Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 16 October 2022
What House are You Building?
Scripture References: Haggai 1:1-15, Deuteronomy 28:1-6, Deuteronomy 28:15-19, Matthew 6:25-34
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CloseHaggai turns to the leaders of God’s people, and states the excuse God’s people have for not building God’s house, the Temple: ‘It is just inconvenient, and not the right time’’ (vs.2). It’s not as if God’s people doubt His importance, or the significance of the symbolism of the Temple, do they? And, as we will see, the circumstances are tough: there has been prolonged drought, crops have failed consistently, finances are tight, and the local political opposition is quite fierce. Haggai then turns to God’s people, though, and points out the problem: ‘Your houses look pretty fine, but God’s house is in ruins. Your priorities are exposed by your personal lives’ (vs.3-4). It is an incisive and exposing statement. And it is not so much a statement about the city-planning of Jerusalem, but a statement about how God’s people view the significance of God, the significance of His desire and promise to live with them, and the significance of sin. In their paneled houses, these people make a statement: God is not that important! Such a 2022 book for God’s people…
Scripture References: Haggai 1:1-15, Deuteronomy 28:1-6, Deuteronomy 28:15-19, Matthew 6:25-34
Related Topics: Minor Prophet | More Messages from Bernard Gabbott | Download Audio
Bernard Gabbott
Haggai 1:1-15
Bernard Gabbott
Haggai 2:1-9
John 3:16 captures what lies at the heart of who we are as God’s mob: we are about God loving the world; we are about the world having a problem (it is called sin and it is the attitude and action that we all have that says ‘I am God and God is not’); and, we are about God’s love dealing with our problem through a bloke called Jesus (God’s one and only boy). We are a mob gathered around these truths. Welcome!
The life of God’s people can often seem a roller-coaster. After the highs of the Transfiguration for three disciples, we walk down the mountain to the lows of the nine below, whose faith is wavering. This is not a new state of affairs – just read the Exodus accounts! And just as God is, time and time again, Jesus expresses a holy exasperation. He also utters an explanation: ‘Because of your little faith!’ (vs.20). Again, the present tense jumps out – and we are encouraged to confront the same explanation. What Jesus do we trust in? Do we trust in Jesus? The Jesus to trust in is the Almighty-God-in-the-flesh who is rejected, dies, is buried and rises from the dead. That King is worth knowing and trusting. Do we?
Jesus has come to bring the outsiders in. Jesus has finally been recognised as ‘the Christ, the Son of the Living God’ (16:16). Jesus reveals what this means – rejection, suffering, death, resurrection (16:21-22). The disciples do not quite grasp this. Jesus takes three – the necessary witnesses – up a mountain. There, He is revealed in His glory – they get a glimpse of who He truly is! And so much of their history is present – Moses, the cloud, six days, God speaking, God’s people constituted. There is Moses himself, and Elijah! The glory of Jesus goes hand-in-hand with the death of Jesus. This is what God had willed and planned. This is what John prepared for. So, what do you do with such a Saviour of the world? You listen to him!
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