August 15-17, 2015 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Haggai 1:1-8; 2:4-5, 19b “HAGGAI: BUILD GOD’S HOUSE!”

MAJORING IN THE MINORS: HAGGAI

August 15-17, 2015

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Haggai 1:1-8; 2:4-5, 19b

“HAGGAI: BUILD GOD’S HOUSE!”

1.     Give careful thought to your ways!

2.     The LORD is with you!

          Build God’s House! Is there anything hard to understand about that command?  Build God’s House. But at the time of the prophet Haggai God’s Old Testament people didn’t do it. Why not? Here’s the background. In 538 BC God fulfilled His promise to bring back His people exiled in Babylon to their homeland, to Jerusalem. They were that generation’s people of God. They had a privileged purpose. They were to exist to bring the Savior into the world. For that to happen God wanted His house built, the Temple. That’s where God used the Old Testament worship life to keep people focused on their need for a Savior. It was a sign for all people. Sin makes people unclean, separates them from God. Sacrifices were made for sin. It has to be paid for. An intercessor needed. Atonement provided through a substitute. The Temple was necessary. Since it had been destroyed God gave the command. “Build God’s house.” The people came back to Jerusalem in 538 BC. Temple rebuilding began in 536 BC. There was joy and happiness. The work began with a capital campaign. The people brought generous thankofferings for materials and work began. But then it stopped. Samaritans, people who had been brought in from other countries pressured them. They tried to use government interference to stop the work. But when that passed work didn’t resume. It wasn’t the Samaritans who were the problem. It was sin. God’s people’s sin. They were putting themselves ahead of God.

          Through Haggai God addressed His people. Haggai 1:1-8 (NIV 1984) “In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' " 3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" 5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 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." 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD.”

          What were you thinking? There comes a time in every parent’s life when you ask your kids that question. When you realize the boy has been quiet way too long in his room and you walk in to see the beautiful crayon art all over the newly painted wall. When the soaked cat comes sprinting at Mach 5 through the house escaping from the well intentioned whirlpool bath in the toilet. What were you thinking?” Give careful thought to your ways,” is how God the Father put the question to His Old Testament children. What were you thinking putting me last? You notice God did not chide them for having their own houses to live in or having food and drink. It was for failing to put God first. That’s the first Commandment! You can see how it happened. They started the work on the Temple. But then there was a rain day. Might as well work at home. I’ll go back when I get this project done. OK, one more thing to do then we’ll get around to God. What were you thinking? Haven’t you seen that putting other things ahead of God leads to loss of blessings? Despite all their hard work there were fewer crops, not enough food, never enough money. Give careful thought to your ways. There are a lot of things God puts up with in His people but second place is not one of them. Build God’s house. Now!

          Brothers and sisters, we are the people of God today. We have also been chosen by Him and have a privileged purpose. It’s not to build a Temple for worship. We can worship God in a church building, a house, under a tent, anywhere. Actually we are each a living and moving Temple of God. Together we are the Church and  our purpose is to draw people to Jesus until He comes again. We are salt and light. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness is the New Testament equivalent of Build God’s House. Seek first. It’s necessary every once in a while to ask ourselves, “Are we fulfilling our privileged purpose? Are we being what God made us to be, salt and light? Are we seeking first?” God Himself has placed us in this physically blessed country. He doesn’t say to us, “You can’t have a nice house or car or go out to eat occasionally.” He doesn’t say, “You can’t work a job, maintain that home, relax, golf, fish, hunt, shop, watch or play sports.” He says, “Seek first.” It’s priorities. Build God’s house in your home. Is time deliberately set aside each day for word and prayer? Is worship the last piece of the puzzle to fit into your calendar or what you try to work everything else around. Give careful thought to your ways is a message we need to hear. Think. Are you always pursuing happiness but never finding it? Family constantly in turmoil? Do you think to yourself, “You know once the kids are out of school, then I’ll give to God in a way that honors him, or once I’m out of school, or once I get my retirement set up.” Give careful thought to your ways. Are you living with a purse with holes in it, making lots but never enough? Do you think Old Testament believers in heaven ask “What part of seek first don’t they understand?”

          But…Now I’ve never known a child of God including myself to fudge a little on what God says without having what to our mind, my mind is a “reasonable” excuse. God I want to put you first but if I do my kids might not be as successful, or I won’t have enough to pay the bills or I won’t get enough sleep. The real reason behind so many of our reasons is fear. Fear we will miss out or have less or things won’t work out.

God’s Old Testament people faced similar fears. To enable them to build God’s House he gave this encouragement. Haggai 2:4-5 (NIV 1984) “But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'”

          There is a simple Bible truth. Whatever God asks you to do, He will give you what you need to do it. To overcome their fears God gave his people his presence. He would be with them from government leader to church leader to people He would be with them. They could fulfill their privileged purpose and build God’s house first, they could honor God and He would make sure they had enough food, drink, money, protection. The same is true for us. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness goes on. “And all these things will be added to you as well.” “Go and make disciples” is followed by “Surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age.” For whatever fear is holding you back or me back from building God’s house by seeking his kingdom first God has an answer. He will bless your time management so you can read His word, pray and get your work done. He will bless your children so they can be happy even if they are not involved in every activity offered in the Milwaukee area. He will bless your budgeting and control your unexpected expenses. For those times when we feel our past failures as a Christian mom or dad, husband or wife or worker will make it impossible for us to be salt and light or lead to Christ He gives freely His forgiveness and declares you and me to be as white as snow.

          Build God’s House. It’s a simple command. When Haggai first spoke to the people it wasn’t being done. But there was repentance. God’s house got built. At the moment of their repentance in mercy God told them Haggai 2:19b (NIV 1984)  “From this day on I will bless you.” Centuries later Christ came as promised. God doesn’t demand that Temple anymore. He wants us, you and me, living Temples working together and apart to build the church. While our country is physically blest it is becoming more and more spiritually bankrupt. The people of America need us to be what we are believers in Jesus who draw others to Him by deliberately and obviously building God’s house, seeking first. Now maybe you have for the most part been seeking first and building God’s house. Maybe you realize you haven’t been. Listen. It’s never too late in life to start doing the right things. It’s never too soon to stop doing the wrong. God forgives. He sees repentant hearts and says, “From this day on I will bless you.” Let’s Build God’s House! Amen.

August 9th, 2015 Pastor Waldschmidt MAJORING IN THE MINORS: Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:8-9  Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.  In the fire of his jealousy  the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.

Zephaniah 3:14-15  Sing, Daughter Zion;  shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,  Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment,  he has turned back your enemy.

Zephaniah-The Lord Hides (Protects)

I.                    Hides His Judgment

II.                  Protects His People

In the name of our Savior who hides us in the Shadow of His wings, dear fellow redeemed children of God,

    Summer nights were the time for street games in front of 36 Oaklawn Ave.  The house I grew up in had a big front porch.  From there mom could keep her eye on her children as we played football and kick the can and tag.  One of our favorite games was hide n go seek.  There were lots of places to hide in the neighborhood.  From the front porch mom could watch as the children scattered to hide behind bushes and in basement window wells.  Sometimes she would help the youngest in the group with hand signals that gave away the hiding places of the older kids or to steer the older ones in the wrong direction to protect the hiding places of the little ones.

Today we continue in our summer sermon series on the minor prophets.  Today we are thinking about God’s Word through the prophet Zephaniah.  His name means “The Lord Hides” or “The Lord protects. “  So today we have a front porch view as we watch the Lord hide.  We certainly can’t see all of the hiding places of the God who fills heaven and earth.  But today let’s watch as the hides his judgment for those reject him and the Lord hides his people away to protect them.

     “Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.”   When we are learning our books of the Bible it is easy to get Zephaniah and Zechariah mixed around.  Zephaniah was the first of the “Z”s.  Zephaniah was a spokesman of the Lord before the exile to Babylon and Zechariah was a spokesman after God brought the remnant back.   So Zephaniah was the prophet when God was in a way still hiding his judgment, in other words it wasn’t out in the open yet.

     We think Zephaniah was a little older contemporary to the prophet Jeremiah.  He was actually in the royal family, a great grandson of Hezekiah.  During Zephaniah’s time, his cousin  King Josiah would have discovered the Book of the Law of God during a temple restoration project.  That Word of the Lord  had been  ignored and lost sitting up on a dusty  shelf for years .  Josiah began to try to turn the peole back to the Lord.  Josiah ruled for a long time and Zephaniah would have been the prophet  toward the beginning of his reign and Jeremiah would have been the prophet when Josiah died and the people of Jerusalem took off in opposite spiritual direction away from the Lord.

      Have you ever walked along through muddy ground? - So as you walked along, your boots picked up more and more mud and your feet grew heavier and heavier?   That’s sort of the feeling that you get as you read through Zephaniah.  These are words of gloom and doom.  God’s judgment was coming.  Many people could not see or would not see it.  Think of when Jeremiah spoke of the Lord’s judgment and the Bible tells us that all of the people, the priests and all the leaders crowded around him and said, “You must die!”  The Lord didn’t strike them down.  The Day of the Lord was crouching and waiting for the right time.

       Many people didn’t listen to the prophet’s warnings because things seemed to be going  pretty well for Judah.  The Assyrians might have gobbled up the northern ten tribes but Sennacherib’s army had been turned back and life seemed good.  Many, many people worshipped the stars and looked to  idols like Molech for help.  Chapter 1 points out that many were complacent in their sin.  They thought, “The Lord will do nothing good or bad.”  Just because they could not see the Day of the Lord did not mean it wasn’t coming.  The Lord’s judgment was hiding. 

     It seems as though the Lord started the talk of the Day of the Lord’s judgment through Zephaniah when there was a little skirmish with the Scythians, a fierce nomadic people from the highlands of Asia.  But there was another day of the Lord’s Judgment coming-much bigger and more deadly for the nation of Judah.  The Lord was raising up the Babylonian army to destroy Jerusalem and carry the people back to Babylon.  Zephaniah wrote, “The great day of the Lord is near and coming quickly.  Listen the cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there.  It will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and ruin.” 

      On that day of the Lord no one would be able to turn to their silver or their gold to make a difference.  “Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”  Success money and power all are bulldozed down on the day of the Lord.  How much money they had really wouldn’t mean much when they were bumping along in cages and carts to Babylon.  The day that they never saw coming came upon them in 586 BC as the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. 

     Doesn’t it seem as though the Day of the Lord is very near and coming quickly” for our world?   We seem to have reached the tipping point where our world is sliding deeper and deeper into sin and rebellion with alarming speed.   It’s much easier to see that when we are looking at the sins of the world than when we are looking at our own sin.  The devil has a way of convincing us that our sins are really not all that bad.  We think our sins don’t arouse God’s anger all that much.  We think we have plenty of time to change get rid of wickedness in our lives later.  The truth is that the day of the Lord’s Judgment on Jerusalem only foreshadowed the ultimate day of the Lord’s judgment of sin on the day the world ends.  That day is still hidden by the Lord out there in the future.  But make no mistake it is there.

      The Lord doesn’t hide in judgment in the future like an ambush hoping to smash as many people as he can.  No remember what Peter wrote when he talked about when people were saying, “Where is this coming he promised?” and questioning the timing of Judgment Day?  “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. “  Finally, the Lord who hides is judgment does not want to bring the hammer down.  Through another Old Testament prophet he pleads, “Turn, Turn from your evil ways.  Why will you die?” 

     In the middle of the gloom and doom of the destruction of Jerusalem a song of rejoicing is hidden.  “Sing, Daughter Zion;  shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,  Daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment,  he has turned back your enemy.”  The Lord remembered his promises.  He hid His people away and kept them safe.  He protected them.

      Last year in North Dakota there was a 3 year old who wandered away from his family farm.  The family dog trotted along with him.  The family started frantically searching with the authorities.  The weather grow bad with rain and lightning during the night. Around 2:00 a.m. some of the rescue teams were even called back due to the weather, but the family and ATV riders continued with the search. In the middle of the night a fireman on an ATV spotted something about a mile southwest of the farm. When the rescuer used his headlights to gain more visibility, Cooper, the family dog,  stood up.  The loyal dog was resting on top of the child who was asleep.  The was hiding him, protecting him keeping  the small child warm and dry from the rain. The Lord would keep his promise.  He would keep his people safe in the midst of the judgment going on around them.  God kept the remnant safe.  They would come back to Jerusalem.  Walls and another temple would be built.  The promised Savior would be born in one of those little towns the Babylonian army traipsed through.  The Savior would absorb the dreaded blows of God’s judgment on a cross to protect so that we could be safe on the Great Day of the Lord.

     Because of Jesus we don’t have to fear that Great Day of the Lord.  It is only our Savior Jesus coming back to take us home.  That’s something for us to sing about!  That’s happy news for us to shout.  The Lord has taken away our sin.  The Lord protects us.

     There is a passage in Isaiah that helps when I don’t understand the world around us, that helps when we don’t understand the things happening in our lives.  “Surely you are a God who hides himself O God and Savior of Israel.”  God does hide himself.  He doesn’t tell us everything.  But he does tell us what we need to know.  He is our God and Savior.  HE loves us.  He has saved us from his fierce judgment.  He protects and shields us.  Amen.

August 1-3, 2015 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Habakkuk 1:1-4, 12-13; 2:4b; 3:16-19a “HABAKKUK TEACHES US TO LIVE BY FAITH!”

MAJORING IN THE MINORS: HABAKKUK

August 1-3, 2015

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 12-13; 2:4b; 3:16-19a

“HABAKKUK TEACHES US TO LIVE BY FAITH!”

1.     He asks our questions.

2.     He lives our answer.

Habakkuk (NIV1984)1-4, 12-13 “The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received. ²How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? ³ Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. ⁴Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. 12 O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.

13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”

Habakkuk 2:4b “The righteous will live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 3:16-19a “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. ¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength.”

          By now you are getting the sense that the Minor Prophets lived in times much like we do. They lived among people that rejoiced in sexual sinning and worshiping fake gods. Even God’s people weren’t so clean as they found themselves drawn to the sins of their society. They also lived in unsettled times with their world politics as different empires jockeyed for power with Israel often caught in between. A lot like our times. Today’s minor prophet is a lot like us. We don’t know a whole lot about him but he does an excellent job in teaching us to be what we are: people who live by faith.

          First he asks the kind of questions we ask. ²How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? ³ Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. ⁴Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” Habakkuk’s first question is “How long do I have to wait for help, O LORD?” What bothered Habakkuk was the sin going on around him. The sins of his people. Politicians were corrupt. The justice system wasn’t just. The wicked seemed to get away with it. How long O LORD until you help? Have you ever asked questions like that?  How long do I have to put up with the jerk at work or the unkind family member? How long do I have to deal with this chronic illness? How long will my hurting heart keep hurting? Where are you God? Yes, we ask questions like that.

          Habakkuk’s second question was this: “O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.

13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” Habakkuk’s second question follows God’s first answer which we will get to in a bit. He’s basically asking, “God why do you tolerate evil? Why do you let it appear like they’re getting away with it?” He asked this because God told him that the Babylonian army was going to take care of the wicked people in Judah and everyone knows the Babylonians are even worse. It just didn’t seem fair. Oh, yeah, there it is. That’s how we often ask that question. When someone whose outward life seems worse than ours appears to win or get away with… deflating a football or cheating on their taxes or winning a contract or a better grade on a test or you fill in the blank. Why do you tolerate that Lord? Habakkuk asks our questions.

          Then he lives our answer. The key verse in this book, the one you know best is the second half of chapter 2:4. “The righteous will live by his faith.” You know it well because as Lutheran Christians you know that God used that truth as it is quoted in Romans 1:17 to open Martin Luther’s eyes to the truth that you are right with God and will live eternally by faith in what Jesus has done, not what you do. Oh the peace. Isn’t that amazing, an amazing proof of God’s grace? He considers people like you and me to be righteous, holy in His sight. How can that be? We are the people who complain about our aches and pains when God has put us in a country where you can actually get help and treatment. Most people don’t get that. We complain about food, weather, each other. How many times does God have to come through for us before we will actually honor Him by trusting Him when we’re in trouble? And we are righteous? Yes you are through faith in Jesus who was righteous for you.

          There’s another use of that passage in the New Testament in Hebrews 10:38. The righteous will live by faith. There it means that God is honored when those He has declared righteous live their earthly lives by faith, by trusting in God not themselves, who trust Him even when they don’t see or have what God has promised. Habakkuk did that. You see when he raised the question “How long O LORD do I have to wait for help?” God answered, “Habakkuk, I’ve got it covered. I’ll have the Babylonians take care of the wicked people you live among.” Then when Habakkuk asked his second question “Why do you appear to tolerate evil?” God answered, “Habakkuk, I’ve got it covered. The Babylonians will be wiped out in due time.” I’ve got it covered.

          Now look what Habakkuk did with that. “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. ¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength.” Ah, you see what he did? He resolved to live by faith. He would wait for God take care of it. He would remain joyful.

          The righteous live by faith. Living by faith can lead to some remarkable actions but most importantly it honors God. So many examples in God’s Word. Think of Abraham whose faith that God could raise his son Isaac from the dead led him to raise the knife and start to bring it down before God stopped him. How about this gem from the book of Job 13:15. When his friends are tearing him down Job confess this about God. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him!” Awesome living by faith. Sometimes though living by faith means taking no action. Habakkuk would wait patiently even as he watched his country invaded. God had it covered. He would live by faith in that truth. That’s what the righteous do. That’s what you can do as well. That jerk at work, the unkind family member, whatever it is that you are enduring if God’s word isn’t making it clear that you need to do something then live by faith. Wait patiently for the LORD. Smile. He’s got it covered! The Sovereign LORD is your strength too.

          No surprise that everything happened just as God told Habakkuk. He just had to wait for it. Don’t be surprised when God works out things for you too. Unlike Habakkuk we are not told exactly what God’s solutions to our problems are. Like Habakkuk we don’t know when God will take care of them. Habakkuk is a good teacher. He doesn’t say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” He says watch me and do what you see me doing. Let’s be good students, the righteous that God says we are, and leave her today with our problems left in God’s hands, a smile on our face as we go to live by faith. For the Sovereign Lord is our strength! Amen.