THE SERMON - Confidence Renews： A Tale of Two Letters ｜ Ezra 5_6-17
Episode Stats
Words per minute
166.52187
Harmful content
Misogyny
1
sentences flagged
Hate speech
22
sentences flagged
Summary
In this sermon, Pastor Connor and Joel continue the story of the rebuilding of the ancient temple in Jerusalem. This week's sermon is titled, "Confidence renews a tale of two letters." This title is fitting because over the next two chapters in the book of Ezra, we have two attempts by the peoples of the lands to disrupt the work of rebuilding the temple. The first, which took place in Ezra 4, was written by Belshaw the king of Persia, and the second, which is written by the rest of their associates, was delayed for a number of years. We were reminded of this the last week by Pastor Joel.
Transcript
00:00:00.000
Good morning, everyone. As Joel said, my name is Connor, and we have a longer text today,
00:00:07.340
so we're just going to dive right in. If you have a Bible or a copy of the notes in front
00:00:11.800
of you, please direct your attention to the text at hand. This week's text is Ezra chapter
00:00:17.200
5, verses 6 through 17. Once more, Ezra chapter 5, verses 6 through 17. And as is our tradition
00:00:25.660
here at Covenant Bible Church, would you stand with me for the reading of God's Word?
00:00:28.620
I'll read the text in its entirety and then once I conclude doing so I will say this is the word
00:00:35.360
of the Lord and I'll ask that we respond by saying thanks be to God so once more our text for this
00:00:41.560
morning is Ezra chapter 5 verses 6 through 17 the word of the Lord says this this is a copy of the
00:00:50.640
letter that Tatanai the governor of the province beyond the river and Shethar Bozanai and his
00:00:55.360
associates, the governors who were in the province beyond the river, sent to Darius the king. They
00:01:00.940
sent him a report in which was written as follows, to Darius the king, all peace. Be it known to the
00:01:07.400
king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with
00:01:12.540
huge stones and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their
00:01:19.180
hands. Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus, who gave you a decree to build this
00:01:24.900
house and to finish this structure. We also asked them their names for your information, that we
00:01:30.420
might write down the names of their leaders. And this was their reply to us. We are the servants
00:01:35.840
of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago,
00:01:41.160
which a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our fathers had angered the God of
00:01:46.820
heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this
0.98
00:01:52.440
house and carried away the people to Babylonia. However, in the first year of Cyrus, king of
0.98
00:01:57.820
Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. And the gold and
00:02:03.660
silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that
0.88
00:02:07.940
was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the
00:02:13.640
temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazar, whom he had made
00:02:19.240
governor. And he said to him, take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem
00:02:24.900
and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site. Then this Sheshbazar came and laid the foundations
0.99
00:02:31.240
of the house of God that is in Jerusalem. And from that time until now, it has been in rebuilding
0.96
00:02:36.420
and it is not yet finished. Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal
00:02:41.820
archives there in Babylon to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding
00:02:47.460
of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the King send us his pleasure in this matter. This
00:02:53.520
is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. You may be seated and join me now as I pray.
00:03:01.880
Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that as Pastor Joel just spoke about, Lord,
00:03:07.000
that our worship is a covenant renewal service. I pray that through preaching this text to Lord,
00:03:12.040
and we pray that you would help your people to see the covenant renewed, especially as you did
00:03:16.620
so to the exiles in this text. Let fresh grace be seen here, Lord, that you may be seen and trusted
00:03:23.220
and glorified in every aspect of our worship. Be with me. Help me to preach boldly and proclaim
00:03:29.080
the truth of God to these people. And let us all be sanctified in the grace and truth of your son,
00:03:34.840
Jesus Christ. It's in his name that we pray. Amen. So today's sermon is entitled Confidence
00:03:40.960
renews a tale of two letters. Once more confidence renews a tale of two letters. This title is
00:03:49.360
fitting because over the last two chapters in the book of Ezra, chapters 4 and 5, we have seen now
00:03:55.800
two letters written by the peoples of the lands in attempts to disrupt the work of rebuilding the
00:04:01.820
temple in Jerusalem. The first, which took place in Ezra chapter 4, was written by Bishlam,
00:04:08.100
Mithridath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates, and was delivered by the hand
00:04:13.440
of Reham, the commander, and Shemshai, the scribe, in Ezra 4, verse 8. If you remember, this letter
00:04:20.160
was addressed to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia at that time, and succeeded in delaying and bringing
00:04:26.440
the work to a halt for a number of years. We were reminded of this just last week by Pastor Joel,
00:04:32.180
that faithful historians and commentators suggest that the work was delayed for at least nine years,
00:04:37.320
potentially up to 17. So while this isn't explicit in the text, we see that at the end of Ezra
00:04:43.480
chapter four, that the work ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
00:04:50.700
Many years had passed since the work had been performed on the temple, spanning the majority
00:04:56.900
of Artaxerxes reign until Darius assumed the throne. And yet when the work was resumed,
00:05:03.240
it was not primarily the opportunity of a new leader in Persia, which provided the impetus,
00:05:08.860
but the prophets of God. And this is where we found the exiles just last week at the beginning
00:05:14.280
of chapter 5. Namely, it was God who stirred the hearts of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to
00:05:21.080
urge the people to repent for their complacency and indifference and return to the work of
00:05:27.200
rebuilding. This they did, picking up the pieces and beginning the work again, this time with a
00:05:34.040
renewed confidence and assurance. So if you weren't with us for worship last week and missed the
00:05:39.220
sermon, I would encourage you to go back and listen to it. In this text, we saw the glorious
00:05:44.340
transformation, the fruit of the people's repentance and faith in God expressed in Ezra
00:05:50.220
chapter 5, verse 2. Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Yeshua, the son of Josedach,
00:05:56.780
arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with
00:06:03.320
them, supporting them. This spirit of confidence and unification between Israel's prophets,
00:06:10.300
priests, and civil leaders is what pervades the rest of chapter 5 through the conclusion of Ezra
00:06:16.100
chapter 6. Now, we would be remiss if we failed to recognize this reality of a unified prophet,
00:06:23.560
priest, and king, if you will, foreshadowed a day in which these offices would be unified
00:06:28.860
in a singular person, namely the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a reality is truly glorious and
00:06:35.460
awe-inspiring, and it would be impossible to deny the working of God's Spirit on the hearts of his
00:06:41.280
people, leading them back to faithful obedience and action. Such a moment would be reminiscent of
00:06:47.920
a classic American muscle car, such as a Mustang or a GTO, being brought back to life after years
00:06:53.680
of collecting dust and cobwebs in a garage. To the driver's delight, the roar of the V8 would
00:06:59.720
inspire confidence and wonder that the car, firing on all cylinders, was back and a force
00:07:05.680
to be reckoned with. And so we see a similar confidence pervades Israel's repentance
00:07:10.760
and returning to the work in Ezra chapter 5. The work had resumed and the people were as one man.
00:07:19.500
This faithful trust in God was the fuel and motivation. Israel's hearts had been changed
00:07:25.280
and come what may, the people remained engaged in the project and in service to the Lord.
00:07:32.080
The fruit of their repentance and revival remained amidst a new challenge, another letter,
00:07:37.640
this time from Tatani, the governor of the province beyond the river, and Shealtiel,
00:07:43.140
and Shetharbozani, excuse me, and their associates.
0.92
00:07:46.580
Despite this new threat, Israel remained steadfast.
00:07:50.360
We see this expressed at the end of last week's text, namely in verse 5.
0.89
00:07:55.760
But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the
00:08:02.140
report should reach Darius, and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it. So as we move
0.66
00:08:09.200
from last week's text into this week's, beginning with Ezra 5, verse 6, we see now once again the
00:08:15.200
content of the letter which was written to Persia's king. This section of Ezra chapter 5 is very
00:08:21.380
similar to what was found in Ezra chapter 4 verses 7 through 16, as both texts are direct
00:08:27.540
copies of the letters which were written. In that way, last week's text, Ezra chapter 5 verses 1
00:08:34.160
through 5, is meant to be understood as somewhat of a synopsis of the events taking place throughout
00:08:39.600
the rest of chapter 5. Yet this second letter is different from the first through the clear
00:08:45.900
demonstration of Israel's confidence in the face of opposition, a confidence that was renewed
00:08:51.940
through none other than the Spirit of God and his assurance of their success. The challengers in
00:08:58.880
this second letter, Tatani, Shetharbozani, and their associates, appear to be more civil in their
00:09:04.660
confrontation, but they are challengers nonetheless. Despite this, the exiles understood
00:09:11.140
that the face of their God was upon them. And because of this, they did not allow their spirits
00:09:16.300
to fall, nor the work before them to be neglected. Therefore, the primary application we can make
00:09:23.260
from today's text is the subject of Christian confidence. In light of this, I aim to make three
00:09:29.260
points in regards to it, which are as follows. The first, Christian confidence is rooted in the
00:09:35.720
assurance of God's pardon and blessing. The second is the substance of the Christian's confidence
00:09:42.120
is the word of God. And the third, Christian confidence endures and bears fruit over time.
00:09:50.800
By way of these three points, I aim to shine light on what is a distinctly Christian confidence
00:09:56.040
and how this differs from a worldly arrogance, if you will. On one hand, arrogance and pride are
00:10:02.700
sins which are damnable and are to be repudiated by the Christian. And yet we are called to a
00:10:08.960
zealous and humble confidence that is fueled by the assurance of God's face being upon us as it
00:10:15.140
was upon the exiles and their work of rebuilding. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians
00:10:22.000
chapter 3. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach
00:10:29.160
to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the
00:10:35.360
plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church
00:10:41.880
the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
00:10:48.200
places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
00:10:54.860
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. That's
00:11:01.520
Ephesians chapter 3 verses 8 through 12. You see, in Christ we obtain boldness and confidence
00:11:08.320
through faith, the apostle says. This is marked by the assurance that God grants us as his people
00:11:13.980
to trust in his promises. And these promises which inspire confidence in the Christian
00:11:19.540
are not merely personal or private. For example, in our worship liturgy each week, we remember
00:11:25.720
God's assurance of pardon for those who confess their sins and turn to Christ in faith. This
00:11:33.300
spirit of boldness is to mark our attitude when we approach God's throne of grace, as well as the
00:11:39.680
situations and circumstances we find ourselves in in the physical world. In this passage, the
00:11:46.180
apostle asserts that it is the church who makes known the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers
00:11:52.680
and authorities in the heavenly places. Many who bear the name of Christ today may be blissfully
00:11:58.900
unaware or downright deceived that this is one of the church's primary missions. Because of this,
00:12:05.220
it is no wonder that much of the church is sheepishly impotent to one of its true callings.
00:12:12.040
And so as we move forward and consider the text at hand before us, I pray you may come
00:12:17.240
to see that this is exactly the opposite spirit and attitude which marks the exiles in Ezra
00:12:24.900
I pray you will be motivated on the contrary to a zealous yet humble confidence in God.
00:12:30.400
And so without further ado, let us turn back to today's text.
00:12:34.560
I'll begin reading again in verse 6 and read up to verse 11.
00:12:38.860
this is a copy of the letter that tatani the governor of the province beyond the river
00:12:44.360
and shethar bozanai and his associates the governors who were in the province beyond the
00:12:49.280
river sent to darius the king they sent him a report and which was written as follows
00:12:55.440
to darius the king all peace be it known to the king that we went to the province of judah to the
00:13:01.900
house of the great god it is being built with huge stones and timber is laid in the walls
00:13:08.260
This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.
00:13:13.160
Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus,
00:13:16.120
who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?
00:13:20.280
We also asked them their names for your information
00:13:23.280
that we might write down the names of their leaders.
00:13:29.020
We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth,
00:13:31.900
and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago,
00:13:36.320
which a great king of Israel built and finished. So I'll stop right here just because there's
00:13:41.560
quite a bit to unpack in this text, but we'll dive right in. This text in these verses deal
00:13:48.060
with, again, not the first, but the second letter that was sent to a Persian king from the peoples
00:13:52.280
of the lands. And we see the identity of the writers here in verse six. They identified
00:13:57.580
themselves as Tatani, Shetharbozani, and his associates who were the governors in the province
00:14:02.840
beyond the river. If you remember back to just a few weeks ago when we discussed Ezra chapters 3
00:14:08.640
and 4, these men were likely the descendants of the peoples of the lands who first opposed the
00:14:14.620
work which was undertaken at Jerusalem. These people were identified as Samaritans, a group
00:14:20.380
of people who were made up of the remnants of the 10 tribes of Israel's northern kingdom,
00:14:25.060
as well as outsiders who were transplanted to the region by the kingdom of Assyria.
00:14:31.020
Samaritans were known for their vast syncretism, insisting that they too worshipped God like the Jews,
00:14:38.240
but also incorporating many components of idolatry and false worship of the surrounding region.
0.93
00:14:44.180
For this reason, they were excluded from the work of rebuilding in order to maintain Israel's pure devotion to God
00:14:54.020
Pastor Joel reminded us recently as well that much of their hatred towards the exiles
0.89
00:14:58.420
was rooted in the reality that they still viewed themselves as Jews, but were clearly
00:15:03.700
compromised. And so this was evident in the generation of Samaritans that we read of in
00:15:08.880
chapters 3 and 4. But as we read of a new generation of Samaritans here in chapter 5,
00:15:15.180
we see almost for a moment a more civil disposition to the exiles and their work.
00:15:20.520
This was the subject of much of last week's sermon and is evidenced by what we see in the
00:15:25.280
scriptures. Though they maintained their faulty worship, we see in verse 8 of this week's text
00:15:30.260
that they viewed the work of the temple as the house of the great God. Even though they had not
00:15:37.020
faith and were not in submission to God's will, these men gave their assent to his greatness in
00:15:42.720
their report to Darius. In addition, despite likely being Samaritans, the text suggests that
00:15:49.020
these men held legitimate authority which was granted to them by the king of Persia. One key
00:15:55.000
detail that would support this is found again in verse 6, where we are told that these men served
00:16:00.200
as governors who were in the province beyond the river. This detail would suggest to us that the
00:16:06.600
letter that was sent by their hand to Darius was not a faulty account of events given to undermine
00:16:13.640
the work, but an accurate report by a lesser magistrate given to their direct superior.
00:16:19.860
If we were to compare and contrast the two letters, you may remember that in the first letter,
00:16:24.780
which was found in chapter 4, the peoples of the lands charged the exiles with an insurrection.
00:16:31.280
They wrote in Ezra chapter 4 verses 15 and 16, therefore we send and inform the king in order
00:16:38.100
that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the
00:16:43.640
records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that
00:16:51.040
sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. We make known
00:16:57.520
to the king that if the city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession
00:17:02.880
in the province beyond the river. While this fact may be true, Israel's opponents conveniently left
0.69
00:17:09.900
out two truths that may just as easily have been found in the book of the records. The first was
00:17:15.820
something we have seen quite often over the course of our study in the book of Ezra, and it is the
00:17:20.260
fact that Israel was not always a rogue territory, but an independent kingdom at its height and a
00:17:26.500
light to the nations in strength, wisdom, and culture, and a terror to those kingdoms who hated
00:17:32.680
God. This was undoubtedly tied to its proximity to God and right worship of him. Israel certainly
00:17:40.400
was a terror to those who sought to cherish idolatry, false worship, and death, but those
00:17:46.320
who humbled themselves to receive God's wisdom from Israel were certainly blessed. And as far
00:17:52.440
as the second truth, which was left out in this first letter, they neglected to mention the initial
00:17:57.420
charter, which was given by Cyrus, which was found all the way back in Ezra chapter one.
00:18:02.900
This charter granted Israel's return to Jerusalem and supplied safe passage and provisions for the
00:18:09.120
project, gold and silver vessels to supply the treasury. So it's obvious to us that if Artaxerxes
00:18:16.120
had truly made a diligent search of the book of records, he would have found this charter by
00:18:22.300
Cyrus and noted Israel's legitimate claim to the work of rebuilding. But he didn't,
00:18:27.900
and this brought about the 9 to 17-year delay. What we see in this second letter, though,
00:18:35.140
is the fact that these challengers allow Israel to speak and to provide their own defense as
00:18:40.160
regards the matter, and they accurately represent this in the letter. They asked in Ezra chapter 5
00:18:47.040
verse 3, who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure? We see their answer
00:18:53.860
in Ezra 5 verse 13. However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree
00:19:01.300
that this house of God should be rebuilt. In Ezra 5 verse 4, they ask, what are the names of the men
00:19:08.880
who are rebuilding this building. Though not many names are given, one is. We see in verses 14 and
00:19:16.200
15 of our text that Cyrus appointed one man, namely Sheshbezar, as governor or overseer of the land
00:19:23.400
and the project. And so we see this in verse 16. Then this Sheshbezar came and laid the foundations
00:19:30.160
of the house of God that is in Jerusalem. And from that time until now, it has been in building
0.95
00:19:35.840
and it is not yet finished. So it's true that Shesh Bezar was the one sent as the original
00:19:42.100
leader of the group of exiles. His name is mentioned all the way back in Ezra chapter 1.
00:19:47.660
What is believed to have occurred by historians and commentators is that Shesh Bezar died shortly
00:19:52.720
after the group arrived in Israel, in Jerusalem, and the work of rebuilding was left to his next
00:19:58.820
in command, Zerubbabel, a man we are very familiar with. Now, I don't believe it was dishonest for
00:20:05.460
the exiles to mention only Shesh Bazar by name. For one, by only mentioning Shesh Bazar, they
00:20:10.960
operated shrewdly. Though these governors of the land seemed less hostile and more civil than the
00:20:16.720
writers of the first letter, the exiles were careful not to disclose more information than
00:20:22.160
was necessary to these new challengers. The work on the temple was obvious and was a confrontation
00:20:28.440
to any who opposed its rebuilding. But the exiles withhold their identities in order to protect
0.85
00:20:34.800
themselves, their wives, and their children from challengers with suspect motives. These new
00:20:41.280
governors seemed to be honest investigators, but who could really say what report they would make
00:20:46.760
behind closed doors? After all, they had been wronged once. Who could say that they wouldn't
00:20:51.780
be wronged again? In addition, I believe Sheshbazar was the only name given in this account
00:20:57.920
because his name would have also appeared in Cyrus's original decree, making this decree or
00:21:04.160
charter potentially more identifiable in the Persian records, and bolstering the case that
00:21:09.420
the group of exiles was doing the work of rebuilding and were closely associated with
00:21:14.820
him. Such shrewdness was wisdom in action. So these are plausible explanations for Israel's
00:21:22.440
detailed account of Cyrus, his decree, and the charter which was given to Shesh Bazar.
00:21:28.080
But focusing on all of these details, though important, would cause us to miss what I believe
00:21:32.460
was the primary reason given by Israel for the resumption of the work. And this was found in
00:21:38.940
verse 11, which I'll read once more. And this was their reply to us. We are the servants of the God
00:21:45.800
of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house of God that was built many years ago.
0.97
00:21:53.000
Cyrus's decree was a significant detail in the equation, but the Jewish exiles confidently and
00:21:59.000
rightly assert that the work was commanded by God, and this was really the only basis they needed for
00:22:05.280
their diligent work towards the project and its completion. This simple, confident assertion is
00:22:12.180
what I want us to spend a majority of our time focusing on this morning. Israel's response found
00:22:18.620
here in verse 11 should stand out to us. They say simply, we are God's servants. We trust in him and
00:22:26.560
know him to be gracious and good. If he has commanded us to rebuild this temple, it is enough
00:22:33.100
for us that God has simply spoken it. We will obey and do so confidently and cheerfully. Such
00:22:39.960
an attitude of humble confidence should be an attitude that marks Christians in any day,
00:22:44.460
in Ezra's day, as well as ours. It should be remarkable to us that on the heels of their
00:22:52.080
repentance, the exiles do not wallow in self-pity or endless introspection, but recognize God's grace
00:22:58.700
and favor as fuel for further obedience. They're even aware of their father's failures, which they
00:23:05.720
mentioned to the governors in the lands of verse 12. But because our fathers had angered the God
00:23:11.640
of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon the Chaldean, who
0.91
00:23:17.460
destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. This is true, but the exiles do not
0.99
00:23:23.580
allow, even for a second, either theirs or their father's failures to excuse them from what God had
00:23:29.640
called them to in that day. Their sins were grievous, but God's grace was greater. After the
00:23:37.300
prophets Haggai and Zechariah called them to repentance, they returned to the Lord in faith
00:23:42.020
and responded with obedience. They arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in
00:23:48.300
Jerusalem. An important detail worth mentioning is that they did not obey begrudgingly or shamefully,
00:23:54.740
but confidently and cheerfully with all assurance. We see this attitude in the
00:23:59.940
confession that they make to the governors. We serve the God of heaven and earth. He told us
00:24:06.400
to rebuild, and so we are rebuilding. And so this is truly the basis of a Christian confidence
00:24:12.760
and hopefulness. So now I want to spend some more time making practical applications for this humble
00:24:18.400
Christian confidence. We have an example of this in word and deed from the exiles here in Ezra
00:24:25.480
chapter 5, but I want to spend time by way of explanation and application making a few points
00:24:31.200
on this particular principle and how a vibrant Christian confidence gives glory and honor to God
00:24:37.320
and makes us happy and holy subjects in God's kingdom. And so by way of reminder, our first
00:24:44.500
point is Christian confidence is rooted in the assurance of God's pardon and blessing.
00:24:51.160
And this first point is foundational. A distinctly Christian confidence arises from this.
00:24:56.860
The Christian bolsters his faith, his hope, his assurance, his trust, and the fact that Christ
00:25:03.900
has died and that Christ has died for him. He recognizes his own sins and his need for salvation
00:25:10.820
in Christ Jesus alone. But it is not merely enough to believe that Christ Jesus saves sinners and
00:25:18.060
that his death was sufficient to save someone out there, but that Christ's death was sufficient to
00:25:23.940
cover and pay for my sin, for your sin. This was the confession which was made by the Apostle Paul
00:25:30.620
in Galatians 2.20. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ
00:25:37.180
who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God,
00:25:43.680
who loved me and gave himself for me. We're reminded of this reality each week during our
00:25:50.780
liturgy, where the preaching of the law brings us to our need for Christ as our Savior. This in tune
00:25:57.480
leads us to confess our sins to him. And these sins are real and awful, but they have been paid
00:26:04.540
for and forgiven. When we confess these sins, we then receive God's assurance of pardon, which
00:26:11.120
reminds us that Christ's death was, in fact, for us. We recite that oft-quoted promise, which is
00:26:17.800
found in 1 John 1, verse 9, which we recited again this morning, and I'm sure many of you know by
00:26:22.800
heart by now. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
00:26:30.740
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Such promises, when trusted in faith, cannot possibly lead to
00:26:37.760
despair, but grant the Christian confidence and assurance from the outset. They remind him of
00:26:44.660
the gospel message, which is Christ crucified for him and raised to the Father's right hand to make
00:26:51.220
intercession for him. This then encourages and spurs him on with hope in all that God has called
00:26:58.600
him to, namely obedience. And don't miss this, but this is exactly what we see happening in the
00:27:05.200
account of the exiles today. This excitement and hope in God among the exiles arose from a
00:27:12.100
confidence, which was found in this, the assurance of God's pardon and blessing. Look back to what
00:27:18.160
was said in Ezra 5, verse 5. But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did
0.80
00:27:25.740
not stop them until the report should reach Darius, and then an answer be returned by letter
0.73
00:27:31.100
concerning it. The elders of the Jews found their confidence rooted in the promise that the eye of
00:27:37.340
their God was upon them. This promise was not merely that God would conduct surveillance of
00:27:42.800
the project to monitor whether Israel's heart was really in the right place or to ensure that the
00:27:47.860
exiles would not fall into sin again. Rather, the eye of God being upon the exiles suggests a
00:27:55.160
connotation of blessing and pardon, the same that we have been speaking of, which inspires and serves
00:28:04.860
Consider the benediction which was given by Aaron
00:28:32.240
and joyous spirit in their labors. Following the repentance we see in Ezra chapter 5,
00:28:39.640
this is exactly the type of promise we see God making by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.
00:28:45.240
Haggai chapter 1 verse 13 reads, then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with
00:28:51.480
the Lord's message. I am with you, declares the Lord. So how might this same reality lead you to
00:28:59.160
a life of assurance. How might the assurance of God's pardon and blessing grant you confidence
00:29:05.300
to live faithfully and boldly in all the areas God is calling you to? One particular application
00:29:12.100
is obvious and is one that we seek to remind ourselves each and every Sunday. This is the
00:29:18.480
fact that a Christian is not meant to be marked by a spirit of doubting. Many liberal theologians
00:29:24.300
believe that the highest mark of Christianity, or spirituality for that matter, for many of these
00:29:29.440
theologians have waded into something completely other than Christian, is a spirit of doubting
00:29:34.680
or skepticism. But this is simply not true. We may have gaps in our knowledge, and at times our sin
00:29:41.880
may cloud our perception of what is really true. But in these instances, a proper response is to
00:29:48.420
return back to the Lord, to remind ourselves of what is true, and to cling to the promises we
00:29:54.060
find given in God's word. A Christian should not be plagued by a constant uncertainty of God's love
00:30:01.200
for him or a vague uneasiness about the tenets of the faith he believes in. Our sin is real,
00:30:09.240
which is why we make a point to confess it each week. But as we do so, we find God's grace in
00:30:15.660
Christ extended week in and week out. The covenant is renewed each week, which is why the gathering
00:30:22.840
on the Lord's day is such a precious thing. We are not spectators to the dispensing of God's
00:30:29.040
grace somewhere else or out there, but right here to these gathered saints. One of the most powerful
00:30:35.880
aspects of our worship is that you serve as a witness to those around you of the reality and
00:30:41.720
wonder of God's grace, which is actively changing and renewing us. When we recite the Apostles'
00:30:48.000
Creed, or partake of the Lord's Supper together, or sing the doxology with one voice, we are
00:30:54.480
responding in faith to the God who has kept and renewed his covenant with us. And you can be a
00:31:00.960
witness to this in the lives of others, and this serves as a great encouragement. You can say to
00:31:07.300
your brother or sister in Christ, I saw you partaking of the Lord's Supper. Isn't it wonderful
00:31:13.560
that God did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all? Isn't it awesome that Christ counts
00:31:20.180
us among his sheep? Or I know you may be having a difficult time in this area, but I have seen the
00:31:26.860
evidence of God's grace in your life. I was sitting right next to you as you confessed your sins to
00:31:32.380
the Lord. Have you forgotten that God has pardoned those sins and assured you of his grace given
00:31:38.760
for you? Such means of grace are given chiefly for the worship and honoring of God, but also
00:31:46.200
for the building up and edifying of his people. These assurances of God's pardon and blessing
00:31:52.240
cannot possibly lead to a confidence in the flesh, but a humble confidence that is fitting
00:31:57.660
for Christians. The reality, as Joel said so faithfully this morning too, is that Sunday
00:32:03.840
propels us into every other arena that we find ourselves in throughout the week.
00:32:08.760
The assurance and confidence we receive in Christ is to mark our attitudes and actions
00:32:14.200
in these moments as well as it did for the exiles in building the temple.
00:32:19.620
We should be quick to encourage one another to repentance when we sin, but when evidences
00:32:24.340
of God's grace are present, we should be quick to praise those in each other.
00:32:28.660
Simple exhortations such as, you're doing a great job over here, or I noticed that you
00:32:33.180
did that, excellent work, can go a long way in reminding us of the fatherly character
00:32:37.680
of God, who by no means will clear the guilty, but is slow to anger, patient, and long-suffering.
00:32:46.340
These exhortations are especially important among husbands and wives,
00:32:50.360
fathers and mothers with their children, and can also be as significant amongst Christian friends,
00:32:56.300
pastors, and their congregants, and magistrates, and their subjects. The father can encourage his
00:33:02.720
son to work hard and sweat in the Texas heat with such words. I know it's hot and you're tired,
00:33:08.600
but I'm proud of you. You're doing a great job and learning so much. In the same way, consider
00:33:13.880
Christian magistrates who may be encouraged by the words of their citizens. That legislation you
00:33:19.700
wrote was godly and honorable. Though it was struck down, we are proud you represent us, and God is
00:33:25.800
praised by your efforts. One day even abortion will be abolished. A timely word such as Psalm
00:33:32.860
4 verse 3, but know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself, does much to build Christian
00:33:40.220
assurance, and helps us to take setbacks in stride and rise again as confident conquerors.
00:33:47.720
So now we move on to our second point, which is the substance of the Christian's confidence is
00:33:52.900
the word of God. And as we consider this next point, it may be obvious to us, especially
00:33:58.500
amongst the reform camp, but the Christian is confident and sure of the things that are
00:34:03.880
expressly said by God in the scriptures. The Lord has created the world in such a way that even
00:34:10.400
rocks and trees, skies and seas bear witness to him and to his glory. But it is only his word,
00:34:17.780
which is a truly inerrant and sufficient authority. Therefore, Christian confidence is not
0.71
00:34:23.520
ultimately found in vague feelings or a tugging of the heartstrings, but in what God has said
00:34:29.640
in his word. God speaks truth. In his word, the scriptures say are pure words. When Jesus made
00:34:37.180
supplication to God in John chapter 17, he prayed, sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth.
00:34:45.420
The Apostle Paul asserts in 2 Timothy chapter 3,
00:34:49.040
All scripture is breathed out by God, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
00:34:59.240
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
00:35:07.060
Each of these verses share a common witness to the truthfulness and glory which is found in God's word.
00:35:13.320
and it is no coincidence that they make these assertions confidently. So we see that the
00:35:19.520
foundation of the Christian's confidence is found when he understands that God has forgiven
00:35:24.520
and pardoned his sins. But what is the Christian confident in? The Christian is one who says,
00:35:32.420
God has said it, therefore I believe it. And not only do I believe it, but I am willing to live
00:35:38.780
my life in accordance with it and stake my life in defense of it. And this is exactly what we see
00:35:45.600
the exiles doing in our text today. The exiles respond to the writers of this second letter by
00:35:51.780
saying, we are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. When asked who gave you a decree to
00:35:58.600
build this house and to finish this structure, the primary answer that they give is God did.
00:36:04.780
They respond by saying, we serve God and God alone.
00:36:08.860
He reigns over the highest heaven and the earth is his footstool.
00:36:13.060
His dominion is not merely over a spiritual kingdom, but as ramifications for how we are
00:36:21.780
He has commanded the temple to be rebuilt, and so we are rebuilding it.
00:36:27.080
Lest we forget, it was God who gave the command to Cyrus in the first place.
00:36:33.980
The Lord, the God of heaven, has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem,
00:36:43.800
The Jewish exiles recognized this decree was not merely made by a pagan king in a foreign land,
00:36:50.100
but given by the God of heaven, and they were resolved to confidently obey.
00:36:55.560
As I consider this text and the response of the Jewish exiles, which is found here in verse 11,
00:37:02.700
I couldn't help but think of Deuteronomy 4, verse 39, which says,
00:37:07.200
Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.
00:37:16.280
With this verse in mind, it truly was not outlandish for the Jews to make such an assertion in the face of the Persian government.
00:37:23.400
Not only do they insist upon Cyrus's original decree, but they respond with confidence that
00:37:30.240
God rules heaven and earth. His lordship impacted their work of rebuilding. And because of this,
00:37:37.320
now repentant and humbled by the prophets, they arise with confidence and boldly claim that the
00:37:43.380
Lord is the only God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. And because he had commanded it,
00:37:50.820
they would build. Such a statement was not merely smoke and mirrors or arrogance, but a true
00:37:56.760
statement. Consider what Matthew Henry has to say in his commentary on this point.
00:38:02.680
The God we worship is not a local deity, and therefore we cannot be charged with making a
00:38:08.000
faction or setting up a sect and building this temple to his honor. But we pay our homage to a
00:38:14.740
God on whom the whole creation depends, and therefore ought to be protected and assisted
00:38:21.280
by all and hindered by none. It is the wisdom as well as duty of kings to countenance the servants
00:38:28.420
of the God of heaven. That last statement is striking. It is the wisdom as well as duty of
00:38:35.800
kings to countenance the servants of the God of heaven and earth, we may add. Such a statement
00:38:43.760
may sound arrogant to our present-day ears, but if something is explicitly said in the Word of God,
00:38:49.720
a Christian must not be embarrassed or ashamed to proclaim it, but confidently assert that when
00:38:55.760
God speaks, it is truth, and it is our duty to cheerfully believe it and obey it. So where do we
00:39:04.620
see this principle at work in our lives? Where is God asking us to confidently trust and obey what
00:39:11.620
he has said in his word. Perhaps we could begin with this point, that the kingdom of God has a
00:39:17.680
real earthly domain. Being a follower of Christ has implications for how you live your life,
00:39:24.400
how and where you purchase goods, what type of work you are engaged in, and who you are ultimately
00:39:30.360
subject to. A Christian is not one who ordinarily seeks to be a deviant in society. He understands
00:39:37.980
that he is a man under authority, but he remembers that all authority is given by God, and above all
00:39:44.640
he is accountable to God's authority. When our governors would have us contradict what God has
00:39:51.120
commanded us to do, we, like the apostles in the book of Acts, must obey God rather than men.
00:39:58.140
We truly are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we should be confident in this
00:40:04.140
and live by this. Where else does God call us to confidently trust his word and submit to walk to
00:40:12.160
it in obedience by faith? Here are just but a few examples. James 1 verses 2 through 4.
00:40:21.100
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the
00:40:25.740
testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect,
00:40:31.840
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. For those of you who have dealt with
00:40:38.800
suffering or these various trials, the word of God requires us to not only endure in these moments,
00:40:45.340
but to do so with joy. In moments of suffering, a Christian may make use of lawful means to
00:40:52.500
improve his circumstances, but what is prohibited is going about these moments of suffering with
0.98
00:40:58.220
grumbling, with a sullen face, or with a spirit of ungratefulness. No, on the contrary, we are
00:41:05.220
called to joy, to thank God for namely the fruit he produces in these moments. Such promises as
00:41:13.160
these, they do bear fruit when they make us more confident in what God has said and when we live
00:41:18.680
in accordance with it, despite what we may be facing in the present moment. It does not lead
00:41:25.140
us to naivety, but a more grounded, thankful, confident trust in God and his promises. So for
00:41:33.280
example, those of you families with young children who seem to have gotten sick more times than you
00:41:37.900
can count over the last few months, count it all joy. For those of you who have been patiently
00:41:43.700
enduring singleness and persistently praying for a spouse, count it all joy. For those of you older
00:41:50.840
adults who feel your body groaning under the weight of age, count it all joy. For those of
00:41:57.000
you venturing to take care of your aging parents, count it all joy. Again, these verses do not call
00:42:03.860
you to put your fingers in your ears and ignore the reality of your situation, but they ground
00:42:10.300
us in the deeper reality of God's grace at work in our lives. In these trials, we learn to trust
00:42:17.540
God and continue to ask him for fresh grace, thankfulness, and an unwavering spirit to trust
00:42:24.400
him. Lamentations 3 verse 27, it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. This promise
00:42:33.500
is particularly important for those of you young men who are here this morning. It serves as an
00:42:39.300
encouragement to continue working hard and to stiff arm laziness and idleness. I know many of
00:42:45.400
you young men are working incredibly hard nowadays, or long hours, to support your families and leave
00:42:51.320
an inheritance to your children's children. Many of you are doing this for godly and honorable
00:42:56.680
reasons, to ensure your wife can serve at her full capacity in the home, to provide for your
00:43:02.980
children's Christian education, or to put yourself in the best financial position possible by the
00:43:08.460
time that you get married. This is not to mention that our work is also amidst a climate of rising
00:43:14.600
costs. It seems that everything, housing, insurance, groceries, you name it, it's just a little more
00:43:19.760
expensive these days. I'm right there with many, so many of you and consider it a joy to be amongst
00:43:26.240
a group of hardworking young men. My and the Bible's encouragement to you is great job. Keep
00:43:33.600
it up. It's good for you to work hard when your glory, the Bible says, is your strength. You don't
00:43:40.240
need any more sympathy from anyone or to be told, you've worked hard enough, you can sit this one
00:43:45.220
out now. My exhortation to you is to hear this promise from scripture and confidently trust it.
00:43:51.520
Remember Paul's words to the Thessalonians, if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
00:43:57.760
Christ's yoke certainly is easy and his burden is light and it is good for us to find our rest
00:44:04.460
in him. But I confidently declare to you and encourage you to find comfort in this,
00:44:11.480
that it is a glory to be spent in these years for our families, for each other, and for our God.
00:44:18.340
In Proverbs 13, 24, whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent
00:44:25.180
to discipline him. Such a text is quite possibly the most confrontational to citizens of the modern
00:44:32.060
age. Today, many parenting experts will proclaim that the most loving thing a parent can do is to
00:44:37.660
give into their child's every want, desire, or whim. This is shared by many experts of child
00:44:44.320
development and psychology, and because of this, discipline, including spanking, has fallen out of
00:44:50.460
favor in many homes. Despite the opinions of these experts, Christians should believe and trust
00:44:56.280
the Bible's witness on this point. This scripture literally states that the parent who withholds
00:45:01.900
the rod hates his son, and that a loving parent is one who is diligent to discipline him. A loving
00:45:09.000
Christian parent will introduce discipline via the rod to instruct that sin will not be tolerated
00:45:14.040
and that faithful obedience is required. This discipline, the book of Hebrews tells us,
00:45:20.040
is painful in the moment, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have
00:45:26.580
been trained by it. We are told that it is that God too disciplines the one he loves and chastises
00:45:33.520
every son whom he receives. So Christian parents who are seeking to be obedient to God will
00:45:40.400
confidently trust in this promise which is given by him and it is found in his very nature as we've
00:45:46.360
seen in the book of Hebrews. We do not get a free pass as parents to discipline according to our own
00:45:51.500
preferences, but in accordance with God's expressed will in his word. When this promise is trusted
00:45:58.180
and obeyed confidently by Christian parents, God is glorified and homes flourish. I want you to
00:46:04.600
see this. Proverbs 29 verse 17 says, discipline your son and he will give you rest. He will give
00:46:11.840
delight to your heart. These are just but a few things we ought to believe and confidently trust
00:46:19.240
because they are said in God's word. And so our last point for consideration this morning is
00:46:25.040
Christian confidence endures and bears fruit over time. We've discussed how Christian confidence
00:46:31.900
is grounded or established on the assurance of God's pardon and blessing and how it is composed
00:46:37.800
of the truth that we find in the word of God. On this last point, though, we will come to see how
00:46:43.400
the Christian's confidence in God and his promises will bear fruit and endure with patience over the
00:46:50.220
long haul. Remember that it was our Lord who said, he who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit,
00:46:58.600
John 15, 5. It follows then that the one who has faith in Christ will abide in him, will trust him,
00:47:06.340
follow him, and obey him. This fruit will have an immediate effect, but will compound over time
00:47:15.180
and over many years of faithfulness. As confidence grows, it will produce, among many things,
00:47:21.560
strength, hope, and blessing. This is evident in the growth of the church since the days of Christ
00:47:28.940
and also in the lives of everyday ordinary Christians. We see this in our text today as
00:47:34.740
the confidence of the exiles grows, bears fruit, and endures over time. So we see this evident in
00:47:42.320
two primary places, and the first is highlighted in verse 8. Be it known to the king that we went
00:47:49.480
to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones,
00:47:55.560
and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.
00:48:03.220
This verse was part of the testimony which was borne by the governors of the region to Darius
00:48:08.280
in the letter, which is today's text. By this time, the temple's progress was significant enough
00:48:14.740
to garner the attention and respect of those who opposed it. At the time of the letter's writing,
00:48:20.880
the exiles were not a ragtag or measly group of builders fumbling their way through a set of
00:48:27.040
Ikea assembly instructions. They had made significant progress, you see, building the
00:48:33.100
temple with huge stones and framing it with timber. The challengers recognized that the work
00:48:39.260
not only went on diligently, but prospered. The Jewish exiles were laboring with a renewed
00:48:45.280
and repentant purpose, and God granted them favor to make impressive advances in the work
00:48:51.380
of Reconstruction. So this is but one example of Christian confidence at work. The exiles were
00:48:58.220
unfailing in their understanding that God had commissioned them to rebuild the temple and that
00:49:03.880
he would be with them. We see them striving onward in faith and bearing fruit in their obedience.
00:49:11.540
And furthermore, we see the fruit of Christian confidence evident in the confession that the
00:49:15.880
exiles make, which is found recorded in verse 16 of today's text, which says,
00:49:22.180
then this Sheshbezar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
00:49:27.620
And from that time until now, it has been in building and it is not yet finished.
00:49:34.620
This is the last statement that is recorded of the exiles in the letter. And though it may not
00:49:40.240
be apparent from the outset, there is incredible confidence present in this closing statement.
00:49:45.760
Zerubbabel and Yeshua recognize that the thread of God's faithfulness endured throughout the work
00:49:51.660
of rebuilding. The foundation had been laid by Sheshbezar many years ago, and delays had
00:49:58.380
prolonged the project. This was mainly owing to the fact that the exiles had sinned along the way.
1.00
00:50:05.140
They had succumbed to the threats which were made in the first letter and allowed their own
00:50:10.180
uncomforts and complacencies to creep in over the years of delay. Despite this, the exiles testify
00:50:16.900
that the building of the second temple had begun and would be completed come what may.
00:50:24.500
They say from that time until now, it has been in building and it is not yet finished. Not yet,
00:50:31.780
but one day in this very place, God's temple will stand and serve as a witness to all that the God
00:50:39.260
of heaven and earth reigns. This is Christian confidence at work. The people were bolstered
00:50:46.380
by the fruit God had borne in their midst and were assured that the construction of the temple
00:50:51.420
would endure and be upheld, for God was with them. Such confidence is infectious and is reason for
00:50:59.360
us to find hope today in all our labors and in all God commands and promises. As I spent time
00:51:06.620
praying about this last point this week, I couldn't help but be drawn to our Lord's words,
00:51:12.500
which were given in Matthew chapter 6. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
00:51:19.380
and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6, 33. For those who live by faith in Christ and
00:51:26.440
according to his word will never fail to receive God's provision and blessing. It is these who will
00:51:33.240
bear much fruit for the kingdom of God and find themselves enduring for many years in confidence
00:51:39.260
and hope. This is not to say that belief in God is all that is needed to evade tragedy or sickness
00:51:46.720
for the rest of one's life or to receive a mysterious fortune overnight. On the contrary,
00:51:52.780
the hopeful and confident Christian will be marked by a spirit of unwavering trust in God,
00:51:59.880
knowing that God will uphold him through difficulty
00:52:02.520
and grant blessing even in times of hardship or frustration.
00:52:07.540
This week, my wife and I were discussing the stories of different martyrs
00:52:12.840
and one of these martyrs was particularly inspiring to us.
00:52:16.920
A widow in pre-Reformation England who translated the Lord's Prayer
00:52:24.600
She was ultimately charged and burned at the stake
0.93
00:52:27.360
because she had subverted the teaching of the church
00:52:33.660
Despite this, she died confidently trusting in Christ
00:52:38.920
as she resisted the tyranny and overreach of the Catholic church
00:52:42.940
and continued in her duties to teach her children
00:52:48.700
Hers is one of many stories over the course of church history.
00:52:54.820
may lead us to doubt God's promise on this last point.
00:53:02.080
God granted her the grace to live confidently and faithfully in the midst of great persecution
00:53:07.440
and to endure even through right up to the moment of her tragic death.
00:53:14.960
her legacy continues to bear fruit and leave a heritage in this world.
00:53:20.520
Being discussed in many Christian homes as grounds for inspiration,
00:53:24.160
and courage. Although most of us may not die a martyr's death, though possibly some of us may,
00:53:31.020
we cannot allow external threats to detract us from faithful and obedient Christian living.
00:53:37.520
And so as we close, I wanted to read a quote from C.S. Lewis on this point,
00:53:40.920
as he viewed one of the most formidable threats of his day, the atomic bomb. He writes,
00:53:46.700
In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. How are we to live in an atomic age?
00:53:55.120
I am tempted to reply. Why, as you would have lived in the 16th century when the plague visited
00:54:00.780
London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia
00:54:05.320
might land and cut your throat in a night, or indeed as you are already living in an age of
00:54:10.480
cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents,
00:54:18.700
an age of motor accidents. In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty
00:54:24.100
of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced
00:54:30.580
to death before the atomic bomb was invented, and quite a high percentage of us were going to die
00:54:36.740
in unpleasant ways. We had indeed one very great advantage over our ancestors' anesthetics,
00:54:43.740
but we had that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces
00:54:49.220
because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which
00:54:54.560
already bristled with such chances, and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a
00:55:00.600
certainty. This is the first point to be made, and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves
00:55:06.520
together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find
00:55:12.400
us doing sensible and human things, praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music,
0.53
00:55:20.880
bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts,
00:55:27.500
not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies,
00:55:32.940
a microbe can do that, but they need not dominate our minds. I love this quote, but I'd like to add
00:55:39.920
that as Christians, we are called to more than merely sensible and human things, but to Christian
00:55:46.200
things. All of the activities Lewis mentions here can be Christian things when done in faith
00:55:52.260
and submission to God's will in scripture. And so I admonish you to remember this as you are making
00:55:58.160
dinner, working on the car, drinking a cup of coffee, or lying on your deathbed. When we
00:56:05.520
confidently and humbly submit to God's will, he promises to bear fruit, both spiritual as well
00:56:11.820
as tangible, and gives us grace to endure through hardship. Like the exiles, we are not to be marked
00:56:18.820
by a spirit of gloominess and terror, but by a resolved Christian confidence. This distinct
00:56:26.180
confidence is founded on what God has done for us in Christ, consists of what we see God commanding
00:56:33.000
and promising in Scripture, and produces fruit and endures over the long run. Let's pray.
00:56:41.160
Thank you, God, for your word. We are consistently astounded and amazed by the testimony of
00:56:47.620
real people, real people whom you created and purposed to live such lives, but we are so
00:56:55.020
grateful, Lord, and amazed that we have their accounts before us in Scripture. We thank you
00:56:59.960
for your word. We thank you that it is opened and trusted and preached faithfully here at this
00:57:04.680
church, and would you make us continually be those who would benefit from it, O God. I pray,
00:57:10.680
and we pray, that your word would continue to sow deep roots, that much would grow in us through
00:57:16.160
trust and sanctification, wisdom and Christian living. We pray that all of these effects would
00:57:21.680
be had in us, O Lord, as we listen to your word as it's preached. Thank you, God, for your grace
00:57:26.540
and your mercy in Jesus Christ. Would you be glorified in all we do? We pray these things