Agents of Change Part 1Ezra 8:21-23

INTRO - Somethings Missing ??? (personal … you could come up with something personal or just tell the story in the third person as if it happened to some close friends of yours :)

Personal - Before I married my wife Cecilia, she was a single mom who was greatly involved in youth ministry. She was really con-nected and a very dedicated leader. One time she was going on a trip with some leaders and they met up at Pastor Asa’s house. At the time Tony was around 8 years old. She was parked in front of Pastor Asa’s and when everyone was leaving Tony wanted to ride in Pastor Asa’s car as there were some other kids in the car and it was a long trip. So my wife told Tony to go ahead. The only prob-lem was Pastor Asa was parked in his garage and so Tony ran be-side the house through the gangway to catch the other car. My wife had some other people in her car and they quickly departed and my wife was following Pastor Asa. About an hour down the road she looked into Pastor Asa’s car and she didn’t see Tony in the car. When they stopped she asked where Tony was and Pas-tor Asa said he wasn’t with his family. Tony was missing. I will tell you later what ended up happening… but let me tell you another story about a group of people that were going on a trip and some-thing was missing.

EZRA BACKGROUND:

- The Jewish people had been conquered by the Babylonians and taken into modern day Iraq aprox. 600 years before the birth of Christ.

- The Babylonians were conquered by the Persians and 538 BC, Cyrus gave the Jews permission to return and re-build their tem-ple.

- The return to Jerusalem and Judah took place in three major phases…. the first wave came with Zerubabbel to rebuild the temple. After many years, the temple had been rebuilt and was physically there… but many of the Jewish people were already falling away from God and there was a real lack of spiritual lead-ership.

- Ezra, a priest with a lineage traced back to Aaron the high priest (brother of Moses and first priest of Israel) steps up to the occa-sion and rallies nearly 4000 Jews to move from one country where they had grown comfortable to their homeland that was a conquered waste land and unsafe.

- Ezra had rallied families and priests and even money. 25 tons of silver, 100 vessels of silver valued at three and three-quarter tons of gold, 20 gold bowls weighing eighteen and a half pounds, 2 vessels of bright red copper, as valuable as gold. (Ezra 8:27 Message translation)

Everyone is ready to go… but somethings missing… They had to travel hundreds of miles… through dangerous lands with bandits and robbers and they did not have any protection. Almost like hav-ing to transport money from a bank with an armored truck.. and with such a larger group of people … it was very difficult to not be a huge target. So what did Ezra do? The situation was bigger than him…. he was in over his head…

—> parents raising kids in urban environments that feel like they are in over their head… what to do?

—> workers who speak up and find themselves with a project that feels impossible and yet the whole team is looking at them??

—> churches trying to reach a secular culture // false religions // hard places to reach…

—> trying to get victory of temptation and attacks of the enemy?

8:21  I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might hum-ble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions. 22  I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who abandon Him.” 23 So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He granted our request.

What do when facing a situation bigger than yourself?

Lessons from a leader facing a challenge bigger than himself.

STEP 1: Verbally make a commitment to fast and pray like never before.

I proclaimed a fast

—> personal problem needs a personal fast… corporate problem and challenges need a corporate fast

—> APPLICATION - Fasting commitment form

STEP 2: Use fasting as a way to declare you are humbling yourself before Almighty God.

so that we might humble ourselves before our God

(Fasting isn’t not always a result of humility but sometimes a means in which we pursue it. I am proud, sinful and self depen-dent, consumed with the here and now. God I need you to strip me of my pride and it can’t happened without a miracle from you. )

STEP 3: Trust God to take you through the difficult situation as he doesn’t always take you out of it.

ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our posses-sions. ….. to protect us from enemies during the journey…

(Our safety does not come from safe places but from a Sovereign God more powerful than the dangerous roads and routes he wants us to walk through.

God did not smite their enemies nor give them a different journey … they walked through land where they had enemies and God kept them and their children safe.

The greater the danger the greater the cry of dependance needs to be. Are you facing a dangerous situation? Our your children fac-ing a dangerous situation? Have you fasted for your spiritual emer-gencies? We want to run from danger when God often uses dan-ger and difficulties to cause us to run to Him!)

STEP 4: Realize God works through people and someone has to step up and be the change agent.

(Even though God has a sovereign plan and had made sovereign promises; the who, where, how and when wasn ’ t a set guarantee.

God promises that he would return them to the promise land, but Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther all had to fast and seek God. How the plan would unfold was made known and who God would use wasn’t known from the human side of things.

God has promised to provide… he has promised to finish the work he started in you… he has promised to give you victory… but that doesn’t mean you don’t have enemies and obstacles to overcome.

Fasting keeps us sharp and allows us to be right in where God wants us.

STEP 5: Strategize and implement a plan that is birthed out of prayer and seeking God.

Even though we seek God, sometimes he wants to give us wisdom and strategies and to carry out the purpose and plan he has.

24 I selected 12 of the leading priests, along with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and 10 of their brothers. 25 I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles—the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Is-raelites who were present had offered. … 30 So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the articles that had been weighed out, to bring them to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

God gave Ezra a strategy. He divided up the money between 12 priests. He had fasted but still had to walk out in faith not knowing how God was going to answer. He could sense the hand of God… but he still took strategic measures. When God gives wisdom… it does not mean that there won’t be danger. When God gives a vi-sion it doesn’t mean he is just going bring the vision to pass without using people. There were names of people who were agents of Change… there were leaders who stepped up to the occasion and put themselves at greater risk… Just because God said he was going to do something didn't mean there was not pain, blood, sweat and tears. The people that God used were in unity and fasted to-gether and their children were in danger yet in the “shadow of God’s wings” protected by God.

Some of us have kids in public schools… why not fast one day for their spiritual protection! Some of us have enemies at work… why not fast one day for spiritual protection. Some of us live in homes

where not everyone wants to follow God…Some of us……..

If you want to be history maker… an agent of change for God… will you seek God with greater intensity through fasting???

Step 1 - It starts with prayer and fasting

Step 2 - The heart is humility is essential to make your prayer and fasting effective.

Step 3 - The solution is not always for God to make your situation to disappear but to give you wisdom of how to get through it.

Step 4 - Realize God uses people and you must step up to the challenge.

Step 5 - Strategize and implement a plan that is birthed out of prayer and seeking God.

—> Perhaps you are fighting addictions… find a recovery group and stick to the plan.

—> Perhaps you are struggling in your marriage… find a good counselor and stick to the plan.

—> Perhaps you are a teacher of inner city kids… fast and pray over every seat… ask God for insight … and don’t abandon ship.. but wait on God for a plan…

—> Perhaps you have a child that has fallen away from the Lord and you relationship is rocky… fast at first… but then maybe set up a monthly time to meet over a meal and rebuild your relationship

apart of from their spirituality… if you make a plan to meet once a month over a meal… stick to the plan…

—> Perhaps you are leading a small group, children’s class, or ministry team… and you are having a hard time recruiting volun-teers… 1) Fast 2) Humble Yourself (acknowledge you need God) 3) Don’t Quit even if difficult 4) Take Courage and step up 5) Come up with a plan birthed in prayer and fasting and stick to it!

—> ________________________________________________

What happened to Tony When he was missing?

he went to the house next door, called his grandfather, and eventu-ally my wife made it back to get him. She might have been two hours behind… but Tony was no longer left behind.

MAYBE YOU HAVE SET OUT TO DO SOMETHING GREAT ON YOUR OWN AND IT IS STRUGGLING AND YOU ARE FAILING…

During this season of fasting and prayer … perhaps it is time to stop … seek God and acknowledge your need for him… and ask him to influence your plans .

ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our posses-sions.

We need to fast for “US” … “OUR CHILDREN” … and “ALL OUR POSSESSIONS.”

it is OK and right to fast for a job… fast for your family … fast for your walk with God… fast for safe traveling… fast for God’s hand to be on your life!

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Agents of Change - Reposition

Ezra Background - The Jewish people had been conquered by the Babylonians and

taken into modern day Iraq aprox. 600 years before the birth of Christ. The Babylonians were conquered by the Persians and 538 BC, Cyrus gave the Jews permission to return and re-build their temple. The return to Jerusalem and Judah took place in three major phases…. the first wave came with Zerubabbel to re-build the temple. The second wave came with the Priest Ezra to bring reform to a people who were straying from God and his law. The third wave came with Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This took place over 100 years and reveals the need for different moves of God in different spheres of influence. • Zerubbabel - pioneer leader leading the first group back to

Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. • Ezra - priest who leads a second wave back to help restore

true worship according to God’s law• Esther - young Jewish girl who wins a beauty contest to be-

come a queen to a pagan king…. influences the king to make amendments to the laws so the Jews could defend themselves from Genocide.

• Nehemiah - High ranking government official who was very close to the king and leaves a place of comfort out of concern for those were not, takes a leave of absence from a powerful positions close to a King to become a community developer re-building the walls.

In Ezra 1- 6, because of the power of God working through people, the temple is rebuilt over a 20 year period. Yet God’s people were inter marrying with foreign women and inter-mixing with their false worship of pagan gods and idolatry. Even thought the temple was built… the spiritual temperature of the worship was cold. Ezra ral-lies about 2000 people to relocate from Babylon back to Jerusalem and the land of Judah. Ezra can trace his lineage back to the High Priest Aaron form the days of Moses of and he is real deal when it comes to loving God’s word and a passion for living a holy lifestyle. In Ezra 8, we find this spiritual leader facing a great dilimma.

8:21  I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might hum-ble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions. 22  I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who abandon Him.” 23 So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He granted our request.

The route from Babylon back to Jerusalem would have been very dangerous. And a group this size would have brought great atten-tion. Imagine having everyone ready for the family road trip… but you were traveling with 2000 family members.. and your plan was tor travel through land filled by bandits and robbers. You not only have you children with you, but you also have alot of possessions… and alot of money designated for the temple. 25 tons of silver100 vessels of silver valued at three and three-quarter tons of gold20 gold bowls weighing eighteen and a half pounds2 vessels of bright red copper, as valuable as gold.(Ezra 8:27 Message translation)

There were no armored trucks. But he could ask for a military es-cort… except one problem … Ezra had already boasted in the power of His God:

8:22  I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who abandon Him.”

Ezra had a strategic challenge … a problem too big just for a hu-man solution. He had got permission from the Persian emperor… He rallied for families to relocate thousands of miles away. When they were ready to go and there were not Levitical Priests… he pleaded for families from the priestly tribe of Levites to go.. .and they rose to the challenge. He had tons of silver and nearly a ton of gold. Everything was ready except the trip was dangerous and they were very vulnerable and they had not physical protection. He was asking a huge giant journey of faith from the people. He had boasted that his God was great and then to have to get help again from the Persian Emperor would have been embarrassing. So what did Ezra do?

8:21  I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River,

Lessons from a leader facing a challenge bigger than himself.

LESSON 1: Fasting isn’t always a personal choice but some-times a corporate responsibility.

I proclaimed a fast

LESSON 2: Fasting isn’t not always a result of humility but sometimes a means in which we pursue it.

so that we might humble ourselves before our God

(I am proud, sinful and self dependent, consumed with the here and now. God I need you to strip me of my pride and it can’t hap-pened without a miracle from you.)

LESSON 3: Our safety does not come from safe places but from a Sovereign God more powerful than the dangerous roads and routes he wants us to walk through.

ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our posses-sions. ….. to protect us from enemies during the journey…

(God did not smite their enemies nor give them a different journey … they walked through land where they had enemies and God kept them and their children safe.

The greater the danger the greater the cry of dependance needs to be. Are you facing a dangerous situation? Our your children fac-ing a dangerous situation? Have you fasted for your spiritual emer-gencies?)

LESSON 4: Even though God has a sovereign plan and had made sovereign promises; the who, where, how and when wasn’t a set guarantee.

(God promises that he would return them to the promise land, but Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther all had to fast and seek God. How the plan would unfold was made known and who God would use wasn’t known from the human side of things.

God has promised to provide… he has promised to finish the work he started in you… he has promised to give you victory… but that doesn’t mean you don’t have enemies and obstacles to overcome. Fasting keeps us sharp and allows us to be right in where God wants us.

Lesson 5: Even though we seek God, sometimes he wants to give us wisdom and strategies and to carry out the purpose and plan he has.

24 I selected 12 of the leading priests, along with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and 10 of their brothers. 25 I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles—the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Is-raelites who were present had offered. 26 I weighed out to them 24 tons[h] of silver, silver articles weighing 7,500 pounds,[i] 7,500 pounds[j] of gold, 27 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 gold coins,[k] and two articles of fine gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold. 28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the Lord’s house before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families in Jerusalem.” 30 So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the articles that had been weighed out, to bring them to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

God gave Ezra a strategy. He divided up the money between 12 priests. He had fasted but still had to walk out in faith not knowing how God was going to answer. He could sense the hand of God… but he still took strategic measures. When God gives wisdom… it does not mean that there won’t be danger. When God gives a vi-sion it doesn’t mean he is just going bring the vision to pass without using people. There were names of people who were agents of

Change… there were leaders who stepped up to the occasion and put themselves at greater risk… Just because God said he was going to do something didn't mean there was not pain, blood, sweat and tears. The people that God used were in unity and fasted to-gether and their children were in danger yet in the “shadow of God’s wings” protected by God.

Some of us have kids in public schools… why not fast one day for their spiritual protection! Some of us have enemies at work… why not fast one day for spiritual protection. Some of us live in homes where not everyone wants to follow God…Some of us……..

If you want to be history maker… an agent of change for God… will you seek God with greater intensity through fasting???

EZRA (insights.org) Who wrote the book?Jewish tradition has long attributed authorship of this historical book to the scribe and scholar Ezra, who led the second group of Jews returning from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:11–26). Ezra 8 includes a first-person reference, implying the author’s participation in the events. He plays a major role in the second half of the book, as well as in the book of Nehemiah, its sequel. In the Hebrew Bible, the two books were considered one work, though some internal evidence suggests they were written sepa-rately and joined together in the Hebrew canon (and separated again in English translations).Ezra was a direct descendant of Aaron the chief priest (7:1–5), thus he was a priest and scribe in his own right. His zeal for God and God’s Law spurred Ezra to lead a group of Jews back to Israel during King Artaxerxes’s reign over the Persian Em-pire (which had since replaced the Babylonian Empire that orig-inally exiled the people of Judah).

Where are we?The book of Ezra records two separate time periods directly fol-lowing the seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Ezra 1–6 covers the first return of Jews from captivity, led by Zerubbabel—a period of twenty-three years beginning with the edict of Cyrus of Persia and ending at the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (538–515 BC). Ezra 7–10 picks up the story more than sixty years later, when Ezra led the second group of exiles to Israel (458 BC). The book could not have been completed earlier than about 450 BC (the date of the events recorded in 10:17–44).

The events in Ezra are set in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. The returning exiles were able to populate only a tiny por-tion of their former homeland.

Why is Ezra so important?The book of Ezra provides a much-needed link in the historical record of the Israelite people. When their king was dethroned and captured and the people exiled to Babylon, Judah as an in-dependent nation ceased to exist. The book of Ezra provides an account of the Jews’ regathering, of their struggle to survive and to rebuild what had been destroyed. Through his narrative, Ezra declared that they were still God’s people and that God had not forgotten them.In the book of Ezra we witness the rebuilding of the new tem-ple, the unification of the returning tribes as they shared com-mon struggles and were challenged to work together. Later, af-ter the original remnant had stopped work on the city walls and spiritual apathy ruled, Ezra arrived with another two thousand people and sparked a spiritual revival. By the end of the book, Israel had renewed its covenant with God and had begun acting in obedience to Him.Ezra also contains one of the great intercessory prayers of the Bible (Ezra 9:5–15; see Daniel 9 and Nehemiah 9 for others). His leadership proved crucial to the Jews’ spiritual advance-ment.

What's the big idea?Ezra’s narrative reveals two main issues faced by the returning exiles: (1) the struggle to restore the temple (Ezra 1:1–6:22) and (2) the need for spiritual reformation (7:1–10:44). Both were necessary in order for the people to renew their fellowship with the Lord.

A broader theological purpose is also revealed: God keeps His promises. Through the prophets, God had ordained that His chosen people would return to their land after a seventy-year exile. Ezra’s account proclaims that God kept His word, and it shows that when God’s people remained faithful to Him, He would continue to bless them. Hence, the book emphasizes the temple and proper worship, similar to Chronicles (which was also written during these days).

How do I apply this?God moved the hearts of secular rulers (Cyrus, Darius, and Ar-taxerxes) to allow, even encourage and help, the Jewish people to return home. He used these unlikely allies to fulfill His promises of restoration for His chosen people. Have you en-countered unlikely sources of blessing? Have you wondered how God can really work all things together for the good of those who are called by His name (Romans 8:28)? Take time today to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and mercy in your life. Recommit to Him your trust, your love, and your obedi-ence.

ALL THE STORIES OF THE BIBLE (SUMMARY OF EZRA)

Jeremiah had said Judah would be in captivity for 70 years. At the end of that time, the king of Persia said, “The Lord has told me to send his people back to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. Therefore, they’re free to go and build the house of God.” The king gave gold and silver for the project, and he gave back the temple vessels taken when Jerusalem was destroyed. He donated moneyto buy cedar from Lebanon to panel the insideof the temple. He even provided livestock so the people could make sacrifices to God. The Lord stirred the hearts of his people. Many ac-cepted the challenge to go back to Judah to do the work of God. Some, who couldn’t go them-selves, gave money and supplies. When the people arrived, they made sacrifices to God on the temple site. The people shouted for joy, and then began building the temple. The people living there were upset that the Jews had come back. They tried to stop the project, but nothing worked. Finally, a new king ruled over Persia. They sent him a message, and slanted the news about the new temple. They convinced him to stop the construction.

The Jewish builders had no choice but to stop and wait for the situation to change. This gave them a chance to build their own houses. Be-fore long, one family after another had cedar paneling in their homes. Eventually the stock-pile of cedar from Lebanon was gone! They knew that it couldn’t be replaced. So, when-ever someone talked about building the tem-ple, the people said, “This isn’t a good time to build.” The prophet Haggai said to the people, “I have a message from the Lord! ‘Consider your ways! You say it isn’t time to build the house of God. Yet you live in paneled houses while my house lies in ruins. Consider your ways!’ ” Haggai told them that God had removedhis blessing from their lives. “You plant a large amount of grain, yet you harvest very little. You eat, but you’re still hungry. You drink, but you’re still thirsty. You wear clothes, yet you’re not warm. You earn money and put it into bags, not knowing that the bags have holes. Consider your ways!” The people listened, but they knew there was no cedar to finish the temple. Haggai said, “God says go into the hills and get common wood and use that in the temple. He says he’ll

be pleased with what you build, and he’ll be glorified.” So the people obeyed and went into the hills and got wood to replace the missing cedar. Then they made preparations to restart the project. In time, another king came to power in Persia. This one gave the order, “Anyone who opposes the building of the temple will be put to death!” With this decree, the people living around Jerusalem weren’t allowed to hinder the con-struction of the temple. Instead, they were commanded to give supplies for its completion. The people worked with enthusiasm. Haggai came with another message from the Lord. “I’m pleased you’re obeying me! Look, I’m pro-viding for you. You haven’t planted your seed, your vines haven’t yet brought forth grapes, and your trees haven’t bloomed. Yet you’re harvesting my blessings and provisions.” Most of the people were happy when they saw that the building was nearly done, but some of the older men said, “We remember Solomon’s temple. It was beautiful! This temple is small and not beautiful at all.” The builders became discouraged. Haggai came with another message from God. “Who remembers the temple built by Solomon? How does this one compare? Don’t

be discouraged. The glory of this temple is go-ing to be greater than you can imagine. I’m go-ing to shake the nations and the whole world will focus on this very spot. The ‘Desire of all Nations’ will come and I’ll fill this temple with glory. Be strong and keep your eyes focused on the present work. I’m with you as I’ve always been.” So the people were encouraged ... and they worked ... and they finished the temple.

EZRA

Ezra was an expert in the laws of God. There-fore, it was decided he should go to the new Temple in Jerusalem and teach the people. The king of Persia gave him letters authorizing him and his helpers to go to Jerusalem. The king sent along a large amount of gold and sil-ver. Ezra was also authorized to appoint judges who knew the laws of God. He was told the kingdom of Persia would punish anyone who disobeyed those laws.

Men volunteered to go with Ezra and move their families to Judah. They suddenly realized there were no Levites in the group. So Ezra sent out a plea, and several Levites volun-teered to go. Everyone knew going from Persia to Jerusalem was a dangerous trip. They had families, their possessions, and a large amount of gold and silver. Yet they didn’t have soldiers to protect them. Ezra didn’t ask the king for armed guards because he had said, “God is our pro-tector. His strong hand is upon people who serve him.” So the group prayed and fasted, asking God for his protection. They set out on their journey, and God protected them as they traveled. No one tried to ambush them along the way. They arrived safely in Jerusalem, and took all the gold and silver to the Temple. Several leaders went to Ezra as he made preparations for his instructions about the laws of God. They said, “Many of our people have not separated themselves from the non-Jews that live in the area. They have married their women, and these wives have brought their pagan ways with them.

Ezra was shocked when he heard this. He ripped his clothes and went to the Temple andfell on his knees and spread out his hands tothe Lord. He prayed “Oh God. We’re doing it again—just like our forefathers. You sent them into captivity because they took foreign wives and started worshiping idols. “Now you’ve given us a brief moment, allowing us to come back here. And what did we do? We married foreign wives. Oh, God we’re not wor-thy of your blessing. You have the right to to-tally destroy this small group of people who live here.” Ezra continued to cry, and pray, and confess sin. As he did, people came and sat and prayed with him. More and more came until there was a large crowd gathered around. They all cried and confessed their sins. Finally the people said, “We know we’ve done wrong, but there’s still hope. We’ll make a promise before God. We’ll send away our for-eign wives and their children. But you must help usif we’re to do this properly. Get up! Take ac-tion! Show us what to do and we’ll do it.” So Ezra agreed to oversee this and make sure it was done properly. All the people sent their

foreign wives away and turned from idols. They then totally committed themselves to the Lord.