Who’s task are YOU doing? Haggai and his messages.

Who’s task are YOU Who’s task are YOU doing?doing?

Haggai and his messagesHaggai and his messages

Who was Haggai??Who was Haggai??

Haggai means Haggai means “festive”.“festive”.

Anyone know Anyone know what their what their names mean?names mean?

He started He started prophesizing at prophesizing at the age of 75!!the age of 75!!

Coming home…Coming home…

In 538 BC, In 538 BC, Cyrus of Persia Cyrus of Persia allowed the allowed the Jews to go back Jews to go back to their land and to their land and rebuild their rebuild their temple.temple.

Close your eyes Close your eyes and imagine…and imagine…

Problems begin!Problems begin!

There is a serious problem:There is a serious problem: The land is destroyed, crops The land is destroyed, crops

have failed, its hard work, and have failed, its hard work, and the area is hard to live in.the area is hard to live in.

How would you feel under How would you feel under these circumstances?these circumstances?

Would you give up though? If Would you give up though? If someone allowed you to go someone allowed you to go back and help fix your church back and help fix your church up after a hugee hurricane, up after a hugee hurricane, would you go or stay behind?would you go or stay behind?

Work Begins!!Work Begins!!

Did the Jews stay behind?Did the Jews stay behind?

NO!!! They went and in 536 NO!!! They went and in 536 BC, they started building the BC, they started building the temple again!!!temple again!!!

The people soon became The people soon became preoccupied with building preoccupied with building their OWN homes that they their OWN homes that they completely forgot about completely forgot about God’s home!God’s home!

God had to get His people God had to get His people to get back to building His to get back to building His temple!!!temple!!!

Haggai and Zachariah to the Haggai and Zachariah to the rescue!!!rescue!!!

That’s when God That’s when God called on Haggai and called on Haggai and Zachariah to Zachariah to encourage His people encourage His people to complete the task at to complete the task at hand.hand.

Haggai had 4 Haggai had 4 messages that he messages that he wanted the people to wanted the people to understand. He understand. He wanted them to know wanted them to know that the sanctuary of that the sanctuary of the temple was more the temple was more important than the important than the beauty of their homes.beauty of their homes.

Message#1: The completion Message#1: The completion of the latter temple (1:1-15)of the latter temple (1:1-15)

The people came back to their land and began The people came back to their land and began rebuilding the temple. Work soon stopped and rebuilding the temple. Work soon stopped and people found excuses to ignore itspeople found excuses to ignore its building and building and work on their own rich dwellings. They kept work on their own rich dwellings. They kept saying its not time for the temple to be built.saying its not time for the temple to be built.

How many of you procrastinate? (put work off till How many of you procrastinate? (put work off till the last minute)the last minute)

How stressed are you when you do?How stressed are you when you do? Through Haggai and other prophets, the people Through Haggai and other prophets, the people

went back to the work at hand.went back to the work at hand.

Message#2:The glory of the Message#2:The glory of the latter temple (2:1-9)latter temple (2:1-9)

You ever do a project a second time and think You ever do a project a second time and think that the first time was better?that the first time was better?

Same with the people of God, they became Same with the people of God, they became discouraged again because this temple wasn’t discouraged again because this temple wasn’t going to be as great as Solomon’s temple was going to be as great as Solomon’s temple was long ago.long ago.

BUT! Haggai reminded them of God’s promises BUT! Haggai reminded them of God’s promises in the past and His plans for them in future. He in the past and His plans for them in future. He told them that this temple would be far greater told them that this temple would be far greater than the former one.than the former one.

Solomon’s TempleSolomon’s Temple

Message#3: The present Message#3: The present blessings of obedience (2:10-19)blessings of obedience (2:10-19)

Haggai says that ignoring God’s command Haggai says that ignoring God’s command and not building the temple is like and not building the temple is like contamination of sin in our hearts that contamination of sin in our hearts that blocks the blessings of God. The blocks the blessings of God. The MOMENT they listened and obeyed God, MOMENT they listened and obeyed God, they were blessed from that MOMENT they were blessed from that MOMENT forward.forward.

How can YOU obey God’s How can YOU obey God’s commandments?commandments?

Message#4: The future Message#4: The future blessings of promise (2:20-23)blessings of promise (2:20-23) Haggai gave a message to Haggai gave a message to

Zerubbabel (governor and authority Zerubbabel (governor and authority figure that allowed the Jews to come figure that allowed the Jews to come back and build their temple) God back and build their temple) God said He will be the ultimate judge said He will be the ultimate judge and He will be the ultimate leader.and He will be the ultimate leader.

All the things God says He will do, All the things God says He will do,

HE WILL DO!! Count on it!!HE WILL DO!! Count on it!!

Prioritize your life to fit God’s Prioritize your life to fit God’s schedule schedule

God’s message is simple…God’s message is simple… His people must reorder their priorities His people must reorder their priorities

and complete the temple before any and complete the temple before any kind of blessings can come their way.kind of blessings can come their way.

When people put themselves before When people put themselves before God, their tasks become difficultGod, their tasks become difficult

When you start studying or working When you start studying or working before you pray, do you feel that before you pray, do you feel that sometimes its harder to do the thing sometimes its harder to do the thing you set out to do?you set out to do?

PUT GOD FIRSTPUT GOD FIRST

““But seek first the kingdom of God But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.”things shall be added to you.”

-Matt 6:33-Matt 6:33