Acting on God's Call: Embrace Immediate Obedience
Summary
In today's reflection, we delve into the profound message of the book of Haggai, a minor prophet whose words resonate deeply with our current lives. The central theme revolves around two pivotal questions: "What is God saying?" and "What is God asking me to do?" These questions challenge us to move beyond mere acknowledgment of God's word to actionable faith. The Israelites, after returning from exile, faced the daunting task of rebuilding the temple. Despite the initial enthusiasm, they succumbed to discouragement and procrastination, leaving the temple in ruins for 15 years. This narrative serves as a mirror to our lives, where we often delay obedience, waiting for the "right time" that never seems to arrive.
Haggai's message is a call to prioritize God in every aspect of our lives. It's not enough to remember God; we must actively engage with Him, making Him the center of our existence. The Israelites' neglect of the temple symbolizes our tendency to prioritize personal comfort over divine calling. We are reminded that delayed obedience is disobedience, and the time to act is now. The challenges we face in following God's call are not meant to deter us but to strengthen our resolve. God equips us with the resources and strength needed to fulfill His purposes, even when the task seems insurmountable.
The story of Rising Hope, an organization dedicated to helping survivors of sex trafficking, exemplifies the power of perseverance and faith. Despite numerous obstacles, the founders pressed on, trusting in God's provision. This narrative encourages us to embrace the difficult tasks God sets before us, knowing that they lead to profound joy and fulfillment.
As we reflect on Haggai's message, we are urged to examine our lives, consider our priorities, and take decisive action. The urgency of the message is underscored by the reminder that Jesus is coming back, and we must prepare by aligning our lives with His will. Let us not be content with mere remembrance of God but strive to make Him the center of our lives, embracing the hard work He calls us to with faith and determination.
Key Takeaways:
1. Delayed Obedience is Disobedience: Procrastination in following God's call is a form of disobedience. We often wait for the perfect moment, but life is fleeting, and the time to act is now. God's call requires immediate action, not delayed intentions. [08:31]
2. Prioritizing God in Every Aspect: It's not enough to remember God; we must make Him the center of our lives. This means integrating Him into every decision and action, ensuring that our relationship with Him influences all areas of our life. [11:21]
3. Facing Challenges with Faith: Following God's call is not easy and often meets with resistance. However, these challenges are opportunities for growth and reliance on God's strength and provision. Embrace the difficult tasks, knowing they lead to joy and fulfillment. [14:31]
4. The Urgency of God's Call: Jesus is coming back, and we must prepare by aligning our lives with His will. This urgency compels us to act now, not later, ensuring that we are ready for His return by living out our faith actively. [17:51]
5. Life Change Through Action: True life change occurs when we step out in faith and take action. Whether it's joining a mission trip, serving in the church, or prioritizing God in our daily lives, these actions lead to transformation and deeper relationship with God. [20:35]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:25] - Historical Context of Haggai
- [06:40] - Neglecting God vs. Remembering God
- [08:31] - Delayed Obedience is Disobedience
- [11:21] - Prioritizing God in Every Aspect
- [14:31] - Facing Challenges with Faith
- [17:51] - The Urgency of God's Call
- [20:35] - Life Change Through Action
- [23:20] - Opportunities to Serve
- [26:06] - Consider Your Attention
- [28:36] - What is God Calling You to Do?
- [30:52] - Preparing for Jesus' Return
- [34:04] - Joining God's Work
- [36:08] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Message of Haggai
Bible Reading:
- Haggai 1:1-15
---
Observation Questions:
1. What were the Israelites' initial actions upon returning from exile, and how did their priorities shift over time? [06:40]
2. How does the sermon describe the difference between remembering God and prioritizing God in one's life? [08:31]
3. What specific challenges did the Israelites face that led them to delay rebuilding the temple? [11:21]
4. How does the story of Rising Hope illustrate the sermon’s message about perseverance and faith? [14:31]
---
Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that delayed obedience is equivalent to disobedience? How does this concept apply to the Israelites' situation? [08:31]
2. How does the sermon interpret the Israelites' neglect of the temple as a metaphor for modern believers' spiritual lives? [11:21]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the role of challenges and resistance in the process of following God's call? [14:31]
4. How does the urgency of Jesus' return influence the sermon’s call to action for believers today? [17:51]
---
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you delayed acting on something you felt God was calling you to do. What were the reasons for your delay, and how can you overcome similar hesitations in the future? [08:31]
2. Consider your current priorities. Is God at the center of every aspect of your life, or are there areas where He is merely remembered but not prioritized? How can you make changes to ensure God is central in all areas? [11:21]
3. Identify a challenge you are currently facing in your spiritual journey. How can you view this challenge as an opportunity for growth and reliance on God's strength? [14:31]
4. The sermon emphasizes the urgency of preparing for Jesus' return. What specific actions can you take this week to align your life more closely with God's will? [17:51]
5. Think about a difficult task or calling you have been avoiding. What steps can you take to begin addressing this task with faith and determination? [20:35]
6. How can you actively participate in your church or community to make a tangible impact, similar to the founders of Rising Hope? What specific role or service can you commit to? [23:20]
7. Reflect on the concept of life change through action. What is one specific action you can take this week to deepen your relationship with God and transform your life? [30:52]
Devotional
Day 1: Immediate Action in Faith
Delayed obedience is a subtle form of disobedience. Often, we find ourselves waiting for the perfect moment to act on God's call, but that moment rarely arrives. The Israelites, after returning from exile, faced the task of rebuilding the temple but allowed discouragement and procrastination to delay their obedience for 15 years. This mirrors our own lives, where we may acknowledge God's word but fail to act on it promptly. The call to action is immediate, and God provides the strength and resources needed to fulfill His purposes, even when the task seems daunting. [08:31]
Haggai 1:4-5 (ESV): "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways."
Reflection: What is one area in your life where you have been delaying obedience to God's call? What step can you take today to begin acting on it?
Day 2: Centering Life Around God
To truly prioritize God, we must integrate Him into every decision and action, making Him the center of our existence. The Israelites' neglect of the temple symbolizes our tendency to prioritize personal comfort over divine calling. Remembering God is not enough; we must actively engage with Him, ensuring that our relationship with Him influences all areas of our life. This means making conscious choices that reflect our commitment to God and His purposes. [11:21]
Colossians 3:17 (ESV): "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Reflection: In what specific ways can you integrate God into your daily decisions and actions this week? How can you ensure that He remains the center of your life?
Day 3: Embracing Challenges with Faith
Following God's call is not without its challenges, but these are opportunities for growth and reliance on God's strength. The story of Rising Hope, an organization dedicated to helping survivors of sex trafficking, exemplifies the power of perseverance and faith. Despite numerous obstacles, the founders pressed on, trusting in God's provision. Embracing difficult tasks with faith leads to profound joy and fulfillment, as God equips us to overcome resistance and achieve His purposes. [14:31]
James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Reflection: What is a current challenge you are facing in following God's call? How can you rely on God's strength to embrace and overcome this challenge?
Day 4: Urgency in Aligning with God's Will
The urgency of God's call is underscored by the reminder that Jesus is coming back. We must prepare by aligning our lives with His will, acting now rather than later. This urgency compels us to live out our faith actively, ensuring that we are ready for His return. It is a call to examine our lives, consider our priorities, and take decisive action to align with God's purposes. [17:51]
2 Peter 3:10-11 (ESV): "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness."
Reflection: How can you align your life more closely with God's will today? What changes can you make to ensure you are living in readiness for Jesus' return?
Day 5: Transformation Through Faithful Action
True life change occurs when we step out in faith and take action. Whether it's joining a mission trip, serving in the church, or prioritizing God in our daily lives, these actions lead to transformation and a deeper relationship with God. The call is to not be content with mere remembrance of God but to strive to make Him the center of our lives, embracing the hard work He calls us to with faith and determination. [20:35]
James 2:17-18 (ESV): "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
Reflection: What specific action can you take this week to step out in faith and deepen your relationship with God? How can this action lead to transformation in your life?
Quotes
"I don't want you to miss out on what God's calling you to do. Is it hard? Absolutely, it's difficult. It might be the hardest thing you've ever done in your life, is to do what God might be speaking to you to do today. Thank you, Joseph. He did a great job, didn't he? It was not an easy passage. He's like, I thought you liked me. You've given me this difficulty, this difficult passage, and it's, you can say Haggai any way you want. Haggai, Haggai, however you want to say it, right? We find ourselves in a minor prophet." [00:00:59] (37 seconds)
"Sometimes our greatest problem is not that we forgot God, that we have forgotten God. I don't think that's our greatest problem. I think we all remember God. But there's a difference in remembering God versus making him a priority in our life. The nation of Israel hadn't forgotten God. But as Haggai says here in chapter 1, they had neglected God. There's a big difference. I don't need to be reminded that I'm married. I know that I'm married. I remember it. But what I do need to focus on is to make sure I don't neglect my marriage. I tend to it." [00:07:00] (42 seconds)
"This is what Haggai sounds like in Eugene Peterson's The Message. A message from the God of the angel armies. The people procrastinate. The people procrastinate. Delayed obedience is disobedience. If there's anything in your life that God has asked you to do that you're saying, I'll do it some other time. Later on, when I get my life together next year, there'll be a better day when everything, the stars all align, then I'll do it. And we all know how fast life happens. James talks about life is like a vapor. It's like a mist. It's here today, gone tomorrow." [00:08:16] (42 seconds)
"Consider your ways. Take stock. What are you giving your attention to? Years ago, I was asked a little assignment by a mentor of mine. Make a list of all the things in your life and rank them. And I so appreciate that assignment. I'll give some perspective, and maybe you can do that. But what's better than that, what I've come to realize, what's better than making a list of, number one, God at the top. God's the most important thing in my life. And then after that, marriage, and then parenting, and then maybe job, and career, and finances, and all these things." [00:09:40] (41 seconds)
"Since they started, they've changed names. Now they're called Rising Hope. And this week, they took in their first survivor. And they will continue to bring, they have a ranch now that can take up to 40 women to provide hope and healing in the name of Jesus, using equine therapy to help deal with some of their trauma. Do you know how many times it would have been easy to quit? And so many stories, ah, this is so hard and difficult and people are quitting and nobody, everybody had their own agenda. You stay with it. You stay with it." [00:16:03] (38 seconds)
"If God's called you to something, he will give you what you need to provide to get it done, to see it through. It will not be easy. It will be extremely difficult. But at the end of your life, it might be. It might be the most joy-filled accomplishment you can look back and say, I am so grateful I took that step of faith. I'm so grateful I, God, I listened to you and I did what you were asking me to do. Listen, we all have a hundred reasons and excuses to not do what God's calling us to do." [00:16:40] (31 seconds)
"Here's what I know. Jesus is coming back. Jesus is coming back. I can't tell you when. The Bible makes that really, really clear. We could have a dozen Bible studies on when Jesus is coming back. The truth is, I don't know, and you don't know. But I know he's coming back. It may be today. It may be tomorrow. And what I know, billions of people woke up today never having heard the name of Jesus. The ball's at the two-yard line." [00:18:11] (32 seconds)
"Anytime somebody takes a step to do something that they've never done before, that's called life change. That's new. To reach people we've never reached before requires us, all of us, to do something we've never done before. And when we prioritize God, and we make him center of every area of my life, life change happens. When somebody signs up to do a mission trip, they've never been on a mission trip, that's scary. I'm going to sign up to go on a mission trip. I don't know. I've never been. That's life change." [00:20:08] (32 seconds)
"God, I want you to be center of every area of my life. Haggai is all about rebuilding and renewing and prioritizing our life. Don't forget. Don't forget. Yeah, you can live the rest of your days remembering God and neglecting him at the same time. It's not about, it's not that we forget God, it's that we neglect him. At the end of chapter one here, there's an important phrase. Let me start at verse 14. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shaliel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozakak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people." [00:31:57] (49 seconds)
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?