WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.899 Welcome to Ontario Community Church, 00:00:02.899 --> 00:00:04.799 where we're dedicated to encouraging, 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:07.799 equipping, and engaging lives for Christ. 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:10.000 Located in Ontario, Oregon, 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:11.720 Pastor Patrick Daly preaches 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:13.800 insightful sermons from the Word of God, 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.719 offering practical applications for modern living. 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:19.800 We're delighted to share this sermon with you. 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:22.400 All right, everyone, we're ready to start. 00:00:22.400 --> 00:00:24.000 Well, good morning, everyone. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:26.600 It's great to be with you here as we are 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:29.560 continuing our sermon series in 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:32.759 the book of Ezra, you know, just as a side note. 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:40.159 One thing I love about this church and this congregation is that we are a church that 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:44.000 is focused on families, young families. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:45.560 Whether you're young or old, 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:48.719 you are welcomed here and I just thought it was so crazy. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:53.200 I mean, I'm seeing my own children, 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:57.560 but the idea of having children up and praising and worshiping. 00:00:57.560 --> 00:01:00.320 They may not fully understand it at this time, 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:04.859 but it's showing that example and showing that there is beauty and 00:01:04.859 --> 00:01:06.960 praise of worshiping our God. 00:01:06.960 --> 00:01:12.000 It's just something that's wonderful and I hope that for all of us here, 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:21.320 we keep that image in our mind of how the church is to be a place for all families of all sizes. 00:01:21.320 --> 00:01:26.240 Even if it's just a family of one or a family of 10, 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:31.239 you are welcomed here in this place and it can get messy at times. 00:01:31.239 --> 00:01:38.079 Sometimes children knock things over and sometimes they smell funny and sometimes we do too if we're being honest here. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:39.759 But the reality is, 00:01:39.759 --> 00:01:44.239 is we take our relationship with the living God seriously. 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:51.280 In that though, we exhibit the love of Christ with others. 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:53.519 I think of how Jesus Christ says, 00:01:53.519 --> 00:02:03.280 let the children come to me and how in scripture we find this importance of having the mind of a child 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:08.280 and literally having children come to the Lord because they're so young. 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:16.479 And they're in those formative years where they need to see that what beauty it is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:21.759 but also the beauty of coming together as a family unit. 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:27.319 And so with all that being said, let's go ahead and we're going to get started with our sermon today. 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:33.439 The past few Sundays, we have been going over Ezra chapter 4. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:38.359 It's a time when the adversaries, they were opposing the people of God. 00:02:38.359 --> 00:02:45.599 They were doing everything they could to stop the momentum that was happening with the rebuilding of the temple. 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:50.680 We finished chapter 4 and it seemed like the adversaries won. 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:55.960 The progress, the work that was happening had just stopped. 00:02:55.960 --> 00:03:03.640 You had the decree of Artis Erxes and all of that progress just seemed to be, as I mentioned last week, 00:03:03.640 --> 00:03:06.680 a great pause button had been pushed. 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:10.800 And I can understand that for many of us, we might have gone through a time, 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:16.400 or maybe we as a church have gone through a time where a great pause button has been pushed. 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:24.400 It's very real that we can see not only in our own lives, but how it has happened in Scripture. 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:34.840 And it's something that we are to be reminded of that what God has set in motion will not be stopped by the will of man. 00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:44.800 Man, people, adversaries, opposition may try to stop you in what you are doing, the work that you're doing in the Lord. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:50.400 We see this in Scripture and many of us have experienced it in our own lives. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:54.960 We have to think that is why we trust in the living God. 00:03:54.960 --> 00:04:05.439 We trust in Him knowing that with God as the center of our life, as the firm foundation, there is nothing to fear. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:07.960 In chapter 4, set the scene where we are today. 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:12.560 In chapter 5, we're going to be going over the first two verses. 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:16.800 If you want to go ahead and turn there and you want to be ahead, that's fine. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:20.600 It's page 461. 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:27.840 The adversaries, remember, they attempted to infiltrate God's people to discourage and to frustrate them, 00:04:27.840 --> 00:04:33.160 even to the point where they wrote this accusation to higher authorities, 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:35.639 putting the people of God in a season of delay. 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:43.279 That doesn't mean when opposition happens to the people of God or happens to us, that doesn't mean that God abandons us. 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:52.000 In fact, it's a time for us to realize that God is with us, even in those valleys or in those storms in life. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:57.959 People may try to hinder our work, but again, they cannot stop what God has set in motion. 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:05.079 In chapter 5, like I'm saying, if you've already turned there, we're going to focus on these first two verses. 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:07.800 They're going to reveal something very significant. 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:11.919 You know what? Let's go ahead and read that together. 00:05:11.919 --> 00:05:19.240 I realize we may not have all of our slides at our disposal, but we thank God for the ability to print things out. 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:23.039 We have our Bible and we have our notes, and that's what we need. 00:05:23.039 --> 00:05:27.360 Let's read this together and then we'll pray together. 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:32.120 Are we all there on Ezra chapter 5 verses 1 through 2? 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:33.519 Let's do it. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:42.759 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zachariah, the son of Edo, prophesized the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem 00:05:42.759 --> 00:05:46.839 in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:57.680 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtel, and Jeshua, the son of Jehoshedek, arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:00.879 And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:09.959 Let's pray together. Father God, we are grateful that we are here today, gathered, united as the body of Christ. 00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:13.439 May our ears be open to hearing your word. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.399 May our eyes be open to seeing. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:21.199 In other words, Father, we ask that we can understand the message today. 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:24.279 You God are the God of transformation. 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:27.000 You are the firm foundation for our very lives. 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:32.360 You are strong and mighty and just as the prophets spoke through God's people in your word, 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:39.800 we know and we should be well aware that you continue to speak to us even today. 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:41.360 May you provide us clarity. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:49.079 May you send down your Holy Spirit to be with us today as we observe the context and the connections within Scripture. 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:51.319 Give us that clarity, Father. 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:53.800 May our hearts be ready for you. 00:06:53.800 --> 00:07:00.480 And we understand sometimes that Scripture can be difficult, but it is truth nonetheless. 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:06.879 So be with us this morning as we go through this Ezra chapter 5 and the connections here. 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:11.920 It is in the name of Jesus Christ that we all pray together and can I get an amen? 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:12.920 Amen. 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:21.519 So in these verses, you'll see in your notes here, you can follow along, you can have it alongside your Bible or whatever you choose, your mobile device. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:25.199 We see that there are two prophets that are being mentioned here, right? 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:34.680 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zachariah, they prophesize to God's people in the Lord's name and God was over his people. 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:42.479 Right? Because of this prophesying, the leaders of God's people is a rubble and Yeshua arose. 00:07:42.479 --> 00:07:48.919 Now, does this mean that the leaders were just taking a nice lovely Sunday nap? 00:07:48.919 --> 00:07:51.000 Does it mean that? 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:54.759 Or does it mean there was a spiritual awakening that was happening? 00:07:54.759 --> 00:08:03.360 They arose and normally when we see this in Scripture, it is speaking of a spiritual awakening, the stirring of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:09.399 The inner workings of the Holy Spirit, it caused their eyes to be open. 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:15.920 Again, a spiritual awakening that happened for what purpose? 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.839 To rebuild the temple. 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:21.959 Right? Because again, the great pause was happening. 00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:26.119 Many of us can identify with times where great pauses have happened. 00:08:26.119 --> 00:08:30.119 But there comes a time when the pause button is, it's done. 00:08:30.119 --> 00:08:32.679 The pause is over here. 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:37.919 And so the final verse, right? It's mentioning that, I love when it says this. 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:44.319 It's right at the end of that verse too, the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:50.560 Now, in order for us to understand this, you might ask the question, okay, well, why are we doing only these two verses? 00:08:50.560 --> 00:08:53.480 This seems very cut and dry. 00:08:53.480 --> 00:08:55.320 It seems very simplistic. 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:58.280 Okay, we see that the prophets, they prophesied. 00:08:58.280 --> 00:09:02.920 Right? And then the leaders, they had the spiritual awakening and they were on their way. 00:09:02.920 --> 00:09:09.880 Well, what we can see in here in your notes is that there is significance here. 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:18.519 Not only do you have the prophets who are prophesizing, we see in God's word, what exactly is happening from the prophet's point of view, 00:09:18.519 --> 00:09:20.720 from Haggai and from Zachariah. 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:26.559 And so what I would like for us to do, I want us to turn to Haggai. 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:28.000 Can we do that together? 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:33.439 Can we turn to Haggai chapter one verses one through 11? 00:09:33.439 --> 00:09:39.840 And the easy way to know this, you all know where the gospel of Matthew is, right? 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:42.480 Turn back a little bit. 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:46.560 Right? You have Matthew. 00:09:46.560 --> 00:09:50.920 And you'll probably find Zachariah. 00:09:50.920 --> 00:09:57.000 Right, before Zachariah, if you go to Zephaniah, you've gone too far. 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:04.040 You have the little tiny book of Haggai. 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:11.399 And this is going to be pretty much the entire book of Haggai is actually speaking to these two verses. 00:10:11.399 --> 00:10:12.959 Pretty much the bulk of it here. 00:10:12.959 --> 00:10:15.599 And then that's something that's incredible. 00:10:15.599 --> 00:10:20.799 So are we there Haggai chapter one verses one through 11? 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:21.719 I'll go ahead and read it. 00:10:21.719 --> 00:10:24.719 You can read it out loud or however you feel led to. 00:10:24.719 --> 00:10:30.519 So it says, in the second year of Darius the king in the sixth month on the first day of the month, 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:34.840 the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai. 00:10:34.840 --> 00:10:38.720 Right, so we know that there was the Holy Spirit that was moving. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.840 Right, the prophet to who? 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:43.399 To Zerubbabel, right? 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:46.000 Hmm, doesn't that person sound familiar, right? 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.960 The person who's rebuilding the temple, the son of Shatil, 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:55.159 governor of Judah and to Joshua, or some translations will say Jesuits, the same person here. 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:57.799 The son of Jehoshedek, the high priest. 00:10:57.799 --> 00:10:59.199 So here's what it says. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:01.759 Thus says the Lord of hosts, these people. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:06.080 These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:10.879 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai, the prophet. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:15.200 Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses? 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:17.960 Well, this house lies in ruin. 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:20.800 Well, whose house is lying in ruins? 00:11:20.800 --> 00:11:26.400 It's the temple because the people of God are reconstructing the temple together, right? 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:29.399 And so what the prophet is saying here is that, 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:32.639 well, these people are saying that it's not time to rebuild the house, right? 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:34.879 Because they were in that season of waiting. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:41.639 But now we're seeing here that the time has come to continue, right? 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:43.199 Dwell in your paneled houses? 00:11:43.199 --> 00:11:46.879 Well, that's kind of harsh language when I read that, right? 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:51.919 Why are you dwelling in your own houses when there's work that has to be done here? 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:55.240 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. 00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:58.799 You have sown so much and harvested little. 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:00.440 You eat, but you never have enough. 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:02.600 You drink, but you never have your fill. 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:04.639 You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:11.360 And he who earns wages does not so to put them in a bag with holes. 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:13.159 Very powerful imagery, right? 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:15.399 It goes on then in verse seven. 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:18.399 Thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:19.440 Go up to the hills. 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:21.600 So this is God speaking to Haggai, right? 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:23.440 Consider your ways. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:28.560 Go up to the hills and bring wood and what? 00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:30.040 Build the house. 00:12:30.040 --> 00:12:34.120 That I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:39.200 Is God going to just go into a spa and just have a nice time hanging out? 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:44.160 Or is this where God wants to be present with his people in the temple? 00:12:44.160 --> 00:12:47.280 It should be a pretty cut and dry answer, okay? 00:12:47.280 --> 00:12:51.760 But that's something we have to think that God is wanting this temple to be rebuilt so 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:54.639 that he can be with the people of God, right? 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:56.720 That I may be glorified, says the Lord. 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:59.120 You look for much and behold, came too little. 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:00.840 And when you brought it home, I blew it away. 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:01.360 Why? 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:02.600 Declares the Lord of hosts. 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:07.639 Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:11.080 So look, a lot of time has passed by. 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:11.399 Right? 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:14.879 That's the thing we have to kind of observe that's happening, right? 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:19.840 Look, when the great pause button is being pushed, there's this time of waiting. 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:26.399 But there also can come a time when you're waiting where it's time to resume, time to continue. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:28.480 And that's what we're seeing in here. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:33.600 So it's saying, therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew and the earth has 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:35.000 withheld its produce. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:39.480 And I've called for a drought on the land, on the grain and the new wine, the oil, on 00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:44.960 what the ground brings forth on man and beast and on all of their labors. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.480 So through Haggai, all of that. 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:52.200 God is basically rebuking the people here, right? 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:58.039 He is rebuking the people and the leaders for neglecting the temple's building because 00:13:58.039 --> 00:14:03.279 eventually there's a time you gotta continue with the work of God. 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:11.039 And I think of not that long ago when there was a great pause that happened in the church world. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:16.080 For some people, they might have just continued and remained. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.840 Others gathered together right away. 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:24.120 Perhaps in your own personal life there might have been a time where you had to wait for 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:27.639 something but maybe you got comfortable in waiting. 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:30.520 Or maybe you waited too long. 00:14:30.520 --> 00:14:32.240 That's what's happening here. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:37.000 There's a time for waiting and there's a time, okay, the pause is over. 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:42.680 It's much like for those of us who play video games, I'm not one of them. 00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:46.479 When you are playing a video game, you push pause and then you just go off and you have 00:14:46.479 --> 00:14:47.639 your dinner and you come back. 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:50.359 You're like, are you gonna finish the game or not, right? 00:14:50.359 --> 00:14:56.279 I'm not saying the building of a temple or building of the temple is a game, but it still 00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:58.399 comes back to the idea. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:00.399 We have to resume the work that we start. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:01.759 That's what God's saying. 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:04.839 Finish what has been started here. 00:15:04.839 --> 00:15:09.479 And I love Haggai chapter one verse eight, go up to the hills and bring wood and build 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:15.000 the house that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified says the Lord. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:20.159 And so the prophet here Haggai is going to help with the restarting of the work of rebuilding 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:21.399 of the temple. 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:23.879 The time to act is now. 00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:29.000 And remember just because man tries to stop God's people or to stop you in what you are 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:33.440 doing doesn't mean they may succeed temporarily. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:37.560 But what God has set into motion will become well be completed. 00:15:37.559 --> 00:15:40.359 It will be brought forth into fruition. 00:15:40.359 --> 00:15:42.319 Man will not prevail against God. 00:15:42.319 --> 00:15:46.639 And when we have God on our side, when we're following the will and the way of God, our 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:48.759 Father, we will succeed. 00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:54.119 That is a big reason why we believe in the Lord because God will put you on a wonderful 00:15:54.119 --> 00:15:55.119 path. 00:15:55.119 --> 00:15:59.599 God will take you places that you never knew you'd go or have you interact with people 00:15:59.599 --> 00:16:02.719 that you may have never met before. 00:16:02.719 --> 00:16:07.319 It's always incredible the people that you meet when you're on your spiritual walk in 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:08.800 the Lord. 00:16:08.800 --> 00:16:11.000 We must factor all of this in. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.040 And so with that, I want you to turn a couple pages if you still have your Bible. 00:16:15.040 --> 00:16:16.560 Let's turn to Zachariah. 00:16:16.560 --> 00:16:18.560 It's the next book. 00:16:18.560 --> 00:16:23.440 Okay, Zachariah chapter one versus one through six. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:24.440 It is a call. 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:28.960 It says it'll say in your ESVP Bibles, a call to return to the Lord. 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:34.400 Zachariah chapter one versus one through six in the eighth month in the second year of Darius, 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:38.000 the word of the Lord came to the prophet, right, and you see a pattern here. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:41.559 The word of the Lord came to Haggai, came to Zachariah, right? 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:46.600 It's going on saying, the Lord was very angry with your fathers. 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:52.319 Therefore say to them, thus declares the Lord of hosts, return to me. 00:16:52.319 --> 00:16:55.959 Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 00:16:55.959 --> 00:16:59.799 Do not be like your fathers to whom the former prophets cried out. 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:04.759 Thus says the Lord of hosts, return from your evil ways, because if you remember before 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:11.960 the scene was even set up in Ezra, there was the destruction of the temple because of disobedience. 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:16.079 And so what we're seeing here is the Lord is saying, look, you got to return to me. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:18.039 Come back here. 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:20.919 So return from your evil ways, right? 00:17:20.919 --> 00:17:26.799 But they, the fathers, right, the past generation did not hear or pay attention to me declares 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:28.240 the Lord. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:30.039 Your fathers, where are they? 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:33.279 And the prophets, do they live forever? 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:35.559 Beautiful words here. 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:38.240 The prophets, they don't live forever, right? 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:44.079 We don't live forever, but it says, my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants, 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:47.940 the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? 00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:48.940 So they repented. 00:17:48.940 --> 00:17:52.880 So the implication here is the word will last, right? 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.880 And so will the statutes. 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:58.760 And so they, so they repented. 00:17:58.760 --> 00:18:04.120 And what we're seeing in here is a connection with the people of God in Ezra. 00:18:04.120 --> 00:18:09.480 Zachariah is calling God's people and the leaders of God's people to turn to repent, 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:10.480 to change their minds. 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:15.440 When we think of repentance, think of the word metanoia or metanoeo, which is to change 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:16.920 your mind, right? 00:18:16.920 --> 00:18:19.240 We think of repentance of sin. 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:25.080 It is changing your mind about how you view sin, changing your mind about Jesus Christ 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:30.119 from being a great teacher or a great guru or a guy with a beard and long hair to the 00:18:30.119 --> 00:18:33.599 Savior of the world. 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:37.679 Repentance has such great meaning even when we're looking at the Old Testament here. 00:18:37.679 --> 00:18:42.799 The people repenting and saying here, the Lord of hosts has purpose to deal with us 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:46.839 and for our ways indeed, so he has dealt with us. 00:18:46.839 --> 00:18:51.439 It's a beautiful call for God's people to renew their relationship with him. 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:56.160 How many of us have felt distant from God before because of someone or something that 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:58.600 has happened in our own lives? 00:18:58.600 --> 00:19:04.600 I can tell you very recently, I was a part of a Bible study and I met a lot of really 00:19:04.600 --> 00:19:06.640 good Christians. 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:14.320 I was invited and in there, I found out that those Christians were part of a cult. 00:19:14.320 --> 00:19:16.080 Why was I invited to the Bible study? 00:19:16.080 --> 00:19:17.720 To join their cult. 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:22.920 At first, I didn't realize it, but eventually through spiritual discernment, I realized, 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:28.319 oh, your intentions were not pure. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:34.160 Just like how we've been reading the idea of infiltration with the people of God. 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:36.839 Think about that. 00:19:36.839 --> 00:19:39.480 Sometimes we get hurt by man. 00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:43.059 Sometimes we get hurt by a situation that happens. 00:19:43.059 --> 00:19:47.160 It's a call for us to return to the Lord. 00:19:47.160 --> 00:19:52.920 Like to repent of our evil ways, repent of our sin, return to the Lord. 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:57.759 And I'm sure that for some of us, we've been through a season before where we felt separated 00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:58.759 from the Lord. 00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:03.680 The Old Testament is full of times where they talk about being separated from the presence 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:06.040 of the Lord. 00:20:06.040 --> 00:20:07.040 That's not what I want to be. 00:20:07.040 --> 00:20:10.880 I want to be in God's presence and I hope that for you, you want to be in the presence 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:11.880 of the Lord. 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:14.279 Can I get an amen? 00:20:14.279 --> 00:20:18.920 And if you're on, if you're in that season, let this be a call for you to return to the 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:25.039 Lord because there's nothing worse than going through a time of trial or tribulation without 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:28.039 having God with you. 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:31.879 Knowing that you have God with you at the center of your life at the core and that we 00:20:31.879 --> 00:20:37.160 trust in the living God and the living word that is living and active. 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:39.480 That is what we need. 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:45.360 And so with these connections in God's word, this helps us to understand Ezra chapter 5 00:20:45.360 --> 00:20:47.120 verses 1 through 2. 00:20:47.120 --> 00:20:49.160 Two prophets are coming onto the scene. 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:55.360 They provide prophetic voices to let God's people and leaders know that God's plans are 00:20:55.360 --> 00:20:56.720 still in motion. 00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:58.160 It is still going to happen. 00:20:58.160 --> 00:21:00.599 The temple will be rebuilt. 00:21:00.599 --> 00:21:03.880 And let this be an encouragement for you right away from what we can observe from the word 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:05.079 of God. 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:08.079 There will be times where people will come in and they'll try to stop you or they'll try 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:09.079 to infiltrate you. 00:21:09.079 --> 00:21:11.079 They'll try to deviate you or deceive you. 00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:12.519 They'll try to distort the word of God. 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:18.119 But we remain, we place our trust in the word of God and we place trust in Jesus Christ. 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:21.960 Don't you see the parallel in Ezra 4? 00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:27.679 Don't you see that after the storm, there's a time for repentance and turning back to 00:21:27.679 --> 00:21:31.279 the Lord and being renewed? 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:34.039 That may be a call for you. 00:21:34.039 --> 00:21:40.599 It's because man said stop temporarily doesn't mean that it won't come to fruition because 00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:47.359 I know that the God that I believe in, the God that we worship and love, he is constant. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:51.759 He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:57.039 And so these verses, again, they give us more understanding. 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.319 Let's go back to Haggai real quick. 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:02.119 There's one more verse I want to show you here. 00:22:02.119 --> 00:22:05.599 Well, there's a couple more verses here. 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:07.599 The people obeyed the Lord. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:14.239 It's a rubble, the son of Shiltele and Joshua, the son of Jehoshedek, the high priest with 00:22:14.239 --> 00:22:16.039 all the remnant of the people. 00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:21.159 They obeyed the voice of the Lord, their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet as the 00:22:21.159 --> 00:22:26.799 Lord, their God had sent them because sometimes, listen here, sometimes God sends people into 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:32.599 your life to rebuke you, right, or to speak the truth. 00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:36.799 And I know, look, look, the truth hurts sometimes. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:42.680 Okay, I'd be lying to you if I said that the truth never hurts, right? 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:45.599 And sometimes we need to hear the truth. 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:47.960 Sometimes we need to be rebuked. 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:52.700 Sometimes we need to have that conversation with people, right? 00:22:52.700 --> 00:23:00.279 And so it's saying here, Haggai, the messenger of the Lord spoke, actually before that, the 00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:04.039 voice of the Lord, their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet as the Lord, their God 00:23:04.039 --> 00:23:06.440 had sent them and the people feared the Lord, right? 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:11.799 The awe and the wonder and the healthy fear of the Lord, knowing that he is powerful and 00:23:11.799 --> 00:23:16.200 mighty and strong, I mean, that's pretty powerful. 00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:18.640 I can't make a planet. 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:19.640 I can't. 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:20.640 None of us can. 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:23.600 But our God can. 00:23:23.600 --> 00:23:28.759 And so the Lord spoke to the people with the Lord's message, I am with you, declares the 00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:33.040 Lord and the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shiltele, the governor 00:23:33.040 --> 00:23:37.560 of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehoshedek, the high priest, and the spirit 00:23:37.560 --> 00:23:39.120 of all the remnant of the people. 00:23:39.120 --> 00:23:40.680 There was a revival. 00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:44.660 There was a renewal that was happening with the spirit was stirring and working in the 00:23:44.660 --> 00:23:48.400 people of God at that time. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:51.840 They came and they worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God. 00:23:51.840 --> 00:23:57.759 And it keeps going on talking about on the 24th day of the month and the sixth month 00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:01.240 and the second year of Darius the king is not incredible. 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:05.960 This gives us way more depth in our understanding of this Ezra chapter five versus one through 00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:07.220 two. 00:24:07.220 --> 00:24:11.519 One more verse, you guys, Zachariah four, right? 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:17.519 Zachariah four. 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:20.879 So it says here, we won't cover that whole chapter. 00:24:20.879 --> 00:24:23.400 So start at verse five real quick. 00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:29.319 The angel who talked with me answered and said to me, the whole premise of chapter four 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:33.839 is the angel going to Zachariah and showing him all these things. 00:24:33.839 --> 00:24:35.839 And then he's saying, do you understand these things? 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:38.440 And he's saying, no, I don't understand these things. 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:39.440 It's actually hilarious. 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:42.639 I think that sometimes the word of God has a sense of humor, right? 00:24:42.639 --> 00:24:44.440 Well, I mean, read it on here. 00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:45.519 We'll start from verse four. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:49.039 The angel talked to me, came to me, he woke me up like a man who was awakened out of his 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:50.039 sleep. 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:52.000 So literally shaken up, right? 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.440 He said, what do you see? 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:57.440 And I said, I see a lamp stand of gold with a bowl on top of it, seven lamps on it with 00:24:57.440 --> 00:24:58.960 seven lips, right? 00:24:58.960 --> 00:24:59.960 So it's going on. 00:24:59.960 --> 00:25:01.759 And he's talking about the two olive trees. 00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:04.440 Then in verse four, I said to the angel, what are these? 00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:06.319 I don't understand this. 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:09.279 And so the angel who talked, do you not know what these are? 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:14.759 And the prophet said, no, I don't understand this vision, this dream that's happening, right? 00:25:14.759 --> 00:25:16.319 We're going on to the verse six. 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:20.160 Then he said to me, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:21.319 Beautiful words here. 00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:23.440 Can we read this together? 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:29.559 Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts. 00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:30.559 Who are you? 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:34.920 Oh, great mountain before Zerubbabel, you shall become a plane and you shall bring forward 00:25:34.920 --> 00:25:38.960 these the topstone amid the shouts of grace, grace to it. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:42.799 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying the hands of Zerubbabel have laid. 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:43.960 Let's read this together. 00:25:43.960 --> 00:25:47.920 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:50.519 His hands shall what? 00:25:50.519 --> 00:25:51.920 Complete it, right? 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:57.039 Then you shall know that the, you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:00.799 For who shall ever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice and shall see the 00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:04.220 plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. 00:26:04.220 --> 00:26:05.640 This is fascinating to see. 00:26:05.640 --> 00:26:11.360 Now in that verse where you're seeing the one that I had you read from verse six, not 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:16.519 by might nor by power, but by my spirit, right? 00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:21.079 So the spirit is the Holy spirit is working with the people of God. 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:25.919 There's a lot of spiritual work that is happening in this scene here. 00:26:25.919 --> 00:26:26.919 Right? 00:26:26.919 --> 00:26:31.039 The spirit of God is working through these two prophets. 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:36.119 The prophets not only gave their message and prophesied, but they stayed to support the 00:26:36.119 --> 00:26:37.119 people of God. 00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:46.199 Sometimes we have people who might speak truth to us or give us a prophetic word. 00:26:46.199 --> 00:26:50.479 And how wonderful is it when we have support from people as well? 00:26:50.479 --> 00:26:51.559 Right? 00:26:51.559 --> 00:26:52.799 They didn't start the fire. 00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:54.639 I know you guys probably think of that song. 00:26:54.639 --> 00:26:55.639 We didn't start the fire. 00:26:55.639 --> 00:26:56.639 It was always burning. 00:26:56.639 --> 00:26:57.639 Right? 00:26:57.639 --> 00:26:59.159 There's some biblical truth to that, right? 00:26:59.159 --> 00:27:04.319 The fire of the Holy spirit, the inner workings of the Lord. 00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:07.879 They kept it going, the fire of the spirit was burning within them. 00:27:07.879 --> 00:27:12.919 Haggai and Zachariah, they remained with the people throughout this rebuilding process 00:27:12.919 --> 00:27:17.839 and talk about a revival that was happening in their land. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:20.200 What a prayer would it be for us? 00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:25.960 What would it look like for us to pray that there would be revival in this land? 00:27:25.960 --> 00:27:32.079 That the Holy spirit would work with pastors and it would radiate through the people of 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:36.759 God, through the churches, through church. 00:27:36.759 --> 00:27:37.759 Think about that. 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:39.519 Like what a wonderful prayer we can have. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:43.759 And with all of this in mind, I want us to think, well, what can we learn? 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:45.279 What can we interpret from this? 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:50.720 And the first thing is the power of prophetic encouragement. 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:54.279 Haggai and Zachariah by the Holy spirit, they prophesied. 00:27:54.279 --> 00:27:59.119 They encouraged and supported God's people in times of delay or opposition. 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:00.679 They were still there. 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:05.920 And look, what you'll find later in chapter five is there's still opposition that's happening. 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:10.160 But the Lord is saying it's time to continue the process. 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:14.840 We saw the adversaries doing everything possible to stop God's people. 00:28:14.840 --> 00:28:20.680 And even though there was that season of delay, God brought forth the prophets, the prophetic 00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:29.000 word to bring that spiritual awakening within the leaders and within the people of God. 00:28:29.000 --> 00:28:34.440 And through the Holy spirit, through the prophets, we have to think of how the word of God speaks 00:28:34.440 --> 00:28:36.599 to us even today. 00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:41.599 And sometimes there will be people who will speak to you a prophetic word. 00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:45.720 How many of you have ever interacted with someone and somehow they're speaking to you, 00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:49.039 even though they're not really speaking to you and they're saying something that you've 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:51.720 been wrestling with in your mind. 00:28:51.720 --> 00:28:52.720 Right. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:57.720 I remember one time I have a very personal story that happened. 00:28:57.720 --> 00:29:05.920 One time I was really, really down and I was thinking about how I was wishing for the past. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:11.079 I was wishing for a time when it seemed so simple in the past. 00:29:11.079 --> 00:29:14.600 Many of us can identify with something like that. 00:29:14.600 --> 00:29:19.360 I went into a coffee shop and I was sitting down. 00:29:19.360 --> 00:29:27.480 This is when I was a single man and I sat down and there was this man who was sitting 00:29:27.480 --> 00:29:30.799 about a table or two away from me. 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:34.880 He was speaking and I don't think he was fully there. 00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:43.240 But what he was saying, he said, you can't live your life looking at the rear view mirror. 00:29:43.240 --> 00:29:45.400 And he was going on about that. 00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:49.079 You have to focus on what's ahead of you and in front of you. 00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:53.559 And he kept talking about taking this trip to San Francisco. 00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:59.359 And he kept saying, you can't live life looking at the rear view mirror. 00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:04.480 And even though I have no idea who this man was, no idea, I'll probably never see him 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:06.639 again. 00:30:06.639 --> 00:30:11.960 That spoke to me in such a way that I thought, wow, this is incredible. 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:21.200 Here I am longing for the past a simpler time and yet there I'm hearing from this guy saying, 00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:25.960 you can't live your life looking at the rear view mirror. 00:30:25.960 --> 00:30:30.160 You have to focus on the here and the now and what's up ahead. 00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:32.039 How incredible. 00:30:32.039 --> 00:30:38.840 I believe I'm fully convinced that was the spirit speaking through this man at that moment. 00:30:38.840 --> 00:30:40.519 Was he speaking to other people? 00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:42.240 Maybe, maybe not. 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:43.519 But I remember that. 00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:47.400 And that's been what, 10, 15 years ago. 00:30:47.400 --> 00:30:51.680 It's incredible when the Lord speaks through someone. 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:59.560 I want you to consider Isaiah 55 verse 11 that the word goes out of the mouth of God, 00:30:59.560 --> 00:31:00.560 right? 00:31:00.560 --> 00:31:01.759 It shall not return to him empty. 00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:07.320 It shall accomplish what he purposes and it shall succeed in the things in which he 00:31:07.320 --> 00:31:08.320 sends. 00:31:08.320 --> 00:31:16.400 It reminds me a great deal of 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 saying that all scripture is breathed 00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:21.680 out by God and is profitable for teaching for reproof for correction and training in 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:24.759 righteousness. 00:31:24.759 --> 00:31:30.400 When we experience seasons of delays, when we are patiently waiting, we must keep our 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:38.680 eyes open and our ears ready to listen to God's voice and to read the word of God because 00:31:38.680 --> 00:31:40.960 let me tell you something. 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:47.880 God still speaks to us even today and I want us to take that to heart. 00:31:47.880 --> 00:31:49.880 It could come through scripture. 00:31:49.880 --> 00:31:55.440 It could come from a man who's in the, who's saying, talking about trips and not looking 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:58.519 at the rear view mirror when you're driving. 00:31:58.519 --> 00:32:02.480 It can be through a word of encouragement. 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:06.920 There are many ways that the Lord speaks to us today. 00:32:06.920 --> 00:32:12.480 It's a reminder for us that as the local body, as the church, we worship a God who is living 00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:16.840 and active, much like the word is living and active. 00:32:16.840 --> 00:32:22.279 God is so powerful that he can speak to you through his word, through people, through 00:32:22.279 --> 00:32:25.460 experiences and interactions. 00:32:25.460 --> 00:32:32.360 Even if it is a rebuke, even if it is the harsh truth, would you rather deal with the 00:32:32.359 --> 00:32:37.679 harsh truth or be told a lie and then find out later and all the pain that comes from 00:32:37.679 --> 00:32:40.359 afterwards? 00:32:40.359 --> 00:32:42.759 God is the God of truth. 00:32:42.759 --> 00:32:44.719 God has a plan for each and every one of us. 00:32:44.719 --> 00:32:48.199 He is present with us and he continues to speak to us today. 00:32:48.199 --> 00:32:49.839 Let's move on. 00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:54.559 The immediate obedience to God's call and what we find in the two verses here is that 00:32:54.559 --> 00:33:01.159 is a rubble in Jesuit responded immediately to God's call in obedience. 00:33:01.160 --> 00:33:02.600 The prophets prophesied. 00:33:02.600 --> 00:33:07.279 There was the awakening that was happening and there was a response to God's call. 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:11.560 There was obedience without hesitation. 00:33:11.560 --> 00:33:17.519 They arose immediately and they began to rebuild God's house. 00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:22.519 I'm reminded of James 1.22, be doers of the word, not hearers, right? 00:33:22.519 --> 00:33:29.560 It's a call for us to think of how is God speaking to you, to do something or to not 00:33:29.560 --> 00:33:30.960 do something? 00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:35.840 I told you guys today about the Bible study that I was invited to. 00:33:35.840 --> 00:33:37.720 I said, no, thank you. 00:33:37.720 --> 00:33:42.200 And I said that immediately and I'm moving on and I'm going to pray for those people 00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:48.799 in that Bible study that they know the truth, that they don't need to rely on anything else 00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:54.400 but the word of God and have that faith in Jesus Christ. 00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:59.200 That was a moment for me to act immediately. 00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:05.680 And for you, God may be calling you to act in obedience immediately. 00:34:05.680 --> 00:34:10.119 It's something that you have to think about in your own life. 00:34:10.119 --> 00:34:15.079 I think of also Luke chapter 11 verse 28. 00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:20.079 Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and they keep it. 00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:21.079 Let's think about that. 00:34:21.079 --> 00:34:23.880 We're called to action not to delay or to remain stagnant. 00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:29.039 Now look, there's a difference between that pause button, the delays in our lives and 00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:33.279 when we have to act sometimes like we've talked about, there's times where we have to patiently 00:34:33.279 --> 00:34:34.880 wait upon the Lord. 00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:39.360 And there's other times where God says you got to go and you got to go now. 00:34:39.360 --> 00:34:42.119 You need to start talking to your brother. 00:34:42.119 --> 00:34:49.279 You need to start forgiving people or whatever it is. 00:34:49.279 --> 00:34:52.320 What is God calling for you to do? 00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:53.840 Trust and obey in him. 00:34:53.840 --> 00:35:01.240 When God calls us, will we respond accordingly, will we say yes to God's call for our lives 00:35:01.240 --> 00:35:06.800 or will we miss an opportunity to see great things done in the name of the Lord? 00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:08.600 That's something we also have to think about. 00:35:08.600 --> 00:35:15.180 Let us be encouraged by Zerubbabel and Jeshua who arose and had that spiritual awakening 00:35:15.180 --> 00:35:17.200 and began rebuilding. 00:35:17.200 --> 00:35:23.160 There's also the next point is encouragement through presence and consistency. 00:35:23.159 --> 00:35:27.399 The prophets delivered a message and they continue to encourage and support the people 00:35:27.399 --> 00:35:29.199 of God. 00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:32.639 When you're helping someone out, be present with them. 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:35.639 You've heard me talk about the ministry of presence. 00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:44.000 When someone is going through a trial or tribulation, you sit with them, listen to them, hear them 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:47.319 out, follow up with them too. 00:35:47.319 --> 00:35:50.279 It's not just a one time thing, right? 00:35:50.280 --> 00:35:54.480 God continues to exhibit his love to us every single day. 00:35:54.480 --> 00:35:59.800 And in the same way, when we care and encourage one another, we support one another, we have 00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:06.320 to be consistent in that. 00:36:06.320 --> 00:36:09.640 The prophets remained during the rebuilding process. 00:36:09.640 --> 00:36:14.840 They provided that ministry of presence, that support to the people of God. 00:36:14.840 --> 00:36:19.120 And they ensured that the rebuilding continued despite opposition. 00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:23.159 The prophets were consistent through encouragement and support. 00:36:23.159 --> 00:36:27.400 And this is a lesson that we can apply today. 00:36:27.400 --> 00:36:33.759 When we are called by God to go into action, we need to be encouraging and supportive of 00:36:33.759 --> 00:36:37.199 one another as the body of Christ. 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:40.920 First Thessalonians 511, encourage one another and build one another up. 00:36:40.920 --> 00:36:50.680 Hebrews 1024, let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. 00:36:50.680 --> 00:36:53.320 These are things that we have to take to heart. 00:36:53.320 --> 00:37:00.760 And so with all of this in mind, I want us to think, how can we apply these verses today? 00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:02.000 How can we live this out? 00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:08.760 And the first thing, number one, listen to the prophetic voice of God. 00:37:08.760 --> 00:37:13.720 Be open to hearing God's voice through the Scriptures, through the Holy Spirit and even 00:37:13.720 --> 00:37:15.320 through other people. 00:37:15.320 --> 00:37:22.240 May I remind you though, make sure that it is consistent with God's Word. 00:37:22.240 --> 00:37:28.840 Make sure that what is spoken to you, that it is consistent and not contrary to the Word 00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:30.280 of God. 00:37:30.280 --> 00:37:33.000 Because that does happen at times. 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:37.760 Sometimes there are people they may have good intentions or maybe they don't have good intentions 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:42.160 and they might give you a word from the Lord. 00:37:42.160 --> 00:37:46.120 That's something for us to keep to mind and to heart. 00:37:46.120 --> 00:37:50.800 But in all of that, we can still be encouraged in knowing that God continues to speak to 00:37:50.800 --> 00:37:52.560 us today. 00:37:52.560 --> 00:37:59.520 Because we believe in the living God, the personal God and how blessed are we that God 00:37:59.520 --> 00:38:03.600 has provided us His Word to us. 00:38:03.599 --> 00:38:09.440 Let us keep our ears open but also our eyes open to Scripture. 00:38:09.440 --> 00:38:11.839 That's another big thing. 00:38:11.839 --> 00:38:19.480 So think of 1 Thessalonians 5, chapter 5 verse 20. 00:38:19.480 --> 00:38:22.559 Do not despise prophecies but test everything. 00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:30.400 So be open to a prophetic word but just make sure it's consistent with God's Word. 00:38:30.400 --> 00:38:36.680 Hebrews 3 verse 13, exhort one another every day as long as it's called today that none 00:38:36.680 --> 00:38:40.160 of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 00:38:40.160 --> 00:38:49.039 So keep your ears open and keep your eyes open to God's Word and the things of God. 00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:52.039 Consider how God has worked in your life. 00:38:52.039 --> 00:38:59.000 Consider the moments and the times where God has done some tremendous things in your life. 00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:02.800 Because our God is remarkable. 00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:08.079 The same God that made the heavens and the earth made each and every one of us and calls 00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:12.579 for each and every one of us to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:39:12.579 --> 00:39:16.519 God still speaks to us every single day. 00:39:16.519 --> 00:39:23.559 The next thing is the immediate obedience to God's call. 00:39:23.559 --> 00:39:30.360 When God calls you, respond through listening and acting accordingly. 00:39:30.360 --> 00:39:36.960 Ask yourself the question, is God calling you to enter into a relationship with Him? 00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:42.000 Is God calling you to return to Him just as we've read through the prophets? 00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:46.239 We see that God calls for His people to return to Him. 00:39:46.239 --> 00:39:50.199 For some of us we may not have even had a relationship with the Lord. 00:39:50.199 --> 00:39:51.360 May you come to the Lord. 00:39:51.360 --> 00:39:58.160 And for some of us we may be in that season where we may feel separated or maybe life 00:39:58.160 --> 00:40:00.640 has just happened. 00:40:00.640 --> 00:40:04.480 Have you heard the call to return to the Lord? 00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:11.880 Maybe you've experienced a spiritual awakening or maybe you're not responding to God's call 00:40:11.880 --> 00:40:15.160 for your life. 00:40:15.160 --> 00:40:21.120 We must respond to God's call to receive salvation right by believing in Him, believing the 00:40:21.119 --> 00:40:26.960 death, burial and resurrection, but we also need to listen to God's specific calling for 00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:29.159 our life. 00:40:29.159 --> 00:40:35.639 We need the light, love and truth, the grace and truth that come from Christ and His Word. 00:40:35.639 --> 00:40:41.920 We must trust that God will provide for us, lead us and guide us as He always has. 00:40:41.920 --> 00:40:44.599 The next thing is to persevere through opposition. 00:40:44.599 --> 00:40:48.239 This is a reoccurring theme that we found in Ezra. 00:40:48.239 --> 00:40:54.399 Continue doing God's work even when facing external opposition or any sort of setback 00:40:54.399 --> 00:40:57.799 that happens. 00:40:57.799 --> 00:41:00.719 There was a season of delay for God's people. 00:41:00.719 --> 00:41:06.599 They were discouraged and afraid of what the king or the adversaries might do. 00:41:06.599 --> 00:41:12.879 Let us think of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the prophetic word from the prophets, the spiritual 00:41:12.879 --> 00:41:17.879 awakening and the continuing of the rebuilding of the temple. 00:41:17.880 --> 00:41:24.880 Doing this, we are to either begin in having that relationship with the Lord or return to 00:41:24.880 --> 00:41:28.039 Him in either case. 00:41:28.039 --> 00:41:35.240 May you know the Lord, may you grow in Him and may you be moved to do good in the name 00:41:35.240 --> 00:41:38.720 of Jesus Christ. 00:41:38.720 --> 00:41:44.519 When God calls us to go, let us go. 00:41:44.519 --> 00:41:50.239 I want you to consider your own personal walk with the Lord. 00:41:50.239 --> 00:41:57.159 Not only are you to grow as an individual, we as the church are to grow together. 00:41:57.159 --> 00:42:02.280 For one person, God might be calling you to have a discussion with a friend or a family 00:42:02.280 --> 00:42:03.719 member. 00:42:03.719 --> 00:42:05.559 For another, it might be for forgiveness. 00:42:05.559 --> 00:42:12.019 For others, it might be to begin serving in the church or serving your community. 00:42:12.019 --> 00:42:14.480 There might be teaching or preaching. 00:42:14.480 --> 00:42:18.360 What God has called for you specifically is unique to you. 00:42:18.360 --> 00:42:22.679 But in any case, let us know. 00:42:22.679 --> 00:42:26.840 Let us listen to God's call for our life. 00:42:26.840 --> 00:42:28.679 The next one is to encourage one another. 00:42:28.679 --> 00:42:33.480 This is also a repeated theme that we find throughout Scripture. 00:42:33.480 --> 00:42:39.679 Support and encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ, praying for one another, being 00:42:39.679 --> 00:42:45.199 present with one another, and a sense of Christian community. 00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:48.599 We are not meant to do life alone. 00:42:48.599 --> 00:42:54.319 Surround yourself with your brothers and sisters in Christ and be encouraging to one another. 00:42:54.319 --> 00:42:58.980 And sometimes in that, there will be times of harsh truth. 00:42:58.980 --> 00:43:02.960 But in all of this, it's for us to journey together. 00:43:02.960 --> 00:43:08.500 Just as the people of God, they journeyed from Babylon to Jerusalem. 00:43:08.500 --> 00:43:13.000 They journeyed together towards where they were meant to go. 00:43:13.000 --> 00:43:17.639 And in the same way we are to journey together towards Christ. 00:43:17.639 --> 00:43:22.239 I think of that song when we all get to heaven. 00:43:22.239 --> 00:43:24.000 That's the goal here. 00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:30.280 To make sure we are all saved by grace through faith, not by our works. 00:43:30.280 --> 00:43:33.880 We're all to journey and grow together. 00:43:33.880 --> 00:43:38.000 We're not to be like the world that discourages and tears people down. 00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:44.440 We are to encourage one another and to grow in Jesus Christ and in the things of Scripture. 00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:48.599 Let us ask God for a spiritual awakening in our lives. 00:43:48.599 --> 00:43:54.800 Let us step up and courageously live and love like Jesus Christ. 00:43:54.800 --> 00:43:59.239 We are called to go out into the world and do good in the name of Christ. 00:43:59.239 --> 00:44:05.039 And how important is it for us to take to heart these verses? 00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:12.119 That the prophets Haggai and Zachariah, they prophesized, they basically rebuked. 00:44:12.119 --> 00:44:16.239 But they also encouraged and they were consistent in their support. 00:44:16.239 --> 00:44:23.000 And how important is it for us to have encouraging words and sometimes the hard truth? 00:44:23.000 --> 00:44:27.000 I think of the famous saying, to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me 00:44:27.000 --> 00:44:28.719 God. 00:44:28.719 --> 00:44:34.480 Sometimes you say that because sometimes the truth will be hard to tell. 00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:36.079 How important is it? 00:44:36.079 --> 00:44:38.760 The prophets rebuked, but they also encouraged. 00:44:38.760 --> 00:44:44.800 They spoke the words from the Lord and in turn there was the spiritual awakening. 00:44:44.800 --> 00:44:48.079 There was the working of the Holy Spirit. 00:44:48.079 --> 00:44:52.400 And so in all of this, I want us to focus on the mission. 00:44:52.400 --> 00:44:56.920 We are to encourage people by letting them know they are made in the image of God and 00:44:56.920 --> 00:45:00.480 they are sinners in need of a savior. 00:45:00.480 --> 00:45:05.760 And that salvation is freely available in Jesus Christ to believe in him, his death, 00:45:05.760 --> 00:45:08.440 his burial and his resurrection. 00:45:08.440 --> 00:45:10.360 Let us keep in mind the main thing. 00:45:10.360 --> 00:45:16.199 Let us pray that we have a spiritual awakening in Christ and that we follow, that we trust 00:45:16.199 --> 00:45:18.840 and obey him accordingly. 00:45:18.840 --> 00:45:24.219 Because let me tell you, God has some amazing plans for each and every one of us. 00:45:24.219 --> 00:45:28.199 Let us respond to God's call for our life. 00:45:28.199 --> 00:45:32.039 Perhaps you have been away from the Lord or perhaps you've never made a decision for 00:45:32.039 --> 00:45:33.039 Christ. 00:45:33.039 --> 00:45:38.839 I encourage you to begin that step by believing in the death, burial and the resurrection 00:45:38.839 --> 00:45:41.239 according to the scriptures. 00:45:41.239 --> 00:45:47.439 If you have been away from the Lord, may you be encouraged to return to the Lord. 00:45:47.439 --> 00:45:48.439 There is renewal. 00:45:48.439 --> 00:45:50.239 There is strength. 00:45:50.239 --> 00:45:53.679 There is healing that comes from our God. 00:45:53.679 --> 00:45:59.319 And finally, let us remember that we as the church, as the local body, are to build up 00:45:59.319 --> 00:46:06.119 one another, to sustain one another and to encourage each other in times of crisis when 00:46:06.119 --> 00:46:10.319 life has the good, the bad and the ugly. 00:46:10.319 --> 00:46:15.279 Let us support one another in the work that God has called for us individually but also 00:46:15.279 --> 00:46:17.960 as a community as the church. 00:46:17.960 --> 00:46:21.799 May we be open to listening to God speak to us today. 00:46:21.800 --> 00:46:23.840 Can we hear an answer from the Lord? 00:46:23.840 --> 00:46:25.640 May we respond accordingly. 00:46:25.640 --> 00:46:30.840 And may we trust in the Lord in every season of our life. 00:46:30.840 --> 00:46:39.080 May we support one another and may we just continue on building but also rebuilding. 00:46:39.080 --> 00:46:41.240 Let us pray together. 00:46:41.240 --> 00:46:45.640 Gracious Father, we thank you for this time and this opportunity for us to come together 00:46:45.640 --> 00:46:49.160 and for us to open your word and to read from it. 00:46:49.159 --> 00:46:53.519 Let us be reminded that your word is living and active and that you brought forth these 00:46:53.519 --> 00:47:00.279 two prophets to speak to the leaders of the people of God, to have that spiritual awakening, 00:47:00.279 --> 00:47:07.399 to now act, to act now and to no longer be waiting. 00:47:07.399 --> 00:47:12.199 In the same way, Father, I pray for those who need encouragement. 00:47:12.199 --> 00:47:18.239 I pray for those who, maybe there has been a pause in their life. 00:47:18.239 --> 00:47:24.959 May you speak to them that when the appropriate time is right, may they be ready to act accordingly. 00:47:24.959 --> 00:47:30.759 We are so blessed to have your word with us that we can read and study and that this word 00:47:30.759 --> 00:47:39.679 here can be taught but also preached that people can come to believe in you and believe 00:47:39.679 --> 00:47:42.479 in your son, Jesus Christ. 00:47:42.479 --> 00:47:44.279 We're so grateful for who you are. 00:47:44.280 --> 00:47:50.320 May there be reconciliation and forgiveness from each other and any past progressions. 00:47:50.320 --> 00:47:52.920 We know, Father, that you forgive us. 00:47:52.920 --> 00:47:55.400 May we respond. 00:47:55.400 --> 00:47:56.400 May we go boldly. 00:47:56.400 --> 00:48:01.320 May we be courageous in this life trusting in you fully and responding to your call for 00:48:01.320 --> 00:48:02.800 our lives. 00:48:02.800 --> 00:48:07.120 May we be empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work that you have called us 00:48:07.120 --> 00:48:08.120 to do. 00:48:08.119 --> 00:48:14.559 And may we be encouraged by these words that we've read from Ezra chapter 5 this morning. 00:48:14.559 --> 00:48:19.839 May we understand that just as the prophets have spoken to the people of God, you continue 00:48:19.839 --> 00:48:22.319 to speak to us today. 00:48:22.319 --> 00:48:29.199 It is in the name of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega that we pray and we all say 00:48:29.199 --> 00:48:31.599 together, amen. 00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:35.559 Thank you for tuning in to the Ontario Community Church sermon podcast. 00:48:35.559 --> 00:48:39.880 For more about our church and how you can get involved or support our mission, please 00:48:39.880 --> 00:48:43.480 visit ontariocommunitychurch.org. 00:48:43.480 --> 00:49:09.440 May God's blessings be with you.