Ezra 3:1-4:23

The passage kicks off with an amazing event:  The people of God settled with a  unified purpose.  It is amazing what can happen when we are unified in the Lord!  (Jesus, please let us have this at Spring of Life!)  I love that in verse three, we see that God’s people decided to honor Him, despite their fears.

Ezra 3:3 -  “Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings.”

The people were so moved, the Bible says they began to give voluntary offerings to the Lord.  We’re kind of anxious right now at BPBC, because Sunday is our big offering day.  We’re praying that God helps us raise the money to launch a new 9:30 service in the Venue.  We have faith in the Lord, but there is always anxiousness over the unknown.  I love that when the people of God began to follow Him in faith, their hearts were also compelled to give voluntary offerings.  This is such a beautiful picture of worship.

It poses the question:  Why were the people building the temple? Out of obedience?  Out of love?  I guess a more important philosophical question is, Did God need the temple?  If the people didn’t build Him a place on earth, would he suddenly run out of heaven?  NO!  It seems like gives His people something to do, so that along the way, they fall more in love with Him.  This isn’t the theological 360 point of view on the subject, but it is a pretty clear intention in the text.

Though the people of God are doing the right things, the right way, enemies rise up against them with accusations…some of them true and some are lies.  It is enough to arouse the anger of the sitting king, and he stops all construction.  The people are stopped by force.  Here’s a follow up question:  was God still glorified?  Absolutely!  The point wasn’t the temple.  It never has been and it never was.  They point was the people God was using to do the building.

1 Corinthians 2-3

In verse 6, Paul makes it clear that he speaks in a different tone to mature believers than he does to new and potential converts.  Also in this passage, Paul says that knowledge and revelation come from the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:10 - But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

This is the same Spirit alive within the hearts of believers in Jesus Christ.  It is hard to be a complete secessionist, if we stop here.  The text refers to a deep knowledge that we need to pursue on our path to maturity.  Seek meat…not always milk.

Study in the future;  what is the meat?  (tongues, greater obedience, stronger affection for the gospel, election??)  I think everyone would agree we should pursue the meat.  I just think we all disagree on what that is.

The Power of Praise
2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37 

King Jehoshaphat is really coming along as a hero.  He might be the King, but that doesn’t keep him from traveling throughout the land, trying to see men abandon their idols and turn toward the Lord.  God honors what the King is up to.

Trouble in paradise:  rumors begin to spread…the kingdom is about to be attacked.  Imagine the moment that you realize everything you hold dear is likely to be destroyed.  All of your possessions are going to be taken.  You will probably lose your family.  You will probably lose your life.

Judah’s army wasn’t prepared to face the war that was on its way.  Jehoshaphat had an admirable 1st reaction:  he turned to the Lord in prayer.  The Bible says he began seeking after the Lord.  He lead the nation to pray and seek God.  The Lord sent His Spirit with a message:  Don’t Worry.  The Battle is the Lord’s.  You will prepare, but you will never fight.  You will discover a Victory that has already been won.

This is an audacious promise.  Would you believe it?  I’m not sure if I would or wouldn’t, but Jehoshaphat surely did.  With courage, the armies of Judah began walking into battle.  They were outmatched and by an earthly standards, they were about to die.  However, they were just bold enough to believe in a promise.

The Bible says that as they marched, they began to PRAISE THE LORD.  You’ve gotta see this next verse!

2 Chronicles 20:22 - “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. ²³ The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. ²⁴ So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.”

God used the praise of His people to usher in the victory.  I think there is a take-away here!!!!  The people of God believed the promise of God and they began thanking God before it even happened.  After they arrived to the battle scene, the only work they had to do was to haul away all the plunder.  It took 3 days.  God is so amazing.

Let’s get out there and began claiming some victory.

A Beautiful Tension
Romans 10-11

- Verse 14:  The compulsion to GO TELL
- It’s interesting that this verse follows the most definitive passage on election.

On one hand, we see that salvation is solely the work of the Lord.  On the other, we see that He has ordained for us to play a significant role.  Can we in good faith deny two things in the scriptures:  
1.  God is soverign and in control.  He seeks His glory above all
2.  god allows/seeks/demands a dynamic relationship with men and women.

Romans 11:7 presents another interesting mystery.   God had hardened the hearts of some Jews.  HOWEVER, he granted salvation to the gentiles so that the Jews would desire salvation.

I met a Jew in Israel who said this was his testimony.  He said that the Jewish people are truly hardened to the Gospel.  He said that one day, as an unsaved Jewish tour guide, he saw a Christian woman leading a team.  He said the remarkable joy in her life had an effect on him.  He saw something so real that he simply had to have it.  They are married now, and he is a born-again Christian.