The building was complete but sin was great within Judah. They had missed the mark in a very importanrt part of keeping their lives right before the LORD.
The building of the temple was done and services were held each day... all things appeared to be going well... on the surface. But there was a huge problem.
Intermarrying was what got them in trouble in the first place. Solomon...
The leaders and officials were at fault.
Ezra 9:2 They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”
They should have been good examples.
Exodus 34.2-
Deuteronomy 7.1-4
Greater fault.
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
The sin of Solomon ( I Kings 11.1-8) stayed with the people long after he and his generation were gone. I pray for pastors today. I pray for those who lead flocks. We are example to the flock.
1 Peter 5:2-3 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
Examples= The mark of a stroke or a blow, the figure formed by an impression.
The pattern in conformity to which a thing must be made.
Men worthy of imitation.
Ezra saw the need to rebuild spiritually. We are rebuilding physically in Bellevue, Haiti. How exciting to see the retaining wall completed this week. I feel like my study in part is like the situation room in the White House... I sit and see things being done in another country and am amazed!
We have done work on the church property. The parking lot has been patched, the steps have been repaired, new tables to replace the old ones that were falling apart have been given. The main thing we need to complete is the roof on the northside. But our greatest need is to rebuild spiritually. It is not that there is any gross outward sin here. It is more inward. We need to become a soul winning station again, to see baptisms here, to see new Christians growing in their faith among us.
It was not just the leaders although they were responsible it was everyone. Ezra realized that these mixed marriages were acts of disobedience to God's law and that it was because of these acts of disobedience that thye were exiled to Babylon in the first place. They forsook the basic law of God, the thing that in part ensured them of being a Holy Nation.
Two churches in the New Testament has this problem. One was a loss of its first love. One was a lack of dependence upon Christ.
Revelation 2:4-5 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Revelation 3:19-20 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
When Ezra arrived in Jerusalem the situation he found there made him heartsick. The same thing happened to Nehemiah. It needs to happen to us!
We need
A sense of missing the mark/ A deep sense of the righteousness and grace of God.
No believer can see fruitlessness in the church and remain unmoved.
Reformation Sunday. Martin Luther pointed out the places where the church in his day was failing and called for correction.
There are two places where God wants us to help us where are failing.
1. Our attitude toward the future of this church.
We cannot overestimate the power of our atttiudes.
On ourselves.
On others.
On people we do not even realize we are having influence... many times!
We cannot look down. We must look up! We must look to Jesus!
Will you join me in prayer for renewal and a harvest among us?...
2. Our heart with the Great Comission.
I love that word comission. It means has the same idea of cooperating.
We are not alone. That is one thing Jesus made abundantly clear when He sent out the disciples. He would be with them.
*We are colaborers with the Holy Spirit.
He is the Hound of Heaven.
*We are joint venture partners with the God of Heaven.
He wants to see everyone come to faith in Christ.
He does not want anyone to perish.
He wants to work with us.
Luke 11:33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.
Do you see?
Do you see?
All the people sinking down?
Don't you care?
Don't you care?
Are you gonna let them drown?
How can you be so numb?!
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done
"oh, bless me, lord!
Bless me, lord!"
You know, it's all I ever hear!
No one aches,
No one hurts,
No one even sheds one tear
But, he cries,
He weeps,
He bleeds,
And he cares for your needs
And you just lay back,
And keep soaking it in
Oh, can't you see such sin?!
'cause he brings people to your door,
And you turn them away
As you smile and say,
"god bless you!
Be at peace!"
And all heaven just weep,
'cause Jesus came to your door,
You left him out on the streets
Open up! open up!
And give yourself away
You see the need,
You hear the cries,
So how can you delay?!
God is calling,
And you are the one
But like Jonah, you run
He told you to speak,
But you keep holding it in
Oh, can't you see such sin?!
The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church just can't fight,
'cause it's asleep in the light!
How can you be so dead?!
When you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave,
And you!
You can't even get out of bed!
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead!
Come on, get out of your bed!
How can you be so numb?!
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done!
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done!
Don't close your eyes,
Don't pretend the job is done
Come away! come away!
Come away with me, my love!
Come away from this mess,
Come away with me, my love!
Come away from this mess!
Come away with me, my love!
Come away,
Come away with me my love!
Join me in prayer for our church to become a soul saving station, a place and people of redemption!
Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, Lord,that I may rely on your faithfulness;give me an undivided heart,that I may fear your name.
Ezra and Nehemiah were supported by a foreign nation in the work they were doing in their own land. The enemy, a foreigner, was being used by God to provide for them so that the worlk of God coud go on.
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