Haggai 1:1-11

1 ¶ In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built. 3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Haggai 1:1-11

5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Haggai 1:1-11

9. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. 11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands. Haggai 1:1-11

Nebuchadnezzar carried Judah into captivity  606 B.C. - Daniel taken.  597 B.C. - Ezekiel taken.  586 B.C. - Jerusalem was destroyed.  The captivity would last 70 yrs. - Jer. 29:10.

539 B.C. Cyrus king of Persia issued the decree Ezra 1:1-4 “charged to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah” 536 B.C. Zerubabel led first group back to the land  They began to rebuild the temple  After foundation was laid they quit working  Sat idle for 16 years

Why did they stop Work on the Temple ? (1) They became discouraged  Jealousy of the Samaritans Ezra 4:1-5 Offered to help Israel said “No” Weakened and troubled

Why did they stop Work on the Temple ? (1) They became discouraged  Things in Judah not as they anticipated Cities and houses in ruin Walls torn down Land neglected for over 50 years Food scarce Land not producing as expected

Why did they stop Work on the Temple ? (2) They said “it is not time to build” Haggai 1:2 “Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built.”

Why did they stop Work on the Temple ? Haggai reveals the real reason Hag. 1:1-11  They were building their own houses = selfishness  They had become indifferent  They found it easy to put off building until everything was just right = Procrastination  They were building their paneled houses The problem was not in times and conditions, but in their hearts !

Questions we often ask ?  Why isn’t the church prospering ?  Why aren’t we growing ?  Why are we facing internal problems ? Answers we often give o People don’t want to listen o The condition of the world is so wicked o It is so discouraging o We have so much religious opposition

The Real Answer Haggai 1:9b “ye run every man unto his own house.” (1) Discouragement (2) Procrastination 2 Cor. 6:2 “Behold now is the acceptable time…” (3) Indifference “I don’t care”

Laodicea - Lukewarm - Rev. 3: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

God saved a remnant long ago He has a remnant now Rom. 11:5 “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”

Diligent in building up the Kingdom 2 Tim. 2:15 asv “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.”

Diligent in building up the Kingdom 2 Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” Diligence = to make effort, be prompt or earnest, endeavour, labour, study

Sermon by Arthur Pigman Evans Church of Christ 515 Gibbs Road Evans, Ga Sunday Evening March 17, 2013