Stirred Up!

Stirred Up

Text: Haggai 1:14
Theme: When God stirs the spirit of man, He moves him to action—whether to work, to witness, or to weep.
Opening Thought

The word stirred means to agitate, provoke, excite, or rouse from inaction.

  • 2 Peter 3:1 – "I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance."

  • 2 Timothy 1:6 – "Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee..."

📝 It is the spirit in man that God stirs. Like an engine, it drives the body to do God’s will (James 2:26). Sometimes the Preacher and the Preaching stir you up. Sometimes it’s a person God puts in your path on any given day. Sometimes it’s a “parishioner” who reminds you in counsel or conversation of what the Bible says that stirs you up. Hebrews 10:24 – And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

If something within man is to get stirred up, it’s his spirit. Malachi 2:15-16 says, “take heed to your spirit…” The bible likens the inward part of man, where the spirit resides, to that of a bowl (bowel). So, the spirit of man can be stirred up as if you were stirring up the contents of a bowl.

“Faith is the body, but the work is the spirit.”

I. 🔧 The Spirit is Stirred to Work

A. Willingness to Work – Exodus 35:21

  • A stirred spirit leads to a willing heart.

  • ⚠️ The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41; Mark 14:38).

B. Wisdom to Work – Exodus 35:25–35; 36:2

  • Willingness precedes wisdom.

  • Wisdom for all manner of work—even spinning goat’s hair (Ex. 35:26).

  • 🙋 Examples:

    • Dorcas – Made garments (Acts 9:39)

    • Lydia – Seller of purple (Acts 16:14)

    • Paul, Aquila, Priscilla – Tentmakers (Acts 18:1-3)

  • Wisdom to teach (Ex. 35:34; 2 Tim. 2:24)

🗣️ “Those that are not in a capacity to give in charity may yet work in charity…” – Matthew Henry

II. 📣 The Spirit is Stirred to Witness

A. Waiting to Witness – Acts 17:16

  • Paul’s spirit was stirred by the idolatry in Athens.

  • Wait on the LORD to stir you up  (Isaiah 40:31)

    • Gideon was in hiding before the Lord stirred him up to fight (Judges 6)

  • Wait for the moving of the Holy Ghost so you can have power in your witness (Acts 1:8).

    • Acts 4:31

    • Acts 10:19

B. We need to discern who or what is stirring us

  • Worldly Influences:

    • Wicked men – 1 Sam. 26:19 (e.g., Jonadab - 2 Samuel 13)

    • Wicked women – Jezebel (1 Kings 21:25)

  • Wiles of the Devil – 1 Chron. 21:1

  • Works of the Flesh – Peter drew his sword in zeal

    • Samson was often stirred up by emotion or rage.

    • Peter was stirred up by a zeal to fight when it wasn't time to fight.

💬 Ephesians 4:29 – Speak only that which ministers grace to the hearers.

III. 😢 The Spirit is Stirred to Weeping

A. When All You Can Do is Weep – Psalm 39:2

  • Jeremiah wept.

  • Lamentations = book of weeping

B. Better to Be Silent in Weeping Than Sinful in Speaking

  • Eccl. 3:4, 7 – There is a time to weep and to keep silence

  • Eph. 4:31 – Put away anger and evil speaking

o   Prov. 10:19 – In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

o   Prov. 17:28 – Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

o   Eph 4:31 – Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

C. Weeping in Life

·       Job 30:27 – My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

·       Psalm 22:14 – I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels

D. Examples of Weeping in Loss

  • For Moses – Deut. 34:8

  • For Dorcas – Acts 9:39

  • Mary weeping for Jesus – John 20:11

  • Jesus weeping for Lazarus – John 11:33

  • Mothers weeping for the children of Israel – Matt. 2:18

D. Weeping in Labor

  • Psalm 126:6 – Weep in sowing; praise in reaping

📜 “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” – Psalm 30:5b

Closing Thought

One day, our spirit will no longer need to be stirred.

  • No more work – “There remaineth therefore a rest…” (Heb. 4:9)

  • No more witnessing – for all shall know the Lord  (Heb 8:11)

  • No more weeping – Rev. 21:4 – “God shall wipe away all tears…”

Jeffrey smith