Hey, we're so glad that you're here. And I want to say Happy Thanksgiving because we're headed into that week and I know it's going to be crazy and we're in a series and but what's the name of the series a series called overflow? Yeah, I always forget that overflow where we're talking about giving out of the blessings that we've received from God. I'm going to tell you we've been blessed. I watch the news when I'm you know, get this depressed by it, but I watched about Ukraine and it's amazing what's happening in Ukraine where they're handing out bread to people and there's no electricity and I think about all that we've been blessed with I mean all that we have and so we're gonna challenge you today and now you're excited if you've not been here in a while or you brought somebody new because we're gonna challenge you at the very end of the service to give out of the Overflow of what God has done in your life with regard to an offering that will be a part of what happens at the very end.

So if you're wondering we've been kind of building up to today and this will continue. This is not a campaign. It's just the reality that we've been given so much that we have an opportunity to give back with regard to what God is doing in our communities all over South Mississippi. Now today. I'm going to tell you why we're gonna do that the end because we have an amazing message.

It's stunning message. From a guy who wrote this down 2500 years ago almost to the year. And and the crazy thing about the Bible is that it's timeless. I mean you're going to hear today a message and you're going to think of Jeff just saying that about me no, no this was written 2500 years ago to the people of God who had rebelled against God and still happens. And God disciplined them because he disciplines his children.

I mean, you know that if you love your kids you're going to discipline them you're going to try to train them and teach them and sometimes that's difficult and he used the Assyrians and the Babylonians. To tear down the wall of Jerusalem. I mean, this is all history. This is not just in the Bible. This is history.

Okay, and to break down the temple and actually take the articles of the temple the sacred place of God into the houses of their gods in Babylon. And then then Cyrus the Persian king he took over the Babylonians and and God worked in his heart to send the people of God back to Jerusalem. And so they come back to Jerusalem after 70 years. This is important. They get back to Jerusalem after 70 years and there's 50,000 people.

And most of them are young families. And and they start rebuilding the temple and then they get busy because they've got like to build their houses back and they've got to get their kids in school and and you know, they've got education. They've got Hobbies. They've got life. And so life begins and they forget about they forget about worship.

They forget about the house of the Lord. They forget about community. And for instance that is so easy to do. I mean we've all done that. I mean the American dream that's really the religion of all Americans.

We want the very best for us and the very best for our kids and we'll use God on the side to make sure you know, we have good karma and so that we can move forward. And the reality is never before in the history of our country. Have we been more anxious? And more depressed. And More Lonely So the American dream doesn't seem to be working for us just like the Jewish dream didn't seem to be working for the people of Jerusalem.

And in that setting a guy comes in and he's not I don't think I don't know all this. I've been studying trying to figure this out, but I don't think he was a preacher. I think he was a businessman. And God uses business people man. I love to be around business people because when God works in them, they know how to make things happen and he comes on the scene and the only writes two chapters.

We only have two chapters 38 words. He's only on the scene 90 days. And he says some things that change the face of that community. Matter of fact if you will listen to me with regard to what the Bible says you're going to realize this is the key to your life. Like if you want to have a stronger family and and you want to have a stronger sense of well-being and understanding Who You Are He will listen to every word that comes out of his mouth.

And his name is haggai. Now how many of you have? Heard of hey guy. Just raise your hand. Yeah.

Hey guy. Hey guys, like hey guy. That's his name. Hey guy. And so I'm gonna read from hey guy.

It's in the Bible. And and so here's what he says and then I'm gonna unpack it for you. And you're going to be shocked at how much it has to do with you and me because people have not changed. I mean humanity is not changed and God is not changed. So here's the word of the Lord.

Hey, yeah chapter one. In the second year of King Darius on the first day of the sixth month the word of the Lord came through the prophet. Hey Guy, this is Aruba bolt, son of shall tell governor of Judah and to Joshua son of Joseph deck the high priest. And this is what the Lord says now he's quoting the Lord and so they're writing this down. He said these people that have come back to Jerusalem after captivity.

They say the time is not yet. Come to rebuild the Lord's House. In other words that they've stopped building the Temple they kind of given up on worship and hey, we can worship, you know, wherever we are and and so it's no big deal. And and so then the word of the Lord came through the prophet. Hey guy and he says but is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses?

While the house of the Lord remains a ruin might drop I mean you think you know I can get kind of crazy this guy think about what he's saying. Now this is what the Lord Almighty says. He says give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but you have harvested little you eat, but you never have enough you drink, but you never have your feel you put on clothes, but you're not warm. You earn wages only to put them in your Gucci purse with holes in it.

This is what the Lord Almighty says give careful thought to your way. So he said it two times go into the mountains and bring down Timber and build my house so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored says the Lord because you expected much but see I turned it out to be little what you brought home. I blew it away. Why declares the Lord Almighty because of my house because it remains a ruin while each of you are busy with your own houses. Therefore Because Of You the heavens have withhelter do and the Earth its crops and a call for a drought on the fields and the mountains, you know, the Grain in the new wine and the olive oil and everything else the ground produces on people and livestock and on all the labor of your hands.

Now, there's a rubber ball son of shall tell Joshua son of Joseph deck in the high priest in the whole rim of the people. They obey the voice of the Lord and the message of the Prophet. Hey guy, because the Lord their God had sent him and the people they feared the Lord. Now I hope you understand how important it is to have reverence for God. To understand he is in control of everything.

That everything you've ever had in your life. It's not come just because you're really smart and you're really good and you've worked hard you make the most of your opportunities. No, it's because God has blessed you. He is poured out so many blessings on your life that it like my life. It's just ridiculous.

And I think about how good God has been to me. But here's the challenge we all face and I'll sit from me it is easy for me to drift. It is easy for me to take that for granted. And so this is the question that hey guy asks, and I'll ask of you. Why are you not taking your worship?

And Sunday worship and pouring into the kingdom of God the temple. That's what it represented. Why aren't you taking that more serious? And what would you say? I mean, why aren't you like more involved in worship and more involved in reading the Bible and more involved in helping other people and more involved and praying for other people and why would you say why?

Why are you more involved? What would you say? I'm too busy. This is 2,500 years ago. And the people are saying the reason I don't do that more and the reason I'm not getting serious about worship and Community is that I am busy with my life.

And hey, God says you're not too busy to build those panel houses. He is digging them man. I'm gonna take this guy he's got to be a business because the preacher wouldn't preach like this. I mean a businessman like I'm gonna tell you like it is I mean, you're you're shipping all of that panel Cyprus from Lebanon you're having it shipped down here 150 miles to Jerusalem and you're building your houses and you're doing your thing and you're you're educating your kids and you're rocking and rolling but yet the worship of the Lord remains in Ruins. He said you've forgotten something so important.

He said don't you understand that the reason I allowed God allowed you to be taken in captivity as Exiles into Babylon is because you didn't put in first in your life. This is what part of that you not understand. He says don't you remember the fourth Commandment? You know, the fourth Commandment is remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. He says you remember that the first day of the week is an important day of the week because it belongs to God.

Now for the Jews Saturday, okay was a Sabbath we get that but when Jesus came he changed the Lord's Supper from the Passover to his body and his blood and he changed the Sabbath day from from Saturday to Sunday. Sunday is the first day of the week. He says that is my day. He says you mark that off. He said that's old school.

That's old school. No, it's just the Bible. He said that's Old Testament. That's the Ten Commandments. Yeah, don't lie.

Don't cheat. Don't steal don't kill on your parents. Don't covet. That's in there too. You're not gonna do those.

You said well, I'm just too busy. Right Jeff. You don't understand you're old. I mean you're old and you don't understand. No, I had my grandkids all weekend.

I know what you're going through and I'm sorry. I had them all weekend and I'll tell you what, I'm Saturday morning. I've all mornings. You know, what time they woke up 4:45. Oh, what is happening nightmare?

I know it's hard. I know it's difficult man. I had flashbacks. It's PTSD. But you know the only person in the Bible that was too busy to meet with God, you know who that was.

Satan Job one seven. All the Angels gathered around God was having a meeting and and Satan shows up late and leaves early goes he says where you been he said well, I've been you know roaming around to and fro that's the whole world. Been a little busy been a little busy. See only Satan is too busy to meet with God. You said you're just trying to give me come to church more.

No, I'm not. I'm just telling you the principles of the Bible if you make Sunday like every other day, you're gonna miss out you're gonna see cracks in your marriage and cracks in your kids and cracks in your business and cracks in your life. That's just the way it is. If you decide to make Sunday, you don't have to go to church you go wherever you want to go. I'm just saying I want you to come here, but the reality is if you don't Mark that day off The World Won't Market off for you.

And he's saying to you you need a day to let your soul catch up to your body. I'd like to do a series one day. I'm just I'm just so care. And on how like I don't know about you but after covid man for like device two years man, I've been a funk man. I've been going to therapy.

You know, I've prayed a fasted. I've gone to other places man. I had just been just climbing because I had let my soul kind of kind of fall apart and then covid exposed all that. But when you give a day to the Lord and you turn things off and you turn God on all of a sudden your soul catches up with your body your vows catch up to your marriage. You want to save your marriage?

You want your marriage to be better? I'm gonna tell you you take the first day and you say honey. And I look man. I'm gonna tell you need to we need to grow up. I'm trying to figure out how to say that.

Oh, so it sounds right. We need to lead. We need to grow whatever needs to be grown so that we can lead our families to say. Hey, I know you've got this. I know you've got that.

I know the kids have got that. Let me tell you what Sunday is God's day. It's not just a fun day and we're gonna spend time together and we're gonna love each other and we're gonna get to know each other again because none other day to do it. See when you have a Sabbath it allows your influence to catch up with your kids. Now if you know this but there's advertising agencies and marketing companies that they get paid billions of dollars to hijack your Sunday.

Billions I mean, there's all kind of options you have on Sunday. You think that's just you know, just unique. I mean you remember when they're blue laws. You may remember blue laws. I mean there was a time on Sunday.

You couldn't even buy beer. Can you imagine that? You can buy gas you'd have to buy gas on Saturday because Sunday was the Lord's Day. And the reality is we've moved so far past that. And he didn't like and I love the Saints.

I mean, I love I love professional football. I love all sports man. I like to go all about like even the Saints. I'm just trying to think and I know if you got season tickets you want to go but they're terrible. To coach Charles Barkley, they're terrible.

I mean like like right now I could play quarterback for the science. I mean just put me in the long snap. I could throw a slant. I mean my goodness they're terrible. John Wesley says this about the Sabbath.

He says if you lose the Sabbath you lose the church. If you lose the church, you lose the family. If you lose the family you lose the glue of community. You miss one Sunday and then you well, you know, we got to be out of town the next time you so you're making feel guilty. No, I'm not trying to do that.

I'm trying to get you to think about your life. Think about your schedule and how you're pushing it so far that there's things happening in your life that could be prevented if you just understand that that one day the one day is God's day. And there's nothing wrong with doing things as long as those things don't control your life. See the reason we're drifting is it so hard to determine your reality? So hard to think about where you really are.

Not stay with me, you know something changed my voice a little bit. I want you to think about this. He says three times two in the first chapter and one of the third chapter. He says give careful thought to your life. These fearful thought to your schedule.

Are you going to do that? I mean what day of the week and what what they can you go to? Where are you saying? I wonder about my life. I wonder how I'm doing.

I'm reflecting on God's I'm just so great for this and grateful that ZZ Top concert. I was there the other night I saw a bunch of people there. Hey, man, they would like everybody graphing about the music how loud it is. And then I saw all these people there and the light shining in my eyes trying to burn my eyes out. And and there were Spirits everywhere.

Just moving around. I saw an old man pushing like a walker down to the front like this to get down to the front and I think the guy seriously, I think the guy this is easy top guy died during the concert. I'm thinking this is not a place to ask. How am I doing? Because the only place you're going to do that is so when you're an environment like this.

How's your stress load? Are you too stressed? Are you too anxious? Have you noticed that maybe you're drinking a little bit more than you normally would it's not just one you're celebrating but it's like, you know It's Five O'Clock Somewhere and how about your finances? I didn't actually are you.

How about your marriage? Let's go there. I mean like like are you doing okay and you're married like we hadn't thought about that, you know, I well. Yeah, I think we're still getting we're still married. We let me but how are you doing?

See, that's the dashboard of your life. When you think about how you're really doing no other religion tells you to rest and reflect as a life-saving discipline other than Christianity. Christianity is the only religion that says you need to take one day the first day and you need to give it to God. It needs to be a day of rest and reflection and worship and building Godly relationships because you won't find any time any other day. Listen, there is a reason that only point eight percent of the people in prison are Jewish background.

Because they understand the Sabbath. They understand being together. They understand how important it is to put God first. I did a little studied, you know the average person and I again, I'm not trying to crush you. I'm just trying to get you to think okay.

I have there's nothing about me. He wants to hurt you. I just I'm just reflecting on this and and thinking about my ways and thinking about where we are you the average person who's really into their faith goes to church 18 times a year. 35% of the time it's like three weeks of fantasy football, you know, that's right the amount of time. Four weeks of soccer one week of eight-year-old baseball.

I thought that was the longest week of our life with my grandson just like going on and on and on and on and on and then we get 18 times a year. You said well, so what well, he says, let me take the results. And this is not that God is punishing you he's just built it into the fabric of our life. He's built rest into your life. I mean even God rested on the seventh day.

When he created everything he said it's good. He created man says it's very good. Then he created, you know the Sabbath and he said it's holy. Hey God, literally means holy day. And he's saying when you understand that he says until you understand that you'll be less successful you'll plant much but you'll Harvest little he says you'll be less satisfied you will eat but not be full.

He says you'll be less secure. You'll put a coat on you'll still be shivering. You'll still be you'll still be nervous says you'll have less savings. You'll put money in Pockets with holes in it. So why don't we put God first in our life?

And I think through this. He's saying just come back to what you know. If you put God first. God will add these other things to you. That's how good God is he says I just want first place in your life.

I want you to have my plan. God says before your plan. And the people feared the Lord they reverence God God stirred up their Spirit God steering up my spirit and is they they stirred up their Spirits? God began to stir the people's spirit. You so okay.

Well, just we make this real simple. How do three things real quick that you can do and putting God first one is your time. Just say God. I need you to help me. But the first day of the week belongs to you.

The first day of the week. I'm going to make sure that we're going to be together and we're going to go and worship and we're going to not just worship. We're going to engage so that you can speak to us because we need at least one day a week 18 times a year is not going to get her done. We have this guy Bobby Collins. Oh, my great friends coach USM coached out in Dallas SMU, and and I noticed him one day.

He was looking at his watch and I thought you know, what? What coach is doing because yeah, I don't I'm 80 days. So I'm really thinking about you while I'm preaching. It's what sometimes I lose track and and so one day after church. I saw him and he said hey, I'm okay.

I'm sorry. I've checked my wife. She said but I got this I got a tea time and these guys keep finally. I told me he said look boys. I'm thinking about my tea time during church.

I'm not playing we all on Sunday. I'm gonna go to church I went down you're a beast. The fourth Commandment the longest of all the Commandments four verses 80 words He says make my day. An important part of your life if you just do the fourth Commandments you do the first three. You'll put God first, you won't create any Idols you'll you know, you won't use his name in vain you're worship.

And then you get to the fourth one. You know, this is my day make it holy and then it connects all the other ones honor your father and mother you're gonna eat lunch together and still don't steal again. What did most of you do on Sundays? What did you do at home on Sunday afternoon? Those of you who went to church every what did you do on Sunday afternoon?

Took naps like my parents like, you know, they even know. You're not doing anything on Sunday? We're gonna rest on Sunday. We're gonna be together on Sunday. It's gonna happen, you know, you're not going to kill or steal.

Because you can be asleep. You know think about that. You're not gonna cut it because you're not gonna be on Facebook FaceTime. In Instagram and tiktok and you know, so what are you gonna do about the adulterior? Do you remember on Sunday afternoon when everybody would take a nap and you try to go up and check on your parents and their door would be locked.

Because it didn't want to be awakened. And it builds strong marriages. It helps you with all Ten Commandments. You give them your time? Had a guy ask me the other days a young guy smart guy Godly guy.

He's trying to make it College. You won't make it complicated like Planet Jesus coming back man. He come right now. Who's the red heifer and all that? No, it's probably Putin.

I don't know. I mean like I mean, I don't who cares I mean like like this this would you come to church on Sunday? I mean like this is not brain surgery. Okay, that's not brain science. You know, just would you make the first day of the week God's day.

I mean, that's all we're asking would you give him his time? When I said seven days a week. Well, since we're saying one day week. Would you give him his time? Chick-fil-A Mandy how many of you love Jesus chicken?

Praise the Lord. I mean how many you're like May today, you're like in mourning because like you're fasting because you can't eat chicken. Yeah, do you know that and and Mr. Kathy I interviewed him and talked to him for a long time about this and before we died and do you know that Chick-fil-A makes more than McDonald's Subway and Starbucks combined? And taking a day off.

Imagine that Give him your time. Here's here's the heart. Give him your money. Jesus talk more about money than Heaven and Hell combined. Because he knew the one thing that you were going to struggle with most there was going to hurt you the most was your money.

He says give the first fruits. Let me tell you an agriculture Community what that meant when they had the first fruit of the Harvest the best crop would come in first. It was the strongest crop. It was a seed corn. He says take this Seed corn and give it away.

Give it to God. You're going you got to be kidding me. Really? He says take the fatted calf. I mean like the strongest of all the casts that are born.

He says take that one. No we get it, but that's breathing stock now, no take that and give it to the Lord trust that he can take care of you. He says take your firstborn if that's not enough take your firstborn son and give him to the Lord you had to go to the temple and two Turtle does for Jesus to buy him back to make a sacrifice in his stead so that you were saying I'm willing to give my first born son. To the Lord see the danger we have is the gift of making money but not the gift of generosity. He'll destroy you.

I'm not saying poverty is good. I've been poor I've eaten that cheese. I've done that's not happiness. But the most miserable people I've ever known have had a lot of money. And it don't have to keep it and don't keep how do you do this with taxes?

And well you deal with that third house and when you do with this over here, are they you know, what? You got to tell me what I want to hear because money back you're funny. What might make you ignorant? For that crypto for many of you. Have you had crypto had crypto?

It's like Kryptonite in it. Yeah, yeah. Sprout wings and flies away that lock box and over the bank and you say it's like a coffin you pull it out and look in it put it back. About those stocks in your portfolio that are destroying everything you've invested That's how quickly it's gone. You said you're just saying this to get my money for the church.

No. No, we haven't talked about money hardly any and it's my fault. Because I'm afraid you'll say that the reality is you gave more than you've ever given during covid. I I got done with the Lord I got along with the Lord and I said amazing. I don't know how this happened.

This is God. This is only God. I mean, you're not even here. I preached Easter standing right here by myself and preach and after I got through I went over there and cried like a girl. No if it's the girls.

So it's not about that. God wants to be a priority. With your time and your money and your dreams. Your dreams my dreams have been real simple. To me my wife of course and have a good marriage and we've had to work on that but Have children I prayed over all of the children when they're in her belly.

And I said God just let him be safe and let me the right person to be married to and and sure enough all I've got saved some took longer than others. I'm going to that but they all got saved and then they all met somebody like weekend. I got my youngest daughter and I came down the aisle. I've been praying and praying and praying and praying and praying and pushing all my blue chips in all my money in and everything else and you know said God have got it then we get there then they get down to the deal and I just start crying. Oh like that just fell apart.

Not because I was sad. But because of the goodness of God have the right dreams for your kids. It's not that they'll be rich or beautiful and man that passes away. But they'll know Jesus and loves Jesus and follows Jesus. I have dreams about Venture like like I'll give my life to venture.

I'll die somewhere in the back, you know, bringing somebody water. We were at home. We were at home Sunday. Last Sunday because of the wedding. I told you I was broke and broken.

And broke financially and and I was watching worship and I said Alicia and I said a bunch of things were not appropriate for church, but you know what that right? There is what I'll give my life to. Turning Point weekend, we had 60 plus kids give their life to Jesus from all five campuses and one from the online campus. I forget they have the internet in Lumberton. Kid in London.

Okay. Where is that shows up over there? Like yeah. I don't know. I am here and he gets saved.

Two kids from Jones County and we've been Jones County like five minutes. And I think about I'd be willing to do this. I've been able to give my life and all my money. For just one for Alicia. This past week.

I I did a life insurance policy for the church. I try to let the staff know because they all want races and I see them looking at me. In the parking lot, but I made the Church of beneficiary and they did the the exam. They're still waiting on how much it's going to be because I don't know if you know this but I'm like that the specimen of health and but but I'm like, hey, it'd be worth it. For just one more person.

To know Jesus Christ But here's the here's the deal. If you spent all of your time, this is the Clincher. And all of your money and all of your dreams on you and your house. Jesus says you're building your house on the sand. And storms coming put Jesus first.

You still have a great house? You still have all the same, but you put him first. You put everything in order. He's the Cornerstone. You put him first and when the storm comes.

Where that house is flat your house stands for Generations I set my grandsons down the other day and I got to quit but I set my grandsons down the other day. Of course, they're little kids and I step down to cast I said look. First thing I'm going to tell you you're looking at me. I said you need to get saved. As quick as possible.

Because you're lost. They're depraved. And they just looked at me. Yes, sir. The second thing is you take care of your cousins all of them.

I don't care. If you go to jail. I'll get you out. I know people. Yes, sir.

Generational Building the king of God. To Jesus comes back give careful thought Jeff to your ways Would you bow your heads please? I want to say first of all. I love you. Like if there's a war if it breaks out and I don't know the North Koreans or the Russians or whoever it's going to be comes into this area.

I want to be with y'all. Because we don't play. Because we are Church. For everybody not just somebody. And today when we have a time of giving don't you feel any pressure?

To do anything you don't feel deeply about because we're doing well with money. We're meeting our budget. It's not about that. It's about the freedom that comes. When you say God.

I need you. I will not do this without you. And I'm going to put this out there my time. And my money in my dreams. And I'm gonna watch you work.

Father I love these people. I love you father. Everything I have is yours. I don't deserve any of it. I'm shocked.

At how good you've been bless these people bless them with an understanding that when they put you first. Things work it works. Father I pray these things. In Jesus name amen