WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:04.559 Well church, we are in Ezra chapter 10 this morning. 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:17.280 Sometimes when you read passages of Scripture, you hear a Bible verse and it's kind of quoted to you and it sounds kind of like a threat. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:20.320 It's like, man, that sounds like a threat in a way. 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:24.879 Maybe you've heard this threat of a verse before out of Numbers. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:38.159 But I remember hearing this just throughout my life, Numbers chapter 32, verse 23, the end of that verse it says, be sure your sin will find you out. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:47.520 And when I was, would hear that, I would think, man, that's, you know, it's kind of like, well, be careful, be cautious, because be sure your sin will find you out. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:49.840 It felt like a threat. 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:53.679 And maybe you hear that this morning and it feels like a threat to you. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:58.240 But I want to tell you that this is God's grace. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:09.280 When God reveals our sin, when he doesn't allow us to hide in our sin what grace he has given us. 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:17.280 That we should be given an opportunity to repent and to turn to him, to follow him. 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:21.280 That's the beauty of Numbers 32, 23. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:24.480 Be sure that your sin will find you out. 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:35.519 Be sure that God is gracious enough to reveal to all people your sin if you do not repent and turn to him. 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:54.560 Ezra chapter 9 was about how some of the exiles had turned from God to sin by marrying pagan women, women who didn't were not of the tribe of Israel, they didn't worship the God, the only true God. 00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:57.439 They had turned. 00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:05.760 And Ezra comes back, he's a teacher of the law, he studied the law, and he's coming back to encourage the people. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:19.680 And he no sooner gets off his cable and kind of gets things stoned away, and then the leader's like, hey, by the way, you know, we have kind of a sin problem here among us, among the exiles. 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:29.680 And it's not even like, um, not that there's really classes of sin, but this was a blatant teaching, God a blatant command he had given his people. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:33.120 Do not intermarry with pagan tribes. 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:36.879 They come to Ezra and they say, Hey, we kind of messed up. 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:40.560 We kind of intermarried with these pagan tribes. 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:48.400 And Ezra in chapter 9 cries out for the people, a great anguish from him. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:56.719 Chapter 9 ends with Ezra just saying, Lord, you can destroy us. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:02:59.520 You are right and just to destroy us. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:05.280 As a matter of fact, you have commanded us not to do this lest you destroy us. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:09.120 And so chapter 9 of Ezra ends on this note. 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:11.680 What is God going to do? 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.840 He is fully just and fully right to destroy his people. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:21.120 Sounds pretty harsh, feels pretty harsh. 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:32.000 But this is a God who is continuing to work to renew his people and restore their love for him. 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.159 So chapter 9 ends in this despair. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:38.400 What's the Lord going to do? 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:47.840 And then we get into chapters 10, we see the weight of this sin, the consequence of their sin, and even the weight of obedience. 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:58.080 They've transgressed the law, they've broken the law, there's weight to that, it's costly, and now their obedience is weighty and costly. 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:03.599 But it does bring freedom in life. 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:06.400 Look with me in Ezra chapter 10. 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:10.319 We're going to read the first 18 verses. 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:18.240 While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God. 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:31.759 A very great assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him outside him, out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:38.240 And secondaiah the son of Jahil, the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra. 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:51.600 But even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 00:04:53.120 --> 00:05:06.800 Therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my Lord, and those who tremble at the command of our God. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.000 And let be done according to the law. 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:15.199 Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:17.120 Be strong and do it. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:26.079 Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.480 So they took the oath. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:48.560 Then Ezra withheld, withdrew from before the house of God, and went to the chamber of Jehoinan, the son of Elishab, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:06:11.439 And proclaiming and a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, and that if any one did not come within three days by order of the officials and the elders, all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles. 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:19.680 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within three days. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:33.040 It was the ninth month on the twentieth day of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and because of the heavy rain. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:43.600 And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:49.600 Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do his will. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:56.000 Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from foreign wives. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:02.639 Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, It is so, we must do as you have said. 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:07.519 But the people are many, and it is time of he it is a time of heavy rain. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:09.920 We cannot stand in the open. 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:18.319 Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:35.759 Let our fate officials stand for the whole assembly, let all our cities who have taken foreign wives come and appoint at appointed times, with them the elders and the judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us. 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:50.959 Only only Jonathan, the son of Assael, and Jehaziel, the son of Tigvah, opposed this, and Meshelem and Shabbatai the Levite supported them. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.079 Then the returned exiles did so. 00:07:54.319 --> 00:08:03.839 Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers' houses, according to their fathers' houses, each of them designated by name. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:14.720 On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter, and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of the men who had married foreign women. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:19.759 Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women. 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:30.720 All the names of the men who had married foreign women, the priests and of the Levites. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:36.720 There is a weight to their sin. 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:47.200 We see in verse 1 that Ezra prayed and he made a confession, weeping and casting himself down. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:55.919 So often we see from public figures just kind of fake remorse. 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:59.919 Now keep in mind, Ezra did not commit this sin. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:11.759 He didn't condone it, he didn't support it, but nonetheless, as a part of God's people, the tribe of Israel, there is this sin, and he feels it. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:15.519 There's a weeping and a casting himself down. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:30.159 If you've been on the receiving end of someone else's sin, an atrocious, heartbreaking sin, there is a despair within you, a feeling of desperation and brokenness. 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:33.360 And no doubt Ezra feels this. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:34.879 It's genuine. 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:37.039 He's a man of the word. 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:39.120 He knows God's word. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:42.799 He's not trite or light with sin. 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:47.919 And the assembly, they take notice of this. 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:50.000 This genuineness. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:53.919 There begins to be a genuine repentance among all the people. 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:57.519 The men came, the women came, the children came. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:00.080 They're all here saying, like, this is our sin. 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:02.799 We're here to own this. 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:09.200 And one of them says to Ezra, listen, we trust your counsel. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:14.320 You who know the word, you who are following God's commands, we trust you. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:18.639 And whatever you tell us to do, that we will do. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:30.799 It's interesting as we kind of, as you read through the names at the end of the chapter, as you understand, there are a lot of the biblical leaders, the Levites, the priests. 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:39.039 It's estimated that about a 15% of the cases of intermarriage have to do with the priests. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:41.519 They knew the law. 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:42.960 They knew the commandments. 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:44.480 They had it memorized. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:49.039 They would quote it, but yet they neglected it. 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.559 And so often we treat sin like this. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:56.080 We want to act as if we're innocent because, well, we didn't really know. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:05.039 But so often, for almost all of our sin, we know exactly what we're doing. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:19.600 And we even see, just because you're a religious leader or a pastor or an elder or you went to Bible school or you lead at some kind of group that does not exempt you from falling into sin. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:25.840 You still have to guard your heart and guard your life and fight sin. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:31.039 These brothers are broken over their sin. 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:34.879 There's a weight to it. 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:39.840 They know the counsel that has been given to the people. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:45.200 The counsel is divorce. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:50.720 All these women who are worshiping pagan gods, you're to divorce them. 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:54.639 This feels so backward for us as Christians. 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.879 Especially, you know, we read the New Testament and we're to contend for marriage. 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:02.799 We know, and Mike God says he hates divorce. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.919 And Malachi, he says he hates divorce. 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:12.559 And yet, hundreds of people are going to just divorce, and these kids are going to be caught up in this. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:15.120 It's a mess. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:19.039 And Ezra doesn't say, well, let's try to clean it up a little bit. 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:22.720 You know, let's just try to mend some fences here. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:33.120 Take your wives, just act like they worship the God of Israel, kind of do your best, try to raise your kids the right way, and it's going to be okay. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:36.720 It's just part of why Ezra is broken. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:40.559 This is a disaster. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:51.679 The sin that has come because of these men's wickedness is going to leave a mark for generations. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:55.279 You just can't clean this up. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:02.879 You can't come in and just wipe it all clean and think we've all repented and we're all going to church on Sunday, and it's all good. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:09.600 There is a mess here from men refusing to be obedient to God. 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:12.799 Disaster. 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:14.320 Divorce. 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:17.440 These women sent away. 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:20.159 Children sent away. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:25.200 Now we don't know what happened to these women. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:34.320 We do know back in Ezra chapter 2, there's a provision for those who were of the land who desired to worship the God of Israel. 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:35.840 They were welcome. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:40.720 They were welcome to stay and worship God, be a part of his people. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:50.879 But for those who did not want to follow the God of the Bible, did not want to follow the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, they were to be sent away. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:58.320 Most commentators say they probably just went back to their father's houses, back to their dad's, and they took care of them. 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:01.440 They lived with them either as widows or they got remarried. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:09.200 But nonetheless, the cost is tremendous. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:11.120 Tremendous. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:13.759 They see the weight of this. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:18.399 And Ezra, he lingers over this. 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:26.399 Verse 5, then Ezra arose and made the leading priests take this oath that they would obey him. 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:33.679 Then he withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chambers of his friends and rested there. 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:40.080 He didn't eat, he didn't drink, he was mourning the faithlessness of the exiles. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:51.840 And so often our own sin, it's ugly, it brings suffering, it's costly to others. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:55.120 But we're just, we're quick to kind of just clean it up, right? 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:56.399 This is our tendency. 00:14:57.120 --> 00:14:58.080 And it makes sense. 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:03.919 Like we we don't want to stay in this feeling of just condemnation or guilt. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:10.879 And scripture commands us to come quickly to the throne of grace, to understand what God has done for us. 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:14.320 That He's forgiven us if we're following after Him and repentant. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:18.559 He's forgiving us of our sin, and there's grace and there's mercy. 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:31.360 So we don't want to get too confused here, but there is a time for us to just kind of stay there in a broken state and say, this is what happened, and this is the cost. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:37.519 They figured out what they're gonna do by this point. 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:44.399 They know they're gonna do all these things, and Ezra retires, he doesn't eat, he doesn't drink, he mourns. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:52.000 He's not like, well, okay, let's be quick to say our repentance and confess and then get on with this thing. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:55.279 Let's just kind of get back to the way it was. 00:15:55.840 --> 00:16:01.200 Can we just kind of get back into the way life is before I did this, before I committed this wrong? 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:05.039 Can we just kind of get back on track and make things right again? 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:06.799 There's a time for that. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:10.000 And if you're genuine, the Lord is gracious. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:25.840 But there is a time to sit, not and dwell and kind of fester in our sin, but to see the weight of our sin and the cost of our sin. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:30.799 And Ezra is wise to do that with other people. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:33.600 We see the people are broken. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:37.279 He's not moving them too quickly, then, hey, it's good. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:39.919 We're good to go, don't worry about it. 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:45.840 But he does call the people to obedience. 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:48.720 And there is weight to obedience. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:50.639 In verse 7. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:59.840 A proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem, and they all were to return in three days to gather. 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:05.119 If they didn't gather, they're going to lose their property, they'll be kicked out. 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:07.680 And that feels kind of harsh, right? 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:11.519 It's like, you have to repent or you're losing everything. 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:19.039 And that's really what's going on because the reality is God said, repent, or I will destroy you. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:23.119 So they weren't kind of playing games like, well, hopefully your neighbors are repenting. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:25.279 They're like, we have to repent. 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:28.319 We have to turn from our sin and follow the Lord. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:32.319 So if you're not about that, if you don't want to do that, you can just get out of here. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:36.160 Because we're not playing games with our sin anymore. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:40.480 The weight is destruction if we disobey. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:44.559 So there's this command to assemble and gather, and they do. 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:46.160 They all gather. 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:48.880 It's cold, it's rainy. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:56.240 All thousands of people are gathering in the square listening to Ezra rebuke them again. 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:02.000 Reminding them what Deuteronomy 7, 3 and 4. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:04.559 You must not intermarry with them. 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:14.319 And you must not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:20.319 And then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will swiftly destroy you. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:29.119 The people had heard that and hardened their heart to those things for years. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:35.039 Ezra comes teaching the word, calling them to repentance. 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:37.200 They're not taking it lightly. 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:44.960 They gather, it's cold, it's rainy, everyone's just depressed, broken over their sin. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:47.440 Broken over their sin. 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.759 So they hear again Ezra's instructions. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:54.400 And they prepare to obey Ezra. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:59.759 But they do say to Ezra, this is going to take some time. 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:05.759 This isn't something that we can just do in a day or two. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:12.559 See, I don't even know if Ezra knew the scale or to the magnitude of this disobedience. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:14.640 He's like, hey, we're going to take care of this. 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:15.839 I don't care if it's raining. 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:17.519 Get here, we're going to make it happen. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.079 And they say, like, we are for that. 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:24.079 We want to obey, we want to do those things, but this is going to take time. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:26.559 And so that does take time. 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:30.079 We know there are a few who oppose this. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:32.240 We see this at the end of verse 15. 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:33.839 There's a few men who oppose it. 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:35.839 We don't know why they opposed it. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.039 But they're in opposition. 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:38.640 Maybe they felt like it was unfair. 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:43.279 Maybe they were like, hey, I don't want to leave my wife and my kids. 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:44.640 We don't know. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:49.039 Some of those people were people who came from the first return. 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:54.160 Some of those even came with Ezra, who just pretty much showed up. 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:58.079 But nonetheless, they're assembled together. 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:00.400 And they say, this is what we're going to do. 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:02.160 We're going to take time. 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:07.200 We're going to have everyone come before the council at different times. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:08.400 We're going to work through this. 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:12.079 And it takes them three months to do this. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:23.920 Three months to figure out who's married to who, whose kids are who, who wants to repent and worship the God of Israel, who doesn't, how's this going to play out? 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:26.480 They're very diligent with these things. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:29.599 They're very diligent. 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:33.759 And again, this takes time. 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:41.359 We often can kind of indulge ourselves, especially with like hidden sin, secret sin. 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:43.359 We think, does it affect anyone else? 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:44.480 Nobody else knows about it. 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:45.599 It's just my sin. 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:47.119 And we kind of indulge in that. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:49.039 We don't see consequences right away. 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:55.680 It's not like we're getting a divorce or we're going to prison or we're losing social credit because it's all hidden. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:07.599 And the thing about hidden sin is it's so deceitful because you hide it, and the longer you hide it, the harder it is to bring that into the light. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:13.359 The weightier the cost, the more it costs to just confess that. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:19.039 But so often we hide these things and we think it's not really costing much. 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:21.359 I'm doing okay. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:24.000 I'm functioning about the same. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:27.920 They don't know about it, and it's okay. 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:37.680 Whereas public sin, sin that's just kind of out there, people see it, people see many years you're either you're lying or you're cheating or you're getting convicted of it. 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:41.680 Like, there's all these sins that are just out there for everyone to observe. 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:46.880 And even that creates a hard heart in us. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:51.039 Hey, I forget them, I'm doing my thing. 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:53.680 They got their own problems, I know they do. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:56.240 They can't judge me, they're sinners. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.599 It creates a hardness of our hearts. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:05.039 And it takes time to repent of those things. 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:07.599 It doesn't take time to acknowledge them. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:09.519 You can acknowledge them in a moment. 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:12.960 You can go to a brother or sister and say, here's my sin. 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:13.920 This is what I did. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:15.440 This is how many times I've done it. 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:16.480 This is all my sin. 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:17.680 Everything laid bare. 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:20.319 You can do that in a few moments. 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:33.440 But the work of the heart of separating yourself from a pattern of sin, turning from sin and living in the light of Christ, that takes time. 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:52.720 And there are situations, many situations in our life, where our sin does bring about long, slow restitution, marriages that have been broken, infidelity, serial infidelity again and again. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:58.000 People who are just who lie or who are dishonest with their spouse. 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:01.920 You can repent of that in a moment, and you should. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:06.559 It's weighty, but in there is life. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:16.160 The reality of these men in chapter 9 and 10 is they had rebelled against God and they had lived, and they everything they want to do, they just did. 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:17.680 It was empty. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:24.960 They knew it was empty, and they were ready to confess, follow God's ways. 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:27.440 It cost them, though. 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:30.079 Their obedience cost them. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:32.480 But it was good. 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:38.880 It was very, very good to return to God. 00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:43.920 As we've been in Ezra since September. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:52.559 I've said on repeat that the story of Ezra is about God's faithfulness to restore and renew his people. 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:57.680 And we know he's faithful to restore and to renew his people. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:00.480 And then we get to the chapter 10. 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:03.359 Families are broken up, kids are sent away. 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:06.160 It just doesn't make sense. 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:17.039 We pick the story up in Nehemiah and we see God's faithfulness to renew and restore his people. 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:24.559 But right now at the end of Ezra, we just see the brokenness of the situation. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:28.559 We just see the brokenness of the situation. 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:35.839 And we see God's command, his call to his people to return to him. 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:42.720 If you haven't noticed, I think this is the theme in Ezra. 00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:45.279 They would return. 00:24:46.160 --> 00:24:52.799 The exiles in chapter 1 and 2, they would turn from captivity to Jerusalem. 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:59.279 They rebuild the altar and return to worshiping God as the law commanded in chapter 3. 00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:06.240 In chapter 4, they stopped rebuilding the fence because there was opposition, so they stopped building the temple. 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:12.480 But in chapters 5 and 6, they repent and they again return to the work that God had called them to. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:16.720 In chapter 7, Ezra brings another group of people back to the promised land. 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:18.640 They return again. 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:24.079 Even in the midst of the heartbreak of chapter 9 with this intermarriage. 00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:29.200 And the people convicted by their sin, they are to return. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:39.920 They are to forsake the empty ways of sin and cry out to God for grace and for mercy that they might be saved. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:41.359 And he does. 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:45.680 He always does. 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:49.119 They cry out to him. 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:52.000 They return to him. 00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:54.559 They go back to him. 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:58.240 He shows them grace and mercy. 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:03.680 Before the people were even carried off into captivity. 00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:17.440 So when generations, decades and decades before, the prophet Jeremiah said to the people, in Jeremiah chapter 2, my people have committed two evils, God's people. 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:19.519 They've committed two evils. 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:28.559 They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and they have dug out for themselves broken cisterns. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:33.119 Broken sisters that cannot hold water. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:38.079 They did this before they were carried off into exile. 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:40.319 They did this when they were in exile. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:43.359 They did this when they returned from exile. 00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:48.960 See, the condition of the heart is that we are prone to wander. 00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:53.839 We're prone to leave the God that we love, as the hymn says. 00:26:54.640 --> 00:27:08.720 Our wandering hearts must be brought into submission through the Holy Spirit, through the truth of God's word, with the encouragement and the admonition of believers, because our heart is prone. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:26.160 Our heart is prone to go forget God, the source of living water, and to dig for ourselves broken cisterns that don't hold water, that are empty, that leave us wanting. 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:36.079 If Ezra has taught us anything, it's that the greatest threat to our own holiness as God's people is not the world. 00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:47.680 It's not politicians or the media or the entertainment industry or the education system or the LGBTQ plus ideologies or whatever else you want to throw in there. 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:51.119 That's not the main threat to our holiness. 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:56.720 The threat to our holiness is ourselves. 00:27:57.839 --> 00:28:02.480 We quickly turn away from the Lord. 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:07.839 It's the sin that we allow, we let remain in our lives. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:13.680 The fact that we kind of prefer to just watch TV than ever read our Bible. 00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:19.680 We prefer to kind of do anything else other than pray and seek the Lord in prayer. 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:29.440 The fact that we listen to worldly people talking about worldly things more than we listen to godly people talking about godly things in the midst of our day. 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:41.440 The greatest threat to our holiness, a thing that steals our affection for God, is not outside of us, as we've clearly seen in Ezra. 00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:43.440 It's within us. 00:28:43.920 --> 00:28:46.880 Our proclivity to stray. 00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:54.720 Verse 12. 00:28:55.519 --> 00:29:00.960 Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:04.720 For those who feel like they're doing well, like I think I've got this together. 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:08.960 I'm pretty good at just following the commandments of the Bible or whatever. 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:11.279 I'm doing whatever good Christians are supposed to do. 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:14.000 And you're kind of starting to take pride in that. 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:15.839 That becomes your identity. 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:17.920 Scripture says, be careful. 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:20.480 Be careful. 00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:31.599 You who think you're doing well in the Christian faith, lest you fall, lest you take your eyes off Christ and fall. 00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:37.200 This is the threat to our holiness. 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:39.519 As Ezra has pointed out. 00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:43.440 Take our eyes off of Christ. 00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:46.799 We begin to boast, hey, we returned to Jerusalem. 00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:48.559 We're part of the group that returned. 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:49.680 We built the altar. 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:50.799 We built the temple. 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:53.200 We're fulfilling the thing. 00:29:54.400 --> 00:29:57.039 So slowly does sin creep in. 00:29:58.079 --> 00:29:59.759 Almost unnoticed. 00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:04.000 It's not even really sin at first. 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:08.720 It's just we're not diligent about following the ways of God. 00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:10.640 We stop reading. 00:30:10.880 --> 00:30:12.319 We stop studying. 00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:14.160 We pull out of community. 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:16.559 We stop being with the body of Christ. 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:23.359 We stop opening up our lives to those who are Christians where they can encourage us and rebuke us if need be. 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:25.519 We do those things. 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:28.160 And then behind that quickly is the sin. 00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:30.400 We're not walking with the Lord. 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:32.960 We're open and susceptible to sin. 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:36.640 Sin comes in, begins to destroy. 00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:38.240 We don't even know it. 00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:40.880 For too long. 00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:42.880 Divorce. 00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:44.240 Separation. 00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:48.319 Children neglected, forsaken. 00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:54.000 If anyone thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. 00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:59.039 The second thing that Ezra screams, well unholiness. 00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:02.240 Our main threat to holiness is ourselves. 00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:10.480 But also that God loves his people enough to not allow them to stay in their sin and complacency. 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:15.759 How easy would it be for God for God just to say, man, I brought you back and you're at it again. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:16.640 Forget it. 00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:17.359 Forget it. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:18.799 Like I'll find some other people. 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:20.240 I don't need you. 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:22.400 I don't need you to do this. 00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:25.039 But God is faithful. 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:32.240 So, 1 Corinthians 10, verse 11, take heed lest you fall. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:34.319 The next verse. 00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:39.680 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:44.960 God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. 00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:50.640 But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it. 00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:56.559 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:00.799 Because of what God has done. 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:03.920 You're no longer slaves to sin. 00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:08.480 This is the message of what God has come to free us from. 00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:14.480 We talk about the good news of the gospel and how there's life in Jesus Christ. 00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:16.720 There's salvation in Jesus Christ. 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.200 And we believe that and we accept that. 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:24.240 But we we do so sometimes thinking, well, I have to still stay where I'm at. 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:27.440 Or I have to stay with my sin. 00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:28.880 I can't overcome it. 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:29.759 I've tried. 00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:31.039 I can't be victorious. 00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:32.160 I've tried. 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:37.039 But what Scripture says, no temptation has overcome you. 00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:38.880 That isn't common to everyone else. 00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:42.480 It's your dang flesh, wanting what it wants. 00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:46.240 But God is faithful. 00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:49.599 He will not leave you in that. 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:53.759 He didn't leave you unable to conquer your sin. 00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:58.640 He didn't leave you unable to obey his commands. 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:03.039 He's given us a new heart. 00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:07.599 He's given us the Holy Spirit in us to contend. 00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:09.839 So what are we to do? 00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:11.839 We're to flee temptation. 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:15.759 We're to flee from the things that rob our affections for the Lord. 00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:23.839 We're to flee from the sin that entangles us and return to Christ. 00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:28.480 To return to Him and enjoy Him. 00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:33.839 So this morning we need to examine our hearts. 00:33:34.079 --> 00:33:37.359 We're going to take communion here in a moment. 00:33:37.680 --> 00:33:43.599 Communion is a time for us to reflect and to ask, Lord, am I following you? 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:48.400 Am I being obedient to what you've called me to? 00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:55.440 We read Ezra 10, we hear about that we're called to flee idolatry and sin. 00:33:55.680 --> 00:33:56.880 Trust the Lord. 00:33:57.200 --> 00:33:58.720 Hold fast to Him. 00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:01.200 Are we doing that? 00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:02.880 Are you doing that? 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:10.239 I'm not saying that you're batting a thousand or you're successful all the time, but is that the pattern of your life? 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:14.800 Do you even desire those things? 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:18.400 Do you desire to follow the Lord? 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:23.519