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Teaching podcast from the Eagle Community Church of Christ in Mont Belvieu, TX.
Hey friends and welcome back to the Eagle Community Church Podcast. My name is John Gunter. This week, we're getting back into the story. This is our 2nd week back after the summer break. We're in chapter 21 if you wanna follow along.
John Gunter:What I have our church doing is reading the chapter before we go into the sermon, so we get a lot more out of the time. So, chapter 21 is called rebuilding the walls. It's talking about Ezra and Nehemiah and really the the battle they faced to kind of restore Jerusalem. They're able to go home, but home is not what it used to be. It's been over 50 years, 50 to 70 years, and so now they've gotta make some changes.
John Gunter:So, interesting story. I hope it helps you, and come see us sometime. Sing that sitting down or with a downcast disposition. The song encourage you encourages you to think about the joy that we find in God. How many of you need that joy today?
John Gunter:Do. Absolutely. To get through every day through to get through what all I have planned. A lot of times, I blame myself. I need to reflect on the joy of the lord.
John Gunter:The point in scripture we're at is a point in time where the Israelites should be reflecting on that same joy. Remember, they have been carried off into Babylon, had been taken away from their homeland, and, they are just now, in the last few years, been able to start returning. And that, as we have studied, prior, is because the, decree of Cyrus. Remember, god said, he used King Cyrus, his anointed one, a non Israelite, to do his will And part of that will was to allow the Israelites to return home. Now, how excited would you be to return home after 50 years?
John Gunter:Brooke and Francisco have been gone, for a few days. I know it felt like a month, but it's just a few days, Scott and Sheila. But Francisco said, I I'm just ready to be home. I think we all know that feeling, don't we? Ready to be in my house, in my bed, where I know where all the stuff is.
John Gunter:I'm ready to be back. And so how do you feel when you're able to return? What what what is your experience? Very thankful. Right?
John Gunter:Other than when you walk in and you think, does my house always smell like this? You're very thankful. You have been able to return home and god, as we know it, has been behind that, right? Allowing them to come back and as we read the accounts of Ezra and Nehemiah, this is what we get. This, understanding of how this came about for even them.
John Gunter:Our reading, right now is from Ezra 7 verses 6 through 28. This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed to the law of Moses which the lord, the god of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked for the hand of the lord, his god, was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, and temple servants also came up to Jerusalem in the 7th year of King Arteserxes.
John Gunter:Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the 5th month of the 7th year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the 1st day of the 1st month and he arrived in Jerusalem on the 1st day of the 5th month. That's a long trip y'all. It's a long bus ride. He says, for the gracious hand of his god was on him.
John Gunter:For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the law of the lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given Ezra the priest, a teacher of the law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the lord for Israel. So this is an account of the letter that King Artaxerxes had given Ezra to allow him to return home. I think this is fascinating. Artaxerxes, king of kings, gotta put that in there.
John Gunter:Right? If you're the king. King of kings. To Ezra the priest, teacher of the law, the God of heaven, greetings. Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.
John Gunter:Praise God. Right? This is not some little flippant thing. If we, right now, were in some other land taken against our will, and all of a sudden, the ruler of said land said this, what's your response? Is it the church of Christ?
John Gunter:We just be quiet and nod. Do we at least get an amen? Yeah. Right? We're we're jumping in our chairs.
John Gunter:Right? Somebody walks in and thinks, well, it's a Pentecostal place. Here. We're charismatic. No.
John Gunter:We would be thrilled. And so you see the work of god through this king allowing this to happen for god's people. So whoever wants to return can go. You are sent by the king and his 7 advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the law of your god, which is in your hand. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the god of Israel whose dwellings, dwelling is in Jerusalem.
John Gunter:What? Not only can you go, you can take stuff. I'm gonna send stuff with you. It says, together with all the silver and gold, you may obtain from the province of Babylon as well as the free will offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their god in Jerusalem. With this money, be sure to buy bulls, rams, and male lambs together with their grain offerings and drink offerings and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your god in Jerusalem.
John Gunter:Do you think Ezra has been talking to the king? You think Ezra said a a few things about what his people believe and what they do and how they worship their god? Yeah. That's what you see. Everything is in line with, I want you to do exactly what you've been telling me.
John Gunter:And here's the money. Here here here's the things to to be able to accomplish that. It says, you and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold. I like this guy. How about you?
John Gunter:You ever been told that? No. Even even with my kids. Right? I hand them money, and I'm looking for the change when they come back from the concession stand.
John Gunter:Not, hey. I was able to spend exactly the right amount where I don't have to give you anything. Right? But, yeah, the the this is a kingdom saying, okay, whatever you have left, you spend it as you want. He says, in accordance with the will of your god.
John Gunter:Deliver to the god of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship of the temple of your god And anything else needed for the temple of your god that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury. Amazing. Now, I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasures of Trans Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the law of god of heaven, may ask of you, up to a 100 talents of silver, a 100 course of wheat, a 100 baths of wine, a 100 baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. We didn't need that though, didn't we? We cut back.
John Gunter:Whatever the god of the heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the god of heaven. Why should his wrath fall in the realm of the king and of his sons? You see a little bit of the why here. I wanna be good with this guy. This obviously, he respects Ezra and and what he believes and what he's teaching and he wants to be good with god as well.
John Gunter:If god has this kind of power, I'd like to be good with him. Right? You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes. No amen at all. Really?
John Gunter:And we're just too used to it. Right? It's just just a part of life. You have no authority to impose taxes, tribute, or duty on any of the priests. There you go.
John Gunter:Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other workers at this house of god and you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your god, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans Euphrates, all who know the laws of your god, and you are to teach any of them or any who do not know them. Whoever does not obey the law of your god and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. Praise be to the lord, the god of our ancestors, who has put it in the king's heart to bring honor to the house of the lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king's powerful officials. Because the hand of the lord you hear this? Because the hand of the lord, my god was on me.
John Gunter:I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me. Nehemiah's story is is very similar. We don't get Ezra's question how to, that he went to the king and how that came about. We do get Nehemiah. Nehemiah says this, in the month of Nisan, 20th year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king.
John Gunter:I had not been sad in his presence before. So the king asked asked me, why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart. I was very much afraid but I said to the king, may the king live forever? Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?
John Gunter:And the king said to me, what is it you want? And I prayed to the god of heaven and answered the king, if it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it. Then the king with the queen sitting beside him asked me, how long will your journey take? And when when will you be back or when get back? It pleased the king to send me, so I set a time.
John Gunter:Here we have 2 men who obviously, in the way that they lived, even in exile, had carried favor with the kings. That they even asked, when will you get back? How many of you would have been so grouchy they wouldn't have wanted you back? Yeah? Yeah.
John Gunter:Some people exit your life and you think, my goodness. Praise the lord. But Ezra and Nehemiah lived in a way that they again had this respect about them. Now again, we understand because we understand the whole of scripture that not everything went as planned, did it? So we read this in Ezra 9, just these first five verses.
John Gunter:Says after these things have been done, the leaders came to me and said, the people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring people. Remember the the word there, keeping yourself separate is what word? Set apart. Holy. Yeah.
John Gunter:Have not been holy. Kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. I love that every time something like that comes up, they name everybody. Not just like the Canaanites, we're calling names. So we got, coach Prime says we got receipts.
John Gunter:All of them. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness. When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exile.
John Gunter:And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice. Then at the evening sacrifice, I rose from myself abasement with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the lord my god. What I'll point out here is that when you when you read about or when you see a holy race that is not set apart. This is not some kind of racism where we're better than you or we like our color of skin better than yours. But what this is is a a a very real thing where the people have intermarried and that's that's not necessarily an uncommon thing.
John Gunter:We read last week how people started becoming Jew. That's not a new new thing but what what they're doing here is they are intermarrying people with faith in other gods. And so what does that do almost every single time? It gets in the way, doesn't it? It starts drawing people even the wisest of the wise, King Solomon, who asked for wisdom and god gave him everything.
John Gunter:Money, everything, wisdom. People come from miles around to hear what he has to say. He decided I'm gonna marry a bunch of ladies from all over the country to help keep the peace. And what does he do? He starts straying from god and so that's what he's experiencing right here.
John Gunter:Is the people have introduced this and they're being pulled away from god and so one of the main things in Ezra and Nehemiah is is kind of the question, what is distracting you from doing the work or the will of god? Maybe we need to just sit with that just a moment. What is distracting you from doing the work or the will of god? We ask a question in class this morning. Why is it or or what's getting in the way of us giving in the way we want to give?
John Gunter:Well, it's I have allotted everything else, all the time in my life. I have allotted all my money. My schedule is full, and god gets to left them. Doesn't it? How often is that true?
John Gunter:That I will set this up. I will have all the things filled out and then maybe, if everything works out, if I feel good, if I don't have something else come up, I will do what I believe I should for god. I told you before, in my last church when I worked with teens, one of the things I started to learn and understand was that when kids told you, yes. I will come to this function, you started interpreting that as, right now I'm saying yes, but if something else comes up, absolutely not. And so the yes at that point is meaningless.
John Gunter:Right? It it does me no good to take that up and say, you know, how many of you are gonna be here? And you all raise your hands. Okay. A 100 people.
John Gunter:Because I know when it comes down to it that a lot of people are going to do their own thing. And so that's what we see in the story is they have come back. God has blessed them to come out of exile, go home, and we should be marching and praising god and thanking him for the way he's blessed us. And what we see is kind of coming back with not really gonna follow what god has said. Remember in the story, it actually says that it's been about 140 years.
John Gunter:It's been a long time since they've read even the law. And so they don't even understand what it is to follow god's law. The the good thing in this story is when confronted, what you see is a lot of the people say, you're right. And as a minister, that's that's the best I can hope for. But as we bring the word of god on Sundays, that as as you hear, as you sit here and hear the word of god, and if that doesn't jive with the way you're living your life, the best thing that can happen for you, for you, is to say, you know, you're right.
John Gunter:I I need to conform my life to god because often what we do is we we hear something. We think, well, how can god conform or how can I make that work with what I'm already doing? Instead of realigning, readjusting, rescheduling, rebutting. And so you see the difference there? It says, in part of our our reading today, it says that the people are even giving you remember what they were supposed to give as a sacrifice?
John Gunter:The very first, the very best, and these people have decided we're even gonna give the blind animals. God doesn't know better. Right? He's not here. Well, what's god's gonna do about it?
John Gunter:We'll we'll start it with kinda, you know, half in, toe in the water type of thing. Well, we'll start giving, but not much. That's kinda how we see that. Right? I don't wanna give all of my time and effort.
John Gunter:I've gotta work on Logan. I hope Logan's watching around. Logan, I love you, buddy. They're at home. But Logan Logan cracked me up last week.
John Gunter:He's, when I met my biological family, one of the things I found out is a lot of men are are artists, and I've always seen myself as not having any ability whatsoever. But Logan's got some of that. Even at 6, he can he can draw. And so he came came back last week after after church. He showed me his paper and he said, draw a hero.
John Gunter:And he drew a military man. And it said military man on there. And as he's telling me what he did, he goes, I'm so dumb. I should have written God because who knows what God looks like. And then I would have been dumb.
John Gunter:So he's thinking, I could have got out of some of this work. I didn't have to draw it. It was really good for for a 6 year old. I'm like, man, that's really good, but the thought process, I mean, it's it's kinda scaring me. But often, that's kind of our process.
John Gunter:Like, how can I get out of? How can I lessen? How can I give less? How can I make it make sense in my mind that I don't really have to dive into all this faith stuff? How can I do the minimum and walk away feeling still good about myself?
John Gunter:And I'm just gonna challenge you this morning that if your minimum if if what's making you feel good is showing up on Sundays, you need to be here, first of all. We all do. Scripture talks about being part of the body. You can't be a part of the body if you're not a part of the body, Some way or another. But if you come and and you think, well, as long as I have Sunday morning attendance, I'll feel good about myself.
John Gunter:That's not what god god has called you to do. As we go through the study of the holy spirit, we've talked about the way God has anointed all of us with different gifts and different abilities and ways to serve, not for ourselves, but for the common good of all the people. And here we are, most of the time, thinking, he'll do it better. She'll do it better. I hope I don't have to volunteer.
John Gunter:So nothing gets done. And so that's the same way when Ezra and Nehemiah show up and they're glad to be home but home doesn't look the way it used to look, does it? The walls are torn down. The, the gates are on the ground burned up. There's work to be done, and why hasn't anybody been doing it?
John Gunter:So the question is, what's getting in your way of working for God? Scripture tells us we we often have the battle. You don't have to work. Well, it's but you do have to participate. Faith without works is what?
John Gunter:Is dead. Faith without works, talk is cheap. Don't tell me you're a Christian. Live like 1. Don't tell me you follow God.
John Gunter:Live like you follow God. I don't need to hear it. I need to see it. How are we gonna impact our kids? How are we gonna grow the church?
John Gunter:Living like god wants us to live. Showing people that there is a way that we can live that is so attractive that everybody should wanna do it. But If you're living like Christian Christianity is a burden or how can I get out of this or how can I give less or, not spend so much time up there? John's going a little long. What are we doing?
John Gunter:What is it that's getting in our way? What is it that's drawing our attention away from God, away from loving each other? And so that's what we see. The end of the story this week starts with there's a messiah coming. And what we see with that is someone is gonna set all things right.
John Gunter:That even though restoration is happening here, there, even in Jerusalem, it's not gonna be perfect until god's messiah shows up. And so I am looking forward to talking to you about the life of Jesus. But I wanna encourage you this morning. That, again, if your heart is not in it, then you know I don't have to explain that to you. You know whether your heart is in it.
John Gunter:What do you feel? How does it make you feel when we come and worship? Are you in it for, man, I am just looking forward to being there with my people. Maybe I need to be there because they need to encourage me today because I've had a rough week. Maybe it is that I'm just overflowing with the joy of the lord that I wanna share it, that I wanna give it.
John Gunter:Here to give. You know if your heart's not in those places, If not, we'll pray with you. We wanna encourage you. I know sometimes it feels like I don't know how to get out of it. I believe it starts with a prayer and asking God our father to work in ways that we're not answered.
John Gunter:So So we'd love to pray with you. We'd love to see you baptized just like the Vasquez's were last week. You saw. He was actually sound asleep. I looked over and I pointed at Blake, and both of them were just out as much as they could be.
John Gunter:We'd love to see you begin that walk with Jesus. That is not something we take lightly here. That is not something where we're just gonna hug Blake and Kayla and say, great job, and just leave them alone. No. We're gonna walk beside you.
John Gunter:That is our, our mission as a church. Know that. We don't baptize people and leave them alone and say mission accomplished. Right? Fly to bear.
John Gunter:That's the beginning. And you know because you've been there, and it's what you decide that my life was gonna be lived for him. Something else is gonna show up and try to take you right away from it. We walk together as a church, as a body of Christ. So if we can help you in any way this morning, we'd love to pray with you, that you times we stay in this.