LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER 2023
HAGGAI 2 VERSES 20 – 23
Throughout this series we
have discovered many truths and lessons we can apply to our own lives. God did not speak directly to his people
through the prophet but used him as an instrument to convey the message to the
people. It was not off the cuff each
time. He spoke the message from the
Lord. He did not claim all these
messages were his own but God’s. Time
and again we read the words “thus saith the Lord of hosts” defeating any
suggestion they were only from him. It
shows his faithfulness as a preacher, listening to the voice of God. He was sensitive to what he wanted him to
say. If he wanted to be a true preacher he
was to preach the message from God. The
same applies today. That person must be
sensitive to God’s voice and the leading of the Holy Spirit. They should not present it watered down. Haggai preached the message with the purpose
of it changing the people. That is what
inspired him to go forward to preach the word of God. As we draw this series to a close there are a
number of points we can look at.
The worry. This message is somewhat different from the
rest. The other messages were directed
to the remnant of the people but this one is directed to one man – Zerubbabel. He is mentioned elsewhere but who was
he? The governor of Judah. He occupied a prominent place in the land. Why was this message for him only? He became discouraged and fearful about what
lay ahead. The Lord knew this
discouragement and fear would be harmful to the people. What hope would be for them? It would not give them much encouragement to
continue. Zerubbabel had to be
strong. The people needed strong,
consistent leadership. If not it would cause
them to languish into the old ways. He
longed for them to stride forward with him.
The leadership had to remain fresh and optimistic. Is that not what we need today? We are in desperate need of strong
leadership. Zerubbabel is occupying a
leadership place. Churches today need
men who are not going to languish. They
need to lead from the front with determination and confidence in the Lord. What was it that caused him to be overcome
with fear? The nations around Israel
were bigger and stronger. He saw the great
and mighty empires around him. He looked
back to the small and insignificant nation of Israel – how can we defeat
them? We are a feeble host and they are a
mighty manpower and have experience.
Discouragement is the greatest weapon the enemy will use to hinder and stop
the work of God. The people were still
involved in the reconstruction of the temple and the devil did not want it to
continue. How did the devil discourage
them? By starting at the top with the
leader Zerubbabel. The best of leaders
are not exempt from fear and discouragement.
They too will face the attacks from the enemy. Perhaps a lot worse than the average
Christian when they seek to move the work forward and build it up. The enemy will seek to try and bring it
down. That should make us more diligent
to uphold those in prayer particularly those in leadership in the work. We need to pray for ministers, elders, Sunday
School teachers, all those seeking to build the work of God up because
discouragement will come. Paul said in
Romans 1 verse 9 “For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the
gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my
prayers.” Paul was a man who prayed for
the leaders in other churches. The worry
– Zerubbabel was fearful.
The word – verses 21 and 22 “Speak
to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the
earth. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the
strength of the kingdoms of the heathen: and I will overthrow the chariots and
those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every
one by the sword of his brothers.” In
the midst of all the worry, the Lord would have an encouraging word for Zerubbabel. It didn’t matter if the nations around Israel
were much bigger and stronger, the Lord would take care of them and his
people. They would not be a nation of
Israel that would not be forsaken by Jehovah the Lord. God is reminding Zerubbabel and Haggai of
this. He is the same today – he hasn’t
changed. Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever as Hebrews reminds us. God has not changed. He will not forsake us. He will not forsake his people. He would overthrow those who sat on the
thrones of the kingdom. He would weaken
them, disarm them, leave them defenceless and vulnerable in the day of
battle. The horses and riders would be
overthrown. What is being described here?
The enemy would turn on its own.
Disunity. That would be the
ultimate destruction. After hearing all
this Zerubbabel had no need to fear. He
had no need to fear anyone. God can
secure us from fear either by removing the thing feared or by subduing the fear
of the thing. Zerubbabel could rest
assured the Lord would care for his people, he would preserve and protect them. If God had not stood with Moses he would never
have defeated Egypt. He stood with him
and overthrew the Egyptians. If he had
not stood with Joshua he would never have conquered the nation. Joshua 1 verse 5 “There shall not any man be
able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses, so I
will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Surely we have no reason to fear once we have
heard this. We have no reason to fear
anything. There is no need for us to
become anxious about the unknown. The
Lord knows everything. He knows everything
we don’t know and he is able to deal with it.
Isn’t that wonderful. Matthew
Henry “we need not look upon those enemies we fear who God looks on with
contempt.” What enemies are you facing
today? Don’t fear but when you ponder
and consider the situation Zerubbabel was discovering he had his priorities all
wrong. The Lord wasn’t asking Zerubbabel
to worry about the enemy around him. No he
asked Zerubbabel to build the temple.
That is what Haggai is all about.
Instructed by God to do what he could do. Build the temple. God would do for them what they were not able
to do themselves, staying the enemy. The
Lord is not going to do for us the things we can do for ourselves. The Lord didn’t say to the people “continue
working in the temple and look over your shoulder every so often for the enemy
could attack you.” No God said “focus on
the work he called you to do.” He was to
take his eyes off the worry and put them back on the work of rebuilding the
temple. There are times when things are
out of our control but we must do for ourselves what we can do and allow the
Lord to deal with those situations that are out of our control. The best way to deal with them is to take our
hands off them and quit worrying about it.
Someone said “worry is like a rocking chair, it will give you something
to do but it will not get you anywhere.”
Let’s take our hands off the control and place them in the hands that
are in control.
The work – verse 23 “In that day,
saith the Lord of hosts, Will I take thee, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of
Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen
thee, saith the Lord of hosts.” The Lord
told Zerubbabel what he would do in the present but also in the future. God would protect them in their present
work. He led Zerubbabel into a pleasant
future. The Lord called him his servant.
This was a special title exclusively reserved for those chosen by
God. God called him his servant. The encouragement to him. He made him more determined to finish the
work God called him to do. He was chosen
by God. A servant of the Lord. Whatever form of service for the Lord we are
servants of the Lord. We are special to
the Lord. We are called by him. We are saved by him. Now we are serving him. He knew his servant. It is that reminder that will keep us
motivated to do the job God has called us to do. We are serving the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. We should be seeking to obtain
the Lord’s approval by serving him. 1
Samuel 12 verse 24 “Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your
heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.” The Lord not only called him his servant but marked
him like a signet. That signifies
authority. It vindicated royal authority,
a sealed document. It guaranteed the
king would keep his promises and fulfil whatever promises were given within the
document. The signet ring was worn on
the right hand or around the neck. It
would never be led out of their sight.
This is the point God is making to Zerubbabel – your are precious to me
just like a signet ring. I have chosen
you, I will not let you out of my sight, I will keep you close to me. Don’t give up, don’t worry about the enemy. If there is one thing you can take away from
this message today it is this – you are precious in the sight of the Lord. The Lord does not see you as a spark in the
distant view. The Lord knows you
personally. We are graven in the palms
of his hands. We are his precious
jewels. When the Lord was comforting the
church he said through Isaiah “since thou wast precious in my sight thou has
been honourable and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and
people for thy life.” (Isaiah 43 verse 3)
Zerubbabel was worried but
he was to continue on in the work. Then the
word came from the Lord.
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