We're going to come now to a time where we're going to just come before God in prayer.
So if you want to pick up on your conversations afterwards, we'll have community lunch afterwards.
So please invite someone to come for lunch with you and carry on those conversations right afterwards.
But what we do now is in our service, we do what we call the pastoral prayer,
which is it's not just me praying.
What I want you to do is I want to lead you in praying together.
So that means I want to pray and I want you to just be in your heart or even under your breath,
just be amen, just praying with me as I pray.
Okay, so let's just bow our heads and ask our Father to just hear our petitions before him.
Father, amazing, loving Father,
may we see you in the splendor of your holiness.
God, your glory is above the heavens.
You created galaxies.
You stand far beyond the universe.
Heaven is your throne.
The earth is just a footstool for you.
And yet you're the God who says,
I come close and I'm with you.
Thank you for the depth of your love for us.
Thank you the only way we can come is because you sent Jesus to be our great high priest,
to be our intercessor,
to be the one who pleads for us,
broken, sinful people,
to draw us to yourself so we can come into your presence.
We thank you, Father, that you are a good, good Father.
Thank you so much for the gift of life.
Thank you for Eric and Justine and Judah,
their little baby, Father, this morning.
Well, thank you for the gift of life.
It's just so exciting to see how you're working both in their lives
and also how you're working, Father,
through them in the life of the church in the bridge.
Lord, we pray for Justine.
We pray give her a swift recovery.
We pray that you would strengthen them in these coming weeks and months
to know how to parent the little Judah with wisdom
and with a deep sense of courage and strength and trust
knowing that you're in control.
We pray for the bridge church.
We pray that they will be a church that really supports them.
We pray that in that church,
they not just have physical babies being born,
but spiritual babies being born, Father.
We pray that you would awaken life in that church in Tongchong, Lord.
And we pray, Father, that as we think about even this city
and we think about the need for new life in this city,
which feels so broken at times, Lord,
we ask that you would awaken your church.
You would awaken your church to see the needs of those around us.
Father, we pray as a church in Hong Kong,
let us not be a church which is defined by busyness and activism,
but which works hard for your kingdom out of a deep sense of rest in you.
Lord, we live in a culture which pressurizes us
to try and prove ourselves all the time,
to just try and fight for survival.
But we pray that as your church we'd be different,
that we would know that our survival is in your hands,
not in our hard work.
We pray, Lord, that as local churches,
as international churches in this city,
particularly at this time,
where there's so much tension,
would your grace be what fuels everything we do?
Would your people be a light in a dark world?
Would you teach us what it means to walk with you
and to be the hope, Father,
the people who point to you
in any and every situation we face,
even in this week?
Father, forgive us where we dumb down your word
to suit our own lifestyles,
where we're not ruthless with our sin,
where we only see sin as things we don't do
rather than a call of holiness
to live lives of love and of compassion,
of courage and of grace to those around us.
Father, we need you.
Change our hearts, we pray.
I pray, Lord, even in this city,
I pray for those, and in our church as well,
those who are single.
Father, our society places so many pressures
and expectations on those who are single.
Father, would you just lift up the eyes
of all those in our congregation and beyond
to see a vision for how you want to use their singleness
for your kingdom,
not just for their own comfort, Lord.
Show them their value is not in what other people
think about them,
not in their relational status,
but it's found in your deep, abiding love.
Father, we pray that we would be a community
which walks alongside
those who struggle in their sexuality,
those who struggle in loneliness,
those who struggle with the pain
of relational breakdown.
Don't let us be so busy
that we fail to love,
fail to see those around us.
Change us, Lord, we pray.
Thank you that you're a good, good Father
who longs to change us
and make us more like your Son.
In Jesus' mighty name.
Amen.
I want to invite Echo
to come and read God's Word
to us this morning.
The scripture reading comes from Haggai, chapter 2.
Please follow along in your bulletins or on the screen.
On the 24th day of the ninth month,
in the second year of Darius,
the word of the Lord came by Haggai, the prophet.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
ask the priests about the law.
If someone carries holy meat
in the fold of his garment
and touches with his fold
bread or stew or wine or oil
or any kind of food,
does it become holy?
The priest answered and said,
No.
Then Haggai said,
If someone who is unclean
by contact with a dead body
touches any of these,
does it become unclean?
The priest answered and said,
It does become unclean.
Then Haggai answered and said,
So is it with this people
and with this nation before me,
declares the Lord.
And so with every work of their hands
and what they offer there is unclean.
Now then,
consider from this day onward.
Before stone was placed upon stone
in the temple of the Lord,
how did you fare?
When one came to a heap of twenty measures,
there were about ten.
When one came to the vine vet
to draw fifty measures,
there were about twenty.
I struck you and all the products
of your toil,
with blight and with mildew
and with hail.
Yet you did not turn to me,
declares the Lord.
Consider from this day onward,
from the twenty-fourth day
of the ninth month,
since the day that the foundation
of the Lord's temple was laid.
Consider,
is the seed yet in the barn?
Indeed,
the vine,
the wheat tree,
the pomegranate,
and the olive tree
have yielded nothing.
But from this day on,
I will bless you.
This is the word of God.
Thank you,
Echo.
That's great.
It's great to see
many of you.
I know there's some
familiar faces,
unfamiliar faces this morning.
So,
if this is your first time,
if you've been with VBS,
or your kids have been with VBS,
or you're just passing through,
we just want you to feel
just really welcome this morning.
We're going through
a series in Haggai,
which is a book in the Bible
where no one knows
where to find it,
but it is in there.
So,
trust me.
And we've been going through
this series
looking at the prophet Haggai,
who preaches four sermons
over a period of four months
to the Jewish people
who God had brought back
from the land of Babylon in exile.
He brought them back
to their homeland in Israel
to rebuild the temple.
And the temple was the centerpiece
of worship to God as a community.
It's where God's presence
dwelt.
And what we've seen
over the last couple of sermons
that we've had
is that people had got
very keen to start with
and then they'd just grown busy
with their lives.
And God's temple
had been neglected.
And Haggai came
the 29th of August,
520 B.C.
to them
with a sermon
telling them
to start getting on
and getting back
working on the temple.
And we'd seen
that they'd responded well.
And so the people
had started working
and working
and then last week
we saw
they got to October
and in October
they were getting discouraged
because the temple
wasn't looking as great
as they thought it was.
It should be.
It didn't look as great
as the previous temple
they'd had.
And they were wondering
whether this was really
worth continuing or not.
And Gary preached to us
last week
and showed us
that actually God
encouraged them
through Haggai
don't give up.
Keep working
because God is with you
and he's doing something
far more glorious
than you realize
right at this present moment.
So don't give up.
Keep working.
And so now
it's the 18th of December.
So Haggai as a career
he only has like
a four month career.
So it's not a very long
prophesying preaching career
and you'll see maybe why.
But Haggai comes again
his third sermon
and his time
he comes to the priests
the religious leaders
who are basically like
community adjudicators
as well
on matters of the law.
And so he came to them
with a question
about holiness.
Now I don't know about you
but let me give you
a little bit of background
on holiness
because when I say
the word holy
I mean
what comes into your mind?
Anyone?
God
do you say?
Okay.
Nothing comes into your mind
clearly.
Okay.
So
but holy
is one of these
religious words
like how often
do you go around
using the word holy
like to your boss
oh that was a very holy moment.
I don't think you do.
But this word
means set apart.
But the problem
with the word
set apart
is it sounds very cold
very distant
like kind of
God's a bit too cool
to hang around
with dirty sinners
like us.
And
we have this kind of
impression
that holy
is actually a kind of
negative word
really.
It kind of feels
a bit like the right thing
but just a bit like
bright light
that you don't want
to look at really
because it's too shiny.
But actually
when the Bible
talks about
God as holy
he's saying
that God
is the creator
of everything
and we are created.
God is infinite
and we are finite.
We
have to sleep
at night.
God
is always awake.
It's like
he
is self-sufficient.
We are dependent.
He is the sun
and we are the earth
which depends
on its rays
for our very existence.
This is his holiness.
He is the source
of everything.
And yet
I watched an advert
a while back.
I think it was
for toilet paper.
But in this advert
I'm not going to
name the brand
but in this advert
there was a
woman and a guy
sitting at a restaurant
opposite each other
on a beach.
It was a very romantic scene
and there was a
and the woman
was thirsty
and there was a coconut
like palm tree
next door
and so the guy
reaches up
gets a coconut
cracks it against
his head
with just
sheer power
as if nothing
had happened
opens it up
gets a straw
places it in the coconut
and then gently
hands it to his beloved
across the table.
And the caption line
went something like
like this
strong and gentle
everything you could
ever want.
and I thought
about that
and I thought
I mean they're
talking about
toilet paper
but actually
isn't that
what we really
desire in our lives
because
if you think
of people
who are very
strong and bold
and courageous
aren't they often
not very gentle
or not very
compassionate
or not very kind
and you think
of people
who are very
compassionate
and very kind
and very gentle
aren't they often
not really very bold
and courageous
and strong
right?
And so
who here
has unshakable
courage and strength
and perfect patience
and love and compassion?
Anybody?
I don't see many hands
okay
do you want to be
like that?
Okay
okay
five people do
we'll work on it
okay
but actually
do you know
why we want
to be like that?
That is a longing
for God's holiness
because you see
like the sun rays
point back
to the sun
our longings
for these things
are a longing
for a God
who is perfect
in love
perfect in power
perfect in strength
perfect in compassion
perfect in gentleness
perfect in awesome majesty
everything
you could ever want
he is
and he's the source
of all of those things
that is the beauty
and holiness
of God
that is how
he is set apart
and you know
in the old testament
anything that is
related to God
associated with him
is holy
so what you have
you see Moses
Moses
comes along
and he's walking along
and he sees this burning bush
and he starts walking up
to it
and he hears a voice
saying Moses
take off your sandals
because the place
that you are standing
is holy ground
why is it holy?
because God's presence
is there
the temple
that we have been
talking about
it is the holy temple
of God
why is it holy?
because God's presence
is there
there are priests
who are called
to be holy
because they're set apart
to serve and worship him
you know in the bible
there are holy days
there are holy cups
there are holy meetings
there is holy bread
there is holy steak
because there is meat
that is offered
in worship to God
and that becomes holy
because it's for him
and devoted to him
all of these things
become holy
and God's people
were also called
to be holy
a holy nation
a people who belong
to God
we are his
so when I got married
to my wife
I became holy
to her
set apart
for her
and she for me
that is the image
of being holy
but in the book
of Leviticus
in the law
there was a problem
because ever since
the fall of Adam
and Eve
sin entered the world
sin where we sought
to find our life
anywhere outside
of God himself
and sin brought death
it's like an oil slick
that brings pollution
into all of creation
it made us unclean
it made us dirty
and Leviticus
has lots of laws
which say
anyone who releases
bodily fluids
like menstruation
the things related
to the life
death cycle
anyone who touches
a dead body
any of these things
become unclean
and need cleansing
and you know
touching a dead body
wasn't sinful
because actually
you've got to bury
dead people
but actually
it's like
when you touched it
you now had
the smell of death
on you
you had the stain
of the pollution
of a broken world
on you
and you needed
to be washed
and cleansed
before you could
come into the presence
of God
that is the background
to this passage
in Haggai
so
are you with me still?
good
so if you've got
your bulletin open
we'll be going through
just some of that
passage together
so first of all
Haggai comes
and in verse 11
he says this
he kind of asks
the question
if someone
carries
holy meat
in the fold
of his garment
and touches
with his fold
bread or stew
or wine
or any other
kind of food
common food
does it become
holy?
and the priests
go
no
what is he asking?
he's saying
is holiness
contagious
like a virus
so if I am clean
and I touch you
I've had a bath
and I touch you
do you become clean?
and they go
no
of course not
and so
he says
okay
if you stand
it's like
if you have
a holy garment
that's touched
holy meat
and then
does it kind of
pass off holiness
to something else?
he goes
no
and he says
the same idea
you know
if you were to
stand next to
a holy person
would the holiness
kind of rub off
on you?
his answer
would be saying
no
because you know
in church history
a lot of people
have actually thought
they've kind of
forgotten this
so they think
that if you go
into a holy building
like a church building
you suddenly
become holy
or they think
if you go
and get prayed for
by the holy pastor
suddenly
you become
like the spiritual
holy zapping
from God
comes upon you
and
Haggai
and the priest
are going
no no no
that's not
the way holiness
works
and then he
switches the question
he goes
okay
not the clean thing
if I'm dirty
and I touch you
do you become
dirty?
yes
good answer
that's the priest's answer
they say
if someone who's
unclean
by contact
with a dead body
touches any of these
things
does it become
unclean?
and they go
yeah
it does
is uncleanness
contagious?
yes
so it's a bit
like this
I want you to
imagine
like
who here is
who's thirsty?
I know some of you
are thirsty
anyone thirsty?
anyone?
okay
Dan is thirsty
okay
so what I'm
going to do
Dan I've got a
drink of water
for you
here we go
drink of water
hold on a sec
don't drink it
just yet
I just want you
to know
that just before
I did a urine sample
and a poo sample
in that cup
I washed it out
afterwards
so it's probably
about
it's 99% clean
feel free to carry
on drinking
if you'd like
would you drink it?
Lorna would
drink it
would you drink it?
I think most of us
would go
no I think I'll get
from somewhere else
because
it feels
defiled
right
it feels
unclean
even if you told me
it was 99% clean
1%
is enough
to make you go
I don't want to
touch that
right?
this is what
Haggai is saying
and Haggai
brings home
the point
to the Israelites
he then goes
that's exactly
what you are like
he goes
you're not even
99% clean
you're way more
dirty than that
and everything
that you are
offering
in building
this temple
this holy
place
is actually
unclean
and you go
wow Haggai
that's a bit
hard
they seem
to be doing
all the right
things
but you're
supposed to be
this people
who are for
God's eyes
only
to honour
him
with all
of your
life
that everything
set apart
for him
so his
glory
shapes
who you
are
and what
you do
and he
says
outwardly
you guys
have been
starting
building
this temple
you've been
doing a lot
of great
religious
activities
you've been
going to
church
you've been
praying
you've been
listening to
what Oscar
said
and you've
been giving
money
you've been
working in
the kids
ministry
you've been
busy
actively
on the
outside
you appear
to be doing
everything
God says
of you
but what
Haggai says
is
the outside
of the cup
may look
clean
but inside
your hearts
are impure
you're selfish
you're defiled
and you're
like
Haggai's
not the
kind of
guy
you'd
invite
around
to your
house
for a
meal
he's
pretty
strong
and what
he's
saying
is
when you
touch
my
holy
temple
and you
are
impure
what
happens
you're
defiling
my
temple
your
dirty
hands
are
getting
muddy
even
the
good
things
that
you
think
you're
doing
and
God's
saying
do you
think
that I
would
touch
anything
that
you're
offering
when I
know
where
your
hands
have
been
when I
know
where
your
heart
has
been
when I
know
where
your
thoughts
have
been
this
week
it's
a hard
message
that Haggai
is actually
bringing
to this
people
because you
know for
myself I
realized this
is really
striking for
me because
I can come
to church
and I
remember I've
I've come
before to
church and
my wife and
I were just
having a big
argument in
the car
in the taxi
on the way
here
and so we
kind of come
out and then
you come
into church
and you're
all kind of
happy and I
was preaching
that day
I said
it's fine
hi
praise the
Lord
you know
all that
kind of
stuff
and I'm
getting up
to preach
and it
could have
been the
most amazing
sermon
ever
but if
my heart
is filled
with bitterness
and anger
with my
wife
do you know
what God
would say
I don't
want to
touch that
because I
want your
heart
I don't
just want
your outward
actions
and I
think this
is just
such a
challenging
thing for
all of us
don't we
often walk
into church
into our
community
group
and we're
nursing
grudges
against our
bosses
we're
nursing
all kinds
of offenses
that we
we're angry
we've got
all kinds
of things
and then
we start
singing
and then
we start
praising God
and then
we do
all these
things
thinking
that that
is what
holiness
is
but God
says no
I look
deeper
than that
I look
down
here
which is
one of the
reasons why
when we take
communion
we say
don't just
kind of
come up
and take
communion
as if
it's just
a nice
religious
ritual
that you
do
because
actually
that's a
moment
for you
to stop
and say
God
where is
my heart
right now
because
you know
Jesus
says
if you've
come to
the altar
and you've
got an
issue
with your
brother
or your
sister
don't
come and
just quit
everything you're
doing right
there
and just
get right
you see
holiness is not
about just
externals
holiness is about
the heart
and in
psalm 24
it says
this
who can
ascend
the hill
of the
lord
who can
stand
in his
holy place
that's the
temple
who can
come
he who
has a
clean hands
and a
pure heart
who's got
clean hands
and a pure
heart
this morning
who's got
kind of
75%
clean
because
don't we
sometimes
say well
I know
I'm not
perfect
but you
know
I've
got a
75%
and God
still says
the same
that's
I don't
want to
touch
that
if it's
just you
coming
with your
own
sense of
holiness
and the
right response
to that
isn't to
go oh
well then
if that's
the case
then I
won't even
bother doing
any of the
praising God
I won't
bother doing
any of the
other things
that's not
the right
response
the response
God is
looking for
is he wants
to draw
you to
himself
and say
I want
to call
you to
repent
and to
turn back
to me
so that's
the second
thing I want
to talk
about
the call
of repentance
second thing
Haggai says
from verse
15 to
verse 18
Haggai
uses
three
consider
he says
consider
from this
day on
consider
from this
day on
consider
and that
word
consider
it's the
same
that he
said
back in
chapter 1
verse 7
when he
told the
people
listen
consider
where you're
going
consider
your ways
and the
ideas
so that
you can
turn back
to me
you see
in this
passage
behind the
scenes
is actually
a reference
to
Deuteronomy
28
it's where
Moses
is about
to take
the people
wants to
call the
people
to go
into the
promised
land
he won't
go
but he
says to
them
listen
guys
you have
a choice
before you
you've got
a decision
either
obey
God
run
to him
love
him
and he
will
bless
you
or
run
away
from
him
and
you'll
receive
curse
because
if
you
try
and
go
away
from
the
son
and
get
it
by
yourself
you'll
have
no
life
so he
says
this
I set
before
you
today
life
and
death
blessing
and
cursing
now
choose
life
by
loving
the
Lord
your
God
obeying
his
voice
and
holding
fast
to
him
for
he
is
your
life
do
you
see
what
he's
saying
I
want
you
to
come
to
me
because
I'm
life
for
you
and
what
he's
saying
Haggai
here
is
he's
saying
to
the
people
you
guys
have
turned
away
from
me
and
what
did
you
get
you've
got
curse
you
didn't
get
the
harvest
you
were
looking
for
you
got
death
on
your
work
death
on
your
crops
because
when
you
walk
away
from
God
that
way
it
always
affects
that
way
horizontally
and the
call
is
come
back
to
me
not
tomorrow
but
today
but he
doesn't
just say
kind of
look
back
at the
past
he
also
says
look
forward
to
the
future
this
is
verse
18
and
19
he
says
from
the day
you
started
building
the
temple
until
now
you've
sown
your
seed
for the
next
year
for the
harvest
it's
in the
ground
and
you're
hoping
that
you're
going
to
get
past
and
God
says
listen
though
your
past
has
been
bad
and
the
harvest
has
been
bad
because
of
your
sin
right
now
it's
not
too
late
because
now
I
want
you
to
come
to
me
because
I
want
to
bless
you
I
want
to
bless
you
he
says
just
watch
from
this
day
on
if
you
run
back
to
me
just
see
how
I'll
bless
you
just
see
that's
my
heart
because
don't we
often
think
God's
holiness
is about
telling
us
to
say
no
to
everything
like
don't
sleep
with
your
boyfriend
don't
be
nasty
to
people
don't
do
this
don't
do
that
and
it
feels
like
a
whole
list
of
rules
that's
God's
holiness
we
think
and
that
never
attracts
your
heart
to
ever
want
to
run
back
to
God
because
the
moment
I
say
no
inside
you're
going
yes
right
you
know
when I
was a
kid
during
the
holidays
me
and my
friend
we
wanted
to
play
tennis
and
our
school
had
tennis
courts
but
we
weren't
supposed
to
use
them
during
the
holidays
but
no
one
used
them
so
we
would
go
and
there
was
actually
a
hole
at
the
side
under
the
fence
so
we
would
kind
of
creep
under
the
fence
and
we
start
playing
tennis
together
and
I
remember
one
day
the
caretaker
of
the
school
came
out
and
he
started
shouting
at us
and
telling
us
to
get
out
of
there
and
we
just
ignored
him
we
kept
playing
and
then
what
he
did
he
brought
out
a
camera
and
started
trying
to
take
pictures
of
us
and
we
started
taking
off
our
shirts
over
like
this
so
they
couldn't
see
us
it
was
a bit
of
play
tennis
at
that
point
but
we
carried
on
but
then
he
wouldn't
go
away
and
so
we
just
started
reasoning
with
him
we
said
hey
listen
if
you
let
us
play
here
we
are
doing
harm
it's
fine
there's
no one
else
here
we'll
help
you
clean
up
different
things
if
you
let
us
play
and
we
started
trying
to
reason
and
justify
why
we
should
be
there
and
he
wouldn't
have
any
of
it
so
we
had
to
you
want
to
have
those
in
your
school
those
kind
of
teachers
you
just
think
they
need
to
get
a
life
I
think
that's
often
how
we
actually
deep
down
view
God's
holiness
we
know
we're
doing
wrong
things
but
we
kind
of
feel
God's
a
little
bit
unreasonable
because
he
wants
he's
just
spoiling
our
fun
spoiling
it
and
he
just
doesn't
seem
reasonable
and
so
what
we
try
and
do
we
try
and
negotiate
our
way
with
God
we
kind
of
justify
ourselves
we
try
and
cover
ourselves
up
hide
ourselves
even
hiding
our
own
little
sins
through
trying
to do
a lot
of
good
things
you
ever
done
that
you
know
that
you
should
be
actually
dealing
with
an
area
in
your
life
with
somebody
else
but
what
you
end
up
doing
is
you
start
serving
really
hard
in
kids
ministry
or
in
somewhere
I
don't
want
to
stop
Kristen
having
volunteers
for
kids
ministry
but
we
do
this
isn't
actually
a lot
of the
busyness
that
actually
we
do
a way
that
we
try
and
cover
up
ourselves
because
we
know
deep
down
there's
something
that's
not
right
with
us
we
don't
feel
valuable
we
don't
feel
approved
but
God
looks
at
the
heart
and
the
whole
of
the
rest
the
history
of
the
Old
Testament
is
after
Haggai
has
spoken
this
message
the
people
continually
refuse
to
turn
back
to
God
they
choose
curse
and
curse
and
curse
after
curse
all
the
time
and
it
shows
us
something
it
shows
us
the
Bible
story
is
written
very
clearly
to
show
you
that
you
cannot
get
holy
by
serving
you
cannot
get
holy
by
just
coming
on
a
Sunday
you
cannot
get
holy
by
just
praying
a
lot
or
helping
the
granny
across
the
road
you
cannot
get
holy
by
any
of
those
things
because
you
know
the
only
way
to
get
holy
is
to
have
a
touch
from
the
holy
one
himself
and
that's
my
third
point
we've
looked
at
how
holiness
is not
religious
activity
it
is
a
call
to
repentance
but
really
what we
need
in that
is this
touch
from
the
holy
one
this
passage
400
years
later
the
people
have
failed
again
and
again
and
then
Jesus
comes
to a
man
who
has
a
demon
in the
bible
it's
called
an
unclean
spirit
notice
unclean
and
the
spirit
sees
Jesus
approaching
and
he
says
have
you
come
to
destroy
us
we
know
who
you
are
the
holy
one
of
god
the
only
one
who
embodies
everything
who
god
is
his
love
his
strength
his
power
and
his
compassion
and
he
knows
that
as
an
unclean
spirit
Jesus
can
say
one
word
and
in
his
presence
he
would
be
destroyed
but
as
the
story
goes
on
in
Mark
chapter
five
Jesus
then
is
walking
along
and
this
man
comes
to
him
who
is
a
Jewish
leader
and
says
my
daughter
is
dying
could
you
come
please
lay
hands
on her
and
she
will
live
and
Jesus
goes
with
her
and
he
is
surrounded
by
this
crowd
and
in
that
crowd
there
is
a
woman
a
woman
who
has
been
bleeding
for
12
years
in
the
Levitical
law
someone
who
has
been
bleeding
like
that
for
12
years
is
unclean
and
she
has
been
looking
everywhere
for
every
doctor
that
money
can
buy
and
none
of
them
have
been
able
to
help
her
she
is
just
imagine
the
whole
of her
life
in
that
culture
trying
to
hide
the
shame
and
the
guilt
of
just
this
uncleanness
that just
clings
to
you
and
she
comes
and she
hears
that
Jesus
is
in
town
and
do you
know
what
she
says
she
comes
fearful
ashamed
and
desperate
and
she
knows
that
Jesus
is
her
only
hope
and
she
says
this
if
I
can
only
touch
his
garments
just
the
fold
of
his
garment
then
I
will
be
healed
and
the
word
healed
is
actually
the
word
saved
and
she
reaches
out
to
him
she's
like
I
just
need
him
he's
the
only
one
who
can
help
me
and
she
touches
him
what
does
Haggai
say
should
happen
if
an
unclean
person
touches
something
that's
holy
it
becomes
unclean
right
what
happens
with
Jesus
power
life
giving
power
flows
out of
Jesus
heals
her
cleanses
her
restores
her
completely
and
Jesus
goes
who
touched
me
and
this
woman
who's
been
so
shamed
she's
fearful
she's
trembling
but
she
comes
out
before
Jesus
and
she
tells
her
story
and
Jesus
says
your
faith
has
made
you
well
you
came
to
me
now
go
in
peace
restore
that
word
peace
the
shalom
the
wholeness
the
peace
that
I
give
you
and
you
know
what
Jesus
then
does
next
that
guy
whose
daughter
was
dying
some
of
his
servants
come
to
him
and
say
hey
don't
bother
Jesus
any
longer
she's
dead
your
daughter's
dead
and
Jesus
turns
and says
listen
don't
listen
to
them
just
trust
me
and
he
walks
down
to
the
house
where
this
daughter
is
and
there's
the
mourners
there
and
he
says
to
them
don't
worry
she's
just
asleep
and
they
laugh
at
him
and
Jesus
walks
into
the
room
and
he
could
have
just
stood
at
the
side
of
the
room
and
kind
of
said
be
healed
because
what
happens
if
a
holy
clean
person
touches
something
that
is
unclean
like
a
dead
body
what
happens
they
become
unclean
but
God
Jesus
is
not
the
kind
of
holy
distant
God
that
kind
of
clicks
his
fingers
and
then
walks
away
no
what
he
does
he
walks
towards
her
he
touches
her
he
reaches
out
to
her
cold
lifeless
hand
and
he
says
get
up
and
power
comes
in
and
he
raises
her
from
the
dead
but
in
that
moment
of
power
do you
see
what
he
also
does
he
then
says
to
her
listen
she's
hungry
get
her
something
to
eat
incredible
compassion
because
Jesus
is
the
holy
one
who
combines
everything
that you
and I
wish we
were
if we
really
could do it
in our
own
strength
and we
cannot
and here's
the point
you and I
are like that
woman
you and I
are like that
corpse
unclean
before a
holy God
we
should
be
destroyed
from
his
presence
but
instead
God
wants to
come to
you
and to
me
and he
says
I want
to bless
you
and the
only way
I can
bless
you
is through
my
life
giving
presence
with
you
you know
in the
temple
access
into
God's
holy
presence
was only
brought
through the
death of
an animal
taking
the impurity
the uncleanness
of people's
sins
being placed
on them
and it
died
so that
the high
priest
could walk
into
God's
presence
and we
know that
on the
cross
where
Jesus
died
our
sins
were
transferred
our
impurity
our
shame
all of
those
things
were
transferred
onto
Christ
the
holy
one
the only
one
who
didn't
deserve
it
so that
your
heart
and my
heart
can be
cleansed
you know
he's the
only one
who can
transfer
holiness
to you
to shame
filled
broken
people
like you
and me
he's
the only
one
and you
know how
the early
Christians
used to
preach
the gospel
in
Acts
chapter
2
they said
this
Peter says
this
he says
his sermon
500 years
later
he says
to a group
of Jews
who were
at the
temple
he says
you denied
the holy
and righteous
one
Jesus
and you
asked for a
murderer
to be
granted
to you
and you
killed
the author
of life
who God
raised
from the
dead
again
he's
saying
if you
think
you can
get clean
by serving
by being
busy
even busy
for Jesus
forget it
because our
sin is too
great
the only
way you
can get
clean
to stand
before a
holy
beautiful
dazzling
God
is when
you come
in repentance
to see
that Jesus
has done
everything
for you
that he
is the
source of
life giving
power for
you right
now
wherever you
are right
at this
moment
and by
opening your
hands
and saying
God I
recognize
I need
you
I have
nowhere else
to run
life giving
power of
the cleansing
work of
Jesus
his blood
can wash
over you
and cleanse
you
completely
that's why
it says
repent
therefore
and turn
back
that your
sins may
be blotted
out
that times
of refreshing
may come
from the
presence of
the Lord
do you
want to be
refreshed
by God
do you
want the
presence of
God
in your
life
do you
see what
he says
we need
to come
like that
shame filled
woman
desperate
to Jesus
seeking
his
forgiveness
in repentance
before him
and that is
where his
blessing of
his presence
is found
maybe you're
not a
Christian this
morning
maybe you
think you're
a Christian
but actually
you're just
a religious
Christian
maybe you're
living
with shame
with guilt
with a whole
load of
things in
your life
that actually
as you hear
us talking
about holiness
you know
you cannot
stand before
God
and you've
been running
but today
the message
of Haggai
is that today
there is a
decision that
God wants
to bring to
you
today is a
decision
don't run
away any
longer
run to
him
because there
is nothing
you have
done
there is
no sin
so great
that his
life-giving
power through
the cross
cannot cleanse
there is no
thought you
have thought
there is no
word you
have done
there is no
action
too bad
but he
doesn't want
your religious
actions
he wants
your heart
he wants
you a
hundred percent
because he
wants to
clean you
not just
ninety-nine
percent
but a
hundred
percent
but many
of us
have been
in church
for a
while
you know
this message
you've heard
it a thousand
times before
you could
probably
preach it
back to
me
but if you
stop and
think about
your life
you wonder
am I really
as desperate
as that
shame-filled
woman
do I
really
see my
absolute
need for
Jesus
you're
busy
doing a
lot of
things for
Jesus
but you
know how
much you
need him
I was
listening to
a podcast
by a
guy who
was a
pastor and
a seminary
professor
and he
was saying
that one
day he
and his
wife had
been about
to go to
bed he'd
been married
for 20
25 years
and they
get to
the bottom
of the
staircase
and his
wife turns
to him
and says
do you
love me
and he's
completely
shocked
because it's
like of
course I
love you
and he
comes out
with all
the reasons
why he
loved it
you know
every morning
I get the
kids up
I make
them breakfast
at night
I do this
for them
and this
for you
and this
for you
and then
they just
keep walking
up the
stairs
they get
halfway up
the stairs
she turns
around to him
again and
says
do you
love me
and at
this point
he's kind
of thinking
what on
this
okay
have I
done
something
wrong
is there
like
what's
going on
he's pretty
freaked out
by this
and you
know
he comes
up with
another
list
of things
that he's
done
to kind
of
justify
himself
gets up
to the
top of
the stairs
about to
get into
the bedroom
his wife
turns to
him a
third
says
do you
love me
at that
point
he stopped
and he
said that
was actually
the pivotal
moment of
his life
and his
marriage
because at
that moment
he suddenly
stopped
and thought
do I
know what
love is
he's been
married for
25 years
he's a
pastor who's
preached on
God's
love
all the
time
but at
that moment
God arrested
him
and he
went on
this journey
over this
next few
weeks and
months and
he got into
the Bible
and got into
looking at the
person of
Jesus to
go how does
Jesus love
anybody
because I'm
not sure I
even know
how to
love
and as he
did that
he saw the
holiness and
the beauty of
Jesus
and what
that did
it began
to change
him to be
more attentive
and present
with his wife
than he'd ever
been before
in his life
their marriage
became enriched
and he started
learning the
beauty of
holiness
I think that's
a question God
wants to ask
us as a
community
I think we do
a lot of
serving
we've got a lot
of amazing
stuff going
on
but do we
love Jesus
do you love
him
do you love
him
the answer
to that
question
isn't an
answer to
condemn you
the answer
to that
question
is a call
to go
I need to
stop all my
justifications
in fact
I need to
stop
maybe I need
to start
not just
repenting
of the
bad
things
I do
but even
repenting
of the
good
things
that I
do
because
the good
things
often
make me
feel
justified
so that
I don't
start
chasing
after
Jesus
desperately
knowing
only he
can help
make me
holy
only he
can make
me the
loving
courageous
person
that I
want to
be
only he
and he
has arms
which are
wide open
and he
wants to
come to
us
he is
not
distant
so will
we come
to him
this morning
in real
repentance
and if you
know I
don't really
know what
that means
then I
want to
give you
just a
second
right now
to just
bow your
heads and
just do
business
with God
I
do
these