LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2021
EZRA 1 VERSES 1 - 6
The enemy is today coming against the church. We need to be those who will rise up to the bible. God has been calling his people in Babylon, walking with them. It is now time for them to rise up and build. God is in no rush. It took 70 years to build and shape his people into what he would have them to be. God is doing the same even today for the task before us. For 400 years the Israelites were in Egypt, for 80 of those years God shaped his servant Moses for the task - to lead them out of Egypt. Think of John the Baptist in Jesus' day, preparing the way for Jesus. To come telling people to repent and trust in Christ. It took Peter 3 years to be shaped and moulded, from a faltering fisherman to the point where he was filled with the Holy Spirit's power.
See the resolve here in the venture in these people. The effort that is made here for revival was based upon the word of God. Jeremiah said the people would be in Babylon for 70 years. When the 70 years expired God would move and bring them back. Daniel read those same portions of scripture and got down to prayer as a result. Every revival is based on the word of God and the prayers of men and women. The 1859 revival came about because 4 men took the challenge to read the word of God, prayed and sought the Lord to pour out his spirit on the land. Thousands of people were saved as a result. Cyrus said in verse 2 "The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth." He was counting his blessings, knowing what God had done for him, acknowledged it. Are we living in the blessing of God today? Have we poured out our hearts in thankfulness for what he has done for us? Do you know the Lord as your personal Saviour today? Have you accepted Christ for what he has done on Calvary, died to save your sin? Have you ever confessed your sin to him, accepted his forgiveness through his death? Have you thanked the Lord today for what he has done for you? Here's a man who realised that God would now use him, the challenge came to him to build a temple in Jerusalem. Revival is from God and is based on the word of God. It is not about feeling good, singing well, hearing a great evangelist speaking. That is man made revival. Revival begins with God himself. In Acts 2 Peter stood up before the people and preached a great sermon but he never promoted himself. He took the word of God right back to the book of Joel. These men are not drunk but they are filled with the Holy Spirit, this is that which was prophesied by Joel in the Old Testament. He began to speak of how Jesus came into the world, was nailed on the cross, gave his life for the peoples sins. We cannot be saved until we feel guilty of our sins and acknowledge our guilt before God. How can we repent of something we don't feel sorry for? Jesus had to take our sin and die on the cross for us. Peter preached and the Holy Spirit came. They were pricked in their hearts. Only God the Holy Spirit can do that. He can come into the inner me, the heart of man himself and touch the heart of man. It is not the voice of the preacher speaking to you today, it is God speaking into the depth of your heart. What should we do they asked Peter. They realised there was something they needed to do. Is God speaking to you today, what is he saying to you? God is challenging their effort. I read in verse 1 that Lord stirred up the heart of Cyrus but in verse 5 we see it is a committed effort. Revival is not just desiring or talking about it, it begins and ends with God. God was raising up people who would take their stand before everyone around them. Are you ready to commit or is it just a thought? To take our stand before men. We have to do what the Lord asks us to do. We are to commit our way unto the Lord. Think of the fishermen - when the Lord called them they set their net and boats aside and followed after the Lord, committed their lives to the Lord whatever the cost. Are we committed to it? CT Studd was a missionary in India. He gave up a great career in cricket. He forsook his inheritance and became committed to the Lord, into doing what the Lord would bid him to do. Take up they cross and follow me. If we have been to Calvary know him as Lord and Saviour today God is calling us for a committed life, to surrender our all today. Not just part. It is a conscious effort for revival. We see here this example of this people - full consecration. All must be on the altar to the Lord, no turning back, everything given to him. Hebrews "let us run the race that is set before us." God was asking this people to leave everything behind them, all they had built up for 70 years. Jeremiah had previously told them to settle down for 70 years but now they were being asked to give it all up. That is consecration. This would take them away from everything they had. C T Studd "if Christ be God and died for me there is no sacrifice too big for me to make for him." In verse 4 the were to take all the precious things and offer them to God. How do we value things in light of spirituality? Everything you have has been given to you by God. Are we keeping it for ourselves today? The Lord needs and wants it. Are we ready to give it up? The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" The Lord told him to obey the commandments. He replied "all these have I kept from my youth up." The Lord said to him "do you see all the wealth and riches you have, you have got to give them up." He went away down hearted because he couldn't do it. "Lord I could do anything but not that." You and I could read our bible today, are saved by God's grace, spend time in prayer but maybe God is asking for something else. Consecration, commitment and challenge to you and me today. Remember in Acts 5 when we meet Ananias and Sapphira. The church was just getting off the ground, the disciples were helping out as best they could, preaching and witnessing. When a need arose the disciples would take a plot of ground and sell it, then gave the money to the apostles so that others need could be met. We then meet Ananias and Sapphira who sold their possession. They knew what was happening and what to do. We read there was a need among the people so they sold the possession and got so much money for it. They thought to themselves "no one knows how much we received, we will give some away but keep back part of it." Maybe this morning you are keeping something back from the Lord? Maybe Ananias and Sapphira gave the biggest part to God but the fact is they kept back some and suffered for it as a result. They suffered for it at the end. We lose out on the blessing as a result. Mary came in with a box of ointment. The wages for a man for a full year. She had hid it in her home and took great care of it. Mary realised one day she needed to use it. She broke the box and anointed Jesus with the ointment. Maybe you need to break the box today. It was a combined effort. There were people who couldnt go back to Jerusalem, they were to help and encourage those going back. The work of the gospel is not just down to one or 2 people. There is a work for every one of us. Are you willing to throw your weight into the work of God? Are you prepared to say 'I want to do this for the Lord today?". Will you come and surrender your all to him?
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