LIVING in the Light of the Gospel Big Idea  If we are going to live for Christ, the Gospel must function as the central core that informs and fuels every area of our lives.

7 Different Problems/Opportunities  Haggai – What are our priorities?  Hosea – What is the extent of God’s love?  Jonah – Who does God love?  Amos – Should God judge?  Micah – What is true justice?  Malachi – Are we getting God’s message?  Zechariah – Where do we go from here?

Context of Haggai Ezra 1:1-4  1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: 2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

Context of Haggai Ezra 1:5-6  5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

Anything we can relate to?  We are in exile because of our sin & rebellion  Prior “prophets” have recorded truths that effect us now  God made a way to bring us out of our exile  God calls us to embrace this message  As we embrace it we get to be a central part in executing His plan to take this news to others (build His new house…new temple…THE CHURCH!!!)  At first we are zealous for this cause…

Difficulties arise… Ezra 3:3  Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices. Ezra 4:4-5  4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 5 They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Anything we can relate to?  We pursue Christ & His purposes with a similar pattern of spurts and fizzles…  Difficulties always arise…  Difficulties eventually expose our true affections & priorities… What priorities are being exposed in your life right now?

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:1-2  1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’”

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:1-2  1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’” “I just don’t feel called to disciple others.”

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:1-2  1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’” “The timing just doesn’t feel right to jump in a LIFE Group.”

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:1-2  1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’” “There is too much going on for me to take that equipping class. After all, God does call us to rest well…”

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:1-2  1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’” “I will follow Jesus later, but right now I have to take care of some other stuff. Jesus was a busy guy, and I am sure He understands…”

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:3-4  3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:3-4  3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” “Is it time for you to make your life more controlled, comfortable, and convenient while My kingdom’s advance is being delayed? ”

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:5-11  5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD.

Haggai – What are your priorities? 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Haggai – What are your priorities? God called the people to reflect upon their ways “You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”  Vacuum in their souls…unable to fill on their own…THEIR WAYS WERE NOT WORKING!!!

Haggai – What are your priorities? God thwarted their plans “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away.”  God loves us too much to let us wander on our own for long…

Haggai – What are your priorities? God still calls us back to Him & His plans 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD.

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:12  12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 1:13-15  13 Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD. 14 So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 2:1-3  1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?

Haggai – What are your priorities? Ezra 3:12-13  12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Haggai – What are your priorities? Ezra 3:12-13  12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. Common responses to disappointments: Sit & stew - PARALYZED PERFECTIONISM Sit & stew - PARALYZED PERFECTIONISM Critique others - CYNICISM Critique others - CYNICISM Entertainment - ESCAPISM Entertainment - ESCAPISM

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 2:4-5  4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 2:6-8  6 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.

Haggai – What are your priorities? Haggai 2:9  9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” “The future will be more glorious than the past! Walk with Me…work with Me…it is what you were created for!”

Haggai – What are your priorities? Ezra 6:14-15  14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

The questions that face us…  So what are your priorities? What are you going to give yourself to this year…this month…this week…TODAY???  Who are your “Haggais”? Are you a Haggai to anyone?