WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:03.919 Church, we are in Ezra chapter 3 this morning. 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:07.280 We've working through Ezra. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:13.439 This is the story of God's faithfulness to renew and restore his people. 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:24.160 Chapter 3 is about the exiles who have just returned from Babylon and they begin to rebuild the altar and rebuild the temple. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:28.800 Ezra chapter 3, begin in verse 1. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.079 This is God's holy and sacred word. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:41.280 When the seventh month came and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered at one as one man in Jerusalem. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:58.880 Then arose Jeshua the son of Josedak with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel, the sons of Sheeltiel, with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:06.480 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them, because of the peoples of the lands. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:14.319 And they offered burnt offerings, excuse me, burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:24.400 And they kept the feast of booths as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the ruler, the rule as each day required. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:37.040 And after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon, and all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a free will offering to the Lord. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:42.000 From the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. 00:01:42.480 --> 00:02:03.200 But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid, so they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the Sidonians and the tyrants to bring cedars, cedar trees from Lebanon to the to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus, king of Persia. 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:17.360 Now in the second year, after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Sheiltu and Jeshua the son of Josedek made a beginning. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:30.159 Together with the rest of their kinsmen and the priests and the Levites and all who came to Jerusalem from captivity, they appointed the Levites from twenty years old and upward to supervise the work of the house of the Lord. 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:43.520 And Joshua with his sons and his brothers, and Cadmiel and his sons and the sons of Judah together supervised the work of the workmen in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and the Levites and their sons and brothers. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:03:00.639 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Aesaph, with symbols to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David, the king of Israel. 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:11.280 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel. 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:20.719 And all the people shouted with a great shout when they when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:36.080 But many of the priests and the Levites and the heads of and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw that the foundation of this house being laid. 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:47.120 Though many shouted with a loud with joy, so the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from the sound of the people's weeping. 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:52.000 For the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:54.479 This is the word of the Lord. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:00.319 What we worship and how we worship matters. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:06.400 As we see in this passage, atonement precedes worship. 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:09.360 If you don't know what atonement means, stick with me. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:10.479 We will learn that. 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:11.360 We'll get there. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:16.639 But as we remember from chapter 2 that the way that we worship the Lord matters. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:22.560 Instruction is given on how God's people are to worship him and how they're to conduct themselves. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:27.920 It's clear in the Bible how God's people are to follow after him. 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:33.519 But it appears to be very unclear for a lot of Christians today. 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:38.959 And I want to share with you some kind of findings from a recent survey done by Ligoneer Ministries. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:41.600 I don't know if you're familiar with Ligoneer, started by R. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:41.839 C. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:45.279 Sprohl, the table talk thing we pass out, that's a part of their ministry. 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.800 But they do this theological survey every few years. 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:55.920 You can go to their website, stateoftheology.com, and read about this, but their findings are truly heartbreaking. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:57.600 I'm going to share some of these with you. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:03.519 And they they ask all kinds of thousands of Americans what they believe about theological issues. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:07.519 And then they kind of break that group out into evangelicals. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:13.040 Now the word evangelical can mean a lot of different things, but they kind of define it with these four things. 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:15.439 This is how they define evangelical. 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:19.040 The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:22.480 This is the way they define with their survey. 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:29.680 It is very important for me to personally encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:37.199 Jesus Christ's death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin. 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:46.879 The fourth one only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God's free gifts of eternal salvation. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:48.000 So all that's good, right? 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:49.040 We'd agree with that. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:06:02.079 So they begin to ask them questions about God and theology, and this is just some of the 35 questions, some of the answers. 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:10.639 First, one of the questions God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:16.160 56% of evangelical Christians agree with that. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:20.000 You're not a Christian if you agree with that. 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:24.720 God learns and adapts to different circumstances. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:29.040 Forty-eight percent of the evangelicals agree. 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:32.160 God is learning and adapting as he goes. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:34.560 That's contrary to Scripture. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:37.759 Another question. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:44.000 Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:48.720 73% of evangelicals agree with that. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:51.199 If you agree with that, you're not a Christian. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:07:00.319 The next question the Holy Spirit is a force, but is not a personal being. 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:10.959 You are not a Christian. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:20.240 Worshiping alone or with one's family is a valid replacement for regularly gathering and attending church. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:24.160 54% of evangelicals agree with that. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:28.240 Gender identity is a matter of choice. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:33.040 37% of evangelicals agree with that statement. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:42.399 Jesus Christ's death on the cross is the only sacrifice that can remove the penalty of my sin. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:47.199 Says 99% of evangelicals agree with that. 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:55.680 So if you I encourage you to look at this survey and read it because what it reveals is that there's a lot of Christians who know good Sunday school answers. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:04.319 But when it comes to their obedience to the Lord, following the Lord, they don't even know the doctrine of the Trinity. 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:08.079 They don't even believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:13.839 Let alone that he can pay for their sins as a created being. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:20.079 So you can see why it matters what we believe. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:25.279 It matters what we believe, and what God tells us in his word. 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:35.600 The nation of Israel, Ezra III, is seeking to restore the obedience to the Lord. 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.960 They're seeking to obey God's word. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:46.320 They begin by setting up a place for atonement, rebuilding the altar. 00:08:48.639 --> 00:09:04.799 The first chunk of this passage that they gather around in Jerusalem the priests and the king, which is a foreshadowing of Christ, who is the perfect king and is the perfect priest. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.919 They begin to set the altar in place. 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:17.200 And this is the first thing they did when they came into the promised land for the first time, out of Egypt, out of the desert, into the promised land to build an altar. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:22.000 A place that they could begin to atone for their sin. 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:26.639 Now in the old covenant, God gave the people a written law. 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:32.240 In Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and part of Deuteronomy, he's spelling out for his people. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:34.480 This is what it means to follow me. 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:38.000 This is what it looks like to obey the commands I have given you. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:46.639 How you're to do business, how you're to worship me, how you're to govern yourselves, and how you're to live and interact with your neighbor and with the nations around you. 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:49.360 He's spelled it all out for them. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:55.360 And part of what he gave them was this system of sacrifice and offering. 00:09:55.600 --> 00:10:00.080 Where they would come and they'd bring a sacrifice or an offering and they would offer it up. 00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:04.960 The priest would take it and offer it on the altar. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:06.240 Can we get the word out? 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:07.600 On the altar. 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:11.120 They were offering these things to the Lord. 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:14.799 And there were five sacrifices, right? 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:15.919 Or offerings. 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:23.200 There's the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:30.080 Each of these involved certain elements or different animals or fruits or grains from the field. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:32.399 They had a specific purpose. 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:37.200 And when you're reading through these in your Bible reading plan, you know, sometimes it can be kind of monotonous. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.279 You're like, well, how do these people keep this straight? 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:44.960 They got to offer this thing for that, and this many birds for this thing, and it's hard to keep all that straight. 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:50.320 But this is the way the Lord was instructing his people to worship him. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:11:01.759 So the priest would take the offering and they'd usually divide it up into two or three pieces, and they would put part of it on the altar to offer as an atoning sacrifice. 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:06.639 But the atoning wasn't like a full atoning, it was kind of a partial atoning. 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:12.320 And what I mean by that is the blood of the animal or the grain offering had to be given. 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:14.720 A sacrifice had to be made. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:21.440 But that sacrifice, in and of itself, didn't atone for sin. 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:27.600 But it rested on the work that Christ would accomplish. 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:36.159 So when Christ died on the cross, he was not just dying for all of the people who were still ahead to live and to sin. 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:39.360 He was literally dying for all sin. 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:41.200 All of it. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:43.840 Old Testament, Old Covenant, New Covenant. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:45.679 He was paying the price for the sin. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:59.440 And so even as the people of God are systematically offering up these sacrifices, they're doing so in hopes that there is a Savior to come, a Messiah who will come for them. 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:08.960 And that's how the sacrifices in the Old Testament point to the perfect and the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:14.720 As with the rest of the law, it's a foreshadowing of things to come. 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:18.240 The reality is found in Christ. 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:26.480 We recognize as Christians today that Christ's death paid the price for our sin. 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:39.039 We no longer need to take a ram or a goat or a bull or some grain and take it to the priest because Christ has done this atoning work for us. 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:45.679 His death opened up the holy place for us. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:13:04.720 See this language of atonement, the reason that the Jews came back and they wanted to rebuild the altar so that they can begin to make the sacrifices again, so they can observe the morning offerings, the evenings, and the burnt offerings, and the feast of booths, all the things that God had instructed them to do. 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:07.840 Part of that was having an altar in which they could do it. 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:14.000 So before they could rebuild the temple, and keep in mind the temple was like, this was their glory as a people. 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:22.080 This was, I mean, this is the temple, this is where God dwells, this is where he instructs, this is where we go into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:24.480 This is so precious for them. 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:28.960 But they didn't come back and say, let's rebuild the temple so that everyone will see. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:31.039 The nations will know. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:41.679 They said, let us rebuild the altar so we can begin to sacrifice as we are commanded and instructed. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:44.639 So atonement. 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:49.200 It's the paying, paying the price for something. 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:52.000 It's an exchange of sorts. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:57.039 To atone for something is to take the punishment or the consequences for something. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:08.799 And our faith rests on this: that Christ atoned for our sin, that he paid the price for all of our sin. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:10.639 All the sin we committed. 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.039 Christ atoned for that. 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:27.679 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 24 says, He himself, Christ, bore our sin in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:46.000 Hebrews 9 says, He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and of calves, but by the means of his own blood, thus securing our eternal redemption. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.240 Again, Hebrews 9 22. 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:55.919 Indeed, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:01.440 And without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:10.799 What the people knew when they came back from captivity, and what we know today is our sin isn't a light matter. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:17.039 God never takes sin lightly, he doesn't treat it in a trivial way. 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:20.080 And so often we do this. 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:22.159 We just kind of act as if it doesn't really matter. 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:24.320 Like, this isn't a big deal. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.799 This isn't a this doesn't cost much. 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:36.080 You can imagine kind of back in the old covenant, like, well, I mean, you know, the consequence for this sin is a dove or you know, kind of a pile of grain. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:38.399 So this sin looks pretty good. 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:45.519 I'm gonna go ahead and take that deal, and I'll give them the dove, I'll give them the grain, let me do what I want to do. 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:48.879 It's cheap grace. 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:50.399 Cheap grace. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:55.120 Because that dove or the grain isn't paying the price for the sin. 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:58.960 It's the death of Jesus Christ that paid the price for the sin. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:13.120 And so for us this day, we need to be mindful that although this altar covenant or altar um sacrificial system is gone, it's gone because Jesus Christ died. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:16.480 Paying the price for us. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:19.279 This is atonement. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:21.600 This is atonement. 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:31.840 In the process of becoming a member of Proclamation Church, we we sit down with people, we have a discussion, we hear their story, what was how did Christ save you? 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.799 You know, how's your how do you how are you loving the Lord? 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:43.200 And one of the questions we ask, and it's a difficult question to ask because it just feels weird, but the question's really simple. 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:45.840 Just briefly tell me, what is the gospel? 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:54.399 We we talk about the gospel, we claim to be Christians, this is, if you can condense everything down, this is the good news. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:58.000 So we just want to hear you know what the gospel is. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:04.480 And we're always looking for several things, but we're looking for this language of atonement. 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:10.000 That you get this, that you understand this, because if you don't get this, you don't get the gospel. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:18.960 So we're not, people usually don't use the language of atonement, but they'll say something about Jesus died for my sin. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:24.000 Jesus paid the price for my sin. 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:27.200 Jesus' blood covered my sin. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.079 It's this language of exchange. 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:36.799 I was guilty, I was sinful, but Jesus Christ came in and he died for that. 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:38.960 He atoned for that. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:43.039 I'm right before God because of Jesus' blood. 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:44.799 Nothing else. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:54.640 We want to know that we know that this is God's work for us, that he has atoned for our sins. 00:17:55.839 --> 00:18:01.039 So as his people, it does matter how we worship and what we worship. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:06.720 But before we can worship, we have to, there has to be atonement for our sin. 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:16.240 Before we can begin to praise God and follow God and trust God and be a Christian, we have to believe that Christ has died for us. 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:18.960 That atonement has been made. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:21.200 In Romans 6, 23. 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:23.119 It's a beautiful verse. 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:25.839 It's a great verse to memorize, to use for evangelism. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:29.680 If you don't memorize it, if you don't have it memorized, memorize it. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:31.599 Romans 6, 23. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:40.960 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:51.039 For the wage, the consequence, the reality, the inheritance, the end of the road with sin, death. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:59.440 But the free gift of God, the free gift is eternal life. 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:05.279 Now you tell me how that makes sense from a human perspective. 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:07.279 It doesn't make sense. 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:10.000 That's why it's grace, that's why it's God's love. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:19.119 That's why we can take no ownership in our salvation, we can take no pride in our holiness and say, well, you know, I've worked really hard for becoming a Christian. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:21.440 It took a lot of work, but I'm finally there. 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:22.559 No. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:25.839 It is the free gift of God. 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.519 We believe it, we press into it, we trust it. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:31.599 It is his gift for us. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:35.279 And it's from Jesus Christ and no one else. 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.160 So atonement is vital to how we worship. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:44.160 Because Jesus Christ has purchased our sin. 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:52.480 He's secured for us a life as his believers, his followers. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:20:03.839 No longer do we are we kind of making these sacrifices, obeying just the letter of the law, but we are to have a heart to obey God, to follow him. 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:06.799 The temple. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:11.599 The second part of this passage is them beginning to rebuild the temple. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:17.680 So they acknowledge the atonement and now the rebuilding of the house of worship. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:24.240 So through this, they begin to lay the cornerstone and they put all these people to supervise this. 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:33.839 Now, I've worked a little bit of construction in my life, enough to know that you read through this, and that's a lot of supervisors, right? 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:36.960 There's a lot of guys walking the job site, right? 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.079 Which sounds kind of annoying if you're like just the worker. 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:42.000 But why are they doing that? 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:45.599 They're not making mistakes here. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:49.279 They're going to be detailed, it's going to be done right. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:51.119 They're very precautious. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:56.400 They take every precaution, they do everything they can to make sure the work is done right. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:59.759 Because they want to honor the Lord. 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:02.000 They want to worship the Lord correctly. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:10.160 And when they lay that first stone, they just get one stone laid and they begin to celebrate. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:13.759 They begin to celebrate to remember what God has done. 00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:17.599 They have this part of the song, for he is good. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:37.599 70 years in captivity, carried off by into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, suffered hardship, traveled thousands of miles to get back, facing hardship, for he is good. 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:40.319 For he is good. 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:43.200 They didn't say, well, you know what? 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:45.759 God, he finally showed up for me. 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:47.759 He finally pulled through. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.319 You know, I've been we've been trying to do this faithful thing for a while, and we had our doubts, but you know what? 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.319 God, you know, he, all right. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:55.119 You know what? 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:57.359 I think I think I can trust him now. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.519 For he is. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:00.960 Good. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:05.839 His steadfast love endures forever. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:09.200 It was steadfast love when he brought them out of Egypt. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:12.319 It was steadfast love when he brought them into the promised land. 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:17.039 It was steadfast love when he took them into captivity. 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:24.000 And it was steadfast love that brought them back as they begin to rebuild the temple. 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:26.240 It's a steadfast love. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:31.279 And here we see these people who are kind of, two things are happening. 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:33.279 It's kind of an awkward situation. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:35.200 Some are rejoicing. 00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:39.359 They've heard about the temple, they've heard about the city, they've heard about the altar. 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:41.599 And here they're a part of the group. 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:46.960 They're the ones to witness the laying the foundation stone of the temple. 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:49.599 House of worship. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:52.720 And they're rejoicing, they're praising God. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:55.440 And then there's another group. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:58.799 Those who remember the temple. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:02.480 Those who were there before it was destroyed. 00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:04.640 And they begin to weep. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:09.680 Not because God hasn't been faithful, not because he hasn't been good. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:13.920 But they begin to weep over what was lost. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:17.519 Over what could have been. 00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:21.599 If the people were obedient to God. 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:29.920 If they were obedient to him, he would not have disciplined them and carried them off into captivity. 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:36.640 If the people would have been obedient to him and obeyed him, the temple would not have been destroyed. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:46.160 But I think one thing we can take away is we need to be careful. 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:52.160 Just because good times are good, or we're like, man, we're rebuilding this. 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:53.440 This is great. 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:57.599 We need to know how to lament sin. 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:02.880 We need to remember the cost of things. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:14.720 There's multiple people in our congregation, and this is a blessing, who are on their second marriage, third marriage. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:17.119 The Lord has given them a spouse. 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:21.039 They're in a marriage covenant with someone who loves the Lord, and it's a beautiful thing. 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:22.160 It's a wonderful thing. 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:24.240 We rejoice in that. 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:26.720 Rejoice in that. 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:29.279 But there's something to grieve. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:32.559 There was a first marriage that did not work. 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:35.839 There was a first covenant that broke and fell apart. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:40.559 But the Lord is gracious, the Lord is good. 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:45.440 So there is this tension in us of acknowledging the goodness of the Lord. 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:52.400 And we we can kind of contrast that with the brokenness of ourselves and the way that things went bad and wrong. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:57.279 And here we have these people, some are weeping that the temple was destroyed. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:03.039 We have others rejoicing because they don't know any different other than the new temple. 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:06.400 But so God is so gracious to us. 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:16.559 That in the midst of our failing, in the midst of our shortcomings, our giving in to sin, He is faithful. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:17.920 He is good. 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:24.720 His steadfast love endures forever toward us. 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:30.720 See, in the old covenant in the temple, I mean, this was the center of everything. 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:32.799 This is where they gathered for worship. 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:35.200 They would offer the sacrifices, as we mentioned. 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:37.839 Once a year, again, the Day of Atonement. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:41.279 Once a year, the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:43.680 This is where God's presence was. 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:46.480 There's a curtain there. 00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:48.960 They would go in once a year. 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:52.640 And there's this all this ritual they had to do before they could go in. 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:56.880 They would offer a sacrifice for the sins of the nation. 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:03.920 This was a center of how they worshiped the Lord, the temple, the rebuilding it. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:13.599 And so often, as we talked about this theological survey, and people just, they have no theology. 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:16.400 They're heretics in their theology. 00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:18.880 They're not Christians in their theology. 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:24.559 We begin to just kind of not value the things that God has valued. 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.960 God says, do these things. 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:28.720 Well, I think that's kind of optional. 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:30.720 God says, worship me this way. 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:33.359 Well, you know, I think that's, we can see how that goes. 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:35.680 Maybe we'll try something different. 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:39.039 See, the Lord is faithful. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:45.200 What he's doing here in chapter 3 is he's restoring the commands he's given to the people. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:59.519 And so, as believers, we need to be calling ourselves and one another to holiness and to God's word, to trust his word, to press into one another, to follow him more faithfully. 00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:04.160 Are we trusting in the atonement of Jesus Christ? 00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:06.720 Are we trusting in that? 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:12.559 Are we worshiping God as He has instructed us to worship Him? 00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:16.880 So as we close, I just want to ask a few questions. 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:19.279 Again, the atonement of Christ. 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:26.799 Do you trust the atonement of Christ, His death, His blood, for the forgiveness of your sin? 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:30.480 Do you trust it for all of your sin? 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:32.559 Or is it just most of your sin? 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:37.519 But there's still this really big screw up, and I don't know if God can cover that. 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:43.359 Or most of them, there's still some sin that I'm kind of enjoying and I don't want to repent of. 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:48.960 Are you trusting in the atonement of Christ for the forgiveness of your sin? 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:54.799 Are you trusting in the atonement of Christ for your grace? 00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:58.640 That his blood has covered you. 00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:01.599 That you walk in grace. 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:04.559 And this is not cheap grace. 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:07.599 This is expensive grace. 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:11.599 This is grace purchased by the Son of God. 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:13.440 Are you walking in that? 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:21.599 When you fall short, when you're short, when you're when you get angry and you sin against your spouse or your children or one another. 00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:25.359 You indulge in sin against the commands of God. 00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:26.720 You give in to that. 00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:33.519 Do you trust the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross to forgive you and to walk in grace? 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:36.880 And do you trust it for new life? 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:38.640 Genuine new life. 00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:41.359 Not like, well, you know, things are a little better. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:43.279 I'm trying to be kind. 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:46.000 I'm giving more money away to charity. 00:28:46.799 --> 00:28:48.880 But I mean new life. 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:53.279 Your desires are new, your affections are new. 00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:55.759 The things you once loved, you're beginning to hate. 00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:59.200 The things you once hated, man, now you're beginning to love them. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:04.000 Are you trusting in the atoning work of Jesus Christ for these things? 00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:06.559 And are you worshiping Christ? 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:11.440 Are you worshiping Him with your obedience to Him? 00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:18.480 It's one thing to say, I'm worshiping the Lord because I gather with the church on the Lord's Day, which is a good thing. 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:21.839 We sing, we we pray, we read Scripture. 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:23.440 It's good. 00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:26.000 But are you obedient to the Lord? 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:30.400 Are you striving to be and have a pattern of obedience to Him? 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:40.000 You can see the connection between the striving for obedience and the needing to know what grace is and knowing you're forgiven. 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:50.000 If you lose the part about God's grace or his forgiveness, then your obedience just becomes you trying to get points with God. 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:53.519 Well, I'm just trying to do the right thing, hoping God notices. 00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:57.839 Hopefully the scales kind of weigh out in the end. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:04.960 Forgiveness comes because Christ has atoned for you. 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:08.480 Grace comes because Christ loves you, He gives you that grace. 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:16.559 And therefore, downstream from those things, because He's done those things, we walk in obedience. 00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:18.640 We strive to walk in obedience. 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:21.359 We fail daily, regularly, often. 00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:24.880 We confess, we keep walking in obedience. 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:28.480 Do we worship Christ with our joy? 00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:31.440 Do we even desire to be joyful people? 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:36.720 Do we see a connection between Christ's love for us and the command to be joyful? 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:41.039 There shouldn't be any more joyful people in the world than Christians. 00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:44.559 We literally have had our sin paid for. 00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:48.079 You're not going to hell because Jesus Christ. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:50.160 Be joyful. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:51.279 Be joyful. 00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:55.359 If you're like me, that usually requires you to preach it to yourself. 00:30:55.680 --> 00:30:59.680 I don't really roll out of bed just like joyful. 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:06.799 But I begin to memorize and focus on the word and remember what Christ has done for me. 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:08.160 Joyful. 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:12.960 I'm going to give you a little tip or a helpful hint. 00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:17.279 Are you struggling with a sin in your life, a sin struggle? 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:20.880 There's probably not a whole lot of joy in your life. 00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:24.240 You need to strive to be joyful. 00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:31.680 Remembering God's word, singing the songs we sing on Sunday morning, fixing your mind on the Lord. 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:36.559 Because it's hard to be joyful in God and be given over to sin. 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:42.960 The way we worship Christ: obedience, joy, and sacrifice. 00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:44.799 Sacrifice. 00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:48.640 Are you seeking to be sacrificial? 00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:52.079 The Lord saved you. 00:31:53.119 --> 00:31:54.000 What a beautiful thing. 00:31:54.160 --> 00:32:00.720 He didn't just save you and say, okay, continue on in your selfish, sinful, worldly ways. 00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:04.799 Christ came and gave his life. 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:07.119 He gave his life. 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:10.160 And then he says to those whom he's redeemed, guess what? 00:32:10.319 --> 00:32:12.799 You too lay down your life. 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:17.440 For when you do that, you will find life. 00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:20.960 There is no life in hoarding up. 00:32:21.119 --> 00:32:27.440 There is no life in kind of protecting everything you have and trying to keep it all to yourself and maybe just giving you a little bit. 00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:28.960 I'll sacrifice a little bit. 00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:30.319 You don't even notice it. 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:33.440 It's not a sacrifice unless it hurts. 00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:37.599 It's not a sacrifice unless it costs you something. 00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:44.799 We live in a day and age where we can give away a lot money, food, whatever, and we don't miss it. 00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:51.279 Like, sure, we're not maybe gonna go buy a bunch of other things, but we're not really missing it in our life. 00:32:51.519 --> 00:33:00.480 But here we see the nation of Israel coming out of captivity, giving what they can to honor the Lord, giving sacrificially. 00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:03.440 Now we have to be wise with that. 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:05.519 I know there's a caveat there. 00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:10.559 I don't think any one of us really struggle with giving away too much. 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:23.599 We're to be sacrificial in our worship of the Lord because Jesus Christ has been sacrificial in coming for us, dying for us, and giving us a new life. 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:25.680 Pray with me if you will.