Renewal
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
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Emotion
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Renewal
Renewal
I chose this slide for our sermon this morning because I was thinking about snow. Most of us have had the experience of standing outdoors after a new snowfall. No matter how dingy the streets looked, how sparse the foliage may have been, everything takes on a new freshness and light. Even in the middle of night when everything is covered in snow it is difficult to have total darkness.
As we get to the end of our CASKET portion of Casket Empty Series, I was reminded last week that we might need to review the casket acronym.
C - Creation - and we looked at the beginning of the Old Testament.
C - Creation
A - Abraham - and we saw that Abraham was chosen by God and there was a covenant made with him that his progeny would be a blessing to all of creation.
C - Creation
A - Abraham
S - Sinai - and we saw the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai and all the covenants that were made there.
C - Creation
A - Abraham
S - Sinai
K - Kings - and we looked at several of the kings beginning with Saul, David and Solomon, then we saw the division of the kingdom, and the way the people continued to rebel against God.
Then last week we looked at:
C - Creation
A - Abraham
S - Sinai
K - Kings
E - Exile - The Israelites are conquered by the Babylonians and driven out of the promised land.
And then today we get to:
C - Creation
A - Abraham
S - Sinai
K - Kings
E - Exile
T - Temple - which in so many ways is a new beginning for Israel. In many ways one would think that they would have learned their lesson after the exile.
As we finish the Old Testament we’re left with God’s people expecting that God himself will return to fulfill his promises. They are waiting for God to restore his covenant people and to make a way for their sins to be forgiven and the Davidic king to be put back on the throne in Jerusalem and judge the enemies of Israel.
It’s important for us to remember that Israel had been chosen as a people, a covenantal people with God. And yet, as we’ve seen throughout the Old Testament, over and over again they turn their back on God.
As they begin to move back into the land that had been promised to them way back with Abraham! They’re moving back in, and Ezra, the priest begins to pray.
Now, first a little background to this prayer - The Israelites were told to keep themselves a separate people and not to intermarry with the people of the land. Yet they did. They’d been told not to worship the gods of the people in the land, yet they did. And we saw the result. Exile.
Now as they return their given the opportunity to rebuild the temple - the place where God’s spirit had dwelt - and this is the context of Ezra’s prayer. Listen to how he prayed:
And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God,
saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.
From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.
But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery.
For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.
“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,
which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.
Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’
And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this,
shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?
O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”
This is a reading from God’s Holy Word,
Thanks be to God.
Renewal
Renewal
In the midst of their slavery, Ezra prays a prayer of confession. He recognizes their slavery and that God has not forsaken them, but even there God is still with them.
And though God has not forsaken them, he recognizes that they have forsaken God and His Commandments. He sees the circumstances that he and his people find themselves in as something they are deserving of.
So the people of Israel have begun to return to their land, but there is not an Israelite king on the throne. They are not the rulers of the land. They are under the rule of another - but, they have found favor to the point that they are able to rebuild the temple.
If you’d like to read another book that really highlights the rebuilding of the temple and the wall and the Godly leadership required to do so, I’d highly recommend the classic, Hand Me Another Brick, by Charles Swindoll.
Renewal
Renewal
I think of the things that bring renewal to any person, team, group, or community. When it comes to renewal one of the keys is recognizing where you have come from, and where you are. An honest assessment. This gives us a clue as to where we’re heading, whether as an individual or as a community.
I was reminded recently that you may be the most righteous person on the planet, and that doesn’t mean that your life will be roses and rainbows. After all in our Bibles, we have the story of Job. He was righteous before God and yet with God’s permission, Satan was able to try him beyond what any of us would ever wish on our worst enemy. He lost his children in a tragic way, he lost his wealth, he lost seemingly everything. And yet, unlike what Israel did, he took a deep look at himself, he counseled with friends and his wife - though if you know the story they weren’t much help.
What he did right though was he continued to seek after God.
As I read through the Job, and as I reflect on Ezra’s confession, I’m reminded of the Shema that was given to Israel back in Deuteronomy. The word Shema is Hebrew and means “to hear.”
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
If there is anything that all of us might be considered guilty of it is that we have not loved the Lord our God with all our heart and all of our soul, and with all of our might.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Have God’s commands been continually on our hearts, but beyond that, have we been diligent about teaching them to our children?
Have we spoken about God’s words while at home, on the way, from the time we got up to the time we lied down?
Have we kept God’s words and commands before us?
It seems to me we all have a lot of confessing to do.
I don’t share that so that we will all go away feeling guilty, ashamed, or as failures. My hope is that we will, as Israel was, repent and turn back to our God.
If we’ve witness anything throughout our journey through the Old Testament in this series, it’s been that God continues to pursue the people God’s chosen. This remains true for us as well. God pursues us - God loves you and as God did for the first people in the garden way back in Genesis - God calls. God is calling you.
I believe that the fact that you are here listening to this message is a reminder that God is calling you. How will you respond? Will you turn and surrender to the embrace of grace and love? Or, will you deny God and chase after the things you lift up as worthy of your praise?
Many years ago, I was sitting amongst a group of children for a children’s sermon. I was sharing from Jesus’ speaking of the Shema in Luke 10:27
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
We talked about what it meant to Love God with ALL our heart, and with ALL our soul, and with ALL our strength, and with ALL our mind. One of the little boys piped up and said, “Pastor Murph, if I do that I won’t have anything left!”
He’s exactly right, he won’t. Neither will you. It’s about giving everything to God.
That’s easy to talk about, but what does it look like?
A woman I knew at church back in college was a retired teacher, at the time in her 70’s. Our church had invited a missionary from China to come speak. He shared the great need in China for the Gospel. He also spoke of how the communist country was outwardly closed to the Gospel but wanting to learn English which gave them an entry point. He then put out a call to us inviting us to join him in sharing the Gospel in China.
My friend Lois went forward to speak with our guest that morning. She wanted to offer her support and ask what other needs they might have. She wanted to financially support his mission efforts. The conversation went something like this:
Lois: I was moved by your presentation, and by the hunger of the Chinese people for the Gospel.
Missionary: Is God calling you to China?
Lois: Well, I couldn’t go, I’m old, and just a retired teacher.
Missionary: So you’re a teacher!? God could use you in China!
Lois: Well I was thinking to support you financially, I’m retired. And what would I do with my house?
Missionary: Couldn’t you rent the house to someone else?
Lois served as a missionary for two years in China, teaching English and sharing the Gospel with her students and their families.
I’m struck by stories like Lois’. How often has God put a call on one of our lives but we chose something less?
Renewal
Renewal
In the coming weeks we will be entering the season of Lent which can be a great season of Renewal. I hope that you will be watching your emails this week as I will be inviting you to participate in some Bible studies and reflections on your own, or in groups to think about 7 areas of vitality in your walks with God.
If you’d be willing to host a group I’d love to talk with you as I’m looking for hosts/leaders for small groups. You can do it all online and we can set it up for you. Please talk with me after the service or give me a call.
Like in Israel of old God is doing a new thing:
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
What new thing, what renewal is God bringing to your life?
To God be the glory.
AMEN!