2. Ezra 8.21-23, 9.5-8 - Vision Sundays 2025

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Eavesdropping SLIDE is, generally, not a good thing… Occasionally it can bring something good though. You’ll have had that experience I’m sure - you’re speaking to a friend a about a need or a problem and someone else comes over ‘excuse me’ they say ‘i couldn’t help but overhear… I think I can help… I know I guy….”

But what about your SLIDE prayer life?

What if someone… a friend… a family member… a random passer by could eavesdrop on your prayer life, either individually (in your daily prayers - your quiet time)…

By the way - you do know that is probably THE most important habit in the CHristian life don’t you? To have a daily time of hearing from God (in the Bible) and speaking to God (in prayer). In my experience THAT simple daily habit (along with commitment to a church) is what make THE difference for those who do mature in faith, and those who don’t.

Anyway, imagine someone eavesdropping on your prayer life - whether individually in that quiet time… or collectively… imagine someone eavesdropped on our church family prayer meeting…

What would they make of it?

And if they had to decide what we believed about God, life and the world… just based on the things they heard us PRAY - what would they conclude?!

PAUSE - BREAK OFF

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Well today, on this second of our annual vision Sundays, we’re going to do some eavesdropping of our own.

We are going to listen in to two prayers from the book of Ezra - two prayers that Ezra prays…. to see what we can learn about our own desperate need to be a praying people… a praying church.

Our vision as a church is bold and stretching.. we want, God willing, to do church revitalisation and church planting in not one but (at least) three places. Our vision is to grow to become three vibrant all-age churches, each of 100 disciples.

And so we’re going to listen in to these two prayers from the book of Ezra to learn the place of PRAYER in that vision… and because there are two prayers, unusually for us, we’re looking at a couple of passages today - not just one. And we’ve got three headings (you’ll see them on your sheet) each beginning with H.

HOWEVER… before we get to that, because we’re jumping around a bit in Ezra, ratehr than going through chapter and verse, we’re going top need a fourth introductory H - a bit of HISTORY… to put it another we need to catch up on the story so far and where we find ourselves in this fascinating OlD Testament book called Ezra.

so some…

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History - the story so far

Last week we saw that God’s people are in exile - away from the promised land - because of their disobedience… God’s extraordianry patience has given way to his justice and he has allowed the Babylonian empire to ride in, sack Jerusalem, and carry many of God’s people away into exile.

During those years the Babylonian empire falls… and the new kids on the block are the Persians. In a miraculous act of God the Persian King Cyrus decides on complete policy reversal… and he is moved (by God) to allow Jewish exiles to go home… and rebuild the temple…. and restart their worship… all of which rekindles their hopes - the Lord has not forgotten his promises.

Last time we saw the first waves of exiles - over 40,000 people make their way back… with a vision to rebuild and to start work on constructing the altar, and the temple and so on. A great vision for God’s Kingdom - they were MOVED by the Lord.

We saw our own need to be MOVED by God to play our part in building here - not physical buildings, not a temple… but building with living stones( as the Bible calls them) - building for Christ’s church.

Anyway with some people back in the land the rebuild begins… and then comes the opposition. There are those who try to get the project shut down… letters are sent back and forth to the Persian overlords… but eventually the temple is almost complete (although those who saw the first temple think it looks awful small).

And so ends the first ‘Act’ in the book of Ezra.

The next Act begind in chapter 7…. when a new wave of exiles return… and leading this fresh band of home-comers is EZRA himself.

Ezra is a priest…. and a teacher of God’s Word.

And we see a second miraculous turn of events. The new King of Persia (Artaxerxes) again commands folk to return, led by Ezra…

Pickup the story, see what this King says to Ezra - just look at chapter 7 v12

MULTIPLE SLIDES

Ezra 7:12–15 NIV

12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. 13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

Isn’t it remarkable? Here is another Persian King commanding other Jewish exiles to return… AND Making sure they have the money and resources - including large quantities of Gold, SIlver, and other bits… to ensure the temple is finished and that worship and preaching and teaching may be properly re-established.

SLIDE ‘Chapter 8…’

And then at the start of chapter 8 (you’ll see it if you have your Bibles open) we get another list (just like in chapter 2 with the fist waves) - of this SECOND WAVE of exiles returning home - a small group this time. If you total up the numbers it’s around 1500 men - plus of course women and children - so a few thousand people.

And then, just as they’re about to leave Ezra gathers them all together… there is an issue with personnel… there aren’t Levites to serve in the temple (and the temple won’t be able to function without them)… but because God’s hand is upon the people… but a party of folk are dispatched and they come back with a guy named SHerebiah described as ‘a capable man’ and his sons and brothers - 18 in all (says chapter 8 verse 18).

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by the way, just as an aside…. we find ourselves today with a similar crisis of leadership.

If we want to see Elgin Free Church revitalised… and Forres Free Church planted we need AT LEAST two new ministers. We need (quote unquote) “capable (and Godly) men”.

SLIDE - “Capable men, and the resources to fund them”

And we need resources to fund that.

We have Brian and Sheryl with us… and what a blessing they have been in leadership. But they will head home to the states either in 8 months, or (if they manage to extend their visa by a year) in 20 months (not long)

Having one minister split between two churches is better than nothing but it is far from ideal and it is not sustainable - particularly if we want to be in MISSION MODE (not just church MAINTANANCE mode).

This is a resources issue and a personnel issue.

A resources issue because our giving (collectively) is quite a way off having the money to be able to fund a second minister.

More widely it’s a personnel issue because we have a national crisis at the moment with a serious lack of men coming forward for ordained full-time ministry. Since covid numbers have tanked… this is a UK wide problem (you see it in other parts of the world too).

We desperately need people who will commit their lives to full-time gospel ministry. And here we need the resources to fund that.

Anyway - we digress… Ezra has this squad of a few thousand folk lined up… about to depart to head home… we’ve (finally) reach the first of our two passages - chapter 8 from v21….

We’ve also reached our first heading.

What is it Ezra will do before they being this epic journey and task…?

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1. Humble Fasting & Prayer (8:21)

Read from v21 SLIDE

Ezra 8:21 NIV

21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

Before they take a step… before they heave the bags on their shoulders… before they get near Jerusalem… Ezra stops them all and says - NO FOOD! We’re going to fast.

Have you ever fasted? - Fasted and prayed?

It seems to me that fewer and fewer Christians have - perhaps especially in our church circles.

We have perhaps been put off fasting by Jesus’ teaching (in the negative) on this subject. SLIDE

Matthew 6:16 NIV

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

Jesus is clear don’t fast to make it a relgious show before others…. don’t fast to virtue signal how spiritual you are. But do you notice he DOESN’T say ‘dont’ fast at all’. IF FACT - look at the start of that verse - Jesus assume we WILL fast. “When you fast…” he says.

Fasting is simply the deliberate going without food (or, I suppose you could extend the idea, the deliberate going without some other regularly enjoyed good gift from God.

Why do it? Because fasting signifies something very important.

Fasting reminds us we are desperately dependent on God. When our bellies are full… just like when our bank accounts are bulging… we tend to forget just how dependent we are on the Lord. Physicall hunger is like a remidner of our deeper hunger - our deeper need for God’s grace, forgiveness and help.

Fasting reminds us there are more important times than the here and now (we live for our future in the new creation)…. Fasting reminds us there are more important things that our own comfort.

Fasting reminds us we do not live by bread alone - in other words fasting shouts to us (like only an empty stomach can) that we have bigger and greater needs even than food - we need GOD and his grace.

And so fasting is almost always accompanied by prayer, and particualrly, by humbling ourselves in prayer and askig for God’s mercy and forgiveness. Fasting doesn’t twist God’s arm to do things for us… fasting certainly doesn’t earn us brownie poitns we can cash in with the Lord for spiritual (or material) blessings - NO, everything we have from God is an undeserved gift…. but fasting does US great good for all the reasons listed.

BREAK OFF TO APPLY

You’ll see we have a week of prayer coming up. You might like to build some fasting into that too - don’t flaunt it in front of others, do it quietly and let it help you pray and humbly depend on God.

Ezra leads the people in doing just that…. before their journey back from exile - I guess it serves as a remider of why they are IN exile - becuase of their sin… they need to come humbly to God, in need of his mercy…

AND (of course) asking for his help…

That’s point 2….

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2. Helpless Dependence & Reliance (8:21-23)

Read again - v21 SLIDE

Ezra 8:21 NIV

21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

Now, it’s always good to pray for God’s help when travelling - never a bad thing, but grasping the backstory helps us understand this prayer.

For a start we’re told chapter 7 v9) that Ezra’s journey takes four months (on foot)…. and they cover a distance of something like 900 miles. So it ain’t a trip to the shops…

But more than that… remember (again, astonishingly) that they have been given huge quantities of gold, silver and other items to fund the work on the temple and the re-stablising of worship. All in all its a bout 25 tonnes of silver and 8 Kilos of gold - not to mention all the other bits and bobs. That is both a BIG and a valuable cargo.

The initial wave (of over 40,000 returnees) were probably big enough not to have to worry about being ambushed on thes road… but Ezra leads this smaller crew (just a few thousand) with a hugely valuable cargo - and their are no road traffic police patrols.

They are at risk of attack, ambush, theft… it’s a perilous and difficult thing they are about to do.

NO WONDER Ezra impresses upon the people - “we cannot do this alone…. in fact we cannot do this at all… we are totally reliant on God’s help, provision and protection”.

We do not face a 900 mile journey carrying silver and gold. But if we are to see our vision realised.. if we are to see many dozens of peopel come to faith… and deeply discipled…. if we are to see new leaders raised up…. to see our giving increase… to see this army of people put to work… if we are to see several new staff or ministers employed… youth and children’s ministry grow… big impacts made on our communities across Moray…. (by the way this is not a complete list and they are not in any particular order - they are simply the sorts of thigns which will need to happen if we are to see our vision fulfilled)… if we’re to see all of this which will, we trust, enable us to grow to become three vibrant all-age churches each of 100 disciples… we are going to need God’s provision…. that much is obvious…

And we are going to need God’s protection.

By the way - perhaps praying for protection is the bit we often miss - these exiles returning home carrying the silver and gold know they need protection from bandits… but we carry something much more precious. We have the saving good news of Jesus… we are to take THAT to people. But when God’s church grows… when people come to faith… when discipleship happens… we need to remember we have an ENEMY - Satan himself of HATES it… and he wants to rob us of this gospel progress and he will use any means and methods he can.

He will draw us into sin… sow division in the church… bring discouragement… get the people bogged down dealing with anything but gospel progress…. he will attach leaders and people alike - and their families. Wherever the gospel GOES is will be OPPOSED.

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1 Peter 5:8 NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

So we need to learn the lesson that Ezra already knows… as we set out together on Mission we MUST be a praying church. Perhaps we could extend that and say a fasting and praying church.

When we pray on a Sunday….

When we meet fortnightly for prayer on a Wednesday…

When we pray every monday morning (specifically FOR our Mission and Vision on Zoom).

When you pray daily - again, do you have the daily discipline of Bible abd prayer, Bible and prayer?)

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all of this is CRUCIAL. And in our prayers - of course we’ll want to pray for many things. For ourselves, our families, those close to us, for world events, and much more besides. But do we make our church MISSION and VISION a point for prayer??

That will be our focus this week. We’re going to pray - perhaps you’ll fast as well at points (don’t fast all week, not medically wise). Will you join us to PRAY?! Join us every day on Zoom, half an hour each weekday morning - short and sharp, to the point, half an hour of coming before God to ask for his provision in our vision…. to ask for real progress in our vision… to ask for protection as we pursue this vision.

Then each day - either at 3:10pm (or, if you prefer, 10:03pm - OR both) I want to ask you to set an alarm, maybe on your phone (or whatever) and pray, on your own or in your family for our Mission and vision. Theres nothing magic about those numbers - 3 and 10… they are simply to remind us of our vision… when you see those threes and ones and zeros… I want you to remember that our vision SLIDE is to pray for 3 vibrant sall ages churches. each of 100 disciples.

And then on Wednesday evening we’ll have an evening of prayer and praise together (now this is a change to the advertised - the venue is going to be Burghead, rather than Elgin - because we had the Free Church regional prayer meeting in Elgin last week). We will gather around tables, as we so often do, we’ll sing praise, and we’ll pray - crying out to God for our Mission and vision.

Likewise on the Saturday morning - this would usually be our mens breakfast - we’re converting it to be a mens PRAYER breakfast - and that’s in Elgin Free Church. There’ll be breakfast (so, no fasting) but there will be prayer - again for provision, progress and protection in our mission and vision.

Finally - don’t forget the Pray Elgin event (flyers at the back).

BREAK OFF

So there is Ezra, gathering the troops, calling for humility, and fasting and prayer… before setting out.

And to fast forward, look at chapter 8 v31 SLIDE

Ezra 8:31–32 NIV

31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

They MAKE IT! God answers their prayers…. they bring the gold and silver and all the rest for the temple, it’s all carefully counted, set aside for the work and so on…. things LOOK GREAT..

But it turns out they’re not great.

See our third point now…

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3. Heartfelt Confession & Repentance

You see Ezra gets a knock on teh door… a visit from other leaders, already in the city… And the report is not good. Pick it up in chapter 9 verse 1

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Ezra 9:1 NIV

1 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.

Now please understand… the Israelites WEREN’T commanded against inter-racial marriage because of the racial aspect… remember, in God’s unfolding plans throughout the big story of the Bible… his whole purpose in call Abraham and the nation of Israel his family line becomes is to spread the BLESSING of his rescuing grace to ALL nations… and today WE the church are a truly global family, with people from every tribe and nation and langue and people and skin colour and all the rest.

The issue here is not race…. it’s faithfulness to God. God knows that if the Israelites marry outside the nation…. they will end up being drawn away after other Gods…. becoming worshippers of the idols of the nations around them…. which, sadly, is EXACTLY what happens.

They’ve made it back to the land… God has been faithful… but the same old unfaithful rebellious habits continue…

ANd here we see the second major prayer in the book of Ezra.

But before he prays… he pauses. Do you see it there? look at v3

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Ezra 9:3–4 NIV

3 When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.

Ezra tears his clothes and then he just sits there appalled for the rest of the day.

There’s a PAUSE (thats’ your subheading)

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Pause

Again there’s a lesson here for us. There are those times inScripture when God must first do a work IN the people before he can do a work THROUGH the people. Ezra looks and sees and assesses - HONESTLY the sins of his people.

We need to see the state of play before we can begin to pray.

The state of play with US - in our own hearts. I must consider if the thing holding back progress in Godliness… and in our vision… is my own rebellion and sin. And can I suggest you must do the same.

Are we apathetic toward Christ? Are we hooked on kust or sexual sin? Are there lies we are telling to ourselves, or others?

There is sin in our own hearts to be repented of.

RIFF - we know the full picture of the grace of God in a way Ezra did not… he had signposts and shadows in teh temple - we see the reality in Christ - come to him in repentance and faith - he has fully paid for the sins of his people.

There is also the mess of the world around us. We are a nation that has fallen far from where we were (not everyting about the past was better of course - far from it - that kind of rose-tinted thinking isn’t Christian thinking) but there are things we’ve lost (church decline… the place of scripture in our lives and culture - the land of the book! We are the land of many things but not the land of the book any longer).

So there’s a pause…. and then (for Ezra) there is more prayer.

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Prayer (repentance from sin & remembering God’s grace)

Read on now…

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Ezra 9:5–7 NIV

5 Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God 6 and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

RIFF - repentance

So there’s repentance and then there is REMEMBERING - remembering God’s grace shown.

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Ezra 9:8–9 NIV

8 “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

We know God’s grace in ways that Ezra does not have fully revealed.

This is the grace we long to share - that’s what our vision is all about.

But, like Ezra we must be a praying people.

So will you join us in being that and doing that this week?

And let’s do that right now - lets pray