Prioritizing God's House Over Distraction. Sermon by Spencer Gibbs, August 8, 2025.
Haggai 1:5-6 NLT
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies 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 cannot keep warm.
Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
I was away at Loma Linda University, then came back to Ontario to a dental practice. I have lots of growing information and energies including kids, work, relationships. When feeling overwhelmed we need to put our priorities to the Lord.
Haggai tells us about the Levites and their expectations when rebuilding the temple. They started the work. They found themselves intimidated by people who were intentionally interfering with the building process until it came to a stop. How could the Levites refocus on building again?
Ellen White wrote in the The Great Controversy that the luxuries of the world can slowly become the luxuries of the church.
In a moment the Lord can come. We become distracted and lose sight of the Lord.
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying,
‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’”
Haggai 1:2
The people replaced God's tasks with other priorities.
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies 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 cannot keep warm.
Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
Haggai 1:5,6
We choose a desire to fill a God sized void. We can find ourselves focusing on creating a more comfortable life instead of one with the Lord. We reason that we can serve the Lord better if we just ............. first. These things that become our focus tend to completely swallow our priorities and we lose focus on God.
Haggai tells us the workers were diminished and they did not resume the building of the temple. The second part of Haggai tell us the consequences of these decisions.
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies 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 cannot keep warm.
Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!
Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house.
Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord.
Haggai 1:5-8
They were experiencing rotten produce. Things were good, but now they were not. They had enough, but found themselves unsatisfied.
You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor.
And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it 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.
Haggai 1:9
The book Patriarchs and Prophets says that due to the says selfish indulgence of the Jews, The Lord took away what they needed most, and could not bless them. This sounds like a rebuke, but it was mercy through discipline.
It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops.
Haggai 1:10
Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Psalm 127:1.2
Rest is established through trust in the Lord. Focus on His desire. We try to take things among ourselves. Outcomes are never quite enough.
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies 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 cannot keep warm.
Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
Haggai 1:5,6
The problem is not supply, but with the container. Our heart is the container. We will never receive what we desire.
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,
and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, 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 feared the Lord.
Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord:
“I am with you, says the Lord!”
Haggai 1:12,13
We need to remember the Lord is with us.
So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah,
and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest,
and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people.
They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign.
Haggai 1:14,15
Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”
Haggai 1:13
The Lord is constantly by our side. God's promise is a constant presence.
The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
Exodus 33:4
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NKJV
The workers in Haggai searched for worldly stability and found unrest. They discovered, with God's glory, He will willingly help us to do what we cannot do.
The Levites had persistent emptiness. The greater glory is understood when we make the shift to be with God.
The Temple reconstruction was resumed. The glory of God in the Old Testament compares to the second coming of Christ.
"and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations,
and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts."
Haggai 2:7
Our obedience invites a future glory not ours, but the Lord's.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17,18
What we see is temporary. What is unseen is permanent when we establish a close relationship of faith that helps us to grow.
Haggai calls us to lift our eyes from our own selfish work and focus on the Lord.
When we have a sensation of emptiness, it can become a joy of being with Him, if we change our focus.
We should ask:
- Is our work truly a priority?
- What is the priority of our own heart?
- Am I the first in my own life?
- Do my riches take priority over His riches
God is calling all of us to lift our eyes on our comforts and labours, and focus on the Lord.
Do we focus on earthly things or do we put God first, where mercies abound.