"From This Day On I Will Bless You" - Haggai 2:10-19

Pastor Brian leads us through the third sermon in the book of Haggai

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

In reverence to our Lord. I'm reading out of Haggai chapter 2, beginning in verse 10, all the way through verse 19. On the 24th of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai, the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, ask now the priests for a ruling. If a man carries holy meat to the fold in the fold of his garment and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy? And the priests answered, No. And Haggai said, If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter be unclean? And the priest answered, It will become unclean. And Haggai said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so is every work of their hands, and what they offer there is unclean. But now do consider from this day onward, before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord, from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten, and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty. I smote you in every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew, and hail. Yet you did not come back to me, declares the Lord. Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the temple of the Lord was founded, consider is the seed still in the barn, even including the wine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree. It has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you. And this is the word of our Lord. Please be seated. Brian, would you come.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

So that I don't even need to preach, right? No. The preaching of the word is vital and it is such a gift. Father, we thank you for your word to us. We thank you that even though there may be some things that sound odd or obscure, that you are glorious, you are good, you illuminate them too, your people through your spirits. And so we ask you for that today, that we would be overwhelmed with joy as you illuminate your word to us, as you reveal to us the glory and splendor and majesty of who our great God is. And we pray this all in Christ's name. Amen. Well, this is the third week that we've been going through Haggai. This is the third time that the Lord has called upon his prophet to speak his word to his people. First verse tells us it's been two months or so since they last heard from the mouth of God's prophet. Two months of, you call it fetching the timbers and finishing up the foundation that was laid and continuing on in the painstaking work of obedience to the will of God from a new position, a position of faithfulness, of no longer previous, uh their previous position of total neglect. Now just picture the scene here of we could call them fallen humanity, who are now in the will of God. They're toiling. Imagine living in the Middle East. They're toiling, they're sweating, they're working really hard, they're exhausting themselves, they're spending long days trying to get the timbers from uh from the forest, they're hammering away at the stones, trying to, you know, shape the foundation stones correctly. They didn't have the luxury of being able to hire professionals for this work, like the Temple of Old. They had to do it all themselves. And so what's intriguing is that given the dates here in this writing, we find that they're working hard on the temple right about the time, no, picture this, right about the time they're to be busy working for the next harvest that was to come in. The harvest that was previous to this had been very small. You remember that? Really small, because of the Lord's sovereign provision of calling them back to him and in faithfulness. The Lord had prevented them from having a robust harvest the last time. And so they're working on the temple, and they're thinking probably about the harvest to some extent, because usually a people's response to this kind of scene really goes one of two ways. When the people have been rebuked, they have changed to do what is right, and the work is really hard, and they're in the midst of it. There's typically two responses. Both need the Lord's word. But one response is that you're gonna have some people who will continue for a long time just being excited about the Lord's forgiveness, about his mercy toward them, and they're just gonna keep working. Yet in them there can also be this, I don't know, slow stirring of anxious exhaustion, and it can creep in and it can cause doubt. Then you have those other ones who are really just counting the days and and are finding it increasingly difficult to have low food supplies, empty barrels of wine, and yet they're called to endure. They're feeling defeated by these large timbers, they're hot, they're dusty, they're getting weary of this work, they're really starting to maybe have the idea of abandoning the work for, you know how it goes, for a time. For a time. We can go do our farming, we can do our harvest stuff and get more food and we'll raise money, and and then we'll get back to the temple. It's like the promissory statement that you've heard, that I've heard so many times. When this happens, or when that day comes, then I'll serve the Lord. Then I'll go to church more, then I'll help with this, I'll help with that. As we know, those days of faithfulness rarely come without some tragedy coming into the lives. That's human nature, isn't it? And I think this is undoubtedly what we see here as part of the backdrop for our passage for the Lord's word to the people today. As the Lord sends his prophet in again. This time it's just a bit different. This time we can call it a message that is a message of both warning and encouragement. Warning and encouragement. A warning to make sure that they endure in the Lord's work and he encourages them as they do. And so as we dive in to see what this looks like, we're gonna have three points that will hopefully help us break it down, what he's trying to teach. First point, again, you have the sheet in your bulletin if you want to follow along there. First point is the Lord's grace shown forth in an illustrative warning. And we see this in verses 10 to 14. This is really intriguing to me. The Lord uses this prophet Haggai to teach the people, and he warns them about how to live and how to obey by using some of the current ceremonial laws and the sacrificial components of the law as an illustration. I love that. It's fascinating to me because you know, illustrations can be really helpful to make a point, can't they? Many times if you do it right. But when you use the word of God to prove a point about the word of God as your illustration, now that's just genius. Actually, in this though, the Lord gives them two questions. He gives them two questions to ponder as they receive his word, initially in the form of a warning. And so the Lord knows they're fallen humans and that they need some conviction, they need some reminders to keep them working for his glory and really for their own good. He knows that they're undoubtedly beginning to slow down in their desire for this work. Maybe we have some grumbling. We don't know for sure, but I would say implicitly it's in the text since the way that the Lord is speaking to them. This just reminds me of our church culture today. This is precisely one of the reasons as to why we cannot forsake the assembling together of the body of Christ. We need the reminders, don't we? I know I do. We need the warnings, we need the encouragements. We're fallen creatures who constantly need to be kept in line and on that, what path is it? The crooked one? The wide one. Ah, the straight and narrow, right? We need those reminders, and we get that when we come together for worship. And so after telling us that it's been two months since the last time, the prophet makes sure that they know that this is the word of the Lord, again in verse 10, and then he says to them in verse 11, thus says the Lord of, and notice that last word, they're the Lord of hosts. And we talked about this a little bit in Sunday school. The Lord of hosts, the Lord of armies, the Lord of myriads and myriads of angels, rank upon rank of warriors for his glory. That Lord, that God, asked the priests a question in verse 12. I love that. The Lord is dialoguing with his people through Haggai, it's cool. He asked them if if they had this consecrated or holy meat, again, this is a different time. Okay, we don't we don't have things like this now, but they did in that time. If they had this consecrated or holy meat, meat that was set aside as a burnt offering to the Lord as a sacrifice, if that meat was in the garment of the high priest. Now, at first we just say gross, right? Okay, but it so it sounds really odd to us at first, but we gotta remember the priests actually had most of the time, not all the time, but they had this pouch in their garment. Um it's kind of like a like a pocket almost, um, that they would carry things like meat in to protect it from dirt or other contaminants. And so so if that meat were to then touch another kind of food or liquid, this is what the Lord is asking, if that meat were to touch something else, would it make that other thing clean, like pure and holy unto the Lord? Well, the priests, they know the truth of what the law taught, and so they're quick to say, no, of course not. Doesn't work like that. If meat that was set aside or consecrated as an offering to the Lord touched another kind of substance, such as listed in verse 12, its holiness would not be passed on. And they're right. So far, in the Lord's quiz to them, they're sitting at 100%. Next, in 13, he asks him, if someone were to touch a corpse, a dead body, or a dead animal, would they pass that on to somebody else if they touched them without going through a series of cleanliness steps, if you will? Again, the priests get it right. They say, Yeah, it would. It would make others unclean. So far, they're nailing it. Okay, they're killing the short quiz from the Lord. Praise God. And then the hammer drops. Verse 14. Look at it. God says, so is this people, so is this nation before me, declares the Lord. Now, what are we to make of that? What's he getting at? Again, the Lord is using this as a teaching tool to warn them of what has happened and what can happen again if they fall into sin and neglect the things of the Lord once more. Now remember that it is entirely possible knowing man's heart and propensity to sin, is it not? And knowing the painstaking work that's taken place or involved in. And so what the Lord is telling them, and us here today, therefore, is this be warned. Be warned. You cannot become holy through what we call vicarious means. Okay, we're not talking about the justifying gracious declaration by the Lord. What I mean is that you will not become holy just by being near something holy or even a holy person. Doesn't work like that. But on the other side, you can become unclean through the infecting idolatry of others. Think of it this way: let's take health, for an example, okay? If I were to stick you in a room, maybe this size, that had very poor ventilation or no ventilation at all, no sanitizer, no sanitizer, no running water, and you had to be there for 10 hours with a thousand other people, and all of them had the flu. No Kleenexes. So everybody's doing this, and how are you, and that kind of thing. What are the chances you're gonna get sick? Probably pretty good. Almost certain, I would say. Okay? Now, as gross as that is, flip that around. Now, if I were to stick you in that same kind of room, same conditions, same amount of people, I mean, but this time everybody's completely healthy in that regard. Okay? And you're the one who's sick, but it's not the flu, it's cancer. What are the chances you're gonna get healthy by being with them? Not great, right? Unless the Lord did some providential work, it's impossible. It's the same thing with what the Lord is saying to them here through these questions in these verses. There was nothing they could do to save themselves, he's reminding them. They can't work hard enough, they can't do more, be better, try harder to keep themselves clean. They would always fall away from the Lord if it wasn't for his sovereign grace and constant provision of mercy. As one commentator put it, the paths to sin are many, but there's only one path to holiness. And I want to remind you today that there is only one who is holy, and there is only one who can cause you to be holy in him and for him. You see, the people had still been bringing their tithes. That's what he goes on to talk about. They're offerings, if you will, their sacrifices to the Lord, even before Haggai comes on the scene with his prophecies, even before Haggai 1-1, but way before they began rebuilding the temple. But God's saying, those things, those sacrifices were unholy to me. They were, in fact, profane to me, since they were in rebellion against me and how you're living, is what God is telling them. And so he's saying, I was rejecting your sacrifices since they were unclean, coming from unclean people. And so, in bringing these offerings, they may be looking pretty good on the outside, but on the inside they were rotten, since they were neglecting the Lord and his work in their lives. It had really become a ritual to give to God instead of like what Paul says in 2 Corinthians from a cheerful heart. And so as we think about that and maybe try to apply some of that to ourselves, I just want to ask you today, what's your countenance before the Lord in this? Do you give because you're supposed to? Do you work for him out of maybe frustrating compulsion, tired of the work, but I gotta do it anyway? Do you come to church because you're just supposed to? You grew up that way, you just kind of have to. It's what always has been done, and so I know it's gotta happen? Is that you, or is it because of the Lord's grace that you cheerfully give? Whatever that is. Is it because of the Lord's great mercy that you work out your salvation with fear and trembling? And is it that you come to church for worship because you just literally can't do anything else since it's ingrained in your very blood that has been bought with a price? Not that you don't struggle, but you're Christ. And so, do you come to worship and serve because it's who you are or just something you do? Those are just some examples. The Israelites in this day, they were defiling themselves by their disobedience and therefore have been offering defiled sacrifices to the Lord, making them unclean. I love what St. Clair Ferguson speaks of in this regard. He says, um, there is a great danger for the Christian in the same way today. We can live for the world and show up to the church and therefore actually defile Christ and his bride. We can end up being like the one who touches the corpse and then is unclean, and we come into the gathering of the people and we infect them and make them unclean. Not in an unkept or unbathed kind of uncleanliness. We're talking about the uncleanness of heart that will eventually infect those around us as we defile relationships and even worship in the church with our profane lives because we're going to try to influence others. And so the one and only fix for that, the one and only answer, is to throw ourselves on the mercy of God and his sovereign grace and beg him to be made clean and pure for his service. That's what happened to the Israelites of Haggai's day. And the Lord doesn't want them to forget it. A warning and an encouragement. Because who better than God to know the nature of humanity? Even in the church. And yet the Lord knows they need to hear it again. Again, there's nothing they could have done to save themselves, nothing they could have done to clean themselves up. It's only by God's great mercy. Is that not also what you and I need to be reminded of regularly? Is that not exactly what we see in the gospel? Like an infectious disease, we sin as we partake in that which is unclean. And it's by the Lord's grace alone that we're made clean. Only in and through Christ can we be made pure for his glory. Only by his purifying kindness can we then come to him with clean offerings, clean deeds and gifts and energies. God used the law as an illustration to prove a point and a warning. How are we receiving that today? What a gracious and kind God we serve. And so I just encourage us, let's keep ourselves pure today. Hear what I'm saying? In a metaphor, don't teach or don't touch that unclean thing. Don't partake in that unclean activity. Don't defile yourselves by partaking in that corpse-like activity of living for the idolatries of the world. And then infect others with it. Be a church as is commanded in the scriptures, Hebrews 10.25, for an example, but don't think that mere attendance makes you clean. It's all about how we respond to the word of God when it's taught and preached. Now, you and I can hear the word all day long, but if we don't do it, if we don't apply it, as the Bible teaches us, we're no better off than the rest of the world. Realize who it is that can and will make you holy for his service, for his glory, and fall on your face before him, and then keep yourself pure in his strength, for his name, and for your good. And come to church to be reminded of this daily in his word. And especially when we gather like we do here on Sunday mornings. We need to be reminded from the word. We need the warnings, we need the encouragements. We have to have them. Do you realize that what we're engaged in right now is a sweet taste of heaven? As we worship together, we are now blessed through fellowship, through worship. We are blessed to get a small taste of what heaven is like. That's what we do here. Do you want heaven? Does your life show it by how you live and worship? There's warnings and encouragements needed every single Sunday. Let's move on to the second point. The Lord's grace shown by calling them to carefully consider their way. Do you see that grace? Verses 15 through the first part of 19? Think about it. As they're busy on I work on the temple, the word of the Lord comes to them, and he says through Haggai, consider your ways, my people. What he's saying here is basically this set your heart to reflect on what's taken place. Do you do that? At this point, they're not very far removed from their time of disobedience that they couldn't remember what has gone on. They didn't have amnesia. And so God is reminding them and saying, It's not good to fall back into your sin, your neglect, nor is it good for them to look fondly at that time, but it is good for them to be reminded of what has been done or not done in defiance of the Lord's word, so that their faithfulness can be compelled to now devotion to duty. And so he calls them three times in those verses, 15 to the first part of 19, he calls them to consider, to set their hearts to know, to remember, to view what has happened and what is going on as they continue in the work. He says in verse 15, remember two months ago before one stone was laid. And he says this word onward. From this time onward. The NAS actually translates it onward, but in the Hebrew it can also mean backward. It's actually a Hebrew idiom that means backwards or forwards, either way. So he's saying to them, Remember what happened last time you reaped your harvest? How did that go? Remember when you counted up your money and how deficient it was? Let that be what drives you. Why does Haggai do that? Why do they need to be reminded of their previous sin? Aren't we supposed to just throw that away and forget? I would argue because it is not typically the spontaneous idea to do something that compels the greatest obedience. It is usually the failures and the sins of the past that end up being the propellant for the greatest obedience to the Lord as we now rest in his grace. It's not usually spontaneity. It's what's gone on before that compels right worship. It's the rocket fuel that causes the craft of disobedience to be set down and now the craft of obedience to be launched and fly even in defiance to the elements. So it is with the man or woman of God. We need to be reminded of the sin that used to pervade our lives so that we can now cling to the grace of God all the more. Not live there. Moving forward, but consider your ways. How can I consider whether or not I'm in line with the Word of God if I have not considered where I've come from? If my starting point is I'm good, I only have down to go. But if my starting point is look what God has done, look at who I was and now who I am, I'm only going upwards. Consider what has transpired and let the kindness of God be the thing which spurs on further obedience. And in that, by the way, don't fall into the apathy trap. It's a snare. And it'll shut hard, it'll slam you in the face, and you will be crushed by the weight of apathy because apathy is a grace thief. Do not neglect the Lord's kindness in sanctifying you and forgiving your rebellion. And in this, we have to recognize where their suffering comes from. Again, as we've already seen in the book of Haggai, it was the Lord who brought calamity upon these sinful people and to call them into obedience. And so please hear me. This is not a one-for-one. If we suffer today, we cannot say for certain, oh, that's because of what I did a month ago. We don't know that, okay? Sometimes suffering is because of the fact that this world is fallen, both in what we get ourselves into, right? And also what this fallen world has to offer us. And so we can't say anything that it's a one-for-one. I'm not Haggai, you're not the Israelites. But that said, there's a principle that remains, right? It was the Lord here, it says that killed off their crops. He brought the hail. He brought the mildew. He brought the blasting wind. And it was good of him to do it for their sakes. Now my family and I like to garden. We've done this for quite a few years now, mostly off and on. But now we haven't lost any of our vegetables through the avenue of blasting wind, but we have endured hail. And even blight, kind of. One year we actually lost a fairly large garden with some significant hail that came through. And it's like that. Have you ever had that? All the work. Multiple times we've had that white powdery stuff that gets on the leaves, you know what I'm talking about? Sorry, my naivety here. But it happens before they bear fruit. But see, those crops are just for our health and our enjoyment, not our survival, like the Israelites. So this reminder is gonna hit them hard. Quick side note. Last Wednesday, our country celebrated Earth Day. Libraries, schools, many other public facilities proudly boasted of what? Mother Earth. Right? What Mother Earth can do, and on and on it goes. And I just say shame on us as a culture. As we see here today, who allows for the growth? Who controls the weather? It's not you and I. It is definitely not the weatherman. He's not a great, you know, forecaster, let alone controller. God is the one who calls for crops or not. And so I just say, let us, as Christians, from this day forward, let's redeem April 22nd and let's call it Creator Day. Let's not fall into the world's idolatry and worshiping and celebrating that which is created, and let us worship the all-powerful Creator of the universe on that day. Let us repent as a people, and let us always remember our great God and King, just like the Israelites are called to, so that further obedience and right worship may be the order of the day. Now don't get me wrong, we're called to exercise dominion and stewardship over our planet. And that we do care for our planet, of course. We use its resources wisely, but it's all for God's glory. And so the problem with Earth Day is not the sentiment of caring for things, but what tends to be worshipped on that day. And that's the same thing the Israelites are struggling with. You see, that in the next point, we're going to joyfully see the passage close with verse 19. But to even be excited about that, we need to remember where we came from. The Israelites need to remember what the Lord has done in worship-filled hearts. We also need to come to the Lord with unreserved contentment in Christ and what he's given us in the gospel. Without that, we'll never see nor know the blessing of God, even if it's in our face. And so without knowing what he's done and where he has taken us from or out of, how he's taken us from, we could call it the corpse of worldly living, and he's made of us his by his grace, without that knowledge, we're all going to say it was, I don't know, Mother Earth that blessed us, right? We're going to think that it was maybe the fortune cookie sermon that called us to have a great day that did it. We're going to think that it's we, us, we earned this, we earned that. But to see the Lord's blessings, to cling to his promises, we need to be reminded that mildew and mold, destructive hail, leaky wineskins, those were the theme of our lives before Christ. Only then can we then rejoice in him and even rejoice in our third point. Because hail may come. Wind may destroy, the earth may get warmer, it may get cooler. But either way, it's all under the sovereign control and provision of the Lord, and he is good, and he will do what is necessary for our good. Do you trust that? And so the third point is the undeserving grace of God. This is so wonderful. The Lord makes sure that the priests and all the remnant, all the people are reminded of what's happened, where they've come from in regards to their faith and life circumstances. And then he just says, and by the way, in light of all this, I'm going to bless you, he says. He's going to bless them with an abundance of crops when the harvest comes in. Again, who controls the crops? It's God. Isn't that comforting? When they first heard this, they may have been a little bit surprised, maybe a little sarcasm. They're called to remember that they are poor and hungry. Did you hear what I said? Present tense. They are hungry and poor. They haven't reaped that harvest as of yet. Is it because they didn't clean the beaches? Is it because they didn't go out and do the things that they needed to do? Or because they didn't care enough? No. In verse 18, Haggai says, essentially, okay, you've remembered back, you know what to do and not to do now. You're working for the Lord now, good, you're doing what he's calling you to do. And yet you remain hungry and broke. That's my paraphrase. And so we could we could look at the people and yeah, where's the Lord's blessing? I mean, they've repented, they're doing the work. What on earth? At first, when reading verse 19, we think Haggai's still maybe chastising them when he when we first read these words in the first part. He says, Is his seed still in the barn? Oh, here comes it again. But that's not what he's getting at, is it? The Lord is saying to them that since they have emptied the barns of their seed and they have planted them, I'm going to give you a bumper crop because of your faithfulness. Even in regards to, he says, the grapes, the figs, the pomegranates, all of it. Now it's not borne fruit yet, as the Lord says here, but it undoubtedly will. All because they've obeyed. Because they are now doing what the Lord is calling them to do. Because of that, they will now be able to eat well again. The wine will soon be flowing once again, meaning joy and prosperity of life. The delicious fruits that have been absent will once again be bursting forth after the flowers bloom. The Lord will send the pollinators, he's going to send the rain, he's going to hold back the hail and the blight. He will cause the sun to shine on the fields, and they will marvel at the Lord's kindness as a previously defiled people. To us today, that's gospel. Same is true of the man or woman who's in Christ today. And the Lord will bless obedience. Since we're not Old Testament Israel, it will not look like what they're receiving, okay? Again, not a one-for-one. But you can be sure he will bless the work of your hands, your hearts, your minds, and your souls as you do all things for his glory from a motivation of joy-filled worship. Like the people receiving this blessing here in this passage. This passage means the blessing may not be immediately obvious, but it will come no doubt. Do you know this? They were promised great blessings on their crops, and especially their relationship with the Lord as they remain faithful. But crops take time, don't they? But make no mistake, the blessing's already gone out because the Lord has proclaimed it. I mean, the dirt has already been commanded to sprout forth the seed. The sun is called on that day, on those days, to shine perfect and clear. The clouds have been mandated to come on time and pour forth their nourishing rains. The slugs and the aphids and the deer have been told to go elsewhere. The mildew is going to be held back. For it is the Lord's good and gracious will that the faithful people who are now rebuilding the temple in obedience are going to have a bumper crop that is known and boasted of the people around them. I mean, the pumpkins will need pallets. The corn will need many carts, the figs will be sweeter than ever, the grapes will be large and crisp, the Lord's grace will be evident. Brothers and sisters, the same is true with us. Even though it may not seem right now that the Lord is coming through for you and what you're enduring, even though it seems like he isn't there, and you're saying, God, I've been faithful. Never forget, a crop is planted in one season and harvested in another. Even if you live in poverty right now, even if you're sick, even if every day seems like a struggle, maybe even with your family. Even if you don't have many friends, even if your life just seems so hard. One day your faith will become sight, and the Lord's great blessings and his privileges will be fully known. Repentance brings the Lord's blessings by his grace. We may not see it visibly, but never forget the Lord is at work despite us. From the very moment, from the very hour, the minute, even the very second that the Lord saves you by his grace, he has already begun the eternal work of blessing you. The Apostle Paul reminds us that from the point of salvation, we're then seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. It's a wonderful yet invisible proof of the Lord's current and coming blessing for his people, even in spite of our former rebellion. That's why I say it's gospel. Look at verse 18 again. Since the day the first stone was placed on the ruins of the Lord's temple, from the first day of their newfound obedience, the Lord says it was that day that he decided by his grace to bless them. Even if you can't pinpoint the very day or hour that you first repented and believed, it has always been the Lord's prerogative to shower you with innumerable blessings in the heavenly realms and even here on earth. Sure, you may not have that house, that thing, that car. You may be struggling and striving in life right now. Your health may be terrible. But the greatest blessing you could ever, ever know has already been yours in the fullest measure in Christ Jesus. If you're truly in Christ, if you're truly his by his marvelous grace, then you have the very love of God. All of it has been bestowed upon you. The one who created the heavens and the earth with a word from his mouth, the one who created mankind from the dust of the ground, I mean the one who speaks and the Pacific Ocean will lie as still as glass, the one who spoke the strawberry range into existence. This one and only creator, God, loves you. And if you have turned to him in repentance and confession of faith, then he loves you with a love that is otherworldly. Look at verse 19 again. How does it close? From this day on, I will bless you, he says. You and I, from the moment of salvation, are called an adopted heir and saint of the Most High God. You've been taken from being a son or daughter of disobedience, a son of the evil one, to now being called a child, and not just a child, an heir with Christ and of God Almighty. He has chosen you as a father, and mother chooses a child unto adoption. He has called you his own and shed his own blood to make this happen. From this day on, I will bless you, he says. You're forgiven by the great judge, by the king. Your sin is remembered no more on that day. You will be wiped clean, pure as the driven snow, white as white wool, the Bible says. You've been justified, declared righteous by the Father because of the work of the Son. From this day on, I will bless you, he says. You're promised eternal life now. What are grapes and pomegranates to that? You're promised eternal life if you're his. You may die, you will die here on the earth, guarantee that. Your last day will come no matter what you do, but the man or woman of God will live forever. You and I will forever live at the feet of Jesus Christ, seeing him face to face daily, hourly, being overwhelmed with his love in us and worship and grace and mercy. That will only grow in intensity as each moment brings greater clarity to the splendor of God's glory and eternal life. From this day on, I will bless you, he says. Your promised a reserved inheritance that 1 Peter tells us is undefiled, it's unstained, it's imperishable, it's unfading in its absolute brilliance. You and I, therefore, have a ticket to the inheritance by his sovereign grace. You and I don't deserve this, but from this day on I will bless you, he says. You're gonna be free from sin. Therefore, free to rightly worship. The greatest beauty about eternal life is being able to worship Christ without the stain of any sin, no pride, no slander, no lying, no pain, no anger, no lust of any kind, just an absolute passion for his glory. From this day on, I will bless you, he says. Do you need anything else in this life? Knowing that's what's coming to us. And yet he still just showers us with blessings on this earth. I'm not talking about that prosperity, gospel nonsense. But what a blessing to even have a church family. It's eternal blessing. So I ask you today, has the Lord begun the foundation of his grace in you? Have you turned from your previous life and confessed him as your Lord and your Savior? Can you claim that he has called you unto himself and that you've now begun the foundational work on the temple which he dwells, meaning your very life? Or are you just unstirred, dozing at the message of Haggai, and proving to be unregenerate as the crops of your life wither away, as the mildew of the world brings blight to your heart. There are only two ways to live. You've heard this? I'll just say this: either we hang out with the corpses, or we see the fruit-bearing faith that comes by the grace of God as he brings both life and blessings to bear upon the soul of the redeemed. I pray that for all of us, all of us, that this is the day of the Lord's blessing. Maybe for the first time. Maybe for some, it's just yet another realization of his magnificent grace and kindness and a reminder of what's in store for us. I just say, let not one person leave here today without the blessing of the Lord, comforting our hearts and minds as we dwell on Christ and His glory. I pray that each one of us clings to the God who blesses his people as we turn to his marvelous grace. Consider the blessing of the Lord and consider your ways in light of it, my friends. Because he says from this day on, I will bless you. Is that you? Are you his? Are you hard at work for him? And if so, what does that look like? Let's pray. Father, we do thank you. You've given us such immeasurable blessings in Christ. What a king we serve. What a gracious Lord. Father, we plead with you now that we would recognize the blessing of eternal life. We would consider our ways before the King and Judge of all. And that we would be those people like these Israelites, like this remnant and the priest, that we would turn from what we were doing, the idolatry of self, and that we would we would work for the Lord and what you've given us to do. May you be glorified through your people right here in Grant County, in Prairie City. We thank you for the privilege of knowing Christ. It is in the matchless and marvelous name of this gracious Savior that we pray. Amen.