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Patience is a virtue. Wanting what we want when we want it isn’t a new concept. Maybe it has gotten worse, in a culture that thrives on instant gratification, but all things will happen in due time. When God doesn’t seem to answer, the answer may just be to wait for his timing.
God’s response to Habakkuk’s complaint wasn’t exactly what he expected to hear. So, he comes back with a 2nd question - how could God let His chosen people, Israel, get wiped out? And why would he allow a wicked nation to exact punishment? Habakkuk exhibits both fear and faith at the same time in his 2nd complaint. __ __
Continuing from last week’s passage, Habakkuk gets a response from God, though it may not have been the one he expected. The Lord shows Habakkuk the bigger picture that he is unable to see. But one thing is certain - God is not ignoring sim, but rather getting ready to punish it. __ __
In Habakkuk 1:1-4, Habakkuk’s world appears to be in shambles. Violence, injustice, wrongdoing, with no justice. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience - you cry out to God but there is no answer. __ __
God is the source of wisdom and knowledge; everything we know about this life just comes from him. Putting our ego where it belongs in relationship with God starts with accepting his wisdom and living according to it. Such a concession of course requires humility but, when we bow to his wisdom, we are granted the benefits afforded to those who pursue God. __ __
We are saved by God’s grace through faith but it is our works that show what God has done. Everything ultimately comes from God and we are really only giving him only that which he has given us. Pursuing God means doing good works and there are lots of ways to do that. We must make the most of our days on this earth and give of our time, talents and wealth in a way that pleases God. __ __
Prayer is the pursuit of Jesus' input and presence. You can’t have a personal relationship with someone you aren’t willing to communicate with. There are many reasons to pray and various ways to do it. But the most important thing is to do it - open that line of communication with your God and see how he responds. Why should we pray? __ __ How should we Pray? __ __ When should we pray? Always.
How many days on this Earth do you have left? How many hours do you have in a day? Whatever the numbers are, they are finite and cannot be added to. Given the time that is available to us, what should we do with that time? __ __
The Word has always existed since the beginning of time. Today, we have God’s word in the form of the Bible. All Scripture is God-breathed and has incredible purpose in all kinds of ways. It is an incredible weapon for the believer, able fend off the lies of the Deceiver. It also reveals truth, even the truth we are actively avoiding as we pursue Christ. __ __
What does it look like to pursue Christ? Today, we see that getting your priorities in line, putting Jesus at the top of the list, is one of the major facets of it. God’s promise of healing and deliverance is yours if you chase him. Because all along, God has been chasing you - we just have to turn around and touch him. __ __
The Bible records in great detail the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ final hours, his crucifixion and his resurrection. Today’s message is the Gospel - the good news and the story of Jesus’ ultimate gift of salvation from death for us, paid for by his blood on the cross. But it didn’t stop with the cross - when he rose from the dead, he gave us the gift of life in the here and now. __ __
The final chapter of 1 John says that if we love God, then we will keep his commands. We don’t do so to earn salvation, but rather to keep harmony with others and God. It’s not a burden to keep his commands - it’s our pleasure because of our love for him. But salvation comes be grace through faith - this is the basis for our victory. __ __
You cannot fully understand what love is all about unless you know God. In fact, we only know what love can truly be because God has shown us. Everyone wants to be loved. God’s love lives in the heart of every follower of Christ. It is therefore our mission to love others and show them what God’s love looks like. __ __
Just because someone claims to speak on behalf of God, doesn’t mean that they are. We have to test what he or she is saying to see whether it is from God. How do we do that? Knowing the Word of God is a key part of the answer. __ __
The root of Cain’s sin was jealousy - he coveted what his brother had and killed him over it. We cannot play the comparison game - nothing good comes from that. The harshest critic of a believer is a fellow believer. We have to be better than that, to let forgiveness reign. Why? Because those who are outside the church will know what God’s love is like by looking at Christians’ love for each other. __ __
When a person becomes a Christian, he or she is essentially “reborn” - a new life has begun and the person has been created anew. This morning, we’re doing a “Christological test” - compare yourself to Christ to see where your relationship with him is at. Are you different than how you used to be? Do you recognize Christ in your life? Do others? When we find ourselves feeling guilty and wrestling over our sin, that is a sign that Christ is alive within us. __ __
Anything or anyone that opposes Jesus or his relationship with people is an antichrist. We live in the world but that doesn’t mean we have to love the world. We have to be careful to not let our desires and aspirations take the place of or get in the way of God. What’s done for Christ will last. Is that thing you spend your money, energy and time on actually important? __ __
There is an old command in the Old Testament that is really the same as the new command: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Walking in the light means walking in love. But what is love? Jesus defined the greatest love as laying down one’s life for his friends. It is taking our love for God himself and applying it to the people God has placed around us. If we can do that, we live a blameless life and walk in the light.
Like it or not, we are all sinful beings. In fact, claiming that we are not essentially makes God a liar. But the good news is that there is forgiveness that comes with confession! Confessing our sins shows God that we know our wrongdoing is serious; not confessing reveals that we think we don’t need His forgiveness. We need to show “godly sorrow” - a grief that comes with knowing that we’ve hurt God’s heart, not a grief that reveals we’re sorry we messed up. __ __
In 1 John, we learn that God is light. Throughout the Bible, goodness is seen as light and evil is seen as darkness. We cannot claim Jesus as Lord and live a life of fulfilled temptation. We are encouraged to walk in the light as he is in the light. It is the only way to have fellowship with Jesus, and in the end fellowship with one another. __ __
Finishing up our series in Haggai, we wrap up chapter 2 as God warns his people to think before they act and remember when things weren’t good between them and God. Remembering the history of your walk with God will help you make decisions that direct your path away from the fruitless and toward the overflowing life. When things don’t seem right between you and God, seek the presence of the Lord. - When things are good or when things are bad, it’s important that we use our memories to keep us where we should be or return us to where we should go. - Once you’ve been in the presence of the brightest light, everything seems dim by comparison. - The potential for God's blessing is always present. - What is and what isn't largely rest on decision making.
In Haggai 2, some of the remnant of Israel remembered what the temple looked like before the exile and they were not pleased with how it looked during exile. But God had a different opinion - God told them that he was still with them. When things in our lives don’t seem as pleasing as the “good ol’ days”, we need to remember that God is still pleased with us and brings us peace. __ __
In Haggai, God is calling his people to choose empowerment over entitlement. Entitlement is rooted in selfishness and given to people who haven’t earned it but empowerment is given to those who are faithful to God. We are being called to give up our comfort and step out in faith, get to work and receive an empowerment that can only come from God. __ __
In our first week of “The Workers” series, we saw that God is unhappy with his people for building up their houses instead of the Temple. This week, we’re looking at the punishment God enacted on them, ruining their crops, livestock and more because they refused to put Him first. God reiterates what He is calling his people to and promises to strip away everything until there is only him if he has to. What has God called us to that we’re ignoring?
Every successful organization needs leaders in order for the group to move forward. In Haggai chapter 1, the leaders were not organizing the people to build the temple when it was time to do so. Paul explains some traits of a good leader and a people who is responsive to God. Will we continue to focus on ourselves and not make time for God or will we get our priorities straight? __ __
It’s sometimes odd to think of it this way, but Jesus was born to die. That was his main purpose in coming from heaven to earth and, though he could have refused to go through with it, he went to the cross and paid the debt of all of our sins. On Christmas Eve, we’re remembering the true purpose of Jesus’ birth - that he would be a sacrifice for all. __ __
Jesus’ lineage before him is filled with some of the great Jewish historical figures. Also included are 4 women with questionable backgrounds. So, Jesus is both royalty and an outcast. What does this say about him? Jesus is for everyone. Jesus had encouraging words for the outcasts at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount. He is the reason for hope in this life and the next and his hope encourages us to live contrary to the world.
Jesus’ lineage before him is filled with some of the great Jewish historical figures. Also included are 4 women with questionable backgrounds. So, Jesus is both royalty and an outcast. What does this say about him? Jesus is for everyone. Jesus had encouraging words for the outcasts at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount. He is the reason for hope in this life and the next and his hope encourages us to live contrary to the world.
Faith in Jesus started even on the day he was born. In Luke 2, we learn that the shepherds near Bethlehem left their sheep to go find the baby in the manger. Simeon’s faith was shown when he believed the baby in his arms was the savior of the world. Story after story throughout the gospels show us that it was nearly impossible to not have faith in Jesus after an encounter with him. It’s up to us to share the good news of Jesus with people around us so that they can have their own encounter with him. __ __
Christ is returning, but the time and date isn’t known. We must therefore be watchful, ready and waiting for him to come. That means putting away the worries of this world and focusing on the eternal. Though we don’t know when the end will come, we need to live our life with the end in mind. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul gives us instructions on what that kind of life looks like. __ __
