Book of Haggai - Salvation Message for the Pattern of Sound Teaching

MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE TODAY FROM THE BOOK OF HAGGAI

                  Please watch the Video Before Reading the Lesson Plan

 Salvation Message    Lesson 37 of 39             The Pattern of Sound Teaching    

Background Information

* The Rock of Faith taught us that faith requires a sacrifice (choice). In The Pattern of Sound Teaching, we learned that faith works by love. The book Turn or Burn is a salvation message for people today.

Statement of Fatih to say Amen to the book of Haggai:

I can remember how to consider my ways when I am living in the world.

Essential Question

“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while the temple lies desolate?”

Haggai:

Have students read pages 1-18 in the book, Turn or Burn.

After students read the information ask them, "What do you want to talk about?"

Remember the Issue:

As it is written in 1 John 3:20-24, the message in our heart is known and weighed by God. When Satan can fill our heart with lies, he can destroy our relationship with God. When a heart experiences prosperity, pride, lying vanities, unfaithfulness, listening to the Jezebel spirit, and prejudice as the best feeling, the heart will remember to fear the loss of worldly success. As it is written in 1 John 2:15, we are not to love the world or the things in the world, and “if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” When we love the world, our heart will be weighed and found wanting.

In the Old Testament, the heart was weighed with The Rock of Faith. Now the heart is weighed with the foundation that the church of Laodicea laid on The Rock of Faith or sinking sand and measured by love. Fear is a reminder of how to love. We will be torn between worldly love and love for God.

Remember the Truth Jesus Brought:

The problem in the book of Haggai was how the people were learning from the world and not from God’s house. A remnant was allowed to leave Babylon to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. They built the temple foundation, but when Haggai arrived sixteen years later, the temple still had not been built on the foundation. The remnant had stopped building the temple and were only learning from the world. The enemy had used laws to stop the remnant from rebuilding the temple on the foundation. We learned that faith in God can be decreased when the world can put a spirit of fear in our heart. This is how the people’s hearts in Haggai were led astray by the world because they were only remembering to fear the world. The people heard a message from Haggai about building a temple for God to dwell in. Haggai explained to the people that they may think they can fight sin alone; however, they cannot. The church is responsible for reminding us of Satan’s plan. Haggai explained how sin will transfer from one person to another easily like sickness, but righteousness and holiness do not transfer easily.

Haggai was asking the people to consider their ways with a rhetorical question, “Is it time to dwell in your paneled houses while this house (the temple) lays desolate? Haggai told the high priest, the governor, and the remnant to consider the knowledge they were learning from the world and to get wood and finish the Lord’s house, and learn how to connect God’s commandments to the sacrifice.

The people were: drinking strong wine, and they were never satisfied. They were making money but always broke, and this is because God’s temple is lying desolate. The people had head knowledge to build their houses. The people were going through the motions and working hard. They just needed to connect what they were doing to God’s commandments and the sacrifice to know that the things of this world do not satisfy. God wanted them to remember fear is a remembrance of how to love.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, the spirit of Joshua, the high priest, and the spirit of the remnant, and they built the temple (Haggai1:14). Haggai then went and told the people that they should not have fear because according to the covenant that the people made when they came out of Egypt with God, God’s spirit still remains with the people.

“Stir up” means to awaken and remember. God “stirs up” hearts. When the Israelites would awaken and remember the miracles that God established on The Rock of Faith, they would consider their ways, and this is how God would “stir up” their heart. In the book of Haggai, it is stated they considered their ways because they feared the Lord. We learn that we should fear God; not the world.

Remember the Rock God Established:

The first step is to consider our ways by listening to the spirit of truth. When we awaken and believe the truth, He will turn to you; then God will seal a person who believes in Jesus to Him. It is explained in Ephesians 1:13 when a believer hears the word of truth which is the gospel of salvation, Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment they believe. This is the seal of God’s protection. We can get this when our heart is weighed and our spirit is measured and not found wanting.

As it is written in 1 John 3:20-24, our heart can condemn us because God is aware of the intent of the heart. However, if we believe and ask Jesus into our heart and keep God's commandments in love we will live in them and they will live in us. When we consider our ways, our heart can be sealed.

Today, we need to awaken to believe that grace includes a living sacrifice. We have been given grace with Jesus’ sacrifice, which includes a living sacrifice. We can know this because He came and forgave all sin. Because Jesus loves us, He will save a remnant of people from the wrath of God. When we believe that Jesus can save us from the wrath of God, we will consider our ways with love because we will not want anyone to endure the wrath of God. God will then “stir up” our spirit with spiritual gifts. The issue is when we live in the world, it is easy to align our beliefs with the world. This is why God will “stir up” the people’s spirits with spiritual gifts when we consider our ways while living in the world. Just as God would “stir up” the people's spirits with miracles when they would begin to consider their ways while living among people who were serving false gods, God will “stir up” our spirit when we consider our ways. God chooses Zerubbabel and makes him like a signet. He was God’s chosen leader who was instrumental in leading the people to rebuild the temple. He is called my servant which, we can remember in the book of Amos how when God reveals His plan to His servants, His servants are to witness to the world about God’s plan.

Activity:

Complete the BLOG below.

Next Lesson:

In the next lesson, we learn that after we consider our ways and ask Jesus into our heart, our faith can increase through love when we love with righteous behaviors.

BLOG: Write a statement of faith testimony to be justified by faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Everyone's statement of faith testimony can be different, or you can use the one below. Also, there is an example of a statement of faith testimony at the end of the video.

Melody's Statement of Faith (optional use):

Choose today if you will think it is evil that God will not justify what the world will justify as righteous. After being born again by the Spirit of God through having faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ, I will not mix my faith in Jesus with having faith in the world.

If the world can get a child of God to be self-righteous, the child of God will live in fear of God’s punishment and have lukewarm faith, which is faith without works, dead faith. I will not have faith in the world. My faith is in my Lord, Jesus Christ, to be made more righteous in him through love and not fear.

Write a statement of faith testimony to be justified by faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.