Is your life producing the results you expected? Haggai had a confronting question for the Israelites after they returned from exile — and God is asking us the same thing today. They were busy. They were working. But nothing was flourishing. Why? Because they were focused on everything except what God had called them to do. In this powerful message from Haggai 1:7–8, Pastor Matroner unpacks three Kingdom commands that are still just as urgent for us today: go up the mountain, bring down the timber, and build God ‘s house.
- Go Up Into the Mountains
God called the Israelites to leave behind their comfort and climb. For us, the mountain represents any new discipline, spiritual habit, or assignment God is calling us to that requires sacrifice. Prayer. Daily devotion. Service. Evangelism. These things don’t happen on flat ground — they require a climb. And yes, it will feel like a hike. But that’s exactly where God equips us.
- Bring Down the Timber
You don’t climb the mountain and set up camp there. The goal is to bring something back. We go up to encounter God, to be equipped — and then we bring that back down to the people around us. The church is not meant to be a spiritual retreat for the already-convinced. It’s a mobilization hub. We are equipped on the mountain so we can serve the valley.
- Build My House
In the New Testament, we are the temple. God lives in us. But gathering together matters — Hebrews 10:24–25 makes it non-negotiable. And the places where God’s people gather matter too. The Ocean Church has been called to build a dedicated home in Dar es Salaam — not for its own glory, but so God can be pleased and honored as His people gather, grow, and go.
KEY SCRIPTURES
- Haggai 1:7–8 — “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored.”
- Jude 20–21 — “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love.”
- Hebrews 10:24–25 — “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together.”
What is God calling you to leave behind so you can go up the mountain? Take some time this week to give careful thought to your ways — and take one step toward the thing He’s been asking you to build.
