God Given Opportunities
Rebuilding • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsThe Lord's stirs the hearts of people to bring about His purposes
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Welcome
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Remind everyone about the Online Revival
It will be Monday through Friday
5 speakers all preaching from their church facebook page
CCBA will have the links
Remind everyone to pray for each other
I’m hearing stories from members who are ministering to each other
Some are making masks
Some are making phone calls
Some are praying
Keep it up
We are going to take a journey through the book of Ezra for the next few weeks
Ezra tells the story of God rebuilding the temple after 70 years in exile
It captures the way God worked to bring about much needed change in the lives of God’s people
The message today is titled, “God Given Opportunities”
One of the classes I am taking is church History
It is the most boring class I have ever attended in my life
The book is boring
Most of the content is boring
BUT the purpose is so that we as a church can see how God worked within the church over the past 2,000 years
Its to understand the mistakes and triumphs so we do not make them again
Ezra is very similar
It is a book that sees the hand of God instead of simply historical events
Its a book aboutGod working in history to fulfill His purposes
And we are going to see today how God brought opportunity to his people in the midst of despair
I have spoken repeatedly about looking to see what God is doing in all this corona mess
The church has never experienced anything like we are experiencing today
Separated
Stuck inside our houses for the most part
And waiting everyday fore the word to come that we can resume life as normal
But I don’t think God wants things to go back to normal
If we take an honest assessment of our world today it is in need of desperate chnage
And that change begins in the church
And within the church change begins on an individual level
Background
Ezra picks up right where 2 Chronicles stops
The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy. Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand.
God’s chosen people were carried off into slavery because they needed change in their lives
They mocked the messengers of God
They despised the words of God
“Therefore He brought up against them the king of Chaldeans”
God handed them over ‘He gave them all into his hand”
God uses Historic Events as opportunity for change
God uses Historic Events as opportunity for change
Many of the Israelites thought God had abandoned them
Some thought God was weak and unable to keep them as a nation
But had something bigger in mind
His plan was not to do away with them, but to bring change to them
They were exiled for 70 years
The temple was destroyed
The great wall surrounding Jerusalem was destroyed
Everything was gone that they had known
The great dwelling place of God
The ark of the covenant
All that reminded them of the Lord God was destroyed and they were taken captives to a pagan land
70 years passed while they lived in Babylon
And then a new king rolled into town and took control of Babylon
He was the most powerful man in the world named Cyrus
And this is where the book of Ezra begins
But things would never go back the way they were
But things would never go back the way they were
And this is was God’s intention
And I believe it is God’s intention for us
This a time to revaluate what we are doing and make the necessary changes
Verse 1
God Places people in Power According to His Purposes (verses 1)
God Places people in Power According to His Purposes (verses 1)
“The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia”
King Cyrus was not a saved man (NT terms)
Verse 3: “Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him”
He does not speak of the Lord as his God but of their God
Cyrus was a pagan king who God used
He stirred the spirit within king Cyrus
This is not the spirit of God
This is his human spirit
Cyrus did not just wake up one day and make the decision to rebuild the temple and free God’s people
Verse 1: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled”
This proclamation happened in 538 BC
This is exactly 70 years after they were taken captive
“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.
God has the ability to influence anyone to bring about His purposes
God has the ability to influence anyone to bring about His purposes
He has the ability to control the unbelievers
He has the ability to control kings and those in authority
He has the ability to control weather, catastrophic events
He has the ability to control pestilence and famine
There is nothing that is out of God reach
Application: The people in office today because it often takes persecution to change a church
Is it any shock that our governor vetoed the abortion bill?
It’s not a shock to me
We knew his stance on abortion before he ever got into office
Why would God allow him to step into office and take innocent lives?
Because it often takes persecution for the church to wake up!
I would be willing to bet more people were on their hands and knees praying when Obama was in office than ever before
It is a proven fact that the church exploded after 911
People look to God when circumstances turn for the worst
And what God is trying to do is get the church to wake up!!
Persecution changes people and change is what God is interested in
I’m not saying we are persecuted…China is persecuted and Christianity is growing more there than anywhere in the world
We are experiencing what we are AS A WAKE UP CALL
And when we go back to church we want it to be different!
We want it to be full of God’s power
We want it to be a community of joy
We want it to bring glory to Jesus Christ
Verse 2-4
God gives the people a choice to respond to Him
God gives the people a choice to respond to Him
“Who is among you of all His People/ May the Lord his God be with him, and LET HIM GO UP!”
The Jews were not kicked out of Babylon
They were given permission to return if they wished
“Let him go” up is the giving of permission to the people
The thought of going back to Jerusalem had to be a fearful thing
The temple was destroyed and had to be rebuilt
The wall around Jerusalem was torn down and had to be rebuilt
To go would mean hardships
sufferings
insecurities
To stay just like they were was the easier choice
They didn’t have to do anything
Babylon wasn’t too bad
Nebuchadnezzar was tolerable
And now Cyrus is even acknowledging God
So God sent them a message to put things into focus
Haggai 2:3 “Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?
In other words, “Take an honest assessment of your life!”
Take an honest assessment of the temple
Take an honest assessment of your love for the things of God!
Take an honest assessment of our spiritual condition
Application: If there was ever a time when you were more godly, when the church was more spiritual, when worship was more meaningful...then we have drifted from God and the most desperate need in our lives is HIM
Who saw the temple in its former glory?
And how do we see it now?
How was this church 50 years ago?
How was your spirituality 20 years ago?
God is saying: ITS TIME FOR THE CHURCH TO WAKE UP!!
God is trying to get our attention
We have gotten too comfortable in our lives
We have gotten too comfortable in our church with routine rather than an experience with God
Verses 5-6
God calls and equips His people who are willing to go (Verse 5-6)
God calls and equips His people who are willing to go (Verse 5-6)
“with all whose spirits God had moved , arose to go up”
God moved the spirit within his people to arise and go
If you are wondering what you can do the first step is to be willing
God does not need qualified people
God needs willing people
“And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver, gold”
God moved the hearts of people to rise and build
God gave them every resource they needed to carry out the task
This is what I am asking the church to do....carry on the work we began.
We have a mission before us and when we return I want us to go at it twice as hard
I want us to stay on our knees ands pray for revival
I want us to make everything in the church about bringing God glory
I want us to be willing to change things that need to change
I want us to have a burning blazing fire for God like He desires
As I studied for this sermon and prayed over it, God laid on my heart the 18-20 we have had risen to the work God has called us to
I know not everyone is able to come, but I am so grateful for those who God has stirred their hearts to
God does great things through those who are willing
for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Final thoughts
Don’t waste your time on meaningless things
Don’t fret over things you cannot change
Look to God and listen to His voice
Lets not go back to the way things were
Let’s make everything about bringing glory to God
If God is moving your spirit today be obedient to His voice
If He calls you, He will equip you
~PRAYER~