Sermon post: Haggai 2:1-9 (the weepers and the woohooers)

 


Haggai first speaks to the leaders, Zerubbabel and Joshua, in 1:1.  The leaders shift from following what "they say" (its not the right time) to what the "LORD of hosts" says and therefore after 24 days and after a 16 year work stoppage, the leaders pick up their tools.  1.12 shows that the remnant also join them in the effort.

Haggai then speaks to the leaders and the remnant in 2.1.   He narrows down his message to the weepers in the group.  There was a segment of the group that remembered what Solomon's temple looked like and from the looks of things, this temple was not going to be anything like that one.  Referring back to the book of Ezra, some were weeping while others were woohooing!  (I know that is not a word.)

I love looking back.  Those were really good times.  But we who remember and were a part of those good times need to "yet now be strong..., work..., and fear not" (2.4-5).  We need to advance forward so we don't get stuck in the past or miss out on what God is accomplishing at this very moment.  We also need to be reminded like the people of God of Haggai's day, that there is a greater glory coming!

We are not to be fearful because we weepers and the ones who have seen God shake heaven and earth and we have sensed His Spirit "with us."  We can point to those events in the past as fuel to point to what God has promised for the future.  God says that the best days are yet to come!

Who are you listening to?  they say or the LORD of hosts

What is our commanded assignment?  our temple is to make disciples

What keeps us going forward?  God's promises and provisions

Can't wait to see what Haggai says next!  Let's go from weeping to woohooing!!!

Adam



A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Galatians #15 - Galatians 6:11-18 - "On The Road Again..."

Image
  Another week closer and it involves some more travel for the Wolfgangs.  I feel like the Willy Nelson song, " On the road again... "  I don't know if I agree with the next line though. " ...I can't wait to get on the road again. " One of the members of the church in Wisconsin calculated that I will travel well over 10,000 miles to make this transition.  Traveling mercies prayers please. Last Sunday we will look at Paul's final words to the churches in Galatia.  He brought them the gospel (good news) message of Jesus and what resulted were churches forming throughout the region.  The letter is to defend that message that our salvation comes from and is in Christ alone.  Christ's sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins.  The summary statement of the letter is found in  Galatians 6:15 (LSB) .  " For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. "  Translated another way earlier in  Ga
Read more

God gave us a good weather window to travel...yeah God!!!

Image
  Berthoud Pass Here we are at the top of Berthoud Pass.  It was a whirlwind week to conduct a " hand off " service in Wisconsin on 3/17 and then preach a Palm Sunday sermon in Colorado on 3/24.  We give God all the glory for this happening.  So there are two video links at the bottom of this blog.  One is for the Wisconsin service and the other is for the Colorado service.  I racked up over 12,000 in the last 7 weeks.   I love to take these pictures sitting from the front row of chairs and listening to the one God has provided for the church I had been serving for 20 months.  I now have 3 and I am so thankful for the opportunity God gave us to serve Him in this type of ministry over the last 5 years.  It has been great to add to our daily prayer list Zach in Maine, Chris in Ohio and now Stephen in Wisconsin. This was our set up for the 2000+ mile trip.  No " hiccups " except for the strong eastern winds in Kansas.  Of course everything was quite a bit dirtier when
Read more

Resurrection Sunday in a new space...Matthew 27.62-28.20

Image
  Resurrection Sunday has come and gone but it was a sweet day to be with the gathered saints of the Stillwater Community Chapel .  We are venturing through the Gospel of Matthew and this Sunday will take us back to Matthew 1.1 but last Sunday we were in Matthew 27.62-28.20.  It was a lot to cover so the white board was truly a help to keep me on track.  This year in my Resurrection Sunday message, I focused on the contrast of the cover-up story of the disciples stealing the body of Jesus fueled by a bride and the commission of speaking of a risen Lord fueled by boldness . After the service upstairs, we ventured downstairs to the lower level and had a great meal together.  The conversations around the tables allowed us to continue to talk about the passage of Scripture we covered upstairs.  Maybe this is a very informal picture of what happens at the  Waushara Community Church called the " Going Deeper " classes of the Come For More hour following the Sunday morning worshi
Read more