WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.899 Welcome to Ontario Community Church, 00:00:02.899 --> 00:00:04.799 where we're dedicated to encouraging, 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:07.799 equipping, and engaging lives for Christ. 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:10.000 Located in Ontario, Oregon, 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:11.720 Pastor Patrick Daly preaches 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:13.800 insightful sermons from the Word of God, 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.719 offering practical applications for modern living. 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:19.519 We're delighted to share this sermon with you. 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:21.920 All right. Well, good morning, everyone. 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:25.080 Today, let's go ahead and open our Bibles. 00:00:25.080 --> 00:00:29.039 We're going to go with Ezra chapter 5. 00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:33.560 So, we go ahead and close that door real quick. 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:35.560 It's possible. 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:38.439 So, it's great to be with you guys as we are continuing 00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:40.840 our sermon series through the book of Ezra. 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:45.640 This last week, we covered Ezra chapter 5 verses 1 through 2, 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:48.840 and it was showing us how the Holy Spirit 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:51.239 was working through the prophets. 00:00:51.239 --> 00:00:53.679 There was the stirring of the Spirit, 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.480 working through the prophets to speak to the leaders of the people of God, 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:00.439 encouraging them to continue rebuilding the temple. 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:02.759 Throughout this entire book of Ezra, 00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:06.359 the Holy Spirit worked in and through people, 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:09.519 even through unbelievers, 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:12.319 even through kings such as Cyrus, 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.519 the King of Persia like we found in Ezra 1, 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:16.840 and we'll find the Holy Spirit 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:22.280 works through Governor Tatani and his associates here in Ezra chapter 5. 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:25.199 What I want you to think about as we're turning here to 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:30.040 Ezra chapter 5 is that just as there was spiritual awakening 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:34.079 and the continuation of the rebuilding of the temple, 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:36.000 there was questioning. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:39.719 There was another letter that was written to the king, 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:43.159 and the people of God in this situation 00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:47.560 are standing firm, accounting to God first. 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:51.079 And so, today's sermon title for today is 00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:54.840 God's Unfailing Presence in Every Season, 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:57.960 because God is with us in every season, 00:01:57.960 --> 00:02:00.920 no matter what happens in our life. 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:04.159 God is with us. He protects those who love Him, 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:07.680 and His eye is upon us even today. 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:10.680 We'll be finishing chapter 5, so let's go ahead. 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:12.960 Let's... 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:15.080 Are you all there at Ezra chapter 5? 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:19.560 We're going to start from verse 3, and we're going to go to the end. 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:24.159 At the same time, Tatani, the governor of the province beyond the river, 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:29.400 and Shetar Banzai, and their associates came to them and spoke to them, 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:35.599 thus, who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure? 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:40.400 They also asked them this, what are the names of the men who are building this building? 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:44.120 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:47.680 and they did not stop until the report should reach Darius, 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:51.639 and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it. 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:56.000 This is a copy of the letter that Tatani, the governor of the province beyond the river, 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:01.799 and Shetar Banzai and his associates, and the governors who were in the province beyond the river, 00:03:01.799 --> 00:03:03.439 sent to Darius the king. 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:06.799 They sent him a report, right? So they're writing a report here, right? 00:03:06.799 --> 00:03:09.079 They're writing a letter to the king. 00:03:09.079 --> 00:03:15.039 To Darius the king, all peace, be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:18.319 to the house of the great God, so they're going to the temple. 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:23.400 It is being built with huge stones and timbers, and it's being laid in the walls. 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:26.599 The work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:32.079 Then we asked those elders and spoke to them, thus, who gave you, so it's the same, it's a repetition here, right? 00:03:32.079 --> 00:03:35.759 Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish the structure? 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:40.639 We also asked them their names for your information that we might write down the names of their leaders. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:42.719 So, I mean, we're talking a thorough report. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:45.599 We want to know specifically who's working on here, right? 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:48.400 Verse 11, and this was their reply to us. 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:51.680 We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:54.759 and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:58.000 which a great king of Israel built and finished. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:03.039 But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:07.439 king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, right, the temple, 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.959 and carried away the people to Babylonia, right? They were exiled. 00:04:10.959 --> 00:04:13.519 However, in the first year of Cyrus, right, we know this, 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:16.560 Cyrus the king made a decree that this house should be rebuilt. 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:21.920 And all the gold, right, this is like a kind of a summary of what's been going on since the beginning, right? 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:27.439 The gold and the silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:29.600 brought into the temple of Babylon. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:36.160 These Cyrus the king took out of the temple, and they were delivered to one whose name was Shespazar, 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:37.920 whom he had made governor. 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:43.199 And he said to them, take this Cyrus, right, take these vessels and put them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:46.319 and let the house of God rebuild on its site. 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:51.759 Then this Shespazar came and laid the foundation of the house of God that is in Jerusalem. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:56.240 And from that time until now, it has been building and it is not yet finished. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:01.680 What they're saying here, right, the decree was made. We are rebuilding. It's not yet finished. 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:07.199 Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:11.360 to see whether a decree, so they're wanting verification, right, to see if a decree 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:16.080 was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem, 00:05:16.080 --> 00:05:20.160 and let the king send us his pleasure in this manner. Let's pray together. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:26.480 Gracious Father, we thank you for this time and this opportunity to open your word and to finish this chapter 5 of Ezra. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:32.080 Father, we pray that this message is fruitful, that truth is spoken here, that it is insightful, 00:05:32.080 --> 00:05:36.000 and that your Holy Spirit will stir our hearts today here in this place. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:40.960 We ask, Father, that you bless this time of all of us gathered today. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:44.159 No matter where we are in our spiritual walk. 00:05:44.159 --> 00:05:47.919 Father, may we realize and recognize the important spiritual truths here, 00:05:47.919 --> 00:05:50.959 and that your presence is with us in every season of life. 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:56.719 Father, be with us this morning. Send down your spirits. Let lives be transformed in your name. 00:05:56.719 --> 00:06:00.159 It is in the name of Jesus Christ, and we all say together, can I get an amen? 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:03.839 All right, so we're going to go into the observation here. So this is 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:10.240 what is happening in these verses. The first thing that we can find, and if you'll find here on your notes, 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:14.000 you're going to see a lot of notes. We're going to just go over this real briefly here. 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:21.040 The questioning of God's people. So during the spiritual awakening, we had Zerubbabel and 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:26.720 Jesuit. You had Tatnai and Shethar Banzai and the associates. They questioned the people of God. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:32.079 What specifically did they ask? Who gave you the authority to build the temple? Who are you? 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:39.199 And what are your names? And finally, in verse 5 here, we're seeing that the eye of the Lord protected 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:45.199 the elders, right? The people of God. The work was not stopped. So Governor Tatnai and the 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:49.920 associates, they're coming onto the scene in the midst of a spiritual awakening that was happened. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:54.879 The prophetic words were being spoken in, in the midst of this awakening that was happening. 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:58.560 There's a lot that's happening here, and you can imagine the scene where the governor, 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:03.199 his associates are coming. They're seeing the rebuilding, the huge stones that are happening, 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:08.159 the progress that is being made. They're asking, who gave you the authority to do this? Who, 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:13.520 whose authority was given to you to rebuild? So there's questioning, and it certainly can be 00:07:13.520 --> 00:07:19.280 seen as opposition. How many of us have done good things in the name of Christ, or we're making 00:07:19.280 --> 00:07:24.480 great progress in someone's questioning you, right? So they further go on, and they're asking, 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:29.280 what are the names of the men who are building this building, right? So they're asking the 00:07:29.280 --> 00:07:34.160 specifics. They want the fine details. And so the governor and the associates, they're taking their 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:41.280 notes, right? They're seeing what's going on. And in that Ezra chapter 5, verse 5 here, I want you 00:07:41.280 --> 00:07:47.760 to look at there real quick. It says, the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, 00:07:48.400 --> 00:07:53.840 and they did not stop until the report should reach Darius, right? This is very significant, 00:07:53.840 --> 00:07:59.760 because you have Governor Tatni and the associates. It's different than the time where the adversaries 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:04.879 were coming along and they were trying to infiltrate and try to stop the progress. Here, they are just 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:10.240 taking a report. They want to observe what's going on and send the report off. So they're not saying, 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:14.800 stop rebuilding. They're saying, look, we want to know what's going on, right? We want to, 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:19.120 we're going to let you keep doing what you're doing, but we're going to send this letter off to the 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:25.439 king here and figure out what in the world is going on, because we don't know. Can you imagine if 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:29.759 you were in a situation like Governor Tatni, right? You're going through, you're seeing this huge 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:34.320 construction stones and timbers being built. Think of that perspective, right? That might be kind of 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:39.279 a shocking thing. Well, they're doing their due diligence by reaching out to the king kind of 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:45.279 thing. The second thing that we can find here is the confirmation with King Darius, right? So we 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:52.720 find in those verses 6 through 10, the letter, the report that is written to the king, right? And in 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:57.840 the report, it's talking about the temple is being rebuilt, right? And that it's saying here, we 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:03.680 questioned the people of God. We asked them who gave you the authority and who are you specifically? 00:09:03.680 --> 00:09:10.480 We want to know your name so we can write it down here. And so Ezra chapter 5 verse 8, it's saying, 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:18.000 be it known that it, the temple is being built with huge stones, right? And I love the language here. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:24.799 He's being very descriptive, like it's not being, it's talking about how much the progress is being 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:30.720 made in this construction. So the work goes on diligently in prospers in their hands. And verse 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:36.720 9 is, right, that repetition with the questions that we found earlier in verses 3 through 5, right? 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:40.720 Who gave you the permission to do this? Who's authority? I need to write this down. I'm going 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:45.360 to send this off to the king and he's going to verify this. And in this, the third thing that 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:51.519 we can observe here is the confidence in serving God. And I want you to take this to know when 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:57.120 we're looking at verses 11, right? If you still have your Bibles open, that's, that's all right. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:04.080 It's saying here, this was their reply to us, right? So what's happening? The governor, his 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:10.240 associates, they're like, we asked them questions. And here it's saying they replied to us, right? 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:16.000 They are identifying who they serve. They serve, right? It says here in verse 11, this was their 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:22.000 reply to us. We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. And we are rebuilding the house that 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:29.200 was built many years ago, right? They're identifying who the Lord is that they serve the living God. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:34.399 They're stating their purpose in the rebuilding of the temple. And they're explaining in verse 12 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:40.159 here the reason, right? The disobedience, right? Because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:46.079 right? What had happened? There was the disobedience. There was the punishment, as it were, that happened 00:10:46.079 --> 00:10:51.439 to the fathers for their disobedience from not turning from their sin. So they're explaining 00:10:51.439 --> 00:10:57.360 what had happened. And in verse 14, it's talking about the decree from Cyrus. You had the earthly 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:03.039 authority. And what's significant about Cyrus, just like we will see here in Governor Tatani, 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:10.319 is that God is speaking. So for Cyrus, the Holy Spirit stirred the heart of the king to make the 00:11:10.319 --> 00:11:18.079 decree that the people of God would return from Babylonia to Jerusalem. Here in Tatani, it's, 00:11:18.079 --> 00:11:23.839 wow, I need to look at what's going on because he's going to send a letter. And that letter is going to, 00:11:23.839 --> 00:11:28.399 in chapter six, we're not going there yet. But in chapter six, we'll see that the temple will be 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:33.840 completed. And we'll see that Darius will search the records. So there's this movement that's 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:40.559 happening with earthly authorities. And so verse 14, right? Talking about the earthly authority 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:45.840 from Cyrus to rebuild the temple. The vessels being returned, right? The description of what's 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:51.600 happening. The foundation being laid. And finally, in verse 17, it's talking about, therefore, if it 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:57.439 seems good to the king, let a search be made. It's a call. It's a call to action to search the 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:03.840 archives and to verify what was said. It's just like that famous saying, trust and verify. All 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:09.120 right, I'm trusting you people of God, but I need to verify what's going on. And so the people of 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:15.680 God, right? They responded in confidence by standing firm. The amount of intricacies and details that 00:12:15.680 --> 00:12:21.680 the people of God are saying to the governor and his associates, right? They're standing firm. 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:28.639 They're speaking to the work of the Holy Spirit, the promises of God, right? That there's this decree 00:12:29.599 --> 00:12:35.120 being made by Cyrus, but most importantly, that they serve the living God. So the people of God 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:39.279 in a nutshell are just saying, look, Tatani, this is where we're at. There was a decree that was made 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:44.319 by Cyrus. There's been this working of the Holy Spirit that has been going on. This is where we're 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:52.080 at. The temple is not yet complete, but it will be finished. That is the wonderful thing that we can 00:12:52.640 --> 00:12:58.879 observe from here. And now let's go into interpretation, right? It's the lessons here that we can find 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:06.720 from these verses. The number one thing that we can learn here is that when faith is questioned, 00:13:07.280 --> 00:13:13.040 respond, right? You have Governor Tatani with his associates. They're questioning the people of 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:19.519 God. They're asking the two questions. Who gave you this authority and who are you, right? Just as 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:25.759 the people of God were questioned, right? The people of God responded. Let us not forget this was 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:31.439 happening during a revival, during the working of the Holy Spirit, right? The prophets, 00:13:31.439 --> 00:13:37.279 prophesizing the spiritual awakening. It's an exciting time that's happening. And in instances 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:42.719 such as this for our own walk in the Lord, let us be reminded that there are times in Scripture 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:48.240 where people questioned people within Scripture, much like there will be times where people will 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:54.160 question who we are, what we believe in. Will you respond to such questions? That's something you 00:13:54.160 --> 00:13:59.759 have to think about. And I encourage you that when your faith, when the work that's happening, 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:04.560 that you're doing in the name of Christ is happening, that you will respond accordingly, 00:14:04.560 --> 00:14:10.879 that you will respond graciously. I'm sure for many of us we can think of a time when there was 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:16.080 a neutral party or maybe there was an adversary who was questioning what you were doing. Has that 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:20.799 happened to all of us? You don't have to raise your hand. I'm sure it has happened to us, right? 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:26.639 And I want you to consider how you can respond when faced with a questioning, right? Whether that's 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:32.399 someone who's in a position of earthly authority or even if it's just a normal everyday human being. 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:38.799 The people of God, they answered the question by saying who they are and whom they serve. They 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:44.879 responded by saying why they are doing what they're doing. Right? Remember, if you remember Ezra 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:49.919 chapter 4, the great pause that was happening in their lives, they're ready to continue the work 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:56.559 that God had set in their lives. And so they're also saying in here what human authorities have 00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:02.399 supported them. You see that? You have this kind of this double layer. You have God who they're 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:06.719 serving. They're saying, look, we actually have earthly authorities who have supported us by 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:12.080 the inner working of the Holy Spirit. And that's incredible, right? There's that extra layer. 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:16.960 So the people of God saying, right, they're servants of the God in heaven. They are rebuilding the 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:22.320 house. They are accountable to God first and foremost. They're showing what happened and 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:29.600 they're speaking about what happened in their past. Can you think of how you can respond in your own 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:35.680 walk with the Lord? Maybe there's been someone who recently or maybe in the past has asked you 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:42.079 questions about your faith, who you are in the Lord, what you're doing or why you are doing it. 00:15:43.599 --> 00:15:49.039 Maybe it's as simple as explaining that you're a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ. Maybe 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:56.079 it's as simple as that. Or maybe it's explaining how God has worked in your life, because God is 00:15:56.079 --> 00:16:02.399 the God of transformation, renewal and restoration. Maybe in situations like this, it's time for you 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:09.199 to speak about the hope that you have in Jesus Christ, your testimony, or simply the gospel message. 00:16:09.199 --> 00:16:15.519 I think of 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 15, right? In your heart's honor, Christ the Lord, as holy, 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:21.840 always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:29.439 in you. Do it with gentleness and respect. We now go on to the second one. Know that God's eye is 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:34.960 protecting you. When we think of God's eye, unfortunately in our culture, we see a big eye, 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:39.520 we think of symbolism. You guys know what I'm talking about, right? Symbolism and 00:16:40.160 --> 00:16:45.520 freemasonry and a lot of those things. I didn't want to put a big giant eye on here. I hope you 00:16:45.520 --> 00:16:51.360 guys can understand that. But just knowing that God's eye is protecting you, right? Because in 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:57.120 Ezra chapter 5 verse 5, it's significant. We're saying the eye of their God was on the elders of 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:03.279 the Jews, right? The eye of God, the eyes of the Lord. It's talking about the presence of God being 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:09.279 with the leaders of the people of God, but also with the people of God, right? We're talking 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:17.359 figurative spiritual language that God's eyes protects us. There are three things that we can 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:24.960 know about the eye of God from Scripture. Number one is that the eye of God watches good and evil, 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:32.960 right? It says in Proverbs 15, 3, the eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:39.519 and the good. If you want to think of Santa Claus, think of the Lord for a second, right? He sees 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:47.200 all good and all evil. The second thing is that he supports believers. So these are the three things 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:54.400 for us as believers, protection, guidance, and instruction, right? God's eyes protects us, right? 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:59.759 His presence protects us. He, the Lord guides us and instructs us on where we need to go. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:07.440 Second Chronicles 16, 9, the eyes of the Lord run to and throw, throw throughout the whole earth to 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:14.240 give support to those whose heart is blameless towards him, right? Another really good verse, 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:20.559 Psalm 3318, behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him and those whose hope is in his 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:26.960 steadfast love. And then finally, Psalm 32, 8, I will instruct you and teach you in the way that 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:34.400 you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you. So these are great reminders for us to be 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:40.880 mindful of what we do, right? That God can see the good that we do and even the evil that happens 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:46.240 at times. It's just like that famous saying many of you have heard before is character is doing the 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:52.080 right thing even when people are not looking, right? So ask yourself, are you doing the right thing 00:18:52.080 --> 00:18:56.800 even when someone's not looking? Because you're going to give an account to God and God can see 00:18:56.800 --> 00:19:01.840 the good that you do, much like God will see the, well, the evil that we might do or the evil people 00:19:01.840 --> 00:19:08.320 do as well. It's something for us to be reminded of and it gives me a lot of comfort and reassurance. 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:15.519 I hope it does for you that knowing that God sees all, right? He sees the good that happens in the 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:22.000 world. He sees the evil that happens in the world. So God will recognize the evil that we do even when 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:27.119 people don't see it. And I know for some of us we like having reassurance or being recognized, 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:33.599 but what about the times where we're not being seen for what we do? Are you still doing good 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:43.119 with a cheerful heart? And so the third thing that we can find here is that God's plan works even 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:51.519 through human authority. In Ezra chapter four, or excuse me, in chapter five, in Ezra chapter five, 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:56.879 we saw that Governor Tatnai is reaching out to King Darius, right? The letter, the report is being 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:04.640 sent to the king. It is God using human systems and the human authorities to achieve his purpose. 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:10.480 We may not see it necessarily here, but the fact that the letter gets written, right? God is using 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:15.280 this because look, the revival and the restoration, the rebuilding of the temple is happening. And then 00:20:15.280 --> 00:20:21.680 these people are coming on, the letters being sent. Darius is going to read the letter and you're 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:29.600 going to have the green light, the temple being finished. So God is using human authority to 00:20:29.600 --> 00:20:36.320 reach his purpose. Let us remember in Ezra chapter four, there's a difference between Ezra chapter 00:20:36.320 --> 00:20:42.799 four and Ezra chapter five in the fact that Ezra four was talking about evil people, right? 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:51.120 Adversaries with evil intent, using human systems, human systems to try to stop God and what God had 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:57.279 planned, right? So you saw the human element, these people who were opposing God's people and 00:20:57.279 --> 00:21:05.199 they were doing what they could to stop God's plan. What we're seeing here in Ezra chapter five 00:21:05.199 --> 00:21:12.239 is God using human authorities to reach other human authorities. God is working through Tatnai, 00:21:12.239 --> 00:21:16.479 through the questions and the names being written down and he's sending it off to the king, which 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:24.160 will be part of God's larger plan because remember the prophecy was that 70 years the people of God 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:30.799 would be in exile and they would rebuild the temple and it will be so. We see the call for the king 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:37.120 to search the records, right? We know that King Darius comes to support the rebuilding of the temple 00:21:37.120 --> 00:21:41.039 and again if you guys want to go ahead you can look at Ezra chapter six but we're not going over 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:47.599 that part yet. Even though Tatnai and his associates they seem to challenge, question, or even oppose 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:53.200 the people of God, the hand of God or the eye of God was protecting the people of God and working 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:59.920 through Tatnai to reach Darius and in the same way we as Christians in your own walk with the Lord 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:05.839 we should pray that divine intervention will happen to human authorities in our own lives, 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:11.519 that God will work through those in positions of political power, those who are in the community, 00:22:12.159 --> 00:22:16.639 right? That God will lead and guide them, that there will be perhaps a stirring of the spirit 00:22:16.639 --> 00:22:23.119 or perhaps that God will use them for his greater plan and purpose. If anyone accuses you, if anyone 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:29.199 opposes you or questions you, you can most definitely pray for them. Pray that God will 00:22:29.199 --> 00:22:35.119 intervene in their life and speak to them. The people of God are trusting in the Lord that he 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:41.599 will deliver. Let us be called to pray for divine intervention for the movement of the Holy Spirit 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:47.039 to guide people, right? Even if it's everyday people, your friends, your family, your co-workers, 00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:53.199 right? You're your boss even, right? Your former boss, all of these are your teachers, whatever, 00:22:54.639 --> 00:23:01.039 greater plan and greater purpose. God works in some incredible ways to fulfill his purpose and his 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:10.720 plan. There's a lot of verses that support this Romans 828. We know that God, those who love God, 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:17.359 all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Even Daniel 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:25.920 221, right? He, God, changes the times and the seasons, right? He removes kings and sets up kings. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:31.920 He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. And so in all of this, 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:37.759 we've gone over what we can observe in the Scriptures, what we can learn from the Scriptures, 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:44.240 and then finally the third thing we ask ourselves is how can I apply the wisdom, the knowledge, 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:50.880 these things from the Scriptures into my own life? Well, the first thing that we can find is to stand 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:57.280 firm and respond when questioned. It is to remain rooted in your faith. Trust in God's word and 00:23:57.280 --> 00:24:04.160 respond in confidence when your faith is challenged, right? You've heard me say this before, to stand 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:10.160 firm, to stay rooted in your faith like a great tree that has been planted, right? We think of, 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:15.440 many of us can think of a great tree that provides a lot of shade and how difficult it can be to 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:21.120 remove a tree. In the same way, that's a good representation of how our faith should be in 00:24:21.120 --> 00:24:26.240 Christ. Not something that's just knocked over like a, I don't know, a mushroom or something, 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:31.600 but rather like a great, great oak tree or a great tree that produces fruit. There's a lot of times 00:24:31.600 --> 00:24:37.920 in Scripture where we find this kind of language. No matter what happens in any season, you remain 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:43.519 rooted in Christ. Stand firm even when questioned, even when challenged, even when there's slanderous 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:49.359 attacks or you're accused. You, as an individual, as a person, you will face moments in your life 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:54.559 where you will be questioned. And this is especially true in your walk in the Lord, right? You're 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:59.839 going to face opposition, whether you choose college A or college B. You're going to face people who 00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:04.639 are going to have their opinions, right? They might not like the career choice that you make, 00:25:04.639 --> 00:25:09.839 or a certain decision that you've made. Well, it's the same thing that we can find in our own 00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:16.079 walk with the Lord, that as we're growing in Christ and becoming more like Him, right? We're on this 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:22.799 path of sanctification, right? This path of becoming more holy. There will be people who will oppose 00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:28.879 us. It is important to remain rooted in our faith in the Lord, but also faithful to His Word and 00:25:28.879 --> 00:25:35.759 keep our ears open to the voice of God who leads and guides us. When the opportunity presents itself, 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:42.720 when you are challenged, respond. Respond graciously. Respond with truth, right? That's why we talk so 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:49.920 much about the balancing of grace and truth, right? Being able to deal with others in love, 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:57.279 going to the Word. We must stand firm and trust and know the Word of God, trust in the living, 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:04.240 living God and know that He is with us. No matter what happens, God is with us in every season of 00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:10.880 our lives. And sometimes as we found in Ezra chapter four, there are seasons of waiting. 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:17.200 Sometimes there's seasons where we have to act and we have to act immediately. It really depends 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:23.039 on the circumstance. And as the community, as the church, as the body of Christ, this is a call for 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:29.519 us collectively to be prepared. Stand firm and responding applies to you personally on your 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:36.160 walk with the Lord, but also as the church body. Because sometimes oppositions will happen to churches, 00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:44.000 much like there will be opposition to individuals. And so James chapter one, verse 12, blessed is the 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:49.759 man who remains steadfast under trial. When he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:54.960 right? It's just like when we're talking about treasures in heaven. Obviously we believe in 00:26:54.960 --> 00:27:01.039 Jesus Christ by faith. I'm not talking about a workspace salvation. I am talking about you 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:08.000 believe you're saved and upon that salvation, you build treasures in heaven. And so in this verse, 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:15.759 just like many other verses, that in all the good that we do in standing firm in the Lord, 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:20.640 we receive a reward from that. That's something that's just wonderful. It's just like how 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:25.600 Ephesians chapter six reminds us of putting on the armor of God. The second thing that we have 00:27:25.600 --> 00:27:33.200 here is trusting in God's protection and presence, right? It says trust that God is with you in every 00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:40.880 season, guiding and protecting you even when the path is unclear. It's so easy for us when the path 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:47.840 is clear. It's so easy for us when there are the sunny days, right? It's easy when we're on top of 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:53.759 a mountain to see everything that's going on. But how difficult can it be for us when we're in a 00:27:53.759 --> 00:28:01.119 valley or storm in our life or we just don't know what's going on. God is still there even in the 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:06.559 greatest of trials, even when there's opposition, even when there's people questioning you just 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:12.720 like we're finding in here. Trust in God's protection in God's present in every season here. 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:18.400 Just as I mentioned in Ezra 5,5, the eye of God, the eye of their God was on the elders and that's a 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:24.799 truth that we find in Scripture, but also that God is with us, that his eye is on us. So again, 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:31.279 I didn't want to put an eyeball on there, but it's just spiritual language, figurative language that 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:38.319 we can think about in our own lives. It's a call for you to trust in that. Know that God is with 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:44.319 you, even when you don't see it, even when you don't know that he's there, he is still there. 00:28:44.319 --> 00:28:51.039 Just be, it's kind of like when you tell your children, how many of you have experienced this? 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:57.200 When they close your eyes, they think everything's off, right? When they close their eyes, they think 00:28:57.200 --> 00:29:05.200 you can't see them, right? It's just like how in times of darkness, just because we can't see 00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:11.200 things doesn't mean it's not there. So just because we may not feel the presence of God or just because 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:17.200 we're going through a trial in our life doesn't mean God is not there. This should give us comfort, 00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:22.240 especially in those trials and the testing of our faith when we're being challenged or questioned. 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:27.600 The people of God, they faced that questioning, but they knew that God was with them, especially 00:29:27.600 --> 00:29:34.799 after a season of delay. In our own personal life, we can find peace and comfort, knowing that 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:42.799 God's presence is with us, that his eye or his eyes, guides, protects and watches over us in every 00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:50.799 season of life. Let us, as the body of Christ, be assured that God's protection is on us. We must 00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:55.799 seek him first, just like the verse says, seek first the kingdom of God, right? We must believe in 00:29:55.799 --> 00:30:05.799 Jesus Christ and be saved by grace through faith. Now, many of us, we may ask the question, why is 00:30:05.799 --> 00:30:10.799 someone questioning me? Why am I going through a trial? Why am I going? Why are these people doing 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:16.799 these horrible things? And the thing is, we may not always have the answers. Sometimes we don't even 00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:24.799 know why we do what we do. Much less do we always understand why people do what they do. But we 00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:31.799 must know that no matter what happens, God's going to be there with us in every season, the dry seasons, 00:30:31.799 --> 00:30:38.799 the seasons of delays in every season of our life. Isaiah chapter 40 verse 31 is a great verse, 00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:44.799 those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:52.799 eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Psalm 46-1, that God is our 00:30:52.799 --> 00:31:00.799 refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble, right? And there's other verses on there. 00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:07.799 And finally, the third thing here is never, never stop growing and doing good in Christ or doing good 00:31:07.799 --> 00:31:14.799 in the name of Christ. We are to continue doing what we're doing in the Lord, continue growing and 00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:20.799 continue doing good in the name of Christ, despite when opposition happens, despite when trials or 00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:27.799 questions or tribulations or challenges happen in your life, never give up. Keep growing in Christ 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:33.799 even if you have to wait, even if there is a season of delay, or even if God is calling you, you keep 00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:41.799 going regardless of accusations, regardless of questioning. In this chapter, the people of God, 00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:46.799 they kept working on the temple and they were trusting in God, knowing that God would deliver, 00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:51.799 even though they had to wait for verification, I'm sure in the back of their mind, they're like, 00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:57.799 well, what happened before is going to happen again, right? They still kept doing what they had to do. 00:31:57.799 --> 00:32:02.799 They didn't stop, they didn't give up, they remained faithful to God and in the same way, we are called 00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:10.799 to continue in faith, trusting that God works in and through people, even unbelievers, even through 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:19.799 the, the scope of how God works in and through people is remarkable, right? And I want you to think 00:32:19.799 --> 00:32:28.799 of how God works behind the scenes, right? Just as I think of how being a parent, when I think of my 00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:34.799 own children, I think of how they don't understand money. And I know for some of us, we may not 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:42.799 understand money, right? But sometimes my kids, they want to go have McDonald's, right? And they think 00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:49.799 they can always ask for McDonald's or always ask for lemonade or Gatorade or whatever it is, not having 00:32:49.799 --> 00:32:55.799 the full scope that there's things that happen behind the scenes in order for them to be fed, 00:32:55.799 --> 00:33:01.799 to be clothed, to have shelter for them. It's much like how our God provides for us. We may not always 00:33:01.799 --> 00:33:08.799 see what's happening behind the scenes, but let me tell you, God works in some incredible ways. I'm reminded 00:33:08.799 --> 00:33:16.799 of Habakkuk, where it's saying that where God says to Habakkuk, if you knew the things that were 00:33:16.799 --> 00:33:21.799 happening behind, I'm paraphrasing this, if you knew what was happening behind the scenes, you wouldn't 00:33:21.799 --> 00:33:27.799 even believe it, even if I told you to, and then God proceeds to explain what is happening in that 00:33:27.799 --> 00:33:37.799 situation. And the idea here is, look, God works behind the scenes. We continue faithfully in Christ. 00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:44.799 God works behind the scenes to bring about His perfect will. And maybe for you, this is a call for you to 00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:51.799 no longer to be stagnant, but to begin again, rebuilding in Christ. Maybe this is a call for you to stand 00:33:51.799 --> 00:33:57.799 and patiently wait. In either case, you never give up. You continue growing in the Lord and doing good in the 00:33:57.799 --> 00:34:02.799 name of Christ. And if you're not a Christian, let this be a call for you to believe in the death, burial 00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:09.800 and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Let us be reminded of that as well. 00:34:09.800 --> 00:34:16.800 Galatians 6, 6, 9, let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap, right? We're talking 00:34:16.800 --> 00:34:23.800 about the treasures in heaven, building upon the foundation in Christ. Hebrews 12, 1 through 2, let us run with 00:34:23.800 --> 00:34:30.800 endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and protector of our faith. And so I want to 00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:38.800 encourage you, be reminded and be encouraged that God is with you in every season of your life. I want you to know 00:34:38.800 --> 00:34:45.800 that. And just as we've read here in Ezra, chapter 5, then finish this off, God protects His own, right? 00:34:45.800 --> 00:34:52.800 When we talked about the eye of God. Being a believer, being part of the family God is knowing that God will 00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:58.800 protect you and that God will guide you and that God is constant in this world, especially when there's so many 00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:05.800 cultural changes, there's so much division that's happening in the world, right? Even in times where we face 00:35:05.800 --> 00:35:13.800 oppositions or we have doubt in our own lives, the eye of God is a representation of God's presence in our very 00:35:13.800 --> 00:35:22.800 lives. God's plans will be fulfilled no matter what humans try to do. And as believers, as Christians were 00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:28.800 called to stand firm in faith and to trust in His protection, we continue doing this work that He's called 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:36.800 set before us. And if you want this protection, if you want this guidance and to experience peace that is 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:43.800 beyond understanding and the joy that is inexpressible and inexhaustible that comes from the Lord, you need to believe 00:35:43.800 --> 00:35:49.800 in Jesus Christ. Having that relationship with Him is the greatest decision that you can make here in this life 00:35:49.800 --> 00:35:57.800 and in the next one. 1 Corinthians 15 verses 1 through 4 is believing the death, the burial and the resurrection 00:35:57.800 --> 00:36:04.800 of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures, that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world and He is all that 00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:11.800 we need. And that salvation is a free gift that is given to us not by what we can do, but rather what has been 00:36:11.800 --> 00:36:18.800 done for us. Believe in the Lord and be saved. This might be a call for you to come and believe in Jesus Christ. 00:36:18.800 --> 00:36:23.800 This might be a call for you to have faith in Christ and to know that His peace and His protection and His 00:36:23.800 --> 00:36:30.800 presence are with you in every season of life. I'd rather believe in God and know that He is there with me than to 00:36:30.800 --> 00:36:39.800 not believe in God. No one wants to face a trial or a challenge alone, but knowing that God's presence is with 00:36:39.800 --> 00:36:46.800 me is the reason why I believe in the Lord and I continue to trust in Him no matter what is happening. 00:36:46.800 --> 00:36:51.800 Maybe you're being called to stand firm in your faith, maybe you're dealing with questions, maybe you're dealing 00:36:51.800 --> 00:37:01.800 with oppositions or an adversary. God is with you. Is that mine? God will guide you and protect you. 00:37:01.800 --> 00:37:08.800 This may also be a call for you to serve the local church or to be an ambassador for Christ in your community. 00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:16.800 Know that His presence is with you wherever you go. Maybe this is a time for you to return to the Lord or to begin 00:37:16.800 --> 00:37:23.800 rebuilding or build upon that foundation. In any case, whether you're a new Christian or you've been away for a while, 00:37:23.800 --> 00:37:32.800 you can always be encouraged to have that foundation laid, believe in Jesus Christ and build upon that foundation. 00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:42.800 Think of how Christ talked about having a foundation in sand or on the solid rock. How are you going to build your house? 00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:51.800 God continues to speak to us every day and God calls every day people for extraordinary purpose. 00:37:51.800 --> 00:38:01.800 God's presence is with us in every season. Let us remember that because God works in amazing and incredible ways 00:38:01.800 --> 00:38:08.800 and God will work in you. He will renew you and restore you. He will protect you wherever you go. 00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:15.800 His presence is with us every single day and every season of life. Let's pray together. 00:38:15.800 --> 00:38:21.800 Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time and this opportunity for us to come together. 00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:31.800 Open your word and finish this Ezra chapter 5. Father, we recognize that there are times where there will be people who will question us. 00:38:31.800 --> 00:38:41.800 There will be times where people will oppose us and there will be times when people may even try to undermine or they might try to slander us or whatever it is. 00:38:41.800 --> 00:38:48.800 We pray that we can stand firm in truth. We can stand firm in your promises and who you are. 00:38:48.800 --> 00:38:51.800 May we never waver but may we remain in you. 00:38:51.800 --> 00:39:01.800 Father, I pray that everyone here today will begin, if they haven't already, that they'll begin to have that relationship with you. 00:39:01.800 --> 00:39:09.800 That they may come to know you. That they'll grow in you. That they'll know what it means to be a Christian and to open the word of God. 00:39:09.800 --> 00:39:23.800 May God be moved to study your word but also to live out the faith. We pray that we will be moved to be a beacon of hope for the community, serving the community, building up your church together. 00:39:23.800 --> 00:39:34.800 Father, you call each and every one of us into that relationship. We know, may we recognize that we are a work in progress and we're on this. 00:39:34.800 --> 00:39:44.800 May we all be on the spiritual journey together in you. We pray that our lives will be transformed in this place and from this place. 00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:52.800 Most especially, may we recognize that transformation comes from you, that salvation comes from your Son Jesus Christ. 00:39:52.800 --> 00:40:05.800 And as we close in this final song, we ask that you are with us and may we recognize and realize that you are with us in every season of life. 00:40:05.800 --> 00:40:12.800 It is in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray and we all say together, can I get an amen? Amen. 00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:16.800 Thank you for tuning in to the Ontario Community Church Sermon Podcast. 00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:24.800 For more about our church and how you can get involved or support our mission, please visit ontariocommunitychurch.org. 00:40:24.800 --> 00:40:48.800 May God's blessings be with you.