Don't Get Off Track
Notes
Transcript
You know before I start my message I just have to say mothers have a difficult job. Amen?
In fact this past week I found some pictures that really prove it.
Because they start as babies and that is difficult, but then they become toddlers and they begin to do things like dump things out.
If you come to our house this is almost an hourly occurrence… Maybe more
But it doesn’t just stop there because every-once in awhile they do something that really gets bad.
Anyone have this happen before?
Luckily we have not had this happen yet…
But then you know as they get a little older they find new ways to get in trouble.
Does anyone remember seeing this on the news a few years ago? The kid that got caught in a claw machine.
I think this kid may have inspired others, because there are a ton of news stories of kids getting caught in claw machines.
But then you get to the teen years and there are new worries that begin to form.
Because things like this happen.
And not only that but then they have adult kids (other wise known as husbands that cause additional worries), because they try to do things like this:
But you know on a serious note mothers have a really difficult job, because they are raising kids, but there are also times where there are challenges that go into raising a child that cause a lot of heartache
There are times where you may feel defeated as a parent
There are times you feel like your kid might not be where they are supposed to be
There are nights that might be full of anxiety
There are times where you might have struggles in your marriage.
And really its easy as a parent to just get this feeling of how can I keep this up right?
I am exhausted.
And to be honest even if you are not a parent, there are issues where you get to a kind of a place where you you feel defeated.
But here is the thing because whether it is in the realm of parenting, or the realm of job, or maybe just a certain relationship; we believe that when there is a challenge that occurs, we serve a God who calls us to rise above that challenge to be the people He has called us to be.
And really today we are going to be looking at this large area of scripture that looks at a time where the Israelites (who at this time were considered God’s people ) encountered a few challenges that seperated them from where God desired them, and we will be seeing how they were able to overcome these challenges and stay on track.
And so we will be jumping around Ezra 1-6 and Haggai 1-2 but before we do let me give you some context of what is happen
Because where we left off in this sermon series when we were in it last, the majority of the Israelites have been removed from the land they lived in and not only that but the temple (that was considered this sacred, dwelling place of God) was destroyed.
But here is the neat thing because as you saw in the video a lot of them have now returned but they have this issue where a lot of the city has been destroyed because it has been empty for almost 70 years.
And if a city is abandon for 70 years its not good right.
I mean if Buchanan sat empty for 70 years the town would not be great right?
Basically the whole town would need to be destroyed and rebuilt.
And so here they return and things are going well and as they are getting established they know that God is wanting them to begin rebuilding the temple that was destroyed.
So they begin rebuilding, but as they are rebuilding some challenges begin to occur
And so look at the first one in Ezra 4:1-5 it says:
1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.” 4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 5 They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
So they are rebuilding the temple and I want you to notice whats happens because it says that their enemies hear about it and the first thing they do is they actually come to them and say “wow that is great and we want to help!”
And I want you to notice this is not some sort of lets reconcile, but their intentions are really bad where they are wanting to really cause some issues subtly where they get them off track.
but you know when God calls us to accomplish something whether it is raising kids accomplishing a goal or doing something in the church.
So often one of the biggest ways we are attacked is not this huge thing that ruins everything, but its in really subtle ways that creep in where a lot of times we do not even notice.
and the truth is when you do not know your being attacked we do not defend ourselves.
And I want you to notice the response of the Israelites, because they immeadiatly recognize what is happening and they say:
You will have no part in this!
I mean when there are toxic things that are subtly slipping into our life it is so important to say they will not have a part in our lives.
Its kind of like how when you cook? Anyone here who loves cooking?
If you are cooking and are using chicken or eggs you always keep the raw things separate from the cooked stuff right?
Because if they get mixed you might not even be able to tell in the finished product, but let me tell you if you eat that food it will cause some major damage right?
And really thats how a lot of things slip into these areas that God has called us too.
And because of this a lot of times we allow heartache into our lives without even knowing it.
Sometimes life is just happening and we have a million things wearing us down but its happened so subtly that we do not realize the effect on us until we snap
Sometimes a small discouraging comment can cause a lot of harm where we want to give up.
It might just be having a person or friend in your life that you know is unhealthy and you know they are shaping you.
It might even be something that is good in your life but its pulling you away from what your supposed to do
But what would happen if we just recognized these areas and said these things are going to have no part in me accomplishing what God has called me to do.
But the thing that is going to have a part is me know this is where God has called me and living into that.
And so in the story they start really well off! because they are aware and not allowing them to be attacked subtly,
but in verse 5 that we read, we learn that their enemies end up moving to a more direct attack, because they end up bribing officials to help them stop the building of the temple
And I want you to notice what happens because unfortunately this time the direct attack works.
Because look at Ezra 4:24 it says:
24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
They were attacked and the work of God came to a standstill.
And not only that but while the work of God is at a standstill we learn later that they end up building back everything else
and You know I guess I read that and I think have you ever caught your self there?
Where you know God has called you to do this, but then just things came up (whether they were really direct challenges or indirect) and you kind of find yourself at a standstill
Where you find yourself not really moving forward with what God wants in your life and maybe you have replaced where God wants you and replaced it building your own agenda.
And this could be as a parent, you know you might have wanted to raise your kids a certain way, but you kind of just gotten worn
It could be you realized you were called to start a ministry, but you find yourself stopped because of something subtle or maybe some obstacle that came forward
Or maybe someone just did something and its kind of stunned your walk with Him.
But I want you to notice what happens because maybe you feel like you are at a standstill this morning
Because this is what God tells the people through a prophet named Haggai because this guy named Haggai comes to them and actually says this in Haggai 1:3-4. It says:
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
You know Haggai comes to them and says look do you realize whats happening here, because in a sense He tells them you guys have been called to build the kingdom of God, but instead you have built the Kingdom of you.
And I am saying this out of love but it is so important to recognize when we do this, because our own kingdoms can fall apart, but the beautiful thing about our God is challenges can come, but if we are working for God, He will make a way.
But we need to recognize when we get off track, because then we can correct ourselves.
I have started donating blood or plasma occasionally and I was there the other day and I was getting to the end and started getting really dizzy and warm and my heart rate went up,
Well I knew it was probably time to flag over an employee to help so I didn’t pass out right?
But you know its important for us to recognize when we might find ourselves in a place where we have neglected God.
Because thats how you get back right?
And we do not have time to go over every single challenge that the people face here, but I want to read what God tells the people in Haggai 1:13
Because you might go I want to get back but I do not know how.
But look what God says:
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord.
“I am with you”
You know I never want to downplay challenges that you face in your life.
Because the truth is sometimes the things you face are scary.
Moms or parents sometimes parenting is a scary thing!
We are trying to figure out things in our life, and then we have a tiny human we are trying to raise.
But please hear me
So often we focus on the challenge, but how much different would it be if we focused on our God who is bigger than the challenge
Its like how I am the church lawn cutter (or landscaper, it we want to be fancy)
But people will come up to be and go you mow the whole yard? thats a lot of land!
Do you do it with a push mower?
And I tell them “no” way because the church has a nice riding mower
And I know thats more of a fathers day illustration
But really there can be challenges that we face, but can I just say its not the challenge that matters, its the God who is bigger than the challenge.
And if God is with us than who can be against us.
And let me finish by saying this I do not know where you are this morning but I know that whether its a challenge maybe you are faceing as a parent that you do not know where to start ofr a challenge you are facing a work.
We have a God who is saying look I am with you!
And that doesn’t mean you have to have everything figured out or be flawless, but we serve a God who will meet you where you are and let me finish with the result in Ezra 6:15 because it says:
Ezra 6:15 (NIV)
15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
You know God called them here for a reason, and if you are here and maybe you just feel stuck at a stand still this morning, what would it look like to say God I am going to move out of my comfort zone and trust you through the obstacles that I face.
And so as we finish we are going to be singing a song called oceans and it talks about God calling us out on the water and in the Bible water was associated with Caos and maybe you feel like the situation is chaotic this morning. But heres the thing we serve a who throughout scripture can still the water, can part the water and walks on the water.
We serve a God who is bigger then the chaos around you, and it might just require us to take that step this morning.
What is your step this morning?
Will you pray with me?