How to Become Whole Again
Big Idea: The Stories We Tell Ourselves Shape Our View Of The World.
Week 1 Main Scripture:
Haggai 1:1
Sermon Highlights
Historical Context for Haggai
The Bible is not just a collection of stories made up to transmit a set of morals to people so they become “good folks,” as some may perceive it. While the Bible does include poetry and parables that communicate spiritual truths, books like Haggai include historically verifiable time markers to orient the readers to the history of God’s people. A real story placed in real time with real people.
The book of Haggai takes place in the middle of the ongoing story of Israel’s captivity by the Babylonian Empire, which God had given Israel over to due to their open rebellion against God.
King Darius reigned at the time of the writing of Haggai, 520 BC. As king, he was preceded by Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar.
Principle: The Stories We Tell Ourselves Shape Our View of the World.
Stories are how cultures communicate truth from one generation to the next. Our brains are uniquely wired for stories. It’s how we see ourselves, others, and the world – which impacts how we live our lives.
The main stories we view the world through often come from our earliest years in our families of origin. This is why two different people can look at the same situation from different perspectives and experience different outcomes in life.
For example, someone growing up in a family that was secure in handling money will likely be confident in their budgeting and stewardship in adulthood. Whereas, someone growing up in a family that was stressed and insecure about money, barely making it paycheck to paycheck, will hold more tightly to their money in the stress of adulthood.
Additionally, trauma is not always what happens to you. Trauma is your response to what happens to you. When you go through something painful or challenging, what is the narrative you carry through life afterward?
The Story God Has For You Is Better Than The One You’re Writing For Yourself Now.
God Isn’t Slow. He’s Patient.
2 Chronicles 26:15
God had sent prophets and messengers for hundreds of years to warn his people again and again because he pitied them, even in their sins and rebellion. God pitied his people because they were not living the life he created them to live. They were not becoming the people they were created to be.
God wants blessing, honor, and goodness for his people. He wants his people to display his beauty, glory, and goodness to the world. But they chose to look like the lost and dying world around them.
2 Peter 3:9
Our perception of time and the experience of our life is different than God’s. God’s timing is absolutely perfect. It may not be according to the timing we desire, but God’s timing is for the benefit of his people. God is patient and does not want anyone to die apart from a relationship with him. So he gives plenty of time and opportunity to those who will accept his love and repent of their sins.
Principle: All Rebellion Leads to Captivity. We Are Free When We Are Good.
2 Chronicles 36:16-17, Ezekiel 21:24
Satan’s goal is not to get you to sin but to demoralize you and to make you give up. The goal for the Christian is to actively push back and fight against sin in our lives – to repent and turn away from sin and choose to walk in obedience toward Christ.
Open Rebellion is choosing sin and rebellion for your life in everything you do. It is openly mocking God and despising his Word. It is choosing to identify yourself by your sin rather than bearing God’s image – defining yourself in opposition to God.
How Did Israel Sin Against God?
- Worshipping Other Gods
- Child Sacrifice
- Occult Practices
- Desecration of God’s Temple
- Murder
- Refusing to Repent
The Rightful King of Judah
Ezekiel 21:25-27 – King Zedekiah, The Last King of Judah
Luke 1:30-33 – Jesus Christ, The Rightful King of Judah
When you write your own life’s story, it leads to destruction and other hard things. When you accept Jesus Christ as your savior and the Lord of your life, he writes a better story for your life. A story of freedom and hope. A story of becoming who you were created to be. A story in which your brokenness is made whole again.
Looking to learn more about the book of Haggai? Go deeper here.
