Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Do you feel discouraged?
• We live in a day of small things
• In the day of Haggai - it would have been a day of small things
• They had been in exile for 70 years but could not return
• Encouragement and blessing
• They first rebuilt an altar to God
• They laid the foundation of the Temple - a great day
• Soon after they become discouraged
• Opposition comes against them and the work of God stops
• For 16 years the people become apathetic
• They have come to a standstill
• God acts
• Haggai is raised up to speak to the people
• God encourages the people to think not just of themselves but of Him
• God speaks to the political and religious leader
• God stirs up the people (1:14)
• Do we come to stages where we are not working for the Lord?
• This is disobedience
• God is the Lord of Hosts
• Have we become stagnant and stopped serving Him?
• Looking at chapter 2 (@ 520 BC)
• God speaks three times through His prophet
• God encourages us through the proclamation of His word
• Overview:
• The Preaching of God's Word
• The Probing of God's Word
• The Promises of God's Word

The Preaching of God's Word

• Haggai was an Old Testament prophet
• To forth-tell the word of God
• To fore-tell the word of God
• E.g. to prophesy of Christ or the Second Coming
• God's word came on the 21st day of the 7th Month (around October) - v1
• Speak first to the leaders, then the people - v2
• We all need to be under God's word
• We must pray for the leaders of God's people
• Preachers are not prophets but they have the complete word of God
• The final revelation is given in the word of God
• God's word came on the 24th day of the 9th month (around December) - v10
• God's word comes to the prophet regardless of the ruler in power
• Speak to the priests
• God's word came on the 24th day of the same month - v10
• Speak to Zerubabbel
• God's work will prosper
• God's word is light
• The human mind is in darkness controlled by sin
• Christians have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and renewed minds
• The word of God has power
• Ezra 6:14
• God's kingdom will prosper through the preaching of His word
• God's people first need to be stirred up and revived
• We may need to be rebuked and reproved
• 2 Tim 3:16-17
• God's word will equip us
• Joshua 1:7
• Ps 1:1-3

The Probing of God's Word (v10-14)

• Haggai is to speak to the priests
• He speaks to their minds - v12
• Reading v12-13
• The people / nation are unclean - v14
• Perhaps people thought they were clean
• They had returned from exile
• They were worshiping God at an altar
• The people were unclean
• Everything they touched / all they do - is unclean
• They were only serving themselves
• The people has been disciplined by God – v15-17
• There was a lack of blessing
• God was rebuking them through His word
• In chapter 1 - had they not been stirred up [from their previous apathy] and rebuked?
• In chapter 2 - they needed further rebuking
• We need the reproof of God's word
• Personal example
• God lifts us up after He has humbled us

The Promises of God's Word (v3-5)

• If only rebuke, we would become discouraged
• We must look to Christ and the cross
• We must remember the promises of God

The promise of His presence

• The old people had previously seen the Temple
• This new Temple would be smaller -v3 ...
• ... but God was with them - v4
• We are to work for God - for He is with us
• God's Spirit has been poured out at Pentecost
• We are the temple of the living God
• Joshua 1:9
• Take hold of the promises of God
• Hebrews13:5-6
• We must not underestimate the challenge - but God is with us
• God was with them in a special way - after the people had fear the presence of the Lord - 1:12-13
• If we obey God - He comes to us
• God's promise - He is with us (Emmanuel)

The promise of His provision

• Reading v6-8
• God will provide the resources
• In Christ - we have all the provision we need
• Matt 6:33
• Phil 4:19

The promise of something far greater

• God is building His church
• God is shaking the nations
• God would fill the temple with Glory
• Christ would come and preach
• Christ and the Church is the temple of the living God
• God will give peace
• Look to Jesus Christ and His peace

Closing Remarks