This Weeks's Sunday School Lesson, "Success Follows Obedience", 6/8/2014

SUCCESS FOLLOWS OBEDIENCE

 

Haggai 1:12, 2:1-9

 

V:12. " Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, 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. "

     Defn:  Zerubbabel= sown in Babylon

                Shealtiel= I have asked God

                Joshua= praised

                Jehozadak= Jehovah righted

                Haggai = festive

( Hebrew names had meaning. They sometimes described the mission, position or

 state of a person.

 Zerubbabel was born in Babylon, perhaps because his father asked God for a son.

Joshua praised God perhaps because his father taught him to love God.

Haggai served God during the festive time of Israel's return from Babylon. (My thoughts only).

A. It is interesting note that God had a habit of bypassing the governor and the Chief

     Priest and speaking through his prophets. This may have begun when Israel rejected

     the rule of God's Judges and priest and asked for a King to rule them. They wanted

      to be like the pagan nations around them (1 Samuel 8:6).

    1. This event marked the spiral down fall of Israel. They chose the rule of man over

        the rule of God.

    2. After God reminded Israel of the trouble their disobedience was causing them,

        they listen to the word of the Prophet Haggai and obeyed His command to rebuild

        the temple.

 B. After hearing the Word, the people feared God.

    1. We need a holy fear of God to listen to His Word.

    2. We need a holy fear of God to obey His commands.

    3. We need a holy fear of God to understand that God is in control of all the

         activities of our lives.

   4. Obedience makes our living easier. Our disobedience brings about tough times.

C. Notice the text says that there was a remnant of the people in Israel.

    1. Some of their people were killed doing the Babylonian invasion.

    2. Some of their people died in captivity.

    3. Some of their people were left in Babylon.

    4. Loss always follows disobedience.

    5. Disobedience sometimes leads to violence in our lives.

 D. The God we serve, is faithful to save those He chose before the foundation of the

      world.  Eph 1:4

 

Haggai 2:1-9

V:1. " On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai."

 A. This date is near our October 17th.

     1. This is the last day of the feast of the tabernacles.  Lev. 23:33-44

         a. Solomon's temple was dedicated during the feast of the tabernacles (1 Kings

             8:2).

     2. After the exodus from Egypt, Israel lived in tents.

     3. This festival reminded Israel of God's glory, mercy, grace and love  in freeing

         them from slavery.

 B. Rebuilding the temple should have been a celebration of their exodus from

      Babylon.

     1. When the people of God work together in unison, the work of the Lord can be

          done with speed and ease.

     2. The temple was rebuilt in 3 years according to the Jewish Encyclopedia.

 

V:2. "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them:

  

V: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? "

 A. Solomon's temple was probably much larger and lavishly furnished with silver and

      gold.

     1. The first temple was designed by God to be a house of prayer, sacrifice and

         worship.

     2. It was David's desire to build a house for the Lord that prompted Him to design

         and to provide the resources to build a showcase for His Love for Israel for all

         the  world to come and worship.

   B. Even though this rebuilt temple was smaller, it was still God's house of prayer.

      1. The question is, how do you see the structure we call the church?

      2. Are you impressed with the size and the furnishings of the building?

      3. Are you impressed with the size of the congregation?

      4. Why do you come to church?

          a. Do you like the pastor?

          b. Do you like the choirs?

          c. What is your reason for being in church?

          d. Would you prefer a large church or a small church?

   C. It is not the size of the building that counts, but the size of the hearts of the

        believers in the building that counts.

      1. Do you see church as a place of prayer and worship or just a place of

          entertainment?

      2. Are you here to serve God or are you here to be served by God?

      3. Are you here to be impressed or are you here to learn the Word of God?

      4. If you are here to serve the Lord, you can do that in any size building.

      5. If you are here to praised the Lord, you can do that without a building.

  D. Sometimes our disobedience puts us in a position where we loose everything and

       have to start over again.

      1. We don't always regain all we have lost.

      2. Israel lost their homes, their love ones and their Temple.

         a. They began to worship the temple and not the God of the temple.

         b. They began to bless themselves and not the God who blessed them.

         c. Their interest became more important than the God who gave them the

             mind to have interests.

         d. Israel forgot what was most important; God.

      3. If we put God first, He will supply our every need.

 

V:4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, 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."

A. The encouragement of the Lord should start with the leaders of the local church.

    1. God commands us to be strong, regardless of our personal situations.

    2. We should be strong in our faith and strong in our dedication to the Lord.

B. The next command God gave was to "work".

    1. Our love and our dedication to the Lord ought to result in serving the Lord.

C. Serving the Lord is a command to everybody, not just a few.

    1. Everyone has been gifted, equipped and empowered to do the work of the Lord.

    2. Everyone has a responsibility to the Lord because of His goodness to us.

 D. God says, I am with you.

     1. Anytime you decide  to serve the Lord, you can expect someone to oppose

         you.

     2. But God says, I Am with you.

     3. Your focus should never be on the opposition, but on the work of the Lord.

     4. You say, you don't have time, God says, I will make some time.

     5. You say, I don't have the money, God says, I will give you the money.

     6. You say, I don't have the skills, but God says start working and you will develop

          the skills.

 E. The Lord's says, I got the power, I got the authority to ensure that what I planned

      will take place.

      1. We are the vessels God uses to carry out His plan.

      2. God did not make vessels that are not fit for His use.

 

V:5. "This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit

         remains among you. Do not fear."

 A. God displays His mercy to us all the time.

     1. Even though we messed up, disobeyed God commands and failed to worship

         Him, He keeps His promises.

     2. God is long suffering.

         a. He tolerates our disrespectful behavior and gives us another chance to

             get right with Him.

         b. God's plan for our lives is not dependent on our behavior, but His love.

 B. God plan for Israel was that redeemer would come through the line of David and

      the seed of Abraham would bless many nations.

    1. God will ensure that His plan is successful.

    2. God does not promise us that we will not have trouble in our lives.

    3. God promised that  in good times and bad times that He will be with us.

 C. God promised that those who serve Him have nothing to fear.

    1. God is more than the whole world against you.

    2. Believers should face trouble with victory in sight.

    3. Our troubles are opportunities for God to be glorified.

 

V: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."

 A. Even though we messed up and our lives are torn apart, God says, I can put you

      back together again.

    1. " In a little while".

    2. The Lord says be patient.

        a. The Lord says be faithful.

        b. The Lord says return your dedication to Me.

    3. You didn't get messed up over night, and you want get cleaned up over night.

       a. It took awhile for you to tear down what God prepared for you.

       b. It will take awhile for God to restore some of what you lost.

 B. If you remain faithful, God promises to show you favor from the heavens and

      the earth.

     1. Once you return back to the Lord, you have to work to regain the favor of the

         Lord.

     2. We have to learn to rely on God.

     3. We have been train to relay on ourselves.

     4. When we walk away from God, we walk into the gutter of the world.

         a. We have to get the gutter out of us before we can trust God.

         b. The world infects us with a virus of mistrust and disobedience.

         c. We treat the virus with the Word.

         d. Unfortunately this worldly virus resist the Word until we learn to

             be submissive  to the Word.

 C.  God said I caused a drought in your life because of your disobedience.

     1. If you remain obedient, God will end the drought and release the rains

         of blessing back into your life.

     2. The continued prosperity of our lives depends on our obedience to God.

 

 V:7. " I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill

         this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty."

 A. God's glory has nothing to do with the size of your church building but the size of

      your love for Him.

    1. When the church has a love for God, the world will be drawn to your footsteps.

    2. God shows up when the people who love Him show up.

 B. If we want God to be in our presence, all we have to do is start praising Him.

    1. Psalms 22:3 says God inhabits the praise of His people.

    2. The nation of Israel refused to praise God and as a results they walked away from

        the blessings of God.

    3. The nation of Israel refused to serve God by building the temple He commended

        and  as a result He refused to bless the works of their hands.

  C. When we return to God, He returns His favor to us.

      1. Solomon's temple was glorious, but the temple to come will be the Glory of the

          Lord.

      2. The temple to come will not be built with human hands.

      3. The temple to come will be the body of Jesus Christ.

      4. Jesus will build a temple that will have no boundaries.

      5. The temple of Jesus would is in believers all over the world.

 

V:8. "The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty."

  A. The Lord has unlimited resources.

      1. Everything belongs to God.

      2. This second temple was smaller because it was not built to be worshipped, but

           built to be a place of worship. 

      3. This second temple was not built for show, but built for prayer.

 B. Perhaps this second temple was smaller than the first temple because Israel did not

      appreciate the first temple.

     1. According to Malachi, the people of Israel brought lame and sick animals to be

         sacrificed.

         a. The Israelites refuse to pay their tithes and offering.

         b. Israel had a history of disobedience.

     2. Israel failed to realize that all they had belonged to the Lord.

         a. Yet God's mercy continued to flow on His chosen nation.

         b. We should continue to remind ourselves to bless the Lord.

  

V: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."

 A. This second temple was enlarged by King Herod just before the birth of Jesus.

     1. This second temple was visited by Jesus in the flesh.

     2. Jesus was dedicated in this second temple.

     3. Jesus taught the Word in this second temple.

     4. Jesus healed the sick in this second temple.

 B. In this second temple the veil separating the Holy of Holiness from the Holy Place

      was torn in half from top to bottom ending the job of the Chief priest of

      being the mediator between God and sinful man.

    1. From the top of the second temple, Jesus was tempted by Satan.

    2. Jesus was rejected by the Pharisees, the Chief Priest and the scribes of this temple.

 C. This second temple was destroyed after the resurrection of Jesus (70 AD).

    1. This second was only a shadow of the temple to come.

    2. The spiritual temple is Jesus Christ.

    3. The spiritual temple is not built by human hands.

    3. Jesus is the temple, the Chief Priest, the prophet and the King.

    4. Each believer is the temple of the Lord.

 

THANK GOD THAT JESUS IS THE CORNER STONE OF THE NEW TEMPLE AND WE ARE BUILDING BLOCKS.

 

Rev. M. Mitchell