Sermon: Haggai 2: 20-23 The Signet Ring

Did you hear the story about the burglar who was in prison? His dad wrote him a letter, saying that he would find it a struggle on account of his old age, but he was getting ready to dig the back field to plant some spuds. So the son wrote a letter back to him, telling him not to bother digging in the field - that was where he had buried the loot. A few days went by, and the father wrote again to say that the police had come and dug about in the field and found nothing. The son replied and said, it was the only way he could help - and he could now plant his spuds!

The message was for one person, his dad, but he knew it would have a wider audience. That's a bit like our reading from Haggai today. It's a message for one person, but it's not just for him. We're allowed to listen in, to benefit from it as well. It's not like the post that mum and dad would receive to their address, 42 xxxxxx xxxxxx, Dromore - except it was for the same address in Dromore, County Tyrone, and a Mr Mcxxxxxx. Here, we're meant to be receiving it, learning from the message addressed to Zerubbabel.

We're now in the final chunk of Haggai's book, in the series of four messages he delivered in Jerusalem in the year 520BC. After Jerusalem had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his army, the people had been taken away to Babylon for about 70 years. They've now returned to their own land, to Jerusalem, but they were more keen to build their own panelled houses than to build the temple, the house of the LORD. Over a few months, Haggai challenged the people to ‘give careful thought to your ways’ (and build God’s house); he encouraged them to keep working even though the building was small and unimpressive; and he confronted them with their uncleanness, the anti-Midas touch, yet promised that God would bless them regardless.

So now, on the same day as the previous message, Haggai has another word of the LORD, this time for Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel is the governor of Judah, the person in charge of the city and region. This would be like someone calling at 10 Downing Street, with a personal message for Teresa May. And what is it that God is saying to Zerubbabel?

Well, the message breaks into two parts - the shaking and the signet ring. Let's look at them in turn.

Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.’ (21-22)

God says what he is going to do. Did you see that? ‘I will, I will, I will.’ And what is God going to do? He is going to shake the heavens and the earth. So it's not just an earthquake that is in view, but rather a universe quake.

Perhaps you've heard of the question - what if everyone on earth gathered in the same location and we all jumped and landed together - could we shift the earth's orbit? And the answer is... No. You wouldn't even notice... Now, seemingly in Mexico, the celebrations of the football fans when they scored the goal against Germany set off the earthquake sensors, but even then, they couldn’t shake the whole earth. It's impossible for us, but it’s as easy for God as shaking the sand off your feet or shoes after a walk on the beach.

Do you see the purpose of the shaking? 'I will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.' God is going to overthrow and destroy the power of the nations of the world. By this stage, the Babylonian empire had been conquered by the Medo-Persian empire. But God says they too will be overthrown. They won't be able to stand - just like a Jenga tower that collapses when the wrong block is removed; or like a Monopoly board overturned because someone is losing, and the houses and hotels go flying!

God is saying that he is in control of the nations. He can bring ruin whenever he chooses. He can raise up, and he can overturn. And this is good news for the people of Jerusalem. They're fed up with kingdoms coming to conquer; they've seen enough of chariots and riders coming into their land. So no matter how powerful the King might appear; no matter what the chariots come to do, they are not all-powerful. God is in control. And he tells Zerubbabel about a day that is coming. This day of shaking, of overturning, the kingdoms of the world.

Now perhaps when Zerubbabel heard this word of shaking, perhaps he was frightened himself. After all, he was the governor of the city. He was in charge in the region of Judah. What would the shaking mean for him? Perhaps his legs were shaking and his knees were knocking at the thought of it.

But Haggai has a final word - this word for Zerubbabel, which we too can listen in to hear - a word of grace and promise. The final verse of Haggai: ‘On that day, declares the LORD Almighty, I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD Almighty.’ (23)

On that self same day, the day of shaking, Zerubbabel will be made like God’s signet ring. Now, when I read that, I wasn’t entirely sure what a signet ring was. So i had a look into it. The signet ring was the mark of authority. So if the king was sending out a letter, he would get a bit of wax, and then imprint his sign, his signet ring, to show it came from him.

It’s something we still do - normally at the bottom of graduation certificates there’s the seal of the university - although when I pulled out my Trinity certificate, there’s no seal at the bottom. I promise I really did pass my exams to be a minister! But here’s my Institution certificate - and in the red bit there’s the seal of the Archbishop of Armagh.

Do you see what God is saying here? The nations may be in uproar, the kingdoms will be overthrown, but Zerubbabel has been chosen, and will be like a signet ring, the symbol and agent of God’s power in the world. God has his eye on Zerubbabel; his purposes will involve Zerubbabel.

Now, you might be thinking, well, that’s nice for Zerubbabel, but what does that mean for me? Well, remember who Zerubbabel is. We’re told that he’s the son of Shealtiel, and those names might not mean much to us, but the opening chapter of Matthew helps us to see the bigger picture.

Zerubbabel is the son of Shealtiel, who was the son of Jeconiah, who was the great (x12) grandson of King David. And that means that God taking an interest in him is good news for him, and good news for us as well. Despite being born in exile (his name means ‘seed of Babylon’), God had chosen him. Despite the ways the kings from David to Jeconiah had messed up, leading to exile in the first place, God was still fulfilling his promise to David, that one of his sons would rule. God has not finished with his promise. He’s still interested in the line of David, still working to bring the long-awaited Christ from this family line.

Matthew 1 connects the dots, and brings us to Jesus, who is called Christ, the successor of this same Zerubbabel. But what has this to do with us? How does a message for Zerubbabel impact on us? God promises a day of shaking, when the kingdoms opposed to him are overthrown, and his chosen servant king will be his signet ring, his power in the world.

And in Hebrews 12, we find these words:

‘At that time [speaking about the giving of the law at Mount Sinai] his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. The words once more indicate the removing of what can be shaken - that is, created things - so taht what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.’ (Heb 12: 26-29)

This day of shaking is still in the future. A day when some will be removed, but the unshakable will remain.

It made me think of a BBC news report after the earthquake in Amatrice back in August of 2016. Almost 300 people died, and the reporter, standing among the rubble of the village said that the Italian government had a choice - deciding whether it was happy with around 300 deaths per earthquake, leaving people’s houses and buildings as they were; or if it would invest millions of euros in making homes safe, making them earthquake proof.

That contrasting image of the shakable and the unshakable; the earthquake prone and the earthquake proof - this is what Haggai’s last message to Zerubbabel is all about. The day is coming when the earth and heavens will be shaken. Kingdoms and people will be overthrown. The only safe place is to be in God’s unshakable kingdom; to shelter in the signet ring, the chosen of the Lord. His name is Jesus.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 1st July 2018.

Sermon: Haggai 2: 10-19 Clean or Unclean?

What’s your favourite TV quiz show? If you’re good with numbers and letters, maybe it’s Countdown. General knowledge is your thing, so you like The Chase, or Pointless. With some of them, you really need to know your stuff. But some of them just seem like a waste of time.

And the biggest waste of time seemed to be a programme on Channel 4. To win on this game show, you didn’t need any specialist knowledge, nor any general knowledge. You just had to guess what was inside the box in front of you, based on probability. What could have been a ten minute programme was stretched out over an hour. And by now, you’ve maybe guessed it - Deal or No Deal.

It was the name of that show that makes it look as if the prophet Haggai has come up with a new TV gameshow idea. And the big idea would involve getting some of the priests to answer questions based on the Old Testament Law. And he could call it: Clean or No Clean?

Now, that might not seem like a great programme to watch, but that’s exactly what is happening in the opening verses of our reading today. The word of God comes to Haggai, telling him to ask the priests a couple of questions about the law - whether things are clean or unclean.

Now, those aren’t really categories we think about today in the same way, but the Old Testament law was very concerned with whether things (and people) were clean or unclean. The Jews were called to live a life of purity, by obeying the law with all its regulations - including what you could or couldn’t eat (so, for example, no bacon butties). Being ritually unclean meant that you couldn’t come before God. You would have to go through the rituals set down to become clean again. So the quiz show begins in verse 12:

‘If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’

So a piece of meat has been consecrated, set apart for God, been made clean. And as it is carried in someone’s robe, the clothing touches something else. Does it also become consecrated? And the priests get it right - no! Clean things don’t make other things clean.

Then comes round two. Verse 13: ‘If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?’

So, according to the law, if you came into contact with a dead body, then you would be defiled (or ritually unclean) until evening. And so the question is - if you’re defiled, and you touch something else - any of those foods mentioned earlier - do they become defiled? And the priests get it right again - yes! Unclean things do make other things unclean. So, to summarise what we’ve seen - clean thing don’t make other things clean; but unclean things do make other things unclean.

Now, you might be expecting a bonus round, or the grand final, but all the questions are finished. It would be a very quick gameshow. Over after 2 questions. But, you see, Haggai doesn’t need any more questions. The priests have answered all they need to understand the point God is making. And we see it in verse 14.

‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight, declares the LORD. Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.’

This was a shocking message from God. It was something they didn’t expect to hear. You see, the people hearing this message direct from the prophet’s mouth, they were good people. They were engaged in a good work. They were building up God’s temple in Jerusalem, after it had lay in ruins for almost 70 years.

They thought that they were good people, doing a good work, in a good way. And yet, God’s verdict is that they’re defiled, unclean. And not only that, but that everything they did, and everything they touched, became defiled. Their uncleanness was catching.

When we were growing up, we would go for a walk on a Sunday afternoon. And one day, when my brother was about 5, he was running on a ahead, when he tripped and fell headlong into a muddy puddle. Muck from top to toe. Dad’s hanky was no match for the amount of mud. You could trace where he had been - mucky footprints as we made our way home. When we got home, he was stripped and bathed and clothes into the washing machine in no time. But imagine if he’d been given free rein in the house. Muddy footprints on the carpets. The handprint on the fridge door as he looks for something to eat. The white towel used to rub his face now a shade of brown.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Midas touch. It’s the story from Greek mythology of King Midas, who was granted his desire that everything he touched turned into gold. And so he went about, touching twigs and leaves and flowers, and all turned to gold. Wouldn’t that be an amazing superpower? Whatever you touch turns to gold. But then he got hungry, and the food he lifted to eat also turned to gold...

We might think we have the Midas touch, but actually, we have the anti-Midas touch. Everything we touch turns to muck. It’ll be like when Mia grows up a bit more, and you’ll be able to trace her path through the house by the paint or crayon or ketchup... Everything they did and everything they offered was defiled, unclean.

I wonder if you’ve seen this at work, or in a club you’re involved with, or even in relationships. People are people, and even with the best of motives, we mess things up or make things worse. Our unclean touch, our mucky handprints affect whatever we do.

Now it’s bad enough whenever it’s in relationships, or in work, or in a sports club that this unclean touch affects everything we do. But remember what the people in Haggai’s day were doing. They were building for God’s glory. They were rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed years before. Even as they tried to build God’s house, the place for his holiness and glory, their unclean touch was affecting it. They’ve been building for exactly three months, but their offering is unclean, because they are unclean.

To show how things have been working out for them (or rather, not been working out for them), Haggai uses what seems to be his favourite phrase. We’ve heard him use it in chapter 1, and now it’s here in verse 15 & 18. What is it? ‘Give careful thought.’

Haggai asks them to ‘give careful thought to this from this day on.’ So, before they started building, things weren’t great. The harvest wasn’t as good as they thought it would be. They’d look at a heap of grain, thinking there were 20 measures in it, but there’d only be 10. Even worse, they’d look at a wine vat thinking there were 50 measures, but they’d only get 20. Why was that? Because God had struck them and their work with blight, mildew and hail - frustration and disappointment, yet even then they didn’t turn back to God.

It was the same story when they started building. Since the foundation of the temple was laid, have things been any better? Well, no. Despite it being harvest time, (Sept - Dec), there was nothing in the barn. No seed, grapes, figs, pomegranates or olives. Their uncleanness is catching. They’ve nothing to show for their labours.

And if we’re just like them, and we’re unclean, and all we touch becomes unclean, then it’s natural that there’ll be disappointments and frustration as we seek to build up the temple, our church family. Someone might think they’re being helpful, but they spread the mess around. Someone else says something, not realising the impact of their words. How can we build to God’s glory in the midst of our mess? How can the holy God dwell among an unclean people?

In fact, forget about everybody else. Focus on yourself, and ask that same question - how can the holy God dwell in an unclean person? When this diagnosis lands in our hearts we might think - yes, that’s me, I know that I’m unclean, and I try to change, I try to clean myself up, but just like the muddy footprints and the dirty towel, I just make everything else a mess. What can I do? How do I change?

It was the question on the lips of the man in our reading from Luke 5. He knew all too well that he was unclean. He may well have had to shout it out when people came too close. He was a leper. He hadn’t experienced anyone touching him in years. Everyone was too afraid, in case they caught his leprosy. Uncleanness was contagious - something unclean touching something else makes it unclean as well.

He comes up to Jesus, he reckons that Jesus can do something about his uncleanness, and so he says those words of faith: ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ I can’t make myself clean, but Jesus, if you want to, you can. And in that moment, Jesus does the unthinkable. He reverses the curse. Verse 13: ‘Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.’

Our uncleanness is contagious - unclean touching something else makes it unclean. But with Jesus it is different. His cleanness is contagious. Clean touching unclean makes it clean. Jesus brings the change we need. The change that God promised right at the very end of verse 19 - the promise that depended entirely on God, and not on the people: ‘From this day on I will bless you.’ The curse is reversed. We who are unclean can become clean, by God’s design, action and blessing. There’s nothing to do; nothing to achieve here in Haggai 2.

God doesn’t say, clean yourself up first and then I’ll think about helping you out. It’s not about sorting ourselves out to make God bless us. He chooses to do it anyway, for unclean, undeserving people, who receive his blessing and are changed.

Isn’t that what will happen in a few moments, using a little bit of water and a huge amount of grace? Mia hasn’t done anything to deserve it, but God will pour out his blessing on her life.

This is the grace of God in action. For Haggai and the people, messed up and messing up, God will bless them from this day on - mark it in your calendar! And for us as well, as we build up the temple, the church family, in the mess of the building site, there is also much blessing, great encouragement, signs of growth and change.

God is ready to bless you as well, as you confess your sin, as you repent and turn to him. He will, in David’s words in Psalm 51 ‘wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.’

Michael W Smith puts it like this: ‘Your plans are still to prosper, you have not forgotten us, you’re with us in the fire and in the flood. You’re faithful forever, perfect in love, you are sovereign over us.’

God has not finished with us. We’re still a work in progress, but he gives us his blessing, his cleansing, his Spirit dwelling in us to empower us to live for him. Let’s do it.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 10th June 2018.

Sermon: Haggai 2: 1-9 Strength for the worker

Things aren’t the way they used to be. They just aren’t the same. And, if the opinion polls are to be believed, things are getting worse. So, this week, Sky News did some polling, and revealed that 63% of people in Britain think life is worse now than when they were growing up - and that was right across all age groups, particularly among the 18-34 age group! (69% of them).

Things used to be better. And while the survey focused on the whole of society, we might hear the same sort of comments about any group, organisation, or project. The question is - how do we deal with disappointments? Where do we find the strength to keep going, even when things may not be as good as they used to be?

That’s the question that faced the people of Jerusalem when Haggai brings a second message from God. Just in case you missed last week, here’s the story so far. After Jerusalem had been destroyed and the people taken into exile to Babylon in 587BC; some of the people have now returned. They’ve rebuilt their houses, but that was as far as they’d gone to rebuild the city. The temple, God’s house, still lay in ruins. So God sent the prophet Haggai to challenge the people to think carefully about their ways - how they’d built their own panelled houses, but abandoned God’s house. He gave them a plan of action, and a few weeks’ later, they began to build (1:15).

At the start of chapter 2, it’s just under a month later. And it might have been a frustrating month for their labours. You see, they’ve been hard at work, when they could. They don’t work on the Sabbath. They don’t work on the Feast of Trumpets; the Day of Atonement; or the Feast of Tabernacles (when they remember God’s provision for them in the wilderness when they lived in tents). Almost a month, but only 14 days of work. They’re feeling downhearted. Disappointed. They don’t really have much to show for all their hard work.

That’s what God taps into as he directs the prophet Haggai to speak: ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?’ (3)

It’s 67 years since the old temple was destroyed. But there are people who remember what it was like. Its former glory - the fancy cut stones; the internal walls inlaid with gold; the splendour and majesty and glory. But that was then. And now, it looks like, well, it looks like nothing. It just isn’t what it used to be. They’re disappointed. Discouraged.

Now if that’s how the builders of the temple felt back then, it’s how we can feel as well, as we build God’s temple here. Last week we saw how we are God’s temple - God lives inside us, his people. And so we are building God’s temple in this church family. But that can bring the same disappointments and discouragements.

You work up the courage to invite someone to come along, and they say no. Again. You’ve been praying for a family member or a friend to become a Christian, and they’re still hostile. You wonder if you’re actually making a difference, or would you be better off just staying at home, rather than being involved with Sunday School or youth group or Bible study or whatever it might be. Is all our labour just pointless? It’s not going to make a different? Compared to the good old days, all our efforts look like nothing?

If that’s how you’re feeling, please don’t give up. Instead, listen up. You see, God never puts his finger on something if he isn’t going to do something about it. So God taps in to the discouragement they were feeling, in order to provide some encouragement for the brow-beaten builders. So what is God’s answer? What’s the encouragement? We see it in verse 4.

‘But now be strong... be strong... be strong... and work.’ Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest, and all the people of the land are told to be strong and work. Don’t give up. Step up, Be strong and work. Keep going!

Now, that might just sound like a roll your sleeves up and get on with it type message. I’m not sure how effective that might be. but thankfully God doesn’t stop there. You see, he goes on to give the reason why they should be strong and work. And it isn’t ‘because I say so...’ It’s because I’m with you.

So, from verse 4: ‘Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD, and work. For I am with you, declares the LORD Almighty.’

Do you see how that changes things? We’re not to conjure up strength by ourselves. No, our strength comes because God is with us. And who is God? How does he describe himself? the LORD Almighty. The all-powerful one gives power for the work, because he is with us. The Almighty gives us his might for the work.

And, I’m sure by now you’ve heard me ask what the LORD in capital letters means? The promise-making, promise-keeping God. So, as the people celebrate the feast of Tabernacles, so God points back to the covenant, the promise he made when they came out of Egypt. God had promised to be their God, had promised to be with them. And he holds to that promise, even through the wilderness as they made it to the promised land; even as they captured and then lost the promised land. Even in exile and through exile, no matter what happened: God is with them.

And he still is - ‘And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ To the discouraged builder, God says be strong and work, for I am with you. As the Liverpool fans sing ‘You’ll never walk alone.’ How would that knowledge change your work at building up this church body? Your efforts are not in vain. You’re never on your own, even if it feels that way. He gives us strength to work, because he is with us. So keep going!

In those verses, God gives them encouragement to keep going - he gives them something to do: be strong and work. In the last verses, though, God gives them even more encouragement to keep going - because of what God (and God alone) will do. They’re called to do their bit, but God will also do his bit.

‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD Almighty.’ (6-7)

God promises that in a little while, at some point in the future, he will give everything a good shake. It’s not so much an earthquake, as terrifying as that would be - it’s a universe shake. Heavens, earth, sea and dry land. All nations. Everything will be shaken. And what will happen then?

‘And the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD Almighty. The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the LORD Almighty.’ (7-8)

The desired of all nations will come. Some take this to refer to the Messiah, to Jesus, the desire of the nations, who came to the temple and filled it with his glory. And you can see how this fits. The whole universe was indeed shaken up by his arrival. But the context seems to be more the treasures of the nations - the silver and gold, all of which is God’s, even if it’s in someone else’s hands for now.

And so the image here is of God shaking the nations, to provide the finance for the building of his temple. Growing up, I had my Henry Hippo money box, and coming up to July, I would give it a good shake, to get everything out of it, ready to go on holiday. God is shaking the nations to provide the money for the work of building the temple, decorating it to God’s glory.

When reading Haggai, it’s an idea to also read the book of Ezra. It charts events at the same time. And shortly after this prophecy, word came from King Darius that the ruler of the region, their enemy (who was trying to stop the work) should pay for the building work and the sacrifices out of the royal taxes. (see Ezra 6).

God provided for the work of rebuilding the temple, because all the gold and silver is his. That means that whatever money you have in your purse, or your bank account, or under the bed - wherever you keep it, whatever you have - it isn’t yours. It’s all God’s. And he will provide it for his purposes. We can choose to partner in the work, or we can stand against it, but God will continue to build regardless.

Even when our efforts seem feeble; when we think everything was better in the good old days; when we’re tempted to give up and get out - God gives encouragement to the discouraged; he gives strength to the worker.

So be strong and work - for God is with you.

And then you’ll see God do what only God can do, as he shakes the universe to bring in the treasures. The glory will only increase. And in the new Jerusalem, John sees no temple, because God himself is the temple of the city. And the kings will bring their glory into the city.

Three workmen were asked what they were doing. The first said, I’m cutting stones. The second said, I’m cutting stones for £10 an hour. The third said, I’m cutting stones to build a cathedral for God’s glory. We’re engaged in building God’s temple, for God’s glory, so let’s keep at it, knowing that he is with us, and is working for us.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 3rd June 2018.

Sermon: Haggai 1: 1-15 Think Carefully

The greatest, and most dangerous invention, is one that you might use every day. When you use it, you really feel the benefit of those extra five or seven minutes... but it can also be dangerous, leaving you hassled and stressed and rushing about. The greatest and most dangerous invention may well be... the snooze button! The alarm goes off, and you think, just a few minutes more in bed. It’s not time yet.

Now, whether you jump out of bed at the first sound of your alarm, or use the snooze two or three times of a morning - you will have said those last few words at some point, in some situation - it’s not time yet.

That might be with homework - I’ll do it in a wee while. Or when the deadline for your tax return is due - I’ll get round to that tomorrow. I’ve never forgotten the advice shared on Facebook a few years ago - Ladies, if your husband says he’ll do something, you don’t need to remind him every six months about it!

It’s not time yet. If you’ve said that in the past week, or month, or year, then you’ve got company. Because that’s the very thing that the people of Israel were saying back in the time of Haggai. It’s what God focuses on as he sends Haggai to speak to the people - we see it in verse 2. ‘These people say, “The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.”’

Now, to help us understand Haggai, we need to do a very quick Bible overview, to see where Haggai fits into the big picture. So last week, Colin helped us see that God called Abraham; and from his line - Isaac, Jacob - came the people of Israel. After slavery in Egypt, God rescued them in Exodus (through Moses), then they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Joshua led the people into the land, and they conquered it (mostly). The Judges followed, then the kings - Saul, then David and his line. Solomon built the temple, all was peace and prosperity, then it all went downhill. The kingdom split (into Israel and Judah); Israel the northern kingdom was conquered. Then finally, Judah (the sons of David) were conquered by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The people were taken away into exile, and the temple destroyed.

But by now, some of the people have returned, by order of the king. They’ve been back in Jerusalem and Judah for eighteen years. And on a certain day - a day that people cleverer than me have worked out to be the 29th August, 520BC, Haggai steps up to share the word of the LORD. The word of the LORD that comes in verse 2. ‘These people say, “The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.”

We know that we need to build up the temple, but it’s not time just yet. We’ll do it eventually. The time hasn’t come. But God hasn’t finished. He continues to speak through Haggai in verse 3-4. ‘Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your panelled houses, while this house remains a ruin?’

God confronts them with their own words, and their own experience. So, it’s not time to build God’s house, but it is time to build up your own houses? And not just build up a basic house, but panelled houses. You can imagine the episode of Through the Keyhole - not the new version with Keith Lemon, but the old format with Lloyd Grossman asking ‘Who lives in a house like this?’

So he works his way up Temple Street. The first house is big, luxurious, with the wooden panelling on the walls. It speaks of wealth, and comfort, and work that has taken lots of time and effort. The next house is even bigger, even better. Even more time, money and effort has gone into it. And then he comes to a heap of ruins. Burned stone. Dusty and dirty. Who lives in a house like this? This is God’s house. Abandoned. Derelict. In wrack and ruin.

So Haggai says to the people, delivering God’s message to them - you say you’ve had no time to work on my house, the temple; but you’ve had plenty of time to work on your own house! It’s not about time, it’s about priorities.

In verse 5, God invites the people to consider their ways - to think carefully. ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’

This has been their experience. They never seem to have enough. Things don’t turn out as well as they expected. They have food and drink, but it’s never just enough to satisfy. they feel a chill, but can never get warm, no matter how many jumpers they put on. It’s as if they’re throwing their hard-earned wages away, and never know where it goes.

So again, in verse 7, God repeats the same words - ‘Give careful thought to your ways.’ But this time, it’s a call to action. To consider what they’re now going to do. How they’re going to respond. Think it through. And he suggests a plan of action in verse 8. ‘Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honoured.’

It’s a call to build the temple. And why should they do it? ‘So that I may take pleasure in it’ - for God’s pleasure - ‘and be honoured’ - for God’s glory. Building the temple is so that God will delight in it; and so that God’s glory is displayed in it.

God gives this call to action, as he combines the two ways of thinking carefully - about experience in the past, and action in the future. You see, they expected much, but it turned out to be little. How had it turned out this way? It was God who was bringing about these difficult circumstances, to bring the people back to himself. They were working on their own houses while God’s house lay in ruins. That’s why God called for a drought on fields and mountains, grain, new wine, oil, and everything else. There’s a play on words here - God’s house is in ruin - ‘hareb’ so God sends a ‘horeb’ - a drought.

Haggai calls the people to ‘Give careful thought to your ways.’ And through him, God is calling us to give careful thought to our ways. Are there things that we’ve been putting off, saying it isn’t the right time, while we’ve been finding time to do all sorts of other things?

Have we been building up our own houses while neglecting God’s house? Now, we need to be careful to see what the temple is these days. The temple - God’s house - is the place where God dwells, where he is at home, where you meet with God. And through the Old Testament, God’s house was first the tabernacle (a tent) in the wilderness; then the big building in Jerusalem built by Solomon and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. A temple would eventually be rebuilt.

But that all changed with the coming of Jesus. God’s presence was no longer in a building, but in a person. Do you remember in John 1, ‘The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory...’ (1:14). And in John 2, Jesus says, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ He’s speaking about his body, the place where God dwells, where God’s glory is seen.

And then we come to the rest of the New Testament. And 1 Corinthians is just one of the many places where we, the church, are presented as the temple, the dwelling place of God. ‘Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit lives in you? This building isn’t the temple, we are. We used to sing a song - church is not a building, it’s the people there inside, people who love Jesus, and wear his badge with pride.

So if we are the temple, if this fellowship of God’s people are God’s dwelling place, his house, then what will this challenge of Haggai look like for us? How do we need to give careful thought to our ways?

Are there things we’ve been putting off, saying that the time isn’t right? Have we been building up our own houses while neglecting this church family? Is this church family a house that God takes pleasure in, and is glorified by? When people in Richhill go through the keyhole, what do they see? Do they see a group of people where God is first priority? Where we’re committed to building one another up, encouraging one another, welcoming new people, being there for one another, giving generously so that we can fulfil the mission of God in this place? Or will we get round to all that some time?

While we’re pondering our response, we see how the people responded in verse 12. The governor, Zerubbabel, high priest, Joshua, ‘and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God... And the people feared the LORD.’ So God speaks again with a word of encouragement. We see it in v13. ‘I am with you.’

As we hear God’s word, as challenging as it may be, we have the promise of his presence with us as we step up in obedience. The people knew it that day, as their spirits were stirred up. And 23 days later, they got going. They began work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God.

We have that promise as well - the Lord Jesus says, ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ The Holy Spirit dwells within us. Perhaps this word is a wake-up call. Just don’t hit the snooze button, thinking, it’s not yet time. God asks: where do our priorities lie? Our own house and interests? Or God’s interests - his pleasure and his honour? Give careful thought to your ways. And may we be stirred up in our spirits, for God’s glory.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 27th May 2018.

Sermon: Haggai 2: 20-23 The Signet Ring

Did you hear the story about the burglar who was in prison? His dad wrote him a letter, saying that he would find it a struggle on account of his old age, but he was getting ready to dig the back field to plant some spuds. So the son wrote a letter back to him, telling him not to bother digging in the field - that was where he had buried the loot. A few days went by, and the father wrote again to say that the police had come and dug about in the field and found nothing. The son replied and said, it was the only way he could help - and he could now plant his spuds!

The message was for one person, his dad, but he knew it would have a wider audience. That's a bit like our reading from Haggai today. It's a message for one person, but it's not just for him. We're allowed to listen in, to benefit from it as well. It's not like the post that mum and dad would receive to their address, 42 xxxxxx xxxxxx, Dromore - except it was for the same address in Dromore, County Tyrone, and a Mr Mcxxxxxx. Here, we're meant to be receiving it, learning from the message addressed to Zerubbabel.

We're now in the final chunk of Haggai's book, in the series of four messages he delivered in Jerusalem in the year 520BC. After Jerusalem had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his army, the people had been taken away to Babylon for about 70 years. They've now returned to their own land, to Jerusalem, but they were more keen to build their own panelled houses than to build the temple, the house of the LORD. Over a few months, Haggai challenged the people to 'consider your ways' (and build the house); to keep working even though the building was small and unimpressive; confronted them with their uncleanness, the anti-Midas touch, yet God would bless them anyway.

So now, on the same day as the previous message, Haggai has another word of the LORD, this time for Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel is the governor of Judah, the person in charge of the city and region. This would be like someone calling at the First Minister's office at Stormont with a word for Arlene Foster. And what is it that God is saying to Zerubbabel?

Well, the message breaks into two parts - the shaking and the signet ring. Let's look at them in turn.

'Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.' (21-22)

God says that he is going to shake the heavens and the earth. So it's not just an earthquake that is in view, but rather a universe quake. It's something that only God can do. Perhaps you've heard of the question - what if everyone on earth gathered in the same location and we all jumped and landed together - could we shift the earth's orbit? And the answer is... No. You wouldn't even notice... It's impossible for us, but as easy for God as shaking the sand off your feet or shoes after a walk on the beach.

Do you see the purpose of the shaking? 'To overthrow the throne of kingdoms.' God is going to overthrow and destroy the power of the nations of the world. By this stage, the Babylonian empire had been conquered by the Medo-Persian empire. But God says they will be overthrown. They won't be able to stand - just like a Jenga tower that collapses when the wrong block is removed; or like a Monopoly board overturned because someone is losing, and the houses and hotels go flying!

God is saying that he is in control of the nations. He can bring ruin whenever he chooses. He can raise up, and he can overturn. And this is good news for the people of Jerusalem. They're fed up with kingdoms coming to conquer; they've seen enough of chariots and riders coming into their land. So no matter how powerful the King might appear; no matter what the chariots come to do, they are not all-powerful. God is in control. And he tells Zerubbabel about a day that is coming. This day of shaking, of overthrowing, the kingdoms of the world.

Now perhaps when Zerubbabel heard this word of shaking, perhaps he was frightened himself. After all, he was the governor of the city. He was in charge in the region of Judah. What would the shaking mean for him? Perhaps his legs were shaking and his knees were knocking at the thought of it.

But Haggai has a final word - this word for Zerubbabel, which we too can listen in to hear - a word of grace and promise. The final verse of Haggai: ‘On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.’ (23).

On that self same day, the day of shaking, Zerubbabel will be made like God’s signet ring. Now, when I read that, I wasn’t entirely sure what a signet ring was. So i had a look into it. The signet ring was the mark of authority. So if the king was sending out a letter, he would get a bit of wax, and then imprint his sign, his signet ring, to show it came from him.

It’s something we still do - normally at the bottom of graduation certificates there’s the seal of the university - although when I pulled out my Trinity certificate, there’s no seal at the bottom. I promise I really did pass my exams to be a minister! But here’s my Institution certificate - and in the red bit there’s the seal of the Archbishop of Armagh (we had no bishop in Clogher when I came to be rector here).

Do you see what God is saying here? The nations may be in uproar, the kingdoms will be overthrown, but Zerubbabel has been chosen, and will be like a signet ring, the symbol and agent of God’s power in the world. God has his eye on Zerubbabel; his purposes will involve Zerubbabel.

Now, you might be thinking, well, that’s nice for Zerubbabel, but what does that mean for me? Well, remember who Zerubbabel is. We’re told that he’s the son of Shealtiel, and those names might not mean much to us, but the opening chapter of Matthew helps us to see the bigger picture.

Zerubbabel is the son of Shealtiel, who was the son of Jeconiah, who was the great (x12) grandson of King David. And that means that God taking an interest in him is good news for him, and good news for us as well. Despite being born in exile (his name means ‘seed of Babylon’), God had chosen him. Despite the ways the kings from David to Jeconiah had messed up, leading to exile in the first place, God was still fulfilling his promise to David, that one of his sons would rule. God has not finished with his promise. He’s still interested in the line of David, still working to bring the long-awaited Christ from this family line.

Matthew 1 connects the dots, and brings us to Jesus, who is called Christ, the successor of this same Zerubbabel. But what has this to do with us? How does a message for Zerubbabel impact on us? God promises a day of shaking, when the kingdoms opposed to him are overthrown, and his chosen servant king will be his signet ring, his power in the world. The writer to the Hebrews picks up on this promise, and sees it as something still to come in the future. A day of shaking, with differing outcomes - the things that are shaken removed, and the unshakable remaining.

It made me think of a BBC news report after the earthquake in Amatrice back in August. Almost 300 people died, and the reporter, standing among the rubble of the village said that the Italian government had a choice - deciding whether it was happy with around 300 deaths per earthquake, leaving people’s houses and buildings as they were; or if it would invest millions of euros in making homes safe, making them earthquake proof.

That contrasting image of the shakable and the unshakable; the earthquake prone and the earthquake proof - this is what Haggai’s last message to Zerubbabel is all about. The day is coming when the earth and heavens will be shaken. Kingdoms and people will be overthrown. The only safe place is to be in the unshakable kingdom; to shelter in the signet ring, the chosen of the Lord - his king, king Jesus.

This sermon was preached in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 9th October 2016.

Sermon: Haggai 2: 10-19 Clean or Unclean?

What is your favourite TV quiz show? Do you like Countdown, with the words, the letters, and the Countdown conundrum? Maybe you prefer the Chase, as contenders take on a quiz champion chasing them to get answers right? Or do you delight in the obscure knowledge in Pointless? Over the summer, we watched an episode of University Challenge, and I could hardly understand the questions, let alone get any of the answers...

Every so often, a new quiz show appears on our screens. A while back mum and dad were watching one with people answering questions in armchairs that were moving backwards, and if they didn’t answer, they were flung over the edge into oblivion. (Ejector Seat). In our reading this morning, it looks as if the prophet Haggai was launching a new TV quiz show.

It’s not Deal or no Deal, it’s Clean or Unclean? And the format is very simple; here’s how it works: Haggai asks the priests questions about the law, if something is clean or unclean. Now those aren’t really categories we think about today in the same way, but the Old Testament law was very concerned with whether things were clean or unclean, holy or impure. The Jews were called to live a life of purity, by obeying the law with all its regulations about what sorts of food you couldn’t eat (so for example, no bacon butties). Being ritually unclean meant you couldn’t come before God - you had to go through the ritual set down in the law to become clean again.

So the quiz show begins in verse 12. ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ The answer is no - the priests have got it right. There’s then the second round in verse 13. ‘If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?’ Now, the priests know their stuff. These are easy questions for them - it’s as if they could answer these questions in their sleep. It’s really obvious that something unclean touching other things makes them unclean as well.

So let’s review what we’ve learnt from the priests. Holy touching something else doesn’t make it holy; but unclean touching something else does make it unclean. Or in other words, you can’t catch cleanness, but you can catch uncleanness. Now, in case you’re wondering what that’s all about, and why it really matters, Haggai tells us in verse 14.

‘Then Haggai answered and said, “So it is with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.”’

God declares that the people are unclean, so that everything they do, and everything they touch becomes unclean as well. It would be someone who had fallen in a mucky field, and then they come into the farmhouse, and you can trace their steps around the house - the mark of the wellies on the kitchen floor, or worse on the cream carpet in the living room; the handprint on the fridge door as they look for something nice to eat; the towel that used to be white that’s now a shade of muck as they wiped their hands or face; they’re unclean, and everything they touch becomes unclean.

It’s a bit like the Greek mythology of King Midas. He was granted a wish that whatever he touched would turn into gold. At the start, he thought it was great, he could turn a twig and a stone into gold. What a great power to have! But then he sat down to eat, and the food he lifted turned to gold. His wine turned to gold. The midas touch was more like a curse. Well here, God says that people have the anti-Midas touch. It’s not that we touch everything and it turns to gold, but rather, we touch everything and pass on our uncleanness.

I wonder if you’ve seen this at work, or in a club you’re involved with, or even in relationships. People are people, and even with the best of motives, we mess things up or make things worse. Our unclean touch, our mucky handprints affect whatever we do.

Now it’s bad enough whenever it’s in relationships, or in work, or in a sports club that this unclean touch affects everything we do. But remember what the people in Haggai’s day were doing. They were building for God’s glory. They were rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed years before. Even as they tried to build God’s house, the place for his holiness and glory, their unclean touch was affecting it. They’ve been building for exactly three months (24th day of 9th month cf 2:10 & 1:15), but their offering is unclean, because they are unclean.

To show how things have been working out for them (or rather, not been working out for them), Haggai uses what seems to be his favourite word. It’s a word we’ve heard him use in chapter 1, and now it’s here in verse 15 & 18. What is it? Consider.

Haggai asks them to ‘consider from this day onward.’ It seems that word ‘onward’ can mean going back or forward, as both consider-ings make them look back. So first, consider ‘before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the LORD’, well, things weren’t great. The harvest wasn’t just as good as they thought it would be. They’d look at a heap of grain, thinking there were twenty measures in it, but there’d only be ten. Even worse, they’d look at a wine vat thinking there were fifty measures, but they’d only get twenty. Why was that? Because God had struck them and their work with blight, mildew and hail - frustration and disappointment, yet even then they didn’t turn back to God.

Nor did they turn back when they started work. The second consider beings them to the time since the foundation of the temple has been laid. Have things been better? Well, no. Despite it being harvest time (September - December), there was nothing in the barn - no seed, no grapes, figs, pomegranates or olives. Their uncleanness is contagious. They were unclean, and all they tried to do was unclean.They’ve nothing to show for their labours.

And if we’re just like them, and we’re unclean, and all we touch becomes unclean, then it’s natural that there’ll be disappointments and frustration as we seek to build up the temple, our church family. Someone might think they’re being helpful, but they spread the mess around. Someone else says something, not realising the impact of their words. How can we build to God’s glory in the midst of our mess? How can the holy God dwell among an unclean people?

In fact, forget about everybody else. Focus on yourself, and ask that same question - how can the holy God dwell in an unclean person? When this diagnosis lands in our hearts we might think - yes, that’s me, I know that I’m unclean, and I try to change, I try to clean myself up, but just like the muddy footprints and the dirty towel, I just make everything else a mess. What can I do? How do I change?

It was the question on the lips of the man in our reading from Mark 1. He knew all too well that he was unclean. He may well have had to shout it out when people came too close. He was a leper. He hadn’t experienced anyone touching him in years. Everyone was too afraid, in case they caught his leprosy. Uncleanness was contagious - unclean touching something else makes it unclean.

He comes up to Jesus, he reckons that Jesus can do something about his uncleanness, and so he says those words of faith: ‘If you will, you can make me clean.’ I can’t make myself clean, but Jesus, if you want to, you can. And in that moment, Jesus does the unthinkable. He reverses the curse. Verse 41: ‘Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.’

Our uncleanness is contagious - unclean touching something else makes it unclean. But with Jesus it is different. His cleanness is contagious. Clean touching unclean makes it clean. Jesus brings the change we need. The change that God promised right at the very end of verse 19 - the promise that depended entirely on God, and not on the people: ‘But from this day on I will bless you.’ The curse is reversed. We who are unclean can become clean, by God’s design, action and blessing. There’s nothing to do; nothing to achieve here in Haggai 2.

God doesn’t say, clean yourself up first and then I’ll think about helping you out. It’s not about sorting ourselves out to make God bless us. He chooses to do it anyway, for unclean, undeserving people, who receive his blessing and are changed.

This is the grace of God in action. For Haggai and the people, messed up and messing up, God will bless them from this day on - mark it in your calendar! And for us as well, as we build up the temple, the church family, in the mess of the building site, there is also much blessing, great encouragement, signs of growth and change.

Michael W Smith puts it like this: ‘Your plans are still to prosper, you have not forgotten us, you’re with us in the fire and in the flood. You’re faithful forever, perfect in love, you are sovereign over us.’

God has not finished with us. We’re still a work in progress, but he gives us his blessing, his cleansing, his Spirit dwelling in us to empower us to live for him. Let’s do it.

This sermon was preached in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 25th September 2016.

Sermon: Haggai 2: 1-9 Continue your work

How do you deal with discouragement and disappointment? You know those times when you start up a new project with enthusiasm and positivity, and then about a month in you think, why am I bothering with this? Or you take over from someone, and you’re faced with the comparisons with how things used to be, and you’ll never match up to the good old days. Where do you turn for help? How do you keep going, when everything seems to be against you, when it would be easier to just give up and not bother? How do you deal with discouragement and disappointment?

This is the issue facing Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the remnant of the people in Haggai 2. These were the people who had returned from exile in Babylon back to Jerusalem. Last week we heard the challenge of God’s word to them, to ‘consider your ways’ - they had been living in luxury panelled houses while God’s house (his temple) lay in ruins. At the end of Haggai 1, ‘they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month.’ (1:14-15).

It’s now almost a month later (1), when God sends Haggai with another message. Each of Haggai’s messages is dated, it’s as if he was keeping a diary or journal, and so on the 17th October 520BC, God speaks again. God knows the discouragement and disappointment they’re feeling - and so speaks into the situation, to diagnose the problem:

‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?’ (3)

It’s 67 years since Solomon’s temple was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. Yet some of the oldest people around (who had gone into exile and now returned), could still remember seeing the old temple in all its glory. The gold, silver, precious stones. A glorious place. And as they remember the old temple, well, the one they’re working on just doesn’t compare. It’s as nothing in their eyes. They wonder why they’re bothering. Such a disappointment. Such a discouragement. Should they just give up?

I wonder if you ever feel the same way, when it comes to building God’s house? Maybe as you look at the work needing done here on the parish church, and you see the plans, and the amount of money that needs to be paid, you think - we’ll never reach it; we just can’t do it; why bother? Or, as we saw last week - to build God’s house now is to build up the temple - the place where God dwells, that’s us, his church, his people. And building up God’s people can be a slow and steady process - it takes time getting to know people, knowing how to help them, what to say. And sometimes there’s disappointments that come, when people walk away, or fall back, and you might think - will they ever get it? Is it worth bothering at all?

Or when you persistently invite someone to come along to church, and they keep saying no; or they come and then don’t come back; or they come but aren’t as excited as you are about being with God’s people. And maybe you’re tempted to think, I’ll not bother with trying to build up the church; I’ll leave it to someone else. All your efforts, but very little to show for them, at least outwardly. Disappointment and discouragement.

But look at what God says to them through Haggai. In verse 4 and verse 6, there comes the word ‘yet’. It’s a turning word, a word that shows a change in direction, a change in prospects. Things might be like this, YET here’s how they’re going to change. And these two ‘yet’s are words of encouragement for a discouraged people. Let’s look at them in turn.

First of all, in verse 4, here’s what God says: ‘Yet now be strong... all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.’

Be strong. Don’t give up. Keep on going. Continue your work. God calls us to action, to play our part in what he’s doing in the world. Do you see how the ‘be strong’ message is repeated, is addressed to Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest - the leaders of the people; but it’s then addressed to ‘all you people of the land.’ Be strong! Work! Why?

‘For I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt.’ They’re not slaving away on their own, with just their own weak efforts. God is with them - the LORD of hosts, that is, the Lord of angel armies. But more than that, the LORD who made a covenant with them when Moses brought them out of Egypt. God made a promise to be with them, a promise he is keeping, a promise he is fulfilling as he calls them to work.

What difference would it make to you, knowing that the LORD of angel armies is with you every day? Knowing that his power is made available to you in your weakness. Knowing that you’re not on your own, that he is on your side? Be strong, and work, for I am with you.

Now that would be a good enough encouragement to keep going, wouldn’t it? But then God says something even better, another encouragement for these brow-beaten builders. Look at verse 6. ‘For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.’

The first encouragement was something God’s people had to do. But this one was something that only God could do. Shaking the heaven, earth, sea and dry land - it reminds me of my Henry Hippo money box, giving it a wee shake, to make sure all the money came out when it was holiday time. Well, this shaking that God’s going to do is a bit like that - he’ll shake the nations, ‘so that the treasures of all nations shall come in.’ God is going to provide for the work of building his house to be completed; for his house to be filled with glory.

Around the time the work on the temple started, the ruler of the region started putting on pressure for the work to stop. They even went so far as to write to King Darius, to get his command for them to stop building. (See Ezra 5) Perhaps this was also why the builders were discouraged. But shortly after Haggai prophesied, a letter came back from Darius - ordering the work to continue, but more than that, for the full cost of rebuilding to be paid out by the ruler of the region from his tax revenues. He also had to pay for whatever was needed for the sacrifices in the temple - God was indeed shaking the nations to fill his house with treasures. But it shouldn’t surprise us. Do you see what he says in verse 8?

‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.’ God owns everything; it’s all his, and he will give it and use it for his purposes. God may allow us to use the gifts he gives us, but we’re only stewards, not owners. Everything in our pockets, purses, wallets, bank accounts, or under the mattress is God’s - he gave it to us to use for his purposes. Do you really want God to have to shake it out of you?

God is concerned with his glory. And even though the house they were building looked like nothing to them, compared to the old temple, God promises that the future will be even better: ‘The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts.’

Last week, we traced the temple theme through the Bible - the place where God dwells - from the temple in Jerusalem, to Jesus (do you remember what John said of him? ‘The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory...’), to us, his people as God dwells in us; but the final temple scene is the new creation. We heard part of John’s walking tour of the new Jerusalem from Revelation 21 - but the most striking thing is that there is no temple in the city, because God himself is there with his people. And did you notice what will be brought into that new Jerusalem?

‘By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it... They will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations...’ (Rev 21:24,26)

Last night, you might have swayed, hummed or sung along to the Last Night of the Proms, Land of Hope and Glory, and everyone feels proudly British. It’s nothing to see the glory of all nations coming together in the new Jerusalem, as God brings people from every nation to be his people. This is what God is up to in the world - and you think, well, God can do all that on his own, he doesn’t need me. Yet he involves us in his work. He calls us to play our part, to take up our trowel, to build his church - even when we face discouragements and disappointments. Keep going! Be strong, work, for I am with you, and I will shake all nations, and I will fill this house with glory. Amen, Lord!

This sermon was preached in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 11th September 2016.

Sermon: Haggai 1: 1-15 Consider Your Ways

“It’s too early! I’ll get up in five minutes’ time!” I wonder if that’s been said these mornings as school starts again. There’s another version of it in the afternoons - I’ll do my homework in a wee while. I’ll get round to it eventually. But it’s not just the kids who can put things off. Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up with a list of things to do, all good intentions, and then go to bed that night no further on. Maybe tomorrow, you think. I’m reminded of the wee saying - when a man says he’ll do something about the house he doesn’t need reminded every six months...

But have you found that when you have important things to do, unimportant things become so much more attractive? They’ve no time to do their homework, but have the time to complete ten levels of a computer game. You didn’t manage to get your tax return finished, but did arrange your cds in alphabetic order. No time for the things that really matter, but loads of time for other things.

As the prophet Haggai steps up, this is the problem he’s facing in the city of Jerusalem in 520BC. Sixty-seven years earlier, Jerusalem had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. Its walls and its houses, had all been destroyed. Even worse, the temple had been destroyed - the place where God’s presence dwelled; the place you met with God; the place of sacrifice. God’s people had been taken away to Babylon, where they lived in exile - you might remember when we looked at Daniel.

Some of the exiles have returned now, they’ve been around for about 18 years. Ezra 3 tells about the restoration of the altar and the foundations of the temple. But that’s all they’ve done, at least, to the temple. They’ve been busy doing other things, though.

And so, on this certain day, the first day of the sixth month (29th August 520BC), Haggai delivers the LORD’s message. ‘This says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’ Not yet, we’ll get round to it eventually. But Haggai continues: ‘Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, while this house lies in ruins?’

Do you see the contrast between God’s house and their houses? It wasn’t time to build God’s house, which was in ruins; yet they were living in panelled houses - luxury houses. Just imagine walking along Temple Street, Jerusalem. You see the big, impressive houses, and, even though you’re not meant to, you can’t resist taking a peek through the windows as you walk past. It’s not just bare stone walls inside, there’s panelling. You can nearly hear Lloyd Grossman from Through the Keyhole asking ‘Who lives in a house like this?’ And then you walk up the street, and well, you don’t need to go through a keyhole, there’s just a pile of stones, a ruin of rubble. Who lives in a house like this? Oh, this is meant to be God’s house. The contrast is shocking, and it’s meant to be.

As Haggai continues, though, he says that they should have known something was wrong. Do you see in verse 5, the therefore? ‘Now, therefore, (because of all this), thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.’ Or to put it in a Northern Irish saying, ‘Catch yourself on.’ Haggai points to a series of disappointments they were facing. You sow much, but only harvest a little. You eat, but you’re still starving. You drink, but you’re still thirsty. You put on clothes, but you’re still cold. You earn wages, but they seem to disappear too quickly - like putting them in a bag with holes.

Now, was it just that times were hard, and they were unfortunate with the way things turned out? Not at all - verses 10-11 show that God was behind their difficulties. He called for the drought they were facing - in the original there’s a play on words Haggai uses - God’s house is in ruin - ‘hareb’ - so God sends a ‘horeb’, a drought.

Verses 10-11 are an echo of the old covenant curses, which Moses pronounced in Deuteronomy 28. As the people of Israel entered the promised land, they were given the choice of obedience or disobedience, life or death, blessing or curses. They’ve already been through exile, losing their land because of their disobedience. Now they’re back, and they’re doing it all over again.

So again he says, ‘Consider your ways.’ Catch yourself on. Think about what you’re doing. But this time, it’s also a call to action - catch yourself on, and here’s what to do: ‘Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.’

Here’s the big problem. The temple lying in ruins spoke volumes about their attitude to God, and his glory. They didn’t really care about God. They didn’t care what other people would see or think of their God in his temple ruin. They were much too busy keeping up appearances in their own houses to worry about God’s house.

They went about their own business, but neglected God’s business. Could that be true of us, as we gather today? We’ll worry about getting serious with God stuff sometime, just not today, or this week, or this year. We’ll get to it eventually, but in the meantime, we’ll concentrate on ourselves. In Jerusalem in 520BC, it meant that the temple was neglected. So does that mean that we apply this now by looking at the parish church, that we need to consider our ways and compare our houses with this house?

It would be great to be able to do it - except, we’re not sitting in Jerusalem, in the temple ruin in 520BC. We’re here in Aghavea in 2016. The challenge is the same - are we focusing on ourselves and neglecting God’s house - but we have to ask, what is God’s house?

You see, the temple was the place on earth God had chosen to make his presence especially known on earth. If you go to Jerusalem now, there is no temple. But do you remember the Christmas gospel, John 1, which tells us that ‘The word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ Jesus is the temple, the place where God’s presence is found. And now, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3, the temple isn’t bricks and stone - the temple, where God dwells is, is us - his people. ‘Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?’ (1 Cor 3:16). That ‘you’ is plural - yousins, you together are God’s temple.

So if we gathered together are the temple, what will it look like to give ourselves to the work of building the temple, God’s house? We’ll want to build up and encourage each other, by coming together, being there for one another. We’ll want to see others brought in, added to the building, like living stones. We’ll not just focus on ourselves and what we like, but seek to serve one another. And as part of that, we’ll want to make sure that our meeting place is well kept and welcoming - but we shouldn’t work on the building, and neglect building us, the church.

Consider your ways. Perhaps we need to hear that word from the Lord today, just as the people in Haggai’s day needed it. From verse 12 on, we’re told how the word was received that day. Zerubbabel, Joshua with all the remnant of the people ‘obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.’ They heard God’s voice, they obeyed it, they feared the Lord. As they do so, Haggai has another message, a word of grace as they repent: ‘I am with you, declares the Lord.’

They might have initially abandoned God’s house, but God has not abandoned them. God is with them - and so God stirs them up to action, to work on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.

As we turn from our own glory to live for the Lord’s glory, so we have that assurance - I am with you. As Paul reminds us, God is with us, and God dwells in us. As we respond to God’s word, and consider our ways, may we know both his promise that he is with us, and also his stirring up to action.

This sermon was preached in the Haggai: Building for God's Glory sermon series in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 4th September 2016.

1 Corinthians 3: 1-23 Sermon: Infants in Christ

Over the past few months, we’ve had some babies born into the congregation. It’s great to see them, and to watch as they grow and develop. For the first while, they’ll live on milk, but after a while, they’ll become ready to eat solid foods. It’s proper for them now, but if they hadn’t got onto solid foods after a while, it would be very strange. There would be questions asked, about the developing maturity of the child.

This is precisely the diagnosis Paul presents to the Corinthian church – contrary to what they expected. You see, the Corinthians thought that they were spiritual people, and wise, and mature. They thought that they had become really strong Christians who were advancing beyond expectations. Instead, Paul refers to them as ‘infants in Christ.’ (1)

For a while, that was fine – after all, we all are infants in Christ when we first become believers. It’s all very new, and we can only take in the basics, like being fed milk. But when Paul was writing to them here, there had been a time delay. It was fine that they had been infants, babies once, but they should have grow up by now. What sadness in Paul’s words at the end of verse 2. ‘I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh.’

In spiritual terms, the Corinthian Christians weren’t out of nappies, but they should have been a long time before. And here we find the challenge to us today. Are you developing according to your age? I don’t mean your physical age, how many birthdays you have had. How mature are you in your Christian walk? Have you become more mature as time has passed, or are you still just an infant in Christ?

As you think about your own stage, we’ll see why the Corinthians were still in spiritual nappies. Look at verse 3 with me. ‘For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?’ The problem lies in the fact that they didn’t appear to be Christians at all. There was no difference to how they were getting on with one another. They were still arguing and fighting, just like everyone else does. It was as if faith in Jesus had made little difference to them.

The situation Paul describes is one we have already encountered in 1 Corinthians. In 1:12, Paul writes of what he had heard of the church – ‘What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos” or “I follow Cephas” or “I follow Christ.”’ Jealousy and strife based on having a favourite leader and promoting them. Yet this is the very problem. They have too high a view of their leaders, as if Paul or Apollos was the answer to their problems.

Paul then presents two different images to correct this unhelpful obsession with leaders, and we’ll look at them now in turn. Verse 9 is the dividing between them – ‘For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.’ The first is the farming scene. Some in Corinth claimed to follow Paul, probably because it had been he who had first travelled to Corinth and preached the Gospel. He had planted the church, so perhaps they saw it as Paul’s Church. Others, though, had long since forgotten about Paul. After all, he wasn’t with them now. Apollos was the guy who was on the ground doing the hard work. Surely he’s the important fella.

Verse 5 shatters all this thinking. Look carefully at how Paul writes it: ‘What then is Apollos? What is Paul?’ (Not who, but what). The Corinthians sought to make much of Paul or Apollos, but Paul describes them as ‘servants.’ It’s the same word as waiter.

But more than that, the Corinthians had been dividing as if Paul and Apollos were rivals. Nothing could be further from the truth. They were just ‘Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.’ Paul and Apollos weren’t on rival teams, they were partners in the gospel, each being used as God directed. In making much of the leaders, the Corinthians were missing the God who gives the growth.

Paul then shifts to his second image, from the world of building. The Corinthians are in the task of building God’s church. Not a meeting house like this church building, but rather the church as individuals come together to form the body of Christ. It’s what Peter writes about in 1 Peter 2:5 – ‘you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.’ It’s the same building project that Paul is talking about here.

Paul has already been to lay the foundation. In his preaching of the cross, Jesus Christ, the foundation has been laid. Now it is the task of those in Corinth to build upon it. Oh how we need to heed the words of Paul carefully – ‘Let each one take care how he builds upon it.’

We need to remember what it is that we are doing as we live together in the church. This is not just a social club where we meet together to get to know each other. This is not just a pastime or hobby to put in our time on a Sunday morning. We are here to build the church of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit. What we do now has implications for eternity.

And yet, there may be many of us who are more interested in our own wee empires than in building the church. We can be lax in our attitude to the things that build up our unity and community.

[The prophet Haggai found this in his day. Haggai was a prophet in Israel during the time when the exiles had returned from Babylon. Israel had lived in the land for a long time, but then the people had been carried off to Babylon, and the temple in Jerusalem had been ruined. When they came back from exile, they had been more concerned with their own houses than in building God’s house. ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”.. Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in our panelled houses, while this house lies in ruins? … You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you bought it home, I blew it away. Why? Declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.’ (Haggai 1:2, 4, 9).]

Take care how you build. There are a variety of building materials at hand, but not all are equally effective. Look at verse 12 – gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw. While the building goes up, it might look impressive, but it will be tested. ‘Each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.’

Notice that this isn’t saying that salvation comes based on what we do. No, all who build their lives in the foundation of Jesus are saved – but some build well, and others don’t take care to build properly.

While I was thinking about this, I was reminded of the three little pigs. Do you remember the story? Each goes off to build a house to hide from the big bad wolf. But two pigs are foolish builders, and their work is destroyed – straw and wood. Only one building survived.

Hear me well, please – what we are doing in church is not like a fairytale. It’s much more serious than that. We’re building the church of God as we come together. Verses 16 and 17 remind us of this. ‘Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.’

How do you hear that? Most of us will immediately think that Paul is saying you singular. So each one of us is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and to destroy our bodies is to destroy God’s temple. That’s what Paul describes later in his letter, in 6:19. But here, when Paul writes ‘you’ it is ‘you’ plural. The local church is the God’s temple. The local church is the dwelling place of God’s Spirit. To destroy the church, is therefore to destroy the temple of God.

Take care how you build. To cause division and inspire jealousy in the church is to destroy God’s temple, and also highlights spiritual immaturity. God delights to see us develop and grow, not in promoting and revelling in church leaders.

As Paul concludes his theme, he makes an appeal to those who think that they are wise. Those who delight in their wisdom show that they are infants in Christ. The answer is to, in the eyes of the world, become a fool, because then, in the mercy of God, they will become truly wise. In submitting to God’s wisdom, they will become mature in faith and in Christ. No longer will they boast in men, in their leaders, or in their own wisdom.

Why? Verse 21. ‘For all things are yours … and you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.’ In Christ, all things belong to us, so we don’t have to make distinctions and divisions between Paul and Apollos. God has given us all things. But before we become puffed up again in pride at what we possess, we’re reminded that just as all things are ours, so we in turn are owned by Christ, and Christ is God’s.

The cure to spiritual immaturity is to remind ourselves whose we are. In this way, we have our focus restored – away from ourselves, away from our leaders, and back on God – who gives the growth, and who tests our progress, and who dwells within us.

This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 12th October 2008.