New Year 2019: Rebuilding
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Rebuilding in 2019
Rebuilding in 2019
What are we called to accomplish as Mt. Rock Church?
Vision at Mt. Rock – Community powerfully transformed by Jesus Christ, from Mt. Rock outward.
But how are we going to accomplish it? generally...
Mission/Purpose – Follow Jesus, Serve Others, Make Disciples
Jeremiah – prophet when Jerusalem fell to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon 586 BC
Babylon later fell to King Cyrus of Persia
Rebuilding the Temple
Rebuilding the Temple
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
Cyrus issued a proclamation to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
Cyrus issued a proclamation to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.
Point = the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus, the spirits of the exiles, and the temple was rebuilt.
Point = the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus, the spirits of the exiles, and the temple was rebuilt.
The temple was rebuilt and dedicated, the sacrifice restored, Passover observed.
After this, Ezra the scribe Came to Jerusalem from Babylon in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes rule.
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.
9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.
10 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.
) He was a teacher of the Law, helping to reform the people and begin worship in the temple again.
He was a teacher of the Law, helping to reform the people and begin worship in the temple again.
King Artaxerxes wrote a letter to Ezra authorizing him to go up to Jerusalem taking other priests along, use money from the treasury as needed, to reinstate the magistrates and judges, and to teach God’s laws to the people again.
Ezra gave God glory for all He had done
27 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way
28 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 my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
he went before God to confess the sin of Jerusalem that they had again intermarried with pagan nations.
he went before God to confess the sin of Jerusalem that they had again intermarried with pagan nations. Chapter 10 the people confessed and turned away from these sinful relationships, turning back to God.
Chapter 10 the people confessed and turned away from these sinful relationships, turning back to God.
Rebuilding the City Walls
Rebuilding the City Walls
During this same time period, Nehemiah was serving the king in Persia when he heard about the state of the walls and buildings in Jerusalem. Nehemiah also confessed the sin of Israel before God
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
5 Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.
7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Nehemiah goes on to ask God for favor with the King to rebuild the city.
This same king Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and to bring order back into the governing of Jerusalem.
Rebuilding the temple and then the city walls was not an easy task. There was a lot of opposition from the neighboring nations. They knew that if Jerusalem was allowed to rebuild they would be in trouble. Israel’s God is strong and they are no match. As long as Israel did not serve their God, they would remain weak and be punished.
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
the wall was completed in 52 days. All the people worked together, guarding, working, building. Nehemiah had become governor of Jerusalem.
the wall was completed in 52 days. All the people worked together, guarding, working, building. Nehemiah had become governor of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah chapter 8, after the wall was complete and exiles returned to Jerusalem, Ezra the priest was called to read the Law in public.
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.
6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
6
the Levites explained the law so all could understand.
the Levites explained the law so all could understand.
7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.
8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
the Levites explained the law so all could understand.
v.9 Nehemiah, Ezra, Levites all said, this day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn and weep. Celebrate! They celebrated the Feast of Shelters for a week.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
v.9 Nehemiah, Ezra, Levites all said, this day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn and weep. Celebrate! They celebrated the Feast of Shelters for a week.
v.9 Nehemiah, Ezra, Levites all said, this day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn and weep. Celebrate! They celebrated the Feast of Shelters for a week.
Nehemiah, Ezra, Levites all said, this day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn and weep. Celebrate! They celebrated the Feast of Shelters for a week.
after the feast they all came together, fasted, read the law, confessed their sins, worshiped God.
1 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.
2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.
3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.
The rest of chapter 9 is the covenant the people signed saying they would uphold the law of God.
Theme of rebuilding, coming back to God, confessing, obeying. Rebuilding the temple, rebuilding the walls of the city, rebuilding faith, rebuilding spiritual education and service.
The point of this message is
Israel – sinned, suffered, refocused, repented, rebuilt.
God was there throughout. Although they turned from Him, by His infinite mercy and grace God spared them, restored them, led them forward. In that effort, God provided the people, the funds, the resources needed to do what He called them to.
Sinned – took their eyes of God as their focus and Christ as their Head. (idolatry)
Sinned – took their eyes of God as their focus and Christ as their Head. (idolatry) At Mt. Rock, maybe too focused on our own desires, hopes, people focused? At this point we do not need to look back, point fingers, place blame.
Suffered – in their case, defeat and exile.
Repented – began with reading Scripture to refocus, weeping over brokenness, commitment to follow Scripture and glorify God.
Rebuilt – does not mean rebuild what used to be, but starting on that solid foundation, build what God leads them/us to build.
Rebuilding Christ’s Church at Mt. Rock
Rebuilding Christ’s Church at Mt. Rock
Mt. Rock also fell from the days of glory, but the Lord is not finished with us. He allows us to refocus, reshape, rebuild.
At Mt. Rock, maybe too focused on our own desires, hopes, people focused? At this point we do not need to look back, point fingers, place blame.
In Mt. Rock’s case, period of reset. Struggle with finances and leaderless. Facility deterioration.
As we move in to 2019 our 125th year as a church, I am declaring 2019 the year of rebuilding. If we keep our heads up and our eyes on Jesus, we will follow Him through a period of rebuilding.
We have this opportunity to refocus, reshape, and rebuild. Not to build up Mt. Rock Church, but to grow individually and together as the body of Jesus Christ at Mt. Rock.
Restate Vision and Mission
Mission/Purpose – Follow Jesus, Serve Others, Make Disciples
Steps we’re going to take – some short term, some longer view development.
Today – Deacon Consecration
Focus on Scripture – F260 Bible Reading Plan
Week of Prayer & Fasting and the Sacred Assembly
Series – Living the Jesus Life; Be the Church.
Develop ministry teams to cover the basics of internal ministry needs.
to cover the basics of internal ministry needs.
Developing ministry teams to
Minimize our efforts, Maximize partnerships
Minimizing our own efforts to create outreach ministry opportunities, but maximizing partnerships in the community to leverage their ministry opportunities.
Sheets to update family contact info, dates, and ministry interests.the Levites explained the law so all could understand.
Move into Deacon Consecration
Deacon Consecration:
Joe Bollinger
Wanda Bollinger
Brad Hutchins
Ray Heisey