Heart of a Warrior: Men Called to Revival and Action
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Introduction
Introduction
[Ezra 9:5-15]
In Ezra 9, we witness the prophet Ezra’s heartbreak over Israel’s unfaithfulness and his fervent prayer of repentance. This moment gives us a powerful image of a man passionately seeking God’s holiness, integrity, and leadership.
Today, we are called to live out our faith with the same devotion, standing firm in Christ as leaders in our homes, workplaces, and communities.
Before we dive into the call to action in Ezra, let me make this clear: this is a call to action, not complacency.
I don’t know about you, but, I love my nation, my state, my community, my church family, and my wife and kids. But above all else, I love my God.
After all, it wasn’t my family, nation, or community who died on the cross for my sins—it was Christ alone!
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
I believe too many Christian fail to understand and realize that what Jesus accomplished on the cross would have taken you an eternity to repay in hell. We have a Savior who has no equal, who is truly worthy of our praise and adoration, all of our worship!
There is no amount of works or good deeds can save us. Salvation comes through belief in and confession of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Now that we are all on the same page, we’ve been given a responsibility to live for Christ.
As my favorite preacher, Charles Spurgeon, stated,
“If Christ has died for me... I cannot trifle with the evil that killed my best Friend. I must be holy for His sake. How can I live in sin when He has died to save me from it?”
How similar are our times to Ezra’s! Our hearts should break over the sin in our lives and the sin running rampant in our nation.
What our nation desperately needs is another great awakening and a revival in our communities.
If we truly want to see our communities transformed, we need to embrace five essential truths. We must:
Pray more, both corporately and privately, with persistence and fervency.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Pursue holiness and repentance, separating ourselves from worldliness and sin.
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Remain faithful to the truth of God’s Word, without compromise.
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Be willing to pay the cost of revival, enduring suffering for Christ’s sake.
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Live with urgency, rejecting complacency and embracing our calling in Christ.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Let’s break down these truths, beginning with the life-changing message found in Ezra.
1. Call to Lead (Ezra 9:5-6; Joshua 24:14-15)
1. Call to Lead (Ezra 9:5-6; Joshua 24:14-15)
Ezra’s Example:
5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God. 6 And I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
Ezra's prayer demonstrates a leader’s responsibility to seek God earnestly, not only for himself but for those he leads.
Joshua’s Challenge:
14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua set a standard for his family and community to follow God’s ways, regardless of others' choices.
Challenge: As Men you are called to lead by example—praying over your families, influencing your communities, and living boldly for Christ.
Application: Let each man here this morning commit to godly priorities, protect those he leads from ungodly influences, and be encouraged to be committed to Christ-centered living.
2. Strength in Sacrifice (Ezra 9:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:1-4)
2. Strength in Sacrifice (Ezra 9:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:1-4)
God’s Grace in Ezra’s Day:
8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. 9 For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
Ezra acknowledges that God has preserved His people despite their failures, calling them back with mercy and strength.
Endurance Like a Soldier:
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
This passage speaks of sacrifice, discipline, and commitment in the face of challenges.
Challenge: Men embrace the strength found in laying down your life. There is a strength found in sacrifice, endurance, and being resilient. Model your life after Christ and those who emulate Christ, like Paul, who endured hardship for the gospel.
Application: Living a sacrificial life is a demonstration of true strength. After all this is the only way revival will break out, because it requires your willingness to submit to Christ and endure hardship for His sake.
3. Accountability and Brotherhood (Ezra 9:10-12; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14)
3. Accountability and Brotherhood (Ezra 9:10-12; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14)
Ezra’s Plea for Purity:
10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land, with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from one end to another with their impurity. 12 Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’
Ezra calls for purity and strength by obeying God’s standards, knowing that community accountability strengthens faith.
Paul’s Call to Stand Firm:
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.
These verses challenges men to support one another, remain vigilant, and model love and strength.
Challenge: Accountability builds a foundation for integrity. men walk alongside other godly men, creating relationships that help them stay grounded and uphold biblical values.
Application:
Suggest forming or joining small groups, where men can encourage one another, pray together, and speak truth into each other’s lives, sharpening one another as “iron sharpens iron.”
4. Action in the Family (Ezra 9:13-15; Micah 6:8)
4. Action in the Family (Ezra 9:13-15; Micah 6:8)
Acknowledgment of Guilt and Dependence on God:
13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, 14 should we again break Your commandments, and join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor? 15 O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!”
Ezra’s heartfelt confession demonstrates that he depends entirely on God’s mercy.
Micah’s Call to Action:
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
This verse reinforces that men’s actions should reflect justice, mercy, and humility.
Challenge: Leading a family isn’t just about authority; it’s about cultivating a Christ-centered environment and serving as a godly example. If you won’t the world will. Those of you who are single, you are not excluded. Prepare yourselves for ministry and marriage.
Application: Encourage men to lead their families through prayer, Scripture reading, and creating a household culture that honors God. Challenge them to pray with their spouses and children, be open about their faith, and practice humility and mercy.
5. Purposeful Stewardship (1 Corinthians 13:13)
5. Purposeful Stewardship (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Paul’s Instruction:
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
This verse, no this whole chapter emphasizes that every action should be rooted in love, demonstrating purpose and intention in our stewardship.
Urgency Over Complacency: We are called to live with a sense of urgency. Let each man reject complacency and embrace the call to action.
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
Challenge: Remind men that their time, talents, and resources are entrusted to them by God for His purposes. They are called to live intentionally and invest in what has eternal significance.
Application: Challenge men to live urgently—killing sin, sharing their faith, and remaining steadfast in prayer and the Word.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let each man here recognize this as a call to action, not complacency. We have a job to do. There’s no arguing with this responsibility—it’s time to get right with Jesus, to kill sin, to share our faith, and to immerse ourselves in prayer and Scripture. Revival begins here, with each of us.
24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
