"The Necessity of Rebuilding: A Picture of Redemption"
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== Imagine going back to the land that God granted your people after 48 years away in captivity.
==God sent you away to teach you a lesson.
== His master plan is that you would turn or return to God, That you would commit to Him, 100%. Not holding anything back!
== But now you have been “relocated” back to Jerusalem… To REBUILD the walls!! and to acknowledge only one God… That is Yahweh.
== There are many parallels to the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah and the situation in the church today. Listen carefully
Pursuing God’s calling in the 21st century
== in 2024 and beyond God is intently focusing on “the church,” “the Ecclesia” — “the ones called out”
== His plan, His desire is to teach us the lessons that we need to know.
== To Return, To Rebuild and To Restore this community of believes that once was.
== In the same fashion that God returned the Jews to Jerusalem to Rebuild the Temple.
== I believe that He is asking us to REBUILD the temple that lies within us
== He has chosen us to do His work, By His Spirit, through His church
== God called the Jews back to Jerusalem, He is calling us back to the local church to do His work in our world
== Could FBC return, rebuild and restore what God called us for in 1901?
== I 100% believe that is possible
== The books of Ezra and the story of FBC is about this struggle: to find home, to find identity, to find calling, and to find true worship—even in the midst of all odds being stacked against us.
Why do we need to Rebuild?
==Today… We begin our mission of Rebuilding, our walls and Restoring FBC to a healthy, vital, functioning gathering of God’s people.
== For the purpose of sharing God’s love through Jesus life, death, burial and resurrection. That the world should know!!
== We are going to be exploring the parallels between the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586BC and God's plan for redemption, reconciliation, and restoration in our community and in our church in 2024.
== Our passage for today is found in the book of Ezra.
== The Book of Ezra is found on page 389 of the bible in rack in front of you
== Of course it’s also found in your own bible or on phone or tablet.
== Open your Bibles if you will to Ezra 1.
== Stand if you will as I read scripture.
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.
4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”
The proclamation by Cyrus and God's call to return.
== This is verses 1-4 in our passage.
== The prophet Jeremiah, was tasked by God to be His mouthpiece in this situation.
== John the Baptist in the New Testament was tasked by God to be His mouthpiece to a new people. His message was “prepare the way for Jesus.” in the same way that Jeremiah did for Cyrus
== The “Lord stirred up the spirit [ru-ha] of Cyrus.” This is the same Holy Spirit that we have received when committing our lives to Christ.
== The Holy Spirit came to Cyrus as a guide and directed him to write a “proclamation” concerning the Jews.
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
== After acknowledging that Cyrus has responded to God and in return to this acknowledgement God gave to him all the Kingdoms of the earth.
== But there is some condition to this unmerited favor, this Grace that God has given Cyrus… He must return, rebuild and restore the Jews to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the Temple.
== Verse 3
3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.
== Here an important statement is made. The Jews were given opportunity to “let him go up to Jerusalem.”
== It was not a command, IF you wanted to stay in Babylon you could’ve.
== Application: Jesus gives opportunity to join in the work that He is doing. It is NOT required, It is an act of freewill to join him.
== Verse 4
4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”
== Notice the word “sojourns”
== Let each survivor as he travels as a “stranger” in his own land.
== We too are being asked to engage in our world, to walk as strangers in a foreign land.
== God’s work is accomplished with the freewill offerings of those who worship him.
== Freewill offerings include the “total tithe.” God wants at least 10% of our time, 10% of our talent and 10% of our treasure.
== Let’s move forward to verse 7
The treasure dedicated to the Temple is a symbol of God's provision.
7 Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods.
== When God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to put the Jews into captivity
== He took EVERYTHING, any and all things of value he took back to Babylon with him.
== Cyrus is giving back gold, silver, censers… The vessels are being returned to their rightful place.
Understanding our need for spiritual rebuilding in Christ.
== We have talked about our foundation in Christ many times
== Is it build on the sand that is blown or washed away.
== One that we can plant our flag in… one that we can invest and re-invest in our ministry and our church.
== The real challenge is this… Understanding and taking the challenge to “spiritually rebuild our lives in Christ.
== As we close and prepare for communion let’s review our application steps
Return — Rebuild — Restore #1 God has given to us this “unmerited favor,” this “Grace” to return, rebuild and restore First Baptist.
Return — Rebuild — Restore #2 Our church and ministry will be Restored by those who have the vision and want to put in the work.
Return — Rebuild — Restore #3 Jesus will give us everything that we need to rebuild our church. The same way that he resourced the Jews to rebuild the temple.
Return — Rebuild — Restore #4 Much has been lost. We were NOT engaged in the things of Christ. God is asking us NOW return, rebuild and, restore.
Return — Rebuild — Restore #5 All that was taken from the Jews was returned to rebuild and restore the Temple. All that FBC lost will be restored and God will be praised
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Closing: The temple was rebuilt… why, Because God resourced, ordained and allowed it to happen… How was it rebuilt, by the faithful followers of God in their return to Jerusalem.
We too can rebuild our Spiritual lives with Christ as the captain and with The Spirit as our guide.
Ultimately, Jesus must be our foundation for redemption, renewal, and restoration. In our own lives as well as in the lives of the world and our church.
Communion
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.