Who Wouldn't Serve A God Like This?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Theme: A God Who is Unique
Word for the Week is Uniqueness: The quality of being without an equal. Scripture stresses the uniqueness of God and of the salvation that is available only from him. Jesus Christ is the unique mediator between God and humanity.
Memory verse: Exodus 15:11 ““Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?”
Essence of the Text: The post-exilic saints rebuild the temple and praise the LORD with joy.
Proposition: Saints should recognize and rejoice in the uniqueness ways God has provided for them throughout their lives.
Objective: I want those in attendance to show appreciation to God for the unique ways He brought joy to their lives.
Sermon Passage: Ezra 6:22
And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
I. The Unconventional Plan
I. The Unconventional Plan
Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.
Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.
II. The Usual Protest
II. The Usual Protest
Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the Lord.
Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building,
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
III. The Unhindered Praise
III. The Unhindered Praise
Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel.
And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
A. Unlikely Person
A. Unlikely Person
And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: “Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits,
(To release the people)
It is one thing to use one of your followers but to use a pagan, an unbeliever, a heathen is a different thing.
B. Unusual Provision
B. Unusual Provision
Moreover I issue a decree as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God: Let the cost be paid at the king’s expense from taxes on the region beyond the River; this is to be given immediately to these men, so that they are not hindered.
And whatever they need—young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the priests who are in Jerusalem—let it be given them day by day without fail,
that they may offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
(To rebuild the temple)
C. Unimaginable Protection
C. Unimaginable Protection
Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and your companions the Persians who are beyond the River, keep yourselves far from there.
Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site.
Also I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and let his house be made a refuse heap because of this.
And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently.
And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
GOD MADE THEM JOYFUL
PSALM 30:5 “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”
PSALM 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,”
GOD DID IT
HE CHOSE AN UNLIKELY PERSON
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
1 John 4:9 “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”
Gal 4:4 “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,”
HE PROVIDED AN UNUSUAL PROVISION
Phil 4:19Phil 4:19 “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
HE GAVE AN UNIMAGINABLE PROTECTION
Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
ROMANS 8:37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Believers’ SECURITY, CHRIST IS THE ANCHOR THAT SECURES us
Believers’ SUPPLIER, CHRIST IS THE ABUNDANCE THAT SUPPLIES us
Believers’ BANK, CHRIST IS THE WEALTH THAT ENRICHED us
CHRIST IS THE PROVISION THAT SATISFIES US
GOD IS THE ATONEMENT THAT JUSTIFIES US
GOD IS THE DEFENSE THAT KEEPS US
GOD IS THE EXAMPLE THAT INSPIRES US
GOD IS THE HELP THAT SUSTAINS US
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPEN TO ME THAT WAS GOOD GOD DID IT.
THE LORD IS OUR HERO
Hero means that HE
Hinders Every Rebellious Objective
He Encourages Righteous Obedience
He Eliminates Random Obstacles
He Evokes Ruined Opportunities
Holy Eternal Righteous Overcomer
LOOK AT SAINTS TODAY
What new truth did you learn from the sermon today?
After hearing the sermon, what sinful thoughts, feelings, desires, actions, or inactivity did the Holy Spirit convict you of today?
Write out a plan to get better at living for God based on the sermon or a plan to remove your sinful thoughts, feelings, desires, actions and replacing them with scriptural thoughts and/or biblical practices:
The Scriptures: Positive and negative Bible verses on your issue you will read and meditate on in order to align your thinking with God's
a. Write out those positive verses
b. Write out those negative verses
c. When will you meditate on these verses and how often?
The Spirit: Praying in the Spirit for God to help you to hate sin and love righteousness and for God through Christ to help you to live out His Will for your life.
a. Write out a prayer using the Scriptures you wrote above.
b. How often will you pray this prayer 3 times a day, daily, every other day, weekly, etc.
c. When will you pray this prayer or what time during the day will you pray this prayer?
The Saints:Those you will look to as a model of strength in your area of wrong. Those who will hold you accountable in this area and will hold you accountable to keep your plan.
a. Name the saints God wants to help you.
b. How often will they contact you?
c. What time should they contact you?