Introduction

I want to start this message with a proverb. Though it isn't a biblical proverb, I'm sure most of you have heard it. It goes like this: "Getting started is half the battle."

That proverb is true. I know because I can be the world's worst procrastinator in some areas of life. Don't look around to see if my wife is nodding in agreement. Just take my word for it.

Because this tendency is in others besides me, when you check the self-help section of your local bookstore you will find an abundance of material designed to help you make a good beginning. You can read about goal setting, priority establishment, and kicking yourself into motion.

Not a whole lot is said about finishing however. How about completing what we start?

	Let's hear it for the other end of the race - the finish line.
	Let's talk about maintaining the same enthusiasm eight minutes into the fourth quarter that we had at the kickoff.
	Many of us know that the problem with a diet isn't in starting - we've done it a thousand times. The trouble is sticking with it when we feel we are starving.
	A marriage is quite an easy thing to start, too. The problem is in staying with it over the years.
	Watch the bleachers in a stadium. Notice how many fans head for the car early when their team is losing.
	More sobering than that, count the number of people you know who started the Christian walk, but quit before they finished.

The little book of Haggai in your Old Testament is the record of the messages God gave Israel 14 years after the remnant returned from the Babylonian captivity. Following 70 years of bondage in a foreign country, God brought a benign ruler to power among the captors of the Jewish people. The Persian King Cyrus issued a decree that allowed the Jews to return to their ruined homeland with enough money to begin a rebuilding project. Enthusiasm was at a peak as some 50,000 Israelites streamed out of Persia and into Palestine with the glorious dream of putting their ruined nation back together.

All the excitement of the starting line was there. They had learned their lesson. They had paid their debt and endured their punishment. Now they could get a fresh start. They praised God. Their worshipped Him. It was a time of great optimism.

It went well - for awhile. Enthusiasm does that to people. Gradually, though, the newness began to wear off. The reality of raising a civilization out of rubble settled in on them. There was opposition from the neighboring nations as they rebuilt God's temple. Ultimately, they gave up the project and went home to work on their own houses.

What they needed for the time was a jump-start, so God hooked up his divine battery cables to a prophet named Haggai and hit the ignition switch. The spark that resulted gave Israel four jolts of energy that correspond to the four messages we're going consider in this message from the book of Haggai.

Please find Haggai in your Bible. It's three books from the end of the Old Testament.

The name of this sermon is "Jump-Start For A Cold Heart." Its purpose is simple. The four messages that jolted Israel back to life in that day can jolt us as well. I want them to do that. They are God's word, written and preserved for us living today.

The first charged message of Haggai was a jolt of warning. I've called it

I. A Warning Of Conflict Of Interest.

(Read Hag. 1:1)

The date given by Haggai here corresponds roughly to September 1st on our calendar, in the year 520 B.C. The message from God through Haggai was to both the appointed Governor of the released captives and the high priest. Here is what it said:

(Read v. 2)

We need some background to understand what is being said here. (By the way, if you want to study the historical basis of the prophet Haggai's message, you should read Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and part of Daniel.)

People returned to Israel from the captivity, as I already mentioned, with high spirits. Immediately they built a huge altar on top of the ruins of the temple of Solomon. For the first time in 70 years they offered animal sacrifices as prescribed by the Law of Moses. Following that, they dug through the ruins to find the locations of the old temple foundations so them could begin to rebuild the House of God. Then something unexpected happened. Some of their neighbors, the Samaritans, expressed their opposition to the rebuilding project. They threatened them, disrupted the construction, and even tried to get the Persian king to revoke his permission to rebuild. The Jews stood valiantly against it for awhile, but ultimately they gave in to the pressure. Hammers, aprons, and trowels were laid aside.

"Guess it must not be the Lord's will for us to rebuild right now," they said. "Since it's so hard, evidently God doesn't want us to do it."

That was the circumstance behind the words of verse 2.

(Re-read v. 2)

Did God agree with them in their reasoning? No way!

(Read v. 3-5)

They had made a great beginning. Now, though, the hardship of rebuilding had stopped the work. Yet, somehow it hadn't stopped their own personal building and remodeling projects at home.

Sure, the opposition was tough. But it wasn't keeping them from doing what they wanted to do. It was a case of conflict of interest. It was a case of inverted priorities. Because things got hard, they set aside the work of God and put the work on their own homes first. Now, I'll show you the result in a moment. But first, let me make some application to us.

We aren't building a physical temple today. Every individual Christian is a temple of God and when we are together, the temple of God is the church. That is God's work. That is His building project. He is concerned about the condition of that work. He is concerned about the progress of both the work of the church and His work in our personal lives. Any time our personal interests, our hobbies, our jobs, or anything else takes priority over His work in either of those areas, the message to us is the same as Haggai brought to His people: "Consider your ways!" That's what we're doing in this message.

Let's read on.

(Read v. 5-6)

Can you imagine cashing your paycheck and putting it into your wallet or purse and due to a tear in the fabric or split in the leather, all the money falls out and you lose it? Worse yet, can you imagine that happening to every paycheck?

"I make more and more money, I work harder and harder," you would say, "but I never seem to have enough for the necessities." Ever said that?

That is what was happening to the people of Israel. Why? Because God's work lay in ruins while they spent all their effort on their own projects.

Each time I see a Christian who claims he is just too busy to come to church on Sunday or too busy to tend to the things of his spiritual life, I think of these people. How much time does it take to meet with the saints on the Lord's day? Two hours, max? If you really want to go full out, maybe three hours?

"Oh, but I'm too busy! I have to earn a living! I have people to see and places to go!"

OK. Let me ask you a couple of questions. How many hours of television did you watch last month? How many rentals does your card to the local video store show? How many times did you go hunting or fishing to horseback riding? How many guitar lessons or painting lessons did you take? How much time did you spend on that special project you have going?

"Oh, but I have to rest and have recreation, you see, because I have a demanding job that gets harder all the time!"

I understand what you're saying. I feel that way, too. You all know I like to go fishing. I really enjoy my "time off." But before you dismiss what we're considering here as unreasonable, take one more look at God's message from Haggai. If you spend all your time on yourself to the extent that you neglect the things of God, your job is going to get even harder! You are going to find yourself working more and more and getting less and less. Pretty soon you won't even have time to recreate. Your wallet may begin to leak.

(Read v. 9)

"Well then spell it out to me. What am I supposed to do. Tell me how I should be living."

O.K., I will. I'll tell you what God's word says.

(Read v. 8)

God says, "Fix your priorities!"

In the NT He put it this way:

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

Put God's work first and He will bless your work!

Don't want to do that? Still think you're too busy? That's fine. You are a free moral agent. But be sure to blame God when things don't go as you expected.

Yes, you heard me right. I said, "Be sure to BLAME GOD when things go badly in your life."

(Read v. 9-11)

Note two things:

God says in verse 9: "I blow it away..."

Then He says in verse 11: "I called for the drought..."

God says, "Blame me when things go badly in a life that has upside down priorities. I'm the cause of it! Don't blame the weather. Don't blame the economy or your clientele. Blame me!"

Haggai is kind of like an alarm clock. You hate to hear him, but you know that you need the noise or your gonna be in a heap of trouble because you didn't get up! Though these people probably didn't shake Haggai's hand and say, "Good sermon, preacher!" as they went out, they did obey.

(Read v. 12)

When we put God last in our lives, we show our disrespect for Him. We dishonor Him. When we once again put Him first, we show reverence for Him.

Right now, if God doesn't have first place in your life, your business, and everything else you do, you are dishonoring Him! You need to quit that! You need to honor him once again!

"What will happen if I do that?"

Good question. Here's the answer.

(Read v. 13-14)

If you put God back into first place, he will again be with you and honor you. It says that in several other places in the Bible.

Second Chronicles 15:2 says, ". . . the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you."

John 12:26 says, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."

Well, did this first jolt from Haggai's battery cables turn your engine over? I hope so. But just in case, let's have him hit us again. His second message is more positive. I've called it,

II. Encouragement To Work In Spite Of Humble Beginnings.

The second message came to Haggai from the Lord not quite a month after they began again to rebuild.

(Read 2:1-3)

There were some men present among the remnant who were in their 80's and maybe their 90's who had been around long enough to have seen the original temple of Solomon back when they were little boys. Now, though they were too old to swing a hammer or run a trowel. Apparently they came nosing around and looked at the work in progress. It didn't match what they remembered, or what they expected. I can just hear them: "What a dinky little building! This is nothing like what we remember. You expect God to be pleased with this?"

Isn't it true that usually when the spark of something good gets going, there is someone around with a bucket of cold water trying to put it out?

Early in my ministry our congregation was meeting in a tiny building. We had seen some people come to Christ so we were excited about these victories and the potential for the future. One morning a lady from the community showed up an hour early for the Sunday morning service because she hadn't set her clock back for daylight saving time. While she waited she asked me if she could look around. I said, "Sure, go ahead." She took a couple trips around the little auditorium and then said, "Is this all there is too it?" I said, "Yes, that's all there is too it." She left and never came back.

Right then I needed the encouragement that God gave to these people through Haggai in the next verse:

(Read v. 4)

Yes, the new temple going up couldn't compare with the former glory of Solomon's temple. But remember, God had departed from the former temple by the time these old men had seen it. It was big and it was glorious, but it was void of the presence of the Lord.

I would far rather be in a small church where God is, than a large one where God isn't. Wouldn't you? (That doesn't mean that God isn't with large churches. But sometimes men compromise truth in order to accommodate numbers of people who aren't converted to Christ.)

When you are slugging it out there in your Sunday School class with 5 students on a good day, remember that. Better a small work with the presence of the Lord than a large one from which He has departed. If you can have a large work and God, too, great! But don't be discouraged by size.

God can and will do great things with small, faithful groups of people who are in His will.

(Read v. 5-9)

Ultimately, a half-gentile ruler named Herod would take up the task of remodeling this little temple and build it up beyond the glory of even Solomon. More important than that, though, the Prince of Peace, the Messiah, Jesus Himself would walk in that temple. That is what verse 9 means when it says, "In this place I shall give peace."

Don't quit because what you are doing seems insignificant compared to the world. If God is in it, it is significant. God can glorify humble beginnings.

I have called jolt number three from Haggai's battery cables,

III. An Explanation Of Why God Didn't Accept Their Worship Before They Obeyed.

A little over 2 months pass between message number 2 and message number three. It is now December 24, 520 B.C. The foundation is finished and God decides to use that mile marker to enforce a moral lesson they have learned about obedience. He does it by having Haggai ask the priest a couple of questions.

(Read v. 10-14)

To make a long explanation of this as short as I can, let me tell you the principle God was putting across to them.

What happens when something holy or clean comes into contact with something unholy or unclean? Of course, the answer is that the clean thing always becomes polluted. If you take a clean glass of water and mix it with a dirty glass, the result is dirty water, not clean water.

Before they started the work on the temple, these people had been offering sacrifices to God on the altar they had built when they first returned. Yet, God wanted them to rebuild the temple. They were sacrificing, but they weren't obeying. Outwardly, they were worshipping, but inwardly they were doing their own thing. The inward wrong was polluting the outward right, making the whole thing wrong.

Coming to church to worship God on Sunday doesn't sanctify ignoring what God wants you to do with your life the rest of the week. Rather, it's the other way around. The disobedience ruins the worship and God rejects it.

We could have the most beautiful worship services in the community - great musicians, top notch speakers, wonderful congregational singing - but if our inner persons are not bowed in submission to God, it is all meaningless.

Get the picture?

God goes on now to have them consider obedience vs. disobedience.

(Read v. 15-17)

Let me paraphrase that. "Before, when you were disobedient about building the temple, remember what the result was? Wind, mildew, and hail on your crops. But now that you have chosen to obey:

(Read v. 18-19)

Again, let me paraphrase: "Since you have chosen to obey, even though nothing has had a chance to mature, not even your obedience, from this day on I will bless you. Watch for it!"

If you are struggling right now, and will turn to God and obey, God will immediately begin to bless you. He will take away the disciplinary curse on your life. You will still have to reap the things you have sown, but from this day on you will be sowing good seed and can look forward to a good harvest.

The fourth and final jolt of Haggai is brief, but important. I've called it,

IV. God's Blessing On Faithful And Obedient Leaders.

Many folks who have never done it before think that being a leader is a snap. After all, the only thing there is to do is sit around and tell people what to do, right? Wrong! It is usually the leaders who must put up with the most flack, not only from the opposition, but often from his own people

So God gives Zerubbabel a word of encouragement to hang tough. It came on the same day as the last message, December 24, 520 B.C.

(Read v. 20-23)

Zerubbabel did hang in there, though the opposition got even tougher. God fulfilled His promise. If you check the genealogies of Jesus in both Matthew and Luke you will find this man's name. That genealogy helped seal the identity of the Messiah when He came.

Today, also, God promises great reward to faithful leaders.

Sometimes God's leaders need a jump start, too. Elders, deacons, evangelists, teachers. God will reward your faithful efforts. Don't lose sight of it!

Conclusion

I watched a man have a heart attack. I called the paramedics and stood beside them as they did their work. Out came the electrodes and paddles. Off came the shirt. These men weren't messing around. They were serious and sober. "Clear!" one shouted, and a charge of electricity hit that stalled heart. Nothing happened. "Clear!" Zap! Another charge hit the patient. "Clear!" Another. Suddenly there was a gurgling sound. The man coughed and sputtered. His eyes fluttered open. He was alive! And he survived.

That's what happened in Israel in 520 B.C. at the word of the prophet, Haggai. I hope that will happen here too, with any of us who need it. I hope today, that if your spiritual heart has stopped, Haggai's message will hit you with full force and get that ticker going again.

	Will you again put God first in your life and quit dishonoring Him in your work and play?
	Will you realize that even the smallest work for God, if it is sincere, will please Him so that He will bless you?
	Will you realize that outward praise is meaningless without inward obedience?
	Will you leaders remember your rewards and get at the work God has called you to do?

Look at the heart monitor. Are the lines jagged or are they flat? Only you can determine it.