Just a reminder, as we look at the renovation of God’s house, we must also look at the renovation or the revitalization of our hearts. A greatly improved structure in which we meet will be of no use if our hearts are not in tuned with One Who calls us. Today’s message is “Getting Sidetracked” We are so easily sidetracked. Our attention wanders and we lose focus on what it was we are doing. In our Christian life, it is much the same way. We get use to seeing things the way they are and we losing interest in making things better. Too often, our attention is taken away by worldly pursues such as television, our music, and heaven forbid, even church work. Things will distract us and we take our eyes off of Jesus and the things He desires of us.
It was no different 2,500 years ago in the days of Haggai. The people had returned from the exile in Babylon. The foundation to the new temple had been laid, but the work had stopped for some 16 years.
Haggai 1:2–11
A life without a mission is a life without meaning. Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (Feb 2, 1875 – Jan 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing. To achieve this success he described his life mission: "Narrow is the road that leads to the life of a violinist. Hour after hour, day after day and week after week, for years, I lived with my violin. There were so many things that I wanted to do that I had to leave undone; there were so many places I wanted to go that I had to miss if I was to master the violin. The road that I traveled was a narrow road and the way was hard."
Kreisler had a mission in life, to be the best concert violinist he could be. That meant he had to eliminate everything from his life that took him away from that goal. As Christians we are called on a mission as well and it's much more important than being a world class musician.
We can't be sidetracked by any other endeavors. Because a life without a mission is a life without meaning. We’ll be looking at the book of Haggai. It tells the story of a group of people who had a clear mission but who were sidetracked from it. [1]
Haggai 1:2 (NKJV) Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.” ’ ”
God is speaking to Haggai. Haggai was probably an old man and he had seen the temple before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it some 65 years before. They had many excuses: They were being threaten by enemies. The Samaritans threaten them, and the Persians persuaded them, even though Cyrus the King had given them the go ahead to rebuild the temple. They had to watch out for their families. After all, God wanted them to be happy didn’t He, and how could they be happy unless . . . ? (you fill in the blank)
In an interesting choice of words, God says: “This people says” Not “My people says.” His people were not doing what He had called them to do. So the Lord was not so quick to claim them as His own. Jesus commented on this:
Luke 6:46 (NKJV) “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
If we are God’s people, then we ought to be about the things God has called us to do. Haggai then brought the word from God to the people:
Haggai 1:3–4 (NKJV) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”
The people had been sidetracked into doing things to please themselves and not doing the things of God. In that day and time, in the Old Testament, the Temple was the very symbol of the people’s relationship to YAHWEH God. The temple was where they went to meet with God. But there was no urgency or felt need to meet with God.
Paneled houses? Making their houses elegant, using costly materials. While the temple was still in ruins. The question here is one of priorities. God is asking them directly, "What is more important here? My House or Yours?"
But apparently that was not important to the people. They were expressing spiritual apathy, and now God is rebuking them for their selfish indifference.
Haggai 1:5 (NKJV) Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!
God warns the people to think long and hard about what their priorities are. “Consider your ways” is mentioned 5 time in this 2 chapter book. So God brought some divine chastisement.
Haggai 1:6 (NKJV) "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
You see the people are under a curse. Back in Deuteronomy 28, most of that chapter deals with the curses of God. What will happen when the people do not follow God or only give God lip service.
The people are not profiting from their labors. They work hard and have little to show for it. Look at the last line in verse 6: "Earns wages to put into a bag with holes." How many times when we thought we were a few dollars ahead and all of a sudden it is all gone? What is happening. Confusion abounds.
Deuteronomy 28:28–29 (NKJV) The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart. 29 And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.
The people are not prospering and they do not know why. Remember, we’re talking about God’s people here and not the rest of the world. God disciplines those He loves, like a father to His children:
Hebrews 12:7 (NKJV) If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
The rest of the world prospering is not our concern. Knowing and doing the will of God is our concern. Considering now the hardships and lack of prosperity the people have experienced, God asks them again:
Haggai 1:7–8 (NKJV) Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD.
God is now being direct. Here is what you are to do! Build my house first. God’s glory comes first. We are to look to God, and be in His will. All the other necessities of life, God will provide. We read earlier a small portion from the Sermon on the Mount, the part where Jesus is telling us to not worry about those things we need to sustain life. The key verse in that passage is:
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
So the question quickly becomes, who or what are we seeking. Fame and fortune? A comfortable life? New entertainment venues? We have become a culture obsessed with our entertainment and pleasures. Paul tells us about the end times that there will be those that will be:
2 Timothy 3:4b (NKJV) . . . lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
How does that little phrase fit the American Christian today?
Haggai 1:9 (NKJV) “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.
The Lord gives and The Lord takes away. Often we have not because we fail to give what belongs to God. I refuse to preach that the Lord is standing with hat in hand, just begging His people to toss a few morsels His way. We have an entire wrong perspective on giving. We give, not because God needs it. God owns the cattle on the thousand hills. (Ps 50:10) The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness there of. (Ps 24:1) What do I have that God could possibly need? Nothing, but we give because God wants to bless us. But when we withhold from God, striving to meet our needs first, we fail to give God glory that is His and His alone.
Haggai 1:10–11 (NKJV) Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
If we do not give God what is His, He will often deny us any use of it and more. Again, remember that God is talking to His people and not to the rest of the world. Now in the remainder of the this first chapter of Haggai, the people do return to constructing the temple.
Haggai 1:12 (NKJV) Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the LORD.
The leaders, the High Priest, and all the people obeyed the Lord. And notice here, that they also “feared the presence of the LORD.” Here again, that is one thing lacking in our American Christian culture, and that is a healthy fear of God. God can bless us, but if we continue day after day in pursuit of those things we want, we do not fear what God will do. But when the people as whole turns and together perform the work that God has called them to, He will bless.
Haggai 1:13 (NKJV) Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, spoke the LORD’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the LORD.”
What a comfort that is. God is with us, vice God is against us. God’s chastisement is not a sign that God has left us or rejected us. Rather it shows His love to us, to draw us back to where He wants us to be.
God has called His people right here at Rosemont. We have opportunity to show the love of Jesus in real ways right here in this community. We have needs to maintain this facility that God has entrusted to us. Facilities in which we gather together for worship and facilities in which we minister to the hurting community around us. What is God calling you do to. Giving and serving is all about trusting Jesus.
If all we do is give to ourselves and serve ourselves, then we are saying to 2 things to God: (1) We do not trust you to watch over and care for us while we do your will. (2) I want is more important than what you want.
So do we love and trust Jesus? Jesus said If you love me, keep my commandments. Are we trusting Jesus today?
[1] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/don-39-t-get-sidetracked-peter-toy-sermon-on-purpose-237504?ref=SermonSerps and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Kreisler
