Series: The Time Is Now
Week 3: The Blessings of Obedience
587 BC Babylonians destroyed temple—this was a spiritual blow—50 years captivity
Started strong and stopped—difficult. Started and –got discouraged.
Didn’t go as they expected! Things just aren’t going well.
We’re trying to obey you God and yet our life still is not working very well.
“God we’re obeying you and yet where are you? Where are the results?”
Is it really worth it to serve and obey God?
Assumed: As soon as we start to obey—Problems go away!
Doing the right thing now—God needs to come through for me!
Went to church today—Problems should be fixed by end of the service!
3 months passed—Nothing changed! Is it worth it to obey God?
THE PROBLEM: CONDITIONAL OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
I’ll obey—as long as I like the results! if it makes me uncomfortable, is inconvenient, or you’re not doing what I think you should do—conditional obedience.
Selective Hearing—We love Jeremiah 29:11 but Love my enemies—Forgive those who hurt us!
God doesn’t give us options to consider but Commands to obey.
THE CORRUPTIVE POWER OF SIN: God’s people turned idols. God tells Haggai ask priests, Haggai 2:12 No, the holiness doesn’t rub off.
Wash hands touch dirty plate. Clean hands make plate clean? No.
Haggai 2:13 Sin is like disease. Easier to spread than holiness. Corruptive Power of Sin
Bad company corrupts 1 Cor 15:33—Doesn’t say good company cleanses.
It stains everything it touches.
Haggai 2:14
TRUTH: When your heart isn’t right with God, whatever you do will be wrong.
Matthew 5:23-24: Give gift altar—Pray—Worship!—Honor me w/lips—hearts far from me.
Attitude with kids—Say Sorry and walk away. Right thing, wrong heart.
Attitude matters. If your heart isn’t right, whatever you do is completely wrong.
We don’t obey so God will bless us! We obey because we love Him!
God wanted more than a nice temple. Hearts devoted and obedient to Him.
Haggai 2:15 –You’re doing everything you can to have meaning in this life but you’re still empty Haggai 2:16 –It’s not working like you thought it would be.
Haggai 2:17 – God says “The reason you didn’t get ahead is because I didn’t let you.”
God is not trying to punish his people. God was trying to restore his people.
There are times when God may not change your situation because he’s trying to change your heart. Sometimes God may allow something bad with a purpose to get our attention and draw our hearts back.
Week 1 Go up, bring down, Build. Choose Hard Right over Easy Wrong—Week 2 Be strong, Do work. Successful people do consistently what normal people do occasionally.
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, GOD WANTS YOUR HEART.
Tell you what happened—their hearts started to change!
Matthew 6:33. God says, “I want you to delight in me. To enjoy me. To seek me. To delight in me, and then I will give you the desires of your heart, but first you delight in my heart. I want you to pursue me with all of your heart.”
If your heart isn’t right with God then everything you do is wrong, but when your heart is right with God you’ll see him start to bless you. But Conditional Obedience: We don’t obey so God will bless us. We obey God because we love Him. Jesus quoted ISAIAH 29:13.
Haggai 2:18-19. Even though you did not even plant the seed. I promise you will have a harvest of blessing. Why? Not because you built the temple, but because you gave Me your heart.