Rebuilding from Crisis

Sermon from CCM Fallowfield

;

LISTEN

 

This sermon was preached by Tim Simmonds at the Fallowfield site of Christ Church Manchester on Sunday 30th January 2022.

BIBLE VERSES

 

This sermon was based on Haggai 2:1–9.

The Coming Glory of the Temple

1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2“Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

KEY POINTS

Thinking about Rebuilding

• What is at the centre?
• Facing difficult issues.
• Restoring difficult relationships.

Disappointed with the Past

• Memory is powerful
• Israel – had a real memory problem.
• Haggai is encouraging them to begin rebuilding – after previous rebuild attempts had ground to a halt.
• Disappointment can stop you.
• Do we avoid or ignore disappointment?

Be Strong in the Present

• This a big moment for Israel – Big call to work for God – with hearts that are healed.
• “Be Strong”
• To deal with disappointment – to move on from the past – we can’t do it by our own strength.

Lift our Eyes to the Future

• 500 years later – Jesus was stood near the temple – talks to religious leaders.
• In your present, take our disappointment to the cross.

Additional References

• Isaiah 35:3–4

 

MORE SERMONS

To see more sermons from Christ Church Manchester, you can visit our sermons page, or why not consider subscribing on iTunes.