God's Work Through Leaders- Ezra 7-8

Bobby Howell

Ezra • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Ezra 7–8

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A look at the leadership influential in the continued reform of the people

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God's Work Through Leaders- Ezra 7-8

God has chosen to work with human beings in a glorious display of condescension. This would be similar, though to a different degree, a master mechanic asking a high schooler for help with a repair job. The mechanic could do the job quickly and efficiently, yet he chooses to use the young man.

God, in His goodness, has also used human beings as His coworkers. Most notably is Adam shortly after his creation. He was meant to rule the earth as God’s co-regent. This theme of God’s use of human beings appears throughout Scripture, ranging from Abraham to Moses, from Deborah to Samson, from David to Zechariah, from Peter to Paul to Timothy.

Leaders can be used in a great way or in a harmful way. We are focusing on leaders God uses to help His people, represented through Ezra.

This message will be primarily aimed at me and the deacons, but the principles that leaders are to live by are the same for you in the pew. Without further ado, let us begin by looking at how Leaders Love God’s Word.

I. Leaders love God’s Word- 7:1-10

The book that bears Ezra’s number is focused primarily on others, not Ezra himself. However, he is now introduced during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia. Similarly to chapter 2, this chapter provides a genealogy of Ezra, tracing his lineage all the way back to Aaron.

If you get nothing else from this sermon, please focus on this. This is the key aspect of a leader of God’s people: a love for the Word of God.

Think of a young man in love. When he receives that letter from his girlfriend, it is not laborious for him to read it. He cherishes it, perhaps he smells it, and he keeps it in a place that he can routinely find it.

That is how God’s leaders treat the Word of God. They love it. Verses 6 and 10 give us insight into Ezra’s love for God’s Word.

A. Leaders demonstrate their love with intimate knowledge- vs. 6

He was “well-versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given.” He was skilled at handling the Word of God. This moves beyond simple knowledge. It moves to application. Ezra was able to, through a deep knowledge of God’s Word, use it for everything he and others faced in life.

Think about a good marriage. Each spouse is deeply intimate with one another. They can certainly recite facts (anniversary, birthdays, favorite things). But more than that, they know how each other will respond, they can finish each others sentences, they know what they will enjoy or dislike.

That is the type of love Ezra has for God’s Word. That is the type of love that leaders in God’s house must have. That is the type of love every self-proclaimed follower of Jesus Christ must have.

Are you well-versed in the Word of God? Are you intimately acquainted with God’s truth?

B. Leader’s demonstrate their love by regular study, obedience, and sharing

Verse 10 is the reason that Ezra could be described as “well-versed in the Law of Moses,” because he regularly studied, obeyed, and shared the Word of God.

This is the key for leaders to be good leaders greatly used by God. This is also the key for every believer to enjoy the blessings and peace of God.

Ezra regularly studied God’s Word. I have been in ministry for over five years now, ranging from young children to teenagers to senior adults. The one common thing among every age group of believers tied to their unhappiness or failures in fighting sin all stem from a failure to regularly study the Bible.

But Ezra did more than study. This is where most Christians stop. They study, they learn, they understand theology, but it never connects to their daily lives. Ezra studied in order to apply it.

He regularly asked, “How can I apply this?” “What difference does this verse make for my life?” It is like a child in a tool shop. They ask, “What does this do?” Then you have to demonstrate how the tool is used. That is how we should approach the Word of God as we study it.

It does not stop there, though. He wants to share with others the truths he has learned. This is the way pastors/elders do, they feed the flock of God in this way.

The same should be said of you all as well. The epistles demonstrate this with many of the occurences of “one another.” Are you regularly studying, applying, and sharing the Word of God with others? If you want to grow, if you want our church to grow, then we must follow this leader, we must be leaders like this.

II. Leaders influence others- 7:11-8:14

Stemming from our previous point, leaders use their knowledge of Scripture to influence others. Artaxerxes sends a letter commissioning the work of Ezra to the leaders at Jerusalem. This letter provided Ezra and the people with instructions about the financial gifts from the king as well as instructions on life in Jerusalem.

There is extreme generosity on part of Artaxerxes. While there is much we can learn from this, we will simply maintain our focus on Ezra and his leadership. There are two groups that Ezra influenced: an unbeliever and believers.

Leaders can influence both unbelievers and believers. All Christians can influence unbelievers and believers.

A. Ezra’s influence on unbelievers- 7:11-28

Now, before we continue we must acknowledge that, from our present context there is no mention of Ezra and Artaxerxes’s relationship. However, we know from other passages of Scripture (such as Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah), that believers have regularly influenced unbelievers for good.

Take William Wilberforce, for example. This man, after becoming a follower of Jesus, spends years attempting to abolish the slave trade from the British Empire. He spent about 20 years fighting to demolish the slave trade. However difficult the struggle, Wilberforce used his life to influence many unbelievers for the good of countless souls bound and sold in slavery.

Our influence is not limited to politics, though that is certainly a good way to influence others. It can be in daily life, which is more close to us on a regular basis than a task such as Wilberforce. The question is, how did Ezra gain this influence?

He lived a life focused on God and His Word and demonstrated what it meant to be a follower of the true God. He lived a 1 Pet. 3:8-18. Or, to use Daniel’s example, his fellow leaders could find nothing against him unless it concerned the Law of God.

Oh, how Christians have thrown this influence away for petty nationalism and cries of going back to the way things were! Ezra, a man who gave himself to the Law of God, influenced unbelievers in tremendous ways that allowed a pagan king Artaxerxes to be generous with the people of God.

How are you influencing unbelievers?

B. Ezra’s influence on believers- 8:1-14

We will not dwell on this point because the same principles from our previous one apply here. As a follower of Jesus, you should influence believers for good (i.e., returning to the land and being with God’s people).

How are you influencing believers?

III. Leaders are individuals of prayer- 8:15-23

The people assembled (Levites, vs. 16-20) to begin their trek along with the resources provided by the king, and during this time they faced a long and arduous journey.

What is important in this section is the prayerful dependence upon God. Leaders are men and women of prayer. Interestingly, Ezra and others told king Artaxerxes they did not need protection because God was on their side (cf. Nehemiah’s approach in Neh. 2:9).

Ezra proclaims a fast, the abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. They humbled themselves, acknowledging their dependence upon God, and as a result God answered.

E.M. Bounds says in his works on prayer, “Prayer is God’s settled and singular condition to move ahead His Son’s Kingdom. Therefore, the believer who is the most highly skilled in prayer will do the most for God.” Leaders who pray are blessings to the church and the world. Christians who pray are blessings to the church and the world.

IV. Leaders display integrity- 8:24-34

The next aspect of Ezra’s leadership (and others) is their integrity. Integrity is being the same person regardless of if anyone is watching. They have an enormous amount of material wealth, and they all transported it safely and completely.

These individuals displayed integrity, and that is the requirement for pastors/elders in the church (1 Tim. 3:1-7). If you go back and read that passage and notice the “private” aspects of the pastor/elder’s life, it will demonstrate the vital need for integrity in God’s leaders.

God’s leaders must have integrity, as well as Christians in general. Who we are in private should be the same as who we are in public.

V. Leaders point people to God- 8:35-36

Finally, leaders point people to God. As with the influence, there are two groups represented here as well, though in reverse order: believers and unbelievers.

A. Leaders point believers to God

They offer sacrifices on behalf of God’s people as well as in thankfulness for the Lord’s answered prayer. They pointed to God. Good leaders always reflect the focus to God (not unlike John the Baptist, John 3:30).

At this point, we need to consider to whom we point our brothers and sisters in Christ. Do we point to ourselves? Does our giving ask people to praise us? Does our use of gifts call people to praise us? Or, do we point people to Jesus?

As leaders, we should always point to Jesus. As Christians, we should always point to Jesus. Believers should grow in their love for Jesus because we point them to Him.

B. Leaders point unbelievers to God

By their actions, discussed from chapters 1 to the present, the people were pointing unbelievers to God. Remember they told the king that God would protect them (8:22), they prayed and God answered (8:23). These unbelieving leaders would have witnessed this in action.

By their prayerful dependence upon God, they pointed these unbelievers to God. This is similar to influence, but is a little more direct. Whereas influence is like the temperature in the room, point unbelievers to God is like the thermostat.

We point people to or away from God by our actions and our words. Can you say that your words and actions point unbelievers to God?

CONCLUSION

A message like this can be overwhelming on two fronts. One, it can be overwhelming as a leader because we are well aware of our faults and failures. We need your prayers and accountability.

Two, it can be overwhelming on an individual level because this is a hefty list. With that said, let me give you a few suggestions to navigate this message for applications.

Identify the most significant area that needs to be addressed.

Begin by confessing your sins, rejoicing in the forgiveness of Christ, and make a pledge to change.

Through prayerful dependence on God, set aside time to read Scripture that is connected with the area you are addressing, study to understand it, then apply it, and then share it with someone in the congregation.

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