Take Heed to Your Spirit - Malachi 2:15-16

TAKE HEED TO YOUR SPIRIT

Malachi 2:15-16

The Holy Spirit is a unique part of the union of husbands and wives; just as we saw last week that the Holy Spirit is a unique and dynamic aspect of our relationship to God, our Father. How does Malachi use the phrase in verse 15 “The rest of the Spirit” or “residue of the Spirit” in his argument?

Verse 15 is notoriously tricky to translate. All the various meanings are centered on the same basic theme of men being "faithless" to their wives, through divorce. In contrast, God sees marriage as a joining of spirits, according to His will, which can't be broken without spiritual damage. God desires for His people to portray a proper sense of oneness and grace. God has specific purposes for marriage, which are thwarted by divorce.

Malachi’s challenge to the people of God of old still needs to resonate in the halls of our churches. In our weak and failing churches, in our wholesale succumbing to the perversions of this sex crazed culture, we need to TAKE HEED TO OUR SPIRIT (v.15-16). One of the mighty fruits of the Holy Spirt is SELF CONTROL. I could ask, where is it? We need it. We should pray for it.

Twice in this text we are told to take heed to our spirit.  We are told to exercise a life of self-control and maintain a fidelity and faithfulness in our covenant marriages. We must exhibit a life under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and in our sexually perverted world and church, this should be the clarion call. TAKE HEED TO YOUR SPIRIT.

5 very important truths in regard to the Holy Spirit.

1.      I believe that we as God’s people, as the Church of Jesus Christ here in Wallowa County or anywhere else in the world, will NOT be left as orphans; BUT will be given the Helper Jesus promised. John 14:16-18 (grace, guard, gift, guide and glorify). Jesus’ high priestly prayer echoes all these sentiments.

2.      I believe the Holy Spirit is supremely capable to handle every pressing need in every age of Church history until Jesus returns to establish His Kingdom on earth. The whole armor of God is empowered by the Holy Spirit through prayer.

3.      I believe the assistance, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit is available to every single Christian, weak or strong, ignorant or astute, simply upon request. John 14:15 (He must be received). There is no academic requirement, no social status requirement. No liturgical ceremony, no outburst in tongues is needed to unleash His power. We simply need to pray in sincerity (Lk.11:13; Matt. 7:7-8).

4.      I believe, however, that Christians can and often do resist the Holy Spirit’s influence - to the degree that we can end up forsaking the grace that could have been ours, hardening our hearts by turning from the living God.  Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19; Acts 7:51; Hebrews 3:12 Balance is needed here- We are never to isolate any one member of the Trinity from the other.

5.      I believe that we don’t wait to “get fixed” by the Holy Spirit, we don’t get “rebaptized” by the Holy Spirit, we don’t come forward and receive some quantity of the Spirit during a revival meeting. I believe we simply obey. We “walk”, we “keep in step with the Holy Spirit” only because He has commended us to walk, and “Keep in Step”.

Paul used the idea of “walking”  six different times in Ephesians- walk in good works 2:1; walk worthy 4:1; walk differently than the world 4:17; walk in love 5:2; walk in the light 5:8;  walk wisely 5:15.

ALL this necessary walking that needs so desperately to be done in our churches, in our marriages is only done in, by and through the Holy Spirit.

APPLICATION

WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH

•          Peter walking on the water:                           Matthew 14:22-32

•          The woman with the issue of blood:               Mark 5:34

•          The 10 Lepers:                                               Luke 17:11-19

•          The man at the pool of Bethesda:                  John 5:6-9

We take God at His word and WALK.  We take our broken lives and move forward. In doing so, we shall find the needed strength to take the next step. We take our broken marriages, repent and move forward, and as each of you obey God, YOUR MARRIAGE WILL BE HEALED, as you go.

This is set forth all through the New Testament, as well as in the old. Our faith in God, our experience of God’s grace and power in our lives is only available by use. Faith must be at work. We walk by faith; we step into our troubles by faith. We realize the power of God through His word and Spirit only by exercising our faith.

The Treachery of Infidelity - Malachi 2:10-16

THE TREACHERY OF INFIDELITY

 Malachi 2:13–16

Context and review--Ezra 9:9,15; Malachi 2:11

A FEW RICH WORDS AND PHRASES

·         Yet, she IS your companion (v.14)- [chabereth]  a consort, a partner. He doesn’t use the word from Genesis 2 “helper”- Sharing in the ONE covenant. It is emphasizing the two-way street aspect of the covenant and the LORD is speaking up for the wives in these men’s treachery. They have an advocate (1 Peter 3:1-6).

·         Did He not MAKE them one? (v.15) Genesis 2:24 And they shall become One flesh

·         And why ONE? (v.15) Good question? For godly offspring. Oneness makes for godly kids, broken marriages don’t.

·         Having a remnant of the Spirit? [remnant, residue, rest] God is in the union, the children are set apart.

·         “Wife of His youth” (v.15) Notice, not youthful wife. He is reminding them when this all started. You share a story; you should share it to the end.

·         Take heed to your spirit- This godly deposit of grace in your marriage lest you squander it away.

THE ESSENCE OF MARRIAGE- Marriage here is described as COVENANTAL COMPANIONSHIP- God has taught us in His word to see our relationship with our spouses in the same way in which He sees our relationship to Him; that is IN a covenant, the New Covenant. You should look at your life from the perspective that you are in a covenant relationship with your partner and that this relationship supersedes your individual needs.

Malachi gives us the Biblical view of marriage; emphasizing the fact that the covenant relationship is more important than the individual's needs.  It isn't the wife or the husband who are the critical component, but the "gracious gift of life" which a married couple have been given. Look at 1 Peter 3:7.

IT WORKS LIKE THIS ---You invest into your wife or your husband and you will reap someone who has grown into your perfect fit. Invest means GIVE- But if you simply take from your marriage; it will soon be bankrupt.  The purpose of marriage IS TO PRODUCE CHANGE through deep friendship. Marriage is putting two broken people together for the glory of God.

Consider Eccl.9:9 “live joyfully with the wife whom you love"  HOW?  SIMPLE-

1. ACCEPT the fact that you and your spouse are incompatible-

2. EXPECT you and your spouse will have conflict-

3. INVEST into your spouse looking at what you are becoming-

Malachi- A Dialogue with God, Pt. 4 - Breaking Faith (Second part)

MALACHI 

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD

Malachi’s third dispute: BREAKING FAITH part 2

Marriage is the greatest test in the world… It is the operation by which a woman’s vanity and a man’s egotism are extracted without anesthetic. It is said a wife is a gift. She is the best gift; she is a full-length mirror. If there had been a card attached, it would have said, “Here’s to help you discover what you’re really like!”

Dealing with the marriages of foreign women.  It follows that if you don’t have good soil in the covenant community, if the body life of the church is drab (2:10), your marriages will suffer too (2:11-12). Notice (v.11) it says they were profaning God’s holiness, literally breaking apart the “separateness” of God’s relationship with his people, which He loves. This is why he says so strongly in (v.16) “I hate divorce” .

THE PRIMARY ISSUE: "Judah has married the daughter of a foreign God." – (i.e. Ezra 9:1-2)- The women that the men of Judah were marrying did not love, trust or follow Yahweh, the true God of Israel. They were not daughters of the true God; they were daughters of a foreign god. They didn’t want God’s will for their lives.

The church today suffers a similar plight- We have an epidemic in the pews of our churches. Immorality is nothing short of rampant.

·         Today we have foreign women streaming live 24 hours a day on millions of men’s computers and smut phones. America is the greatest user of sex trafficked women- We are a nation given over- We are experiencing the judgment of God.

·         IT’S NOT JUST PORN-- The church has been inundated with sexual perversions of all kinds. From homosexuality to adultery. Always pushing, leaning in. “I haven’t come to that position yet”.

DO YOU WANT TO PUT A FENCE AT THE TOP OF THE CLIFF, OR AN AMBULANCE AT THE BOTTOM?

Here are a few things we must understand and embrace.

1.       ISOLATION IS DEATH -Sin always isolates. Men or women who struggle with sexual sin will not want to be around other Christians. If you’re an isolated Christian, we can be pretty sure what you are up to (James 5:16; Proverbs 28:13; Psalms 32:1-5)

2. THE STUMBLING BLOCKS OF LUST MUST BE ANNIHILATED -Listen carefully to our LORD,  Matthew 5:29, Jesus draws a line of a no-compromise approach in the war against lust: "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” 

3. WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING FOR ANYWAY?  Sex addiction is the search for God’s love and acceptance in lust. There is a “lovingkindness that’s better than life” (Psalms 63:3; Psalms 42:1)  

4. GET SCHOOLED NOT SCOLDED. The devil hates you and will beat you into the ground for your worthless life. But Jesus will school you in grace for your precious life. Learn to live in grace, as Jesus told us in John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  1 John 2:15-

THE BIG TAKEAWAY FROM THIS PARTICULAR TEXT-- Don’t date who you couldn’t marry. Singles need to seek God before they seek a girlfriend or boyfriend. What is not IN CHRIST is foreign. If you’re girl crazy or boy crazy, you are making it very clear you are not God crazy. Be God crazy first- He is a jealous God- YBF Psalm 127:1-2- Put God first in your life- Matthew 6:33 and everything else will work out.  Proverbs 7 is a reminder that you can be convinced to sell God out for a little self-gratification. We are capable of being practical atheists. In 1 Thess. 4:1-8, as in Malachi, we should be reminded that we will not get away with our sexual perversions in the church. If you don’t repent of these things, God is an avenger on all who prey on others.

Malachi - A Dialogue with God, Pt. 3 -Breaking Faith with One Another

MALACHI  

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD

Malachi’s third dispute: BREAKING FAITH WITH ONE ANOTHER

Malachi 2:10 -  In verse 10, it's the general area of personal relationships: "Why then are we faithless to one another?" There was widespread dishonesty. People were not keeping their word. Trusts were being broken. "Why are we faithless [or treacherous] with each other?" That is, why can we not trust each other? Why all this breaking of faith?

The Covenant of Levi was to be “life and peace”.  Malachi's message to us this morning could hardly be more relevant or more needed. Malachi uses the term ‘treachery’ [bagad] five times. He warns us not "to act faithlessly"—or to put it positively, he urges us to make covenant-making and covenant-keeping the fabric of our life together.

THREE REASONS NOT TO BE FAITHLESS TO ONE ANOTHER -The three reasons given in verse 10 are: We have one Father; one God created us; and we have a covenant. Therefore, let's be a people of radical integrity and faithfulness in all our dealings - whatever it costs!

1. We have one Father. "Have we not all one father?" (v. 10).

2. We have one Creator. "Has not one God created us?" (v. 10).

3. We have a Covenant. "Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?" (v.10).

WHAT WAS THIS COVENANT? It was God's commitment to be Abraham's God, to work for him and bless him and give him life and hope—and not only him but all of his true offspring, including you and me, in Jesus Christ the seed of Abraham.

WHEN THE COVENANT COMMUNITY FAILS- Consider how much of the New Testament is directed to this whole subject of treating other saints in trickery and treachery in order to gain prominence or leverage ( 1 Peter 3:8; Phil. 4:2; Gal. 3:11-13, 5:14-15; 3 John3; 2 Cor.8:11; Romans 14:15 ). 

According to 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you…” reminds us that living together in covenant can have serious challenges. REVILED-[loidoria] – to be speared, to be stabbed in the back, or in the front.

5 WAYS TO ENRICH YOUR COVENANT EXPERIENCE- 1 Peter 3:8

1. Be of one mind [homophron]- We may be singing different notes, but humility makes the harmony. We are all standing under the shadow of the same cross.

2. Have compassion for one another. [sumpathes-with feelings] This happens only when our actions are translated as “I care about you”. Does our church have a message that says, “We care about our covenant community”? If not, we have nothing else to say.

3. Love as brothers. [philadelphos] (seeing each covenant member as one for whom Christ died) John 13:35

4. Be tender hearted. [eusplagchnos- good spleen]   Sympathetic- A heart which has been made tender in the fear of God is one which moves as the Holy Spirit works upon it.

5. Be courteous [philophron- friendly minded].

Malachi - A Dialogue with God, Part 2 - The Sad Effect of Playing Church

MALACHI 

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD

Malachi’s second dispute: The sad effect of playing church (1:6-2:9)

I. STINKING TO HIGH HEAVEN 1:6-14

·         DRAWING THEM OUT (v.6) - In what way have we despised your name? “Where is My honor?” “You despised My name”. How? By literally saying just that- He shows how He is really despised by them. How ugly, how evil is it to cheat God with half-hearted, begrudging worship? They had a “Do we have to?” sort of religion. They were not trying to please God but TO SIMPLY appease Him. It can be a subtle difference, but it is a deep heart issue.

·         A VIVID THOUGHT EXPERIMENT- (v.7-11) -How have we defiled you? Try treating your boss the way you treat your God- You’d be fired. Is there not just one person who will shut the gate; who sees and is willing to stop this charade? Who will stand up against those who calculate just how little self-denial and active labor a person must give in order to reach heaven? Nonetheless, God’s name will be vindicated in the world, even if God’s people trample it in the dirt.

·         THE COLD-HEARTED TRUTH- (v.12-14) This is too much trouble- “God I hate this, you’re messing up everything”. Such a spirit of cold-hearted contempt for God, Christ and religion is something caught by the next generation. “TO SNORT OR SNEER”- [naphach]- to inflate or blow hard. He exposes the deep weariness of their worship and how they ‘snorted’ at the idea of giving their best to God. Remember, we asked the question as we studied the book of Micah, why do God’s people break covenant with Him? The answer was because they stop delighting in HIM. Cursed be the cheat, starting with your priests who do awful things in His presence. They refuse to really give glory to God. To be willing sacrifices- Each week we are reminded that our offerings are a “reasonable service of worship”.

How often do we give GOD the shreds of our time?

How often do we give GOD the weary remnant of our thoughts?

How often do we give GOD the pitiful gleanings of our means?

II. HOW TO STOP THE STINK- (2:1-9)

·         BEWARE OF CURSING YOUR OWN BLESSINGS- (v.1-3) We rob ourselves of blessings that we could enjoy if we would stop just playing church. Blessings is the default mode for all of God’s people, but it is we who squander them. We ‘forsake our own mercy’ (Jonah 2:8). We grieve, quench and resist the Holy Spirit, which is the same thing as shooting yourselves in your own spiritual foot. WHERE HAVE ALL THE LEADERS GONE?  Leaders of homes, or leaders in the churches will give an account. There is no sure succession of faithfulness if there is not a genuine desire to seek and please God.

·         THE LAW OF GOD SHOULD SHAPE YOUR LIFE- (v.4-9) Covenant renewal in the law of Christ is what will keep your face clean.

  So, what will do more to drive the next generation away from following God than a sham of worship?

Malachi - A Dialogue with God, Part 1 - Sovereign Love

MALACHI

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD

Part one- “Sovereign Love”

Malachi calls Israel and Judah to repentance one last time before 400 silent years. This is instructive because none of this is after the fact, but in the middle of the mess. God’s WORD brings the needed hope and renewal, if only they would listen (Zechariah 7:8-11).  This is a wake-up call to spiritual apathy. A dialogue with God.

STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK: The book has six basic disputes, each starting with a claim, then a disagreement, and then a response. The first three expose corruption, and the last three confront that corruption. The book ends with a look to the future and the coming of the Messiah. Using the question and answer method, Malachi sticks his boney finger into their wooly chests, probing deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, mixed marriages, divorce, false worship, and arrogance. The book repeats over and over the phrase- “Yet you say”…and the response “When, or how did we say?” How have you loved us? In what way have we despised your name? For what reason have you not heard our weeping? In what way have we wearied you? In what way shall we return? In what way have we robbed you? What have we spoken against you?

Malachi’s first dispute

YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR FIRST LOVE

God tells His people emphatically, that HE LOVES THEM (1:1-5).  Right out of the gate, this is what He lays down of first importance in bringing His people back.

Note: A burden to Israel- The whole nation was supposed to have returned, all the tribes were merged at the restoration.

Note: Something very touching in the opening message of rebuke. It’s like the words of a weeping parent, who seeks to woo back a prodigal son, by recalling to his memory the love that was lavished on him. God’s love is not sparing the people of God from suffering, but He is removing everything that separates them from Him.

Note: “Jacob I have loved, Esau have I hated”- means I have protected your land and given you a place of peace and prosperity. In doing this God was showing His sovereign mercy toward Jacob, not of works, but of Him who calls. (Romans 9:11-13).

Who can deny that this is the number one thing the next generation of young saints will struggle with. “How have you loved us?” Do we have an answer for them? Do they see it? (v.5) The LORD protected Israel from invading wickedness, and they had seen it with their own eyes. God had sustained their lives. It is a sad reality of man’s sinful heart, that the love of God is often least recognized in the very place where it is most manifest. It is among the generation of Christians who inherited a great blessing of faithful churches that they languish in unbelief. Deut.6:20; Matthew 3:17; (He); Luke 3:22 (You); Exodus 20:1; 1 John 3:1-2; Revelation 1:5, 2:4; Numbers 6:22-26; Romans 5:8

POINTS OF APPLICATION

1. GOD KNOWS YOU BETTER THAN YOU KNOW YOURSELF - Psalm 139:1-4,13-14; Isaiah 49:15-16; Matthew 10:29-31; Genesis 1:27

2. HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU – Joshua 1:5-6; Hebrews 7:25,13:5; 1 Corinthians 10:13

3. YOUR EYES WILL SEE AND YOU WILL SAY  “God has been faithful to me”- 1 Thess. 5:18

Living for God in 2020, Part 3 - Suffering "Fits" of Humility Until Humility Fits

LIVING FOR GOD IN 2020

JAMES 4:6-10     Part 3

“SUFFERING ‘FITS’ OF HUMILTY UNTIL HUMILITY FITS”

James uses the aorist imperative, in calling us back to New Covenant renewal. He is asking us to apply a variety of principles, from verses 6-10.  In ten imperatives, he sets forth seven very important principles which are necessary for our spiritual growth.

HE GIVES MORE GRACE…

1. The Principle of Realignment-      v. 7      SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO GOD

2. The Principle of Resistance-         v. 7      RESIST THE DEVIL

3. The Principle of Response-           v. 8      DRAW NEAR TO GOD

4. The Principle of Removal -                       v. 8      CLEANSE YOUR HANDS 

5. The Principle of Renewal-                         v.8       PURIFY YOUR HEARTS YOU DOUBLE-MINDED

Having singular hearts to the glory of God. Both James 1:15 and 4:1-4 are in the context of asking God for help and sustenance.

Purify your hearts- Psalm 86:11- “Give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name”.

What causes our hearts to be impure?  Sitting on the fence- double-minded James 1:6-8; 4:1-3

HUMILITY IS SUCH A HARD THING – Yet the condition to this needed grace is humility, and from it alone flows the principles set forth. The greatest obstacle to obtaining God’s grace is PRIDE.  God sets himself against the proud, anywhere, anytime and anyone.  

ONLY AT THE CROSS- The Apostle Paul’s seven key words… (not theological for Paul, but personal)

EFFECT-1 Cor.1:17                   POWER-1 Cor.1:18                 OFFENSE- Gal.5:11

GLORY-Gal. 6:14         RECONCILE-Eph.2:16       PEACE- Col.1:20                SHAME-Phil. 3:18

WHAT DOES A PURIFIED HEART LOOK LIKE?

            Grateful- Gratefulness tends to crowd everything else out, it doesn’t share space.

            Gracious- It lights up all the “just as” passages regarding true emulation, and not mimicking.

            Generous-Materially, socially and spiritually 

Advent in Haggai: Part 4, Advent is a Time to Shake Things Up

 

ADVENT IN HAGGAI

Haggai 2:20-23

Part Four- “Advent is a Time to Shake Things Up”

HOPE is sometimes hard to find in life. Even as we go to the Bible, some verses offer more hope than others.  As we look at Haggai 2:20-23 today, you might think it would be like squeezing juice out of a banana to find a wellspring of hope in this text. But you would be dead wrong. In fact, it is the opposite.

There is a whole lot of hope here. Why? Because God is setting forth His promises. And whenever God says HE WILL do something, you can take it to the bank. This includes good or bad. But here we are talking about the promise of God’s blessings in your life.

Christmas, and the Advent of our Savior into the world is fundamentally held together by the fulfillment of God’s promises. BECAUSE GOD WILLS, WE ARE SAVED. He promises to send a Savior, and He came.  The Promise to Zerubbabel points to the Christ and His coming again; both at Advent and His Second Coming.        

Matthew 1:21; Matthew 2:6; Isa.9:7; Luke 1:52; Luke 1:69

As Christians we can still struggle with believing that God is going to do what He has promised to do in our world and in our lives.   Sometimes it is simply that we are misunderstanding the purposes of God and at other times we simply lose heart because time itself has slowly gone by and still no change, no deliverance or relief.

Daniel 10:10-14- Here is why I am late

Phil. 1:6- He finishes what He starts

Matthew 1:21 She WILL bring forth, He WILL save

Romans 5:6 At just the right time, Christ appeared.

Some of the greatest promises in scripture only come after centuries of SILENCE. One seems to think God may have forgotten. But the truth is, He is always working out His plan for each of us in His time (Eccl.3:1-11). What we see, as we come to this little book of Haggai is God directing His people through their leaders to greater blessings. Those returning from captivity will receive the promised blessings in the land of their inheritance.

THE HEAVENLY SHAKEDOWN

Mary’s Song in Luke 1:46-55 is a humble submission to the reality that God is going to shake the earth and everything else, and this young handmaiden, sings, “Let it shake”.

In Haggai 2:6,20-22, the shaking was to remind them that their present circumstances would change. But as Haggai closes this prophecy we are thrust into the future.  Zerubbabel would be exalted, and he would be a picture of the coming Savior who would shake the heavens and the earth. He would destroy all principalities by His coming, both in heaven and on earth, and restore peace on earth and goodwill towards men.

Haggai 2:23 In that day…. “I will TAKE you” and  “I will MAKE you”  Isa.14:27; Job 42:2

1.         v. 49- We ought to fear God and not man, recognizing God laughs at the impotent arrogance of non-Christian thought. Mary laughed along with God at the defeat of those proud hearts that exalt themselves above God. 

2.         v. 49- We ought to unashamedly bow before the Lord of Glory.  Mary had the posture not of a mother before her successful Son, but a servant before her conquering King. In our polarized world of politics, we need to remember the allegiance we have to Jesus Christ.

3.         v. 49- We ought to believe our own prayers. God has indeed hallowed His name throughout the world, as He promised: I will be exalted among the nations.  I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46:10; Matthew 6:10

4.         v. 50- We ought to remember the generational power of mercy- Mary understood that mercy is transferred from generation to generation. There is always hope.

5.         v. 51-54- We should trust the ever-present antithesis. Mary exalted in the implications of the present antithesis. He has scattered, He has put down, He has exalted, He has filled, He has sent away, He has helped. Psalm 23:1-3

6          v. 55- We ought to live in unhesitating confidence that Christ has conquered the enemy, having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (the cross that is) Col. 2:15

7.         v. 55 We ought to see the reality of the New Covenant being fulfilled. Indeed, through the birth of Christ the King has come, God has remembered to be merciful to us.  Mary looks to the faithfulness of God to her forefathers and gets in line.

8.         How does a soul magnify God?  Mary means she is verbalizing a silent prayer. I think she means that at this moment her soul feels the greatness and holiness and mercy of God.  And the feeling is primarily one of joy. "My spirit rejoices in God!"  Psalm 69:30, "I will magnify God with thanksgiving." We learn the truth that we also magnify God by rejoicing in him.

Advent in Haggai, Part 3 - Why There is No Joy in Our Lives

ADVENT IN HAGGAI

Haggai 2:10-14

Part Three- “Why there is no JOY in our lives”

REVIEW: Haggai is a book of Advent and there are four truths we have been using in our Advent celebrations. [LOVE] Misplaced Priorities = distraction (1:1-15), [PEACE] Shattered Expectations = discouragement (2:1-9), [JOY] Bad Influences = defilement (2:10-19), [HOPE] Aimless Living = direction (2:20-23).

There is an interesting progression here- distracted-discouraged-defiled. Are you willing then, to separate yourselves from those things that defile, entangle, quench and grieve the Spirit of God?

WHY DOES HAGGAI BRING UP THE WHOLE ISSUE OF OLD TESTAMENT PURITY LAWS?      He wanted to explain why the circumstances of the people had not markedly changed even though they were now busy building the Temple (2:11).

SPIRITUAL CHEMISTRY- The classic glove in the mud puddle. 1 Corinthians 15:33

Are we made holy by association? No, if a holy thing touches something common. Lev. 6:27

Are we corrupted by association? Yes, if a defiled thing touches something common.  Numbers 19:22

SPIRITUAL GRAVITY- The blight (disciplinary disasters) had not moved the people to repent. “Yet, you turned not to me” (2:17). God was frustrating everything they did- Like Saul in Acts 9:5 “It is hard for you to kick against the goads”, and yet they plowed forward.

HAGGAI STRESSES THAT HOLDING “TEMPLE STONES” DOESN’T MAKE YOU HOLY

Because it is a heart issue- Literally this is what “Consider” means in Hebrew- Take it to heart. Christians too always need to distinguish between imputed and imparted righteousness. EZRA 7:10 Think about it!

TAKE THIS TO HEART- v.15,18

·         Take the causes of your frustration to heart- 2:15-17 Why? You didn’t repent and draw near me.

·         Take the blessings which you will receive to heart- 2:18-19 You were impatient.

Only when we get serious about the influences in our lives will we know the joy we should experience in living the Christian life (Romans 14:17).

HOW THEN DO WE LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?    REMEMBER FOUR THINGS…

·         Deliverance is not the motive                                                           Dan. 3:17-18    

·         Prosperity is not the bottom line                                                      1 Timothy 6:5

·         Social success is not the ladder of advancement                              John 13:14

·         Health is not miracle moment                                                           Psalm 119:75

But glorifying God…. (Haggai 1:8) Trust God’s promises to bless us- Put it on your calendar-Sept. 24th (v.19)

Advent in Haggai: Part 1, Misplaced Priorities

ADVENT IN HAGGAI

Haggai 1:1-15

Part one- “Misplaced Priorities”

Haggai is a very important little book in the Old Testament. It’s really the rest of the story. They have been in captivity for 70 years for their unbelief; but what happens next? Is there a future hope? Can and will they rebuild their lives?  The answer to that prayer came in 520 BC when the Persian Empire allowed the captives from both Israel and Judah to return to their homes.  These folks have packed their things and returned. They’re home.

Haggai prophesies over four months. Haggai is a book of Advent and there are four truths that I would like to set forth in the next four weeks that will hopefully help us in our Advent celebrations. Misplaced Priorities (1:1-15), Shattered Expectations (2:1-9), Bad Company (2:10-19), and Aimless Living (2:20-23).

MISPLACED PRIORITIES- (1:1-15)

Haggai accuses the returnees of misplaced priorities because they were rebuilding their houses while the temple still lay in ruins.  The issue is how do we spend our time and resources? The Temple has been in ruins for 70 years. We are looking at spiritual neglect. SPIRITUAL PRIORITIES MUST BE OUR FIRST PRIORITIES.    Do I live my life putting Christ first in everything?

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS- v.6 Regarding the futility they have experienced- Haggai does a summary of the effects of God’s displeasure. There would be covenant curses if they failed to worship Yahweh rightly (Deut. 28:15-40). Israel read these warnings like fine print in their sales contract, before they drove away in their new car.

We have similar warnings in the New Covenant too. Mark 8:38; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 Peter 3:7; Heb.21:25-29; THE LORD CARES. This comes down to where our allegiances really lie.

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS- v.7 Notice how the LORD steps in and stirs the hearts of the people- Christmas is a great time to reset your priorities. God seeks your heart to take pleasure in it and to be glorified (v.8). When your priorities are set right you WILL experience a genuine joy in life. There is no real loss in following the LORD, but great delight and great benefit to your own life and work.

APPLICATIONS

All of Christ for all of life

Personal- Are you putting Christ first or the world? Romans 12:1

Marriage- Are you going to live your life seeking God first in everything or are you going to place God into your life as some add-on? 1 Peter 3:1-7

Raising our children- Are we trying to prepare them for a life of success at the expense of a life of service to Jesus Christ? Ephesians 6:1-4

In business-  Are you going to run after the world or the mighty dollar or are you acutely aware of the calling to bring your business into a place where God is glorified? Colossians 3:23

In the church- Are we caring more about getting people into the building or into a saving relationship to Jesus Christ? Do you know what Jesus said right after he said, “Ask anything of me and I will do it”- He declared, “If you love me, keep my commandments”? John 14:15

The Power of Thankful Prayer

THE POWER OF THANKFUL PRAYER

James 5:16-18

 “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Prayer is like breathing- It indicates that you are alive! (Acts 9:11) When all we can do is barely breath; there will still be breathing prayers of Thanksgiving. There are three conditions set forth in James for truly effective prayer. We’ve recently gone through the armor of God and the LORD’s Prayer, now we shall look at what empowers our prayers. But first we will look at what might be hindering our prayers. Sin hinders, and thankfulness empowers.

EFFECTUAL- Confession brings inward peace and makes prayer effective- It’s not the prayer that hinders, it’s the praying one (Luke 18). The human body cannot bear the weight of sin and associated guilt. Psalm 32:1-5.   If you are not a confessing Christian, then you are stuck in a spiritual ditch. Satan would love you to stay stuck.  Satan hates the doctrine of forgiveness, maybe more than any other doctrine in the scriptures. Every time a Christian confesses his or her sins it is like they get crowned again (1 John 1:9).

FERVENT- [energeo]  If life is daily, then prayer must be daily too. Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) means to pray daily. When prayer becomes operative, it carries a wallop – it is powerful in its effect.

BUT -without confession, your prayers are HINDERED, powerless or worse - they are self-condemning. Isaiah 5:18 / Psalm 66:18 / Proverbs 1:23-28 / 1 Peter 3:7--All these warnings of hindered prayer mean the church lacks power that they could have experienced.  

RIGHTEOUS MAN- Where are we going to find righteous men and women, boys and girls? 

This is not a discouragement for prayer, but the greatest encouragement! Any man or woman in Christ who prays, reaches into the power of Christ Himself. Any man in Christ is a man who has Christ as his head and righteousness as his power. You are the man or woman for THIS DAY that the LORD has made.

Example of Elijah (1 Kings 18:41-45). A man who declared war against the false gods of Baal.  The point is that Elijah was a great man, but just a man. He had no other supernatural characteristics. His nature was just like ours. Why does James point to this fact? It is for our encouragement. It’s a “how much more”, argument. James leaves the application of this illustration for us to figure out on our own, in our own prayer lives. You fill in the blank.  If God answers the prayer of a godly man like Elijah, and you, a child in Christ face similar trials, what could you expect from your prayers?

PRAYERS GIVEN WITH A THANKFUL HEART - In Psalms 103-107 we have a series of prayers of praise and thanksgiving. Each see the world in a different light. Psalm 103 looks at the nature of forgiveness and God’s great mercy, Psalm 104 looks at God’s sovereignty and providence. Then in Psalm 105 and 106, we have two Psalms of Thanksgiving; Psalm 105 is a summary of Israel’s family history from Abraham to the entrance in the Promised Land. In Psalm 106 we find a detail of the sins previously unmentioned in the family, and they are covered, and forgiven.

Securing the Next Generation

SECURING THE NEXT GENERATION

(OUR little guys…)

THE BOOK OF NAHUM

The Old & New Testament saints looked at life generationally, and that is how we should think as well. (Proverbs 30:11-14; Matthew 12:38-42; 24:34).

CONTRASTS AND COMPARISONS BETWEEN NAHUM AND JONAH

·         Jonah sent his message to Nineveh with a lesson for Judah, whereas Nahum sent his message to Judah (80 to 100 yrs. later) with a lesson to Assyria (and us).

·        The same key opens both books-mercy and justice (Exodus 34:6-7; Nahum 1:3; Jonah 4:2).

·        The Conclusion of each book leaves you with an unanswered question.

NAHUM’S WORLD

·         Ten of twelve tribes were already in captivity and Judah was a vassal to Assyria.

·         Assyria had decimated the Northern Kingdom and many southern cities as well (722BC).

·         Outline of the book: (1) A Prologue of ‘Who God Is’ both in mercy and justice. (2) The fall of Nineveh. (3) The fall of Assyria (612 BC) by the Babylonians.

·         Nahum’s message is harsh and filled with graphic language of death, destruction and war. Some have wrongfully said of Nahum “The paradox of the book is that the literature is as good as the religion is bad.”

·         Our response should be imprecatory Psalms- It is a picture of gratitude for the removal of evil and that’s not bad religion. But it’s not a delight in their demise.  Psalm 69:24 "Pour out Your indignation on them and let Your burning anger overtake them." Nahum is a blood-curdling song of rejoicing that Nineveh has fallen…for they trampled God’s mercy.

THE GREAT LESSON

Nahum proclaimed destruction to Nineveh because the saints in Nineveh had failed their generation (LK.12:48). Generational crop failure is a real thing: We can lose the next generation due to spiritual neglect.  Judah had watched Nineveh squander their repentance. But what have they learned?

We forget that perseverance is the only biblical means of assurance: Behold the goodness and severity of God (Rom.11:22). We need to finish the race before we start fitting ourselves for the crown (Heb.3:10).

HOW DO WE SECURE THE NEXT GENERATION?

1. Our children must be born again- They must know the mercy of God. “Our children are conceived and born in sin, and therefore children of wrath, insomuch that [they] cannot enter the into the kingdom of God except [they] be born again” (London Baptist 1689, WCF).

2. Parents must nurture heartfelt obedience to God- (Proverbs 22:6; 23:26). Covenant unfaithfulness is not always the parent’s fault, but it is their responsibility. We can all say, “I could have done more.”

3. Godly parenting requires us to instruct our children in the Christian faith (2 Sam.6:20; Ps.34:11-14; 90:16; 105:5-6; 118:15; 132:12; 147:13).