Ezra 4 - False Friends

In Ezra 4, as the rebuilding of God’s house continues, the focus shifts from unity to opposition. The adversaries of Judah initially approach with friendly language, offering to build alongside the people of God. Yet beneath their words is deception, and the leaders discern that not all who speak in religious terms share God’s purposes. What begins as subtle influence turns into open resistance—discouragement, hired counselors, accusations, and ultimately a decree that halts the work. 

The passage reveals a consistent biblical pattern: the enemy often disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14–15) and also prowls as a roaring lion seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Therefore, believers are called to discernment, not assuming every voice of help is faithful. Spiritual opposition is not ultimately against people but against the schemes of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). The call is clear: remain sober, vigilant, and continue the work God has given.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

In chapter 4. And so if you have your Bibles, be turning there because we're going to look at the text and see some things together in the Word. As you're there in Ezra chapter 4, what I want you to consider briefly for those that were with us last week is that repeated word in chapter 3, which was the word together. Do you remember that? The word together last week repeated, gave us some insight into our attention needing to be directed to three things to be unified. Okay, so we saw in Ezra chapter 3 and verse 1 the people gathered together as one man. And we see that same language used and describing the church in Ephesians chapter 4. One new man. That's what Christ brought together. The people gathered themselves together. And then in verse 9 of chapter 3, the workers stood together. And in verse 11, the Levites sang together. And in these three mentions, as we surveyed chapter 3, we found that there were three things God has given us and that we need to be doing to make unity easier in the church. And the first we saw was worship. All the offerings that Israel was giving as they worked through chapter 3. And then secondly, we saw that repeated phrase, as it is written. And we saw that Israel was worshiping according to what they were instructed to do in the law. So the word. And then finally, they were unified because of the work. The text talked to us about the altar being rebuilt and the foundation being laid. And so as we have entered into the book of Ezra, we've learned about a Jewish remnant returning from captivity in Babylon after 70 years, and God is giving a new generation an opportunity to be restored. And it is this older generation, younger generation working together to see God continue to be glorified in Jerusalem. And our time in chapter 4 now shifts as we consider the body of Christ working together, or Israel working together, and the enemy, Satan himself also desiring to come against that work. And that's the reality. When the church comes together and begins to do something that's functionally beneficial to the kingdom of God, the enemy makes note of that. He sees it and he begins to come against. And so this morning is an admonition. It's a warning to say, hey, maybe we haven't felt too much spiritual attack recently, but as this ministry moves forward, we have to be ready and expectant that the enemy does not want to see us affected for the mission of God. And that's not to be, you know, freak us out or be scared. It's just to be sober. Chapter 4 is all about the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, that's to say, the righteous remnant returning from Babylon, the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, the southern kingdom, coming against the work and causing it to cease. And so look at the passage with me. Ezra chapter 1, starting in verses 1 and 2. We'll read the first two verses of Ezra chapter 4 to get the conversation going. It says, Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel, they came to Zerubel and to the chief of the fathers and said unto them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do, and we do sacrifice unto him. Now when you think of an adversary and you think of somebody coming against a work that God's doing, you typically don't think friends. People behaving in a kind and gentle and hospitable way. But that's exactly how we find the enemy behaving when he first engages this righteous remnant. A lot of times when we think of adversarial conflict, we think of great tension and something that may feel really obvious. Okay, so what we find is that the words of the adversaries are, let us help you out. We want to help you build. We worship the same God as you. Yet despite these fair words, the leaders of Israel knew perfectly well that these were adversaries coming with hidden motives. Proverbs chapter 27 and verse 6 is probably a familiar text to you. It says, Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Kindness, false kindness. And that leads us to our title this morning, and that is false friends. The title of our message is false friends. People that seem like a help, people that seem like they're for us, and yet they are the very people trying to hinder the work that God wants. That fair kiss of an enemy being deceitful reminds me of Judas, right, before he sells the Lord for some silver as he heads to the cross. A fair kiss, a dishonest love and kindness. Ezra chapter 3, 4 in verse 3, look at the next verse with me, it says, regarding the leaders here, of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the governor, and Jeshua, the rest and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, and said unto them, this is the response of Israel's leaders to those adversaries that said, Let us help us, or help you, let us come and build with you. The leader said, Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God. But we ourselves, here's the word again, together, will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the King of Persia, hath commanded us. The king's given us a command. God's allowed us to be unified together. We don't need your help. And the leaders could see through those that were with them, those that were coming and wanting to help, and those that were adversarial with their fair words. The reality is Satan hates believers or leaders who are equipped well enough to use the Bible to discern his devices and tactics. And so the open-ended question this morning is do you know the tactics of the enemy? Or are you ignorant of them? And I don't say that in a condescending way. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 11 says, lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. For we are not ignorant of his devices. But you know what? Sadly, many times Satan does have an advantage in the church because we are ignorant to how he works and how he behaves and how he ministers against the work of God. And because our guard is often down, we aren't sober and vigilant, we aren't prayerful and circumspect, we end up deceived, and we end up befriending and listening to the very people that hinder the work that God desires to do in our life. And I don't know if you've ever met somebody who's just of a really kind and friendly spirit, who says we want to be a help, who actually ends up being one of the most adversarial people in your life. But I've met a number of them. Very kind, very friendly, very effective, very helpful, wanting to bless, wanting to be there, and all the while maybe one of the greatest hindrances to anything that God's trying to get done. It's hard to discern, isn't it? Because the Christian is also supposed to manifest those qualities: friendly, desiring to bless, wanting to help, wanting to come alongside, wanting to strengthen. And so we have to have that spiritual eye to see and discern what we can't in the flesh. We need God's wisdom. We need to pray. You know what prayer does? It gives us access to some spiritual wisdom we can't conjure up in our own minds. We need God to give us a witness with his spirit against ours. Not only affirming that we are the sons of God, but also who else is? Who else is with us and for us and wanting to see Christ magnified. Satan, you have to mark it down. Satan will present himself in two primary ways. Satan will present himself in two primary ways. First, an angel of light. Or he'll send his ministers of righteousness. Or secondly, he will present himself as a roaring lion. Okay, so he'll present himself kind and gentle and righteous and godly, or he'll manifest himself as that roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. A threat. Trying to get you afraid, trying to get you to doubt, trying to get you scared, somebody walking in and a really violent threat against this church. That is one way that the enemy wants to come in and actually derail the work. But another way is with subtlety. It's with philosophy. It's with a false agenda. It's with guile in his mouth. Second Corinthians chapter 11 and verses 13 through 15, it says, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves and to the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. I don't know if you've ever met someone who is presenting their life as perfect before God or self-righteous. But it is those people who don't claim the righteousness of Christ but their own, who minister a culture and a spirit of self-righteousness that are against the work of God. Matthew chapter 7 in verse 15, Jesus said, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. They look like the rest of the flock. They look and talk just like other Christians. And yet, despite that woolly, soft front, inwardly they want to devour just like that lion does. They want to feed on the sheep. Romans chapter 16 and verses 17 through 18. It says, Now I beseech you, brethren, Paul writing to Rome, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. Avoid the wolves. Have the spiritual eyes to see the fleece removed, see them for what they are, avoid them. For they are uh for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus but their own belly. Avoid them. Don't bring them in, call them over, pet them like a dog, lay down with them, enjoy their hide, admire their beauty. No, wolves are there to devour. And I just, man, some of the most charismatic and intriguing people I've ever met are the most deceitful. And uh Lord help us, Lord help us have eyes for the things He cares most about. That verse in 18, Romans 16, verse 18, goes on, it says, And by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Good words and fair speeches, let us build with you.

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No.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

You have nothing to do with us. No, thank you. And we've got to know how to say those things. And obviously do that with a kind spirit. We can't run off anyone who's not like us or doesn't look like us. Sometimes God wants us to be humble and gentle and patient towards all men, and so we need his spirit to help us discern. Okay, so now make note of the order in Ezra chapter 4 or the sequence of how the enemy is presenting himself. He doesn't initially present himself as that roaring lion. He doesn't walk through the door and show himself violent and then all of a sudden, a few months later, walk in the door and he's really friendly. Why? Because we would all know that guy was the guy that came in here a few months ago and caused trouble. No, thank you. Right? But that deceptive voice comes in first with great vulnerability and kindness. First Peter chapter 5 and verse 8, though, says, Be sober and vigilant because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. So an angel of light, a minister of righteousness, but also sometimes, if he's ineffective in the first, a roaring lion. Now remember that sequence. In chapter 4, it opens by telling us that these were adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, adversaries against the righteous remnant. They come with fair speech and a tongue that's devising lies. They remind me of that serpent in the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3. Do you remember the text? Probably. I'd hope so at this point in your walk with God. You've read Genesis 3. And it tells us that the serpent comes to Eve and initially says, Yea, hath God said. And last week in Bible study, we were just talking about the nature of the tactics of the enemy to tempt us and deceive us. And one of the very first things we see the enemy doing is giving a positive affirmation of the word of God. He's not denying the word of God. He's not coming to Eve and saying, Nay, hath God said. God didn't say that. No, he's saying, Hey, what did God say? Yea, hath God said. Didn't God say, hey, come, let's do a Bible study together. Hey, why don't you watch this YouTube video that I found? It seems really intriguing. I've never heard of this doctrine before. This philosophy, this vain deceit that the Bible talks about. The enemy comes and he is a voice of reason. He makes sense. You can justify his language and his ideas. That's how he initially presents himself. Someone who positively affirms what God says. If you remember, in Genesis 3, Eve actually quotes what God said in Genesis 2, but she quotes it wrong. She says, We won't die. And then the next verse, the enemy corrects her and actually gives her the words that God used. Surely. No, you'll surely die. That's what God said. So he actually corrects us and knows the Bible usually better than us. And so we have to understand the Bible so that we aren't ignorant of his device to use it and rest it against our cause. That's how he initially presents himself. A positive, Bible-affirming conversation, Genesis chapter 3. Do you remember, though, his spirit in Genesis 4? Like 1 John tells us he was a murderer from the beginning. And so there it is, the roaring lion trying to devour. The spirit of the Antichrist and Cain, the very next chapter. The angel of light, a serpent talking up on his hind legs. I don't know what that scene is. A weird one for sure. No doubt. The second scene and the next chapter in Genesis 4, a murderer as motivated through Cain. The way of Cain, as spoken of in 1 John. This is what the enemy does. This is how he presents himself. And when we are on guard, we fall prey to this. When people say, We want to help you, let us serve you, let us bless you. If you see the text, Ezra chapter 4 and verse 4, they say, we're here to. I'm sorry, verse 2. They say, We seek your God. We seek your God. We don't want to just help you. We want you to know we claim the same object as worship. We worship the same God as you. We don't want to just come and help you and worship false gods and just be willing to give to you. No, we we actually look, we're a lot alike. Look at us. We're just like each other. So their claim is that their object of worship is the same and the manner of their worship is the same. They say, we worship your God as ye do. We worship God just like you do. And then it goes on, we do sacrifice unto him. They say to Israel, we have the same level of commitment and offering to the Lord. We see your level of commitment and sacrifice unto the Lord, and guess what? We worship the same God as you. We worship in the same manner as you, and by the way, we're as committed as you are. Let us help you. Yet, upon being denied, with the leadership having the foresight to know, nope, these are adversaries. It says that Israel's hands are weakened, verse 4. And opposition comes against them. These adversaries turn from fair speech to slander against the work, even though God commanded Israel to do so. So in one breath, they're saying, we agree with you, we serve the same God as you, but then by the way, a few moments later, even though God's commanded you to do that, we're going to speak against your work. But I'm thankful that the Lord always is powerful enough to flip the script of the enemies that come against the work of God. Aren't you? I'm glad that God can take the crafty and the devices of the crafty and actually turn those things over unto his glory. It's what the cross is and the gospel is in essence. God allows himself to be murdered by the hand of the enemy, and through the hand of the enemy actually brings many sons to glory. So God gets the glory, we get an invitation to be in relationship, and the enemy gets shamed. That's why God allows us to go through a trial. The enemy's crafty in his trial and his deceit and his temptation. He thinks he's all wise, but then in the moment God takes that thing intended for evil and turns it to good. Job chapter 5 and verse 12, it says, God disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. See, Ezra chapter 4 and verse 4 says the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah in the first part. Israel's hands were weakened. But the Bible, as we compare Scripture with Scripture, teaches us that God actually is the one who henders the hands of the enemy to perform their enterprise and their purposes. Sadly, the text, though, does tell us by the end of Ezra chapter 4 that this work ceases for Israel. But only for 16 years, and we're going to find out why they kind of get a kick in the butt and restart. And in Ezra chapter 5. The work does cease, but only for a season. The enemy does not come out conquering, especially by the time we get to the gospels, and we know the end of the story. Psalm 21 in verse 11, it says, For they intended evil against me. They imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform. God hinders the enemy when the enemy's creating mischievous devices against the righteous. So the enemy comes and weakens the hands of Israel, but God turns the script and allows those hindrances to actually show himself strong and sovereign on behalf of Israel. In the book of Ezra, we're not actually reading this chronologically. What we find in the text is that Ezra is writing to us about themes regarding God's faithfulness against adversarial attack. And so that's what we're reminded of this morning. The enemy comes with adversarial decision making and God flips the script. Verse 5, it says, These adversaries hired counselors against them, that righteous remnant, to frustrate their purposes. Ever been frustrated in the ministry? Or in your Christian life because somebody is trying to hinder what you're doing? Or just in life. Somebody frustrating a purpose that you have, hindering, messing up your day, cutting you off, cutting you, you know, you're on the highway, you're getting somewhere, you've got an agenda, and all of a sudden you just get sideswiped. Somebody cuts in front of you. Frustrate your purpose. Well, in the ministry, it's really annoying. Especially when you're headed somewhere and there's momentum, and then all of a sudden, it just feels like somebody threw a blanket over the fire. The Bible says that these adversaries actually paid people off to frustrate Israel. Psalm 33 in verse 10 says, The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught. He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. Psalm 33 in verse 10. The Lord bringeth counsel, the counsel of the heathen to naught. And so they they hired counselors, but the promise of the word is that the Lord can overturn that too. Verse 6 it says, Did they do these things, weaken the hands of Israel and trouble them in building and hire counselors and frustrate their purposes, but they wrote, quote, an accusation against the inhabitants. And the rest of the text, what we find is from verses 17 through 22, we find a letter written from the adversaries to the king, Ahasiras, Ahasaherus, I don't know how to say that. And the contents of that letter are then outlined for us in verses 11 through 16, and we find those concerns that they make against the king and Israel rebuilding Jerusalem. And ultimately, this is their claim. This group of people that you're allowing to rebuild Jerusalem are a rebellious city. Are a rebellious city. You can find that in verse 15. You can find that in verse 12 as well. Their claim to the king is that if you allow these people to keep building, they're not going to pay you. And by the way, they've been really powerful in times past, and they actually received all of the taxes from all the nations around them. Do not let them be successful. So there's this false, twisted accusation. They take Israel's rebellious history and they they warp it into a letter of accusation against them. And sure enough, the king ends up responding in verses 17 through 22. And he says, Give ye now commandment to cause the men to cease, and that the city be not builded. That's verse 21. So these adversaries write a letter to the king who's in charge at that time. The king gets fear struck in his heart regarding Israel's potential strength, even though they're this little group of people in a ruined land. And that fear leads him to give a response in verse 21 give now commandment to cause these men, the remnant, to cease, and that the city be not builded. And so that's what happens. These men, these counselors, these companions, these friends. Just funny, the birds of the feather flock together. You find people who are rebellious against God end up being great friends. That's just the nature of it. Companions of one another. Friends with the church at one point, now all friends with each other. And it says that these companions, these companions of the adversaries, made them, Israel, to cease by force and power, verse 23. And verse 24, then ceased the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia. That's how the text ends. A really kind of sad, deflating little moment in Israel's history. God allows them by sovereign his sovereign power to return to the land. They get to work, they lay an altar, they lay the foundation, and then all of a sudden, because of some adversaries, they stop. They say, Even though God's been faithful to us, we just can't do this anymore. And for 16 years, Israel is afraid and not doing anything that God called them to do. And then we'll find in chapter 5 that there are two prophets that are raised up to speak and preach to Israel, saying, Get to work, what are you doing? Consider your ways, stop building your sealed houses. And so Haggai and Zachariah rise up and they preach unto Judah and the work begins again. But we're not there yet. We're here just talking about adversaries. And so I want to reiterate some points for you. First, God's people have adversaries because the enemy hates the Lord. And if we're on his side, he therefore hates us. God's people have adversaries. Secondly, I want you to see that God will, uh the enemy will often present himself as an angel of light. He smooth talks, he's gentle, he's kind, he's a minister of righteousness, he's someone that looks religious. He looks like he, uh other sheep, he looks like God's flock. He's that voice of reason and comfort and biblical affirmation, but he's also a voice of deception and spiritual death. This is the adversary presenting himself through Catholicism. This is the adversary presenting himself through Mormonism, or the social gospel, or the New Age movement, or Baptist legalism, or religious leaders holding a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. A form that looks like God would be pleased with it all the while. God says, I want nothing to do with that self-righteous behavior. I don't want it, God says. But then the enemy's tactics are also that roaring lion. When the tactics of being sweet and kind and gentle and deceptive don't work, he begins to attack the work by being aggressive, imposing fear and doubt. This is the adversary, as Revelation chapter 12 says, as the accuser of the brethren. As we found in Ezra chapter 4, this is the adversary writing a letter of slander to the king to get the work to stop. This is aggressive. This is by force, as we saw in verse 23, and made them decease by force and power. That's how the enemy works. Lao pursues like a lion on those that are most vulnerable. He leverages his power and he gets what he wants by force. This is politics. This is world powers. This is the oppressive violence of Islam. This is the bad side and corrupted version of Christian nationalism that should be rejected. This is the false strength of black Hebrew Israelite movement and many other woke liberal agendas. It's people trying to impose doctrines or moral standards that aren't biblical onto people by force, by power. And so, by way of personal application, we should realize that in this long list and these tensions, we are not fighting against people, but we are fighting a spiritual warfare. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10 through 13, it says, Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand, and the evil day having done all the stand. That's the battle we're fighting, not one against people who have different worldviews than us. And it's easy to get tempted towards that. I mean, that is the true fundamental air of Christian nationalism. You can be a great Christian and not be a Republican. Do you know that? Because your Christian identity is way above being Republican or Democrat or your social, you know, governmental or political affiliation. Now, I think you need to vote for whoever tends to line up with biblical doctrine, right? That matters. It matters that we as Christians are effective in the worlds that we live, but you have to realize that we can't force people to be Christians. You can't make a Christian nation and also maintain freedom of religion. Now, as a Christian, live moderately, live holy, live a life of godliness, and invite people in that to watch you. Okay, so we aren't fighting fleshly battles or national identity issues. We are fighting a spiritual one where there are powers setting behind the scenes. And so, by way of example, I just want to share with you briefly an interaction I had a few weeks ago with someone who I found who found us online and reached out. Long story short, God, I believe, has been moving in our lives and in this church, and he's allowing us to reach people and care for people, serve them. And while God is doing a work behind the scenes, so is the enemy. So, anyway, this guy reaches out through our website, uh, says he feels led to be baptized, just feels like that's something that the Lord really wants him to do. Uh, he shares with me his Facebook page. He's he's claiming to be this like modern-day prophet who's uh got a ministry of warning, kind of an odd guy, odd character, a little bit uh suspicious in terms of just who he is. I told him I'm willing to meet with you. Uh I'd be glad to grab coffee with you, learn more about your story. He said, you know, this is what we're about. I'm about warning people that aren't agreeing with right doctrine. I want to make sure that people are living right doctrine. I said, Oh, that's great. You know, I I would love to baptize you, but I can't right now. And in my heart, I just felt like I needed to prove all things. Prove this guy out, prove whether or not he was saved, because obviously we we gotta get saved before we get baptized. That doesn't do anything for us. So I shot him an email and I just said, hey, hey man, like um at this point in time, I don't know if we can we can baptize you, but I'm willing to meet. Uh and in the back of my mind I thought, I haven't even checked out whether this baptismal tank works. So I was just like, I'm practically just responding to him thinking, how are we gonna make this happen? And and here's the first email of about ten that he sent me. Uh we responded a couple times and then he sent me seven in a row. He said, Another false church, thank you for letting me know. Two explanation marks, end quote. Another quote, second email, I will make this known. Absolutely disgusting. The sixth email, mind you, I have not responded to the first. The sixth email, I will not be guilty. Living faith and Pastor Blade have chosen comfort over command. They chose image over ordinance, and they chose false peace over biblical alignment. Let the remnant take note. End quote. And then the seventh email, may you find the truth and stop living as a child of the liar and murderer from the beginning, and become a child of the one true God. End quote. Mind you, I don't care. Uh happy are ye. We read it earlier. That this is a light affliction. But don't get me wrong, it was a strange dart. This guy was strange. Uh he was a modern-day false prophet, no doubt. And truly, when I did more research and I began to try to figure out who this guy was, I don't know if he's even real. I don't know the source. He kind of looked like an A, he had AI images of himself on his profile and like weird priestly garments. Uh he was very like strong in his warning ministry against us. He sent me a link to uh public uh slander against our work and our sending church. He doesn't have very many followers, so I didn't care. And all of his followers were from like India, so I don't really care. This is a white, apparently a white, white guy, kind of normal-looking guy. Anyway, strange, strange and odd event, and I write it off as nothing but spiritual attack. Then the enemy, God is doing a work, and the enemy sees that behind the scenes, and he begins to make steps towards what, discouragement in some way. See, the problem is, I'm comforted by the promises of God's word that say things like, for all that live godly in Christ Jesus, they shall suffer persecution. Okay, so okay, intend some evil, you know, strange thing against our ministry and our life, and I'll just count that as God's blessing and hand on our ministry. That's a great blessing. And I share that with you now to just say God has his hand on us and a work that we're trusting him for, and I think the enemy sees that. It does not mean be scared or worried or surprised. Don't count it a strange thing when the fiery trial trial of the enemy comes against you. You don't need to be worried about wolves. You just need to be sober and vigilant and circumspect, and you need to pray. You and I need to pray. Do I think that that guy will walk through the door? I don't. I think he was a hired counselor. I think I don't know. I have no clue. It's strange. Uh but if he if he walks to that door and I see his face, he's getting kicked out. I'll tell you that right away. And and now we got a security team. I'm gonna put Tiny on that. No, we we need the Lord's we need the Lord's hand, and and I'm thankful that the Lord is kind to us and he protects us. Um but it's important that as we are unified, we have a sobriety about the enemy wanting to come against that work. Sometimes those adversaries, as I mentioned before, are dear friends, peers, pastors, religious folks, uh, who turn their back on God and walk away. That's what the adversarial move of the enemy looks like. Other times it's guys like this guy. Um, sometimes it's literal implants of the enemy, hired counselors to frustrate the purposes of God. And so we don't need to be afraid. We just need to be sober about what God's asking us to do in this age. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verses 1 through 5. This was actually a text that I preached one of the first times I was here over the summer. It says, Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you, and that ye may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil. I am thankful for that promise. Verse 4, and we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Christ is at hand. Men are waxing worse and worse. And as we get closer to that time, uh when Christ does return, the Bible says it gets pretty dark. It is darkest before the dawn. It is darkest before that Son of righteousness arises with healing in his wings. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verses 10 through 14 it says, But thou hast fully known my doctrine. Paul is writing to his son in the faith, and he's saying, You've known my life. And I think this is one of the greatest verses. A couple verses on the conversation of discipleship. Not teaching people things about the Bible, but sharing life with someone and letting somebody see your walk with God. Paul tells Timothy, You, Timothy, thou hast fully known my doctrine, what I've taught. You've also known, he says, my manner of life, how I've lived, you've seen me live, my purpose, you've seen my faith, you've seen my long suffering, charity, patience. He goes on in verse 11 persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch and at Iconium Alystra. You know, when he was drug out of the city and stoned to death, and then rose back up and went back in and preached to the city. What persecutions I have endured. Paul says to Timothy, you've seen all of that. But the Lord, but out of all of them, the Lord delivered me. That was Paul's word to Timothy. What an encouragement. But out of all of them, the Lord had delivered me. Verse 11, yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. A very odd and hopefully comforting promise of God's word this morning. It is there when we have people come against our lives that we get to be happy if we choose to, knowing that we can fellowship with Christ. You know, I've never really had somebody be hyper adversarial against my life, like threaten my life, put a gun to my head. I mean, I've had guns pointed at me, not fun, like on the road or in the hood. But that's not because of the ministry. And uh, there are so many people and Christians around the world who have imminent threats against their very lives and their families' lives. And I just want to even thank the Lord this morning that we are able to meet publicly and we're able to praise God publicly. We're able to put this stuff online and we're to invite people openly to what he's doing. Most Christians around the world do not get that luxury. And so we have to take advantage of that freedom that we have. And we should we should be bold with our faith. And we shouldn't fear what men can do to us. Verse 13 of 2 Timothy chapter 3, it says, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. Okay, so as the night gets darker, as the Lord is at hand, things are going to get worse and worse, and there will be more people coming in and out of the church who are trying to deceive. Some of them will just be because they hate the truth. Others will be because they have been deceived by some other doctrine. Okay, so don't let the conclusion of the text of Ezra IV be the same for your life. Let it not be the same for mine. Don't let the work cease because some opposition has come against your life. Actually count that thing, not strange, but an affirmation from God to say, I'm with you, I'm for you. And this is actually what happens when you identify with my life. Just because the trial has come or the enemy has tried to discourage you in some way, remember, but the Lord delivered me from them all. As Paul said, but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Remember that this fight isn't against flesh. It's a spiritual battle that we get to win in the privacy of our lives as we are sober, vigilant, and we are praying. It is a spiritual battle, one with weapons that are not carnal. Remember what Paul told Corinth, he said, for our weapons are not, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal to the pulling down of strongholds, but mighty through God. Mighty through God. We need to pray to have access to those things. The Christian life on mission requires prayer. And it requires us to set an expectation in our minds that if Jesus was rejected and we are just like him and we carry his words in our mouth, we are too to be rejected. But as he encouraged his disciples in John chapter 15, when the world hates you, just remember they don't actually hate you, they hate me. And so the reason the world hates Christians right now is simply because they hate God and we identify with him. Okay, so don't make false friends. Be sensitive to those that might have an ulterior motive in the mission of God. Don't believe lies or those that claim they want to help, even though they're alive, the rest of their life or the fruit of their life, don't reflect that. Don't cease from the work when things get difficult or uncomfortable. But as Paul told Timothy in that same passage in the next verse, 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 14, but continue in all things which thou hast learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Paul is telling Timothy, You've learned them from me, and you've seen God be faithful in my life. Continue in those things. Continue in the truth of his word. Okay, so that's all I really have for you. This morning in Ezra chapter 4, we find adversaries, and it's, I know, kind of heavy. And it feels um scary at times to think, man, if I get serious about God, maybe somebody will come against my life or threaten me in some way. And I would just tell you, do not fear what men can do, but fear the one who has power over the body and the one who's able to put people in hell. God is all powerful, and he is to be greatly magnified and trusted in. As you look all through the scriptures, what you find is that anyone who's mightily used of God suffers persecution. If you remember that hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 11, you find a great list of people who suffered greatly for the kingdom of God. People who could see something afar off, a city whose maker and builder was God. A promise that something out in the future for an everlasting life and heavens as God creates a new heaven and earth is better and not worthy to be compared to the suffering of this present time. This is a group of people who by faith are able to see into spiritual realities that aren't reflective of the circumstances that they're in on a day-to-day basis. And it is only by faith, right, that we can please God and have the sight to be able to see those things. And so, as Romans 10 says, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word. You want faith, you want the eyes to be able to see spiritual realities, to set in order all of the expectations for a hard life. You gotta get in the Bible and see how God's been faithful to all of those who have. Surrendered to him. Alright, I love you guys this morning. Hopefully, in the hardness and the heaviness of the message, it is also just encouraging to know that God has been faithful and he will continue to be faithful. Please pray for me, for your life, for your peers, for this church, for the work that we're trusting him for. If it is true that God's hand is upon us and that we get to trust him for a church to get established and thrive here, mark it down, we will have many enemies against this work, to hinder this work, to slander us, to leverage the government against us. If it's not directly related to this local church, it'll be to the church and the West at large, where there is no separation of church and state anymore, and we don't get the tax benefits we need, or there's some other hindrance that's made through the government to keep us from opening our mouth and preaching the gospel. But let's be like the apostles in Acts chapter 4 at the end, who even though they suffered great persecution, it says they felt they weren't worthy to be counted for his namesake. They weren't, they didn't feel worthy to be ashamed for his namesake. So they were they had persecutions coming against them, but they said, Man, we don't even feel worthy to identify with Christ in this way.