SUMMER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2014
THEME: PRIORITIES FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Unit I – “Hope and Confidence Comes From God”
“GOD’S PRIORITY IN THE LIVES OF HIS PEOPLE…OBEDIENCE”
Part One
Sunday School Lesson No. I – June 1, 2014
Lesson Presented by Rev. Frank A. Davis, III Pastor-Teacher
Lesson Text:Haggai 1:1-12
Required Reading: Haggai Chapters 1 – 2
Lesson Motto Text:Haggai 1:3-4 (NLT), “Then the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?”
Reliable Resources: Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; Standard Lesson Commentary; Willmington’s
Guide to the Bible; Precepts forLiving(UMI); Word Search 9 and 10 Electronic Library; The
Maxwell Leadership Bible by Dr. John Maxwell;Life Application Study Bible.
LESSON INTRODUCTION
“When the foundations of the temple were laid in Jerusalem in the year 536, the younger men shouted for joy while the older men wept (Ezra 3:8-13). Although Haggai probably had seen Solomon's temple in its glory (Hag. 2:3), he was undoubtedly among those who expressed joy, for the Lord was at work among His people. But it doesn't take long for zeal to cool and God's people to grow apathetic, especially when opposition began an ominous growl that soon became a roar. The shout awakened the enemies of the Jews, aroused official opposition, and caused the work to stop (Ezra 4:1-6, 24); and the temple lay unfinished from 536 to 520, when Haggai and Zechariah brought God's message to Zerubbabel and Joshua.” Dr. Warren Wiersbe
Anticipated Power Points:
- Priority of God’s Place in our Lives. Haggai 1:1-4
- Priority of God’s Promises in our Lives. Haggai 1:5-6, 9-11
- Priority of God’s Pleasure in our Lives. Haggai 1:7-8
LESSON OUTLINE
I. Priority of God’s Place in our Lives. Haggai 1:1-4
The first statement in the divine message went right to the heart of the problem and exposed the hypocrisy and unbelief of the people. According to Wiersbe, three major words stood out:
- “Excuses”. Haggai 1:2 (NLT)
“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 encouraged the people to finish rebuilding the Temple. Opposition from hostile neighbors had caused them to feel discouraged and to neglect the Temple and thus neglect God. But Haggai's message turned them around and motivated them to pick up their tools and continue the work they had begun.”(Life Application Study Bible)
- “Evidence”. Isaiah 44:28 (NLT)
“When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say.He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’;he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’” According to God’s own prophecy, the way has already been paved for the remnant of Israel to rebuild the Temple of God. No excuses were acceptable.
- “Evasion”. Proverbs 3:9-10 (NLT)
“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.”
“It's obvious that the nation had its priorities confused, but are God's people today any different from those ancient Jews? Local churches can't expand their budgets for world evangelism because the money isn't there, and yet many church members don't believe Matthew 6:33 and put God first in their giving. Measured by Third World standards, Christians in the Western world are living in luxury, yet their giving is low and their debts are high because their wealth is being used for things that really don't matter.” Wiersbe
II. Priority of God’s Promises in our Lives. Haggai 1:5-6, 9-11
Haggai 1:6 (NLT), “Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!” Neither Israel nor any believer will ever find peace or success until God is on the front burner of their lives. It’s like walking on a treadmill and expecting to arrive at a different destination. (Read Haggai 1:9-11 in the New Living Translation.)
Wiersbe states, “Haggai's second admonition invited the people to examine their lifestyle and actions in the light of the covenant God made with them before the nation entered the land of Canaan(readLev. 26; Deut. 27-28). The word "consider" in the KJV is translated "give careful thought to" in the NIV (Hag. 1:5). It was time for the people to do some serious self- examination before the Lord.
God's covenant stated clearly that He would bless them if they obeyed His Law and discipline them if they disobeyed. "If you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit (Lev. 26:18-20).” “The Temple was the focal point of Judah's relationship with God, but it was still demolished. Instead of rebuilding the Temple, the people put their energies into beautifying their own homes. However, the harder the people worked for themselves, the less they had, because they ignored their spiritual lives.”Life Application Study Bible.
III. Priority of God’s Pleasure in our Lives. Haggai 1:7-8 (NLT)
“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.” It was and still is the priority of God’s people to bring pleasure, that is, cause Him to be pleased at what we say and do. Haggai’s people were challenged by Jehovah to finish what they started in the rebuilding of the Temple, prioritizing Him and minimizing themselves. What a differencethe right priority makes in our relationship with God, others, and ourselves.
Closing:
We shall continue this lesson next week, but let us remember Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In so doing, we will practice God’s priority in our lives through obedience.
Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA and Little Bethel Baptist Church, Amite, LA
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 19768, New Orleans, LA 70179 - Phone: (504) 486-7876
Website: (See and hear lesson taught via Video)
Radio Broadcasts: WLNO AM 1060, Saturday 8:30 a.m.; Sunday 5:30 a.m.
TV Broadcasts: WHNO TV-Channel 20, Sunday, 6:30 a.m.
Looking Ahead: June 8, 2014Haggai 1:12; 2:1-9
You are invited to attend Noon Bible Study every Wednesday as Pastor Davis teaches the lesson at Bibleway.