Keep Pedaling

Steve Bowyer

Do-Overs • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

Ezra 5:1–6:12

0 ratings

· 14 views

Notes

Transcript

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Do-Overs

Ezra and Nehemiah. Israel gets a big do-over from God in the PL.

When you get a do-over from God, what do you do w/ it?

Learning to Ride

I was 5 when I learned to ride a bike.

My first bike was purple w/ a white banana seat.

Since I was 5, I never went thru the training wheels phase. Straight into the street.

My grandfather taught me to ride one afternoon.

He’s in his mid-sixties running after me holding onto that banana seat.

Some of you are thinking, “Gosh, that’s young.”

It’s scary. It’s hard. But, it’s manageable as long as he’s got ahold of the seat.

It’s when he let go that things got real.

The problem was, I didn’t know when he let go.

I’d look around, he’s gone, quit pedaling, crash and burn.

Okay, let’s do it again. A do-over.

And, we’d do it again. Same result.

How many times did we do it that day? Enough for me to get it.

How’d I do it? How’d any of us do it? Keep pedaling and eventually we succeed.

God has given us basic abilities to balance and strength in our arms and legs. First, I trusted my grandfather. Then, I trusted in the abilities God gave me.

But, I had to keep pedaling to realize I had the stuff to do it.

Wherever it came from, I had the stuff to succeed.

Last weekend I was at a conference in Tucson w/ my FIL hosted by Dallas Seminary. It was a fund-raiser.

The room was filled w/ lots of alphabetical people.

I was one of a few grads with ThMs. (Masters in Theology).

There were MDs, PhDs, MBAs, and others.

Some influential people.

Sitting around the tables at meal time, they’d want to know what it was like to study a Dallas Seminary.

The center piece of the curriculum is Bible Study.

3 years of Greek, 2 years of Hebrew.

We study every book, chapter, verse in the bible.

Some in depth and detail. Some as surveys and overviews.

Languages were the hardest.

As I told the stories of my experiences, they could all relate as they had hard courses, too.

We all had that class that kicked our tails.

Failure was part of the deal.

Get up. Keep going. Try again. Get a ‘C’. Pass the class.

Barely, but pass.

It doesn’t matter if you’re 5 and learning to ride a bike. Or, if you’re 17 and in high school. Or, if your 25 or 35 and learning a new subject in grad school.

It’s all hard.

It’s hard. Crashing and burning is part of the process.

When you get a do-over, just keep pedaling and trust that God has given you the stuff to succeed and will continue to provide and protect you until it’s done.

God will never call you to start something that He won’t give you what you need to finish.

Just b/c it’s hard does not mean He is not providing.

Last week we looked at . The Jews heard the voices around them and lost the voice of God in all the noise.

They quit.

God had given the a do-over. Another chance at success in the PL. They just had to follow His lead, be faithful and obedient.

Beginning with rebuilding the temple where they could reestablish the Mosaic covenant worship.

But, due to their fear, lack of faith, not trusting that God had either already provided the stuff or that He wouldn’t protect them or provide any more; they quit.

Now what? Is it over?

No. B/C a gracious God gave them another chance. Another do-over.

The Preachers

Zerubbabel was the civil leader. Like the mayor.

Joshua was the religious leader. He handled the day-to-day religious activities. The sacs and all the logistics of collecting them, butchering them and burning them.

Haggai and Zechariah were the prophets. The preachers.

They would be off in the wilderness then show up when they had a word from God for the Jews.

Kind of anti-social, out there, weird.

But, when they came to town, pay attention. The message is important.

Haggai 2:4 NIV

But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 4

Zechariah 4:8–9 NIV

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

The foundation had been laid, but then they quit. 16 years there was no work done on the temple.

From 535 BC to 520 BC. It sat as an uncompleted monument to their fear and lack of faith.

Haggai got after them. Be strong. God is w/ you. God has given you whatever you need to do the work.

Get back to work.

Then, Zechariah, reassured them that God would protect them and continue to provide whatever they will need to complete it.

Zerubbabel started it, he will oversee its completion.

Be brave enough to trust God and obey what He has promised.

He will provide what you need to complete what He led you to start.

Now, get busy!

They did. And, like last time, the opposition got busy, too.

When it happened before, they quit.

Not this time.

Voices of Opposition

Ezra

Ezra 5:3–5 NIV

At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.

Tattenai was responsible king Darius for the region.

A major construction project would have caught his attention.

To his understanding, this was an act of rebellion. Artaxerxes had ordered the project stopped.

“Who authorized this work?” You need a permit to do the work. Show me.

Just like the Coconino Co. inspector. Show me your permit.

“Who’s building this?”

If you’re in violation, someone is going to pay a hefty fine and go to prison.

It’s one thing to do the work anonymously. But, who’s willing to step up and write their name down as a builder?

An attempt to overwhelm and intimidate, once again.

Scare them. Fear tactics worked before.

But, this time they had more courage. They trusted that God had His eye on them. He always did, but they didn’t believe it before.

Belief doesn’t determine truth. Nor, does dis-belief.

Just b/c you don’t believe it doesn’t mean it’s not true.

When you know God is protecting and providing no human can scare you into quitting.

But, Tattenai tried. He wrote a letter to king Darius just like his predecessors wrote to Artaxerxes.

Tattenai was a tattler.

Did Darius know what was going on here? Check the archives and hopefully he’ll shut them down, too.

Tattenai Tattled

You know when you were a kid and you wanted your brother to get in trouble you ran to mom and let her know what horrible, awful thing he was doing.

Then, you’d sit back and wait for it to hit the fan and hopefully your brother wouldn’t be able sit down on his sore bum for a while.

This is what Tattenai was doing. Stop the behavior and punish them for trying.

Tattenai says, “Here’s what they’re doing.”

Ezra 5:8–10 NIV

The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction. We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

Ezra 5:

Ezra 5:8–9 NIV

The giveaway was the large stones being transported across the region.

You can’t hide them.

There’s not hiding the large trucks carrying the paving material up and down I17.

We know when there’s a construction project going on in MP, too.

When a large truck goes by towing a trailer w/ half a house on we know something’s up.

Word gets out.

And, what’s the rumor? Don’t do any work on Tuesdays.

Is that when the county inspector cruises thru town?

Asking for a friend.

He’s not acknowledging God as The Great God. But, just as the chief God of the Jews.

It’s a polytheistic culture. But, mostly they all have on chief god.

According to Tattenai, they’ve found renewed strength, energy, and courage. They are making great progress.

He’s bragging a little. Here’s what I said and did. I’ve got the details to report. When do you want them so you know who to punish?

Also, the Jews responded. You’ll probably be interested to hear what they said to me.

Risky Response

Ezra 5:11–12 NIV

This is the answer they gave us: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

You recognize their new courage.

Servants of God, not the king of Persia! That’s risky.

And, they acknowledged their mistake the first time they were in the PL.

Not proud of it, but admitted it. They owned it.

They had a great temple and a great king, David then Solomon.

But, b/c they angered God He employed Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians to punish them.

The Persians didn’t care so much for the Babylonians, after all, they had defeated them for control of the region. But, would a non-believer give God the credit for what the Babylonians did?

Nebuchadnezzar was just an agent of God. Just like Cyrus, Xerxes, Artaxerxes and now Darius.

The Babylonians nor the Persians were ultimately responsible for the condition of the Jews. Nor, were they.

Except, they were responsible for their disobedience. But, God was responsible for their punishment and gracious Do-Over.

A skeptic would question. What do you mean God did it?

Nebuchadnezzar did it! You think God would use an unbelieving Pagan king to hurt the people He says He loves in order to facilitate their repentance and growth?

Yes.

God purged the idolatry and now a believing remnant is returning.

Neb’s gods didn’t defeat Israel. Their own God did. He used them for His purposes. Then, when He was done, He judged them.

BTW, Neb went insane for time. But, near the end of his life, he became a believer in God.

God used him, God judged him, then God saved him.

The Jewish response when on to say that Cyrus had given them the permit to do this. In fact, he was looking for a political ally in the region. God moved in his heart to send survivors back to rebuild the temple.

And, he gave back all the temple articles Neb took when he destroyed the last temple.

So, Tattenai urges Darius to check the archives. His hope is that the Jews are lying and it won’t be found.

He wants the project shut down, permanently. And those responsible punished for their disobedience.

That’s not what happened. This is what Darius found.

Spectacular

Darius found the entry in the archives. This is what it said

Ezra 6:3–5 NIV

In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.

It was a detailed account down to the dimensions of the temple. They matched exactly the first temple Solomon built.

It was to be financed entirely by the royal treasury. Tax dollars. Public money.

Can you imagine getting tax dollars to build a church today? The Jews did not even need a capital campaign to raise all the funds. It was supposed t/b financed by the government.

And then, not only were the temple articles to be returned, but Cyrus insisted that they be placed back where they were in Solomon’s temple.

You can imagine, someone resisting giving them back so just throwing them at the feet of Zerubbabel and Joshua.

But, Cyrus went so far as to say put them back where Neb found them. Place them carefully and specifically in their rightful places.

The huge stones that outed the Jews were authorized by Cyrus. They had roused suspicion w/ Tattenai but it was found that they didn’t need to worry about hiding them.

It was spectacular that Darius found this edict from Cyrus.

It freed the Jews to continue and complete the work.

Tattenai’s attempt to stop the project failed spectacularly. Instead of stopping it, he ended up paying for part of it w/ some of the taxes he collected locally.

Darrius added instructions to Cyrus’ edict for Tattenai to enforce.

Addendum

Ezra 6:6–12 NIV

Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons. Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

Leave them alone. Do not harass them.

Use your tax revenue to provide whatever they need for building supplies and daily sacrifices.

And, if anyone disobeys this edict they are to be punished with death.

Take a beam from their own house and impale them on it.

Common capital punishment of the day. This is the way Haman was executed in Esther, impaled on a pole.

Tattenai thought he would be as effective as those opposing the work had been in Artaxerxes’ reign.

He failed spectacularly.

The builders may have feared giving him their names but now are a much stronger position. State money and protection.

If they would keep building, God promised to protect and provide. And He did it using their opponents to do it.

Practically, Darius’ reign was marred by conflict throughout the region. His hope was to bring peace to at least this one area. And, like Cyrus, he needed a political ally.

If he would do this for the Jews then maybe they would do him a favor when he needed it.

The bottom line, a sovereign God had graciously given Israel a do-over they didn’t deserve. He promised He’s provide and protect them as long as they kept pedaling.

The work was hard. Those big stones had to be moved and lifted into place.

It was physically taxing, emotionally draining, and spiritually challenging.

As long as they kept pedaling, God kept providing.

When God gives you a do-over, no matter how hard it gets, keep going believing God gave you the stuff the get it done.

It’s there. Or, at least it will be when you need it.

God is a God of second chances and do-overs.

We get do-overs in life, in marriage, with friends, and with children.

Keep pedaling and trust that God will give you everything you need to complete what He led you to start.

Application

There really is only one today.

Keep pedaling

Pedal for all you’re worth

The same message as last week, really. Don’t Quit.

Don’t listen to the voices that are telling you can’t do this.

If you’re wondering if you’re doing life right, keep pedaling.

If you feel like you’re losing one of your kids or grandkids, keep pedaling.

If you wonder if your marriage is going to make it, keep pedaling.

Or, if you wonder if you’re going to get a 2nd chance at one of these or something else your afraid you’re losing.

God is a God of do-overs.

If you’re on a bike you’re probably going to crash and burn at some point.

If you’re in a class, you’re probably going to fail a quiz.

You’re going to mess up.

Every time we get a do-over it means we messed something up the last time we tried.

And, typically, when we mess up there are lasting consequences.

But, when God gives you a do-over what are you going to do w/ it?

Keep pedaling and trust that God has given you all the stuff you need to get it done today and He will give you everything you need to complete what He led you to start.