Will you join me in prayer?
Lord, even as we have just sung,
now we pray that you would speak to us
that through your word,
and in your word and by your word,
we would hear you speak to us.
Lord, that our eyes may be lifted up
to see the greatness of your glory,
that our hearts may be turned to treasure you
above all things,
that our wills may be moved to follow you
and obey you in all that you instruct us to,
Lord, that we might know the depth
and the riches of your love and grace in Christ more deeply,
and that we would truly worship you
in all that we do here,
and as we scatter this coming week.
Speak, O Lord, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
I've started cooking salmon this year.
If you've ever cooked salmon,
it's a wonderful food.
It's rich in protein and good for you.
It's also hard to cook.
It's really easy for it to be underdone
and still a little pink,
and I know some people kind of prefer that,
but I'm a little squeamish,
so I like my fish cooked,
and yet it's really easy to overcook it
and to make it really dry and pretty impalatable,
and so I'm sure that's not a word.
Unpalatable.
There we go.
Let's try that again.
Unpalatable.
So a couple of months ago,
I was wandering around Bed Bath & Beyond
because I had a free half hour in my life
and found on the discount rack
a instant read meat thermometer,
which I have never had before,
and it has revolutionized salmon cooking
because now I stick the little thing in
and I set the alarm to go off
when it hits 145 degrees,
and lo and behold,
we have had wonderful salmon ever since.
Now, obviously eating salmon
is not a very important thing in our life
in the big picture.
It is not a necessity,
but I wonder if in other more essential things
in our lives,
we similarly miss essential tools
that help us to do the things
that we want to do well.
It could be as something mechanical and physical
as we put gas in our car
so that when we're driving our kids to school,
we don't run out of gas
and fail to deliver them on time.
It might be much less material,
like trying to engage in a relationship
and yet forsake love as a part of it.
I wonder too if this is true
in our spiritual lives as well.
Whether we are in a desire to know God
conducting ourselves in a way
that actually takes advantage of
and utilizes the tools that God has given us
to know Him rightly.
The things that God has designed for us
so that we might flourish spiritually.
It is to this question this morning,
I believe,
that the book of Ezra speaks to.
We are in Ezra chapter 7.
If you're reading the Pew Bibles,
it's page 366.
And if you were visiting or just knew,
just remember,
Ezra is the book about God
returning His people to His promised land
and rebuilding them as His people.
What we've seen is that
after they were taken away by exile
and Jerusalem was destroyed
and the temple was destroyed,
50 years later,
God comes and He takes His people
and He begins to return them
in 538 B.C. onwards.
God moved in the hearts of Cyrus
and then Darius,
the kings of Persia,
to allow the people of God
to return to their land
and not only to return to their land
and to settle there,
but to reestablish the worship of God
in the temple of Jerusalem.
So they rebuild the altar,
they rebuild the temple,
they reinstate the worship of God
that He had instructed in the Old Testament,
finishing that project in 516 B.C.
as we see at the end of Ezra, chapter 6.
And this is what the first six chapters
of the book of Ezra is about.
And then as we get to chapter 7
and what comes afterwards,
we see a new movement
of God establishing His people,
less in the physical movement of people
and building of buildings
and more in the spiritual building
of His people in various ways.
So what is God up to in Ezra, chapter 7?
Well, let's go ahead and read it together
and then we'll consider what
He has to say to us this morning.
Now, after this,
in the reign of Artaxerxes,
king of Persia,
Ezra, the son of Saraiah,
son of Azariah,
son of Hilkiah,
son of Shalom,
son of Zadok,
son of Ahitob,
son of Amariah,
son of Azariah,
son of Marioth,
son of Zerahiah,
son of Uzzi,
son of Buki,
son of Abishwa,
son of Phinehas,
son of Eleazar,
son of Aaron,
the chief priest.
This Ezra went up from Babylonia.
He was a scribe,
skilled in the law of Moses
that the Lord,
the God of Israel,
had given,
and the king granted him
all that he asked
for the hand of the Lord his God
was on him.
And there went up also
to Jerusalem
in the seventh year
of Artaxerxes,
the king,
some of the people of Israel,
and some of the priests,
and Levites,
and the singers,
and gatekeepers,
and the temple servants,
and Ezra came to Jerusalem
in the fifth month,
which was in the seventh year
of the king.
For on the first day
of the first month,
he began to go up
from Babylonia,
and on the first day
of the fifth month,
he came to Jerusalem,
for the good hand
of his God
was on him.
For Ezra had set his heart
to study the law of the Lord,
and to do it,
and to teach his statutes
and rules in Israel.
And this is a copy
of the letter
that King Artaxerxes
gave to Ezra the priest,
the scribe,
a man learned
in matters
of the commandments
of the law,
Lord,
and his statutes
for Israel.
Artaxerxes,
king of kings,
to Ezra the priest,
the scribe,
the Lord of the God
of heaven,
peace.
And now,
I make a decree
that any one
of the people of Israel
or their priests
or Levites
in my kingdom
who freely offers
to go to Jerusalem
may go with you.
For you are sent
by the king
and his seven counselors
to make inquiries
about Judah
and Jerusalem
according to the law
of your God
which is in your hand,
and also to carry
the silver and gold
that the king
and his counselors
have freely offered
to the God of Israel
whose dwelling
is in Jerusalem
with all the silver
and gold
that you shall find
in the whole province
of Babylonia
and with freewill offerings
from the people
and the priests
vowed willingly
for the house
of their God
that is in Jerusalem.
With this money
then you shall
with all diligence
buy bulls,
rams,
and lambs
with their grain offerings
and their drink offerings
and you shall offer them
on the altar
of the house
of your God
that is in Jerusalem.
Whatever seems good
to you
and your brothers
to do
with the rest
of the silver
and gold
you may do
according to the will
of your God.
The vessels
that have been given you
for the service
of the house
of your God
you shall deliver
before the God
of Jerusalem
and whatever else
is required
for the house
of your God
which it falls
to you to provide
you may provide it
out of the king's treasury.
And I
Artaxerxes
the king
make a decree
to all the treasurers
in the province
beyond the river
whatever Ezra
the priest
the scribe
of the law
of the God
of heaven
requires of you
let it be done
with all diligence
up to a hundred
talents of silver
a hundred cores
of wheat
a hundred baths
of wine
a hundred baths
of oil
and salt
without prescribing
how much?
Whatever is decreed
by the God
of heaven
let it be done
in full
for the house
of the God
of heaven
lest his wrath
be against
the realm
of the king
and his sons
we also notify you
that it shall not
be lawful
to impose
tribute
custom
or toll
on any one
of the priests
the Levites
the singers
or the doorkeepers
the temple servants
or other servants
of this house
of God
and you
Ezra
according to the wisdom
of your God
that is in your hand
appoint magistrates
and judges
who may judge
all the people
in the province
beyond the river
all such as know
the laws of your God
and those who do not
know them
you shall teach
whoever will not
obey the law
of your God
and the law
of the king
let judgment
be strictly
executed upon him
whether for death
or for banishment
for confiscation
of his goods
or for imprisonment
blessed be the God
the Lord
the God
of our fathers
who put such a thing
as this
into the heart
of the king
to beautify
the house
of the Lord
that is in Jerusalem
and who extended
to me
his steadfast love
before the king
and his counselors
and before all
the king's mighty officers
I took courage
for the hand
of the Lord
my God
was on me
and I gathered
leading men
from Israel
to go up
with me
friends
this morning
what I want us
to see
is that
as God
is rebuilding
his people
he establishes
them
by giving them
his word
we're going to look
at how in this
passage
God is raising
up Ezra
to be the instrument
through which
his word
is reestablished
in the people
of God
as they are
reestablishing
themselves
in the promised
land
and then we will
think about
how it is
that God
does that
as well
today
in the church
so let's first
look at how
God raises
up
and establishes
his people
through Ezra
bringing the word
the scriptures
to his people
as you see
in this verse
we are now
50-60 years
after the end
of chapter 6
Artaxerxes
is a later
king of Persia
and we have
now moved
almost a whole
generation
and in this
new movement
this new
historical movement
God moves
the heart
of the king
to respond
to what seems
to be a request
from Ezra
that Ezra
might return
and bring
the word
of God
to his people
and what you see
in the first
five verses
is a bit
of his
CV
who is Ezra
well most importantly
he is the descendant
of Aaron
you remember
Aaron
the partner
with Moses
when God
in the Exodus
brought his people
out of Egypt
and established them
it was Aaron
and his sons
who were the priests
who were in charge
of the worship of God
in the tabernacle
and then later
his descendants
in the temple
this was the descendant
and the lineage
of the people
who were meant
to keep the word
of God
and to teach
the word of God
and to follow through
with the worship
of God
according to the word
of God
in the temple
and so
Ezra is established
as one who has
the lineage
and the pedigree
to take up
this role
but even more
than that
you see that
the writer here
is repeating
to us
over and over
and over again
what is the
most important
thing about Ezra
it is that he is
a man
of the scriptures
that he knows
the law of Moses
it is almost
like a tagline
in this
in this passage
if you look at
look at verse 6
he was a scribe
skilled in the law
of Moses
verse 10
he set his heart
to study
the law
of the Lord
verse 12
to Ezra
the priest
the scribe
of the law
of the God
of heaven
and so on
and so forth
verse 14
and verse 21
and verse 23
in verse 25
and verse 26
over and over
and over again
this is who
Ezra is
he is the man
of God's law
and he is bringing
it to his people
and when you look
back at verse 10
look with me
at verse 10
because it's not
just that he had
a passing familiarity
or that he happened
to carry around
a book with him
but when verse 10
Ezra had set his heart
to do three things
he studied the law
he immersed himself
in it
he dove into it
so that he knew it
inside out
he probably memorized it
and meditated upon it
he studied God's law
the second thing
that he did
is to do it
he didn't simply
read the book
as a place
to gain information
but he said
this book
is the rule
of my life
this book
is God's instruction
on how I ought
to live my life
and so I will do
all that it says
and then thirdly
to teach
to teach his statutes
and rules
that he wants
to not only know it
and to do it
to be a man
who sits under
God's word
as he knows it
but to be one
who then overflows
with God's word
that others around him
might know
that his fellow
brother and sister
Jews
the people of God
would know
what God's word says
and this is what we see
for Ezra
God's word
was not an accessory
but it was a necessity
for his life
it was the title
that the king gave him
one who knew
God's law
now
we need to stop
and think
why was this
so important
wouldn't this
have been normal
well in fact
we know
that it was not
though God
had given his law
in many ways
and when you think
back to the covenant
that God made
with his people
and Moses
if you will obey
my commandments
and follow my laws
you will be my God
and I will be your people
yet we know
if you read
the story of Israel
that is
as the kingdom
was created
how quickly
the kings
of the northern kingdom
turned away
and the southern kingdom
following after
turned away
from the law
of God
and the instructions
that God had given them
how often
they went
their own way
how often
they neglected
the word of God
and trusted
in their own thoughts
and their own ideas
about
what it would mean
to be God's people
and it got so bad
that when we get
to the end
of 2nd Chronicles
which is near the end
of the history
of the kingdom
Josiah
is raised up
as a king
who loves God
and wants to know him
and during his reign
the priest
found
the word of God
as if it had been
something that had been
left in some
back storage room
and nobody knew
where it was
and nobody had been
reading it
and no one
knew what it said
for seemingly
generations
and he brings it
back to the people
and he reads it
to the people
and it leads them
to repentance
and a moment
of renewal
and yet it does not
last
such that
just two chapters
later in 2nd Chronicles
36
the writer says this
all the officers
of the priests
and the people
likewise
were exceedingly
unfaithful
following the
abominations
of the nations
and they polluted
the house of the Lord
that he had made
holy in Jerusalem
and the prophet
Jeremiah
proclaiming
to the people
at the same time
about the reason
for their judgment
said this
in Jeremiah 7
23
but this command
I gave them
obey my voice
and I will be
your God
and you shall
be my people
and walk in the way
that I command you
that it may be
well with you
but they did not
obey
or incline
their ear
but walked
in their own
counsels
and the stubbornness
of their evil hearts
and went backwards
and not forwards
from the day
that your fathers
came out of the land
of Egypt
to this day
I have persistently
sent all my servants
the prophets
to them
day after day
yet they did not
listen to me
or incline
their ear
but stiffened
their neck
they did worse
than their fathers
you see
as God was
reestablishing
this people
he was trying
to heal
trying to repair
something
that had been broken
not just in the exile
but long
before the exile
happened
that God's people
had forsaken
his word
and his instructions
and had
in their pride
in their arrogance
in their stiff neckness
in their independence
they had said
we want to do this
our way
not God's way
and in fact
this was one of the
major reasons
why the exodus
happened
and the judgment
came
because the people
would not turn
back to the Lord
and listen
to his word
and so
as God
is bringing
his people
back from the exodus
as he is
rebuilding
his people
in the promised land
as he is fulfilling
the promises
that the people
may have thought
were gone forever
God is saying
and I am going
to establish
my people
by putting
my word
in the center
of who you are
and how you live
friends
I wonder
if we recognize
some of those
characteristics
of Israel
in our own hearts
how often
do we
wonder
if God
is really right
in what he says
how often
do we think
I know how
to handle
this situation
I don't need
God's word
to tell me
how to do
this
how often
do we simply
get so busy
with the very
mundane tasks
of our everyday
lives
that we forget
God's word
one day
two days
maybe a week
it turns into
a month
whether it's
benign neglect
or hard-hearted
unwillingness
to hear
what God
has to say
to us
when we want
to do
our own
thing
how much
we are like
Israel
in this way
how often
we forsake
God's word
and yet
the good news
is that
just like
Israel
God is
pursuing
us
to call
us
to himself
it's remarkable
when you look
through this
chapter 7
that the other
theme besides
the establishment
of God's word
is that
God
has done
this
God
moved
in the heart
of Artaxerxes
God's hand
was on
Ezra
God
provided
all the
things
necessary
for them
to return
the decree
of the king
the supplies
for the worship
in the temple
the freedom
from taxation
in the land
beyond the river
which is basically
Jerusalem
and the promised
land again
that God
provided
all of these
things
so that
they could
go and dwell
in the land
and be provided
for
so that
they could
focus
on
knowing
God
in his
word
just as
God's
hand
worked
through
Nebuchadnezzar
to take
them into
exile
just as
God's
hand
had worked
through
Cyrus
and
Darius
to return
them to
the land
now God
was raising
up
through
Artaxerxes
Ezra
to establish
the word
among
the people
God
raised up
a man
who would
bring this
to the people
in a special
way
and through
him
God was
saying to
his people
if you
are to
be my
people
you must
have
my word
and you
must make
it central
to who
you are
and I
will move
the heart
of kings
and kingdoms
so that
you
will
have
my
word
so we
see
this is
the next
building
block
just as
through
Zerubbabel
and
Yeshua
God
established
the people
back in
the land
they settled
they built
the altar
in the
temple
now God
through
Ezra
is establishing
the word
of God
the law
in the
people
and what
we will
see
in the
coming
chapters
is God
is going
to keep
working
on other
aspects
of the
people
of God
their
dependence
on him
in prayer
and in
fasting
we will
see
their
purification
of the
people
at the
end of
the
book
of Ezra
as he
addresses
some of
the ways
that they
have
wandered
from
his
law
this
is what
we will
see
for the
rest
of the
book
of Ezra
as God
in these
building
blocks
continuing
to
reestablish
his
people
to be
the people
that God
had called
them
to be
but we
see
however
that this
is not
just
an
isolated
incident
in the
storyline
of the
scriptures
this is
not
simply
how
God
was
restoring
what
was
broken
in
Israel
at
that
time
but we
see
that
God
is
always
establishing
his
people
through
the
scriptures
through
his
word
and
specifically
now
for us
in the
church
age
today
this
is
still
what
God
is
doing
among
us
think
with
me
about
the
sweep
of
what
we
see
in
the
rest
of
the
Bible
about
the
word
we
see
that
the
church
was
foretold
to
be
to
be
to
be
a
place
where
God
would
dwell
among
his
people
in
the
law
within
them
and
I
will
write
it
on
their
hearts
and
I
will
be
their
God
and
they
shall
be
my
people
and
then
as
Jesus
comes
on
the
scene
and
as
he
enters
into
his
ministry
and
is
sent
out
into
the
wilderness
and
is
tempted
by
the
tempter
he
turns
and
the
first
thing
that
he
says
to
them
to
him
in
response
to
the
temptation
to
do
things
outside
of
God's
plan
is
this
man
shall
not
live
by
bread
alone
but
by
every
word
that
comes
from
the
mouth
of
God
Jesus
as
he
enters
into
his
ministry
is
establishing
this
is
what
it
means
first
of
all
he's
quoting
from
Deuteronomy
8
he's
using
the
Old
Testament
scriptures
to
combat
this
temptation
to
forsake
God's
ways
but
then
the
very
thing
that
he
quotes
is
to
say
we
cannot
live
apart
from
God's
word
just
as
bread
is
necessary
to
sustain
our
physical
bodies
so
it
is
that
the
word
of
God
the
scriptures
are
necessary
for
us
spiritually
to
flourish
and
to
live
we
see
this
as
God
establishes
the
church
in
Acts
2
42
when
the
new
believers
after
Jesus
resurrection
gathered
what did
they do
they devoted
themselves
to the
apostles
teaching
as a
central
practice
of what
they're
doing
and
then
you
see
as
Paul's
giving
instruction
to
Timothy
in
1st
and 2nd
Timothy
passing
along
to
the
next
generation
of
leaders
what
does
it
mean
to
be
God's
people
he
says
devote
yourselves
to
the
public
reading
of
scripture
to
exhortation
and to
teaching
in
1st
Timothy
4
13
of
course
in
2nd
Timothy
3
15
and
16
he
reminds
Timothy
how
from
childhood
you
have
been
acquainted
with
the
sacred
writings
which
are
able
to
make
you
wise
for
salvation
through
faith
in
Christ
Jesus
all
scripture
is
breathed
out
by
God
and
profitable
for
teaching
for
reproof
for
correction
and
for
training
in
righteousness
and
friends
we see
this
throughout
not only
the rest
of the
scriptures
but
then
the rest
of
church
history
up to
this
day
that
where
the
word
of
God
is
established
the
church
of
God
flourishes
and
the
people
of
God
remain
faithful
and
we've
seen
the
church
wander
away
again
and
again
and
God
call
her
back
again
and
again
to
the
scriptures
and
when
this
is
the
centerpiece
of
how
we
know
God
then
the
people
of
God
flourish
and
are
the
people
that
God
designed
us
to
be
when
the
word
of
God
is
proclaimed
and
preached
and
studied
and
shared
and
obeyed
when
it
is
treasured
and
honored
and
passed
along
from
generation
to
generation
this
is
when
God's
people
flourish
so the
question for
us
what will
we do
with it
will we
continue to
try to
cook our
salmon
without a
meat
thermometer
will we
continue to
try to
know God
and ignore
his word
to us
we
continue to
try to
find our
way
spiritually
and yet
ignore
the very
thing that
God has
given us
his
revelation
to us
do we
believe
with
desperate
need
that God's
word is
essential
to
our
lives
or do
we
see it
as
simply
accessory
you know
I recall
sitting with
a woman
who was
facing a
terminal
illness
as we
were talking
about her
life and
how she
was doing
it was
remarkable
her joy
her happiness
her contentment
and you
know one
of the
things she
said is
I've been
in a lot
of pain
recently
I'm glad
I studied
God's
word before
because I
can't do
it now
I can't
focus
I can't
concentrate
but it
was so
clear that
God's
word had
been so
established
in her
heart
that as
she faced
what is
for all
of us
one of
the hardest
things in
life
God's
word
established
her
it's a
remarkable
thing
so the
question for
us is
will we
be
those who
follow in
the pattern
of Ezra
will we
be women
and men
who study
the word
of God
who do
the word
of God
and who
teach
the word
of God
now
you may
be sitting
there
saying
yes
but I
don't
know
where
to
start
let me
give you
some
help
first
of all
get a
Bible
sorry
it's
really
basic
get
one
of
these
find
it
pull
it
down
off
of
your
bookshelf
pull
it
out
of
the
closet
wherever
you
have
one
make
sure
you
have
one
if
you
don't
have
one
take
the
one
from
the
pew
in
front
of
you
it
is
our
joy
for
you
to
have
it
make
sure
you
have
one
and
I
know
for
some
of
you
that
you
read
this
on
your
digital
paraphernalia
of
whatever
sort
and
that's
okay
but I
will
still
implore
you
get
a
physical
copy
of
the
Bible
and
have
it
available
in
your
life
put
it
on
your
bedside
table
put
it
on
your
breakfast
table
put
it
in a
place
where
you
will
see
it
and
be
reminded
of
it
and
then
start
reading
it
read
it
every
day
if
you
don't
know
how
to
do
this
there
are
lots
of
reading
plans
I
think
there's
some
back
called
something
in gold
anyway
what's
it
called
anyway
it's
back
there
it's
a
yellow
pamphlet
with
a
reading
plan
okay
if
you
want
help
because
you
think
if
I
read
it
I
don't
understand
it
there
are
some
great
books
out
there
that
can
be
companions
to
your
daily
Bible
reading
there's
one
by
there's
one
called
For
the
Love
of
God
by
D.
Carson
that
just
takes
one
of
the
passages
in
a
this
is
what's
going
on
in
this
passage
it's
a
wonderful
help
for
you
to
begin
to
do
that
and
I
know
I
said
get
a
book
but
you
know
what
the
ESV
Bible
app
is
awesome
it
has
those
reading
plans
built
into
the
app
you
just
have
to
click
along
the
icons
on
the
bottom
go
find
a
plan
and
you
know
what
if
a
year
long
plan
is
way
too
to
help
you
get
started
with
doing
it
and
I
know
some
of
you
are
thinking
I
don't
have
two
minutes
to
rub
together
my
entire
day
you
have
no
idea
how
busy
I
am
well
you
know
what
the
ESV
Bible
app
you
can
hit
the
little
play
button
and
it
will
read
it
to
you
don't
even
have
to
look
at
it
the
word
of
God
will
be
read
to
find
a
way
to
hear
God's
word
every
day
and
if
you
find
yourself
reading
it
and
you
don't
know
what
to
do
with
it
then
come
talk
to
us
come
talk
to
the
pastoral
staff
come
talk
to
the
elders
talk
to
your
small
group
leaders
talk
to
your
friends
say
how
do
you
read
the
Bible
how
do
you
find
it
profitable
there
all
sorts
of
great
materials
out
there
to
just
simply
get
you
started
simple
questions
like
what
does
it
say
about
God
what
does
it
say
about
humanity
what
does
it
say
about
sin
what
does
it
say
about
salvation
just
ask
those
four
questions
it'll
be
a
great
time
but
read
God's
word
listen
to
God's
word
now
look
I
want
to
confess
to
you
that
as
I
prepared
for
this
I
was
convicted
when
I
wake
up
in the
morning
you
know
what
I
tend
to
do
I
pull
this
out
it's
on
silent
right
now
but
and I
turn
it
on
and you
know
what
I
don't
do
I
don't
go
to
my
Bible
app
and
read
my
Bible
first
I
often
check
my
email
or
I
check
the
news
or
I
see
if
the
Golden
State
Warriors
won
or
whatever
it
is
and I
was
challenged
as I
was
thinking
about
this
to
say
for
me
to
follow
in
the
pattern
of
Ezra
how
do
I
make
reading
my
Bible
the
first
thing
that I
do
in
the
morning
and
I
know
if
you
have
a
screaming
baby
it's
not
going
to
be
the
first
thing
in
the
morning
you're
going
to
get
to
do
but
make
it
the
first
thing
you
do
when
you
have
the
Bible
and
friends
it's
not
just
reading
it
but
it's
also
meditating
on
it
the
Bible
isn't
just
a
data
book
for
us
to
get
info
out
of
and
so
we're
meant
to
read
it
and
to
chew
on
it
and
to
think
about
it
so
how
do
you
keep
God's
word
in
front
of
you
during
the
day
do
you
put
post
it
on
your
mirror
in
the
morning
while
you're
shaving
that
have
scripture
so
that
you
can
remember
God's
word
your
screen
saver
the
thing
that
when
your
screen
goes
blank
what
comes
up
put
God's
word
on
it
if
you
want
a
devotion
that
helps
you
meditate
on
God's
word
Spurgeon's
morning
and
evening
is
a
beautiful
short
devotional
reading
to just
read
alongside
God's
word
where
he
will
help
you
think
deeply
about
a
small
portion
of
scripture
for a
few
minutes
and
again
there's
an
app
for
that
if
you
can't
get
the
book
part
there's
an
app
for
it
that
you
can
get
for
free
meditate
on
God's
word
in
your
own
life
but
meditate
on
God's
word
in
our
community
as
well
obviously
I'm
preaching
to
the
crowd
because
you're
here
but
make
sure
that
you
value
the
preaching
of
God's
word
when
you
go
on
vacation
think
about
joining
a
small
group
so
that
every
week
basically
what
we
do
in
small
group
is
we
take
God's
word
and
we
meditate
on
it
together
we
discuss
it
and
talk
about
what
does
it
mean
and
how
is
it
supposed
to
change
our
life
that's
what
small
group
is
a
chance
to
meditate
on
God's
word
together
now
I
know
some
of
you
may
be
here
and
you're
wondering
well
I
don't
know
if
I
trust
God's
word
and
that's
a
question
that's
reasonable
there
are
lots
of
people
asking
questions
you
read
popular
media
and
there
are
all
sorts
of
direct
and
indirect
insinuations
that
God's
word
is not
actually
that
this
Bible
is
not
actually
trustworthy
friends
I'm
not
going
to
give
you
an
apologetic
this
morning
for
it
but
what
I
do
want
to
say
is
there's
a
book
stall
downstairs
and
there's
some
great
books
down
there
Peter
Williams
Can We
Trust
the
Gospels
a
great
book
to start
with
to answer
some of your
questions
about
is this
really
reliable
there's
another
one
down
there
by
Paul
Barnett
are
the
New
Testament
documents
reliable
there's
another
much
bigger
one
on
the
Old
Testament
by
Kenneth
Kitchen
the
old
on
the
reliability
of the
Old
Testament
there
are
good
answers
to
the
questions
that
you
have
don't
allow
yourself
to
wander
in
doubt
but
pursue
the
answers
that
you're
seeking
because
they're
there
so
study
God's
word
but
we also
need to
set our
hearts
ready
to
obey
it
this
is
what
John
Stott
a
great
20th
century
Christian
statesman
said
we need
to
repent
of the
haughty
ways
in which
we
sometimes
stand
in
judgment
upon
scripture
and
must
learn
to
sit
humbly
under
its
judgments
instead
if
we
come
to
scripture
with
our
minds
made
up
expecting
to
hear
from
it
only
an
echo
of
our
own
thoughts
and
never
the
thunderclap
of
God's
then
indeed
he
will
not
speak
to
us
and
we
shall
only
be
confirmed
in
our
own
prejudices
we
must
allow
the
word
of
God
to
confront
us
to
disturb
our
security
to
undermine
our
complacency
and
overthrow
our
patterns
of
thought
and
behavior
friends
this is
not
what
we
would
expect
when
we
as
finite
human
beings
come
to
the
word
of
the
God
who
created
the
whole
universe
that
he
would
turn
our
lives
upside
down
by
his
word
at
times
encourage
you
and
exhort
you
let
God's
word
teach
you
to
obey
what
you
love
and
what
you
hate
what
you
think
is
right
and
wrong
what
you
think
is
eternally
important
and
what
is
frivolous
how
to
conduct
every
area
of
your
life
from
how
you
go
to
work
to
what
you
do
with
your
money
to
how
you
pursue
your
marriage
or
your
singleness
what
you
do
with
your
sex
life
how
you
raise
your
children
what
you
do
for
recreation
and
leisure
let
God's
word
teach
you
what
it
truly
means
to
know
God
and
let
God's
word
give
you
his
purpose
for
your
life
friends
this is
what it
means
to have
a
heart
ready
to
obey
God
I
have
come
to
do
your
will
oh
Lord
teach
me
that
I
may
do
it
and
finally
Ezra
pattern
has
not only
to
study
his
word
and
to
do
it
but
to
teach
it
and
you
know
what
friends
you
don't
need
to
be
a
Bible
scholar
to
teach
God's
word
there
are
levels
of
it
and
some
of
us
who
take
this
on
as
a
role
and
a
calling
there
is
a
high
accountability
for
us
who
stand
in
this
pulpit
and
who
teach
Sunday
school
and
who
lead
small
groups
when
we
take
those
formal
places
of
teaching
there
is
accountability
so
we
want
to
do
it
well
before
the
Lord
but
friends
there
is
a
broader
kind
of
teaching
where
we
share
the
scriptures
where
as
we're
reading
it
and
as
we're
meditating
on
it
as
we're
obeying
it
then
we
a
chance
to
share
with
one
another
this
is
what
God's
word
said
to
me
today
this
is
how
God
changed
my
life
today
God
is
challenging
me
with
his
word
about
these
things
and
as
we
interact
with
one
another
we
have
the
opportunity
to
share
these
things
with
one
another
and
so
that
all
of
us
can
be
teaching
one
another
and
if
it's
even
simply
just
reciting
God's
word
to
one
another
how
much
blessing
that
it
is
friends
the
Bible
is
meant
to
be
not
a
dutiful
meal
of
gruel
and
water
for
us
to
choke
down
every
day
so
that
we
can
get
on
with
our
lives
the
Bible
is
meant
to
be
a
feast
with
meats
and
vegetables
and
fruits
and
desserts
and
appetizers
and
an
abundance
of
overflowing
of
the
goodness
and
the
greatness
of
God
that
we
don't
have
to
choke
down
but
that
we
hungrily
come
to
day
and
day
and
day
and
day
and
feast
on
in
our
souls
it
is
not
a
document
that
is
full
of
simply
data
for
us
to
understand
but
it
is
a
letter
to
establish
a
relationship
where
God
is
saying
this
is
who
I
am
and
calling
us
to
relate
to
him
as
the
God
of
the
universe
oh
may
the
Lord
make
us
men
and
women
who
love
his
word
like
the
psalmist
we
read
earlier
in
Psalm
19
that
his
word
may
be
more
desired
than
gold
even
much
fine
gold
and
that
we
would
find
it
sweeter
also
than
honey
and
the
drippings
of
the
honey
comb
but
friends
as we
stop
here
as we
finish
come to
the
conclusion
of
let us
remember
however
that we
do not
worship
a book
but we
worship
a God
and so
in
Hebrews
1
the writer
reminds us
that long
ago
many times
in many
ways
God
spoke to
our
fathers
through
the
prophets
that is
the
written
scriptures
that we
have
but in
these
last
days
he
has
spoken
to
us
by
his
son
that
the
final
word
of
God
to
us
is
Jesus
himself
and
this
testifies
to
him
go
back
and
listen
to
the
Easter
sermon
from
this
year
on
how
this
testifies
on
who
Jesus
is
this
is
what
Jesus
himself
said
to
the
scribes
and
Pharisees
when
he
said
you
search
the
scriptures
because
you
think
that
in
you
have
eternal
life
it
is
they
that
bear
witness
about
me
and
yet
you
refuse
to
come
to
me
that
you
may
have
life
friends
as
we
read
the
Bible
may
it
lead
us
over
and
over
and
over
again
to
Jesus
to
know
that
he
is
the
pinnacle
that
he
is
the
fulfillment
that
he
is
the
centerpiece
of
all
that
God
has
been
doing
and
all
of
his
revelation
finds
its
fullness
because
he
has
come
and
lived
and
died
for
us
and
risen
again
that
we
may
know
God
that
he
the
word
made
flesh
that
the
scriptures
testify
that
we
may
know
him
and
that
we
may
love
him
we
may
serve
him
we
may
obey
him
we
may
worship
him
that
we
may
have
life
in
him
may
it
be
so
in
us
let's
pray
Lord
thank
you
for
this
word
Lord
we
confess
to
you
how
often
we
do
neglect
your
word
we
confess
to
you
how
often
we
allow
it
to
be
an
accessory
in
our
lives
Lord
I
pray
this
morning
that
by
your
spirit
you
would
rouse
us
awaken
our
hunger
and our
appetite
for
your
word
help
us
Lord
to
do
the
things
that
we
need
to
do
so
that
we
might
be
those
who
feed
on
your
word
day
in
and
day
out
Lord
that
we
might
know
you
Lord
that
we
might
be
your
people
to
your
glory
we
pray
this
in
Jesus
name
amen