Ezra 3:10-13

Rebuilding the House of the Lord – Ezra 3:10-13

In our community, we have recently been hit hard by COVID-19, we have endured a lot of changes because of it. We have had to stop meeting together for a while, and we had to adjust the way we interact in the Lord’s house. It seems like the church is being the focal point of attack by Satan, as churches all around us are dealing with the same struggle.

Even today, churches that are meeting don’t have the attendance they once had, because fear has gripped many people. It almost seems like the church as we knew it has been destroyed. What we are facing seems to echo what we see happened in the scriptures, when the first temple was destroyed and the people were taken into captivity.

Doesn’t it seem like we are in captivity? That we are being told what we can and can’t do. That life has become much more difficult and the house of the Lord where we once dwelt in has been destroyed. Well, it is time we did just like the nation of Israel did, turn back to God, make Him our priority in life and seek him. It’s time to rebuild the House of the Lord.

[Read Scripture]

What is it that we need to do to rebuild this church? Well look at this scripture with me and let’s see how we should rebuild the house of God.

Vs 10 – We need to remember the Foundation

· Why is a foundation important? If it is not strong the house will crumble.

· The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, rises more than 2,700 feet—over half a mile tall. It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. It is home to the world’s fastest elevator that travels at 40 miles per hour. The Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest outdoor observation deck (on the 124th floor) and the world’s highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor). But the secret to the stability of this massive building is found underground. Before construction began to rise up, workers spent a year digging and pouring the massive foundation that supports the building. The foundation contains some 58,900 cubic yards of concrete weighing more than 110,000 tons. The building is safe because the foundation is solid.

· Now when I speak of foundation what is it that I mean? Well our foundation is Jesus Christ.

· 1 Corinthians 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

· We have to get the idea out of our head that we can improve the foundation, because the foundation is perfect when it is in Christ.

· Now who is the foundation of your life, this church, this country? It must be Jesus Christ!

Vs 10 – We need to wear the right clothes

· Now when we come to church, one of the things that we look at when we see people, is what they are wearing. Some come dressed in a suit, some come dressed in fancy dress, and then there are others who are wearing a shirt and pants. Now who is more of a Christian?

· The priest wore a robe. Now we don’t wear robes today. But when we are born again, Christ gives us a righteous robe.

· Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

· As a young kid in middle school, I didn’t have the privilege of wearing the name brand clothes or gear. One time I was spending the night with a friend, and one of the things that I wore was an old hat my dad had given me. It was an ugly hat to be honest, but my friend let me wear one of his hats, and I felt so happy because of it.

· When we accept the Lord, he gave us a robe that should excite us to wear.

· Some of us are more concerned with the physical clothes than we are the clothes Christ gives to us, that we aren’t wearing the robe, but listen Jesus wants to see you wearing the robe.

Vs 10 & 11 – We need to praise the Lord in music and song

· Now when they came together unto the house of the Lord they sang unto the Lord. When we come together every heart ought to want to sing unto the Lord.

· They were playing trumpets and hitting cymbals.

· Music is not always in the taste we might like it, but have you considered that the music we sing is directed to Lord and I believe that the Lord has a much wider taste of music that we give him credit for.

· What was the message of their song? Give thanks! He is good, for his mercy endureth forever!

· When we sing, we ought to believe in what we are singing!

· Here was a group of people who were singing when the foundation was laid, we need to sing to Jesus for he is our foundation!

Vs 12 – Seeing things change is hard, but it shouldn’t stop our joy!

· I was thinking just yesterday, how much has changed in my life. I can recall the introduction of green-screen computers in school, I remember when cell-phones became available, I remember the unique sound of signing onto the internet, I remember the houses we lived in as kids, the family members I use to see at holidays, the friends that I once knew. Times have changed, and its not the same as it once was.

· This is how many of the older men and women felt that day when they saw the house of the Lord being rebuilt. It wasn’t quite like they remembered it being.

· How quickly our church has changed within the last year, and churches all around us. It might make us want to cry because of it.

· Church may not be what it once was for some, we don’t need to be so caught up in the past that we forget the joy that is here right now.

· Are there good old days? Yes, but those days had issues just like today. Listen, we can’t be so caught up on what once was, that we forget what Jesus is doing now.

· When we come to the house of the Lord we should come with joy! Now we might be saying it is hard for me to have joy! But listen we should have joy that we are able to meet right now!!

· Did Jesus save your soul? Did Jesus change your life? Have you been blessed by the Lord? Then give him your joy!!

Vs 13 – Let’s make the message clear from our lives and this church

· Now there was such a noise coming from this assembly, that people outside of all this couldn’t determine what was happening.

· When we talk, what is the message that we are sharing? Is it a message of joy or a message of sorrow? We need to have a clear message from our lives and from this church that when people get near us, they know that we are praising God.

· Listen the message needs to be heard, and it needs to be heard a far off. Jesus commanded us to go out and share this message.

· Are we just making noise or are we praising God? If we are to rebuild the church, let’s have a clear message of what our lives and what this church is all about.