WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:04.080 Hello and welcome to the Redemption Church Podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:10.720 We're a church in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada that exists to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission. 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:12.480 The spirit of the Great Commandment. 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:14.560 Thanks for joining us today. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:17.920 So good to be with you this morning. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:18.559 So much fun. 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:19.440 The fun has ended. 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:24.320 I don't have any gift cards for you guys at all, so only thing I have is God's word. 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:26.719 But I can tell you it's better than that. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:29.039 So I promise spiritually. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:33.039 We're into a new series this morning, Ezra and Nehemiah. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:40.799 And I don't know about you, but I talked to some people this week about Ezra and Nehemiah, and when they heard, they gave me kind of this look of like, is that even a book in the Bible? 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:46.799 It's one of the less maybe studied books in the Bible, and yet I think its message is really relevant for us. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:50.960 And this is really the message that God needs to be at the center of our life. 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:58.640 We're gonna discuss this a little more in a short time, but but Israel had had really experienced its glory days. 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:08.400 For a thousand years they had had reigned as a monarchy and they had experienced real strength under King David, under Solomon, who built them a temple. 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:16.400 But we're told here that for years they had experienced exile under the oppressive rule of Babylon. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:19.040 But now in Ezra 1, this is the message. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:20.079 It's time. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:21.840 It's time to go. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:23.519 It's time to return. 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:25.280 It's time to return to God's work. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:27.359 It's time to rebuild the temple. 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:31.359 It's time to accomplish God's mission again. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:47.519 The message is this: that God needs to be at the center of our lives, that our greatest joy, that our greatest happiness, that really our greatest purpose as human beings is when God is at the very center. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:02:01.519 As we consider this message that Ezra and Nehemiah have for us, that God needs to be at the center of our lives, I just, I think I don't think there's more, a more relevant time in culture that we could talk about this. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:06.959 We're at a time right now where God's work from every angle is being attacked. 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:13.120 And many of us, I'm sure, are looking at the church, and we might feel like the glory days are behind us. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:23.199 In fact, in the last 25 years, more people have left the church than came to the church in the first Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and the Billy Graham Crusades. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:30.560 And if you don't know what any of those are, those are all uh these amazing periods in history where many believers were coming to Christ. 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:47.599 And we've experienced this departure, and it seems as we think about Christianity, especially in Canada, that we're getting farther and farther away from strength, that the glory days are over, but especially as you look at our culture, doesn't it seem like the Christian worldview is losing? 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:54.240 Like the Christian worldview is being oppressed from every angle. 00:02:55.039 --> 00:03:06.719 Everywhere you look, there's darkness, and God has a message for us that the only hope for healing for our nation, for our culture, for our families is Christ. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:09.439 Our only hope is placing God at the center. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:10.800 This is so relevant for our culture. 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:13.439 I think it's especially relevant for our church. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:21.199 We find ourselves on the other side of a pandemic, but also as a church of a really hard time. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:23.840 And we've survived. 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:30.159 And the message that God has for us through Ezra and Nehemiah is this that it's time to get back to rebuilding the kingdom of God. 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:32.080 This is all hands on deck. 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:38.319 God has a mission in this world, and we as believers are to be excited about it and active in it. 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:43.680 And if this isn't just relevant for our culture and for our church, I trust it's going to be relevant for you. 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:45.439 It's all about returning. 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:51.919 I wonder if in this time, maybe this is a moment in your life where you just recognize like this is a time to return. 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:54.800 Things are not the way that it should be. 00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:00.159 That sin that you've been struggling with, it's you've been struggling with it for too long. 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:06.159 That apathy that you've been feeling in your Christian walk, you've you've had that apathy for too long. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:20.639 And maybe this is a season where, yes, God has much to say to our church and to our culture, but maybe this is a season where God has much to say to you relevantly about the way that you are to live and how you are to place him at the center. 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:39.920 And so at the very beginning of this series, as we really spend the next several weeks focusing on placing God at the center of our lives, I just want to take a moment for you to bow before the Lord and in your own personal space to pray to him and ask that God would accomplish in you the work that he wants to accomplish. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:44.560 Let's turn to the Lord and let me give you some time just to give that prayer to him. 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:12.879 And God, you are such a great shepherd that you know where each of us are. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:20.800 And God, I've experienced it so many times, God, to preach your word, to prepare a message. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:24.399 And God, I don't know what to say so many times. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:29.120 And so, Lord, we preach your truth at this church. 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:30.720 We proclaim your word. 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:38.959 And so many times, God, you've been so faithful to deliver such a relevant word through the power of your Holy Spirit to us when we needed to hear it. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:41.839 And God, we trust you the same this morning. 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:44.879 God, we trust that you want to speak to us. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:46.879 And God, we love you for that. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:53.360 We love you that, Lord, you treat us not according to our sins, but according to your great mercy. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:06:07.360 And God, because you treat us according to your mercy, and because your mercy is deeper than any of our sin could ever surpass, God, you do have a word of grace, a word of hope, a word of love. 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:10.720 You have a gospel word for us, Lord, a good word. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:21.759 And so, God, it's our prayer that as you speak to us about so relevant an issue, about placing you in the center of our lives, it's our prayer that you would speak so relevantly to us. 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:24.879 God, we confess our sin before you, Lord. 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:34.319 We confess how often we place at the center of our lives and our goals, our ambitions, and our work things that we that are not you. 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:43.839 And God, I pray that this would be a time where we return to you and where we recommit ourselves to you to the work of building your kingdom in our midst. 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:46.000 It's a work in us we pray, Lord. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:47.759 Praise the name of your son. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:48.959 Amen. 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:50.319 Amen. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:54.399 The question for you this morning is this what moves you? 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:56.639 What moves you? 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:01.360 Like what is it that drives you day after day? 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:15.519 Copernicus, I'm sure you've heard of him, was an astrologer, and he had this mind-blowing idea that to us in modern day understanding of astrology and science is not that mind-blowing. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:48.319 But he had this idea that instead of the world being geocentric, that is, everything revolves around the earth, and the earth is the center of our solar system, it was this culturally unaccepted idea that we're actually heliocentric, that things don't actually revolve around us, around the earth, that actually we are a much smaller piece of our solar system, and that we're revolving around something much greater than the earth, and that is the sun. 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:57.439 Copernicus had this idea, he was really the first to have it, and he was, he suffered because of it. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:01.040 People thought it was a preposterous way to think. 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:05.279 People thought that there's no way that this could, the world could function like this. 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:16.399 And I think what God wants to accomplish in us this morning, and especially in this series, is our own personal Copernican revolution. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:21.120 This idea that that the world doesn't revolve around us. 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:33.600 Things don't move around us, that our purpose, our greatest joy is found when we instead of trying to make the world revolve around us, we revolve our lives around God. 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:39.200 And so the question is this what moves you? 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:43.039 I mean, what has like gravitational pull in your life? 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:45.519 What is the thing that drives you to action? 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:49.600 What is the thing that drives all of your goals, all of your ambitions? 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:51.840 What is it that moves you? 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:54.639 All of us have something. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:58.559 You think, well, even you know, I know some people who are accomplishing nothing in life. 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:08.960 They, you know, play video games in their basement all day, and and there's really not much that's moving them, but even that person, we could agree, is is moved by a level of comfort or leisure that they they want to experience. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:14.320 And there are some people who who work really hard actually at playing video games for their whole life. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:18.399 And so even that we understand everyone's moved by something. 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:40.720 And we turn to different worldviews and we find different answers, and so you might turn to the naturalist who believes that we're here as a product of chance, and the answer really there is that you kind of make your own destiny, that there's no real purpose to life, that you just kind of do, try to try to find meaning in your life and do whatever you think suits you, whatever will make you the happiest. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:52.080 A Buddhist would look at life and say, Well, what moves me is this desire for enlightenment, separating myself from the suffering of desire and experiencing true enlightenment. 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:53.519 Enlightenment. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:10:02.720 God comes into our lives, and he wants to show us this morning that you and I are part of a bigger plan. 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:05.600 We're part of a bigger picture. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:15.279 And that our greatest joy is not by trying to find something ourselves, but by ultimately finding God and centering our lives around him. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:18.960 And so the question then is what moves us? 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:22.000 I want you to see this in Ezra chapter one and two. 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:29.360 And the first thing I want you to see as we work through these chapters together is the heart of what moves us. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:30.799 The heart of what moves us. 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:32.639 That's God's power. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:45.840 And I really actually want to start much earlier than Ezra chapter one, because I want you to understand that for all of human history, God has been at the center of every historical movement. 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:49.440 In Ezra, we find ourselves in history. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:51.039 This is a historical book. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:57.120 It's a narrative of how God's people acted after their exile in Babylon. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:11.840 And really the heart of Ezra is to show us that history is governed by God, that God is sovereign over it all, that nothing happens that does not happen under the plot that God is driving. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:17.440 God has been the center of humanity for all of history. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:20.000 In fact, this really starts in Genesis 1. 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:24.559 What God does, really in Genesis 1, is sort of like he builds a theater. 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:27.120 And I'm sure you've been to a theater before. 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:29.759 There's a stage and there's seats, much like this room. 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:41.759 And in that theater, he fills the seats with angels and demons, and the stage is, so to speak, the universe, and he builds this whole universe sort of as a display, a display, a stage to display something. 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:44.399 And the thing that he wants to display is his glory. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:52.960 Now, in Genesis 1 and 2, on a little corner of that stage, he creates these humans who are really not the main characters, Adam and Eve. 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:53.919 They're side characters. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:12:00.639 God is the main character, but but these side characters are created, and they're given a little plot of land called the Garden of Eden. 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:03.519 And they're given a task in that garden. 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:06.639 As they accomplish this task, it would bring great glory to God. 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:13.200 They are to expand the walls of this garden until it covers the whole face of the earth. 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:21.600 Until you see that this whole stage is beaming with the life that God gave it, and the whole stage is reflecting the glory of God. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:30.799 The universe is a stage, it's set for a show, and Adam and Eve are to expand the walls of this garden until it covers the whole stage, but there's a problem. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:34.480 This happens in every good drama, it happens in every good story. 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:35.919 There's an enemy to the plan. 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:38.480 The enemy comes in the form of a serpent. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:49.440 And the serpent convinces Adam and Eve that their greatest joy is not if they live in submission to God's plan, that their greatest joy would actually be if they just did things their own way. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:56.879 And the serpent comes and he causes them to question God's goodness, and he really causes them to question if the best thing for them is listening to God. 00:12:57.039 --> 00:13:05.360 What the serpent does is say this hey, maybe if you just listen to yourself, maybe if you just do what you want to do, maybe then you'll find ultimate happiness. 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:18.080 And Adam and Eve, they believe the serpent, and from that moment on, even to this day, to live on earth is to live in the midst of this cosmic warfare. 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:23.039 God is in this battle with Satan. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:26.240 It is a battle between good and evil. 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:31.279 And what we find is that humanity is stuck inside this battle. 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:35.759 We find it all throughout the scriptures. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:49.519 So that a few verses after, or a few chapters after Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve fail, we find Noah, and things have gotten so bad, evil has prevailed so much that it's really covered the face of the earth, and God's got to wipe them out and start over again. 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:57.919 And there's this constant cycle of this little glimmer of good shining, but then evil wiping it away. 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:01.519 Until one day a man named Abraham comes. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:04.240 And in Abraham, we're given this promise. 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:07.679 It was a promise that we were originally given in Genesis 3, verse 15. 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:11.840 This promise that God told the serpent that one day he would crush his head. 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:15.039 God looked at the serpent, he said, This, listen, I'm gonna win this fight. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:22.320 I mean, I don't know much about fighting myself, but I do know this that if someone tells me they're gonna crush my head, I'll say, Well, listen, you're probably gonna win that fight. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:28.080 And that's what God has said to the serpent that he would crush his head, that he would have ultimate victory. 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:32.879 And when Abraham comes along, we find that this plan for God to have victory is refined. 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:38.559 God gives Abraham this promise that from his family would come a nation. 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:48.480 And that this nation would be pivotal to God's plan to again cover the face of the earth with his glory and presence, just like he did in the garden. 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:51.200 This nation would be Israel. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:56.240 And when Abraham came, there was much hope that things were gonna be good. 00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:04.240 But 400 years later, Israel found itself in slavery in Egypt, and again, it just did not seem like there was any hope. 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:06.960 The only thing they had was God's word. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:18.080 Many of you are familiar with the story of how Moses led Israel through the desert to the promised land, and the promised land was really a period of glory for God's people. 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:23.279 It was there that under King David and especially King Solomon, that they got to build the temple. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:25.840 The temple was the very presence of God. 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:31.279 It was like the Garden of Eden again, where Adam and Eve they walked with God in his presence and they talked with God. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:39.200 And the temple was this beautiful thing because in the middle of Jerusalem, the land of Israel was this place where God dwelt. 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:46.080 It was an amazing period of history for Israel. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:48.320 For a thousand years. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.559 With ups and downs, they really experienced the glory of being their own kingdom. 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:57.360 But there was a problem in the promised land. 00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:58.879 There was a problem in Jerusalem. 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:04.320 The problem was that even though the presence of God was in their midst in this temple, the people were still sinful. 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:08.320 The people were still listening to the serpent, the same way they did in Genesis 3. 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:09.679 They were still listening to the serpent. 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:16.240 And instead of living under God's rule, they were living under their own rule, they were going their own way. 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:19.759 And so, as a judgment, God promised them an exile. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:22.399 He promised that Nebuchadnezzar would come. 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:26.480 And Nebuchadnezzar would be like a little pawn in God's hands. 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:28.240 This is how all world rulers are. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:35.919 The proverbs say the heart of the king is like water in God's hands, that God rules all things, that nothing happens apart from God's plan. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:44.559 And Nebuchadnezzar would come and with all the power of Babylon would take over Jerusalem and send them into exile. 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:52.399 And Jerusalem would try as hard as they could to stand against the oppressive forces of Babylon, but eventually they would fall. 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:57.200 10,000 of Israel's best men and women, this is what Babylon would do when they came in. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:17:00.159 They would take the best men and women and take them out. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:06.079 And so among them were Daniel and Ezekiel, were exiled into Babylon. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:08.559 The people of God were defeated. 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:12.880 And yet God had always had a plan. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:16.799 And we see the plan again come to life in Ezra 1, verse 1. 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:17.920 Look what it says there with me. 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:38.640 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, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all of his kingdom and also put it into writing. 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:42.079 Here's what Cyrus said in verse 2. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:52.720 Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judea. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:18:02.400 Whoever 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 rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:05.440 He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:19.039 And let each survivor in whatever place he sojourns be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides free will offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.839 In Ezra 1, verses 1 to 4, there's a shifting of world powers. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:33.440 Israel had ruled in Jerusalem for many years, but then Babylon came in, and under Babylon, it seemed like Israel would never be free. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:35.200 They were so powerful. 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:40.240 I mean, they came in, and there was no shot you were ever going to stand against Babylon. 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:45.359 But Ezra needed Israel to understand that someone else was in control. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:57.279 As powerful as Nebuchadnezzar is, as strong as Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon seems, Israel and God's people need to understand that someone else is in control. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.400 Well, you look at these verses and you might think it's Cyrus. 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:10.640 In the year 539 BC, Cyrus was building a great amount of power. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:15.920 He'd have spent about 20 years sort of building up this power to stand against Babylon. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:17.039 And it was really easy. 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:25.759 You ever notice that in kind of political elections, often what happens is you have a you have maybe a president or a prime minister rule for some time, but then people start to really get sick of that person. 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:29.440 And so someone else comes up and they just say the opposite thing of that person. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:32.720 And all of a sudden, all this hope is given. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:42.559 And if Nebuchadnezzar was, you know, this oppressive ruler who destroyed culture, what Cyrus was was this inclusive ruler. 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:50.480 What Cyrus would do is he would go to all the nations and he would say, Hey, listen, if you follow me, you can worship your God again. 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:53.440 You can have your culture back. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:56.480 I'll let you do whatever you want if you follow me. 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:06.000 And so what Cyrus had done is he had built up nation after nation to stand against Babylon, and in 539 he had actually overthrown Babylon. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:17.440 And here we find ourselves in 538 BC, and Cyrus is now saying to those Israelites who have been exiled in Babylon that they can go back and build the temple again. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.759 That they can go back to worship their God. 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:23.839 And Ezra wants to show us behind the curtains what's really going on here. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.759 He wants to show us who's powerful. 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:27.680 Is it Nebuchadnezzar? 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:29.039 Is it Cyrus? 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:32.559 Is it as though like Israel sort of did some revolution to get out of Babylon? 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:35.200 And Ezra says, No, look at this in verse one. 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:43.119 The Lord, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:47.279 It was God who'd done the work. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:56.000 God was accomplishing his plan, and he was accomplishing it for his people and for his purpose. 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:57.680 This had always been the plan. 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:02.079 Look in verse 1, it says that this was the word of the Lord that came by the mouth of Jeremiah. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.640 Well, Jeremiah had prophesied that this would happen. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:07.440 He said it in verse 25, verses 11 and 12. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:08.559 I'll read that for you. 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:16.559 He says, This land, that is Babylon, shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:28.559 Then after the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon, that the nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.880 God had promised that they wouldn't be in exile forever. 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:38.079 And here we find that God is moving according to his promises. 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:43.680 And so we look at this text, and the question we need to ask is who here is moving? 00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:45.839 Who's the one who's truly powerful? 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:49.519 And I'm sure in verses two to four, Cyrus thought it was him. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.200 Can you see Cyrus there? 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.759 He almost acts as though he's he really is worshiping God. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:55.359 That's not who Cyrus was. 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:59.759 We have no indication of that in history that Cyrus was truly a Christian, but we do have evidence of what. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:15.200 He's doing here in verse 3, where he says, Whoever is among you, of all his people, may go, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, to rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:22.720 See, what Cyrus is motivated by, what he's moved by, is sort of these divinities that are divine over land. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:26.240 And he says, Listen, if there is a God in Judah, then I want to sort of please him. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:30.799 And so listen, all of you Israelites, you can go up and build your, you can worship your God, you can do whatever. 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:32.960 I don't believe in one God, I believe in many gods. 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:34.079 And so worship your God. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:37.359 If there is a God in Jerusalem, I want to be on his good side. 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:42.400 Cyrus is certainly not motivated by submission to God. 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:44.000 He's motivated by inclusion. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:47.519 He's motivated really by amassing power for himself. 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:51.359 And what Cyrus didn't understand was that it was not about him. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:52.960 It's all about God. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.319 And this is what God is saying to us this morning. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:02.079 This is maybe a way that we need to apply God's word, is that your life is not ultimately about you. 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:03.920 You understand this? 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:06.799 You are not the main character. 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:11.839 You know, you and I, we live in a society that loves to exalt the main character. 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:17.359 When you guys watch Mission Impossible, there's only one person that you're talking about. 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:18.720 Tom Cruise, right? 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:22.559 You know, I mean, you don't care about the side actors really, you don't care about the extras. 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:24.960 What you care about is the main character. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:29.680 Have you ever thought about, you know, the stories that really have captivated our attention? 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:33.200 Haven't they really been about one person or one group of people? 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:38.559 We are drawn to this idea of these people who are larger than life. 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:43.440 And our desire has has really grown to be like that kind of person. 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:50.000 I want to be this person who has the power to live this life to get whatever I want. 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:52.640 I want to be the main character in my story. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:58.480 And one of the most helpful things that we can learn about life is that we just are not the main character. 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:00.799 Life is not about you. 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:05.440 Came in here this morning hoping for an encouraging message. 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:09.119 And I'm telling you, you're just an extra in this. 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:13.680 And yet there is so much freedom in this. 00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:14.880 Think about it for a moment. 00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:18.480 Think about the things that like the anger that you've experienced in your life. 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:21.759 Isn't anger like one of the most frustrating things? 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.640 Like you it just like you're c you ruin the day for people. 00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:30.400 No one likes to be around you because you're angry. 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:32.400 And what has it been that's made you angry? 00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:34.559 Has it not been that things haven't gone your way? 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:40.960 That you expect sort of everything to revolve around you and for a moment it does, and then all of a sudden you're angry, you're pouty, you're mad? 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:43.519 Like, what about what about anxiety? 00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:52.400 When it comes to anxiety, the things that keep us up all night, are they all not things that at the end of the day is about life revolving around us? 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:56.319 Life's not going the way that I want it to, and I'm worried about it. 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:04.400 There's great freedom in understanding that that this life is not about us, it is about God. 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:07.039 This is this life is God's stage. 00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:13.200 And the purpose is not to exalt how great you are, the purpose is to exalt how glorious God is. 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:27.119 So we need to understand this that our greatest joy will be when we give up trying to use our power to build our kingdom, and we submit then to God's power to build his kingdom. 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:38.559 Your greatest life is when you put down this selfie culture, Instagram, life is all about my highlight real idea. 00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:43.920 And you pick up this idea this idea that God that life is about something bigger than you. 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:52.160 That is it about it's about God's glory, it's about God's goodness, it's about displaying God's glory in the world. 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:58.319 And so the question that we need to ask ourselves in this moment is this then what's what's motivating us right now? 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:01.920 What kingdom are we trying to build? 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:10.640 I think as we look at the different kingdoms that we might be trying to build, we've seen Cyrus's kingdom, and and maybe you're not trying to, you know, you know, rule the nation. 00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:14.319 But the reality is that in our sin, each of us are trying to build a kingdom. 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:20.559 And let maybe let me suggest that each of us are trying to build one of four kinds of kingdoms. 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:22.640 The first is a kingdom of comfort. 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:26.400 Some of us live for comfort. 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:37.359 And so the reason why you know we're so interested in the idol that is money and getting as much money as we can is because we believe that if we have money, then we can have comfort. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:46.720 That we can have comfort in a hard world, in a world of inflation and expensive housing and groceries, we can have comfort, not thinking about finances. 00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:55.279 We want to build this world where life is easy and everything that moves us moves us towards this kingdom of comfort. 00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:58.240 For some of us, it's a it's a kingdom of power. 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:03.200 What we really crave is influence in people's lives. 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:09.599 What we really crave is for people to look at us and see that we really have things under control. 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:12.960 Crave a kingdom of power. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:16.319 For others of us, it's a kingdom of approval. 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:33.359 We just we live for other people's approval, and if we don't have it, life is miserable, and when we have it, it's like this injection, it's like a drug it can be like that where you know we're happy, but it doesn't last for long because there's always someone who's not going to be happy with the things that we've done. 00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:37.119 Maybe it's a kingdom of control. 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:45.680 Whether it's self-control, control of the calendar, control of the finances, control of other people's lives and what they do. 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:51.920 Some of us are living, and everything we do is motivated by this desire to build a kingdom of control. 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:55.519 Well, here's what the kingdom that we shouldn't be building. 00:27:55.599 --> 00:28:00.640 It's Cyrus' kingdom, it's the kingdom of Babylon, it's the kingdom of comfort, power, approval, and control. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:03.440 The question then is what should we be doing? 00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:05.119 Well, that leads us to our second point. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:10.240 The second thing I want you to see here is the happiness of what moves us, God's praise. 00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:13.920 The happiness of what moves us, God's praise. 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:19.920 In the midst of all these world powers moving, Israel is there in Babylon. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:21.920 And Israel's moving. 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:24.079 And God wants to take a microscope. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:39.119 You know, we could talk about the big players in this, about Cyrus, about Nebuchadnezzar, but God wants to take a microscope and zoom it in on a small group of people called the Israelites, and he wants to say that really what he's doing in the world is gonna happen through these Israelites. 00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:41.279 That's really significant for you and I. 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:45.119 Maybe you're here this morning and you're like, well, I mean, my life doesn't really matter. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:48.480 You know, you talked about all the things that move you, and I'm like, it doesn't really matter what moves me. 00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:49.680 What difference am I gonna make? 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:53.680 And God wants you to know that he's very interested in small things. 00:28:54.400 --> 00:29:03.200 He's very interested in your life displaying his glory, even if you can't, you don't think that your life will be set on any stage that many people will see. 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:09.279 He's interested in your life being lived for his glory as he was interested in Israel's life. 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:34.640 And so you notice out of this chaos and confusion and of the shifting of world powers in verse 5, we read this Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, and everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:57.440 Verse 7 to 6 to 11 then recounts how these people gave, if they couldn't go in verse 6, they gave silver, gold, goods, beasts, costly wares, freely offered it to the people who were going so that they could go and rebuild the temple, the temple again, so that order could be restored to Israel, so that Israel could become a nation again. 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:01.359 In verse 7, we see Cyrus is even motivating this work. 00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:05.680 He's giving them whatever they need, he's helping them count everything out in verse 8. 00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:11.920 And in verse 9, we find that they're bringing everything that's necessary to rebuild the temple. 00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:14.240 They're getting back to work. 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:15.839 What are they doing? 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:18.319 Well, they're going to rebuild the temple of God. 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:20.880 This is this is incredibly important. 00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:29.920 Just as it's incredibly important for this church, you know, I was talking to someone this week and I said the most important thing for us is that we are a church where God is present. 00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:34.400 We want to be a church that first and foremost delights in God's presence. 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:38.079 If we do anything else, we've totally missed the mark if God is not present with us. 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:39.440 Is that not true? 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:45.440 You can have the most powerful kids' ministry, you can get the most people in the doors, you can have whatever program you want. 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:48.799 If you don't have God's presence, you have nothing. 00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:51.680 That's the life and heart of our church. 00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:59.039 That's the life beat of so many Christians in this church that they believe they really have nothing if they do not have God's presence. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:00.400 And so here is Israel. 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:07.440 There's a great motivation because now they have an opportunity to go and build the temple, and the temple is where God dwells. 00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:10.160 It's the very presence of God. 00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:23.839 To build this temple would mean the very presence of God, the presence that had led them out of Egypt through the Exodus, through the desert, the presence that had led them before would lead them again. 00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:31.759 These people are moved to make God the center of their nation again, to rebuild the temple. 00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:35.519 But my question is this: what are they moved by? 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:37.519 Are they moved by their desire? 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:39.119 Like, was it just a really good passion? 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:43.039 And Ezra is so clear to tell us, you say, Did you see this in verse five? 00:31:43.200 --> 00:31:44.400 These are the people who went. 00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:54.079 It says, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go and rebuild the house of the Lord. 00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:58.480 The one who was moving them was God. 00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:01.440 God had to do the work. 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:06.960 The people of Israel could respond to God's work, but unless God moved, they could not go. 00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:12.319 God had moved and the people had responded. 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:15.359 You know, it's true for us too. 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:17.839 You know, you you cannot make God move. 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:20.880 You have no power over God's hand. 00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:36.480 This is why John in John chapter 3, you know, before Nicodemus, that really famous interaction with Nicodemus, he said the wind blows where it will, and you have no choice how it moves. 00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:38.480 And this is God. 00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:43.440 You know, because you're not the main character, you have no control over the way God moves. 00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:44.880 You can't make him move. 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:51.279 But here's what Ezra is showing us when God moves, you can set a sail and you can catch the wind. 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:54.640 This is what the people of Israel have done. 00:32:54.880 --> 00:33:09.839 God has moved on on the stage of world history, he has moved world powers to make it possible for the people of Israel to pursue his mission again, for his presence to have a home on the face of the earth. 00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:15.920 And the people of Israel have moved according to God's stirring. 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:22.079 They're going to Jerusalem to rebuild the house of the Lord. 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:27.200 They're going to set up a place for the presence of the Lord to dwell again. 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:34.000 They're going to pursue the glory of God as he accomplishes his purpose in their midst. 00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:39.200 So the question then for you and I is this whose glory are you living for then? 00:33:40.799 --> 00:33:49.279 Have you in your life set yourself up against God's kingdom by pursuing your own pleasure? 00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:52.720 By being moved by something other than God. 00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:54.880 This is what we do. 00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:57.200 We are either for God or against God. 00:33:57.359 --> 00:34:04.079 This is what we need to understand our lives as is that it's all a part of this cosmic display of the battle between good and evil. 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:06.720 The question for us is who do you align with? 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:21.119 And like we just saw, when we build our own kingdoms of comfort, of power, of approval, of control, what we are doing is trying to establish our very own Babylon against God's rule and kingdom. 00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:27.360 This is why there's no neutral ground when it comes to our relationship with God. 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:33.760 Because if we're not in the garden building God's kingdom, building his temple, doing his work, you know what we're doing? 00:34:33.840 --> 00:34:37.599 We're actually building the kingdom that that is against it. 00:34:38.480 --> 00:34:40.320 We're building up Babylon. 00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:42.400 There's only two cities. 00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:45.360 It's the city of Babylon and the city of God. 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:49.039 And the question for us is which city are we building up? 00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:53.679 Are we living for the glory of God or are we living for our own glory? 00:34:55.840 --> 00:35:05.519 There are many of us who have lived much of our lives building up the kingdom of Babylon, building up our own kingdom, living against God's glory. 00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:08.559 There are some here this very morning who are doing that. 00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:17.920 And one of the most powerful things that God can do when we live for a kingdom that is not his is not give us the joy that we're seeking when we try to build it up. 00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:22.320 I want to ask you to turn there for a moment. 00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:27.760 Leave your finger in Ezra 1 because we gotta come back and we're reminded by Joel that you're never gonna find it again. 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:30.480 And we're not doing another sword drill. 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:32.480 We don't have so many Tim's cards to hand out. 00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:33.840 Romans chapter 1. 00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:52.559 You know, one of the most gracious things God can do for us is when we pursue something that is not Him, is not give us the joy that that thing would give to us. 00:35:53.440 --> 00:36:07.039 And some of you have you spent your life pursuing some sort of joy, whether it's money, whether it's approval, whether it's fame, whether it's promotions, whatever it is, you've been pursuing this joy and you just can't figure out why I am not happy, why do I not have this joy? 00:36:07.199 --> 00:36:10.320 And I want you to understand that it's God's grace that you don't have it. 00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:15.679 His judgment would be if you had happiness in the very thing that will destroy your soul. 00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:19.119 In Romans chapter 1, verse 18, notice what Paul says. 00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:29.519 He says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and the unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 00:36:30.639 --> 00:36:36.639 It's this idea that God is pouring wrath against those who do not live according to the truth. 00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:41.920 Another way you could say that is they do not align their lives with the kingdom of God. 00:36:42.719 --> 00:36:44.159 Well, why is that happening? 00:36:44.320 --> 00:36:45.679 Why is God's wrath being poured out? 00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:47.119 Look what he says in verse 19. 00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:49.599 For what can be known about God is plain to them. 00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:50.079 Why? 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:52.239 Because God has shown it to them. 00:36:53.119 --> 00:36:58.400 God has shown all of humanity that he is real and that our greatest life is to be lived under him. 00:36:58.880 --> 00:37:01.119 And he has done this, verse 20. 00:37:01.440 --> 00:37:12.400