Sep. 17, 2023

Main Point:  Only Kingdom investments are compatible with intimacy with God.

Week 1: When we honor God first, we experience abundant life; when we seek abundant life first, we miss both it and God. 

Week 2: God owns everything and we are the managers of what we have been given. Prioritize eternal treasures over fleeting, worldly ones.

The lie: The more we accumulate, the safer and more fulfilled we are.

A gospel that equates earthly riches with divine favor is a skewed interpretation of God’s Word.

Are your treasures bricks and mortar, gold and silver? Or are they the eternal truths of God, the souls of men and women, the advancement, not of your kingdom, but of His Kingdom?

Point 1:  True holiness stems from the heart’s devotion, not just external acts; spiritual neglect leads to defilement, while genuine heart commitment brings us closer to God.

Matthew 23:25-28

Jesus emphasized that external religious acts do not make us righteous before God. True righteousness stems from a heart transformed by God’s grace.

In the tapestry of life, priorities are the threads that weave together the narrative of our days. They dictate our decisions, shape our actions and ultimately reveal the condition of our hearts.

Point 2:  When we prioritize God’s will and genuinely repent, His blessings and favor follow.

Through God, Haggai brings a message of hope. When God’s people align their priorities with His will, blessings and favor follow.

Matthew 6:33

Earthly investments, when prioritized over God’s will, defile intimacy with God.

Only Kingdom investments, those that align with God’s will and purpose, are compatible with true intimacy with Him.

God’s promised blessings to the Israelites were not just material. They also were about spiritual intimacy, peace and deepened relationships with God.

1 Timothy 6:10

Money isn’t inherently evil, but the love of it can lead us astray.

Point 3:  Our kingdoms will crumble, but God’s Kingdom will never fail.

Hebrews 12:26b, 12:28

Zerubbabel, a chosen signet, received a divine blessing: the profound promise that the Messiah would come from his lineage. 

Matthew 6:19-21 

From October 1-December 31, commit to giving 10% of your income as an act of worship and tangible expression of your trust in God and desire to invest in His Kingdom. 

Hebrews 12:28 *Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe*.