From Jennifer: Well, we did it! We finished studying the book of Haggai! Way to go you! You hung in there and look at how much you’ve grown?! Beautiful! In our last video, we discussed that the last sermon in Haggai (Haggai 2:20-23) repeated one of the big ideas in the book. God will do what He says He will do! God will prove Himself stronger than any army; more powerful than any government; supreme over nature. Everything will shake, but His promise will stand. And just like Zerubbabel, you will not be removed from His hand.
We talked about the importance of trusting God’s promises. If we don’t take God at His Word, we won’t take courage in this life. When we believe God's promises are true, we're motivated to do what He calls us to do. And, we discovered that the Apostle Paul summarized what God calls us to do in 1 Corinthians 16:13. Much like Haggai, Paul was reminding the Corinthians who were distracted and divided to focus on the main thing. Haggai may have encouraged his people to rebuild the temple, but Paul encouraged the Corinthians to “be” the temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). So, we broke 1 Corinthians 16:13 into four parts which represent how we live as His sanctuary, His temple.
1. We can be alert. To be alert means we are spiritually awake and watchful. 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us we have an enemy who is out to swallow us in one big gulp! That’s why we need to be “sober and vigilant,” kind of like those female impalas in the wild who stopped foraging and chewing when they heard the lions roar. The impalas taught us that the sacrifice of vigilance is far less costly than the result of distraction. So we must be aware of our enemy’s schemes, avoid distraction, and stay with the herd! The enemy can use Samaritans and even your small things syndrome to make you quit. Don’t let the enemy of your soul be more alert than you are.
2. We can stand firm in the faith. To stand firm means we are steadfast and immovable. The Greek word for "steadfast" in 1 Corinthians 15:58 means to be solidly based or seated. And “immovable” emphasizes faith that won’t shake or budge. That’s why Paul is telling the Corinthians to not just stand firm in their faith. He’s telling them to stand firm in faithfulness too. When we do, we “abound in the work of the Lord.” Just like me on top of Timone the Elephant, you are solidly based, standing firm on the promises and character of God. You rest your strength on God; He does the work. Part of standing firm in your faith is reviewing what you know. “You know” your labor is not in vain. Sometimes it will feel like it is. You may not see the end of the story. Haggai and Zerubbabel couldn’t see the end of their rebuilding story, but they didn’t labor in vain and neither do you.
3. We can be courageous. The Greek word for courageous is andrizomai which is used just this one time in the New Testament. It’s a command to “act like men” or “play the man!” This can be confusing because God’s created intent for men has been tainted by sin. And our culture gets wrong what true manhood is. There are plenty of good men who represent what Paul meant here, but there is only One absolutely Good Man we can imitate to truly be courageous—the God-Man Jesus. Hebrews 12:2-3 shows us that choosing an eternal perspective, choosing endurance, and choosing emotional wisdom is how we “play the man.” Just as Bishop Latimer encouraged his friend as they were dying, we encourage each other to be courageous, to “play the man.”
4. We can be strong. God has called you to finish well so He strengthens you. He stands with you and strengthens you (2 Timothy 4:17). He strengthens you in the power of His might (Ephesians 6). You don’t generate strength, you grab it. So grab a fist full of strength from God. You take courage for God is with you. To be strong means you hold out your hand to be strengthened just like the marathon runners did. We must take the hand of another. And, we must gain strength from Him who ultimately holds us in His hand. Just as Zerubbabel was like God’s signet ring (Haggai 2:23), secure on the finger of God, so are you, and so am I. We are held secure in His hand (John 10:28). He chose Solomon to build the temple, He chose the Jews in Haggai to rebuild the temple, and, my friend, He chooses you now to be His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19).
So, may our lives be a sanctuary that displays the glory of God as we live alert, stand firm, and take courage. I’m so grateful you got to know our guy Haggai! I hope you got to know His God and yourself even better too. May God continue to teach us, grow us, unite us, and protect His Word. Amen! Love you forever and always,
Jennifer Rothschild