. 00:26:41.740 --> 00:26:47.060 To give them an opportunity to turn back from them to shake the nations through them. 00:26:49.140 --> 00:26:53.400 In verse 17, yet you did not turn to me, he says. 00:26:55.860 --> 00:27:00.580 But God, when he calls us as people, reminds us that when we take our hearts, he is a. 00:27:00.840 --> 00:27:03.360 He is a God of second and third and fourth chances. 00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:08.240 That when we take our hearts and we turn them over to him, God, God does not reject that. 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:14.110 Listen this in Psalm verse nine and ten, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. 00:27:14.360 --> 00:27:18.620 And Jeremiah 19 you will seek me and find me when you seek me with your heart. 00:27:20.300 --> 00:27:24.100 God didn't make you in his image so that you couldn't connect to him, but rather he. 00:27:24.320 --> 00:27:27.940 He created you in his image for the purpose of allowing you to connect to him. 00:27:28.020 --> 00:27:35.060 God wouldn't tell you to rest in him if he didn't want you and in him in Matthew 11 he says this come to me, you who are weary and heavy 00:27:35.060 --> 00:27:36.920 laden, and I will give you rest. 00:27:40.860 --> 00:27:44.060 God would not willingly reward you for seeking him. 00:27:46.560 --> 00:27:48.790 If he were only going to reject you for doing so. 00:27:50.300 --> 00:28:00.200 In Hebrews 11 it says in verse six, without faith it's impossible to please him, but he rewards those who diligently seek him. 00:28:00.320 --> 00:28:05.580 In Hebrews 13 five For he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. 00:28:08.060 --> 00:28:13.950 I think there's a beautiful picture in the book of Zechariah of what the people needed to hear. 00:28:15.560 --> 00:28:17.790 Zacharias remembers, written the same time as the Book of Haggai. 00:28:19.540 --> 00:28:22.480 It's interesting when you read the book of Ezra. 00:28:24.560 --> 00:28:30.580 You see in chapter five and verse one, it tells you that Haggai and Zechariah are prophesying during this time. 00:28:30.600 --> 00:28:31.320 Same thing. 00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:35.900 And in chapter six and verse 12 to 14. 00:28:36.420 --> 00:28:39.740 But when Zechariah writes in his book, he talks about the priest Joshua. 00:28:42.080 --> 00:28:44.660 And you can imagine these people when they're coming to the land. 00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:45.660 They don't have a lot. 00:28:45.740 --> 00:28:46.790 They were in captivity. 00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:47.980 They've been set free. 00:28:48.380 --> 00:28:52.140 They're just coming across the country with whatever they can fit in their hands. 00:28:52.620 --> 00:28:54.700 And they're not people of great wealth. 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:57.180 And they're trying to rebuild what God had called them to build. 00:28:57.180 --> 00:28:59.240 And they recognize they don't have what it takes. 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:05.680 And they've just left this place at being taken into captivity because they were living in sin before the Lord. 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:08.760 And God had told them that if they follow him, he would bless them. 00:29:08.760 --> 00:29:12.930 If they leave him, he they would experience difficulty, and so he brings them in captivity. 00:29:15.060 --> 00:29:16.850 And now, because of the disobedience, they were there. 00:29:16.860 --> 00:29:21.100 But now they're coming back to rebuild what was lost and the demeanor of the people. 00:29:21.100 --> 00:29:22.820 It's probably not at its height. 00:29:25.870 --> 00:29:30.510 But God takes Joshua as the high priest. 00:29:32.300 --> 00:29:35.590 And he uses Joshua as an example of what God wants to do. 00:29:37.840 --> 00:29:41.960 And he says, Joshua the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan. 00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:45.360 Sending his right hand to accuse him. 00:29:46.840 --> 00:29:50.420 And the Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, Satan. 00:29:50.460 --> 00:29:52.420 Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? 00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:56.480 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. 00:29:57.480 --> 00:30:01.840 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, remove the filthy garments from him. 00:30:02.300 --> 00:30:08.440 Again he said to him, see, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and will clothe you with festal robes. 00:30:08.460 --> 00:30:11.560 Then I said, let them put a clean turban on his head. 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:16.520 So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by. 00:30:19.830 --> 00:30:26.920 If you read the context of this whole story, you'll see that as Joshua was standing there, there's the angel of the Lord representing him on one side, 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:28.960 and there's Satan on the other. 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:30.220 And by the way, the angel of the Lord. 00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:35.780 Most people think is pre-incarnate picture of Christ and Satan standing on the other side of him. 00:30:36.440 --> 00:30:41.240 And when Joshua is standing before that, Satan has come to accuse Joshua. 00:30:41.600 --> 00:30:43.090 He he's an accuser of the past. 00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:47.580 Satan is really good of taking your past and just putting the shame and guilt on you. 00:30:49.720 --> 00:30:56.820 And here's Satan comes to accuse Joshua before the Lord and before before Satan even gets to open his mouth to 00:30:56.820 --> 00:30:58.400 say anything about Joshua. 00:30:58.560 --> 00:31:00.980 God looks at him and says, he belongs to me. 00:31:01.640 --> 00:31:02.810 Shut your mouth, Satan. 00:31:06.340 --> 00:31:07.780 And here's the interesting part of the story. 00:31:10.280 --> 00:31:13.140 God acknowledges with Joshua, he's covered in filthy garments. 00:31:15.140 --> 00:31:21.810 This word filthy is a little bit cleaner than the picture that's painted for Joshua in the Hebrew text. 00:31:23.840 --> 00:31:25.700 This word for filthy is literally dung. 00:31:27.620 --> 00:31:28.260 He's got it all over. 00:31:29.780 --> 00:31:32.180 He's as dirty as it gets and no one wants to sit beside him. 00:31:34.620 --> 00:31:35.400 But this is what God does. 00:31:37.820 --> 00:31:38.920 Joshua belongs to him. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:43.040 God has called Joshua. 00:31:44.580 --> 00:31:45.380 In the midst of that picture. 00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:50.900 To do incredible, glorious things for God. 00:31:52.160 --> 00:31:58.360 Looking at a temple that's just in pieces, looking at a group of people that are just ragtag returning to the city. 00:31:58.760 --> 00:32:01.410 God has called them to do incredible things. 00:32:04.040 --> 00:32:04.940 It's not up to Joshua. 00:32:08.180 --> 00:32:09.400 It's by the power of the Lord. 00:32:12.060 --> 00:32:14.590 Joshua just surrenders himself to it. 00:32:16.040 --> 00:32:18.400 And so God takes off these garments. 00:32:18.520 --> 00:32:20.660 It's not Joshua who takes off these garments. 00:32:20.780 --> 00:32:24.090 The Lord takes off these garments, and he clothes them. 00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:33.100 Not only does he clothe his body, but he also tells us, clothe us, clothes him in a turban on his head, which is a sign of 00:32:33.100 --> 00:32:35.640 dignity, honor and royalty during the time. 00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:39.960 God honors Joshua. 00:32:43.860 --> 00:32:45.720 Joshua's picture is a picture for the nation. 00:32:48.080 --> 00:32:55.220 That in Christ we come before him in a place filling lowly, in a place not having the strength and a place, not knowing 00:32:55.220 --> 00:32:59.100 what tomorrow holds, but knowing our King was with us. 00:32:59.360 --> 00:33:04.100 Our King is with us, and our King, regardless, can shake the world through us. 00:33:04.100 --> 00:33:10.090 If by our heart we just surrender to him, and God takes off those garments and clothes us in something new. 00:33:12.500 --> 00:33:13.960 He raises you up. 00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:21.670 For us and a future and what God's called you to. 00:33:24.060 --> 00:33:26.600 The picture of Zachariah is the picture of all of us. 00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:31.380 God's been with us as a church. 00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:36.120 God desires to walk with us in this life. 00:33:38.180 --> 00:33:40.680 God doesn't leave us, he will never forsake us. 00:33:40.680 --> 00:33:46.860 It says in Hebrews 13, but sometimes in verse 17, it's not God who leaves us, but it's us who leaves him. 00:33:46.860 --> 00:33:53.480 And the places that we leave him are in the places of uncertainty and the places of challenge, and the places where life seems overwhelming. 00:33:57.640 --> 00:34:00.140 But it's in those places that his glory really shines. 00:34:04.260 --> 00:34:05.160 So here's my encouragement. 00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:10.810 If life has got you in a place that seems difficult. 00:34:13.179 --> 00:34:14.199 And the challenges seem great. 00:34:16.820 --> 00:34:23.960 What a beautiful opportunity it is to recognize what God has done in the life of Haggai and these people, because it's the exact place where God can also 00:34:24.179 --> 00:34:27.310 use you to allow his glory to shine through your life. 00:34:29.940 --> 00:34:30.580 Don't run. 00:34:31.500 --> 00:34:32.480 Don't cower. 00:34:33.560 --> 00:34:34.300 Don't hide. 00:34:36.040 --> 00:34:37.739 And this, Haggai said, quoting David. 00:34:38.920 --> 00:34:39.780 Be courageous. 00:34:41.420 --> 00:34:42.080 Be strong. 00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:51.060 Because what God desires to do is shake the nations, and the person God desires to use is you.