Prepare for Harvest // Let’s Get to Work!
Pastor Chris Pletcher
February 9th, 2025
Haggai 1:1-9 // In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.
7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.
Confronting the Heart Issue // Prioritizing Our Homes Above His…
“each of you busies himself with his own house”
Haggai 1:12-14 // Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.
A prophet calls out the Governor and the High Priest… you’ve got your priorities out of order. Together, they OBEY the voice of the Lord. Only AFTER their step of obedience does the Lord respond by STIRRING UP their spirits (awakening them) to accomplish the work He has called them to do… TO WORK ON THE HOUSE OF THE LORD OF HOSTS.
The Apostle Paul said it like this in Colossians 1:28-29…
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
“THEY CAME AND THEY WORKED” //
If you have addressed the heart issue of PRIORITY, the next question is this… Do you have a MIND to work? I am not a farmer, but there is one thing I know about Harvest Season… we better be ready and willing to WORK.
1 Corinthians 3:8-10 // He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 // For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
1 Corinthians 15:58 // Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 16:8-10 // But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am.
Colossians 4:12-13 // Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.
Let’s Get to Work! // 4 Opportunities to Prepare for Harvest
Prepare to Serve
As you know, I have 6 children that enjoy the covering of my fatherhood, my physical dwelling, and my resources. IT IS THE JOY OF FATHERS & MOTHERS to create safe spaces for their children to GROW. It’s beautiful. It’s how life works. They get a warm shelter, food on the table multiple times a day, and most importantly, the loving strength needed to help them grow into maturity. As children, the blessings are provided on a silver platter as a gift of love. But part of our discipleship of our children includes teaching them the way of SERVICE.
Jesus modeled a Kingdom value that cannot be missed in our homes or in the church… He flipped our leadership and authority paradigms UPSIDE DOWN with his comments in Mark 10:45 //
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Being a spectator is unbiblical. So is being a consumer without contributing… the ONLY exception to this is if you are a brand new baby Christian.
Speak to “born again” season of infancy… this is a temporary season
What happens to people that just get “fed” but don’t do any work? They get fat… we cannot afford to be spiritually FAT when God is asking us to get ready for a harvest.
Where can I contribute? I am asking for 100% involvement in contributing somewhere, simply because that is what it looks like to be a part of a FAMILY.
Hospitality/Welcome/Greeting Team - Abby & Oscar
Audio/Visual/Creative Team - Matt Morley
Kids Ministry - CELEBRATE! But with at least 9 babies…
This goes beyond volunteering… IT’S ABOUT COMING TO GIVE.
BUT HEAR ME SAY THIS CLEARLY… Home is where the kids learn how to be a part of a family and serve, but the goal is for our children to be LAUNCHED OUT INTO THE WORLD AS SALT AND LIGHT! “Equip the saints for the work…”
For most of us, the fullness of our purpose and calling will not be found here in church activity or volunteering… for most of you, it will be found out there! In the marketplace, in medicine, in education, in business, in construction, in your neighborhood, in the arts and entertainment.
HOME should be a place of Encounter, Equipping & Encouragement
Prepare to Give
Throughout history, tithing 10% of your income to the Lord’s house was a clear command and a simple act of OBEDIENCE. Everything was seen as a GIFT from the Lord, and the way His people honored Him was by bringing the firstfruits of their harvest into His house.
Malachi 3:7-12 // From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Many people think that since we live under the grace of the New Covenant, tithing no longer applies… that we no longer are called to give 10% of our income to the Lord. Well, you are right. It is no longer 10%... in the New Covenant, the Lord gives us new hearts, the heart of Jesus and the mind of Christ. With this new heart, we are now empowered to joyfully give it all… 100%. Like Him.
Do you see the early believers selling EVERYTHING? Do you remember Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler whose God was his money? “GIVE IT ALL AWAY,” Jesus said. Get free from that trap and follow me.
10% is an Old Covenant minimum. As your pastor and spiritual father, I want to challenge us as a church family. 100% of our congregation, without exception, contributing 10% as a starting point of obedience.
It’s an issue of obedience, and it’s an issue of idolatry and surrender, because YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MONEY. If you aren’t willing to honor the Lord with 10% of the 100% that He gave you, then your money is your true God and not Him… which means you will continue to put your career, your day job, and your finances over obeying and serving HIM. Click here to give!
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 // Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Prepare to Shepherd
If you have a heart for hospitality and shepherding, I want you to sign up for a “New Lifegroup Leader” training that Arlina and I are going to host next month in our home.
This is not a guarantee that you will become a LG leader, this is simply a desire to enter a process of being prepared. If this gift is on your life, the only way to develop it is by using it! We want to help each and every person grow into the fullness of their God given gifting.
Culture of Honor - Invite up 2-3 people…
What is one spiritual gift you know you have from God?
What is one dream for your life that you believe is from God?
What is one promise or word that you believe God has spoken over you?
Prepare to Make Disciples
“Go and make disciples…” // I mentioned the “newborn Christian” earlier. Becoming born again is the most beautiful miracle that can happen in life. But if a newborn baby was not welcomed in a family where it could be provided for and nourished to maturity, then it becomes a nightmare. Simply put, we need to be ready to welcome and disciple new believers along the journey to spiritual growth and maturity. THIS IS THE FAMILY BUSINESS.
We are in the process of providing a few simple tools that will help each of us become disciple makers. Connor is driving this process for our church family, and we are stoked.
Response //
What did the Lord highlight to you today?
How can you partner with Him through obedience?
Is there anyone that you need to share with this week?