PRIORITIES—I—Haggai 1:1-15
Attention:
Yard Sale Priority:
A woman was taking her time browsing through everything at a friend's yard sale, & said to her, “My husband is going to be very upset that I stopped at a yard sale.”
“I'm sure he'll understand when you tell him about all the bargains you found,” her friend replied.
“Normally, yes,” she said. “But he just broke his leg, & he's waiting for me to take him to the hospital to have it set.”
Need:
Priorities in the Land or...your sphere of influence.
Priorities in God’s people.
Priorities upon a Return to God.
•Perhaps you have spent some time away from God.
•Perhaps you have withheld an area of your life from God.
Haggai exhorted those returning from exile to prioritize their relationship with God.
God’s people must prioritize their relationship with God.
How must God’s people prioritize their relationship with God?
3 assessments securing a proper relationship with God.
1—A prioritized relationship with God properly assesses...
The TIME(:1-2)
Explanation:(1-2)
:1—“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, & to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,”
:2—““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.”’”
:1—“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, & to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,”
“In the second year of King Darius” places this prophecy in the year 520 BC.
•“This Darius is not to be confused with the later figure of Darius II Nothus(423-408 B.C.) of Neh. 12:12, who is referred to as “Darius the Persian.”—NAC
•“Nor is he to be confused with Darius the Mede of the Book of Daniel, a figure associated with Cyrus the Persian”[539-530 B.C.] “in the overthrow of the Neo-Babylonian empire in 539B.C.”—NAC/John W. Hamilton in ‘Chronological & Background Charts Of The Old Testament’[JWHCharts]
•“The Darius of Hag. 1:1 is Darius I Hyastaspes, who ruled over Persia from 522 to 486 B.C. He ascended the throne of Persia after the death of Cambyses”[530-522 B.C.]—NAC/JWHCharts
“In the sixth month” places this prophecy in the Babylonian month, Elul(August/September).—JWHCharts/ISBE1979
•“At different times ancient Israel used different calendrical systems.”—NAC
•“During & after the exile Israel adopted the Babylonian calendar, with the new year beginning in the spring. It is this later system that is reflected in Haggai’s usage. The sixth month(i.e., Elul) was therefore toward the end of the summer. In terms of modern reckoning the date in v.1 corresponds to August 29, 520 B.C.”—NAC
In Haggai’s day “no empire in the ancient Near East exceeded the size of this superpower. Persia controlled an area reaching from northern Africa to southern Russia & from Asia Minor” “to India.”—NAC
:2—““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.”’”
“The LORD of hosts” is YHWH of heaven itself & of the heavenly angelic armies of heaven, & even of those of humanity who serve Him. Here He “speaks” not to ‘His people’, but rather to “this people.” “This people” designates those who are disobedient to YHWH.
•“This people” had strayed from God’s desire even after having been forced into exile for the same reason! They had long ago(upon entering the promised land) been warned that their own disobedience would cause them to serve other gods in foreign lands(Deut. 4:23-31).
Deut. 4:23-31—Moses prophesied to Israel—“Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, & make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. When you beget children & grandchildren & have grown old in the land, & act corruptly & make a carved image in the form of anything, & do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger, “I call heaven & earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, & you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood & stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the LORD your God, & you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart & with all your soul. “When you are in distress, & all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God & obey His voice ‘(for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.”
The returning exiles of Israel considered that the timing was not right for “the LORD’s house” to be “built.”
•The exiles were enabled to return to Israel by the hand of YHWH their God! He had directed & guided & sought to direct & guide Israel in all their endeavors—victories as well as judgments.
•Thus the “time” for rebuilding of “the LORD’s house”(the temple) should have been given precedence!
•Evidently(:4, 8, 9, 14) the returnees supposed that their work on “the LORD’s house” was dependent upon their first being fully settled in their own homes. Only then could they begin to focus on the temple of the LORD.
The problem with such reasoning is that each family would have had a different set of personal preferences they would be comfortable fulfilling. Thus “the time” for “building” “the LORD’s house” would never truly arrive! In the eyes of the general populace “the time” for building the LORD's house would be based on personal preference.
Such “time” restraints are revealing for the mindset of those remaining Israelites who were returning after their people had been exiled for the last 70 years.
•Their attitude toward the LORD still needed adjusting!
“Thus”—hk koh—Adverb Demonstrative—1) Thus, here, in this manner—1a) Thus, so, 1b) Here, here & there, 1c) Until now, until now...until then, meanwhile. Strong—properly--Like this, i.e. by implication of manner--Thus(or so); also, of place--Here(or hither); or of time--Now. Used 25X.?From the prefix of—k—&—awh huw’; of which the feminine(beyond the Pentateuch) is ayh hiy’; a primitive word, The third person pronoun singular--He(she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also intensively--Self, or (especially with the article)--The same; sometimes(as demonstrative)--This or that; occasionally(instead of copula)--As or are.
“Speaks/Says”—rma aw-mar’—Qal Perfect—1) To say, speak, utter—1a) (Qal)-To say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend. Strong—a primitive root; To say(used with great latitude).
“The LORD”—hwhy Yeh-ho-vaw’—Noun Proper Deity—Jehovah = “the existing One”—1) The proper name of the one true God—1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of ynda Ad-o-noy’. Strong—from hyh[To exist, be, become, come to pass]; (the)Self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.
“Hosts”(See :14)—abu tsaw-baw' OR--(fem.)habu tseb-aw-aw’—Noun Masc.—1) That which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host—1a) Army, host—1a1) Host(of organized army), 1a2) Host(of angels), 1a3) Of sun, moon, & stars, 1a4) Of whole creation, 1b) War, warfare, service, go out to war, 1c) Service. Strong—A mass of persons(or figuratively--things), especially--Regiments organized for war(an army); by implication--A campaign, literally or figuratively(specifically--Hardship, worship).?From—abu tsaw-baw'; a primitive root; To mass(an army or servants).
“Time”2X—te `eth—Noun Fem.—1) Time—1a) Time(of an event), 1b) Time (usual), 1c) Experiences, fortunes, 1d) Occurrence, occasion. Strong—Time, especially(adverb with preposition)--Now, when, etc.
“Not”—al lo’, awl low’, hl loh(De 3:11) OR--wl—Adverb—1) Not, no—1a) Not(with verb - absolute prohibition), 1b) Not(with modifier - negation), 1c) Nothing(substantive), 1d) without(with particle), 1e) Before(of time). Strong—a primitive particle; Not(the simple or absolute negation); by implication--No; often used with other particles.
“Come”(See :14; :6, 8, 9—“bring”)—awb bow’—Qal Infinitive—1) To go in, enter, come, go, come in; 1a) (Qal)--1a1) To enter, come in, 1a2) To come—1a2a) To come with, 1a2b) To come upon, fall or light upon, attack(enemy), 1a2c) To come to pass, 1a3) To attain to, 1a4) To be enumerated, 1a5) To go; 1b) (Hiphil)--1b1) To lead in, 1b2) To carry in, 1b3) To bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon, 1b4) To bring to pass; 1c) (Hophal)--1c1) To be brought, brought in, 1c2) To be introduced, be put. Strong—a primitive root; To go or come(in a wide variety of applications).
“House”(See :9; :8—“temple”; also--tyb bah’-yith,-below)—tyb bah’-yith—Noun Masc.—1) House—1a) House, dwelling habitation, 1b) Shelter or abode of animals, 1c) Human bodies (figuratively), 1d) Of Sheol, 1e) Of abode of light & darkness, 1f) Of land of Ephraim; 2) Place; 3) Receptacle; 4) Home, house as containing a family; 5) Household, family—5a) Those belonging to the same household, 5b) Family of descendants, descendants as organized body; 6) Household affairs; 7) Inwards(metaphorically); 8) (TWOT)--Temple. Adverb—9) On the inside. Preposition—10) Within. Strong—A house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.).
“Built”(See :8)—hnb banah’—Qal Imperative—1) To build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To build, rebuild, 1a2) To build a house(ie., establish a family); 1b) (Niphal)--1b1) To be built, 1b2) To be rebuilt, 1b3) Established(of restored exiles) (fig.), 1b4) Established(made permanent), 1b5) To be built up(of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine). Strong—a primitive root; To build(literally & figuratively).
Argumentation:
Lk. 4:17-21—“And He[Jesus] was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””
Luke 19:35-48—“Then they brought him[the donkey colt] to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, & they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice & praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:” ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Peace in heaven & glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered & said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Now as He drew near, He saw the city & wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you & close you in on every side, & level you, & your children within you, to the ground; & they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Then He went into the temple & began to drive out those who bought & sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, & the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, & were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.”
Mat.21:15-27—“But when the chief priests & scribes saw the wonderful things that He[Jesus] did, & the children crying out in the temple & saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant & said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes & nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” Then He left them & went out of the city to Bethany, & He lodged there. Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it & found nothing on it but leaves, & said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” So Jesus answered & said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith & do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed & be cast into the sea,’ “it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests & the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, & said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” But Jesus answered & said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: “The baptism of John--where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus & said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Mat. 24:24-39—Jesus said,—“For false christs & false prophets will rise & show great signs & wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. “See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east & flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, & the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, & the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, & then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, & they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power & great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, & they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender & puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven & earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day & hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating & drinking, marrying & giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, & did not know until the flood came & took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
2Cor. 6:1-2—“We[apostles] then, as workers together with Him also plead with you[the church] not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Illustration:
Our weekly planned Prayer Meeting is scheduled on Wednesday nights at 7:00pm/We continually advertise & remind about the time so that everybody ‘is on the same page’ regarding the day & time/Otherwise they may miss it!/We usually begin our Prayer Meeting with a devotional/As I don’t watch a clock during the devotional, an alarm lets me know that there are time restraints upon the devotional time/People’s time is important to consider/And Prayer is utterly vital, so I must limit my devotional time/Properly Assess The TIME!
We regularly set alarms for ourselves/These let us know that it’s time to wake up, time for our involvement in something important/Why do we set alarms?...because, personal convenience should never outweigh personal commitment!/Properly Assess The TIME!
Application:
?Have you prioritized God by properly assessing the TIME(s)?
?Is your Relationship with God properly Prioritized?
2—A prioritized relationship with God properly assesses...
The WORD(:1, 3)
Explanation:(:1, 3)
:1—“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, & to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,”
That is, God’s word thru Haggai, is specifically directed “to Zerubbabel” “the governor”, & “to Joshua” “the high priest.” The leadership of the group of returning exiles is informed of the general opinions held by the general populace.
•Leaders among God’s people should be aware of the direction which those under them are choosing & following. Thru their being made aware of the motivating forces among those whom they lead, leaders are then better able to tailor their leadership toward helping those they lead. No one, & particularly no Christian leadership(Mal. 2:7; Js. 3:1-2), is to add to or take from “the word of” God.
•Christian Leadership is to recognize the ‘felt needs’ of others while not being driven by those ‘felt needs.’ The focus of any Christian leadership is to remain upon God’s plan for mankind & the world as it involves Christ Jesus. Christian leadership focuses upon leading others to willingly bring their personally ‘felt needs’ to Christ!
Mal. 2:7—““For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”
Js. 3:1-2—“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”
:3—“Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,”
This reiterates :1.
God uses His servants—those who are given solely to God’s desire—To inform others of God’s will.
1Cor. 4:1-2—by the Spirit, Paul said—“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ & stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”
The circumstance of “the word of the LORD” coming to the prophet in Haggai’s day, gives us another reason to praise God for the undeserved awesomeness of the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit in our day! Not that we are prophets in the same sense as Haggai or others, but that the indwelling Spirit daily guides the Christian in the acceptance & guidance of God’s word, including that ordained thru Haggai(Rom. 12:1-2).
Rom. 12:1-2—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”
“Word”2X—rbd daw-baw’—Noun Masc.—1) Speech, word, speaking, thing—1a) Speech, 1b) Saying, utterance, 1c) Word, words, 1d) Business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner--by extension. Strong—from rbd[To arrange, speak, subdue]; A word; by implication--A matter(as spoken of) or thing; adverbially--A cause.
“LORD”2X—hwhy Yeh-ho-vaw’—Noun Proper Deity—Jehovah = “the existing One”—1) The proper name of the one true God—1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of ynda Ad-o-noy’. Strong—from hyh[To exist, be, become, come to pass]; (the)Self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.
“Came”2X—hyh haw-yaw—Verb—1) To be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out—1a) (Qal)--1a1)—1a1a) To happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass, 1a1b) To come about, come to pass, 1a2) To come into being, become—1a2a) To arise, appear, come, 1a2b) To become—1a2b1) To become, 1a2b2) To become like, 1a2b3) To be instituted, be established, 1a3) To be—1a3a) To exist, be in existence, 1a3b) To abide, remain, continue(with word of place or time), 1a3c) To stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality), 1a3d) To accompany, be with; 1b) (Niphal)--1b1) To occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about, 1b2) To be done, be finished, be gone. Strong—a primitive root [compare awh haw-vaw'; OR hwh haw-vaw']; To exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass(always emphatic, & not a mere copula or auxiliary).
“By/Through/By Hand of”2X—dy yawd—Noun Fem.—1) Hand—1a) Hand(of man), 1b) Strength, power(fig.), 1c) Side(of land), part, portion (metaphorically) (figuratively), 1d) (various special, technical senses)—1d1) Sign, monument, 1d2) Part, fractional part, share, 1d3) Time, repetition, 1d4) Axle-trees, axle, 1d5) Stays, support(for laver), 1d6) Tenons(in tabernacle), 1d7) A phallus, a hand(meaning unsure), 1d8) Wrists. Strong—a primitive word; A hand(the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from Pk kaf, the closed one); used(as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally & figuratively, both proximate & remote.
“Haggai”2X(See :1, 12, 13)—ygx Khag-gah’-ee—Noun Proper Masc.—Haggai = “festive”—1) 10th in order of the minor prophets; first prophet to prophecy after the captivity. Strong—Festive; Chaggai, A Hebrew prophet. Used 11X.?From—gx khag; OR-- gx khawg—A festival, or A [sic.]sacrificial victim therefore.
“Prophet”2X(See :1, 12)—aybn naw-beey’—Noun Masc.—1) Spokesman, speaker, prophet—1a) Prophet, 1b) False prophet, 1c) Heathen prophet. Strong—a prophet or (generally)inspired man.?From—abn—a primitive root; To prophesy, i.e. Speak(or sing) by inspiration(in prediction or simple discourse).
“Saying”—rma aw-mar’—Verb—1) To say, speak, utter—1a) (Qal)-To say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend; 1b) (Niphal)-To be told, to be said, to be called; 1c) (Hithpael)--To boast, to act proudly; 1d) (Hiphil)--To avow, to avouch. Strong—a primitive root; To say(used with great latitude).
Argumentation:
2Pet. 3:1-4—“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, & of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord & Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, & saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
*Lk. 24:25-27—“Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, & slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things & to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses & all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”
Heb. 5:9-6:3—“And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say, & hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; & you have come to need milk & not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good & evil. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works & of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, & of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”
Isa. 29:9-21—“Pause & wonder! Blind yourselves & be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. For the LORD has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” Therefore the LORD said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work & a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” &, “Who knows us?” Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity & out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. For the terrible one is brought to nothing, The scornful one is consumed, And all who watch for iniquity are cut off-- Who make a man an offender by a word, And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, And turn aside the just by empty words.”
Heb. 13:17, 20-22—“Obey those who rule over you, & be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy & not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”.....“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever & ever. Amen. And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words.””
Acts 2:36-47—“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord & Christ.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, & said to Peter & the rest of the apostles, “Men & brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, & let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; & you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you & to your children, & to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified & exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; & that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine & fellowship, in the breaking of bread, & in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, & many wonders & signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, & had all things in common, & sold their possessions & goods, & divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, & breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness & simplicity of heart, praising God & having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Eph. 2:11-22—“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel & strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope & without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, & has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, & that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came & preached peace to you who were afar off & to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers & foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints & members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles & prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
1Jn. 2:15-24—“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, & the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, & the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. Little children, it is the last hour; & as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, & you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, & that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father & the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son & in the Father.”
Jude 1:16-21—“These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; & they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Illustration:
*The Apocrypha present a history without biblically authoritative status. Therefore it is not considered as God’s word.
*Supposed/So-called—Lost Gospels—are not lost Gospels at all. They have been discarded by the church because they do not hold up to the stringent proofs of being the word of God.
*Supposed/So-called—Lost Books of the Bible—are not lost biblically authoritative Books at all. They have been discarded by the church because they do not hold up to the stringent proofs of being the word of God.
Application:
?Have you prioritized God by properly assessing His WORD?
?Is your Relationship with God properly Prioritized?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Yard Sale Priorities—“My husband will be upset with me for shopping, because he just broke his leg, & he's waiting for me to take him to the hospital to have it set.”
Action:
A prioritized relationship with God properly assesses...
1. The TIME(:1-2)
2. The WORD(:1, 3)
Pt#s 1-2 Presented 12/29/2019am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
