Sermon Tone Analysis

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

Cyrus issued a proclamation to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Cyrus issued a proclamation to rebuild the temple 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.

) 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

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

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

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.

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.

6

the Levites explained the law so all could understand.

the Levites explained the law so all could understand.

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.

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.

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

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.