07-15-18 Teaching Outline

God’s Direction: Haggai Speaks:  God’s Blessing - Haggai 2:10-19: 
 
 
The blessing is not the encouragement to begin, but the progress of the work.
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 ​That was then, this is now. 
 
 
Here is Haggai’s point. The corruption has dominated the ceremonial condition of the people.

• They were corrupted by the attitudes of the people.

 
 

• It was more about the attitudes that kept the building from being attempted.

 
 
 
That was then ...
Your sin of apathy and procrastination has kept your economy in a slump.
 
 
 
 
This is now ...
The early reaping time has just ended, and it has been a sorry harvest. The late grain planting season has just begun.
 
So, God asks a question:
“Is there yet any seed left in the barn?" To His hearers, the obvious answer is, "No, there is no seed left."
 
 
 
 
But then Haggai comes to the resounding and hopeful point of his message.
 
It is the very last word: From this day on I will bless you!
 
 

• Being a follower of Jesus requires commitment to an ongoing process of holiness, that makes us more like him as the days and years move by.

 

• It isn’t about just offering ourselves to Him once and being done, we must do it every day, all the time, in a variety of ways.

 

• Jesus makes the point that the wrong attitude inhibits the consecration of an offering.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24 NIV)
 
 

• Haggai’s first message was to encourage restarting of the work.
• Haggai’s last message was to overcome the discouragement that comes with looking back to the past.

 
 
But now…
From this day forward…
Now that the work is continuing and moving ahead…
 
The curse is over, and blessings will come!