1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,300 Our text today is that Old Testament book of haggai and the 2 00:00:04,300 --> 00:00:06,700 title of today's message is consider your ways. 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:11,000 And while you're searching for haggai, if you need any help, 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,100 it's the 37th book out of 39 in the Old Testament, you might 5 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:17,700 want to go to the last book, Malachi go back Zakaria and 6 00:00:17,700 --> 00:00:21,600 then, hey guys, before Zachariah, but while you're 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,300 searching for it, just want to give a warning for all the 8 00:00:24,300 --> 00:00:27,800 parents here today as you go home today, and your kids are 9 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,100 scrounging for the Loose Change in the ashtray and the car or 10 00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:34,000 digging through the sofa for Loose Change is because their 11 00:00:34,100 --> 00:00:35,700 Sunday school teacher told him to do so. 12 00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:39,500 Okay, there's a next four weeks, they'll be a children's missions 13 00:00:39,500 --> 00:00:41,900 offering and there's a display in the back. 14 00:00:41,900 --> 00:00:45,300 The Thai flag is back there and the children are going to raise 15 00:00:45,300 --> 00:00:48,700 money to buy a book called knowing the one true God. 16 00:00:48,700 --> 00:00:51,100 We gave that book out for you a few months ago to reach 17 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:55,500 Buddhist, but there are 6,000 prisoners in 71 prisons in 18 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:58,700 Thailand that are doing Bible correspondence courses, through 19 00:00:58,700 --> 00:01:02,200 an organization called The way of life and the Thailand women's 20 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,599 ministry. So, they would like that book in 21 00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:08,600 tithe eight dollars a copy and they want to buy six thousand. 22 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,100 I'm to disciple these prisoners with. 23 00:01:10,100 --> 00:01:12,500 So we're going to have our children raise as many much 24 00:01:12,500 --> 00:01:14,100 money as they can. You know, if you don't have any 25 00:01:14,100 --> 00:01:17,600 children and you want to drop your greenbacks or any Loose 26 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,100 Change, there's a five gallon bucket there and then there's a 27 00:01:21,100 --> 00:01:23,700 newsletter from the Thailand's women's ministry that you can 28 00:01:23,700 --> 00:01:26,800 find more information. How to give if you want haggai 29 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:28,800 chapter 1, I trust you found it there. 30 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,100 It's the and shortest book in the Old Testament, 38 verses 31 00:01:33,100 --> 00:01:35,300 only two chapters but let's look at haggai. 32 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:40,300 Chapter 1, verse 1 in the second year of Darius, the king in the 33 00:01:40,300 --> 00:01:42,500 six month, on the first day of the month. 34 00:01:42,900 --> 00:01:45,000 The word of the Lord came by the hand of haggai. 35 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,500 The Prophet to zerubbabel the son of shealtiel, governor of 36 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:53,300 Judah, Andrew Joshua, the son of josedech, the high priest, thus 37 00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:57,100 says, the Lord of hosts, these people say, the time has not yet 38 00:01:57,100 --> 00:01:59,400 come to rebuild the house of the Lord. 39 00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:02,000 In the word of the Lord came by the hand of haggai. 40 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,700 The Prophet, is it time for you yourselves to dwell, in your 41 00:02:05,700 --> 00:02:08,699 panel houses, while this house lies in Ruins. 42 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,500 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts consider your 43 00:02:12,500 --> 00:02:16,400 ways, you have sown much and harvested little you eat, but 44 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,800 never have enough. You drink, but never have your 45 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:23,300 fill you, clothe yourselves, but no one is warm and he, who earns 46 00:02:23,300 --> 00:02:25,800 wages does. So, to put them in a bag with 47 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,100 holes. Thus says the Lord of hosts 48 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:32,200 consider your ways Go up to the hills and bring wood and build 49 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,000 the house that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be 50 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,200 glorified says the Lord you look for much and behold it came to 51 00:02:39,208 --> 00:02:42,300 little and when you brought it home, I blew it away. 52 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,900 Why declares the Lord of hosts, because of my house that lies in 53 00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:50,500 Ruins, while each of you busies himself, when in his own house, 54 00:02:51,100 --> 00:02:53,800 therefore, the heavens above have withheld, the do and the 55 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,000 Earth has withheld, its produce, and I have called for a drought 56 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,900 on the land and on the hills on grain. 57 00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:04,500 The new wine the oil and what the ground brings forth on man 58 00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:08,800 and Beast and all their labors Vin's Rubble is son of chatel 59 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,100 Joshua. The son of josedech, the high 60 00:03:11,100 --> 00:03:14,200 priest with all the remnant of people obeyed, the voice of the 61 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:17,700 Lord, their God and the words of haggai the Prophet as the Lord 62 00:03:17,700 --> 00:03:20,100 their God and send him and the people. 63 00:03:20,100 --> 00:03:23,400 Feared the Lord, then haggai the messenger of the Lord, spoke to 64 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,200 the people with the Lord's message. 65 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,900 I Am with You declares the Lord and the Lord stirred up, the 66 00:03:28,900 --> 00:03:31,600 spirit of zerubbabel's. The son of chatel governor of 67 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,600 Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, son of josedech, the high 68 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,000 priest, and the spirit of all the, remnant of the people and 69 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,400 they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts. 70 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:44,800 Their God, on the 24th day of the month in the six month in 71 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,200 the second year of Darius. The king. 72 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,800 Let's pray, father. As we leave here today, may we 73 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,000 know more of you and we know mo what it is. 74 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,700 We are to do as we look in this wonderful book of haggai in 75 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:57,300 Jesus name. Amen. 76 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:03,100 Today is January 15th, 2023, and when the history books are 77 00:04:03,100 --> 00:04:05,900 written, I don't know what significant thing will happen 78 00:04:05,900 --> 00:04:09,800 today, but when you look through history, there are dates are 79 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,300 significant, aren't they? It was in 3000, BC. 80 00:04:13,300 --> 00:04:18,000 That the building of the pyramid began, it was in 776 BC. 81 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,300 That the first Olympics were held, it was in 490 BC that the 82 00:04:22,300 --> 00:04:25,000 Greeks, defeated the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. 83 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:30,600 It was in 323 that Alexander the Great died, 214, BC the Great 84 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:34,000 Wall of China was started in for ad. 85 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:38,600 Jesus Christ was born in 1492 Columbus discovered America, 86 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,900 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed 1863 87 00:04:43,900 --> 00:04:48,400 slavery was abolished 1969 The Man in the Moon and so on. 88 00:04:49,100 --> 00:04:54,100 But what about 520 BC? It's really an insignificant 89 00:04:54,100 --> 00:04:57,600 date in world history, but as far as the Bible is concerned, 90 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,200 it was Very important day because in August 29th. 91 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,600 Yes. We know the exact date 520 BC 92 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,600 the word of the Lord came to an insignificant Prophet named 93 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:13,000 haggai who told them to go to the remnant of people and tell 94 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,200 them, get busy rebuilding my house, no more excuses, no more 95 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,500 procrastination, no more laziness, no more, fluence for 96 00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:22,500 your own house and forgetting about my house. 97 00:05:22,900 --> 00:05:26,800 Stir the people up and rebuild the Temple haggai. 98 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,700 The word means Festival. So many commentators believe he 99 00:05:30,700 --> 00:05:32,500 was born. During one of the three 100 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,400 festivals that the Jews celebrate, he was probably born 101 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,900 during the Babylonian captivity and we know that he returned 102 00:05:39,900 --> 00:05:41,900 with his Rubble. Remember, there were three 103 00:05:41,900 --> 00:05:45,600 deportations and there would be free returns to Jerusalem after 104 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,300 the 70 years of captivity and zerubbabel would lead the first 105 00:05:49,300 --> 00:05:52,400 return and that's when haggai came with him. 106 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:58,200 So haggai Zechariah and Malachi the last three books, the Old 107 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,800 Testament, we call them the post-exilic prophets, they are 108 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:06,000 the prophets who prophesied after the remnant came back from 109 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,600 the 70 years of captivity to really understand those three 110 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:11,100 books. You need to read azra and 111 00:06:11,100 --> 00:06:13,800 Nehemiah those five books kind of go together. 112 00:06:14,100 --> 00:06:17,200 So hey guys, considered a prophecy book but Ezra would 113 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,500 give the history and haggai actually takes place between 114 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:23,900 Ezra chapter 4. And as our chapter, Five. 115 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:28,500 It's only 22 chapters 38 verses making it the second shortest 116 00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:33,600 book in the Old Testament after Obadiah, it's quoted once in the 117 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,300 New Testament, in Hebrews 12 26, which Lance will be looking at 118 00:06:37,300 --> 00:06:41,800 in a couple weeks and there are basically four messages from 119 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:43,200 God. And we're only look at the first 120 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,500 message a day in chapter one, and that's the message of rebuke 121 00:06:46,500 --> 00:06:48,800 or what? I've entitled, it consider your 122 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,700 ways some commentators have called haggai, The Gospel of 123 00:06:52,700 --> 00:06:56,100 work. Work the Evangelical do or 124 00:06:56,100 --> 00:07:01,300 philosophy of action. So we read chapter 1 and we have 125 00:07:01,300 --> 00:07:02,700 a simple outline in your bulletin. 126 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:05,200 If you can find you in your bulletin on the inside page 127 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:10,600 there we have the rebuke versus 12 for the reminder verses 5 to 128 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,300 11 and the response verses 12 to 15. 129 00:07:14,300 --> 00:07:17,200 Let's look at the rebuke. First verses 1 to 4 and there 130 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:21,100 you have some sub points to setting the saying and the 131 00:07:21,108 --> 00:07:23,100 selfishness. Let's look at the settings. 132 00:07:23,700 --> 00:07:27,100 Verse 1, you notice right away. It says in the second year of 133 00:07:27,100 --> 00:07:30,400 Darius, the king in the six month, on the first day of the 134 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:32,700 month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of a guy. 135 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,200 The prophet to zerubbabel the son of shealtiel, governor of 136 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,500 Judah and Joshua, son of josedech, the high priest, when 137 00:07:39,500 --> 00:07:42,000 you look at a new book and I know we're only doing this for 138 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,700 one. Sunday is sometimes easy to do. 139 00:07:44,700 --> 00:07:48,000 I like to do the who, what, when where, why High, especially in 140 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,300 the historical books and even though, hey guys, a prophecy 141 00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:53,200 book, Ezra gives the history. Let's do the Who? 142 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,700 What when, where why hi? Who's the who? 143 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:58,100 Well, who is King Darius King, Darius is going to give a 144 00:07:58,100 --> 00:08:01,300 decree. Okay jerubbaal and Joshua I 145 00:08:01,308 --> 00:08:05,100 mentioned 5 times in 38 verses haggai is mentioned as the 146 00:08:05,100 --> 00:08:08,600 prophet and then you have the remnant The Remnant that return 147 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,400 from Babylon and we'll talk a little bit more about them. 148 00:08:12,100 --> 00:08:14,800 What's Happening Here? What we have a profit is going 149 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,200 to encourage the people, after the word of the Lord comes to 150 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,700 him, to speak to the people, The Remnant to resume the work of 151 00:08:21,700 --> 00:08:25,300 rebuilding the temple that Simple, the win is very 152 00:08:25,300 --> 00:08:31,000 important when well in 536 BC and you find this in Ezra 153 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:35,100 chapter 1, verses 1 to 4. As a result of the Proclamation 154 00:08:35,100 --> 00:08:39,200 from King, Cyrus the Persian king Israel was allowed to 155 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:43,799 return from Babylon to their Homeland, and zerubbabel would 156 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:46,100 lead that. Joshua, the high priest would 157 00:08:46,100 --> 00:08:50,000 come, there would be three returns one under zerubbabel one 158 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,400 under Ezra, and one under Nehemiah. 159 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,400 But this first one which were talking about today, about 160 00:08:55,400 --> 00:09:01,500 50,000 Jews would return in 536. They immediately began to 161 00:09:01,508 --> 00:09:03,500 rebuild the Temple. You can read about that in Ezra 162 00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:07,100 chapter 3 and 4. They laid the foundation of the 163 00:09:07,100 --> 00:09:09,800 temple and they started doing the morning and evening 164 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,100 sacrifices. But then those Samaritans would 165 00:09:13,100 --> 00:09:15,400 come. And the Samaritan said we want 166 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,700 to help you rebuild the Temple and Joshua. 167 00:09:17,700 --> 00:09:20,500 I'd say you have no part of rebuilding a temple with us. 168 00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:22,700 We don't want anything to do with you those. 169 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,600 Samaritans would stir up trouble. 170 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:29,300 They would write a letter to then, Cyrus is now dead. 171 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,500 So the letter would go to the new king king artaxerxes in Ezra 172 00:09:32,500 --> 00:09:36,200 chapter 4. And and King artaxerxes was make 173 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,000 a decreased, stop the work and so they would force the work to 174 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:44,100 stop. So for 16 years, from by 36, 175 00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:47,500 2520, the work stopped. That's what's happening here. 176 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:51,200 That's the setting. So we're talking about 520 BC. 177 00:09:51,700 --> 00:09:54,500 And you notice very, First in the second year of Darius, the 178 00:09:54,500 --> 00:09:58,100 king of Judah, the king in the six-month first day, that is 179 00:09:58,100 --> 00:10:03,500 August 29th, 520 BC. When you look at verse 15, it 180 00:10:03,500 --> 00:10:07,200 says on the 24th day of the month in the six month, in the 181 00:10:07,208 --> 00:10:11,100 second year of Darius. The king that is September 21st, 182 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,000 520 BC. And then in Chapter 2, there's 183 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,300 two more dates, October 19th and December 18th, 520 BC. 184 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,600 So we know that haggai prophesied for four months, only 185 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:26,100 four months, But the Bible is so Pacific, precise. 186 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:29,100 It gives you the exact dates. That's the win. 187 00:10:29,300 --> 00:10:32,500 The, where is Jerusalem? Specifically the temple in our 188 00:10:32,500 --> 00:10:35,400 text seven times? It says the house, the house of 189 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,300 the Lord, the Temple of the Lord. 190 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,700 Why is this book here? Well, God is telling the people 191 00:10:40,700 --> 00:10:43,800 then, and I think he's telling us today that God's work. 192 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:45,900 Never stops. God's work. 193 00:10:45,900 --> 00:10:48,000 Should never stop and gods workers. 194 00:10:48,300 --> 00:10:51,000 Should never procrastinate, should never be lazy. 195 00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:55,700 Should never fear. Position but obey the Lord and 196 00:10:55,700 --> 00:10:57,600 finish the work that he's given us. 197 00:10:57,900 --> 00:11:01,100 That's the setting. Let's look at verse 22 saying 198 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,300 and there's two points in verse 2. 199 00:11:03,500 --> 00:11:06,800 We have the name and we have the actual excuse. 200 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,000 It says in verse 2, thus says the Lord of hosts before we can 201 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,200 get to the saying or the excuse we need to look at who is saying 202 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,300 this. It says thus says the Lord of 203 00:11:17,300 --> 00:11:19,800 hosts. Why is God called the Lord of 204 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:25,800 hosts 14 times. In 38 verses he is called the 205 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:30,400 Lord of hosts. It's used 284 times in the Old 206 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,800 Testament, quite often in the prophecy books. 207 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:37,200 It's a term in Hebrew for Jehovah Sabbath, and it 208 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,500 literally is translated the lord of the armies. 209 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,800 The name denotes is universal sovereignty. 210 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:48,100 Over every Army, both spiritual unearthly, the Lord of hosts is 211 00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:50,800 king of heaven, and king of Earth. 212 00:11:50,900 --> 00:11:54,900 Remember that beautiful verse in Psalm 24, 10, who is this king 213 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:59,000 of glory, the lord of hosts. He is the king of glory. 214 00:11:59,100 --> 00:12:01,200 It's interesting. That God would denote himself in 215 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:05,400 that name, the Lord of hosts. He uses that name to address the 216 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:09,100 remnant of people. God had never said stop the 217 00:12:09,100 --> 00:12:12,400 work, okay? But the People did because they 218 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:16,200 feared the Kings attic. They feared, the opposition you 219 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,000 notice in verse 12. The people are going to learn to 220 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,900 fear the lord and get busy and obey the Lord. 221 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,300 But it's interesting, I find that here the people feared man, 222 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,200 and they did not fear the lord, so God uses us name. 223 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,500 The Lord of hosts 93 years later. 224 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,600 The Third Return would come and a man called Nehemiah would 225 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,900 come. He knew all about fearing the 226 00:12:39,900 --> 00:12:42,300 Lord Nehemiah. Has my favorite book in the Old 227 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:47,500 Testament and we see Nia by a Praying at least 13 times. 228 00:12:47,500 --> 00:12:50,300 Why does he pray? Because opposition comes turn 229 00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:52,400 with me back to the book of Nehemiah quickly. 230 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,200 And there's a, there's just, I just love the book of Nehemiah 231 00:12:55,200 --> 00:13:00,000 because every time opposition comes, look at Nehemiah chapter 232 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:07,100 4, just like the people in our text today opposition would come 233 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,700 and 90-something years. Later, opposition would come, we 234 00:13:10,700 --> 00:13:12,500 need a Wants to rebuild the walls. 235 00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:14,500 There's always opposition whether it's rebuilding the 236 00:13:14,500 --> 00:13:17,500 temple or rebuilding the walls, but in Nehemiah chapter 4 verse 237 00:13:17,500 --> 00:13:19,500 1. It says now, when sanballat 238 00:13:19,500 --> 00:13:22,600 heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly 239 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:25,200 enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 240 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,900 And he said, in the presence of his brothers and the army of 241 00:13:27,900 --> 00:13:30,300 Samaria. What are these feeble Jews 242 00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:32,000 doing? Will they restore it for 243 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,800 themselves? Will they sacrifice, will they 244 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,500 finish it in a day? Well, they revive the stones, 245 00:13:37,500 --> 00:13:40,700 out of the Heap of rubbish and the burn ones at that and 246 00:13:40,700 --> 00:13:44,100 Tobias, Oh, the ammonite was beside him and he said, yes, 247 00:13:44,300 --> 00:13:47,000 what they are building. If a fox goes up in that wall, 248 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,600 he will break down the stone wall. 249 00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:54,700 Notice what Nehemiah does verse 4 of chapter 4 hero, Our God for 250 00:13:54,700 --> 00:13:59,000 we are despised turn back there, taunt on their own heads and 251 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,600 give them up to be plundered and land where they are captives. 252 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,600 Do not cover up their guilt and let not their sin. 253 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,700 Be blotted out from your site for the provoked, you to anger 254 00:14:08,700 --> 00:14:11,000 in the presence of the building Nehemiah. 255 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,200 Prayed, and time, and time. Again of a chapter to take you 256 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:18,400 to chapter six, more opposition comes up and they tell Nehemiah 257 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,000 to stop working and I love Nehemiah 66. 258 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,300 It says in verse 3 Nehemiah, they tell Nehemiah, come meet 259 00:14:25,300 --> 00:14:27,300 with us, we want to talk to you. They actually wanted to murder 260 00:14:27,300 --> 00:14:32,600 Nehemiah and Nehemiah says, in chapter 6 verse 3, I am doing a 261 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,200 great work and I cannot come down. 262 00:14:35,300 --> 00:14:39,000 I love that verse Nehemiah knew he was working for the Lord of 263 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,000 hosts Nehemiah knew there would be opposition. 264 00:14:41,100 --> 00:14:43,500 Position. But he was not afraid, but the 265 00:14:43,500 --> 00:14:47,300 people in our text in haggai here, they were afraid and they 266 00:14:47,300 --> 00:14:50,200 stop the work. Let's look at the actual excuse 267 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,900 and that's found in the latter part of verse to be. 268 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,400 These people say, the time has not yet come to rebuild the 269 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,200 house of the Lord. The task of the rebuilding of 270 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,900 the temple was on hold for 16 years. 271 00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:08,800 Notice how God calls the Jews. These people kind of sour 272 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:11,000 casterly, right? But remember, these people 273 00:15:12,100 --> 00:15:15,600 They're the ones who left Babylon, okay, they're the 274 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,300 zealous ones, who returned to Jerusalem. 275 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,700 They're not like the people who stayed behind in their 276 00:15:21,700 --> 00:15:25,400 comfortable house is in Babylon. Most of the Jews stayed behind 277 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,000 in Babylon because they had a good life there. 278 00:15:28,100 --> 00:15:31,300 They had a, they were Protected Their remember, Jeremiah 29. 279 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,000 Jeremiah told him settle down. Build houses. 280 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:35,800 Have families obey, the government. 281 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,700 So, a lot of the people stay but these 50,000 return and one 282 00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:44,800 Pastor said, these are The right people who had special Devotion 283 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:49,000 to the Lord and Zeal for his house, they left Babylon because 284 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,300 they had Zeal for God's house, they returned to the right place 285 00:15:53,500 --> 00:15:55,900 Jerusalem and the comfortable life. 286 00:15:55,900 --> 00:16:00,300 They left behind in Babylon and they started the right work in 287 00:16:00,300 --> 00:16:03,500 rebuilding the temple. They were working for 288 00:16:03,500 --> 00:16:06,500 righteousness. Ezra tells us that when they 289 00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:09,200 arrived in Jerusalem, they took up an offering. 290 00:16:09,500 --> 00:16:11,700 They started the sacrifices they wanted. 291 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,600 To serve God. But when the king gave the 292 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,500 decree to stop the work and and the opposition came they 293 00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:21,000 stopped. So they stopped doing the right 294 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:26,500 work and they settled down for 16 years but after all they had 295 00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:28,000 the right to build homes, didn't they? 296 00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:30,500 For their families. They had to make a living 297 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:33,300 agriculturally so they had to plant crops they had to 298 00:16:33,300 --> 00:16:37,600 establish schools and shops and start Commerce and trade which 299 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:43,700 are all valid Pursuits. But an August 29th, 520 BC, God 300 00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:50,000 sent haggai to rebuke this Rama not and say no more excuses. 301 00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:53,700 The people were saying with this, excuse that, when a more 302 00:16:53,700 --> 00:16:58,200 convenient time comes, we'll rebuild the Temple when things 303 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,700 get better politically will rebuild the Temple. 304 00:17:02,300 --> 00:17:05,400 When things get better, economically will rebuild the 305 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,900 Temple. When there's peace and 306 00:17:07,900 --> 00:17:11,200 protection from our enemies. And then we'll rebuild the 307 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,300 Temple. Just an excuse. 308 00:17:13,300 --> 00:17:16,800 Let's move on from the saying to the selfishness in verses 3 and 309 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:18,700 4. God is going to speak for a 310 00:17:18,700 --> 00:17:21,300 second time. And he's going to ask a question 311 00:17:21,300 --> 00:17:23,900 in verse 4. The word of the Lord came by the 312 00:17:23,900 --> 00:17:27,800 hand of haggai, the Prophet, is it time for you yourselves to 313 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:32,700 dwell in panel houses. While this house my house lies 314 00:17:32,700 --> 00:17:35,800 in Rune, God is going to accuse the remnant of having plenty of 315 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,500 time for themselves while pleading for lack of time. 316 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,400 For God, God accuses the remnant of having plenty of money to 317 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,400 spend on their own Comforts and Pleasures while claiming not to 318 00:17:47,408 --> 00:17:49,100 have enough money to do God's work. 319 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:54,700 These people have a roof over their heads, while God Temple 320 00:17:54,700 --> 00:17:58,700 doesn't have a roof over it. Instead of putting God first, 321 00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:01,500 The Remnant put their affluence first. 322 00:18:01,700 --> 00:18:05,700 And the Bible says that when you put anything before God first 323 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:09,900 that's idolatry. S res, 37 tells us that when 324 00:18:09,900 --> 00:18:13,100 they returned, they took up an offering and they raise money 325 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:15,300 and they had this sidonians bring. 326 00:18:15,300 --> 00:18:19,900 Sidonians were famous for for Timber and lumber they would 327 00:18:19,900 --> 00:18:23,000 bring cedar trees and they brought Cedar and lumber from 328 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,600 Lebanon to build the work. One has to wonder that maybe 329 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:30,100 they took some of that nice Lumber and used it on their own 330 00:18:30,100 --> 00:18:32,600 houses. What do we learn from this first 331 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,400 point here? Aren't we? 332 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,000 Also like the remnant we are believers or Not lit, 333 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,300 unbelievers, unbelievers, don't come to church, we come to 334 00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:42,500 church. We're not like to see any 335 00:18:42,500 --> 00:18:44,800 Christians who only come on Christmas and Easter. 336 00:18:44,900 --> 00:18:47,400 We're not like those Facebook Christians who post cute little 337 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,000 poems, but really hardly ever come to church. 338 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,900 We come we worship. We have a Zeal to sing to serve 339 00:18:53,900 --> 00:18:58,200 the Lord, or at least, maybe we did, maybe time has passed since 340 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,000 when she first became a Christian and you've lost. 341 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,100 Someone has deal, maybe you settle down, maybe you've gotten 342 00:19:04,100 --> 00:19:07,500 busy with things of the world and let the things of God slide. 343 00:19:08,100 --> 00:19:10,400 You know, we too can make excuses, can't wait. 344 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:14,300 Yes, I'm a witness but it's not a good time to share Jesus 345 00:19:14,300 --> 00:19:17,800 Christ right now. Yes, I know I should tie but I 346 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:19,900 have bills mortgages and expenses. 347 00:19:20,300 --> 00:19:23,400 Yes, I know, I should serve, but I really don't want to stay for 348 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,800 two Services. The word of the Lord by haggai 349 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:28,800 comes to such people is that you? 350 00:19:29,500 --> 00:19:33,100 God still says, what is the condition of my work in your 351 00:19:33,100 --> 00:19:35,800 home? Your church, your neighborhood. 352 00:19:36,100 --> 00:19:39,700 God still says Are you doing to fulfill the purpose for which 353 00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:42,300 you've been set forth, apart by Jesus? 354 00:19:42,700 --> 00:19:45,400 God was excusing. The remnant of having plenty of 355 00:19:45,408 --> 00:19:48,700 time for themselves while pleading for a lack of time for 356 00:19:48,700 --> 00:19:52,500 God, God's work should never be procrastinated. 357 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:56,100 God is going to do what he wants when he wants how he wants 358 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,300 whenever he wants when he wants. So from the rebuke, let's move 359 00:20:00,300 --> 00:20:03,200 to point number 2, the reminder verses 5 to 11. 360 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,600 And first off, we have the consideration it says in verse 361 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,000 5. Now, therefore sus says, the 362 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,000 Lord of hosts consider your ways, that's the title of 363 00:20:12,008 --> 00:20:14,700 today's message. And then you go to verse 7. 364 00:20:14,700 --> 00:20:18,800 He says thus says the Lord consider your ways in Chapter 2, 365 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,200 it says consider three more times 05 times. 366 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,300 He tells these people consider he's telling them think 367 00:20:26,300 --> 00:20:29,000 carefully about what you're doing. 368 00:20:30,100 --> 00:20:33,300 Look at your life, look at the consequences of your actions. 369 00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:35,700 Okay? And what's transpired in your 370 00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:40,600 lives after neglecting God's work for 16 years, God's going 371 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:45,600 to specifically mention five things, he says sewing eating, 372 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,900 drinking clothing and earning money. 373 00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:52,700 And with each one of those things, God gives an answer that 374 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,500 you did not receive what you expected when you sewed, when 375 00:20:56,500 --> 00:20:59,000 you ate, when you drank, when you put on clothes when you're 376 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,100 in. In fact, you got virtually 377 00:21:01,100 --> 00:21:02,600 nothing out of those five things. 378 00:21:02,900 --> 00:21:04,300 God is telling the people of Israel. 379 00:21:04,300 --> 00:21:07,100 Hear the remnant reappraise your situation. 380 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,200 Take a close look at how things are reconsider your behavior. 381 00:21:11,700 --> 00:21:14,200 It's kind of like us today. We have that saying today, the 382 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,600 hurry or I go the behind your I get, right? 383 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:19,900 It's a picture of Our Generation cars. 384 00:21:19,900 --> 00:21:23,700 Houses gadgets vacations. And the end result is, many 385 00:21:23,700 --> 00:21:27,100 Christians are never satisfied. What is the cause of it? 386 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:29,300 There was a very famous Pastor Doctor. 387 00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:31,800 George Truitt. He was the pastor of the First 388 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,400 Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and I think he was also the 389 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,200 leader of the Southern Baptist convention for a while and he 390 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,500 had a big church in Dallas and he had a lot of Rich. 391 00:21:40,500 --> 00:21:42,300 Oilman, that would come to his church. 392 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,000 So one day an oil, a wealthy oilman invited Pastor, true it 393 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,400 to his house and after dinner, the man took Pastor to it to the 394 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,600 roof of his house and he indicated the huge oil fields in 395 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:56,100 his backyard and he said dr. True it. 396 00:21:56,100 --> 00:21:59,300 That's all mine. I came to this country, 25. 397 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:03,400 Five years ago, penniless and now I own everything as far as 398 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,700 you can see in that direction then he turned the pasture to 399 00:22:06,700 --> 00:22:10,000 another Direction and he showed him, the fields of wheat and 400 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,900 grain and said, it's all mine. I own everything as far as you 401 00:22:13,900 --> 00:22:17,200 can see in that direction, then he turned to the East and 402 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:21,500 pointed to her judge heard hudes of cattle and said, it's all 403 00:22:21,500 --> 00:22:23,300 mine everything as far as you can see. 404 00:22:23,300 --> 00:22:26,600 In that direction is mine one final time. 405 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,300 He turned toward the west and pointing to a great. 406 00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:34,000 In forest and said it's all mine. 25 years ago, I was 407 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,200 penniless, but I worked hard and saved. 408 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:39,800 And today, I own everything as far as you can see in this 409 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,000 direction that direction that direction. 410 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,800 In that direction, the rich wealthy Oil Man, paused for a 411 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,500 minute. He was expecting some praise 412 00:22:48,500 --> 00:22:52,600 from Pastor true it but to his astonishment Pastor true, it 413 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,800 lovingly put his hand on the rich, oilman shoulder and 414 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:58,900 pointed upward and said my friend. 415 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:01,900 How much do you own in that land? 416 00:23:02,700 --> 00:23:06,600 The man dropped his head and Shane and said, I never thought 417 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:08,900 of that. Let's move from the 418 00:23:08,900 --> 00:23:11,900 consideration to the command verse 8. 419 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:16,500 God just says go up to the hills and bring wood and build the 420 00:23:16,508 --> 00:23:18,100 house. God says, two things here. 421 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:23,800 Get the job done and the goal is to glorify God get the job done. 422 00:23:24,300 --> 00:23:25,800 Just go. Okay? 423 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,100 Forget the opposition. I'll take care of that. 424 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,600 I'm the Lord of hosts. I'm the god of the armies of 425 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,000 Heaven. I can handle any opposition. 426 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,800 Opposition is always bound to come when we do God's work 427 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:40,100 wherever we go and we see it in Ezra it did. 428 00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:44,200 Come God says no excuses. Get the job done. 429 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:48,100 What you started. 16 years ago I never told you to stop working. 430 00:23:48,100 --> 00:23:50,900 God says stop procrastinating. Stop rationalizing. 431 00:23:50,900 --> 00:23:54,500 Stop the excuses. And start realizing the right 432 00:23:54,500 --> 00:23:58,200 priority and start resuming. The work says the Lord of hosts 433 00:23:58,200 --> 00:23:59,600 get the job done. Done. 434 00:24:00,300 --> 00:24:03,200 The goal is to glorify God and I think this is the key part of 435 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:06,500 our message today. It says there in the latter part 436 00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:08,800 of verse 8, be mrs. Words that you ought to 437 00:24:08,808 --> 00:24:14,300 underline in your Bible that I may take pleasure in it and that 438 00:24:14,300 --> 00:24:18,300 I may be glorified, says the Lord, the rebuilding of the 439 00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:22,100 temple would give glory to God. So, the people would obey his 440 00:24:22,100 --> 00:24:24,600 commands. That's where the word of God 441 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:26,700 would be taught by the Levites in the priest. 442 00:24:26,700 --> 00:24:30,500 That's where they would worship. That would declare, That to the 443 00:24:30,500 --> 00:24:34,000 world that God was worthy of a dwelling place where he could be 444 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,500 worship the rebuilding of the temple. 445 00:24:36,500 --> 00:24:39,500 Would refocus the attention of the Jews, on the worship of God 446 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:43,800 and not their own interests. Worship of God, always comes 447 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,300 before the work. A man. 448 00:24:46,700 --> 00:24:49,600 God would make his presence there in the holy of holies in 449 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:51,900 the temple. What does it mean to glorify 450 00:24:51,900 --> 00:24:53,900 God? The Westminster Shorter 451 00:24:53,900 --> 00:24:56,600 Catechism says, what is the chief end of man? 452 00:24:57,500 --> 00:25:02,500 Man's Chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever, 453 00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:05,900 the New Testament. First Corinthians 10:31 says, so 454 00:25:05,900 --> 00:25:11,300 whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for 455 00:25:11,300 --> 00:25:15,800 the glory of God, Charles Spurgeon said, listen carefully 456 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:22,500 you will never glory in God. Till first of all, God has 457 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:25,300 killed your glorying in yourself. 458 00:25:26,100 --> 00:25:28,400 I'm going to say that. Again, because it hit me like a 459 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,900 ton of bricks you will never glory in God. 460 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,600 Till first of all, God has killed all your glorying in 461 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,200 yourself. So what do we learn from this 462 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,200 point here? Well, remember narcissist 463 00:25:42,500 --> 00:25:44,600 narcissist. He was that mythological 464 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,900 character, who fell in love with his own reflection. 465 00:25:47,900 --> 00:25:51,600 So today we have that word narcissist and we live in the 466 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:57,500 most narcissistic Society in the history of mankind are Shin is 467 00:25:57,500 --> 00:26:00,800 becoming increasingly infatuated with its own image. 468 00:26:00,900 --> 00:26:03,700 Self-improvement self-satisfaction 469 00:26:03,900 --> 00:26:07,200 self-gratification are the primary concerns in our narrow 470 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,900 world. I must be fulfilled is the world 471 00:26:09,900 --> 00:26:11,800 today. That's why we have so many 472 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:13,700 abortions. That's why we have so many 473 00:26:13,700 --> 00:26:15,700 divorces. It's all about me. 474 00:26:16,100 --> 00:26:20,700 But a god-centered Christian is to be absolutely opposite of a 475 00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:22,900 narcissistic. A god-centered Christian is 476 00:26:22,900 --> 00:26:26,000 consider about who he is and what he says, rather than his 477 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,800 own interests. But commitment to the material, 478 00:26:28,900 --> 00:26:32,200 rather than spiritual is always, a phenomenal hindrance to the 479 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:36,900 fear of the Lord in our Tech's. The remnants responsibility was 480 00:26:36,900 --> 00:26:41,400 to rebuild God's house in our context today, it's just set, 481 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:46,200 our spiritual matters first, and to get on with serving God, with 482 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:50,500 the best of our abilities. God takes pleasure when the body 483 00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:56,200 of Christ functions and serves We've Just Begun 2023 and we 484 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,000 don't need to waste Another day, another week, another month in 485 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,700 especially a year no more excuses. 486 00:27:01,700 --> 00:27:04,000 John says God says, get the job done. 487 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,800 And the question is, are you glorifying God? 488 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:10,400 When a lady goes in the nursery and holds a baby? 489 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:14,400 So a mom could actually attend church, there glorifying, God, 490 00:27:15,300 --> 00:27:17,700 when there's somebody out there in the 50 degree weather 491 00:27:17,700 --> 00:27:21,200 protecting the cars and protecting the children in 492 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:24,300 security, that's glorifying. God Usher's. 493 00:27:24,300 --> 00:27:26,500 And greeters who helped out a glorifying god. 494 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,600 Helpers who helped are glorifying, God Sunday school 495 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,500 teachers, who spend 23 hours preparing their lesson. 496 00:27:32,700 --> 00:27:35,200 So that the children can hide God's word in their heart. 497 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,800 They are glorifying God. So you have to ask the question 498 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:43,100 what can I do to glorify? God is God, taking pleasure 499 00:27:43,100 --> 00:27:46,900 verse 8, in what I do am I glorifying God and all that I 500 00:27:46,908 --> 00:27:52,300 can do from the command to the clarification clarification in 501 00:27:52,300 --> 00:27:56,800 verses 9 to 11 God is going to tell them why. 502 00:27:57,500 --> 00:27:59,900 They didn't receive what they expected. 503 00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:02,500 So he's going to give the expectation. 504 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,900 And then the reality, the expectation of these people was 505 00:28:05,900 --> 00:28:08,700 abundance, wasn't it? Now, it's an Agriculture and 506 00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:12,400 agricultural economy, right? So if you have lots of harvest, 507 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,000 you're going to get lots of money. 508 00:28:14,300 --> 00:28:16,600 You're going to sell your going to have trade, your have 509 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:19,200 security, you're gonna have a blessed future, you're going to 510 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,200 Prosperity or not power. So the people here who waited 16 511 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,900 years, while they built their panel houses, and forgot about 512 00:28:25,900 --> 00:28:29,700 the work of the Lord, They remind you of the rich fool in 513 00:28:29,700 --> 00:28:32,000 Luke 12, you remember, look, Luke 12. 514 00:28:32,100 --> 00:28:35,400 I think we turn to this Parable probably once a month here at 515 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,000 Christ Community Church, but Luke 12, if you want to turn 516 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,000 there with me, Luke 12. The only place in the Bible 517 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,300 Lance's said, where God calls somebody a fool? 518 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,100 It reminds me of the people here at the remnant. 519 00:28:46,300 --> 00:28:49,900 In Luke chapter 12 verse 13. Someone in the crowd said to 520 00:28:49,900 --> 00:28:52,700 Jesus teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with 521 00:28:52,700 --> 00:28:56,900 me but Jesus said to him man who made me a judge or arbitrator. 522 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,600 Over you, then Jesus said to them, take care and be on your 523 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,700 guard against all covetousness for one's life. 524 00:29:03,700 --> 00:29:07,000 Does not consist in his abundance of possessions and he 525 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,400 told them a parable saying the land of a rich man produced 526 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,400 plentiful and he thought to himself, what can, what shall I 527 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,300 do? I have nowhere to store my crops 528 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:20,200 and he said I will do this. I will tear down my Barns and 529 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:23,500 build larger ones and there I will store all my grain and my 530 00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:27,800 goods and I will say to my soul soul you have Ample Goods laid 531 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:31,600 up for many years. Relax, eat drink, be merry, but 532 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:36,100 God said to him fool this night, your soul is required of you and 533 00:29:36,100 --> 00:29:39,000 the things you have prepared. Those whose will he be? 534 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,100 So, is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not 535 00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:46,300 rich toward God. If you notice there, six times, 536 00:29:46,300 --> 00:29:49,200 the rich fool says, aye, aye. Aye, aye! 537 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,300 There's no thought of God. There's no thought of giving to 538 00:29:52,308 --> 00:29:54,500 the poor. There's no thought of The God 539 00:29:54,500 --> 00:29:56,800 Who allowed him to be rich and why he's rich. 540 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,400 When we procrastinate, when we get lazy and serving tithing, 541 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:05,600 get our priorities off God, it's always on I and God says to the 542 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,600 rich fool. You're a fool in a guy. 543 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,300 He tells the people consider your ways. 544 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:14,300 The people when they harvested, when they planted, they were 545 00:30:14,300 --> 00:30:17,400 expecting a lot. What was the reality verses 9 to 546 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,700 11? I love what God says here. 547 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,700 I blew it away. God, speaking, the heavens above 548 00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:26,800 you have withheld, the do the Earth has withheld, its produce 549 00:30:27,100 --> 00:30:31,500 I called for a drought on the grain, the wine and the oil. 550 00:30:31,700 --> 00:30:33,200 You see exactly what God did hear. 551 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,100 God call for a natural disaster. God. 552 00:30:36,100 --> 00:30:39,200 Punish the remnant of people because they had neglected 553 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:42,300 rebuilding his house, he calls for a natural disaster. 554 00:30:42,300 --> 00:30:47,200 He makes the the drought come to discipline, his very own 555 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,500 children of Israel. Now, if God is going to 556 00:30:49,508 --> 00:30:52,900 discipline the children of Israel with a natural disaster, 557 00:30:53,300 --> 00:30:55,800 how much more will he discipline us when he needed? 558 00:30:56,300 --> 00:31:01,300 We just In three weeks a month ago, in Hebrews chapter 12, 559 00:31:01,300 --> 00:31:06,100 Verses 4 to 11 on Lance priest, three messages on discipline. 560 00:31:06,100 --> 00:31:07,900 Okay. So I don't need to talk a lot 561 00:31:07,900 --> 00:31:09,700 about this. Those were very convicting 562 00:31:09,700 --> 00:31:14,600 messages, but if you neglect, God and nothing else you do is 563 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:16,600 ultimately going to prosper. It's that simple. 564 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,700 God sent an emptiness into their hearts, so that the people might 565 00:31:20,700 --> 00:31:24,400 awake from their spiritual idolatry and turn back to him. 566 00:31:24,900 --> 00:31:29,500 We often give the example of lat Remember lot lot looked towards 567 00:31:29,500 --> 00:31:35,500 Sodom got lot lean towards Sodom got learned about Sodom. 568 00:31:35,900 --> 00:31:39,500 Then he went and lived in Sodom. Then you actually let it Sodom 569 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,700 and he ended up losing everything right. 570 00:31:43,100 --> 00:31:49,700 Psalms 106 15 says God gave them what they asked for, but sent a 571 00:31:49,700 --> 00:31:52,500 wasting disease among them and Pastor. 572 00:31:52,500 --> 00:31:54,900 Lance has said, multiple times. You've been here a long time, 573 00:31:54,900 --> 00:31:56,400 you heard Lance State as many times. 574 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,800 Careful what you ask for because God may just give it to you and 575 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:02,500 he might send a wasting disease in you. 576 00:32:02,900 --> 00:32:04,300 It's the beginning of a new year. 577 00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:06,100 It's going to be a tough year, right? 578 00:32:06,100 --> 00:32:07,800 It's going to be a tough year with inflation. 579 00:32:08,100 --> 00:32:10,500 It's going to be a tough year with things going on in our 580 00:32:10,500 --> 00:32:12,700 country, are your priorities, right? 581 00:32:12,900 --> 00:32:16,900 God says, consider your ways. Proverbs 3 verse 9 and 10, says, 582 00:32:16,900 --> 00:32:20,900 honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of your 583 00:32:20,900 --> 00:32:25,600 produce, then your barns will be filled with plenty and your Vats 584 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,600 will be bursting with why. Wine from the reminder. 585 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:33,000 Let's go to the third point, the response in verses 12 to 15. 586 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:38,900 In verse 12 we have two words, obedience and reverence, okay, 587 00:32:39,300 --> 00:32:42,800 we mentioned before that most of the prophets preached the word 588 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,800 of God, they didn't have any success right but haggai 589 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:51,100 Zechariah and Malachi are post-exilic prophets and they 590 00:32:51,100 --> 00:32:54,600 had success. They had success perhaps because 591 00:32:54,900 --> 00:32:56,800 the people had learned about the destruction. 592 00:32:57,300 --> 00:33:01,000 The 70 years in Babylon. So they ended up when they had, 593 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,100 they got rebuked. They learned. 594 00:33:03,100 --> 00:33:06,000 There were no more excuses. They learn that they need to get 595 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,600 busy with the word of God. It says that in verse 12, they 596 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,200 obeyed the voice of the Lord, their God. 597 00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:16,300 And then it says the people feared the Lord, you know, for 598 00:33:16,300 --> 00:33:20,100 haggai there was success and the lead it says the leaders obeyed 599 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:24,300 and when the leaders obeyed The Remnant obeyed and why did they 600 00:33:24,300 --> 00:33:27,400 obey? Because they had reverence And 601 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,900 reverence is a spiritual prerequisite for spiritual 602 00:33:30,900 --> 00:33:33,100 blessing. They had a new reverence for 603 00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:37,500 God, you know, it's really impossible to fear God properly 604 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,900 without obeying him. Okay, if you fear God, obedience 605 00:33:41,900 --> 00:33:45,300 or, reverence are inseparable. If you have a reverence for God, 606 00:33:45,300 --> 00:33:47,800 it affects your tithing. It affects your serving. 607 00:33:47,900 --> 00:33:50,100 It affects your study of the word of God. 608 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,600 It affects your sharing of the Gospel obedience, and reverence 609 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:56,700 is what we see here. Let's move from the response. 610 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:00,400 To the reassurance. And here you have two words 611 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:05,300 protection and provision and gods going to God's reply. 612 00:34:05,300 --> 00:34:07,500 To the people is very simple for words. 613 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:12,400 I Am with You opposition would come. 614 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:16,300 I wish we had time to turn to Ezra but in Ezra chapter 5, just 615 00:34:16,300 --> 00:34:19,800 like Ezra three. When they 16 years before when 616 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,300 they started to rebuild the Temple opposition came in Ezra 617 00:34:23,300 --> 00:34:27,900 chapter 5 Captain, I the governor came and If elbow zany 618 00:34:27,900 --> 00:34:31,100 and Associates came, they said who gave you this decree to 619 00:34:31,100 --> 00:34:34,000 rebuild the house? What are the names of the men? 620 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:37,800 And they took their names and they wrote another letter to 621 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:41,800 now. King Darius King, Cyrus is dead 622 00:34:41,900 --> 00:34:46,100 King, artaxerxes dead and out Darius the great as the king and 623 00:34:46,100 --> 00:34:48,800 they write a letter and they expect the same response. 624 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:51,800 King Darius is going to come back and say stop the work. 625 00:34:52,100 --> 00:34:55,699 Doesn't happen. King Darius writes and says 626 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:59,500 leave the work. Of the Lord alone, let them 627 00:34:59,500 --> 00:35:03,000 rebuild. And even he says so much in Ezra 628 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:04,600 chapter 5. You know, it's really 629 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:08,700 interesting that in Ezra one, God used the heart of a pagan 630 00:35:08,700 --> 00:35:11,900 King Cyrus to rebuild the Temple of Israel. 631 00:35:11,900 --> 00:35:17,700 Then in Ezra 6, God uses King Darius to give the decree to 632 00:35:17,700 --> 00:35:21,600 rebuild the Temple. But in Ezra for King artaxerxes 633 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,500 says, stop the work. And I make it the point. 634 00:35:24,500 --> 00:35:27,600 That if those people when opposition, Jean King, if they 635 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:29,300 had held a prayer meeting like Nehemiah. 636 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,800 If they had cried out to God, the army of the Lord of host 637 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:35,200 would have helped them. Proverbs 20:1. 638 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:39,400 One says, the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of 639 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:41,000 the Lord. He turns it. 640 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,000 Wherever you will, he turned it for King, Cyrus, he turned it 641 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,500 for King. Darius, God did not for King 642 00:35:46,500 --> 00:35:49,700 artaxerxes because I think the people were lazy procrastinating 643 00:35:49,900 --> 00:35:51,600 and were only thinking about themselves. 644 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,800 Matthew 28:20 says, I am with you always to the End of the 645 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:58,600 Age. God said, The people I am with 646 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:02,900 you and he says that today and when God protects us, God 647 00:36:02,900 --> 00:36:09,700 provides in Ezra 6, Darius wrote back and he said, said the cost 648 00:36:09,900 --> 00:36:13,700 of this house to rebuilt is to be paid by these men in full 649 00:36:13,700 --> 00:36:17,900 from the Royal Revenue. Give them Bulls Ram sheep, 650 00:36:17,900 --> 00:36:20,900 sweet, salt, wine oil, whatever they need. 651 00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:25,500 Give them Daria says, so the opposition thought that they 652 00:36:25,500 --> 00:36:28,100 would get the work stopped. Instead they actually had to 653 00:36:28,107 --> 00:36:30,400 help support the rebuilding of the temple. 654 00:36:30,700 --> 00:36:33,700 God is always going to provide for his work, isn't he? 655 00:36:34,500 --> 00:36:43,100 So from the from the reassurance will finish with the resolve in 656 00:36:43,100 --> 00:36:46,600 verses, 14 and 15. We have the stirring and we have 657 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:50,900 this starting three times. In verse 14, it says the spirit. 658 00:36:50,900 --> 00:36:54,200 Now this is not the holy spirit. This is the spirit of zerubbabel 659 00:36:54,300 --> 00:36:56,300 the. Holy Spirit, may have stirred up 660 00:36:56,300 --> 00:37:00,600 the heart of zerubbabel, the spirit of Joshua and the spirit 661 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:04,100 of the remnant three times. They heard the word of the Lord, 662 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,200 and their hearts were stirred. They feared the Lord and they 663 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:12,600 obey them and they began the work of Lord and it's and then 664 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:14,700 so after they were stirred, they started. 665 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,800 So look at verse 15. Verse 15 of haggai. 666 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:23,700 Chapter 1 says on the 24th day of the month in the sixth month 667 00:37:23,900 --> 00:37:25,600 in the second year of Darius. The king. 668 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:31,100 So from haggai, chapter 1 verse 12, haggai chapter 1, verse 15, 669 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:36,400 23 days, 23 days, they started working. 670 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:40,900 Now, why do they take 23 days? Well, they probably had to plan, 671 00:37:41,100 --> 00:37:43,600 they had to organize, they had to get work teams together. 672 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:47,100 They had to get supplies, they probably had to hire experts and 673 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:50,600 get the wood and the iron the gold and silver. 674 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:54,100 They had to arrange protection. Probably so dates are very 675 00:37:54,100 --> 00:37:58,200 important for us and let me so 23 days. 676 00:37:58,300 --> 00:38:01,100 They were stirred up, they started the work history tells 677 00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:02,500 us. It took about four years to 678 00:38:02,500 --> 00:38:05,300 complete the temple and that Temple would go. 679 00:38:05,300 --> 00:38:08,500 We continue all the way to King Herod, in the time of Jesus. 680 00:38:08,500 --> 00:38:09,800 They would continue to work on it. 681 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:14,800 Until the Roman Empire destroyed in ad 70, but dates are 682 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,500 important in verse 1. Verse 15 is today. 683 00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:21,500 The date, you would consider your ways, get your priorities 684 00:38:21,500 --> 00:38:24,300 right with God. It's never too late to start 685 00:38:24,300 --> 00:38:26,600 obeying God. So I just want to close an 686 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:28,600 application real quickly, three things. 687 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:32,200 Number one, God's work never stops. 688 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:37,100 Okay, God never told the remnant to stop working, they feared the 689 00:38:37,100 --> 00:38:39,800 Samaritans more than they fear, God. 690 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,200 God gave a command for us to go in the world and preach the 691 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:46,100 gospel. And when you go to Acts chapter 692 00:38:46,100 --> 00:38:50,400 1 he says that that you'll be my Witnesses in Jerusalem Judea and 693 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:51,400 Samaria. Nazir. 694 00:38:51,700 --> 00:38:54,900 But you know those disciples like the remnant here who kind 695 00:38:54,900 --> 00:38:59,200 of got lazy for 16 years and lost their focus for seven to 696 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,200 eight years. The disciples just stayed in 697 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:04,200 Jerusalem. After all the church was 698 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:08,800 exploding, right? 3000 5000, but the disciples 699 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,200 didn't leave Jerusalem. So what did God do? 700 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:16,600 Come to Acts chapter 8 and acts 8:1 says what a great 701 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:20,300 persecution broke out in Jerusalem and people were forced 702 00:39:20,300 --> 00:39:23,300 out of Jerusalem, all of them, except the disciples. 703 00:39:23,300 --> 00:39:25,100 And what do they do when they're forced out? 704 00:39:25,700 --> 00:39:27,300 They went about preaching the gospel. 705 00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:30,800 So, they went to the Samaritans, they went to the Ethiopian 706 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:32,800 eunuch. They went to the Roman Centurion 707 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:36,200 in chapter 9, and then in Chapter 13, they finally went to 708 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:38,600 the ends of the world. Okay. 709 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,700 So they were they Maybe they were little bit lazy. 710 00:39:41,700 --> 00:39:46,000 God's work, never stops and if we stop it, God's going to start 711 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,300 it up. He took a in our text today. 712 00:39:48,300 --> 00:39:53,300 He took a natural disaster, God caused a natural disaster to 713 00:39:53,300 --> 00:39:56,900 drought and in Acts chapter 8, he caused a loud, the 714 00:39:56,900 --> 00:39:59,500 persecution to happen. So his word would continue to 715 00:39:59,500 --> 00:40:04,700 spread today, Presidents Governor's kings, make laws, 716 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:08,300 they make mandates, they passed agrees to try to stop the work 717 00:40:08,300 --> 00:40:12,600 of God and the worship of God, we just had a had a, you know, I 718 00:40:12,607 --> 00:40:15,700 won't get off this subject on covid but that's a reminder that 719 00:40:15,700 --> 00:40:19,900 all around the world governments will pass laws the Hindus, the 720 00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:23,600 Buddhists the Muslims pass laws that you cannot convert to 721 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:26,800 Christianity, but that will not stop the work of God. 722 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,200 People all over the world. In China churches are being 723 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:32,200 bulldoze. Pastors are being arrested being 724 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:35,700 put in persecution, some are being killed but these are men 725 00:40:35,700 --> 00:40:39,900 like Moses parents. It says in Hebrews 11 23, they 726 00:40:39,900 --> 00:40:43,900 were Afraid of the Kings attic. And that's what we have to be. 727 00:40:44,100 --> 00:40:46,300 Remember God will to work never stops. 728 00:40:46,600 --> 00:40:49,200 And number two, Gods workers are to never stop. 729 00:40:49,300 --> 00:40:52,000 You can retire from the Southern California Edison Company. 730 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,800 You can retire from the Bonitas Unified School District. 731 00:40:54,900 --> 00:40:57,700 You can retire from the LA Sheriff's Department, but you 732 00:40:57,700 --> 00:41:01,300 can't retire from Ministry and serving the god you can take a 733 00:41:01,308 --> 00:41:03,100 vacation. You could take a sabbatical. 734 00:41:03,100 --> 00:41:05,400 I'm not saying you can't take a time of rest. 735 00:41:05,700 --> 00:41:07,400 You know I remember an elder one night. 736 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:10,100 Got a phone call Sun Saturday night from what? 737 00:41:10,300 --> 00:41:12,900 Was in the Sunday School leader of our church saying, I need a 738 00:41:12,908 --> 00:41:16,300 substitute teacher tomorrow at 84, he went and taught and 739 00:41:16,300 --> 00:41:20,200 substituted in Sunday school. I just recently, Lawrence whites 740 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:22,100 are driving to Tuesday night prayer. 741 00:41:22,100 --> 00:41:25,500 Meeting at age, 94 to pray for Christ Community Church. 742 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:29,300 Bob Dyson's, you're taking the ushering, all the way to his old 743 00:41:29,300 --> 00:41:33,700 age, they gave glory to God all the way to the end. 744 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:37,400 And so should we tell that great day when Jesus Christ returns? 745 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:40,800 No excuses. No prostitute for Nation. 746 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:45,700 No laziness God says, get my work done, so God's work, never 747 00:41:45,700 --> 00:41:47,400 stops. God, workers never stopped. 748 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:50,800 And number three, we have to ask the question, am I robbing the 749 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,900 Lord, you know, I spent many years in management and business 750 00:41:54,300 --> 00:41:58,200 and often I was also in charge of the phone banks at 8:00 the 751 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:00,700 phones open up. And literally, when the lights 752 00:42:00,700 --> 00:42:03,800 go on, you can have three, four, five hundred phone calls at 8 753 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:08,100 a.m., and you've always got those employees that punch in 754 00:42:08,100 --> 00:42:10,100 and slowly walk over to their deaths. 755 00:42:10,300 --> 00:42:12,600 Scanned range their desk and get their coffee. 756 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:14,900 And then, we didn't have cell phones, but now, I guess they 757 00:42:14,900 --> 00:42:17,500 text and stuff. And, of course, the boss would 758 00:42:17,500 --> 00:42:21,200 have to yell out, get on the phones because, you know, we had 759 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:22,900 a goal. The phone calls had be answered 760 00:42:22,900 --> 00:42:26,800 in four minutes now, it's like half an hour I think, but, but 761 00:42:27,100 --> 00:42:29,300 you have to yell at people to get on the phones. 762 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:33,100 Those people, those employees would never steal merchandise 763 00:42:33,100 --> 00:42:35,900 from the store, but they would steal time. 764 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,100 They would take five minutes extra at lunch five minutes of 765 00:42:39,100 --> 00:42:41,400 break. They would put The least amount 766 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:43,800 of work in eight hours. They possibly could they would 767 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:46,300 steal time. But for Christians you have to 768 00:42:46,300 --> 00:42:49,000 ask the question. Am I robbing the Lord? 769 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:52,700 Are you not willing to read your Bible and spend a few minutes 770 00:42:52,700 --> 00:42:54,100 studying God's word in the morning? 771 00:42:54,900 --> 00:42:57,100 Are you not willing to spend a few minutes of prayer each 772 00:42:57,100 --> 00:42:59,300 morning? Are you not willing to give an 773 00:42:59,300 --> 00:43:01,400 extra hour and a half to serve him on Sunday? 774 00:43:02,100 --> 00:43:04,400 Are you not willing to come on Wednesday night and grow in 775 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,300 knowledge of the word of God? Are you not willing to give him 776 00:43:07,300 --> 00:43:09,200 the first fruits of your paycheck? 777 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:12,900 You know, I Say this and I've shared this before. 30 years 778 00:43:12,900 --> 00:43:15,500 ago, I was sitting in a pew at a previous Church. 779 00:43:15,900 --> 00:43:18,800 My parents were in Ethiopia's missionaries at all. 780 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:20,800 I was content was was just to go to church. 781 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:23,900 I had a very good job in management, a new pastor, 782 00:43:23,900 --> 00:43:26,100 arrived at that church and I'll never forget when he asked the 783 00:43:26,100 --> 00:43:29,300 question, what are you doing for the Lord? 784 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:33,500 And he used the word of God to take me over the head with a 785 00:43:33,500 --> 00:43:36,400 hammer and there was the one verse I'll share with you that 786 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:40,300 I'll never forget. Pastor Lance used Jeremiah 8 787 00:43:40,300 --> 00:43:45,300 verse 7, which says even the stork in heaven knows her times. 788 00:43:45,800 --> 00:43:51,400 And the turtledove, the swallow and the crane, keep the time of 789 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:54,900 their coming. That verse says, there are four 790 00:43:54,900 --> 00:43:58,800 birds that know when to go south wind to go north, where to go, 791 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:03,300 why the birds know what to do, but Jeremy 70s with the words. 792 00:44:03,600 --> 00:44:07,900 But my people do not know the rules. 793 00:44:08,100 --> 00:44:11,400 The Lord or better translation. Do not know the requirements 794 00:44:11,700 --> 00:44:16,800 that verse Hit me hard. And I had to consider my ways. 795 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:20,500 Will you consider your ways? God spoke through the prophet 796 00:44:20,500 --> 00:44:22,500 haggai and said, consider your ways. 797 00:44:22,900 --> 00:44:26,400 And he still says to us today, consider your ways. 798 00:44:26,900 --> 00:44:31,000 The remnant learn to fear the lord and obey his word God's 799 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:35,300 word came to that Remnant and August 29th 520 BC and it still 800 00:44:35,300 --> 00:44:40,600 comes today, January 15 2023. Today could be one of the most 801 00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:45,400 important dates in your life. If you will consider ways. 802 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:48,400 Let's pray Father in heaven. We leave here today, knowing 803 00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:50,500 more of you. Just ask that, you would have 804 00:44:50,500 --> 00:44:54,200 each person search their hearts that each person would consider 805 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:58,000 their ways that the spirit of the Lord would speak to them and 806 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,400 ask them and that they would realize that your work doesn't 807 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:03,000 stop. That God's workers should. 808 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,200 Never stop till they great day. He calls him home and asked him. 809 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:08,300 Am I robbing the Lord? Is there something I can do? 810 00:45:08,300 --> 00:45:11,800 More to glorify God? Is there something that you 811 00:45:11,808 --> 00:45:14,500 would take pleasure in me? You serving you here at Christ 812 00:45:14,500 --> 00:45:17,800 Community Church, tithing more, its hype Christ, Community 813 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,000 Church Father. May we leave here today, 814 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,000 searching our hearts and considering our ways in Jesus 815 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:24,500 name. Amen.