Verse 3 I rent my garment and my mansion plucked off the hair of my head and on my beard and sat down
Astounding now, why did Ezra do that?
Well simply for the fact that he was ashamed of the spiritual condition of the people of that time
he saw the condition of the people and their
Transgressions against the Lord and it grieved them so much that he afflicted himself
Now here's the thing is Ezra is a great example to fall obviously we know that Ezra was this ready scribe
He was prepared
He knew the law of the Lord and because he knew the law of the Lord
he knew that God's people were transgressing the law of the Lord and
In light of that it grieved them so much that he afflicted himself
You say what's the spiritual application there brother Bruce? The spiritual application is this sin ought to grieve us
When we sin when our family sins when we see the Christians out there in churches that are involved in sin
They're out to grieve us
We're not to take it like water off a duck's back
You know what the problem is with a lot of churches is that when churches are involved in sin or they're tolerating sin
What happens no one speaks out against it. It's like normal
It's like water off a duck's back
You know what pastors need to do today they need to pluck out their own hair and be grieved over the sins
That are taking place in the churches be grieved over the sins that are taking place in the lives of individuals
Why because let me say this sin destroys people it destroys families children fathers mothers husbands and wives
And churches and then out to grieve us, you know, and if you're listening today, you're like, well, you know, what's the big deal?
Yeah, that's the big deal
When Christians are not ashamed of sin, that's a big deal
You know Ezra had bothered Ezra so much that he was willing to just afflicted himself
Pluck out his own hair
You know
We ought to see
The sin ridden world in this city in Omani and the city surrounding it and it ought to bother us of the sins that
Are taking place if it doesn't bother you you need to turn off the television
If it doesn't bother you you need to get off the social media every once in a while
If it doesn't bother you then you need to get into the Bible learn the law of God
Just like Ezra did so it can bother you
You know, we have too many people today that are just not ashamed. They don't blush at the sins of
Our country they don't blush at the sins of our city. They don't blush at the sins of the church
They have fornicators in the church not in this church, but there's fornicators in the church and everything is just like Candyland
No, you know people are praising people for having children out of wedlock. That's wicked
Knowing that pastor and those leaders ought to be grieved at that why because the second generation is being destroyed
Okay