I'm going to turn this morning to God's word.
We're turning to the prophecy of hi guy, haggai chapter 2 and I'm
going to read from verse 22. The ant.
Hi guy. Chapter 2.
First 20. Let's hear the word of the Lord.
Hi guy. Chapter 2.
Verse 20. And again, the word of the Lord
came unto High guy in the four and twentieth day of the month,
saying Speak to jerubbaal governor of Judah, saying I will
shake the heavens and the Earth and I will overthrow the Throne
of Kingdoms and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of
the Heathen and I will overthrow the Chariots and those that ride
in there and the horses and their Riders shall come down
every one by the sword of his brother.
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts.
Will I take thee o zerubbabel my servant the son of she LTE.
Saith the Lord and I will make thee.
As a segment for I have, chosen a saith, the Lord of hosts.
My text this morning is taken from high guy.
Chapter 2 verses 2223 that I've read and I want to preach in the
theme today that I've entitled on there.
Astounding, God's Sovereign purpose.
You see how Eye Guy chapter 2 verses 2223 is the last out of
four, sermons preached by the prophet haggai to certain Jews
and the ruined city of Jerusalem.
These Jews had returned from the land of their captivity in
Babylon. They totaled 50,000.
And number the year, was 520 BC and their task was to Build the
templates Arista. Remember the temple has lay in
and ruins for 70 years, every stone, the rubble that they
could see edele as a silent testimony to the true cost of
for seeking God. The true cost of departing from
his law. These ruins testified this is
what apostasy does Jerusalem. Itself was also in ruins, the
walls have been Toppled. The gates have been burned with
fire. The treasures have been
plundered tens of thousands, have been put to Death By The
Sword and hundreds of thousands have been exiled to the land of
Babylon. They were there for 70 years and
after 70 years, God visited his people and after the death of
the last ruler of Babylon, the medes and Persians conquered
Babylon. I'm the first king was King,
Cyrus and under King, Cyrus the King of Persia.
He issued a decree for the Jews to return to their Homeland to
oversee, the rebuilding of the temple.
They remember the temple is the most important building in the
ruined City 50,000 of return to start the work of rebuilding.
This was a momentous occasion this we could say was a fresh
start. This was a new beginning.
This was a day of Revival and as the began the work with all the
pre is that, that would have brought they discovered it
wasn't a fight has problems. Certain hostile enemies, certain
nieghbors opposed the rebuilding of the temple.
At first, they hired counselors to try and interfere in the work
then they offered to come and assist in the work and the ended
up writing to King Cyrus and accusing.
These Jews of treason. King, Cyrus ordered, the work to
stop and for 14 years, nothing more was done in the Tampa.
These Jews, they concentrated on building their own homes.
This was a day and a period of grit, a perfect.
The children of Israel became so busy with their own lives and
houses that they lost hard for the work of God.
This problem of apathy was not their only problem.
The fearlessness persecuting attack from, without these
hostile neighbors. And they also faced the problem
of discouragement, you see, the older man, still at this new
Temple would be nothing in comparison to Solomon's Temple
and these problems. Apathy the problem of this
persecution and opposition from without.
And this problem of discouragement they had a
devastating Stating impact on these random Jews so much so
that they had no stomach for the work for 14 years and then in
God's. Good Providence Helia stop.
Hi guy to call the people back to work.
How guy has of told you preached for messages the first message,
haggai preached Hi guy, 1 verses 1 to 15.
It was a call to repent and to put the Lord First, Matthew 6,
and 33 says seek, ye first, the kingdom of God and his
righteousness and all these other things shall be added unto
you. And I believe that's a message
that we also need to hear in our day, the Church of Jesus Christ
is a problem with apathy, a problem with opposition and
persecution. A problem of discouragement.
Carelessness asset and slack this asset and word in this
asset and in what areas and knowing gaunt and Bible.
Reading some Christians. Never read their Bible from one
week to the next. Do any portion of scripture they
read as the one that's read in the house of God and the Lord
staying in relation to prayer, smallest meeting of the church.
Few calls for half nature prayer and nature prayer, despite the
steel in the land. But where's our passion for
souls and our love for what the sink?
Let the redeemed of the Lord say.
So where's our quest for Holiness and holy living?
See up with a carelessness. Slackness word is all is
ticking. It's tool.
The second message that high guy preached is in Chapter 2, verses
1 to 9. It was a message of get
encouragement of God's people because he said to them, get
your raise and Gold's person. Eurasian God's presence.
God's provision, God's power. The third message chapter 2
verses 10 to 19 emphasize the importance of serving God with a
pure heart and the beauty of Holiness and the ended up with a
promise of divine blessing as the seed yet in the barn.
Yay. As yet the vein and the Fig Tree
in the pomegranate and the Olive Tree have not brought forth from
the stay, Well, I bless you. And then, the fourth message was
preached on. Exactly the same day as the
third message. If you compare 2:10 on 2:20, and
this last message was directed to jerubbaal.
The Civil leader. See the nation was in turmoil.
As I've said, it was a day of great APA thing, a day of
opposition and persecution by these hostile enemies, a day of
great discouragement and in order to Emphasize and reinforce
the message that God was evil, and God was going to bless his
people. He wanted the leader in the
people to understand. This is what the fourth message
about God's Sovereign purpose. And that's what we're going to
think about this morning. I preach this last week and cool
Ray and I preached it a few weeks ago, on a Wednesday night,
prayer meeting, at least I brought a few thoughts.
And that's what we're going to think about at this time.
One think about the sovereignty of God's definite plan.
You see if God is absolutely Sovereign and I believe he is,
then he must have a definite plan for world history.
It must have a definite plan for creation for his creatures for
his children for his church. And when I read, hi guy chapter
2, especially versus 22 rate. Don't and verse 23, I got
excited because I discovered word.
God has a definite plan. Here's a statement of fact,
listen to these words, I will shake the heavens and the Earth.
And I will overthrow the Throne of Kingdoms and I will destroy
the strength of the kingdoms of the Heathen and I will overthrow
the Chariots and those that ride in them and the horses and their
Riders shall come down every one by the sword of his brother.
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts will I take the user of of
my servant the son of shealtiel? Saith the Lord.
And I will make the is a segment for I have chosen thee, saith,
the Lord of hosts. now, six times in the space of three
versus you should notice that you've got 6, I Wills We'll call
them the I Wills of God. And here's what God is saying
by, whoever statement of fact that he was going to do, he
says, in verse 22, I will overthrow the Thrones of
Kingdoms. Who she thinking about well
Nebuchadnezzar ruler of Babylon belteshazzar.
His successor Darius, the mede Cyrus King of Persia.
You see these men represented, the greatest Empire in the
kingdoms of this world. The kingdom of Persia was
explore example, stretch from Egypt to India, 127 provinces,
and these men were powerful, man, man with great Authority
man to be feared. These were totalitarian rulers,
and yet, the Lord of hosts, As such a sovereign, God, who
controls all the Affairs of angels, demons, man, world
events. Tame all human history.
We could say, if it our god, he has the whole world under his
control. It's all under his command, is
he? Jerubbaal knew what the Throne
of Cyrus represented. Because at that time, the Throne
of Cyrus stood for complete, absolute power unchallengeable
power. Unalterable power and yet,
here's the message. There is the Throne of God above
every one of these Thrones. Revelation 4 and 2001 sudden the
film and from that Throne. God sovereignly dispenses, his
eternal plan and purpose. You see God's Throne.
The Throne of absolute greatness because only God is great.
God's. Throne is a god of Throne of
absolute government. Holy and pure and Justin through
government God's Throne the Throne of Greece because that's
the basis that he deals with his creatures.
His children his church, his creation and God's Throne to God
of a throne of glory and surely. That's a message that we need to
hear today. A message about the sovereignty
of God and I believe that even and carried off their PC like
it's true. If the free Presbyterian Church,
we need a vision of the total sovereignty of God.
This is not a mere academic truth.
This is not a mere Theory. This is not even a great
theological truth but this is a fatal truth and it will inspire
confidence. It will bring encouragement.
It will breed comfort for the people of God.
See, I believe that this is what the Church of Jesus Christ needs
today. Its leaders and its people.
It needs to get a vision of the total sovereignty of God.
There's a story told and I told us and went the night.
A couple weeks ago, there's a church in Oregon.
The First Christian Church, I believe it was called They
pastured put an ad in the paper next Sunday.
Here's the subject. Whether it was a table by the
pastor could have been you because he knew me and dyslexic
or it could be in a table by the editor who took the phone call.
But this is what he wrote in the paper Argan tree Saints.
People saw the funny saint. What should it read our god
reigns? But when you change the letter,
i you can turn resigns and Dorien or radians and to resign,
and of course, the tax was the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
But isn't it? Sadly true.
However, that in the experience of many of God's people today,
they live as if God had resigned, as if God had the kid
it has thrown. As if God had left the stage of
world has to be as if God had abdicated.
Well, here's the message, he hasn't he hasn't.
Handed control to the devil even hasn't handed control to the
Wicket. This world is not out of
control. This word is not in Tails.
He has the whole world in his house.
It is under his control and he is working to a definite master
plan. Do you know that our God reans
in the heavens? Not I and the greatness of his
power readings and a holy, just and true government, reans, and
Greece to bring a boat there rien of glory and what he doors.
Is all according to his well he's always all-powerful
all-knowing all-loving. Is he many of us of God's
people, live and defeat. We live in despair.
We live and died. We love with grit and
discouragement and it's very easy to do that.
When you have your age of God's throne, You think of the
apostasy of the professing church?
I think it's true to say the enemy has invaded the church.
You know that there's churches and Northern Ireland like in
England, Scotland and Wales. It's also true in Europe.
It's also true United States of America and Canada.
These churches are openly run by professed.
Practicing homosexuals. What has happened?
They've turned their back and biblical morality.
There's set aside the standards of right and wrong.
The throne The Ten Commandments are to the window.
They've abandoned the authority of the scriptures you know that
even the Lord's Prayer they want that changed its offensive to
them. Is he people see in the church
pastors and elders and deacons and they have this badge of
honor about them that they want to do what's right in their own
eyes and the forgetting that the scripture says to the law and to
the testimony, if they speak act love, not according to this
word, it is because there's no light in them.
You see the gospel of these man preach.
It's not a message that you need to be see of from a life of sin.
It's not a message of Hope, and havin and a message of
deliverance from hell. They use God and the things of
God on Jesus Christ. I Stand as person or and they
use it for personal fulfillment. And again, We call it the health
and wealth gospel, which is a another gospel.
I'm needin high. God's absolute sovereignty.
And they put the sovereignty of man above the sovereignty of
God. The cause of World missions is
gone, there's no passion for Souls.
Have no idea or concept of the sanctity of the Lord's Day.
Some have even Fallen filed by age, just advocating, nine out
of the 10 commandments for today, support for gay.
Marrige you think of the state of the country?
Thankful for the protest yesterday against abortion?
But there's other moral evils homosexual, lifestyle this.
Whoa, chasm. This gender ideology drunkenness
drugs the party. See what is all that I listened
to recently? The can harm and he says it's a
symptom of Abandonment of the complete authority of scripture
and that is true and that's the state of the church.
That's the state of the country, Warren to them, that call evil
good and good evil and yet the Spate that date and despite the
darkness and the despair. And the discouragement. even
though the church is of pasta taste and even though the state
of the country is dark and Blake, It's all under God's
Sovereign control. God controls all events times in
people's at listen, to the word of God.
And as I have 14 and verse 24, it says the Lord of hosts have
sworn saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it come to
pass? And as I have proposed so shall
it? Stand And as I had chapter 46,
we read remember this and show yourselves, man.
Bring it again to mine, don't you?
Transgressors remember, the former things of old for I am
God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like
me declaring the end from the beginning.
And from ancient times the things that are not yet done
saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my good
pleasure. This is a statement of fact
because I just tell you something else very quickly,
it's a statement of focus. Gold is absolutely Sovereign.
Discover that today, I'll tell you something else, God has
actively Sovereign, God is at work.
Think of these six. I wills it not only confirms
that God has a definite plan and purpose but God is at work to
fulfill. The plan.
God is at work today for felling.
His eternal purpose, he's not going to feel notice.
He says, I will shake the heavens.
On the earth, the whole of creation is under his control.
There's not a part of that creation that's not under his
control. God is Sovereign even in
relation to the weather patterns and, and climate change Heroes.
The Sun, the moon, and the stars and the planets, he rules the
fish in the sea, he rules over our weather patras, the seasons
of the year are under his control seed, time and harvest.
Has under his control. Genesis, he didn't want me to
see The Wind Blows the reinforce.
The the snow comes, the ace. It's all under his rule.
He's not a wick important and significant irrelevant God.
Our God is Sovereign in the heavens.
I did the earth, I'll tell you something else.
He's not only an absolute Sovereign and an act of
sovereign but God is authoritatively Sovereign.
God can't be overthrown. God can't be overwhelmed.
God can't be outsmarted. Her overcome.
He's also an authentic Sovereign.
He's not pretending he's not a fake.
Is he God's? Sovereign plan is unchangeable.
Malachi 3 and 6 a.m. the Lord a change.
Not therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Psalm 19 to says, from Everlasting to Everlasting Thou
Art God, as I have 40 ask the question in relation to God in
Isaiah, 40, and verse 28. Listen to these words.
As I have 40 and 20 and house, do I not know hast thou?
Not heard that the Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of
the ends of the Earth fiend. Of not neither is weary.
There is no searching. Of us Understanding God's plan
is a reversible. He's saying to us, I will do
this six things, he's telling us is going to do and you see what
are we discovered? Well you can't fight against God
and when Because God's plan is irresistible.
He told hi guy and I got chapter 2 and verse 6 for thus, saith
the Lord of hosts yet. Once it is a little while and I
will shake the heavens and the earth and the Sea and the dry
land and I will shake All Nations and the desire of all
Nations shall come and I will fill this house with Glory,
Seth, The Lord of hosts. Where is Bob along today?
Young people where are the medes and the Persians, where's the
create Grecian Empire of Alexander the greed, where's the
Roman Empire? Well, they're gone, why?
Because the kingdom of God, prevails over the kingdom of
mom. And the kingdom of my own does
not able to withstand the kingdom of God and God uses
dreitzer earthquakes floods plagues from damage and he
brings down the armies of man because God's plan is a
resistible and God's plan is unique.
Do you know that haggai chapter 2?
Verse 6 was used by the Apostle Paul.
Turn over there to Hebrews chapter 12 and look with me at
verse 26. Hebrews chapter 12, and verse
26. Here's an important text of
scripture. Whose voice then shook the Earth
but not he have promising. Yet once more, I will shake, not
the Earth only but also heaven. And this word yet once more
signify at the removing of those things that are shaken out of
things that are made that those things, which cannot be shaken.
May remain, who's wherefore? We receiving a kingdom, which
cannot be moved. Let us have Grace whereby.
We may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear
for our gold as a Humming fire. You see Paul applied have high
GI 2 and 6 in the book of Hebrews to the furtherance of
the gospel and the establishment of God's kingdom.
Remember I said it's a kingdom of Greece.
My That's the basis upon which God deals with the children of
man. And of course, it's a kingdom of
glory and government that's yet to come and all that God is
doing and world history today and has been as For the
advancement of the cause of Jesus Christ, and the kingdom of
God, and the advancement of his own church.
In other words, the gospel will succeed and all world events
Empires, Emperor's kings, and queens and world leaders.
They're all under God's Sovereign.
Can't rule. It is true that man make
choices. Men are accountable for those
choices, they're responsible for their choices and for their
actions. But, man, make choices according
to the inclination of their sinful heart.
But over and above man's Choice, stands, a sovereign God, who
will fulfill his purpose. Bring to pass as definite on,
it's interesting. When I read I guy this there's
not one mention of a precondition read it, not one
mention of a precondition it's not I will if you do it's not.
I hope to do this or I will see what I can do.
It's not well at all. Depends and how you respond to
me. It's not if you cooperate you
see, nothing can thwart or stop the plan of God.
God will be glorified in us for fulfillment.
God is being Sovereign but he's been Resolute here.
Can you hear it? Is jerubbaal saying to God but
it would be a few numbers or be of new king or with no weapons
or if new Army nor take a look at the rubble there.
Do you see the state of Jerusalem?
There's no Gates, there's no walls Lord.
There's no Tampa or to remember we're still under Persian rule,
were subjects to Cyrus if he hears that we're trying to raise
an army or fingerprint a king, we're going to get crushed.
Lord, we still have a hostile Enemy at the Gate.
They're powerful. Focus on what God is doing.
Focus on my I will. That's what he was telling
jerubbaal, Zechariah 4 and 6 tells us is not by might nor by
power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.
And I think we need to focus on what God is doing, get a raise
of our circumstances, and our situation.
And on to the Lord, the sovereignty of God's definite
plan very quickly. The sovereignty of God's
delightful portrait You see, why did God say this?
This is the reason look at our text in that day.
Saith the Lord of hosts. Will I take the user of O, my
servant the son of shealtiel, saith the Lord and I will make
the is a Signet for have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.
Now I want you to think of Sir trouble.
Here's a delightful, portrait of the amount of gold, the Mount of
God was chosen. He says for I have chosen these
saith, the Lord of hosts. It's not interesting.
Jerubbaal was selected by God, no.
Moral excellence in jerubbaal. No inherent goodness is
mentioned, chosen, not because he was good or merited or earned
it it's known conditioner. Why did you choose me?
Lord. Here's the answer free, grease.
Free Sovereign Greece. I have chosen thee because I've
chosen. And if you turn over there to
the book of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4, here's a
Greek truth, and I emphasize this in Korean because it
happened in cauldron and you Row the right place with the church
says Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4 tells us according as he
hath chosen Us in him before the foundation of Of the world that
we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love, not
chosen because God for sane that you would trust Christ, not
chosen because God, seems something good and you because
we're all Sinners dead in trespasses and said we're all
blind. To God.
We all have Wills that are pre of, than a factions are
deceased. Remember the wages of sin is
death. The gift of God is eternal life
and if he could see her true steel, as a natural man were
dead were Lane were diseased UND how then were we?
They had to lay hold and Christ. We were regenerated by the power
of the spirit of God. You must be born again.
We discovered the great truth, that salvation is of the Lord
and I discovered that truth was a young man standing.
I'd say the Lamppost at the police station & Lodge Road and
cooler in many, many years ago after I was converted after
leaving a meeting and and arguing with the preacher I
asked Christ to be my savior and he said, I know you did, but
where did you get the desire from?
Why did you want to get? See it.
You do fear thought our love for God.
And all of a sudden, you have that desire, your conscious of
sin, you need to see if you want to be.
See it. Where did that come from?
It comes the spirit of God and the new birth because God had
chosen in Christ. The rubble was chosen.
But jerubbaal was certified. If you look at the text again
and go back there to hi guy. He says, in that day, saith the
Lord of hosts will I take the user Rubble?
My servant the son of shealtiel, saith the Lord.
And I will make the as a second. You see that that refers to the
king's ring? He used it to seal and certified
documents. It was a sign of honor and
power. It was a saying that was
Authority behind the king's message.
When it was read out, the King has sent us and that Signet was
a thing of dignity. Because the ring is chosen,
think of the choosing of engagement ring or a wedding
ring that signal was a thing of beauty.
It was, it was, it was precious. God was saying to jerubbaal your
precious. In my sight, just like a Signet
ring is precious. He the king would never really
have taken his ring off because he didn't want it lost or stolen
when he wore it. And Court people recognized that
he was wearing the Signet ring our most precious object, it was
a thing of security, the word couldn't be broken, It was a
sign of authority. It was absolute and Jerubbaal
was described by God, I will make the, as a segment, I will
make thee. As I a person of dignity, a
person of beauty, and security on Authority, your certified by
me. I'll tell you something else.
Rubble was cold, you know, jerubbaal points to the Lord
Jesus Christ. He tells us here and not, they
said, the Lord of hosts. Will I take the user?
Rubble. My servant.
What did he call? My servant and it points to
Jesus Christ God's perfect servant.
Let me just draw a parallel. Here's a rubber bullet was from
the tribe of Judah. So was the Lord Jesus Christ.
He's called The Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Durable was the key figure in the rebuilding of the temple and
who's the key figure in the building of God's spiritual
Temple today. It's Jesus Christ.
Zerubbabel was stirred and moved by the Holy Spirit.
Who received the Holy Spirit without measure the Lord.
Jesus Christ at his baptism. oh, Jerubbaal give himself to the
work. The Lord Jesus said was she not?
I must be about my father's business, zaraba was a chosen
vessel lakhtin precious, so was the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jerubbaal was God segment. So was the Lord Jesus Christ
jerubbaal was honored by God. So was the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see. God is going to give great
blessing to his people. That's what he says.
In Chapter 2, 19 from this day. Will I bless you?
The 24th day of the ninth month, according to the Jewish
calendar. And how is God going to give
great blessing to his people today?
Well, he does it through the Lord Jesus Christ, not without
him, the Lord. Jesus Christ is at the center of
all of God's plans in human has strength and all spiritual
blessings. Come to us through.
Han is not what Paul says, in Ephesians 1 and verse 3 blessed,
be the God, and father of our Lord.
Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
Heavenly places and Christ In Christ, he pardons us in Christ,
he provides for us in Christ, we are precious to him and Christ.
He is provision and power for us or that we get her Asian Christ.
Christ is a blessing for you today.
You're full of cares and concerns for the slave, you're
struggling. You're stumbling along and all
that. He is and all that he has as for
us as people. Isn't it wonderful to know that
he's the mediator of the New Covenant, the Redeemer, the Sea
of your the friend, the Lord, The Seer.
And the father accepts us because of him and we are n hem.
We've died and hand. We've been raised him or sheet
it in him. Surely, that should be great
encouragement today. The sovereignty of God's
delightful portrait I have chosen you I've certified you I
have called you my servant. That's a wonderful picture of
Christ. One final thing, the sovereignty
of God's delightful purpose. If you go back to the tax that
says I will, when was God going to do this if you link it up
with haggai, Chapter 2 Verse 6 yet once it is a little while.
That speaks of tame you see? This was not for felled and
jerubbaal Tuesday through Rubble, never got the sit on the
throne, its Aroma will never got to wear a king's robe.
He did not live to see the King of Persia overthrow 1.
It had an initial fulfillment, a partial fulfillment, but one
day, it will have a complete and final fulfillment.
Little wife, God says, I will do this.
So not only is there an element of tame here but there has to be
an element of trust. And I finished with this, this
morning, over there in the book of Psalms and Psalm 118.
And in the verse it we read it is better to trust in the Lord
and put confidence in Mom, it is better to trust in the Lord than
to put confidence and Princess trust in the Lord.
That's the key trusted him at all times you.
We pour out your hearts before. God is our refuge for us.
We must learn to take God at his word.
We must stand on the promise, if you read High guy very
carefully, You will read in Chapter 2 and particular 14 x +
12 versus the Lord of hosts is mentioned.
We need to get her eyes at him. We live in a frightening, world,
full of kilometers. We feels powerful enemies in
relation to the gospel. People are no longer got the
fear of God, and that's true of Northern Ireland.
Loyalist, communities, so-called Protestant Community have no
fear of God, And the churches in need of reformation.
I'm tired of that, we need to Reformation.
We need Revival, we need a move of God's spirit and our hearts
are discouraged. But God is able.
We have got to focus on the sovereignty of God's.
Definitely. Our focus on God's delightful
portrait of his people because what was tree of zerubbabel is
true of us. And focus on the sovereignty of
God's delightful purpose. He has a time when he will
fevers I am and we've got to trust him and take him at his
word and get her eyes on this one.
That calls himself, the Lord of hosts.
May the Lord help us this morning as we meditate on his
word.