Serving The Unshakable Kingdom
Lessons from Haggai
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good morning welcome if you're new here Among Us my name is Jean I serve here at C3 Church as your lead pastor and if you're not new here you know I like to tell stories so I heard a story about three people who became friends at church three guys and they had the tradition of going to lunch after the service now you know I'm not talking about our church because why we have a cafe right so you'll hear about that later if you didn't know say go out to lunch and they just talk about different things sometimes the service this week guy number one is particularly cranky things aren't going well in his life and so of course it's the pastor's fault right so he starts complaining everything is the best that's okay that's so he's like I just didn't feel that that message was inspiring it just didn't really like motivate me to do anything you know I just it wasn't very good well one little spark can set a whole Forest Ablaze or the second guy and so he's like you know you're right and the worship team wasn't very good I didn't you know get my batteries charged up you know because that's what the worship team's job you know not not very professional it just wasn't very good I think it was out of key but yeah you're right third guy one more left level headed he looks at them says well what did you expect for a dollar he was the treasurer all right uh uh I thought you guys weren't gonna laugh it would have been a little scary all right so anyway this is kind of breaking the ice so just to let you know how it works here in case you don't know um we do what's called expository teaching here so basically everything comes from the word that's it just think expose right so I start here and then it comes out it's been said that anything else is suppository oh right so but right you're kind of garbage because what a lot of people do is they just take their opinion they come in and they'll say this is really the opinion I want to get across and I'm going to try to grab all these different verses from the Bible and make it work right like this Montage that's really not good uh because you get it wrong a lot like that so this is the opposite and we're especially in the series we're going in a very particular order so I really don't have a choice it's just where we are and then I pray about what needs to be heard from the text what do we do God you know in this particular text there's really like nowhere else you can go it's one of those things you can try to pick a point but you'd be really stretching it like there's a major theme here that you're going to see and so this is a huge disclaimer this is one of the weeks where I'm like God give me something else like I just anything else come on give me you know I wanted to skip this so I really wrestled with this this is not what Pastor Gene wants to preach on so major toe stepping today I had no one in particular in mind and during this message no one in mind it is just you know how that is no one in mine no so just this is just where we are in the text so please all right so I'm going to put up the spiritual mirror of deflection here in front of me and take it up with that guy because this is why we're using a lot of scriptures today this is all coming from the Lord just say you ready okay all right it's gonna sting a little bit but you'll make it and then we'll have lunch afterwards so it'll be totally fine don't be cranky guy so here we are let me just give you the surrounding context so the kingdom of Judah has fallen and we're going beyond that 70-year Exile that was their time out right so the seventh year Exile then they're coming back and last week we saw it was like 50 000 people 5 400 Temple items it's being returned King Cyrus is making this decrease he's really like this Persian king working for the Lord so they're all coming back and now initially they're they're like excited we're going to rebuild the Temple they've been destroyed so they lay the foundation they're kind of doing things right but like we do today they lose enthusiasm uh it's kind of slow down and now some people are kind of being subversive and you know kind of slowing the work down and they're kind of content to go okay you know what I mean we're just not going to do that there's another problem they're working on now if you're reading from like a more traditional translational like it might say paneled houses like or something like that and like in NLT it'll say luxury homes what's the point here is it's above and beyond just like working on your house like these are really nice houses that they're building for themselves so they're like you know what forget about the house of the Lord we're going to work on our own homes now and so this is what's happening Ezra 424. so the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia at that time the prophets haggai and Zechariah son of Ido prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem they prophesied in the name of the god of Israel who is over them so I'm going to explain that to you we'll do another chart When someone tells me I'll just lean the wrong way on the chart okay but anyway I make these that's for my entertainment I can't draw that well but anyway you can see I made the top part this is the basic chronological order of the book so the Bible it's not in chronological order and you literally have to take like chapters of the Bible and put it back together again to get chronological and you'll actually see when I read these verses it'll go month by month perfectly or ish I could have made a mistake in chronological order so this is where we are and so again during these historical books Ezra is one of them we see prophetic books weaving their way through and so Ezra already told us this is where haggai and Zechariah goes so we're going to glimpse into Zechariah just a quick Glimpse we're going to focus on haggai today two chapter book kind of short with really one big theme you're going to see there was no way for me to get out of this so hey I won one on August 29th of the second year of King darius's Reign the lord gave a message through the prophet haggai to the rubber Bell son of sheltil governor of Judah and to jeshua son of jehoshadak the high priest this is what the lord of Heaven's Army says the people are saying the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord then the Lord sent this message through the prophet haggai why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in Ruins this is what the lord of Heaven's Army says look at what's happening to you you have planted much but you harvest little you eat but you're not satisfied you drink but you're still thirsty you put on clothes but cannot keep warm your wages disappear as though you were putting them in Pockets filled with holes so a couple of things that play here with the names so they still have Governors whether they were an exile member gedalia got killed zerubbabel he is a governor there that's his job we're going to look at him a little bit more today than you have jeshua there he's the high priest at the time we're going to look at him when we get to Zechariah it's going to be kind of a theme that attaches just a quick nerd note for you if you're looking at what the apostles were looking at the Greek Old Testament that's what they're quoting and using if you looked at jeshua you'd see Jesus and the Greek so a pre-figure of Jesus really cool I'll nerd out on that one next week with you feel free to join me so the point here is we look at the next few verses is basically start working on my temple and not just your homes that's why so you're not you know really getting a good harvest because you're neglecting me and we'll get to more of that later haggai 112 then zoruba Bell son of Shel teal and Joshua son of jehoshadak the high priest and the whole remnant of God's people began to obey the message from the Lord their God when they heard the words of the Prophet haggai whom the Lord their God had sent the people fear the people feared the Lord okay so then haggai the Lord's messenger gave the people this message from the Lord I am with you says the Lord and so this greatly encourages them so they all get together and they start working again I'm with you pay attention if we turn the page haggai 2-1 then and look at the Timeline it'll start going down then October 17th of that same year the Lord sent another message through the prophet haggai say this to zerubbabel son of Shel teal governor of Judah and to jeshua son of jehoshadak the high priest and to the remnant of God's people there in the land does anyone remember this house the temple and his former Splendor how in comparison does it look to you now it must seem like nothing at all but now the Lord says be strong as a rubber Bell be strong Jesus Son of jehoshadak the high priest be strong all you people still left in the land and now get to work for I Am with You says the Lord of Heaven's armies my spirit remains among you just as I promised when you came out of Egypt so do not be afraid for this is what the lord of Heaven's Army says in just a little while I will shake the heavens and the Earth the oceans and the dry land I will shake all the nations and the Treasures of the Nations will be brought to this Temple I will fill this place with Glory says the Lord of Heaven's armies the silver is mine and the gold is mine says the Lord of Heaven's armies the future Glory of this Temple will be greater than its past Glory says the Lord of Heaven's armies and in this place I will bring peace I the Lord of Heaven's armies have spoken so we're going to look more at this next week but we're just going to kind of quickly get a window if we were doing it chronological-ish we would have Zechariah here and you see how it moves along in November of the second year of King darius's Reign the lord gave this message to the prophet Zechariah son of barrachiah the grandson of Ido I the Lord was very angry with your ancestors therefore say to the people this is what the lord of Heaven's Army says return to me and I will return to you so we'll look at that a little more next week but pick up on this theme return to me and I will return to you so if we keep moving uh it's kind of a weird thing a lot of people don't understand it and I'll try to just make common sense of it essentially if you're carrying a holy sacrifice he's like challenging the people if you're carrying the holy sacrifice and it brushes up against some other stuff is that other stuff going to become holy like that sacrifice is now okay but the other way around right so if something like you're defiled and it's like this thing by touching a dead body sounds confusing but it would defile them right then will someone else will that rub off on someone else so just think of it in plain language like your sin is rubbing off on everybody else there's rampants in there everything they do and everything they offer is defiled it's about the sin so it's just to make sense of that and then we'll get back into here haggai we'll put three on one haggai 3 18. think about this 18th day of November pay attention to that now you see that we've moved another month the day when the foundation of the Lord's Temple was laid think carefully I'm giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn you have not yet harvested your grain your grapevines your fig trees pomegranates and olive trees have not yet produced their crops but from this day onward I will bless you see return to me start working for me and I will bless you for that Ezra 5 2 is a rubber Bell son of shield and Jesus Son of Jehovah's responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem and the prophets of God were with them and helped them again you're back in haggai on that same day December 18th the Lord sent this second message to haggai tells arabell the governor of Judah that I'm about to shake the heavens and the Earth you see that there again I will overthrow Royal Thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms I'll overturn their chariots and Riders the horses will fall and the writers will kill each other but when this happens it says the Lord of Heaven's armies I will honor you as a rubber Bell son of shall teal my servant I will make you like a Signet ring on my finger says the Lord for I have chosen you I the Lord of Heaven's armies have spoken so here's what is at play here we often make our priorities things that we want to do more important than God's you know simply put we don't always put him first but when we talk about putting him first what does that mean you know is he like a he's Above All Things is he a book on a bookshelf you know so like he's above he's up there but I like to read the books on this shelf right so it's deeper than that it's much deeper than that making him a priority so this is the the context here and here's the thing we see that as a result we may be suffering for it now we see here they're suffering suffering material right you're putting a lot in and you know you're sewing into your own field but if you sow into mine it would produce greater blessings and this can lead to a bad way to think like he's a cosmic piggy bank or something like that you know what I mean or like I put in more he'll give me more it's a bit selfish right so that's not the point really but that's the point being made and we'll see that's the point Paul's going to make in the New Testament too sometimes you have to appeal to Stubborn people a certain way to wake them up right so if they're not getting it and already doing it for the right reasons you know what I mean you got to give them something else and so that's what's a little bit going on here but let's take the beginning of haggai we'll take a look at it again with that in mind haggai 1-5 this is what the lord of Heaven's Army says look at what's happening to you you have planted much but Harvest little you eat but are not satisfied you drink but are still thirsty you put on clothes but you can't keep warm your wages disappear as though you were putting them in Pockets filled with holes this is what the lord of Heaven's Army said look look at what's happening to you now go up into the hills bring down Timber and rebuild my house says the Lord then I will take pleasure in it and be honored says the Lord you hope for Rich Harvest but you were poor and when you brought your Harvest Home it blew away why because my house lies in Ruins says the Lord of Heaven's armies while all of you are busy building your own fine houses it's because of you that the heavens withhold the Dew and the Earth produces no crops why because my house lies in Ruins says the Lord while all you are busy worried about yourself you're building your own fine houses God was withholding material blessings because they hadn't prioritized him or lived obediently they were prioritizing themselves their own luxury homes and not God's house so the question arises naturally has God been a priority to you don't have to answer out loud in particular as God's Church been a priority to you has building your own house become a priority to you over building up God's house it doesn't have to be a house right so let's say I'm not a homeowner that's okay other stuff there's other stuff other worldly things has the enemy been successful in giving you things to do when you should be worshiping with God's people it's a question building up your own house so we get to Luke 12 if we skip over to the New Testament and so I'll give you the backdrop here there's a guy basically uh he wants Jesus to settle a dispute between him and his brother over inheritance so Jesus is like uh so he Nails him right away he's like beware who made me a judge or arbitrator over you then immediately he says beware beware of any kind of greed life is not measured by wealth or what you own so then he tells this Parable story about a guy there was a guy he had so much of a harvest it was so abundant that he filled up his barns so the guy has a conversation with himself what should I do self I know what we'll do we'll tear down those Barns and build bigger ones then I'll say to myself self we've done great we have plenty to eat for many years we're all set but God said to him you fool you will die this very night then who will get everything you worked for yes a person is a fool to store up Earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God you know they say like Jesus was always really nice to the people fool no that's wrong then we'll read together Luke 12 22 then turning to his disciples he said Jesus said that is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear for life is more than food in your body more than clothing look at the Ravens they don't plant or harvest or store food in barns for God feeds them and you are far more valuable to him than any birds can all your worries at a single moment to your life and if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that what's the use of worrying over bigger things look at the lilies and how they grow they don't work or make their clothing yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are and if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow he will certainly care for you why do you have so little faith and don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink don't worry about such things these things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world but your father already knows your needs seek the kingdom of God above all else and he will give you everything you need so don't be afraid Little Flock forgive your father great happiness to give you the kingdom sell your possessions and give to those in need this will store up treasure for you in heaven and the purses of Heaven never get old or develop holes your treasure will be safe no Thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it wherever your treasure is there the desires of your heart will also be this is so important that Jesus inserts it in The Sermon on the Mount in a totally different context he says exactly the same thing Matthew 6 31 so don't worry about these things saying what will we eat what will we drink what will we wear these things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers but your heavenly father already knows all your needs seek the kingdom first literally it says and live righteously seek the kingdom first in righteousness and he will give you everything you need and so the bottom part is the best translation the original and that's what it really says but despite this command right so I didn't see like but except if you're busy except if you know I don't know what it is except there's no like but you don't have to worry about that now this is a command from Jesus seek what the kingdom seek his kingdom first and then all the other stuff added to you whatever right but really where is he putting the treasure there and so if you give to the poor if you're part of the church whatever you're doing this that's storing up good treasure good job well done good and faithful slave that's what I want to hear so here's the thing we're gonna get there shakeable Kingdom you know what God's going to do to the Earth if you read to the End of This Book he's gonna melt it it's going to be gone we if we're in Christ get a new heavens and a new Earth so where should our mindset be if we're doing like good long-term investing what's your portfolio look like it's going to be gone that's what Jesus is saying here but unfortunately people hear Jesus say this they know it to be true yet they invest in a shakeable kingdom yet they build their houses on sinking sand instead of the Bedrock of Christ first first you must first seek his unshakable kingdom and then all that stuff will be added to us according to his will that's important not our will his will what did Jesus say your heavenly father already knows your needs oh yeah it's nice but okay you want to create your own kingdom go ahead we should be working for the building of his kingdom and not touring up our treasure here what we do here how we use and store our treasure here Jesus says we'll be reflected in heaven he's quite clear about it and not nice either just as the people in haggai's time were used to build up God's Temple so are we in our time to build up God's Church he likes to work hand in hand with us that's the point I'm not supposed to do nothing we represent him so I mentioned Paul and I want to give you the situation here so when you're looking at these letters to the churches there's always some kind of reason for writing there's something going on in the church or a couple things or First Corinthians a lot of things going on in the church so there's a whole bunch of things that he's got to address second Corinthians it boils down to two main points so when you're reading these books let me just read like a line or a page and try try to read like the whole thing or at least have this context in mind when you're reading it so what's going on there are two things at play so those letters going back and forth we do not have zero Corinthians that's very very clear in a letter I wrote to you first Corinthians 5. we don't have it so it's not there so there's other things going on they're asking questions so second Corinthians comes up he's writing to them again two things at play one there are these people he sarcastically calls the super Apostles like ooh they're such great teachers so they're frauds they're fake teachers that are going around teaching for money and so he's trying to show them up condemn them that's where we get the Fool's boast toward the end chapter 11. look at all these will they get Shipwrecked beaten all these things he's qualifying himself he doesn't want to but he's saying well these people do this and will they do it all for no pay that's one issue it's really all about money then on the other side Corinthians you're dragging your feet on a collection you were supposed to give so if you get to acts 14 agabus shows up he's a prophet he says there's going to be famine on the land sure enough boom it happens and so they're trying to get this money to Jerusalem to help them out it's like this church needs a little more right now you don't and so he's trying to move funds around so he does some very interesting things he kind of Spurs a little bit of healthy competition so basically think about the church in in Macedonia or Philippi there you know there if you know anything about the Bible they're very generous they give Paul money when he's in prison so he's like these guys they begged me to give more for the collection right so he's trying to get them like if nothing else again if nothing else will work and your heart's not right maybe I'll develop a little healthy competition the other churches over there they're given a lot you know so we wouldn't want to send Titus there and then have him be embarrassed or embarrass you because you're not giving so this is all at play and all going on within that context looks what he says here second Corinthians 9 6. remember this a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop but the one who plants generously will get a generous crop you must each decide in your heart how much to give and don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure for God lives a person who God loves a person who gives cheerfully and God will generously provide all you need then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others that's the point as the scriptures say they will share freely and give generously to the poor their good deeds will be remembered forever for God is the one who provides a seed for the farmer and the bread to eat in the same way he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you yes you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous and when we take your gifts to those who need them that's the context and then they will thank God why so you can always be generous context is to your church help the guys out you reap what you sow into God's field that's the point Galatians he brings it up again Galatians 6 7. don't be misled you cannot mock the justice of God you will always Harvest what you plant those who live to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest Decay and death from that sinful nature but those who live to please the spirit will harvest everlasting life from the spirit so let's not get tired of doing what is good at just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up therefore whenever we have the opportunity we should do good to everyone especially to those in the family of the faith now speaking of the family of the faith I've heard some people say Christians and this is well I don't need Church a Christian I don't need Church well that's one opinion but it's not a fact and it's the opposite of what the word of God says it says you do that's what it says if we're bible-believing Christians you do you need Church and if we're being really honest it might as well right I'm in deep anyway well let's go ready if we're being honest that's a really selfish statement that's a really selfish statement because maybe just maybe your church needs you Hebrews 10 24 let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works and let us not neglect our meeting together as some people do but encourage one another especially now that the day of he's talking about Jesus's return is Drawing Near so just be ready for Jesus the point maybe your church needs you first while it's true I know where you're going already it's true that we as individuals are temples of the Holy Spirit I get it yes I know that I know that that's when we're out and about and apart from one another we all are also each parts of the body of Christ we are made whole as the body of Christ when we come together as a church you're all important and that's the encouragement within it you're all important and so Paul gives this illustration so where he's going this is First Corinthians now I'll go to First Corinthians 12. I know the temple the Holy Spirit First Corinthians 6. now 12. he's going to talk about the different gifts in the church and so here's the problem in the background there are some of these people in Corinth they think like Oh I'm a prophet like I'm the best and so Paul's got to address all this stuff because they're starting to let these things get to their heads right but he's going to talk about the value and importance of the gifts he's going to talk about like the weaker ones or the ones that seem less important because probably these people were puffed up with pride about their titles and all this other stuff you know the other people are being made to feel like me you know if we look at chapter 11 we see the Lord suffer the rich people or they're getting drunk before their workers can come so there's this like hierarchy developing think that here so now he does this kind of uh possible PC I probably said it wrong but in Greek it's like to make a face it literally means make a face that's what I mean Paul does it a lot we have to be able to detect it but this is really easy to detect because it's kind of like making inanimate objects things that wouldn't normally be able to talk he's making them talk right so he's getting their intention and so he's saying look the body has many different parts not just one part and so he does a funny thing with the foot if the foot says I'm not a part of the body because I'm not a hand does that make it any less part of the body no the answer is no and if the ear says I'm not a part of the body because I'm not an eye would that make it any less a part of the body if the whole body were in I how would you hear or if the whole body were an ear how would you smell anything and now I'll invite you to join me First Corinthians 12 18 but our bodies have many parts and God has put each part just where he wants it how how strange a body would be if it only had one part yes there are many parts but only one body the eye can never say to the hand I don't need you the head can't say to the feet I don't need you in fact some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually most necessary and the parts we regard as less honorable are those be clothed with the greatest care so we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen while the more honorable parts do not require this special care see what he's doing so God has put the whole body together such that extra honor and Care are given to those parts that have less dignity this makes for harmony among the members so that all the members care for each other if one part suffers all the parts suffer with it and if one part is honored all the parts are glad all of you together are Christ's body and each of you a part of it so then he lists some of the roles and that's where everyone goes right they ignore all that and they're like summer prophets some Apostles you know so he's just listing some gifts in the church we as individuals are not whole as the body of Christ when we're apart from one another it's when we're operating together that we are the church and like the enemies of Judah kept the temple from being rebuilt the enemy today uses a focus on self to break up the body of Christ he doesn't want us meeting together just peek at Zechariah again Zechariah 1 3 therefore say to the people this is what the lord of Heaven's Army says return to me and I will return to you says the Lord of Heaven's Army return to me Church and I will return to you return to me so many people in my pastoring you know encounter so many people and then they'll have complaints or they'll be going through something or you know whatever it is and you know It's usually the ones who aren't being encouraged as a part of the body of Christ right you're not getting your edification they call it not your batteries recharged stop saying that right you don't have a buddy why didn't you make a friend and the enemy's got certain people on an island isolated and then they get stuck in their own head I ever do that you're not talking to enough people you're not with the church and then you freak out at the last minute and call the pastor right and I'm like okay you know and I listen and I'll pray and but I'm not God not the whole church either it's important that we protect even if we're just looking at it selfishly why do these things happen why am I not being blessed well you know you might not think that way if maybe you were caring for others the best way forget about your problems right carry one another's burdens in this way fulfill the law of Christ Galatians so we have the answers right these are the answers so I want to get a little encouragement for all of you here because I get it I get it I wasn't always a Christian I'm not a PKA pastor's kid far from it I told you guys last week I did all kinds of crazy things in my life some of them make it into the stories that I tell that's me whenever it's a little kid doing something really bad it's about me that's how you tell so anyway it wasn't always I get it I know what it's like to come to church and be totally new or not really get it and be like I don't know what are we supposed to give what are we supposed to do and so when we started out you know we had the common sense to put like 20 in the basket you know I was like I don't know what does it cost to do this right put some money in the basket but after a while when I came to Christ I was like oh like if I'm giving 10 that means I'm keeping 90. ouch it's not just about money at first she signed me up for our first like life group and I got Matt because I was like we already go on Sundays you know I was like really and there were other words they weren't great so like I was mad so I get it someday check didn't you put 20 in the basket check check you know I get it right like and the scriptures come on the screen so I'm like I don't know where it is you forget that like you're told this thing drag it in there whatever you know I I get it point at which Christ is calling us out of that check box you just gotta think just just the briefest part of my story about movie day today so I've been told I got to get you out of here quick so so look the briefest part of my story just really weird I thought there was a point I thought I was going to die and just thought I was going to die that was it I was in the hospital couldn't feel a whole half my body Pastor comes and I just thought occurred to me I've been doing this and I'm about to meet the author of this and I don't know what my favorite book is oh like imagine it's like a book signing oh great what was your favorite part and I've given this illustration it's like your spouse giving you a love letter and you're going do you really love her or him I don't know doesn't look like it and so that came into my head well I thought I was either going to be stuck like that or dying out of any words I could use I to look to my pastor I said promise me you will read me the Bible I thought it might not be able to read that's all I wanted to hear I knew my wife kid good good check check but it was God not good not good you just please begging you you don't ever want to be there it's really scary and then my life it took a little while longer though a bit of a Jonah but anyway flip things flipped ever changed everything I don't ever want to be in that position ever again so now I plan on showing up and going Jesus let me tell you about everything you wrote that's going to be me really annoying teacher's pet right but uh I'm good I can't wait to like this like he doesn't know right that's going to be me the person in the Bible study like that yes we know you know the whole Bible okay so here's the encouragement guys all right so here's where we're going to kind of wrap it up don't worry about your things it's not just about money I'm not saying it some people have any money right but at least one of the two copper coins but you know come on it's not all about that it's about being there for one another serving one you're going to see it totally cool like that is the second part of our worship service I think it's better than the singing amazing but I think it's even better worship than the singing that's when it really happens when you really like get to know people that's that's the good stuff come check it out I know it's beautiful here you got lunch plans but check it out support his house as the scriptures say first now I said it before really quickly and I'll just say it again God's going to give you a task you may even put something on your heart right and then you're going to get scared that's what happens and I could just give you my own testimony it's kind of embarrassing at this point because I do my tithing automatically because I believe this is my thing it's like a pledge you know before my paycheck comes in like it just gets taken out that's it it's just a pledge it's embarrassing I don't even notice it I don't even notice it and I can tell you I tied I don't notice it and that that's the floor then there's like the sponsor kid being nice to my neighbor you know giving my kid money if she needs to never give her money but anyway other things I do that that's just like the church the church because because this kills us as a church when people are like oh yeah but I break up my tithe because I'm the pastor of the church and I know all the needs right so people appoint themselves to pastors and they decide you know the church is going to get this and then this person is going to get this and I'm going to give to that person because I know better really I know better I have the hard meetings with everybody I have the woman right husband died I got to pay the rent whatever it is I hear all the stories I know that's the way the church what are they doing next you know the Bible they laid it at the apostles feet they know they know and so just to the church I make it my floor I always have even before I was a pastor and then that's it then you give more if you can and that's it God has given us this task oh and in Acts what do they give everything 10 sounds better right so everything and what do they do just good point wasn't my sermons they sold the what their houses they sold their property their houses everything I'm not you do not have to do that do not do and we need benefactors it's very important but they later the apostles feet that was extreme Holy Spirit generosity it was a good point on this point what did the early church do well let me tell you they sold their homes and gave to the church and then nobody had a need don't say communism stop it any excuse you can use right that would not be mildly generous so just it's amazing it was amazing and then also ananias and Sapphira I read that so that I could threaten you with that probably not going to happen right so here's the thing even just coming to church and supporting the body coming to church support anybody getting fed right but more serving supporting the body being a part of what we're doing here I'm telling you the enemy is going to give you every possible reason not to do that so let me just say something I know I'm going to really take a lot of people off but this has been prayed through I'm going to tell you once we started coming to church if like a place I applied for said you're going to have to work Sundays I'd be like I can't do it she did it I did it nope we miss when we go on vacation because we gotta like get our heads straight I've got to do that a few times a year that's it nope that's the enemy and I'm sorry I know I'm really ticking some people off right now but just step out of yourself and what you want to do and ask yourself from anything you read in that Bible is there like any like like you know hey I really needed to go dot dot and so I wasn't present as commander on the Lord's Day something else was important too many jokes it's a kid and I just it's okay it's so you're not throwing me I have too many bad jokes and I'm gonna like tick more people off and I was like a person mommy is going to be like really mad at me and I just don't need any more emails this afternoon it's gonna be enough already so but just just search your heart on that one I'm not saying don't quit your job that kind of thing but just Search Your Heart maybe have a conversation with your boss if that's you I'm a Christian and that's really what's important to me does your boss know you're a Christian um think about it all right there's nothing wrong with having devotion there's nothing wrong with healthy good relationship leads to good religion read James doesn't say religion is a bad thing good good routines right you ever been going through really hard stuff and I know people come to church they're like nope I'm just I'm glad I know you are you know I'm just they're getting their seats I know they've had a terrible week and they're like boom I'm here I'm here and they know this is where the answers are think about it communicate that with your employers we're not supposed to withhold from him out of fear they're not supposed to do that Jesus says when we're faithful and we put him first oh everything we need is going to be fine it's what he says it's going to be fine don't be afraid and don't deny him there's also a consequence to that share with everyone and I mean almost nine times out of ten everybody finds it actually admirable wow you know you're a religious person yeah whatever right but it ticked me up compared to other employees this is a person of integrity ah did we learn that from Daniel when you do the right thing no matter what it costs you you'd be really surprised at the blessings and real rewards you get it's the enemy who causes us to think and worry about the resources to choke out our faith if we're generous and seek his kingdom first he'll Supply us with everything we need do we believe that after Jesus says it multiple times okay then acted out then acted out what you do says more about what you believe than anything you say I said that last week as well again he's able to shake the heavens and the Earth so I'm going to go through this very quickly haggai he's able to shake the heavens and the Earth so you got to imagine here and you can put those on the screen I got it twice there 2 6 2 21. you got to imagine it's a rubber belt he's the governor he's got a lot to worry about right so God gives him that promise I'm going to shake the heavens and the Earth for you believe that I am with you go don't worry get to work and he makes us strong in the Harvest I got two four but now the Lord says let's be strong it's a rubber Bell people in the church be strong Yeshua son of jehoshadak the high priest be strong all you people still left in the land and now get to work for I Am with You says the Lord of Heaven's armies and to the church be strong get to work I am with you if you return to me really quickly because I just don't want to take anything away from God's word and we will close Hebrews these are people and the book of Hebrews are attempted to go they're tempted to go back to Judaism they're Jewish Christians so the whole point of this book is Jesus is superior to everything all these scriptures so it's like a ton of Old Testament quotation and scripture Jesus Superior to all that stuff even the stuff you lost we see that they're being persecuted they lost money and you you took it with joy when you had everything taken from you because you knew there were better things waiting for you in heaven that's Hebrews 10. we've looked at that again I don't need to look at it if we get to chapter 12 we get think about discipline here but just read this 12 25 be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the one who is speaking for if the people of Israel did not Escape when they refuse to listen to Moses the Earthly messenger we will certainly not Escape if we reject the one who speaks to us from heaven when God spoke on Mount Sinai his voice shook the Earth but now he makes another promise once again I will not I will not only shake the Earth but the heavens also haggai 2 6. that was the verse to mess up great this means that all of creation will be shaken and removed so that only unshakable things will remain since we are receiving a kingdom that is unshakable let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe when we serve an unshakable Kingdom we will receive an unshakable Kingdom when we remain faithful for the storms when we build on the Bedrock of Christ and then maybe the waves crash against it we will stand firm because we've been serving an unshakable Kingdom so you will reap what you sow into the kingdom of God we must seek the kingdom first and righteousness and he will give you everything you need so here is my prayer for you as I close I pray that Hearts would be ignited with the love and for the love of Christ's body his church for the building of an unshakable Kingdom wherein lies the power of the father the likeness of the Sun and the unity of the Holy Spirit I ask these things in Jesus name amen thank you