Rebuilding Spiritually

Ezra 9. 1-15

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.

What We Need In These Days

1 Chronicles 12:32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; 

The statistics are alarming today. Churches are closing all over the country. Sociologists are trying to figure this out. It is the thing that is driving denominational leaders crazy.

Here are a few facts:

* 4,000 churches close their doors every year in the United States, that is well over 300 per month.

* 3,500 people leave the church every single day.

* Since 1950 there are 1/3 fewer churches in the U.S.

This is far different from the advent of television around that time which closed 5,000 movie theaters in America, yet there are similarities 

There is a rise of spectacular new churches popping up. We give thanks to the LORD for the people coming to know Christ through them, or returning to the faith. Kenny in Peter Pan last Sunday evening when Pastor Mark Kiesel and I prayed.

Yet the bottom line is 50% of the people in those churches have left other churches. I have chased some back in recently to where they left from.

Why do I share these things?

1. We need to be aware of what is going on in our nation.

2. We need to understand what is happening in our church here.

3. We need to change some things and keep some things just as they are.

Look at this verse again in I Chronicles 12.32 The men of Issachar understood the times and knew what Israel should do.

We need to be like them!

We need to understand the times. The End of the World as we know it...

The word understand means knowledge, meaning, wisdom

What is going on:

The end of the world as we know it.

What is happening here... a brief history lesson is in order of our church.

1946

1970 I was attracted to this church because of the large youth group.

1984 Not a single young person here!

31 years ago chosen to become pastor here

2015

More people on our board born outside the US than in it. 

People have moved. People have died. We are all getting older.

On July 15, 1960 while I was sleeping after my fourth birthday celebration, on the other side of the country in the Los Angeles Coliseum, a young 43 year old American by he name of John F. Kennedy was giving his acceptance speech for the nomination of his party for President of the United States. In it he said: Today our concern must be with that future. For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do.

What is up ahead: challenges we must address.

What aill not change:

The LORD.

His Word and our commitment to it.

Sunday and Bible Studies.

Praying church.

The love we share.

Our work in Haiti.

What will change:

.

We need to make room for the technology. I know some of you hate it. I am not asking you to love it, just allow it and do not complain about it. 

Example Haiti would not be happening if it were not for our Group on FB. Theresas idea... we need to listen to Kevin and Joseph more.

Crude example: Target Self Serve

We must do some changes.

Minor having the Christmas Dinner on December 11th in the evening.

Cafe look downstairs.

We need to add to what we are doing.

We need to know what must be done.

Learning...

Youth and children

Alternatives... Connection Cafe in Maryland

My moms church

Bridge Church in Malverne

Bud Reedy in York

We need to understand the times and what we as the people of God, the Church of Christ should do.

Story of Mission Revolutions

Paul, the apostle

Hudson Taylor

Bob Pierce

Our existence can be traced to Paul, the church at Rome.

Haiti is what Hudson Taylor did.

We are sending out shoe boxes put together with our hands.

All of these people were thought to be out of their minds and made fun of by their contemporaries. 

We need to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus as well as our hearts open to the Holy Spirit. He will lead us and guide us. The past few years have brought great financial challenge. Now God is answering prayers, not the way we had envisoned He would but in a completely different way.

The focus has been on survival monetarily speaking. We talked way too much about this. It has nearly consumed us. As we began to pray God answered. 

The Hand of God was upon Ezra. You read it this week:

Ezra 7

The Hand of God:

* A Providing Hand 7.6; 8.18

* A Protecting Hand 8.22; 31

* An Encouraging Hand 7.28

* A Guiding Hand 7.9

His Hand is upon us today. It has been upon us in Haiti.

Now we need turn our attention to ministry and mission here... 

With His Hand upon us we need to turn our hands to the spiritual work before us.

John F Kennedy concluded his speech with these words:

As we face the coming challenge, we too shall wait upon the LORD, and ask that He renew our strength. Then shall we be equal to the test. Then we shall not be weary. And we shall prevail.

Luke 5:37-39 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” 

Encouragement From The LORD

Ezra 5.1-5

Opposition to the rebuilding of the temple was confronting the people. It  worked too, For 15 years work ceased on it reconstruction. Discouragement had set in. Discouragement and negative outlooks can paralyze progress. It spread among the people.

It is not hard to see why discouragement could come. There were only 50,000 who returned from the exile. The work was enormous. They had to first clear away debris from the first temple which was like a mountain. It has become a place of garbage dumping by the few who live in Jerusalem.  Now they are there to rebuild the temple. They repair the altar and begin worshipping. The work of rebuilding the temple is great and now discouragement has set in.

Jesus said, I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

We take comfort in that verse but part of can bring you to your knees. The gate of hell, the devil and his angels, hell itself are going to oppose the church and attempt to snuff it out. 

We are in a spiritual battle today. It has been increasing as Satan sees his time growing short. 

Any work of God will meet with opposition. I have seen that over and over again. The opposition can be discouraging. We are urged not to lose heart, not to become weary in doing good. That is one of the reasons we need the fellowship of other believers.

I have found that each time discouragement comes the LORD also shows up with blessings. Sometimes they come from the most unexpected places. 

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pain. C.S. Lewis

When Pastor Jm and Carol Cymbala became Pastor and wife of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in 1972 there were 15-20 people attending and the church was on the verge of closing. Today 6,000 will attend the 3 services they have, a 240 voice choir will sing that has sold over 3 million records and sung at Innauguration of Presidents! But the secret is not the choir. It is their Tuesday night prayer meeting. Carol Cymbala vision. 

When Art Alexander, our DS, came to Valley Stream in 1973 they were down to 12 people. He called for a baord meeting and the whole church stayed. That was it. Today th Bridge Church in Malverne will have over 500 people attend its three services, along with a Spanish Church that shares it facility. I remember when Art came to the curch I pastored in upstate NY and asked me why I wasnt on Long Island. That was in 1983, a year before I came.

Two weeks ago a new church began here n Bay Shore. They merged with Abundant Life, which Pastor Dennis, who spoke here when I was in Haiti last month started. They are different than us but they are bringing people to Christ, people we are not reaching. Kevin and I went over there for their eary service. 500 people attnded that day and 15 came to Christ! Brian MacMillian whipsered to me, Did you ever in your wildest dreams imagine anything like this when we met last December.

Today in Bellevue Haiti, there is a church being rebuilt. Its building was nearly wiped off the map when the earhtquake hit on January 10, 2010. Up in New Hampshire this morning my nephew Stephen shared about the mission trip in his church. Last week Barbara Brennan shared in Patchogue about it. A few weeks ago another member of our team shared at a Mens breakfast. I wa in the Peter Pan Diner and Angela, Peters wife spoke to me this week... and on it goes.

It is marvelous to see these things where God is at work!

God came to the aid of His people here in Ezra. He saw they were discouraged. He came to help.

1. He sent them Prophets. v.1

To rebuke them.

Haggai 1:3-4 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” 

To speak to them:

There are some wonder filled words of encouragement in Haggai and Zechariah.

Haggai 1:13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. 

Haggai 2:4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 

Haggai 2:8-9 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” 

Zechariah 4:6-9 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’” Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. 

To challenge them

To support them

Ezra 5:2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. 

Support= sustain, help, strengthen

Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 

We need to listen to the words of prophecy, with a discerning heart.

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, 

2. He provided strong leadership for the nation. v.2

Zerrubabel (heir to the throne)

Joshua

The real strength in leadership is always spiritual. If it is not it is going to fail and do more damage than good.

3. His eye was upon them. v.5

His eye is on the sparrow. 

Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 

His eye is on His people.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Psalm 121

He is watching over all the earth. 

He never sleeps or slumbers.

He is our watchman. 

C.S Lewis said You cannot remain a good egg very long, either you have to hatch or you will go rotten. We have a good group. But we need to hatch into what God has for us next. Changes are on their way one way or another. We need to move with what God has for us today. He is not done with us as He was not done with Jerusalem.

So they completed the work on the temple. We will read about it this week. 

When a people obey the LORD they at once ensure His cooperation for the accomplishment of their purposes. There is a new day dawning in Bay Shore, on Long Island... there is a place for us. We need to look to the fields that are ripe for harvest. We need to pray for the LORD of the Harvest to send forth workers into His harvest field, here in the United States... here in this community... and He is...

Ezra, New Beginnings

Ezra 3.1-13

The Bible begins with a beginning of time and ends with a beginning of eternity.

There are new beginings throughout the Word Of God. Ezra is one fo them.

The emphasis in Ezra and Nehemiah is on trusting God for a new beginning and doing His work- no matter what obstacles and opposition are encountered. Although the days may be dark, God is here to guide us, protect us and help us.

Ezra shows us the extent which God will go through to help us. It is not by might, nor by power but by His Spirit.

The first verses of Ezra are the last verses of II Chronicles. God used Cyrus and his decree as He said He would. We cannot read Ezra without being struck with the wonderful way God overrules during times of trouble and crisis. Human freedom does not rule out Divine Control.

Though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the Ruler yet.

We have every reason for radical optimism. Just think about Who we are serving!

Think about the Feeding of the Five Thousand for instance. Things can look hopeless and then the LORD steps in. In fact in this He  was testing them because already knew what He was He was going to do.

Take the death and the raising Lazarus from the dead. 

Martha and Mary: LORD, if You had been here our brother would not have died.

Jesus: Didn't I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God. 

New beginnings are of God. It is His work and in His time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

We may be thinking that its all over. What am I going to do?... and then God steps in with some thing we never envisioned or ever thought of. Like the two one the Road to Emmaus... we had hoped...

The exile was long. They were far away from the Promised Land. In a moment as the decree of Cyrus was read the people of God were on their way back to their homeland.

Here are some lessons from Ezra as we come to retake the land which the enemy has no right to!

1. Celebrate Gods Goodness- v.11a

Feast of Tabernacles Succoth - just ended last Sunday evening after a week long celebration. It commemorates each year the wandering of the children of Israel from Egypt to The Promised Land. It causes the to remember. They celebrated.

The exile was over. It was a time of celebration.

It is always a right time to give thanks and praise the LORD.

Paul and Silas.

Times of great blessing as well as times of great difficulty and all the times in between.

There are times when the Providence of God seems to be running slow.

He is faithful to all His Promises.

He will do what he said.

He keeps His Word.

We can celebrate what He is doing right now!

2. Establish the Foundations -v.10-11

Spiritually

Three Holy Days in this 7th month.. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth). They had the altar repaired so these days could be observed. There were also the daily morning and evening sacrifices offered, emphasizing a daily walk with the LORD.

Restore your first love.

Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2.5

The Feast of Tabernacles brought then back to their beginnings as a nation.

This also was the first High Priest after the exile and return.

Under the New Covenant we are to Build upon the Rock, the chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ

I Peter 2.1-7

Physically

The rebuilt the altar so worship could begin again.

 The worship itself is felt to be more important than the house in which it is to be celebrated." (Adeney)

 "There cannot be a temple without an altar, but there may be an altar without a temple. God meets men at the place of sacrifice, even though there be no house for His name." (Maclaren)

During their stay in Babylon thye were not able to offer any sacrifices. That had to be done in the temple. 

The LORD made restoration possible. He had not forgotten to be kind to His people.

Psalm 126:1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. 

3. Look To the Future -v.12

There was a mixture of emotions.

There were two distinct groups.

New things were coming.

There are people all over our area who are in desparate need of a new beginning, of becoming a new creation in Christ. We all can be inviters. 

Come and See

John 1.35-39

Johnn 1. 43-46

Mark  1.16-20; 2.13-14

Psalm 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those He redeemed from the hand of the foe.

As we move into through this fall may this be a time of new beginnings in our fellowship, a time of harvest, a time of blessings be outpoured.

A Time To Weep

II  Chronicles 35:23-25 Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, “Take me away; I am badly wounded.” So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him. Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments. 

This was a sad end to one of the great kings of Judah.

Lamentations is a difficult book to read. It is full of remorse and sorrow. It is Jeremiah's reflections as he viewed the city of Jerusalem after it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in judgement by the LORD.

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. There is not one recorded conversion in his entire ministry. There are no recorded miracles in the entire book he wrote or in any other records lime the one here at the end of II Chronicles. Yet when Jesus came they said. "Some say You are Jeremiah..."

Why would they say that? Jesus was a Man of Sorrows and familiar with suffering. We are told in Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One Who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. 

We also know there were times when He was gripped with compassion. 

Mark 6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 

So there was a close relationship between Jesus and Jeremiah in personality and brokenness over people.

Jeremiah was a man of sorrows. He was familiar with suffering. He wrote the book of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Here we see he composed a lament for Josiah. No one was more qualified than he to do it.

Josiah's death caused profound sorrow throughout the nation. It appear his death was celebrated in a memorial service annually years later.

1. When we lose a loved one it is a time to weep.

Certain quarters where they are told to celebrate over death of a Christian, to not cry, to praise God.

Spanish pastor's son years ago

Bellevue, Haiti a few weeks ago

There is a time to weep in our losses.

We know it is not permanent.

We know God is with us.

We believe in heaven.

We are without someone we loved.

2. Like Jeremiah we should weep over the nation.

911

Oregon

Revelations of our worsening spiritual condition each day.

Superficial Reformation under Josiah . The reforms seem to be made on the basis of the love the people had for the king rather than their heart for God.

3. There is a time to weep in other life events.

Someone leaving... Church in Haiti. When we all get to heaven!

Someone losing their way.

Someone hurts us.

4.What Makes God  Cry

Let my heart be broken

Weeping lasts for the night but joy comes in the morning