WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.040 Well, good morning, church. Today we're beginning a new series in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:15.200 That's page 362 in the Pew Bible. Go ahead and turn there with me. If you're new to the Bible, 00:00:15.419 --> 00:00:20.980 the big numbers are the chapters, the small numbers are the verses. And in our English 00:00:20.980 --> 00:00:27.760 Bibles, Ezra and Nehemiah are two separate books, but originally they were one single story 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:33.900 about how God stayed faithful to His promises and brought His people back from exile and advanced 00:00:33.900 --> 00:00:39.020 His kingdom. So this spring and through the summer, we're going to be walking through both of these 00:00:39.020 --> 00:00:47.420 books together in a series that we're calling Rebuilding the Ruins. Now, as you know, as Jeff 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:51.799 and Birch mentioned, we're in the middle of a building program and a capital campaign as a church. 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:59.119 And if you've been around churches for a while, you know that oftentimes pastors will gravitate 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:05.579 towards these books when their church is doing a building project. I mean, hey, they're building 00:01:05.579 --> 00:01:11.039 stuff in Ezra and Nehemiah. We're building stuff. It seems like the perfect fit, right? 00:01:12.780 --> 00:01:17.700 Well, that is not why we're doing Ezra and Nehemiah in this season as a church. We're looking at Ezra 00:01:17.700 --> 00:01:22.439 Nehemiah because these books at the end of the day are actually about mission. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:31.400 They're about being the people of God, relying on the greatness of God to fulfill the mission of God. 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:39.939 It's easy as a church to forget that we are a people with a mission. Last Sunday, we celebrated 00:01:39.939 --> 00:01:46.760 Easter, and the risen Jesus across the Gospels and into Acts has commissioned us to go forth into all 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:52.480 the nations, declaring the victory that he has won, declaring that Christ is king, that he's ended 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.219 our exile from God, and now in the midst of the nations, we're meant to be salt and light in his 00:01:57.219 --> 00:02:03.740 name, advancing God's kingdom of grace and renewal until Christ returns and makes all things new. 00:02:05.580 --> 00:02:11.000 But we forget sometimes that we're meant to be this people with this mission. 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:20.680 How does that happen for us? Well, for starters, life gets busy, doesn't it? There's work, there's 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:27.060 family, there's school, there's bills, there's Netflix, there's Reddit, there's the incessant flow 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:32.379 of notifications on our phones, and with all that going on, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger 00:02:32.379 --> 00:02:40.039 picture that God has a mission for us. But on top of that, it can be easy in a city like ours, 00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:46.719 where people are so transient to lose sight of the mission. After all, every August and September, 00:02:47.060 --> 00:02:53.259 there's a whole new crop of people who will arrive for work or for school, and many of them will come 00:02:53.259 --> 00:02:59.280 already looking for a church. And they'll land here at Trinity, and they'll be a new part of our family, 00:02:59.399 --> 00:03:03.379 and that's really exciting. It's one of the joys of the work that God has given us. 00:03:03.379 --> 00:03:11.340 But with all those new faces, almost every year, it's easy to forget that our mission as a church 00:03:11.340 --> 00:03:16.340 isn't merely to be a home for Christians who are new to the area. Our mission is also to introduce 00:03:16.340 --> 00:03:20.259 new people to Christ, people who've never heard of Christ, or people who've never really heard what 00:03:20.259 --> 00:03:26.039 the gospel is all about. We're meant to be a place where people are coming to know Jesus for the first 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:35.719 time. God has a mission for us. Third, it can be especially easy to lose sight of God's mission during a 00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:42.879 building project, believe it or not. We can get more animated by stone and steel and dollars and cents 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:48.639 than about why we're doing any of it in the first place. That is the mission God has given us, 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:57.539 to see His grace transform our city. And fourth, it can be easy to lose sight of the mission God has given us 00:03:57.539 --> 00:04:03.199 when we feel like we've messed it up and fallen short and failed the first time around. 00:04:05.419 --> 00:04:12.939 Is there hope for Christians, for churches who've gotten off track, who've gotten distracted by the 00:04:12.939 --> 00:04:21.860 busyness, by the transients, maybe by the buildings? Can God still use us? Does He still have a plan for us 00:04:21.860 --> 00:04:28.959 in the advance of His kingdom of grace? And that's where Ezra and Nehemiah come in. 00:04:30.379 --> 00:04:38.659 God is a God who rebuilds the ruins and who invites us, even us, to join Him in the work. 00:04:38.660 --> 00:04:47.120 So today, I want to give an overview as best I can of Ezra and Nehemiah. We're going to walk through 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:52.700 the details chapter by chapter in the coming weeks. But before that, I want to hopefully help us see 00:04:52.700 --> 00:04:57.640 the whole mountain range before we get up close and start the ascent. And that will help us, I hope, 00:04:57.660 --> 00:05:03.800 not to lose our way along the way in our sermon series. And if we take a step back and take in this 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:11.379 book as a whole, I think the mountain range looks something like this. That after all seems lost, 00:05:12.340 --> 00:05:20.220 God advances His kingdom in sovereign faithfulness and He restores us, His people, to participate in 00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:30.500 the work. After all seems totally lost, God advances His kingdom in sovereign faithfulness and restores 00:05:30.500 --> 00:05:38.079 us, His people, to participate in the work. So the sermon this morning is going to have two parts. 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:45.240 First, God, then us. So let's jump into chapter 1, verses 1 through 4, and we'll get started. 00:05:47.420 --> 00:05:49.220 Ezra chapter 1, verse 1. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:52.160 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:58.379 that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of 00:05:58.379 --> 00:06:03.279 Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:10.399 writing. Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:16.600 the earth, and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is 00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:21.659 among you of all His people, may His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, 00:06:22.019 --> 00:06:26.699 and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 00:06:26.699 --> 00:06:33.300 And let each survivor in whatever place he sojourns be assisted by the men of his place with silver and 00:06:33.300 --> 00:06:39.240 gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:47.319 Now there are two things we see about God, even in these opening verses, that will come up again and 00:06:47.319 --> 00:06:54.899 again as this book unfolds. First, God's sovereignty, and second, God's faithfulness. 00:06:54.899 --> 00:07:01.219 But in order to really get the fullness of that, we have to pick up the threads of this story. 00:07:02.239 --> 00:07:11.899 The first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, is about 539-538 BC. For 50 years, the people of Israel have 00:07:11.899 --> 00:07:19.419 been in exile. In other words, they've been a totally conquered people. Their temple, their capital city, 00:07:19.420 --> 00:07:25.000 all of it has been burnt to the ground. Their families have been displaced. They're living in a 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:35.140 foreign land under foreign kings far from home. And the worst part about it is that this exile they 00:07:35.140 --> 00:07:42.980 were in was ultimately because of their own rebellion against the Lord. Because they had rejected God as 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:49.460 their king in the land that God had given them and worshipped other gods that were no gods at all, 00:07:50.379 --> 00:07:57.100 the Lord, after centuries of warning them and warning them through the prophets, finally gave them what 00:07:57.100 --> 00:08:06.640 they were asking for. He gave them over to the other gods. And in 587, the Babylonian empire conquered 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:13.539 Jerusalem and burnt it to the ground. And then they could go worship those other gods in exile. 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:25.500 And now Israel lived in exile, in shame, their homeland and their lives in ruins. 00:08:25.500 --> 00:08:36.419 But was that going to be the end of the story? Would shame and ruin be the last word? You know, 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:43.340 throughout those dark years of exile, it must have seemed that way on many days. And worse was the 00:08:43.340 --> 00:08:48.980 growing realization that this was what we deserved for our sin, for abandoning our allegiance to the Lord. 00:08:48.980 --> 00:08:57.980 But through those dark years of exile, there was a light. There was a light that began to shine. 00:08:58.980 --> 00:09:05.940 You see, the great prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, they had all foretold the coming destruction 00:09:05.940 --> 00:09:11.300 as a result of Israel's sin. But all had foretold something in addition to that. 00:09:11.299 --> 00:09:20.740 Isaiah also spoke about a new exodus that would come. And Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant. 00:09:21.479 --> 00:09:29.439 And Ezekiel even spoke of a new temple. Glimmers of hope that God had not abandoned his mission 00:09:29.439 --> 00:09:37.039 to fill the earth with his glory and to redeem a people for himself. Adam had been cast from the 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:41.439 garden because of his sin. Israel had been cast from the promised land because of their sin. 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:43.939 But neither would be the end of God's story. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:55.699 In 539 BC, Cyrus, the Persian, conquers Babylon. And a new chapter begins in world history. 00:09:57.259 --> 00:10:04.360 But God begins a new chapter in redemptive history. The ruins will be rebuilt. The promises will be kept. 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:06.639 And the kingdom of God will advance. 00:10:09.639 --> 00:10:12.980 And all of this is as a result, on the one hand, of God's sovereignty. 00:10:13.860 --> 00:10:16.200 Look again at verse 1 where it says, 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:23.680 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom. 00:10:24.820 --> 00:10:31.980 In and through the human events of history, God's hand is at work bringing his good purposes to pass. 00:10:31.980 --> 00:10:34.779 We're going to find this throughout Ezra and Nehemiah. 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:38.820 You know, if you read through this sort of twofold book of Ezra and Nehemiah, 00:10:38.899 --> 00:10:43.480 you'll notice that there aren't any so-called miracles in this book. 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:46.920 If you're looking for red seas to be parted in two, 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:49.560 if you're looking for fire to come down from heaven, 00:10:50.060 --> 00:10:53.240 you're not going to find it in Ezra and Nehemiah. 00:10:53.240 --> 00:11:00.000 And yet, God is no less active. 00:11:00.899 --> 00:11:05.000 The hand of God is at work stirring the hearts of kings, 00:11:05.539 --> 00:11:07.680 protecting the journeys of his people, 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:10.299 empowering his people in the face of opposition, 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:12.600 humbling his people in the face of their sin, 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:15.500 bringing about genuine repentance and change. 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:20.100 The events of 539 were no accident. 00:11:20.299 --> 00:11:24.200 God was not caught off guard when Cyrus, king of Persia, 00:11:24.620 --> 00:11:26.659 ousted the Babylonians and began to rule. 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:29.860 No, the God, the Lord of heaven and earth, 00:11:29.940 --> 00:11:32.419 who holds every human heart in his hand, 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:35.120 was bringing his plans to pass. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:41.419 But the exercise of God's sovereignty 00:11:41.419 --> 00:11:45.019 isn't some arbitrary display of force. 00:11:47.259 --> 00:11:49.899 The second thing we see about God in Ezra and Nehemiah 00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:53.500 is that God is above all faithful to his promises. 00:11:55.339 --> 00:11:57.360 The whole book begins this way. 00:11:58.620 --> 00:11:59.719 Look again at verse 1. 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:02.299 That the word of the Lord 00:12:02.299 --> 00:12:05.419 by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. 00:12:08.299 --> 00:12:10.039 In Jeremiah chapter 29, 00:12:10.039 --> 00:12:11.799 God promised the Israelite exiles 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:13.659 that one day he would end Babylon's tyranny 00:12:13.659 --> 00:12:14.740 and bring his people home. 00:12:16.539 --> 00:12:18.299 And this book starts by saying 00:12:18.299 --> 00:12:20.079 that God made good on his promise. 00:12:21.860 --> 00:12:23.339 God's glory is displayed 00:12:23.339 --> 00:12:25.500 not just in that he is sovereign, 00:12:25.620 --> 00:12:27.699 but that he is sovereignly faithful, 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:31.480 keeping his word forever without fail, 00:12:32.019 --> 00:12:35.299 even in the face of our faithlessness. 00:12:35.299 --> 00:12:41.039 This is the stunning fact of Ezra and Nehemiah. 00:12:43.059 --> 00:12:45.620 None of God's faithfulness to the people 00:12:45.620 --> 00:12:47.079 was deserved. 00:12:48.459 --> 00:12:50.879 The people hadn't loved God with their whole hearts. 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:53.279 The people hadn't loved their neighbors as themselves. 00:12:53.699 --> 00:12:55.559 In fact, as Ezra and Nehemiah unfolds, 00:12:55.599 --> 00:12:57.439 we'll find that they still need a rescuer. 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:02.560 God was under no obligation to rescue them, 00:13:02.660 --> 00:13:03.440 to restore them, 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:05.320 or to rebuild the ruins they had made. 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:12.720 But God's faithfulness to the unfaithful, 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:18.100 this is the banner that flies over this book 00:13:18.100 --> 00:13:21.440 and flies over the whole biblical narrative. 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:25.440 God is faithful to the faithless. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:30.320 And friends, that's the message that's being sung 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:32.040 in every sunrise, 00:13:32.660 --> 00:13:35.040 in every cool rain that falls, 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.400 in every crop that grows. 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:40.300 God is faithful to the unfaithful. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:45.440 Friends, nothing that the Bible says 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:47.080 will stir you, 00:13:47.760 --> 00:13:49.300 or electrify you, 00:13:49.299 --> 00:13:51.459 or wake you from your sleep, 00:13:51.719 --> 00:13:55.359 until you get this utterly profound reality 00:13:55.359 --> 00:13:57.959 that you and I have been 00:13:57.959 --> 00:14:00.179 completely unfaithful to God, 00:14:00.819 --> 00:14:03.459 and yet God has remained faithful to us. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:06.179 So faithful 00:14:06.179 --> 00:14:09.699 that He was willing to take on flesh, 00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:11.859 die on a cross, 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:13.419 be raised to new life 00:14:13.419 --> 00:14:15.039 so that He could keep His promise 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:16.939 to redeem a people for Himself. 00:14:19.299 --> 00:14:21.139 That's how faithful God is 00:14:21.139 --> 00:14:22.199 to the faithless. 00:14:23.859 --> 00:14:25.179 And the mission of God 00:14:25.179 --> 00:14:27.159 will make no sense to us as a church. 00:14:27.579 --> 00:14:29.199 We will remain distracted 00:14:29.199 --> 00:14:30.439 by our worldly cares, 00:14:30.579 --> 00:14:31.419 we'll remain comfortable 00:14:31.419 --> 00:14:33.379 with the people who are already like us, 00:14:33.539 --> 00:14:34.939 we'll be more excited about 00:14:34.939 --> 00:14:36.439 sticks and bricks 00:14:36.439 --> 00:14:37.639 than hearts and lives, 00:14:37.839 --> 00:14:39.039 until the Holy Spirit 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:40.639 gives us ears to hear 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:43.120 that in the face of our unfaithfulness, 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:44.240 God's been faithful. 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:50.240 after all seems lost, 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:54.980 praise God in His faithfulness, 00:14:55.379 --> 00:14:57.220 in His sovereign faithfulness, 00:14:57.440 --> 00:14:58.860 He advances His kingdom. 00:15:00.620 --> 00:15:03.360 That's the first major thread 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:04.899 running through this whole book. 00:15:06.560 --> 00:15:08.279 And the second is this, 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:11.559 that God restores us, 00:15:11.819 --> 00:15:12.419 His people, 00:15:12.740 --> 00:15:14.179 to participate in the work. 00:15:15.100 --> 00:15:16.500 When we take Ezra and Nehemiah 00:15:16.500 --> 00:15:17.459 as one story, 00:15:17.500 --> 00:15:18.519 we see that it kind of roughly 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:19.939 falls into three parts, 00:15:20.299 --> 00:15:21.980 and each part involves 00:15:21.980 --> 00:15:23.579 a sort of major element 00:15:23.579 --> 00:15:24.620 of the rebuilding 00:15:24.620 --> 00:15:25.639 that takes place 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:26.980 in the return from exile. 00:15:27.319 --> 00:15:28.360 First, there's the temple, 00:15:28.819 --> 00:15:29.379 and second, 00:15:29.539 --> 00:15:30.579 there's the law of Moses, 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:31.100 the Torah, 00:15:31.439 --> 00:15:32.039 and third, 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:33.019 there are the city walls. 00:15:33.339 --> 00:15:34.459 That's sort of the structure 00:15:34.459 --> 00:15:35.120 of the book 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:36.419 as it sort of plays out. 00:15:36.419 --> 00:15:38.740 Temple, Torah, walls. 00:15:39.219 --> 00:15:41.559 Worship, word, city. 00:15:43.479 --> 00:15:43.979 In other words, 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.339 when God advances His kingdom 00:15:45.339 --> 00:15:46.740 and His sovereign faithfulness, 00:15:47.839 --> 00:15:48.459 the people make 00:15:48.459 --> 00:15:50.319 the worship of God central again. 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:53.019 And they order their lives 00:15:53.019 --> 00:15:54.319 around the word of God again. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:56.360 And they devote themselves 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:57.500 to the rebuilding 00:15:57.500 --> 00:15:58.779 of the city of God again. 00:16:00.740 --> 00:16:01.879 So first, worship. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:03.980 We see this in Ezra chapters 00:16:03.980 --> 00:16:04.639 one through six. 00:16:04.719 --> 00:16:05.459 If you want to just sort of 00:16:05.459 --> 00:16:06.199 glance down, 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.220 and skim over those six chapters, 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:09.740 the events in this part of the book 00:16:09.740 --> 00:16:12.040 take place over a 20-year time period, 00:16:12.160 --> 00:16:15.180 roughly from 538 to 516 BC. 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:17.120 And this section of the book 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:18.000 tells the story 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.320 of the first generation, 00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:20.460 the first remnant 00:16:20.460 --> 00:16:22.120 to return from exile 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:23.420 under the leadership 00:16:23.420 --> 00:16:25.080 of a man called Zerubbabel 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:26.840 and another called Jeshua, 00:16:26.920 --> 00:16:27.600 who's the priest. 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:29.180 We see a list 00:16:29.180 --> 00:16:30.180 of that first generation 00:16:30.180 --> 00:16:31.020 in chapter two. 00:16:31.920 --> 00:16:33.100 And then in chapter three, 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:34.259 they rebuild the altar 00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:35.240 and lay the foundation 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:35.840 of the temple. 00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:37.179 In chapter four, 00:16:37.259 --> 00:16:38.620 they face external opposition 00:16:38.620 --> 00:16:39.659 and the building 00:16:39.659 --> 00:16:40.779 grinds to a halt. 00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:42.299 And then in chapter five, 00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:44.120 the rebuilding starts up again 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:45.960 after a 17-year hiatus. 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:48.720 And then in chapter six, 00:16:48.779 --> 00:16:49.240 at last, 00:16:49.319 --> 00:16:50.139 the temple's finished. 00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:53.939 Now, the temple 00:16:53.939 --> 00:16:55.539 was the center of worship 00:16:55.539 --> 00:16:57.019 under the old covenant. 00:16:57.799 --> 00:16:59.019 It was the symbol 00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:00.080 that God dwelled 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:01.220 in the midst of his people. 00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:02.819 And it was a sign, 00:17:02.939 --> 00:17:03.879 it was a signal, 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:04.900 it was a foretaste 00:17:04.900 --> 00:17:05.859 that one day, 00:17:06.259 --> 00:17:08.099 God's glory would cover the earth 00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:09.759 like the waters cover the sea. 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:11.279 It was sort of the beachhead 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:12.480 in the midst 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:13.799 of fallen creation 00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:14.759 saying that God 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:15.700 was going to reclaim 00:17:15.700 --> 00:17:16.799 his creation again. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:20.759 And so before anything else, 00:17:20.839 --> 00:17:21.759 the first thing 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:23.139 after returning from exile 00:17:23.139 --> 00:17:24.379 was the temple. 00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:27.399 And we'll see that this work 00:17:27.399 --> 00:17:28.879 didn't come without a struggle. 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:29.879 In chapter five, 00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:31.220 the people have to be reminded 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:32.299 and exhorted 00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:33.599 by two prophets, 00:17:33.980 --> 00:17:34.919 Haggai and Zechariah, 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:36.339 to make this work central 00:17:36.339 --> 00:17:37.480 and to finish it. 00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:38.159 But nonetheless, 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:39.700 the first thing, 00:17:39.940 --> 00:17:40.639 the priority, 00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:41.680 was the temple. 00:17:44.659 --> 00:17:45.879 Now, as New Testament believers, 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:47.720 we don't have a physical temple anymore. 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:50.840 When God became incarnate 00:17:50.840 --> 00:17:51.940 in Jesus Christ, 00:17:52.140 --> 00:17:54.240 the true and better temple arrived. 00:17:55.280 --> 00:17:57.340 Now God really was dwelling 00:17:57.340 --> 00:17:58.580 in the midst of his people. 00:17:59.060 --> 00:18:00.840 Now the sacrifice for sin 00:18:00.840 --> 00:18:02.180 could really happen. 00:18:02.280 --> 00:18:02.960 All of that, 00:18:03.140 --> 00:18:04.360 all that the temple stood for 00:18:04.360 --> 00:18:05.660 was fulfilled in Christ. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:06.740 And so we don't need 00:18:06.740 --> 00:18:07.880 a physical temple anymore. 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:09.120 In fact, 00:18:09.180 --> 00:18:10.380 because Jesus poured out 00:18:10.380 --> 00:18:12.100 the Holy Spirit on the church, 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:13.920 because we're united to Jesus 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:15.600 through the Spirit by faith, 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:16.500 Paul can even say 00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:17.119 that the church 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:18.319 is the temple of God now. 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:22.099 But even though we don't have 00:18:22.099 --> 00:18:23.879 or need a physical temple anymore, 00:18:24.740 --> 00:18:27.439 the priority of worship remains. 00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:30.500 Rather than gathering at the temple 00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:31.319 to praise God 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:32.179 and commune with him, 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:34.039 we gather in the name of Jesus 00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:35.279 to praise God 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:36.459 and commune with him. 00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:37.699 And Jesus says, 00:18:38.099 --> 00:18:39.079 where you are gathered, 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:40.579 there I am in the midst. 00:18:40.579 --> 00:18:45.960 As we think about our mission then, 00:18:46.619 --> 00:18:47.619 as we're encouraged 00:18:47.619 --> 00:18:48.439 by the example 00:18:48.439 --> 00:18:49.779 of these Old Testament saints 00:18:49.779 --> 00:18:50.879 in Ezra 1 through 6, 00:18:50.939 --> 00:18:52.220 we see a critical truth 00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:55.019 that praising 00:18:55.019 --> 00:18:56.939 and thanking God 00:18:56.939 --> 00:18:57.720 for his grace, 00:18:57.799 --> 00:18:58.319 in other words, 00:18:58.379 --> 00:18:59.519 the worship of God, 00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:01.199 is the first part 00:19:01.199 --> 00:19:02.199 of the church's mission. 00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:05.000 Before the doing, 00:19:05.439 --> 00:19:07.599 there has to be doxology. 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:10.000 Before going, 00:19:10.439 --> 00:19:11.679 there has to be gratitude. 00:19:14.899 --> 00:19:15.519 After all, 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:16.599 when we think about mission 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:18.139 in the traditional sense 00:19:18.139 --> 00:19:18.639 of the term, 00:19:18.899 --> 00:19:20.259 as in taking the gospel 00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:21.519 to people who don't know it yet, 00:19:21.980 --> 00:19:23.699 why does mission exist? 00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:26.339 It's been said 00:19:26.339 --> 00:19:27.299 that missions exist 00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:29.459 because worship doesn't. 00:19:29.460 --> 00:19:33.299 Why do we take the gospel 00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:34.600 to people who don't know it yet? 00:19:35.240 --> 00:19:36.319 So that they too 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:37.340 might know God 00:19:37.340 --> 00:19:38.600 and praise him 00:19:38.600 --> 00:19:39.700 and love him 00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:41.000 and give him thanks 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:41.600 and worship 00:19:41.600 --> 00:19:42.519 as their creator 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:43.400 and redeemer. 00:19:44.980 --> 00:19:45.740 In other words, 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:47.000 so that they might worship God 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:47.680 as their God. 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:49.220 That's why missions exists. 00:19:51.259 --> 00:19:51.620 And so, 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:52.840 because God through Christ 00:19:52.840 --> 00:19:53.940 has forgiven our sin 00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:55.059 and brought us out 00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:56.220 of our spiritual exile, 00:19:56.539 --> 00:19:57.900 our first business 00:19:57.900 --> 00:19:59.600 must be worship. 00:20:00.940 --> 00:20:02.340 Letting God be God 00:20:02.340 --> 00:20:03.180 and thanking him 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:03.980 and praising him 00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:05.259 and walking with him 00:20:05.259 --> 00:20:06.380 and trusting him. 00:20:09.019 --> 00:20:09.600 Of course, 00:20:09.700 --> 00:20:10.340 worship isn't something 00:20:10.340 --> 00:20:11.540 we just do on Sundays. 00:20:12.800 --> 00:20:13.980 We're meant to worship God 00:20:13.980 --> 00:20:15.400 Monday through Saturday as well. 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:19.200 I wonder, friend, 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:21.300 what forms does that take for you? 00:20:22.500 --> 00:20:23.259 At work, 00:20:24.019 --> 00:20:24.620 at home, 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:26.320 during your commute, 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:27.579 with your kids, 00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:28.439 at bedtime, 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:29.359 over breakfast, 00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:31.619 how are you giving thanks 00:20:31.619 --> 00:20:32.700 and praise to God 00:20:32.700 --> 00:20:33.899 in word and in deed? 00:20:35.439 --> 00:20:36.000 You know, 00:20:36.019 --> 00:20:36.980 the beautiful thing 00:20:36.980 --> 00:20:38.899 about Christianity 00:20:38.899 --> 00:20:40.839 is that that worship of God 00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:41.720 will take on 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:42.779 as many forms 00:20:42.779 --> 00:20:44.359 and as many sort of 00:20:44.359 --> 00:20:45.439 colorful manners 00:20:45.439 --> 00:20:46.579 as there are believers 00:20:46.579 --> 00:20:47.319 in the church. 00:20:50.919 --> 00:20:52.279 How are you giving thanks 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:53.119 and praise to God 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:54.839 throughout your life, 00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:55.839 throughout your week 00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:56.539 in word and deed? 00:20:56.599 --> 00:20:57.459 That might be a good question 00:20:57.459 --> 00:20:58.279 to talk about today 00:20:58.279 --> 00:20:58.859 over lunch 00:20:58.859 --> 00:21:00.099 with your family, 00:21:00.199 --> 00:21:00.839 with your friends. 00:21:01.379 --> 00:21:02.679 What does that look like for you? 00:21:05.299 --> 00:21:06.339 But if worship is meant 00:21:06.339 --> 00:21:06.819 to be happening 00:21:06.819 --> 00:21:07.699 Monday through Saturday, 00:21:07.819 --> 00:21:09.439 it is the particular business 00:21:09.439 --> 00:21:10.500 of Sunday. 00:21:11.919 --> 00:21:13.459 To gather as the church, 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:15.539 to join our voices together, 00:21:15.539 --> 00:21:17.259 to be present physically 00:21:17.259 --> 00:21:18.459 with one another 00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:20.079 and give our corporate 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:21.620 thanks and praise to God. 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:25.460 I wonder, 00:21:25.579 --> 00:21:26.120 how do you prepare 00:21:26.120 --> 00:21:27.319 for this great privilege 00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:27.960 on Sundays? 00:21:29.140 --> 00:21:29.660 I mean, 00:21:29.700 --> 00:21:30.299 you're here. 00:21:30.620 --> 00:21:31.500 I'm kind of preaching 00:21:31.500 --> 00:21:32.059 to the choir. 00:21:32.140 --> 00:21:32.840 I get that. 00:21:33.880 --> 00:21:35.120 But how are you preparing 00:21:35.120 --> 00:21:36.039 for this gathering? 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:39.319 Our Sunday gatherings 00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:39.819 are meant to be 00:21:39.819 --> 00:21:41.059 a public demonstration 00:21:41.059 --> 00:21:42.500 of the supreme worth 00:21:42.500 --> 00:21:44.000 of our triune God. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:44.059 God, 00:21:45.059 --> 00:21:48.180 why not spend some time 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:49.079 on Saturday nights 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:50.779 praying and preparing 00:21:50.779 --> 00:21:51.339 your heart 00:21:51.339 --> 00:21:52.240 for gathered worship? 00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:54.740 Why not pray 00:21:54.740 --> 00:21:55.700 for the Holy Spirit 00:21:55.700 --> 00:21:57.059 to move in power? 00:21:58.259 --> 00:21:59.619 Pray for open ears 00:21:59.619 --> 00:22:01.079 and soft hearts. 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:02.220 Pray that the praise 00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:02.740 of God 00:22:02.740 --> 00:22:04.240 in and through the church 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:05.839 will draw men 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:06.859 and women to Christ 00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:08.059 who don't know Him yet. 00:22:10.700 --> 00:22:12.039 That's what we actually see 00:22:12.039 --> 00:22:13.559 in Ezra chapter 6. 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:15.059 Flip ahead to the end 00:22:15.059 --> 00:22:15.640 of this section 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:16.819 to Ezra chapter 6. 00:22:18.339 --> 00:22:19.819 After completing the temple 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:22.279 and dedicating it, 00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:24.079 the people celebrate 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:25.180 the Passover festival. 00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:28.140 And in verse 21 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:29.039 of chapter 6, 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:30.220 we see that it's not just 00:22:30.220 --> 00:22:31.180 the people of Israel 00:22:31.180 --> 00:22:33.299 who eat the Passover, 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:35.000 but also, 00:22:35.140 --> 00:22:35.880 as it says there, 00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:38.740 everyone who had joined them 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:40.440 and separated himself 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:41.420 from the uncleanness 00:22:41.420 --> 00:22:42.460 of the people of the land 00:22:42.460 --> 00:22:43.480 to worship the Lord. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:44.920 the God of Israel. 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:47.039 In other words, 00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:49.140 their neighbors 00:22:49.140 --> 00:22:51.059 were turning to God 00:22:51.059 --> 00:22:51.700 from idols 00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:52.960 to serve the living 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:53.700 and true God. 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:56.380 They joined the feast. 00:22:59.220 --> 00:23:00.319 Pray that it would be so 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:02.119 for us as a church as well. 00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:07.199 So the people make central 00:23:07.199 --> 00:23:08.419 the worship of God again. 00:23:09.239 --> 00:23:10.059 And then second, 00:23:10.159 --> 00:23:11.059 they order their lives 00:23:11.059 --> 00:23:12.519 around the Word of God again. 00:23:12.939 --> 00:23:15.679 We see this in Ezra chapter 7-10. 00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:17.899 Now, if you glance down 00:23:17.899 --> 00:23:19.699 at the beginning of chapter 7, 00:23:20.179 --> 00:23:21.919 the reign of Artaxerxes 00:23:21.919 --> 00:23:22.919 is mentioned. 00:23:24.399 --> 00:23:25.719 And that means that the events 00:23:25.719 --> 00:23:26.719 of chapter 7-10 00:23:26.719 --> 00:23:28.119 happen almost 60 years 00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:30.759 years after the first part 00:23:30.759 --> 00:23:31.079 of the book 00:23:31.079 --> 00:23:32.239 in chapters 1-6. 00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:33.699 This is about the year 00:23:33.699 --> 00:23:35.079 458 BC. 00:23:35.719 --> 00:23:37.079 And it's in these chapters 00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:38.439 that the man Ezra 00:23:38.439 --> 00:23:39.939 steps onto the stage. 00:23:40.639 --> 00:23:42.119 Ezra actually isn't involved 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:42.799 in the rebuilding 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:43.339 of the temple 00:23:43.339 --> 00:23:44.459 during that first generation 00:23:44.459 --> 00:23:45.059 that returns. 00:23:45.439 --> 00:23:45.719 Rather, 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:46.539 he comes 00:23:46.539 --> 00:23:48.000 60 years later 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:49.159 on a mission 00:23:49.159 --> 00:23:50.000 of the Word. 00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:52.719 Look at chapter 7-10. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:55.319 It says, 00:23:55.640 --> 00:23:55.680 Therefore, 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:57.460 Ezra had set his heart 00:23:57.460 --> 00:23:59.240 to study the law 00:23:59.240 --> 00:23:59.799 of the Lord 00:23:59.799 --> 00:24:01.380 and to do it 00:24:01.380 --> 00:24:02.819 and to teach 00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:03.579 his statutes 00:24:03.579 --> 00:24:04.180 and rules 00:24:04.180 --> 00:24:05.079 in Israel. 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:07.960 What a wonderful verse. 00:24:08.039 --> 00:24:08.519 I am sure 00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:09.519 we're going to circle back 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:10.460 around to that one 00:24:10.460 --> 00:24:12.039 once we get to those chapters 00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:12.759 in our series. 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:14.120 But you see there 00:24:14.120 --> 00:24:15.120 that Ezra comes 00:24:15.120 --> 00:24:16.120 teaching the Word. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:17.480 In chapters 7-8, 00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:18.880 we read about Ezra's journey 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:19.980 from Babylon to Jerusalem. 00:24:20.380 --> 00:24:21.640 And then in chapters 9-10, 00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:23.259 we read about Ezra's ministry 00:24:23.259 --> 00:24:24.080 once he gets there. 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:25.080 And what we find 00:24:25.080 --> 00:24:27.480 is that it is far 00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:28.600 from comfortable. 00:24:30.340 --> 00:24:32.220 The journey is risky 00:24:32.220 --> 00:24:33.060 and dangerous 00:24:33.060 --> 00:24:34.620 and the ministry 00:24:34.620 --> 00:24:35.620 is difficult. 00:24:37.500 --> 00:24:38.160 Ezra shows up 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:38.640 in Jerusalem 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:39.280 and finds 00:24:39.280 --> 00:24:39.920 that the people 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:41.240 have actually broken 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:42.100 the law of Moses 00:24:42.100 --> 00:24:43.800 by marrying people 00:24:43.800 --> 00:24:45.020 outside the faith. 00:24:46.340 --> 00:24:47.380 And in so doing, 00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:48.520 they're opening themselves 00:24:48.520 --> 00:24:49.340 to the danger 00:24:49.340 --> 00:24:50.320 of falling into 00:24:50.320 --> 00:24:50.720 the worship 00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:51.620 of other gods. 00:24:51.640 --> 00:24:52.920 the very thing 00:24:52.920 --> 00:24:53.500 that put them 00:24:53.500 --> 00:24:54.259 into exile 00:24:54.259 --> 00:24:55.380 in the first place. 00:24:57.380 --> 00:24:58.560 So Ezra has to 00:24:58.560 --> 00:24:59.920 call them back 00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:00.900 to faithfulness 00:25:00.900 --> 00:25:02.080 through confession 00:25:02.080 --> 00:25:02.980 and repentance, 00:25:03.320 --> 00:25:04.820 back to a sincere 00:25:04.820 --> 00:25:05.320 devotion 00:25:05.320 --> 00:25:06.300 to the Lord alone. 00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:10.640 Friends, 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:11.660 reordering our lives 00:25:11.660 --> 00:25:12.540 around the Word of God 00:25:12.540 --> 00:25:13.500 is rarely 00:25:13.500 --> 00:25:15.000 comfortable for long. 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:18.059 many parts of God's Word 00:25:18.059 --> 00:25:18.980 challenge us, 00:25:19.500 --> 00:25:20.240 humble us, 00:25:20.339 --> 00:25:21.220 even at times 00:25:21.220 --> 00:25:22.259 offend us. 00:25:24.460 --> 00:25:25.579 But then again, 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:28.680 if God's Word 00:25:28.680 --> 00:25:30.299 is actually 00:25:30.299 --> 00:25:31.480 God's Word, 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:34.140 isn't that what 00:25:34.140 --> 00:25:35.119 we should expect 00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:36.220 from time to time? 00:25:36.220 --> 00:25:39.660 I take it as a fairly 00:25:39.660 --> 00:25:41.559 safe working assumption 00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:43.740 that I am not God 00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:46.660 and I am not perfect. 00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:47.839 I think we can all 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:48.440 agree on that. 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:52.720 And so when God 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:53.779 encounters me 00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:54.620 in His Word, 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:55.819 there are going 00:25:55.819 --> 00:25:56.500 to be times 00:25:56.500 --> 00:25:57.380 when I hear things 00:25:57.380 --> 00:25:58.600 I don't expect to hear 00:25:58.600 --> 00:26:00.279 because I am not God. 00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:02.279 and there are going 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:03.859 to be some things 00:26:03.859 --> 00:26:04.700 that I don't want 00:26:04.700 --> 00:26:05.099 to hear 00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:07.079 because I am not perfect. 00:26:09.619 --> 00:26:10.220 There are going 00:26:10.220 --> 00:26:10.579 to be things 00:26:10.579 --> 00:26:11.220 that challenge 00:26:11.220 --> 00:26:12.299 my cultural assumptions 00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:13.240 that go against 00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:14.440 my feelings. 00:26:17.259 --> 00:26:18.339 Sometimes the Word's 00:26:18.339 --> 00:26:19.539 going to be like 00:26:19.539 --> 00:26:20.519 a sword that pierces 00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:21.879 down into soul 00:26:21.879 --> 00:26:22.379 and marrow, 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:23.639 Hebrews says. 00:26:26.339 --> 00:26:27.759 But here's the good news. 00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:29.899 When 00:26:29.900 --> 00:26:31.240 like Ezra, 00:26:31.800 --> 00:26:33.100 we let the Word of God 00:26:33.100 --> 00:26:34.380 take center stage, 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:37.440 something amazing happens. 00:26:39.280 --> 00:26:41.120 God moves. 00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:43.680 People change. 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:45.720 Communities are transformed. 00:26:47.940 --> 00:26:49.180 The prophet Ezekiel 00:26:49.180 --> 00:26:49.920 once had a vision 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:50.620 from God 00:26:50.620 --> 00:26:51.980 of a valley 00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:53.040 of dry bones. 00:26:54.560 --> 00:26:55.540 And the bones 00:26:55.540 --> 00:26:56.720 were actually symbolic 00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:57.420 of the people 00:26:57.420 --> 00:26:58.540 of Israel in exile. 00:26:58.539 --> 00:26:58.619 Israel. 00:27:00.420 --> 00:27:01.259 And then God 00:27:01.259 --> 00:27:01.859 tells Ezekiel 00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:02.379 to do something 00:27:02.379 --> 00:27:03.359 very strange. 00:27:04.019 --> 00:27:04.599 He says, 00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:06.379 preach to the bones, 00:27:06.639 --> 00:27:07.079 Ezekiel. 00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:08.599 Now, 00:27:08.659 --> 00:27:09.720 if God ever told me 00:27:09.720 --> 00:27:11.180 to go down 00:27:11.180 --> 00:27:11.759 to Grove Street 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:12.720 Cemetery, 00:27:13.180 --> 00:27:14.019 not seminary, 00:27:14.139 --> 00:27:14.879 that's a different thing, 00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:16.099 cemetery, 00:27:16.359 --> 00:27:17.899 and start preaching, 00:27:18.899 --> 00:27:20.920 I would probably 00:27:20.920 --> 00:27:22.139 ask the elders 00:27:22.139 --> 00:27:22.960 for a little counsel. 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:25.680 And yet, 00:27:25.799 --> 00:27:26.940 God says to Ezekiel 00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:27.539 in this vision, 00:27:27.720 --> 00:27:29.360 preach to the dead bones, 00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:29.900 Ezekiel. 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:31.519 And so Ezekiel, 00:27:31.880 --> 00:27:32.400 in faith, 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:33.640 starts doing just that, 00:27:33.740 --> 00:27:34.620 preaching to a valley 00:27:34.620 --> 00:27:35.519 of dead bones. 00:27:36.019 --> 00:27:37.079 And as the Word 00:27:37.079 --> 00:27:37.539 of God 00:27:37.539 --> 00:27:38.319 goes forth, 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:39.880 so does the Spirit 00:27:39.880 --> 00:27:40.340 of God. 00:27:40.420 --> 00:27:41.079 And Ezekiel 00:27:41.079 --> 00:27:42.039 sees the bones 00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:42.740 resurrected, 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:44.640 and standing before him 00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:45.759 is no longer 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:47.579 an open mass grave, 00:27:47.579 --> 00:27:48.579 but a living 00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:49.360 and breathing 00:27:49.360 --> 00:27:50.980 host of men 00:27:50.980 --> 00:27:51.779 and women 00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:53.299 exceedingly great. 00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:56.200 Sometimes we think 00:27:56.200 --> 00:27:57.039 that the Word of God 00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:58.140 needs to be watered down 00:27:58.140 --> 00:27:58.819 or modified 00:27:58.819 --> 00:27:59.900 or adjusted 00:27:59.900 --> 00:28:00.880 in order for the mission 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:01.700 of God to go forth, 00:28:01.779 --> 00:28:02.900 but just the opposite 00:28:02.900 --> 00:28:03.519 is true. 00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:06.220 The Word of God 00:28:06.220 --> 00:28:07.660 brings the Spirit of God, 00:28:07.819 --> 00:28:08.539 and the people 00:28:08.539 --> 00:28:09.299 come to life. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:11.620 After all, 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:12.240 people don't need 00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:12.819 to hear something 00:28:12.819 --> 00:28:13.880 they already know. 00:28:15.660 --> 00:28:16.559 People need to hear 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:16.960 something 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:18.680 that we don't know, 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:20.880 that God created 00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:21.760 us in His image, 00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:23.700 and that even though 00:28:23.700 --> 00:28:24.760 we've turned away 00:28:24.760 --> 00:28:25.980 and sinned against Him 00:28:25.980 --> 00:28:26.600 and that we deserve 00:28:26.600 --> 00:28:27.740 His just judgment, 00:28:27.900 --> 00:28:28.920 God sent His Son, 00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:29.640 Jesus, 00:28:29.800 --> 00:28:30.600 as a substitute 00:28:30.600 --> 00:28:31.860 who was willingly 00:28:31.860 --> 00:28:33.040 judged in our place 00:28:33.040 --> 00:28:34.580 so that all who receive Him 00:28:34.580 --> 00:28:35.480 can be made right 00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:37.180 and accepted by God 00:28:37.180 --> 00:28:38.380 and filled with His Spirit 00:28:38.380 --> 00:28:40.260 and made truly alive forever. 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:42.660 We need to hear something 00:28:42.660 --> 00:28:44.080 that we don't already know. 00:28:44.420 --> 00:28:46.040 We need to hear good news. 00:28:47.460 --> 00:28:49.280 No one listens to a TED Talk 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:49.960 because you think 00:28:49.960 --> 00:28:51.119 you already know that. 00:28:51.559 --> 00:28:52.639 No one wants to listen to that. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:54.319 Listen to a watered-down TED Talk, 00:28:54.379 --> 00:28:54.599 right? 00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:55.720 Why would we think 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:57.000 anything else in the church? 00:29:00.879 --> 00:29:01.799 Ezra shows us 00:29:01.799 --> 00:29:02.460 that the mission 00:29:02.460 --> 00:29:04.079 of reordering our lives 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:04.740 around the Word 00:29:04.740 --> 00:29:06.220 is the only path 00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:07.700 to real renewal. 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:09.339 This is when the bones 00:29:09.339 --> 00:29:10.559 start taking flesh 00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:12.000 and come alive again. 00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:14.099 As uncomfortable 00:29:14.099 --> 00:29:16.139 as sometimes it is. 00:29:16.140 --> 00:29:19.040 the God 00:29:19.040 --> 00:29:20.500 who rebuilds ruins 00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:21.560 is doing it 00:29:21.560 --> 00:29:22.500 through the instrument 00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:23.340 of His Word. 00:29:26.020 --> 00:29:26.940 And that brings us 00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:27.660 to the third part. 00:29:28.600 --> 00:29:29.820 They reorder their lives 00:29:29.820 --> 00:29:30.840 around the Word of God again 00:29:30.840 --> 00:29:31.860 and then third, 00:29:32.100 --> 00:29:33.140 they devote themselves 00:29:33.140 --> 00:29:34.120 to rebuilding 00:29:34.120 --> 00:29:35.300 the city of God again. 00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:38.080 This is the main theme 00:29:38.080 --> 00:29:39.160 of the 13 chapters 00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:39.840 that we call 00:29:39.840 --> 00:29:40.880 the book of Nehemiah. 00:29:42.040 --> 00:29:43.000 In 445, 00:29:43.500 --> 00:29:44.740 a man named Nehemiah, 00:29:44.740 --> 00:29:45.859 who was a Jew, 00:29:46.220 --> 00:29:47.259 was a cupbearer 00:29:47.259 --> 00:29:48.839 to the most powerful man 00:29:48.839 --> 00:29:49.740 in the world, 00:29:50.259 --> 00:29:51.180 the Persian king, 00:29:51.539 --> 00:29:52.099 Artaxerxes. 00:29:54.059 --> 00:29:55.180 And this Nehemiah 00:29:55.180 --> 00:29:55.759 gets word 00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:56.980 way out in Susa, 00:29:57.079 --> 00:29:57.599 the capital 00:29:57.599 --> 00:29:58.680 of the Persian Empire, 00:29:59.220 --> 00:30:00.640 that Jerusalem's walls 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:02.440 remain broken down 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:03.200 and burned. 00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:04.819 And this breaks 00:30:04.819 --> 00:30:05.759 Nehemiah's heart 00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:06.680 so much 00:30:06.680 --> 00:30:07.920 that in chapter 2, 00:30:08.019 --> 00:30:08.839 he risks 00:30:08.839 --> 00:30:09.579 his position 00:30:09.579 --> 00:30:10.339 with the king 00:30:10.339 --> 00:30:11.539 and requests 00:30:11.539 --> 00:30:12.700 to go back 00:30:12.700 --> 00:30:13.319 to Jerusalem 00:30:13.319 --> 00:30:14.279 to rebuild 00:30:14.279 --> 00:30:14.759 the city. 00:30:16.600 --> 00:30:17.440 And just like 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:18.319 there was a decree 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:19.539 in chapter 1 00:30:19.539 --> 00:30:20.120 that sent that 00:30:20.120 --> 00:30:21.259 first generation 00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:22.180 of exiles back, 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:22.940 and just like 00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:23.940 there was another decree 00:30:23.940 --> 00:30:24.860 in chapter 7 00:30:24.860 --> 00:30:25.960 that sent Ezra back, 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:26.740 again, 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:27.799 this next section 00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:28.259 of the book 00:30:28.259 --> 00:30:29.480 starts with another decree 00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:30.299 of Artaxerxes 00:30:30.299 --> 00:30:31.680 and a miracle of God 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:33.480 sending Nehemiah back 00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:34.900 to rebuild the walls. 00:30:35.580 --> 00:30:36.299 And the rest 00:30:36.299 --> 00:30:37.440 of chapters 2 through 7, 00:30:37.559 --> 00:30:37.960 in the midst 00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:39.519 of external threats 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:41.100 and internal pressures, 00:30:41.099 --> 00:30:42.139 Nehemiah, 00:30:42.299 --> 00:30:43.379 along with the people 00:30:43.379 --> 00:30:44.399 in Jerusalem, 00:30:44.599 --> 00:30:45.579 accomplished something 00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:47.219 almost utterly 00:30:47.219 --> 00:30:48.579 inconceivable. 00:30:50.019 --> 00:30:52.879 In just 52 days, 00:30:53.959 --> 00:30:55.139 without a crane, 00:30:55.799 --> 00:30:56.819 without a bulldozer, 00:30:57.599 --> 00:30:59.039 they rebuild 00:30:59.039 --> 00:30:59.740 the city walls 00:30:59.740 --> 00:31:00.519 around Jerusalem. 00:31:04.419 --> 00:31:05.299 And the rest 00:31:05.299 --> 00:31:05.759 of the book 00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:06.859 tells about 00:31:06.859 --> 00:31:07.740 the covenant renewal 00:31:07.740 --> 00:31:08.659 that takes place. 00:31:09.480 --> 00:31:10.079 Ezra again 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:10.779 teaches the word 00:31:10.779 --> 00:31:11.079 of God 00:31:11.079 --> 00:31:11.659 to the people 00:31:11.659 --> 00:31:13.000 and they respond 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:13.519 with obedience 00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:14.059 and faith 00:31:14.059 --> 00:31:15.240 in chapters 8 through 12. 00:31:16.439 --> 00:31:17.460 And then the whole book 00:31:17.460 --> 00:31:18.480 ends in chapter 13 00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:19.220 with Nehemiah 00:31:19.220 --> 00:31:19.980 recounting more 00:31:19.980 --> 00:31:20.639 of the reforms 00:31:20.639 --> 00:31:21.099 he made 00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:21.939 during his leadership. 00:31:24.699 --> 00:31:25.419 So what are we 00:31:25.419 --> 00:31:25.819 to make 00:31:25.819 --> 00:31:26.899 of this work 00:31:26.899 --> 00:31:27.519 of rebuilding 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:28.319 the city walls? 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:30.500 Well, 00:31:30.539 --> 00:31:31.099 from the perspective 00:31:31.099 --> 00:31:31.879 of the New Testament, 00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:33.939 I think we can 00:31:33.939 --> 00:31:35.059 understand it like this. 00:31:36.779 --> 00:31:37.879 The city of Jerusalem, 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:38.199 you see, 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:39.119 was always more 00:31:39.119 --> 00:31:39.960 than just a city. 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:41.079 In the Old Testament, 00:31:41.659 --> 00:31:43.119 it was a city, 00:31:43.639 --> 00:31:44.500 but it was a very 00:31:44.500 --> 00:31:45.319 symbolic city. 00:31:46.059 --> 00:31:46.980 It was not just 00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:47.399 the place 00:31:47.399 --> 00:31:47.879 where the temple 00:31:47.879 --> 00:31:48.500 was housed, 00:31:48.939 --> 00:31:50.139 but it was the place 00:31:50.139 --> 00:31:51.460 where the great 00:31:51.460 --> 00:31:52.139 King David 00:31:52.139 --> 00:31:53.599 and all the kings 00:31:53.599 --> 00:31:54.559 who came after him 00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:56.019 ruled God's kingdom 00:31:56.019 --> 00:31:56.539 on earth. 00:31:57.980 --> 00:31:59.000 In the book of Psalms, 00:31:59.059 --> 00:31:59.799 we actually find 00:31:59.799 --> 00:32:00.740 whole psalms 00:32:00.740 --> 00:32:02.139 devoted to praising 00:32:02.139 --> 00:32:04.500 and adoring Zion, 00:32:05.099 --> 00:32:06.259 which is another name 00:32:06.259 --> 00:32:07.019 for the city 00:32:07.019 --> 00:32:07.599 of Jerusalem, 00:32:07.939 --> 00:32:09.319 the city of the king. 00:32:09.319 --> 00:32:10.819 This was the place 00:32:10.819 --> 00:32:12.240 where the king ruled. 00:32:12.779 --> 00:32:13.659 This was the place 00:32:13.659 --> 00:32:15.059 where the kingdom of God 00:32:15.059 --> 00:32:16.519 touched down to earth 00:32:16.519 --> 00:32:18.119 and began its spread 00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:19.039 to the nations. 00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:23.839 But when Jesus came, 00:32:25.379 --> 00:32:27.200 fulfilling all the hopes 00:32:27.200 --> 00:32:27.740 of Israel 00:32:27.740 --> 00:32:28.980 for their long-awaited 00:32:28.980 --> 00:32:29.440 Messiah, 00:32:29.579 --> 00:32:30.639 their long-awaited king, 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:33.740 something very surprising 00:32:33.740 --> 00:32:34.220 happens. 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:36.379 He doesn't take up 00:32:36.379 --> 00:32:37.659 residence in Jerusalem. 00:32:37.659 --> 00:32:40.159 After being crucified 00:32:40.159 --> 00:32:41.019 for our sins 00:32:41.019 --> 00:32:41.859 and resurrected 00:32:41.859 --> 00:32:43.279 in indestructible life, 00:32:43.500 --> 00:32:44.599 just like God 00:32:44.599 --> 00:32:45.539 had said the Messiah 00:32:45.539 --> 00:32:46.460 and seed of David 00:32:46.460 --> 00:32:47.180 would be, 00:32:47.180 --> 00:32:49.360 Jesus didn't ascend 00:32:49.360 --> 00:32:50.299 to the throne 00:32:50.299 --> 00:32:50.920 in Jerusalem. 00:32:52.060 --> 00:32:53.640 He goes one greater 00:32:53.640 --> 00:32:54.740 and ascends 00:32:54.740 --> 00:32:55.779 to the very throne 00:32:55.779 --> 00:32:56.480 of heaven. 00:32:58.019 --> 00:32:59.900 He burns a hole 00:32:59.900 --> 00:33:01.120 through the sky 00:33:01.120 --> 00:33:03.019 and sits 00:33:03.019 --> 00:33:04.360 at the right hand 00:33:04.360 --> 00:33:04.940 of the Father 00:33:04.940 --> 00:33:05.440 in heaven. 00:33:05.860 --> 00:33:06.700 And when Christ 00:33:06.700 --> 00:33:07.720 ascended and sat 00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:08.860 on that throne, 00:33:09.420 --> 00:33:10.400 it meant that 00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:11.320 his kingdom 00:33:11.320 --> 00:33:12.120 on earth 00:33:12.120 --> 00:33:13.279 would no longer 00:33:13.279 --> 00:33:14.100 be confined 00:33:14.100 --> 00:33:15.360 to a single city 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:17.019 in a single country. 00:33:20.719 --> 00:33:21.559 Because Christ 00:33:21.559 --> 00:33:22.279 sits on the throne 00:33:22.279 --> 00:33:22.839 of heaven, 00:33:23.419 --> 00:33:24.259 the whole earth 00:33:24.259 --> 00:33:25.099 is his rightful 00:33:25.099 --> 00:33:25.799 dominion now. 00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:30.000 Do you remember 00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:30.619 when the disciples 00:33:30.619 --> 00:33:31.199 asked Jesus 00:33:31.199 --> 00:33:32.159 after his resurrection 00:33:32.159 --> 00:33:33.240 if this was the time 00:33:33.240 --> 00:33:33.740 when he was going 00:33:33.740 --> 00:33:34.199 to restore 00:33:34.199 --> 00:33:35.159 the kingdom to Israel? 00:33:36.039 --> 00:33:36.599 Do you remember 00:33:36.599 --> 00:33:37.119 what he said? 00:33:37.959 --> 00:33:38.479 He said, 00:33:39.379 --> 00:33:40.439 oh, you don't get it yet. 00:33:41.159 --> 00:33:42.079 After I ascend 00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:42.639 to the Father 00:33:42.639 --> 00:33:43.299 and pour out 00:33:43.299 --> 00:33:44.159 my spirit on you, 00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:44.660 you're going to be 00:33:44.660 --> 00:33:45.180 my witnesses 00:33:45.180 --> 00:33:46.320 not just in Jerusalem 00:33:46.320 --> 00:33:47.240 and Judea 00:33:47.240 --> 00:33:48.180 but to Samaria 00:33:48.180 --> 00:33:48.900 and to the ends 00:33:48.900 --> 00:33:49.440 of the earth. 00:33:51.540 --> 00:33:52.460 So now, 00:33:53.080 --> 00:33:54.460 wherever the church 00:33:54.460 --> 00:33:54.960 of God 00:33:54.960 --> 00:33:56.200 gathers in the name 00:33:56.200 --> 00:33:56.960 of the ascended 00:33:56.960 --> 00:33:57.600 King Jesus, 00:33:57.740 --> 00:33:58.340 whether it's in 00:33:58.340 --> 00:33:58.860 New Haven 00:33:58.860 --> 00:34:00.060 or whether it's 00:34:00.060 --> 00:34:01.180 in New Delhi, India 00:34:01.180 --> 00:34:02.100 or whether it's 00:34:02.100 --> 00:34:03.600 in New Castle, Australia, 00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:04.960 there, friends, 00:34:05.100 --> 00:34:06.100 is an outpost 00:34:06.100 --> 00:34:07.100 of the kingdom of God. 00:34:07.580 --> 00:34:08.740 There is the presence 00:34:08.740 --> 00:34:09.940 of the new Jerusalem. 00:34:10.760 --> 00:34:11.700 There is the city 00:34:11.700 --> 00:34:12.220 of the king. 00:34:12.219 --> 00:34:16.819 And like Nehemiah, 00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:18.919 our hearts should long 00:34:18.919 --> 00:34:20.059 for the renewal 00:34:20.059 --> 00:34:21.019 of this great city, 00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:21.879 the city of God, 00:34:21.959 --> 00:34:22.419 the church. 00:34:24.139 --> 00:34:25.639 We should pray regularly 00:34:25.639 --> 00:34:26.639 for its revival, 00:34:27.139 --> 00:34:28.039 for its health, 00:34:28.459 --> 00:34:29.279 for its growth, 00:34:29.739 --> 00:34:30.559 for its stability, 00:34:31.099 --> 00:34:31.959 for its safety. 00:34:31.960 --> 00:34:36.059 And the beautiful thing 00:34:36.059 --> 00:34:36.559 about the book 00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:37.179 of Nehemiah 00:34:37.179 --> 00:34:38.420 is that as much 00:34:38.420 --> 00:34:38.980 as it's about 00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:39.820 a great leader 00:34:39.820 --> 00:34:41.059 like Nehemiah, 00:34:41.800 --> 00:34:43.019 it's as much 00:34:43.019 --> 00:34:43.679 about the people 00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:44.280 themselves 00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:46.119 and how everyone 00:34:46.119 --> 00:34:47.119 has a part to play. 00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:51.599 So brother, sister, 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:53.159 where is your place 00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:54.460 on the wall? 00:34:56.420 --> 00:34:57.380 Where are you 00:34:57.380 --> 00:34:58.280 building the city? 00:34:58.420 --> 00:34:58.840 Where are you 00:34:58.840 --> 00:34:59.940 advancing the kingdom? 00:34:59.940 --> 00:35:02.440 Yes, there will 00:35:02.440 --> 00:35:03.440 be opposition. 00:35:03.639 --> 00:35:04.780 Ezra and Nehemiah 00:35:04.780 --> 00:35:06.539 assure us of that. 00:35:08.019 --> 00:35:09.079 But God is sovereign 00:35:09.079 --> 00:35:10.700 and God is faithful 00:35:10.700 --> 00:35:12.019 and the Lord Jesus 00:35:12.019 --> 00:35:13.159 will be with us always 00:35:13.159 --> 00:35:14.159 even to the end 00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:14.860 of the age. 00:35:17.360 --> 00:35:18.260 There's a song 00:35:18.260 --> 00:35:18.639 we sing 00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:19.420 that goes like this. 00:35:19.500 --> 00:35:20.220 His kingdom 00:35:20.220 --> 00:35:21.700 cannot fail. 00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:23.179 He rules 00:35:23.179 --> 00:35:23.800 or earth 00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:24.280 and heaven. 00:35:24.780 --> 00:35:25.500 The keys 00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:26.039 of death 00:35:26.039 --> 00:35:26.579 and hell 00:35:26.579 --> 00:35:27.460 are to 00:35:27.460 --> 00:35:28.200 our Jesus 00:35:28.200 --> 00:35:28.619 given. 00:35:28.619 --> 00:35:30.199 lift up your heart. 00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:31.940 Lift up your voice. 00:35:32.400 --> 00:35:32.960 Rejoice. 00:35:33.380 --> 00:35:35.239 Again, I say rejoice. 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:37.099 God is rebuilding 00:35:37.099 --> 00:35:38.059 the ruins, friends, 00:35:38.299 --> 00:35:40.039 and he invites you 00:35:40.039 --> 00:35:40.980 to join him 00:35:40.980 --> 00:35:42.259 in worship, 00:35:42.759 --> 00:35:43.480 in the word, 00:35:43.859 --> 00:35:45.079 and in the building up 00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:46.699 of this glorious city, 00:35:46.779 --> 00:35:47.279 the church. 00:35:48.339 --> 00:35:49.019 Through your gifts 00:35:49.019 --> 00:35:49.659 of love 00:35:49.659 --> 00:35:50.619 and service 00:35:50.619 --> 00:35:51.319 and ministry 00:35:51.319 --> 00:35:51.940 and prayer 00:35:51.940 --> 00:35:52.539 and witness, 00:35:52.619 --> 00:35:53.639 we've all got a part 00:35:53.639 --> 00:35:54.139 to play. 00:35:54.139 --> 00:35:57.559 this is the mission 00:35:57.559 --> 00:35:58.219 before us. 00:35:59.879 --> 00:36:00.539 May we follow 00:36:00.539 --> 00:36:01.339 our risen Lord 00:36:01.339 --> 00:36:02.859 wherever he leads. 00:36:03.719 --> 00:36:04.400 Let's pray. 00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:10.819 Our Father, 00:36:10.900 --> 00:36:11.559 we thank you 00:36:11.559 --> 00:36:12.379 how you moved 00:36:12.379 --> 00:36:13.099 so powerfully 00:36:13.099 --> 00:36:13.480 during 00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:15.559 this 00:36:15.559 --> 00:36:17.259 period of history 00:36:17.259 --> 00:36:18.279 so many years ago. 00:36:18.280 --> 00:36:20.060 God, 00:36:20.080 --> 00:36:20.720 as we look back 00:36:20.720 --> 00:36:21.320 and as we read 00:36:21.320 --> 00:36:21.940 these stories, 00:36:22.060 --> 00:36:22.640 we acknowledge 00:36:22.640 --> 00:36:23.040 that 00:36:23.040 --> 00:36:24.900 as many great 00:36:24.900 --> 00:36:25.420 triumphs 00:36:25.420 --> 00:36:25.880 and victories 00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:26.540 that you allowed 00:36:26.540 --> 00:36:26.920 your people 00:36:26.920 --> 00:36:27.420 to have 00:36:27.420 --> 00:36:28.440 during those years, 00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:30.780 God, 00:36:30.820 --> 00:36:31.580 there was many ways 00:36:31.580 --> 00:36:32.240 in which the work 00:36:32.240 --> 00:36:33.140 was still incomplete. 00:36:36.620 --> 00:36:37.040 So, 00:36:37.140 --> 00:36:37.280 Father, 00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:38.180 as we think about 00:36:38.180 --> 00:36:39.120 this mission 00:36:39.120 --> 00:36:40.120 that you've called us to, 00:36:40.280 --> 00:36:40.960 we acknowledge 00:36:40.960 --> 00:36:42.620 that we need you 00:36:42.620 --> 00:36:43.100 desperately. 00:36:44.680 --> 00:36:45.080 Father, 00:36:45.140 --> 00:36:45.880 we need your spirit 00:36:45.880 --> 00:36:46.640 to be poured out 00:36:46.639 --> 00:36:47.239 upon us. 00:36:47.839 --> 00:36:48.940 We need the new hearts 00:36:48.940 --> 00:36:49.900 that only the gospel 00:36:49.900 --> 00:36:50.559 can bring. 00:36:50.940 --> 00:36:51.879 We need the energy 00:36:51.879 --> 00:36:52.480 and strength 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:53.359 that only your spirit 00:36:53.359 --> 00:36:54.019 can give. 00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:55.960 Oh, 00:36:55.980 --> 00:36:56.179 God, 00:36:56.239 --> 00:36:56.799 we need 00:36:56.799 --> 00:36:57.980 our loves 00:36:57.980 --> 00:36:59.000 to be realigned, 00:36:59.799 --> 00:37:01.500 which is something 00:37:01.500 --> 00:37:02.659 only you can do 00:37:02.659 --> 00:37:03.059 in your 00:37:03.059 --> 00:37:04.259 beautiful 00:37:04.259 --> 00:37:05.239 and glorious 00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:05.739 grace, 00:37:05.859 --> 00:37:06.139 God. 00:37:08.980 --> 00:37:09.420 Lord, 00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:10.039 would you rebuild 00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:10.539 the ruins 00:37:10.539 --> 00:37:11.299 of our hearts 00:37:11.299 --> 00:37:13.099 and our families 00:37:13.099 --> 00:37:14.639 and our churches 00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:16.239 and our neighborhoods 00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:17.759 would you bring 00:37:17.759 --> 00:37:18.139 hope, 00:37:18.299 --> 00:37:18.519 God, 00:37:18.579 --> 00:37:19.279 and life 00:37:19.279 --> 00:37:21.119 and would you 00:37:21.119 --> 00:37:21.759 use us? 00:37:24.419 --> 00:37:24.859 God, 00:37:24.899 --> 00:37:25.579 we humbly ask 00:37:25.579 --> 00:37:26.000 that you would 00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:26.939 use us as a church 00:37:26.939 --> 00:37:27.839 in this great work. 00:37:28.019 --> 00:37:28.699 Help us to find 00:37:28.699 --> 00:37:29.299 our purpose 00:37:29.299 --> 00:37:30.259 and joy 00:37:30.259 --> 00:37:31.299 in following you. 00:37:32.519 --> 00:37:33.500 We ask all this 00:37:33.500 --> 00:37:34.379 in the name of Jesus, 00:37:34.539 --> 00:37:35.599 our strong Savior 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:36.839 and in the power 00:37:36.839 --> 00:37:38.000 of his Holy Spirit 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:38.919 at work within us. 00:37:39.439 --> 00:37:39.719 Amen. 00:37:39.719 --> 00:37:39.839 Amen. 00:37:39.839 --> 00:37:39.879 Amen. 00:37:39.879 --> 00:37:39.899 Amen. 00:37:39.899 --> 00:37:39.919 Amen. 00:37:39.919 --> 00:37:39.939 Amen.