There and Back Again: The Temple Vessels' Tale // Ezra // Ben Burkholder

February 20, 2022 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us. 1 John 3:23 WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE CHILDCARE AVAILABLE Check in your child(ren) before the service begins at one of our Check-In stations. Infant Room — children from birth to 18-months Tykes Room — children 18-35-months Nursing Room/Changing Table — located beside the Tykes room in the nursery PRAYER — if you need to pray with someone, an Elder is available at the Prayer Corner after service OR fill out a card and place it on the Prayer Wall. BLESS — Looking for ways to bless those around you? Visit the BLESS wall in the back of the sanctuary. Find a card with a task that you like, take it, and hang it somewhere until you do it. ORDER OF SERVICE PRELUDE WELCOME PREP FOR WORSHIP CALL TO WORSHIP | Psalm 103:1 WORSHIP 10,000 Reasons Praise to the Lord, the Almighty Only a Holy God PRAYER SCRIPTURE READING | Jeremiah 29:4-14 MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT | FaithLife Kids ages 3 to 2nd grade are dismissed to Kids’ Worship PRAYER WORSHIP | On Jordan’s Stormy Banks GREETING SERMON | There and Back Again PRAYER WORSHIP | For the Kingdom BENEDICTION THERE AND BACK AGAIN: THE TEMPLE VESSELS’ TALE BEN BURKHOLDER 1. God lets the vessels be taken by the Babylonians 2. God humbles those gloating over vessels 3. God restores the vessels back to Jerusalem through the Persians SCRIPTURE REFERENCE New International Version is used unless otherwise indicated. Verse numbers not included requested by Pastor Ben. 2 KINGS 24:18-20 NIV “Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years…. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence.” JEREMIAH 7:3b-4 NIV “Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” 2 KING 25:1-4 NIV “So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city.” 2 KINGS 25:8-9 NIV “On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.” 2 KINGS 25:13-15 NIV Then, comes the pillaging of the Temple vessels: “The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried the bronze to Babylon. They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.” DANIEL 5:1-4 NIV “King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.” DANIEL 5:5-6 “Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.” DANIEL 5:22-23 NIV “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.” DANIEL 5:24-28 NIV “Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN 26 “Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians...” DANIEL 5:30-31 NIV That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.” EZRA 1:1-11 NIV In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’” Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites— everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings. Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. This was the inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 silver pans, 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls, 1,000 other articles. In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem. ANNOUNCEMENTS YOUTH GROUP TONIGHT | 6:30 p.m. | THIRD FLOOR Questions? Contact Taylor Brown. WEEKLY MINISTRIES TUESDAY JOY A morning devotion time hosted by Pastor Dan. MEN'S FELLOWSHIP FATHER AND SON LEGO BUILD SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26 2:30-4:30 p.m. | ROOM 111 Dads, want to spend time with your son(s)? Come and join other dads and their boys for an afternoon of Legobuilding fun. Popcorn and prizes for special designs included! Sign up in the lobby or by emailing viochem@ gmail.com. Every Thursday morning men meet for a blessed time of fellowship, study, and prayer. MOMS A group of moms who meet for fellowship, prayer, and fun. WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY A Monday morning Bible study of Colossians. YOUTH GROUP JUBILEE: SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. | ROOM 112 The College and Careers group will be hosting CCO’s Jubilee virtual conference. The Jubilee conference specializes in helping college students and others understand their callings in light of what God is doing in the world. For those wishing to join us email Gary Laird (thelairdsfive@gmail. com) for further details of the day and to give us an accurate headcount for lunch (provided). Individuals can register at jubileeconference.com All 6-12th grade students are welcome to join. We’re studying 1 John this year. SERVICES STEPHEN MINISTRY Going through a difficult time? We would love the opportunity to assist you. Email Mark Sharpnack to hear how we can stand with you in your time of need. E-GIVING is available at northparkepc.org/give WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS SUMMER MISSION TRIP OPPORTUNITY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27 11:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m. | ROOM 112 Are you interested in serving in Honduras alongside one of our veteran missionaries this summer (July 12-20)? For more information on this opportunity, come to our meeting. Questions? Contact Pastor Ben. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 MOMS 10:00 a.m. | Blue Room THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17 MEN’S FELLOWSHIP 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. | ROOM 106 WWW.NORTHPARKEPC.ORG CONGREGATIONAL MEETING SUNDAY, MARCH 6 | 9:00 a.m. | ROOM 112 This year we’ll be updating you on our financial condition and elect a Nominating Committee. Session is putting forward these for approval: Elders - Phil Van Sickel and Adam Bright; Deacons - Jody Bishop and Jim Ludwig, with Pastor Hendley as an ex-officio member. The Nominating Committee handles the approved nominations turned in by the congregation and presents them, with explanations to the nominees. LOVE THROUGH LISTENING SUNDAY, MARCH 6 | 6:30-8:00 p.m. | ROOM 112 Come for a time of prayer and a breakout on listening skills to build better connection and relationship with others. Hosted by Stephen Ministry. Questions? Contact Mark Sharpnack. FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE SATURDAY, MARCH 19 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | BLUE ROOM Fathers and daughters — come for an exciting evening of dancing, food, and fun. Sign up in the lobby or by emailing Jonathan (jmycyk8@ gmail.com). Cost is $40 — guests are FREE. We need volunteers to help serve during the event so fathers and daughters can enjoy this special evening together.