Build His Kingdom 10

Announcements

Welcome to all those who are new here at Refuge Aviano 3 Service Challenge - and Next Steps (Today is Welcome Home Party)

Church on the Mountain, September 1st - Giais - an address will be sent via the Refuge Aviano WhatsApp announcements Full day with a Worship Service at 10am, and we’ll have a great time of food, fellowship, and fun - rain or shine!

September 6 & 7 - Known Conference, ladies register today! Guest Speakers - Rob & Candy Taylor

September 15 - Back to Church Sunday, to coincide with the Fall Semester

October 18-20 - European Fall Retreat , submit leave requests - make reservations

Recap

Ezra 1 “…build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel…”

Nehemiah 2:18 (CSB)

18 …They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.

BORDERS AND BOUNDARIES - what we have been talking about the last several weeks.

How good and necessary it is for we who have experienced God’s grace and mercy in our lives and claim Him as Master and Lord - to build borders and boundaries to protect what is holy and sacred.

Protecting primarily the presence of God, where we meet Him - often in the secret place - where on a regular basis we are one on one with God Almighty .

We draw a line between what is righteous, and what is unrighteous; between what is holy, and what is unholy. We protect the things the are holy and righteous in our lives - and we resist the things that are unholy and unrighteous. The man and woman of God yearn for these things.

It is imperative for the life of a Christian to protect our relationship with God, our time with God, our bond with God.

This is a key element as a Kingdom Builder - because this is the goal, to be used of God for His Kingdom purpose and His Will be done in Aviano as it is in Heaven.

We reflect on the prophetic nature of the Gates of Ezra and Nehemiah in: 1.The Temple - God’s presence

2. Sheep Gate - Atonement

3. Fish Gate - Gospel Evangelism

4. Old Gate - Worshiping God

5. Valley Gate - Refined Faith

6. Dung Gate - Sanctification

7. Fountain Gate - Refreshing & Power

8. Water Gate - Source of Life Eternal

9. Horse Gate - Authority Returned

10. East Gate - Reserved Access

11. Inspection Gate - Ranked & Filed

Two Gates: The East Gate & The Inspection Gate

Nehemiah 3:29–32 CSB

29 After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. And beside him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph made repairs to another section. After them Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his room. 31 Next to him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs to the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the upstairs room on the corner. 32 The goldsmiths and merchants made repairs between the upstairs room on the corner and the Sheep Gate.

East Gate

Zechariah 14:4 CSB

4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, forming a huge valley, so that half the mountain will move to the north and half to the south.

Ezekiel 43:1–2 CSB

1 He led me to the gate, the one that faces east, 2 and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice sounded like the roar of a huge torrent, and the earth shone with his glory.

Ezekiel 44:1–3 CSB

1 The man then brought me back toward the sanctuary’s outer gate that faced east, and it was closed. 2 The Lord said to me, “This gate will remain closed. It will not be opened, and no one will enter through it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain closed. 3 The prince himself will sit in the gate to eat a meal before the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gate and go out the same way.”

There is a Gate in Jerusalem that is situated solely for the Lord’s access. Ezekiel prophesied that this Gate was shut after it was built and that only when the Lord returns will it be open again. And through it will ride our King - the Champion in all of His Glory will enter the Temple gate once more.

This Gate provides the most direct access to the Temple. It has many names to include the Golden Gate, the Gate of Mercy, and even the Gate called Beautiful as we’ve read in Acts 3. This is the same Gate that Jesus accessed Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives in Matthew 21.

This Gate still stands today and is regarded the oldest gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Interestingly this Gate still stands after a couple thousand years.

This one in picture was built by Suleiman the Magnificent, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1540. He sealed it shut with concrete at a thickness of 16 feet and his reasoning was that he believed the prophecy of the Jewish Messiah returning through the Eastern Gate. He then placed a Muslim cemetery immediately outside the Gate so that it could never be used.

Whats amazing about this gate though, is that what is seen above ground is not the fullest extent of this Gate. Modern archeologists have realized that City walls - and specifically City Gates - have a track record of being built on top of each other over time. Commonly used gates will keep the same location because that’s where the easiest path of travel normally is.

So even though over thousands of years that Jerusalem’s City walls have been built and destroyed - it was found, and quite by accident - that this Eastern Gate we see here sits on a fully intact Eastern Gate that Ezekiel would be prophesying about.

David also prophesied about these Eastern Gates:

Psalm 24:7–10 CSB

7 Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord of Armies, he is the King of glory. Selah

God still has work to do in the Old City of Jerusalem - and one day those who believe and follow will be witness to these events.

For the follower of Jesus, this is prophetic in that Jesus will return. His Second Coming is imminent,

Matthew 24:27 CSB

27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

and all those who believe shall be raptured away first - as it says in

1 Thessalonians 4:14–18 CSB

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Jesus rode on a donkey first, the crowds shouted Hosanna, but soon switched their tones to crucify Him;

But next time, He will ride on a white horse, will be called Faithful and True and with justice He will judge and make war.

The first time He came, He came humbly, to submit Himself to death on the Cross, coming through the Sheep Gate as the Sacrificial Lamb and to take on the sins of the world.

Next He comes back to carry the wrath of God in judgment upon the nations of this world, His robe dipped in blood and will execute the Sword of His Word on all those who rejected Him.

The first time He came, He came with His eyes filled with tears as He wept over the City of Jerusalem,

Next time He comes, He comes with eyes like Fire, the fires of righteous judgment.

The first time He came, He came He wore a crown of thorns, and His blood ran over His shoulders and down His beaten back.

Next time He comes, He’ll come Crowned King of kings and will wear the crowns of every nation, and the government of the world will be on His Shoulders.

The first time He came, He came in the embodiment of humility.

The next time He comes, Church, He’s coming in full GLORY, carrying the wrath of Almighty God on all unrighteousness.

Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess His rank and title: King of kings and Lord of lords.

Inspection Gate

But He will not be alone. Jude 14-15

Jude 14–15 CSB

14 It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him.”

Revelation 19:14 CSB

14 The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen.

This is what the Inspection Gate is all about.

That Inspection Gate, in the Aramaic is Miphkad Gate. Many theologians go back and forth on the use of this Gate. Miphkad can be translated into four different words: Census, Registration, Appointed Place, or Appointment (as in a person appointed to a position).

We don’t know specifically how this Gate was used - whether the inspection was of inventory, or inspection of sacrificial animals that would come through the nearby Sheep Gate, or if there was some other practical use being near the Temple.

But the Bible also uses this word in a military context.

So we can look at it through the lens of recognizing John the Revelator’s prophecy, and see there is going to be a rank and file of believers that will be dressed-right-dress on that final show-down between Christ and His enemies.

We gain insight on the physical location of the Gate in relation to the Temple and note there was a Temple-focused application of this Inspection Gate.

So not only can we gain insight on the rank-and-file of all the believers that would follow Jesus going through the Eastern Gate, we also have to look at ourselves and take personal inventory.

If someone were to take a look at your life, to inspect your life, would people around you see Christ.

Paul said it this way in 1 Cor 4:4

1 Corinthians 4:4 CSB

4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me.

We need to be constantly reminded and encouraged - even daily - that we live our lives not for now or a temporary moment, but we live our lives with eternity in view - caring more for the things of eternity than for temporary we see around us.

Last Four Gates

These Last Four Gates established God’s absolute sovereignty in life.

The Water Gate references God’s all-sufficiency in that He is our soul provider in life. He sustains us. He leads us to life everlasting.

The Horse Gate references Jesus exacting God’s Wrath on Satan and the AntiChrist - defending the Righteous man and woman of God - and delivering justice upon all evil.

The East Gate references Jesus’s return and when He established His Throne to reign the world.

And the Inspection Gate references the believers and followers of Jesus - whose lives will be inspected and put in rank and file as part of the Army of God.

For the Kingdom Builder - those focused on the eternal rather than the temporal - we build our lives on these expectations - to be counted among them. To be there and be witness to God executing His Judgment on evil and forever reestablishing the Kingdom of God on this earth.

The Kingdom Builder - is one who is focused on pursuing the Presence of God - so as to know where He’s leading and preparing the way for others to know Him.

The Kingdom Builder - is one who recognizes the need to be a good steward of this life now - so that when others see our lives, they have hope AND they feel a conviction towards laying their life down for Christ so that they can have His eternal life.

God is not interested in your personal vendettas. God is not interested in you establishing your personal kingdom. God is working out everything according to HIS purpose - in that ALL would know His love for everyone in this World and that everyone would have an opportunity to be delivered from the kingdom of Darkness. For the Kingdom of Darkness will be conquered, dismantled, utterly destroyed

However, the walls we build, the borders and boundaries, we build in this life are to protect the Lord’s presence in our lives. I’m living now for eternity - not the momentary. I live now to protect my vestment in the Lord’s kingdom, not for a temporary high here on earth.

My aim is heavenly.

My goal is certainty.

My challenge is to live obediently.

And my faith is reality.

As we live with this mentality - the affect on this Aviano area, and everywhere you go - will be as partners with God, and bringing the Kingdom of Heaven near to someone who doesn’t know it yet.

First question: do you know Him? Do you know Him whose name is the Word of GOD?

Second question: will you pass inspection? Will you be numbered among them whose lives reflect the work of Jesus Christ in your life?

Third question: Do you need to take something you’re dealing with in life to the LORD? Do you need to offload some mess? Do you need to put something that has been nagging you about your walk with the Lord to rest?

Jesus says: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Nehemiah 4:17 (CSB)

17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a sword with the other.

Willingness to labor for the LORD, and to live by the Word of God.