WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:01.800 and eat the fruit of them. 00:01.800 --> 00:03.680 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters, 00:03.680 --> 00:05.160 and take wives for your sons, 00:05.160 --> 00:06.860 and give your daughters to your husbands, 00:06.860 --> 00:08.080 that ye may bear sons and daughters, 00:08.080 --> 00:10.880 that ye may be increased there and not diminished. 00:10.880 --> 00:12.040 And seek the peace of the city, 00:12.040 --> 00:14.120 whether I have caused you to be carried away captives, 00:14.120 --> 00:15.800 and pray unto the Lord for it, 00:15.800 --> 00:18.200 for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. 00:18.200 --> 00:20.320 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 00:20.320 --> 00:22.260 let not your prophets and your diviners 00:22.260 --> 00:24.060 that be in the midst of you deceive you, 00:24.060 --> 00:25.640 neither hearken to your dreams, 00:25.640 --> 00:27.420 which ye have caused to be dreamed. 00:27.420 --> 00:29.860 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name, 00:29.900 --> 00:32.260 I have not sent them, saying the Lord. 00:32.260 --> 00:33.460 For thus saith the Lord, 00:33.460 --> 00:35.740 that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, 00:35.740 --> 00:38.380 I will visit you and perform my good toward you, 00:38.380 --> 00:40.220 a good word toward you, 00:40.220 --> 00:41.920 in causing you to return to this place. 00:41.920 --> 00:43.540 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, 00:43.540 --> 00:46.020 saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, 00:46.020 --> 00:48.140 to give you an expected end. 00:48.140 --> 00:49.340 Then shall ye call upon me, 00:49.340 --> 00:50.980 and ye shall go and pray unto me, 00:50.980 --> 00:52.820 and I will hearken unto you. 00:52.820 --> 00:54.780 And ye shall seek me and find me, 00:54.780 --> 00:57.700 when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 00:57.700 --> 00:59.820 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord, 00:59.860 --> 01:01.100 and I will turn away your captivity, 01:01.100 --> 01:03.940 and I will gather you from all the nations, 01:03.940 --> 01:05.620 and from all the places where I've driven you, 01:05.620 --> 01:06.780 saith the Lord. 01:06.780 --> 01:08.220 And I will bring you again into the place, 01:08.220 --> 01:10.540 once I caused you to be carried away captive. 01:10.540 --> 01:11.460 Because ye have said, 01:11.460 --> 01:14.180 the Lord hath raised us up prophets in Babylon, 01:14.180 --> 01:15.760 know that thus saith the Lord of the king 01:15.760 --> 01:17.620 that sitteth upon the throne of David, 01:17.620 --> 01:19.740 and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, 01:19.740 --> 01:21.440 and of your brethren that are not gone forth 01:21.440 --> 01:22.940 with you into captivity. 01:22.940 --> 01:23.940 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, 01:23.940 --> 01:25.980 behold, I will send upon them the sword, 01:25.980 --> 01:27.660 the famine and the pestilence, 01:27.660 --> 01:29.300 and I will make them like vile figs 01:29.300 --> 01:31.660 that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 01:31.660 --> 01:33.300 And I will persecute them with the sword, 01:33.300 --> 01:34.980 with the famine, with the pestilence, 01:34.980 --> 01:36.420 and will deliver them to be removed 01:36.420 --> 01:37.780 from all the kingdoms of the earth, 01:37.780 --> 01:39.780 to be a curse, an astonishment, 01:39.780 --> 01:41.580 an enhissing and a reproach, 01:41.580 --> 01:43.820 among all the nations, whether I've driven them. 01:43.820 --> 01:45.460 Because they have not hearkened to my word, 01:45.460 --> 01:47.220 saith the Lord, which I sent unto them 01:47.220 --> 01:48.740 by the servants, the prophets, 01:48.740 --> 01:50.400 rising up early and sending them, 01:50.400 --> 01:53.020 but ye would not hear, saith the Lord. 01:53.020 --> 01:54.380 Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord, 01:54.380 --> 01:55.900 all ye of the captivity, 01:55.900 --> 01:58.360 who I've sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. 01:58.400 --> 01:59.480 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, 01:59.480 --> 02:02.240 the God of Israel, of Ahab, the son of Koliah, 02:02.240 --> 02:04.960 and of Zedekiah, the son of Messiah, 02:04.960 --> 02:06.840 which prophesy a lion to you in my name, 02:06.840 --> 02:08.560 behold, I will deliver them into the hand 02:08.560 --> 02:10.280 of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 02:10.280 --> 02:13.320 and he shall slay them before your eyes. 02:13.320 --> 02:15.380 And of them shall be taken up a curse 02:15.380 --> 02:17.080 by all the captivity of Judah, 02:17.080 --> 02:18.280 which are in Babylon, saying, 02:18.280 --> 02:21.480 the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, 02:21.480 --> 02:24.600 whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire. 02:24.600 --> 02:26.400 Because they have committed villainy in Israel, 02:26.440 --> 02:28.520 and have committed adultery with their neighbor's wives, 02:28.520 --> 02:30.680 and have spoken lying words in my name, 02:30.680 --> 02:32.000 which I have not commanded them, 02:32.000 --> 02:35.040 even I know that I am witness, saith the Lord. 02:35.040 --> 02:37.600 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah, 02:37.600 --> 02:39.140 the Nehlemite, saying, 02:39.140 --> 02:40.960 thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 02:40.960 --> 02:43.080 saying, because thou hast sent letters in my name 02:43.080 --> 02:44.880 unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, 02:44.880 --> 02:47.680 and to Zephaniah, the son of Messiah, the priest, 02:47.680 --> 02:48.920 and to all the priests, saying, 02:48.920 --> 02:50.240 the Lord hath made thee priests 02:50.240 --> 02:52.480 in the stead of Jehoiada, the priest, 02:52.480 --> 02:54.720 and ye should be the officers in the house of the Lord 02:54.760 --> 02:57.800 for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, 02:57.800 --> 03:00.760 and thou shouldest put him in the prison and in the stocks. 03:00.760 --> 03:04.400 Now therefore, why hast thou not removed Jeremiah of Anathoth, 03:04.400 --> 03:06.780 which maketh himself a prophet to you? 03:06.780 --> 03:09.340 For therefore he sent us into Babylon, saying, 03:09.340 --> 03:12.400 this captivity is long, build ye houses and dwell in them, 03:12.400 --> 03:14.680 plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. 03:14.680 --> 03:16.600 And Zephaniah, the priest, read this letter 03:16.600 --> 03:18.480 in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet. 03:18.480 --> 03:20.840 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, 03:20.840 --> 03:22.920 send to all them of the captivity, saying, 03:22.920 --> 03:25.840 thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehlamite, 03:25.840 --> 03:28.600 because that Nehlamite said, 03:28.600 --> 03:31.280 Shemaliah said, prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, 03:31.280 --> 03:33.120 and he caused you to trust in a lie. 03:33.120 --> 03:34.680 Therefore thus saith the Lord, behold, 03:34.680 --> 03:37.640 I will put Shemaiah the Nehlamite and his seed. 03:37.640 --> 03:40.440 He shall not have a man to dwell among his people, 03:40.440 --> 03:42.080 neither shall he behold the good that I will do 03:42.080 --> 03:43.440 for my people, saith the Lord, 03:43.440 --> 03:46.500 because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord. 03:46.500 --> 03:47.340 Let's pray to the Lord. 03:47.340 --> 03:49.000 God, just thank you for this time we have, Lord. 03:49.000 --> 03:50.520 This service, to hear the preaching of your word, Lord, 03:50.520 --> 03:52.480 just please bless this service, Lord, every aspect of it, 03:52.520 --> 03:53.640 and especially the preaching, Lord. 03:53.640 --> 03:55.480 Please bless Pastor and fill him with your spirit, Lord, 03:55.480 --> 03:57.200 as he preaches unto your word unto us, Lord, 03:57.200 --> 03:59.640 and that us in the congregation take these truths 03:59.640 --> 04:00.480 and apply to our lives, Lord. 04:00.480 --> 04:02.960 We pray this all in Jesus' name, amen. 04:02.960 --> 04:04.160 Amen. 04:04.160 --> 04:05.960 Okay, we're in Jeremiah chapter 29. 04:05.960 --> 04:06.840 Look at verse number 10. 04:06.840 --> 04:08.660 It says, for thus saith the Lord, 04:08.660 --> 04:11.960 that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, 04:11.960 --> 04:15.920 I will visit you and perform my good word toward you 04:15.920 --> 04:19.000 in causing you to return to this place, 04:19.000 --> 04:21.240 for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, 04:21.240 --> 04:23.960 saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, 04:23.960 --> 04:26.200 to give you an expected end. 04:26.200 --> 04:27.600 And the title of my sermon this evening 04:27.600 --> 04:29.480 is Coming Back from Babylon. 04:29.480 --> 04:31.120 Coming Back from Babylon. 04:31.120 --> 04:33.520 This morning, we talked about getting 04:33.520 --> 04:35.700 into Babylonian captivity, 04:35.700 --> 04:39.200 and I'm gonna review a little bit of that this evening, 04:39.200 --> 04:41.680 but tonight we're gonna mainly talk about 04:41.680 --> 04:44.260 the return from Babylonian captivity. 04:44.260 --> 04:46.560 Now, there's a lot of books in the Bible 04:46.560 --> 04:48.840 that actually talk about the judgment 04:48.840 --> 04:50.640 that was gonna come upon Judah. 04:50.760 --> 04:52.520 And probably none so explicit 04:52.520 --> 04:54.480 than the book of Jeremiah itself. 04:54.480 --> 04:57.520 But of course, as we see here in Jeremiah chapter 29, 04:57.520 --> 05:00.400 God not only declares the judgment 05:00.400 --> 05:01.960 that's gonna come upon Judah, 05:01.960 --> 05:04.040 but he also kinda gives them hope, right? 05:04.040 --> 05:05.920 He says there, I know the thoughts 05:05.920 --> 05:07.400 that I think toward you, 05:07.400 --> 05:09.540 thoughts of peace and not of evil, 05:09.540 --> 05:11.680 to give you an expected end. 05:11.680 --> 05:13.720 And the expected end that he's referring to there 05:13.720 --> 05:16.400 is the fact that after 70 years, 05:16.400 --> 05:18.320 he was gonna allow them to return 05:18.320 --> 05:19.960 from Babylonian captivity. 05:19.960 --> 05:23.680 Now, keep in mind that the Babylonian captivity was done 05:23.680 --> 05:25.320 because of the fact that Judah 05:25.320 --> 05:28.360 had grievously rebelled against God. 05:28.360 --> 05:30.320 They broke the covenant. 05:30.320 --> 05:32.360 They were committing gross idolatry, 05:32.360 --> 05:36.560 adultery, covetousness, all manner of abomination 05:36.560 --> 05:38.880 for years on end, even to the point 05:38.880 --> 05:41.200 where they weren't even observing the Sabbath 05:41.200 --> 05:44.200 in the Old Testament here during this particular era. 05:44.200 --> 05:47.720 And God would send forth prophets to warn them, 05:47.720 --> 05:50.240 to judge them, to preach against them, 05:50.240 --> 05:52.200 but they just refused to get right with God. 05:52.200 --> 05:54.360 And so finally, Jeremiah came and say, 05:54.360 --> 05:56.400 hey, you guys are done for. 05:56.400 --> 05:58.040 Nebuchadnezzar is gonna come. 05:58.040 --> 05:59.840 He's gonna destroy you guys. 05:59.840 --> 06:01.520 He's gonna take you into captivity 06:01.520 --> 06:03.720 and you're gonna be there for 70 years. 06:03.720 --> 06:06.160 Now, in Jeremiah 29, we even see that 06:06.160 --> 06:07.400 towards the latter end of the chapter, 06:07.400 --> 06:08.320 he tells them what? 06:08.320 --> 06:11.360 Hey, build houses, plant vineyards. 06:11.360 --> 06:12.240 In other words, he's saying like, 06:12.240 --> 06:15.000 when you get to Babylon, get real comfortable, okay? 06:15.000 --> 06:17.600 Because you're not coming back for 70 years. 06:17.600 --> 06:20.240 You should have children, raise them. 06:20.240 --> 06:23.660 Just get real comfortable in Babylon 06:23.660 --> 06:26.080 because you're not coming back after one decade, 06:26.080 --> 06:27.800 two decades, like you're gonna be there 06:27.800 --> 06:29.960 for a very long time. 06:29.960 --> 06:31.720 And as I mentioned this morning, 06:31.720 --> 06:34.480 God wanted that previous unbelieving, rebellious, 06:34.480 --> 06:38.360 disobedient, pagan generation to die out 06:38.360 --> 06:39.920 because they didn't believe on the Lord. 06:39.920 --> 06:41.680 They were worshiping false gods. 06:41.680 --> 06:43.040 They were disobeying the Lord. 06:43.040 --> 06:44.520 And so he wanted them to die out. 06:44.520 --> 06:46.840 He wanted a new generation to rise up 06:46.880 --> 06:49.540 so he can bring that particular generation 06:49.540 --> 06:53.680 back into Jerusalem by the providential hand of God 06:53.680 --> 06:57.240 through King Cyrus, the King of Persia there. 06:57.240 --> 06:59.160 And so when he says, I'm gonna judge you, 06:59.160 --> 07:00.480 I'm gonna take you to captivity, 07:00.480 --> 07:03.520 obviously he's still lending hope to the next generation 07:03.520 --> 07:06.440 saying, eventually you will have it expected in 07:06.440 --> 07:09.920 as a nation because you are going to come back. 07:09.920 --> 07:12.080 Now, turn with me if you would to the book of Ezra. 07:12.080 --> 07:13.840 Go to Ezra if you would. 07:13.840 --> 07:16.400 And so, as I mentioned, a lot of books 07:16.400 --> 07:18.560 in the Old Testament talk about the judgment. 07:18.560 --> 07:21.980 However, there's two main books that really highlight 07:21.980 --> 07:25.320 the return and restoration of Judah 07:25.320 --> 07:28.280 and that is Ezra and Nehemiah. 07:28.280 --> 07:31.840 Now, Ezra and Nehemiah aren't chronologically found 07:31.840 --> 07:33.640 as far as in the Bible in a chronological order. 07:33.640 --> 07:36.200 It's not necessarily placed in a chronological order 07:36.200 --> 07:38.480 because you kind of have them mixed in 07:38.480 --> 07:39.840 with the historical books, 07:39.840 --> 07:41.400 but they are books that take place 07:41.400 --> 07:44.800 after the Babylonian captivity when they're coming back. 07:44.800 --> 07:45.960 So you're in Ezra chapter one. 07:45.960 --> 07:49.160 Let me give you some more introductory comments here 07:49.160 --> 07:51.760 before I get into the sermon for tonight. 07:51.760 --> 07:53.380 As I mentioned this morning, 07:53.380 --> 07:56.120 the Babylonian captivity kind of represents 07:56.120 --> 07:57.620 a backsliding Christian. 07:57.620 --> 08:00.620 And a lot of times people think that when Christians 08:00.620 --> 08:03.700 backslide to get out of church, it's just one event, 08:03.700 --> 08:05.760 just automatically you see them one day, 08:05.760 --> 08:07.660 one Sunday and they're gone the next. 08:07.660 --> 08:10.700 But it actually takes place in waves, stages. 08:10.700 --> 08:12.560 They backslide in their heart. 08:12.600 --> 08:17.120 And we saw this morning that the deportations of Judah 08:17.120 --> 08:22.120 happened in stages over a span of approximately 20 years. 08:22.200 --> 08:24.760 You have that first deportation of the nobility 08:24.760 --> 08:26.080 and the young people. 08:26.080 --> 08:29.440 The second wave was the deportation of Jehoiachin 08:29.440 --> 08:32.480 as well as the skilled people of the land. 08:32.480 --> 08:34.280 And then the last deportation 08:34.280 --> 08:36.680 was essentially the most devastating one 08:36.680 --> 08:39.680 where King Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem. 08:39.680 --> 08:41.160 He burned the city. 08:41.160 --> 08:42.520 He burned the temple. 08:43.480 --> 08:46.880 He destroyed the walls and took the residue of Judah 08:46.880 --> 08:48.360 into Babylonian captivity. 08:48.360 --> 08:51.160 Now keep in mind that there were some that were left 08:51.160 --> 08:53.720 in Judah, there were some of the poorest people, 08:53.720 --> 08:56.640 not necessarily a large population. 08:56.640 --> 09:00.520 The majority of the people were taken in that second wave, 09:00.520 --> 09:01.960 that second deportation. 09:01.960 --> 09:04.240 And this is mainly what we're referring to 09:04.240 --> 09:07.600 when we talk about the Babylonian captivity of 586 BC. 09:07.600 --> 09:09.480 It's referring to that third wave 09:09.480 --> 09:12.120 where Nebuchadnezzar just destroys everything 09:12.720 --> 09:14.520 and just leaves them completely desolate. 09:14.520 --> 09:16.600 And by the way, this is a side note here. 09:16.600 --> 09:18.480 This is where, in my opinion, 09:18.480 --> 09:23.480 synagogues really came to flourish in 586 or after 586 BC. 09:25.240 --> 09:27.520 Because synagogues weren't necessarily an institution 09:27.520 --> 09:29.160 that was sanctioned by God. 09:29.160 --> 09:32.120 They're mentioned in the Book of Psalms 09:32.120 --> 09:35.960 as existing around the area of Jerusalem 09:35.960 --> 09:39.160 because of the fact that if someone lived 09:39.160 --> 09:40.640 further away from the temple, 09:40.640 --> 09:42.560 they weren't able to make the pilgrimage 09:42.560 --> 09:44.480 as often as they would like to. 09:44.480 --> 09:47.400 The synagogue, the gathering, existed there 09:47.400 --> 09:50.040 so they can worship with the brothers or sisters 09:50.040 --> 09:53.360 that were there, those of Israel who were there. 09:53.360 --> 09:57.280 And they can sing Psalms, they can worship God, 09:57.280 --> 09:58.720 they can pray together. 09:58.720 --> 10:02.440 But synagogues really became a prevalent institution 10:02.440 --> 10:04.120 during the Babylonian captivity. 10:04.120 --> 10:05.720 Why? Because there is no temple. 10:06.720 --> 10:10.560 And so if you don't have a centralized place of worship, 10:11.480 --> 10:13.760 they have to substitute that with these gatherings 10:13.760 --> 10:14.640 known as synagogues. 10:14.640 --> 10:16.760 And that's literally what synagogues means. 10:16.760 --> 10:18.200 It means a gathering. 10:18.200 --> 10:22.120 Okay, it actually comes from a Greek word known as synago, 10:22.120 --> 10:24.320 which just means a gathering of whatever. 10:24.320 --> 10:26.160 It doesn't necessarily mean a gathering of Jews 10:26.160 --> 10:28.360 because even in the New Testament, 10:28.360 --> 10:32.040 the term is used to describe a gathering of birds, right? 10:32.040 --> 10:34.640 And so it just means to gather together. 10:34.640 --> 10:37.120 And I do believe that this is where synagogues 10:37.120 --> 10:39.440 began to become planted in Babylon 10:39.440 --> 10:42.840 and in the surrounding areas, the known world at that time, 10:42.840 --> 10:45.360 because they needed a substitute to the temple 10:45.360 --> 10:46.360 because it was destroyed. 10:46.360 --> 10:49.080 So by the time they come back 70 years later, 10:49.080 --> 10:51.720 you already have all these synagogues existing 10:51.720 --> 10:53.240 and now they're just kind of part 10:53.240 --> 10:54.760 of that Old Testament religion. 10:54.760 --> 10:57.720 That's why by the time you get into the New Testament, 10:57.720 --> 10:58.960 Pharisees just pop up. 10:59.840 --> 11:01.000 And I've always kind of wondered like, 11:01.000 --> 11:02.160 where do these guys just come from? 11:02.160 --> 11:05.600 There's just Book of Matthew, you just have these Pharisees, 11:05.600 --> 11:07.480 you just have synagogues, 11:07.480 --> 11:09.800 you just have these religious institutions 11:09.800 --> 11:12.480 that have a lot of authority, they have a lot of power. 11:12.480 --> 11:13.800 Where did it come from? 11:13.800 --> 11:18.840 What's possible that they became permeated within Jewish culture 11:18.840 --> 11:20.800 during the Babylonian captivity. 11:20.800 --> 11:23.640 It was used as an alternative to the temple, 11:23.640 --> 11:26.440 but then it just became part of Jewish culture 11:26.440 --> 11:28.520 by the time we enter into the New Testament. 11:28.520 --> 11:29.520 And the problem with that, of course, 11:29.520 --> 11:32.800 is that maybe it was started with good intentions, 11:32.800 --> 11:34.280 but by the first century AD, 11:34.320 --> 11:37.920 now they're like centers of authority. 11:37.920 --> 11:39.600 The Pharisees have a lot of authority, 11:39.600 --> 11:42.240 they can excommunicate people from the synagogues, 11:42.240 --> 11:45.360 they can use it as a source of discipline for people, 11:45.360 --> 11:48.320 whereas they really shouldn't exist at all. 11:48.320 --> 11:52.680 And I would compare it to, for example, Bible colleges. 11:52.680 --> 11:54.600 Bible colleges are started with good intentions 11:54.600 --> 11:56.960 to train laborers, but then they become centers 11:56.960 --> 11:58.400 of authority, do they not? 11:58.400 --> 12:00.240 Like, oh, if you wanna be a pastor, 12:00.240 --> 12:01.920 what Bible colleges did you go to? 12:01.960 --> 12:05.520 And it's, if you really wanna serve in the ministry, 12:05.520 --> 12:07.520 you have to be a part of some Bible college 12:07.520 --> 12:09.280 or graduate from some Bible college 12:09.280 --> 12:13.360 in order to have that particular privilege 12:13.360 --> 12:14.640 of being sent out. 12:14.640 --> 12:16.440 And so we see that with synagogues, 12:16.440 --> 12:17.840 that's typically where it took place. 12:17.840 --> 12:21.800 And I do believe that after the Babylonian captivity, 12:21.800 --> 12:26.800 that's basically where you have the rising of the Pharisees, 12:27.080 --> 12:29.200 which simply means the separated ones. 12:29.200 --> 12:33.240 There were these groups of zealous Jews 12:33.240 --> 12:35.680 that wanted to retain their ethnic identity. 12:35.680 --> 12:38.880 They were separate from the culture. 12:38.880 --> 12:40.880 And so in doing so, they ended up giving themselves 12:40.880 --> 12:42.680 more power than they were supposed to have, 12:42.680 --> 12:44.120 not sanctioned by God. 12:44.120 --> 12:45.920 And then that influence carried over 12:45.920 --> 12:49.280 into the first century AD with the New Testament churches. 12:49.280 --> 12:52.200 And so that's just food for thought there. 12:52.200 --> 12:54.180 Now, after the Babylonian captivity, 12:54.180 --> 12:57.720 which spanned over 20 years or so, 12:57.720 --> 13:00.640 now a lot of people have been dying out. 13:00.640 --> 13:03.640 You have 70 years thereafter, people have died out. 13:03.640 --> 13:05.920 Now people are starting to seek the Lord. 13:06.840 --> 13:09.040 And the way we related this to Christians 13:09.040 --> 13:10.880 is that the captivity kind of represents 13:10.880 --> 13:15.320 a backslid in Christian, that backslid in stages, in waves. 13:15.320 --> 13:18.000 They were taken captive by sin. 13:18.000 --> 13:21.200 They were taken captive by Satan and by the world. 13:21.200 --> 13:23.520 They're out there just doing their own thing, 13:23.520 --> 13:26.400 disobeying God, they're being punished. 13:26.400 --> 13:28.920 But now they want to return. 13:28.920 --> 13:30.960 They want to get back into church. 13:30.960 --> 13:33.400 They want to get back to the things of God. 13:33.400 --> 13:37.200 And let me just say this, just as backsliding 13:37.200 --> 13:39.760 happens in waves, happens in stages, 13:39.760 --> 13:42.560 one like manner, getting right with God sometimes 13:42.560 --> 13:45.040 happens in stages as well. 13:45.040 --> 13:49.120 You don't just become super Christian overnight. 13:49.120 --> 13:52.480 Obviously, this even applies to just brand new Christians, 13:52.480 --> 13:53.600 babes in Christ. 13:53.600 --> 13:55.860 But it especially applies to those who are coming back 13:55.860 --> 13:58.420 to the faith, coming back to the things of God. 13:58.420 --> 14:01.620 Don't expect that, whoa, I just got back in church, 14:01.620 --> 14:04.460 everything's going to go back to the way it was. 14:04.460 --> 14:05.980 That would happen in a perfect world, 14:05.980 --> 14:08.420 but we don't live in a perfect world. 14:08.420 --> 14:11.980 As much time as it took for you to get out of church 14:11.980 --> 14:13.980 and to lose those spiritual disciplines, 14:13.980 --> 14:15.620 that's the same amount of work that's 14:15.620 --> 14:18.460 going to take to get those things back on track as well. 14:18.460 --> 14:19.500 I mean, think about this. 14:19.500 --> 14:21.940 Here's a really raw illustration that 14:21.940 --> 14:25.420 can resonate with a lot of us, me especially. 14:25.420 --> 14:28.780 Took a lot of time to gain weight, amen. 14:28.780 --> 14:30.700 Takes a long time to gain weight. 14:30.700 --> 14:32.220 You know what I mean? 14:32.220 --> 14:34.300 It doesn't happen overnight, although sometimes it 14:34.300 --> 14:36.100 feels like it. 14:36.100 --> 14:39.380 It's like one bad night of Canes, one bad night 14:39.380 --> 14:40.500 of Taco Bell or something. 14:40.500 --> 14:42.540 No, it's actually multiple nights 14:42.540 --> 14:46.020 of just eating junk food, bad habits, 14:46.020 --> 14:48.340 and then all of a sudden one day you're just like, dang, 14:48.340 --> 14:49.540 I'm fat. 14:49.540 --> 14:53.260 Look in the mirror, you're like, I'm not just chubby anymore. 14:53.260 --> 14:54.140 I'm fatty. 14:55.140 --> 14:58.180 Clothes fit kind of weird. 14:58.180 --> 15:01.380 It's not the lats, it's because it's the back fat. 15:01.380 --> 15:02.820 You got all these things going on. 15:02.820 --> 15:04.260 And so it's just like, all right, 15:04.260 --> 15:06.260 I'm going to get back into the gym, 15:06.260 --> 15:08.100 back on my caloric deficit. 15:08.100 --> 15:10.220 And then you're doing it for like three days. 15:10.220 --> 15:11.860 You're doing it for four days. 15:11.860 --> 15:13.220 And then you're like, what the heck? 15:13.220 --> 15:15.580 Nothing's changed. 15:15.580 --> 15:16.780 It's just been so long. 15:16.780 --> 15:19.460 No, it's only been three days. 15:19.460 --> 15:21.500 You think only three days of a deficit 15:21.500 --> 15:23.420 is really going to make an impact. 15:23.420 --> 15:25.980 You're lucky if you get rid of like five pounds of water 15:25.980 --> 15:27.620 weight within the first week or so. 15:29.980 --> 15:32.980 You're like, oh, I got like 10 pounds of water weight. 15:32.980 --> 15:34.860 Then you're probably a lot bigger. 15:34.860 --> 15:38.460 But it might take a week or so to get five pounds or even 15:38.460 --> 15:39.820 three pounds of water weight. 15:39.820 --> 15:40.900 But let me just say this. 15:40.900 --> 15:43.660 You're not going to see significant changes 15:43.660 --> 15:45.300 within a week. 15:45.300 --> 15:49.420 It takes a lot of time to cut the weight. 15:49.420 --> 15:51.900 It takes a caloric deficit. 15:51.900 --> 15:55.740 It takes four to six days in the gym. 15:55.740 --> 16:00.700 It takes walking, getting your 10,000 steps in, consistency. 16:00.700 --> 16:03.860 And maybe at the second month mark, 16:03.860 --> 16:05.940 you might see some progression. 16:05.940 --> 16:08.180 And then at the third month, then people are like, hey, 16:08.180 --> 16:10.180 you're losing some weight. 16:10.180 --> 16:13.700 Then people start noticing fourth, fifth, sixth month. 16:13.700 --> 16:16.540 Now you see a major difference between where 16:16.540 --> 16:19.740 you were six months ago and where you are now. 16:19.740 --> 16:22.860 But that's if you stick with it. 16:22.860 --> 16:23.360 Why? 16:23.360 --> 16:26.740 Because getting back on track takes time as well. 16:26.740 --> 16:29.380 Getting fat takes time. 16:29.380 --> 16:30.960 And maybe you're like, well, I don't 16:30.960 --> 16:31.940 know what you're talking about. 16:31.940 --> 16:32.860 I've never really experienced that. 16:32.860 --> 16:34.380 Well, how about the bulk? 16:34.380 --> 16:36.140 For those of you who have tried to bulk 16:36.140 --> 16:39.060 and you're trying to gain some weight, it takes a long time. 16:39.060 --> 16:40.900 Now, I don't know what that's like for you. 16:40.900 --> 16:43.300 I don't know why it's so hard to gain weight for some of you. 16:43.300 --> 16:44.380 Like, oh, it's so hard to gain weight. 16:44.380 --> 16:45.260 How is it hard, bro? 16:45.260 --> 16:47.020 Just eat a lot. 16:47.020 --> 16:49.260 Just eat what is before thee. 16:49.260 --> 16:50.100 It's super easy. 16:50.100 --> 16:52.900 It's just so hard to gain 10 pounds of weight. 16:52.900 --> 16:53.900 Seriously? 16:53.900 --> 16:55.380 Bro, that's so easy. 16:55.380 --> 16:58.300 I can do that in a week. 16:58.300 --> 17:01.500 Just eat the whole box of pizza right there. 17:01.500 --> 17:03.620 Do that a couple of times. 17:03.620 --> 17:04.780 It's very easy. 17:04.780 --> 17:08.420 But the point is that both of these extremes take time. 17:11.220 --> 17:12.660 Backsliding takes time. 17:12.660 --> 17:15.380 And eventually you see the result of that, 17:15.380 --> 17:18.460 the devastating result of that. 17:18.460 --> 17:20.060 It's so funny. 17:20.060 --> 17:23.140 Backsliding is not funny, brother Marcos. 17:23.140 --> 17:26.980 Only Marcos would find something like that funny. 17:26.980 --> 17:29.740 Backsliding takes time. 17:29.740 --> 17:31.100 There's a progression there. 17:31.100 --> 17:31.780 But you know what? 17:31.780 --> 17:33.540 Getting right with God also takes time. 17:33.540 --> 17:35.900 And you need some patience. 17:35.900 --> 17:37.500 You need some patience. 17:37.500 --> 17:40.540 Did I say a word that I wasn't supposed to say or something? 17:40.540 --> 17:41.420 All right. 17:41.420 --> 17:42.700 You'll tell me afterwards. 17:42.700 --> 17:45.060 Getting right with God, getting those spiritual disciplines, 17:45.060 --> 17:48.340 getting back on track, hopping back on, 17:48.340 --> 17:49.860 also takes some time too. 17:49.860 --> 17:53.500 And what's interesting is that we see these captivities 17:53.500 --> 17:54.940 in stages. 17:54.940 --> 17:58.540 As we're going to see tonight, the return is also in stages. 17:58.540 --> 18:00.620 And I believe that is on purpose. 18:00.620 --> 18:03.700 So after the captivity, we have this major turn of events 18:03.700 --> 18:09.300 where the kingdom of Persia ends up conquering Babylon in 539 18:09.300 --> 18:12.340 BC with Cyrus, king of Persia. 18:12.340 --> 18:15.260 And God just miraculously uses this man 18:15.260 --> 18:18.660 and turns his heart to favor the Jews, to favor Judah, 18:18.660 --> 18:21.060 and really puts it in his heart to allow 18:21.060 --> 18:24.340 them to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple. 18:24.340 --> 18:27.620 And in fact, this is such a powerful figure 18:27.620 --> 18:31.740 here in the Bible that God actually prophesies about Cyrus 18:31.740 --> 18:34.340 like hundreds of years before. 18:34.340 --> 18:35.100 Excuse me. 18:35.100 --> 18:37.220 Isaiah 44, you don't have to turn there. 18:37.220 --> 18:39.700 And verse 28 says, 18:39.700 --> 18:40.220 Excuse me. 18:40.220 --> 18:42.540 That saith of Cyrus, he is my shepherd 18:42.540 --> 18:44.780 and shall perform all my pleasure, 18:44.780 --> 18:48.420 even saying to Jerusalem, thou shall be built into the temple, 18:48.420 --> 18:50.420 thy foundation shall be laid. 18:50.420 --> 18:54.020 So even when Isaiah is preaching against Judah 18:54.020 --> 18:56.460 many years before the captivity, God 18:56.460 --> 18:58.900 is already foreshadowing the fact that he's 18:58.900 --> 19:01.580 going to raise up a king known as Cyrus 19:01.580 --> 19:03.780 to deliver the children of Israel 19:03.780 --> 19:05.900 and allow them to come back from captivity 19:05.900 --> 19:07.700 and also rebuild the temple. 19:07.700 --> 19:10.500 So that was a great work that was accomplished there. 19:10.500 --> 19:13.480 Now, the official return happened under a man 19:13.480 --> 19:17.840 by the name of Zerubbabel, OK, that began shortly 19:17.840 --> 19:21.440 after Cyrus was placed in the heart of Cyrus to do so. 19:21.440 --> 19:24.760 Let me read to you from Ezra chapter 1. 19:24.760 --> 19:26.120 Did I have you turn to Ezra? 19:26.120 --> 19:27.760 Go to Ezra chapter 1, look at verse number 1. 19:27.760 --> 19:30.360 It says, now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, 19:30.360 --> 19:32.760 that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah 19:32.760 --> 19:34.120 might be fulfilled. 19:34.120 --> 19:37.920 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, 19:37.920 --> 19:40.880 that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom 19:40.880 --> 19:43.040 and put it also in writing, saying, 19:43.040 --> 19:45.400 thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, 19:45.400 --> 19:47.200 the Lord God of heaven hath given me 19:47.200 --> 19:49.080 all the kingdoms of the earth, and he 19:49.080 --> 19:53.000 hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which 19:53.000 --> 19:53.840 is in Judah. 19:53.840 --> 19:56.920 Now, some people wonder, like, is Cyrus saved? 19:56.920 --> 19:58.400 Was he a saved person? 19:58.400 --> 20:01.000 I personally believe that he probably was, 20:01.000 --> 20:03.280 but it's also likely that he wasn't. 20:03.280 --> 20:06.120 Now, a lot of times, people, myself included, will say, 20:06.120 --> 20:08.040 well, I think he is saved because God's 20:08.040 --> 20:10.080 calling him my servant. 20:10.080 --> 20:13.000 He's kind of raising him up. 20:13.000 --> 20:16.440 He's kind of calling him the anointed and all these things. 20:16.440 --> 20:18.120 But you have to understand, too, that when 20:18.120 --> 20:21.120 it comes to kings in this world, sometimes God just uses them, 20:21.120 --> 20:22.800 even if they're not saved. 20:22.800 --> 20:25.760 He uses them for his purpose, right? 20:25.760 --> 20:27.800 And that could be the case with Cyrus. 20:27.800 --> 20:30.840 I do believe it's possible that he is saved, 20:30.840 --> 20:33.080 or that he was saved at this time. 20:33.080 --> 20:35.240 And that's why God is working in his heart 20:35.240 --> 20:38.440 to allow the children of Israel to return back. 20:38.480 --> 20:42.560 So from the first wave of captivity in 605 to the return, 20:42.560 --> 20:44.560 you have about 160 years. 20:44.560 --> 20:48.640 So this is a lot of time that is passing by. 20:48.640 --> 20:51.960 So of course, that previous generation is done for, 20:51.960 --> 20:55.120 and a new generation is back. 20:55.120 --> 20:59.160 So what we can learn from this is that, as I mentioned, 20:59.160 --> 21:02.160 when you come back, you're not going to be at 100%. 21:02.160 --> 21:04.000 You can't just hop back on and expect 21:04.000 --> 21:06.520 to be where you were on day one. 21:06.520 --> 21:09.160 It takes a little bit of time. 21:09.160 --> 21:12.080 So from the first captivity, you have Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, 21:12.080 --> 21:13.200 and Zedekiah. 21:13.200 --> 21:14.640 This second stage that we're going 21:14.640 --> 21:16.200 to look at when it comes to the return 21:16.200 --> 21:20.640 is actually centered around Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. 21:20.640 --> 21:23.400 So let's look at Zerubbabel here and relate it 21:23.400 --> 21:25.280 to us as Christians today. 21:25.280 --> 21:27.320 We're going to look at Zerubbabel rebuilding 21:27.320 --> 21:27.880 the temple. 21:27.880 --> 21:29.840 So the first thing that happens is 21:29.840 --> 21:31.560 the reconstruction of the temple. 21:31.560 --> 21:34.480 Now, Zerubbabel is not a prophet. 21:34.480 --> 21:35.880 He's not necessarily a man of God. 21:35.880 --> 21:38.840 He's actually the governor of Judah. 21:38.840 --> 21:42.160 And he is the one who is heading up, not just the return 21:42.160 --> 21:46.880 from Babylon, but also the reconstruction of the temple. 21:46.880 --> 21:48.880 Go to chapter 3, if you would, of Ezra. 21:48.880 --> 21:50.920 I'm going to read to you from Haggai chapter 1 21:50.920 --> 21:52.120 and verse number 1. 21:52.120 --> 21:53.760 It says, in the second year of Darius, 21:53.760 --> 21:56.960 the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, 21:56.960 --> 21:59.640 came the word of the Lord by Haggai, the prophet, 21:59.640 --> 22:04.280 unto Zerubbabel, the son of Sheltiel, governor of Judah, 22:04.280 --> 22:07.040 and to Joshua, the son of Josadak, the high priest, 22:07.040 --> 22:09.600 saying, thus speaketh the Lord of Hosem. 22:09.600 --> 22:13.280 This people say, the time is not come, the time 22:13.280 --> 22:15.600 that the Lord's house should be built. 22:15.600 --> 22:17.560 Now, I'm not going to get fully into it. 22:17.560 --> 22:22.280 But when they return, these Jews are not necessarily interested 22:22.280 --> 22:24.400 yet in rebuilding the temple. 22:24.400 --> 22:28.000 They're more interested in building their houses. 22:28.000 --> 22:30.960 They're more interested in kind of rebuilding their lives again, 22:30.960 --> 22:33.160 getting back on track personally. 22:33.160 --> 22:35.800 But they're kind of neglecting the house of God. 22:35.800 --> 22:37.480 And this is why Zerubbabel is important, 22:37.480 --> 22:39.680 because he's the one who's saying, hey, no, no, no. 22:39.680 --> 22:42.520 You need to get back into the house of God. 22:42.520 --> 22:45.840 The temple of the Lord needs to be built first, OK? 22:45.840 --> 22:47.320 And then everything else. 22:47.320 --> 22:49.680 And this is the spiritual application for us 22:49.680 --> 22:51.800 as Christians, especially for those who come back 22:51.800 --> 22:53.080 to the things of God. 22:53.080 --> 22:57.080 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 22:57.080 --> 22:59.760 and these things shall be added unto you. 22:59.760 --> 23:00.360 OK? 23:00.360 --> 23:02.600 It's important that when we want to get back on track, 23:02.600 --> 23:05.600 before we even get our personal finances on track, 23:05.600 --> 23:07.760 well, I just want to make sure that I'm just 23:07.760 --> 23:09.040 on track personally. 23:09.040 --> 23:10.480 Then I'll go back to church. 23:10.480 --> 23:13.120 Or then I'll get serious about the things of God. 23:13.120 --> 23:15.520 I need to get my family in order first, 23:15.520 --> 23:16.560 and then I'll go back to it. 23:16.560 --> 23:17.120 No! 23:17.120 --> 23:19.560 Seek first the kingdom of God. 23:19.560 --> 23:21.120 Put God first. 23:21.120 --> 23:22.960 Put spiritual things first. 23:22.960 --> 23:24.240 Put the Bible first. 23:24.240 --> 23:26.800 Rebuild the temple is what Zerubbabel is saying. 23:26.800 --> 23:28.080 OK? 23:28.080 --> 23:29.800 And that's why Zerubbabel is needed. 23:29.800 --> 23:32.400 He's saying, look, OK, I know you 23:32.400 --> 23:33.760 got to rebuild your house. 23:33.760 --> 23:36.120 I know you got to get your finances in order, 23:36.120 --> 23:38.240 but you're actually doing this backwards. 23:38.240 --> 23:40.920 If you really want God to bless your household, 23:40.920 --> 23:43.440 if you really want God to bless your finances, 23:43.440 --> 23:45.640 if you want God to bless your land, 23:45.640 --> 23:49.160 you've got to focus on the house of God first. 23:49.160 --> 23:50.640 Look at Ezra 3, verse 8. 23:50.640 --> 23:53.240 It says, now in the second year of their coming unto the house 23:53.240 --> 23:55.320 of God at Jerusalem, in the second month 23:55.320 --> 23:57.600 begins Zerubbabel, the son of Sheilteel, 23:57.600 --> 23:59.680 and Joshua, the son of Josadak, and the remnant 23:59.680 --> 24:01.640 of their brethren, the priest and the Levites, 24:01.640 --> 24:05.160 and all they that were come out of the captivity 24:05.160 --> 24:08.640 unto Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites from 20 years 24:08.640 --> 24:13.280 old and upward to set forward the work of the house 24:13.280 --> 24:14.320 of the Lord. 24:14.320 --> 24:16.320 So again, this pictures the Christian returning 24:16.320 --> 24:19.000 to the things of God after spiritual captivity. 24:19.000 --> 24:21.200 And the first thing that he wants them to focus on 24:21.200 --> 24:24.360 is the reconstruction of the temple. 24:24.360 --> 24:25.440 Now, what does this show us? 24:25.440 --> 24:28.600 It shows us that if we ever want God's hand to be upon us, 24:28.600 --> 24:30.400 we need to focus on spiritual things first. 24:30.400 --> 24:34.080 This is why the Bible says, set your affections on things 24:34.080 --> 24:37.240 above, not on the things of this earth. 24:37.240 --> 24:40.520 The Bible tells us that we need to be rooted and built up 24:40.520 --> 24:44.840 in him, meaning that we need to prioritize 24:44.840 --> 24:46.800 spiritual matters first. 24:46.800 --> 24:48.840 And I'm going to tell you right now, a lot of times, 24:48.840 --> 24:54.200 Christians are like, well, before I could even focus 24:54.200 --> 24:58.560 on going back to church again, I need to get my marriage intact. 24:58.560 --> 25:02.320 I need to get my children in order, my finances in order. 25:02.320 --> 25:04.720 But what they don't realize is the reason they're out 25:04.720 --> 25:08.200 of disorder, or they're out of order, they're in disorder, 25:08.200 --> 25:10.400 is because they're not in the house of God. 25:10.400 --> 25:13.440 You'd be surprised how much being in church 25:13.440 --> 25:16.200 affects everything else. 25:16.200 --> 25:17.840 Being in church doesn't fix everything, 25:17.840 --> 25:19.320 but I'm telling you right now, it 25:19.320 --> 25:22.360 helps with a large portion of it. 25:22.360 --> 25:25.440 And you're like, oh, man, I feel like my wife and I 25:25.440 --> 25:28.680 have just all these problems. 25:28.680 --> 25:30.600 My children and I have all these problems. 25:30.600 --> 25:32.120 And I want to be able to fix that, 25:32.120 --> 25:34.080 because I don't want to just bring that to church. 25:34.080 --> 25:35.080 Well, here's the thing. 25:35.080 --> 25:37.000 If you come to church, I'll preach on it, 25:37.000 --> 25:38.880 and then you guys can all be on the same page. 25:41.560 --> 25:43.200 Put God first. 25:43.200 --> 25:44.720 Put the house of God first. 25:44.720 --> 25:47.000 Put the preaching of God's word first. 25:47.000 --> 25:48.760 That's one thing that people neglect 25:48.760 --> 25:50.400 in their personal lives is recognizing 25:50.400 --> 25:54.560 the importance of just being in the house of God. 25:55.040 --> 25:57.960 The Bible tells us, forsake not the assembling of ourselves 25:57.960 --> 26:00.400 together as the manner of some is, 26:00.400 --> 26:02.000 but exhorting one another. 26:02.000 --> 26:04.920 And so much the more, as you see the day approaching, 26:04.920 --> 26:07.560 memorize that verse. 26:07.560 --> 26:09.280 Internalize that verse. 26:09.280 --> 26:11.720 You don't realize how important that is 26:11.720 --> 26:14.160 until you're actually in the house of God, 26:14.160 --> 26:16.000 hearing the preaching of God's word, 26:16.000 --> 26:18.960 allowing it to transform your minds, your habits, 26:18.960 --> 26:19.800 and so forth. 26:19.800 --> 26:23.680 And obviously, being in the house of God, 26:23.720 --> 26:27.000 there's a major spiritual element to it, 26:27.000 --> 26:29.080 meaning that the preaching of God's word 26:29.080 --> 26:31.880 does transform the mind of your spouse. 26:31.880 --> 26:35.040 It can transform the minds of your children, 26:35.040 --> 26:36.560 and it transforms your mind. 26:36.560 --> 26:38.800 You know, when you're coming to church, 26:38.800 --> 26:41.520 and you're fighting, you're arguing about something, 26:41.520 --> 26:43.280 and then you come here, and I preach about 26:43.280 --> 26:44.480 what you guys were talking about, 26:44.480 --> 26:47.320 it's like, oh, dang, it looks like God heard 26:47.320 --> 26:49.760 whatever it is that we were talking about. 26:49.760 --> 26:51.680 Who told pastor? 26:51.720 --> 26:53.800 Nobody is just coming to the house of God 26:53.800 --> 26:55.480 helps with these things. 26:55.480 --> 26:57.480 God knows that you need it, 26:57.480 --> 27:01.680 and he uses the house of God to perform that miracle. 27:01.680 --> 27:05.120 He gives me all the inside scoop, amen. 27:05.120 --> 27:07.400 He gives me all the dirty laundry, amen. 27:07.400 --> 27:08.960 He gives me all the gossip. 27:08.960 --> 27:09.800 No, he doesn't. 27:09.800 --> 27:11.120 I'm just preaching biblical principles, 27:11.120 --> 27:12.280 and it just applies. 27:13.440 --> 27:16.760 And so we need someone like Zerubbabel 27:16.760 --> 27:19.640 to help us to say, hey, enough with trying to fix your lives 27:19.640 --> 27:21.000 before you come to church. 27:21.000 --> 27:23.520 Why don't you come to church and then fix your life? 27:23.520 --> 27:26.360 Or as you're fixing your life, come to church. 27:26.360 --> 27:28.320 But don't wait till your lives are completely fixed 27:28.320 --> 27:29.200 before you come to church, 27:29.200 --> 27:31.080 because it's not gonna happen. 27:31.080 --> 27:32.880 It's not gonna take place. 27:32.880 --> 27:35.800 It's just like, let me just relate it to exercising again. 27:35.800 --> 27:37.840 Okay, and it's just like, well, before I work out, 27:37.840 --> 27:39.200 I gotta find the right gym, 27:39.200 --> 27:40.680 gotta find the right membership, 27:40.680 --> 27:42.480 gotta find the right lifting program, 27:42.480 --> 27:43.880 gotta find the right diet, 27:43.880 --> 27:45.280 gotta find the right this, that, and the other 27:45.280 --> 27:46.280 before I actually do it. 27:46.280 --> 27:47.360 No, just do it. 27:48.360 --> 27:51.480 Just do it, just go lift some weights, 27:51.480 --> 27:54.920 just slip a disc, just stop eating less, 27:54.920 --> 27:58.640 figure it out, do a rough draft of serving the Lord 27:58.640 --> 28:00.160 and getting right with God, 28:00.160 --> 28:02.760 and then do the editing later. 28:02.760 --> 28:03.640 Right? 28:03.640 --> 28:05.880 A lot of times, people don't wanna do a rough draft, 28:05.880 --> 28:07.000 but you know, that's what we gotta do 28:07.000 --> 28:08.360 when we get back in the church, 28:08.360 --> 28:11.920 is just kinda just jump in and get started, 28:11.920 --> 28:16.600 and then we will modify as the longer we're in church. 28:16.640 --> 28:17.480 Okay? 28:18.440 --> 28:19.760 Go to 1 Corinthians chapter six, 28:19.760 --> 28:22.520 1 Corinthians chapter six, if you would. 28:22.520 --> 28:24.520 Hold your place there in Ezra. 28:24.520 --> 28:27.040 1 Corinthians chapter six, we're talking about Zerubbabel. 28:27.040 --> 28:31.280 This is the first stage in the return from Babylon 28:31.280 --> 28:34.000 is that they are reconstructing the temple, 28:34.000 --> 28:36.960 and we can apply that as in reconstructing 28:36.960 --> 28:38.680 getting back into the house of God, 28:38.680 --> 28:39.800 but also, how about this, 28:39.800 --> 28:42.360 just rebuilding the temple of the body, 28:42.360 --> 28:44.200 making our bodies do the things 28:44.200 --> 28:45.480 that they're supposed to do. 28:45.480 --> 28:46.880 Okay? 28:46.880 --> 28:48.720 Why do God's people backslide? 28:48.720 --> 28:51.920 I'll tell you why, it's because they become carnal. 28:51.920 --> 28:52.760 Right? 28:52.760 --> 28:54.320 Fleshly. 28:54.320 --> 28:55.840 And what is a carnal, fleshly person? 28:55.840 --> 28:58.640 It's someone who is subjugating themselves 28:58.640 --> 29:00.440 to the authority of the flesh. 29:00.440 --> 29:02.960 We can't separate ourselves from the flesh. 29:02.960 --> 29:05.240 The flesh will always be present, 29:05.240 --> 29:07.920 but we need a war against the flesh. 29:07.920 --> 29:09.280 We need to fight against the flesh, 29:09.280 --> 29:11.280 and we need to feed the spirit. 29:11.280 --> 29:14.000 We need to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might, 29:14.000 --> 29:16.960 and not allow the flesh to just have all this power 29:16.960 --> 29:18.560 and authority over us. 29:18.560 --> 29:21.560 A carnal, fleshly Christian who's backslidden 29:21.560 --> 29:23.120 has done just that. 29:23.120 --> 29:24.040 I don't wanna go to the church. 29:24.040 --> 29:26.000 Okay, I don't wanna go to church. 29:26.000 --> 29:27.040 I don't wanna feel like reading my Bible. 29:27.040 --> 29:28.600 Okay, then I just won't read my Bible. 29:28.600 --> 29:31.560 You're just constantly giving in to the desires 29:31.560 --> 29:33.440 of the flesh and of the mind. 29:33.440 --> 29:36.120 And let me just remind you that fighting the flesh 29:36.120 --> 29:38.020 is just a lifelong process. 29:39.160 --> 29:42.440 This is not a cholo church victory outreach. 29:42.640 --> 29:46.080 You know, type churches just like, 29:46.080 --> 29:48.560 come to the altar, and then you'll be good 29:48.560 --> 29:50.040 from here on out. 29:50.040 --> 29:53.200 Give your life to God, and God will just like, 29:53.200 --> 29:55.380 fix your problem indefinitely. 29:55.380 --> 29:57.200 No, you actually have to die daily. 29:59.000 --> 30:01.800 You know, here's something that no church 30:01.800 --> 30:05.240 likes to talk about, is the fact that you literally 30:05.240 --> 30:08.360 have to do this every single day of your life. 30:09.880 --> 30:11.880 Sounds grueling, huh? 30:11.920 --> 30:16.600 You have to literally take up your cross daily. 30:16.600 --> 30:18.760 That's literally what the Lord says, right? 30:18.760 --> 30:20.840 He didn't say take up your cross once. 30:20.840 --> 30:22.800 He said do it daily. 30:22.800 --> 30:23.640 Why? 30:23.640 --> 30:28.640 Because if you don't, then you have this emotional renewal, 30:28.760 --> 30:32.920 this emotional revival at your cholo church, 30:32.920 --> 30:35.360 and you just repented of all your sin, 30:35.360 --> 30:36.960 and then what are you doing tomorrow? 30:36.960 --> 30:40.160 You're smoking crack again, you're drinking alcohol. 30:40.160 --> 30:41.000 Why? 30:41.000 --> 30:42.320 Because it just didn't really carry over that well, 30:42.320 --> 30:43.160 now did it? 30:44.040 --> 30:46.640 Because you know you have to deny crack tomorrow too. 30:48.120 --> 30:50.220 You have to deny the 40 tomorrow too. 30:51.120 --> 30:53.900 You have to deny pornography tomorrow too. 30:53.900 --> 30:56.360 You have to deny gluttony tomorrow. 30:56.360 --> 30:57.880 You have to deny it every single day. 30:57.880 --> 30:59.320 You have to deny the flesh. 31:00.240 --> 31:02.640 And obviously the flesh just never fully dies 31:02.640 --> 31:03.480 this side of eternity. 31:03.480 --> 31:06.480 It's dead because we are in Christ, 31:06.480 --> 31:08.320 but it's like we're just walking around 31:08.320 --> 31:11.280 with this carcass all the time. 31:11.280 --> 31:14.320 And so what we have to do is make the spirit stronger 31:14.320 --> 31:15.280 than the flesh. 31:16.400 --> 31:19.920 And the longer you walk in the spirit, 31:19.920 --> 31:22.880 the less likely it is that you will give 31:22.880 --> 31:25.000 into the desires of the flesh. 31:25.000 --> 31:27.680 But the desires of the flesh will still be there. 31:27.680 --> 31:29.200 You understand what I'm saying? 31:29.200 --> 31:31.920 So like, let me give you another carnal illustration. 31:33.440 --> 31:34.480 I love Swiss rolls. 31:34.480 --> 31:36.640 I don't care what any of you say. 31:36.640 --> 31:38.000 I'll kill a whole box of Swiss rolls. 31:38.240 --> 31:39.440 Yeah, I said it. 31:39.440 --> 31:41.360 I will kill a whole box of Swiss rolls. 31:42.440 --> 31:46.480 But if I create enough distance between me and Swiss rolls, 31:46.480 --> 31:48.080 it's probably not gonna happen. 31:49.480 --> 31:52.960 And so the longer I'm away from Swiss rolls, 31:52.960 --> 31:55.600 the less likely it is I'm gonna kill a whole box. 31:55.600 --> 31:56.440 Okay? 31:56.440 --> 31:58.560 Now you put a box of Swiss rolls in my house 31:58.560 --> 32:00.320 just all of a sudden. 32:00.320 --> 32:03.320 I have enough willpower because I've been away from it, 32:03.320 --> 32:05.520 just being disciplined, that I probably won't do it. 32:05.560 --> 32:08.240 But you know, if my wife just keeps buying Swiss rolls, 32:08.240 --> 32:10.920 and then she just opens one up for me, 32:10.920 --> 32:13.320 and then she feeds it to me as she's like fanning me 32:13.320 --> 32:16.320 and stuff, and she just lay down and just, you know, 32:16.320 --> 32:18.800 she unrolls the Swiss roll for me. 32:18.800 --> 32:21.160 And you know, after, okay, at that point, 32:21.160 --> 32:22.160 I'm gonna start feeding the flesh, 32:22.160 --> 32:25.160 and I'm probably gonna have Swiss rolls two hours later, 32:26.520 --> 32:29.200 a day later, because the more you give 32:29.200 --> 32:30.640 into the desires of the flesh, 32:30.640 --> 32:33.600 the easier it is to give into the desires 32:33.600 --> 32:35.480 of the flesh thereafter. 32:36.440 --> 32:38.680 But the more distance you create between you and temptation, 32:38.680 --> 32:41.360 and you strengthen your disciplines, 32:41.360 --> 32:44.720 the easier it is to fight temptation when it comes your way. 32:44.720 --> 32:45.760 You understand? 32:45.760 --> 32:46.880 And make no mistake about it, 32:46.880 --> 32:50.840 it's important to exercise your will, okay? 32:50.840 --> 32:53.320 Obviously, we need to make sure we don't put ourselves 32:53.320 --> 32:56.000 before temptation, okay? 32:56.000 --> 32:59.320 But let's just be honest, sometimes temptation comes, okay? 32:59.320 --> 33:01.960 Sometimes the church just has good food. 33:01.960 --> 33:03.840 Sometimes it has junk food. 33:03.840 --> 33:05.320 Temptation is just that you can't really do anything 33:05.320 --> 33:06.640 about it, right? 33:06.640 --> 33:08.520 Temptation just comes your way. 33:08.520 --> 33:11.920 So at that point, you do have to exercise your will 33:11.920 --> 33:12.800 to resist it. 33:12.800 --> 33:17.200 And I've always likened our will to a spare tire. 33:17.200 --> 33:19.600 You're not supposed to use the spare tire all the time. 33:20.560 --> 33:21.600 Says the mechanic. 33:23.240 --> 33:25.720 You know, it's just supposed to get you from point A 33:25.720 --> 33:28.920 to point B when you get a flat, right? 33:28.920 --> 33:30.640 Because I've known people who just use the spare tire 33:30.640 --> 33:32.080 throughout the entire week. 33:32.080 --> 33:35.400 They're just avoiding getting the tire changed or whatever. 33:35.400 --> 33:37.680 It's only meant to get you to the place 33:37.680 --> 33:39.840 if you need to buy a new tire or whatever, 33:39.840 --> 33:41.920 from point A or get back home so you can change it out 33:41.920 --> 33:43.360 or whatever it may be. 33:43.360 --> 33:46.240 It's a spare tire, that's how the will is. 33:46.240 --> 33:48.320 So when you're confronted with temptation, 33:48.320 --> 33:52.880 it's just like, and you did nothing to invite temptation 33:52.880 --> 33:55.280 into your life, exercise your will to resist it 33:55.280 --> 33:59.240 at that point, flee temptation, flee fornication, 33:59.240 --> 34:02.480 flee the Swiss rolls, flee the junk food, 34:02.480 --> 34:07.160 flee the gluttony, flee pornography, flee gambling, 34:07.160 --> 34:10.160 flee whatever it is sin that you might have 34:10.160 --> 34:11.440 in your personal life, flee from it, 34:11.440 --> 34:13.760 use your will to resist that. 34:13.760 --> 34:16.320 The point that I'm making here is that longer you're away 34:16.320 --> 34:18.160 from that sin, the less likely it is 34:18.160 --> 34:19.320 that you will commit that sin. 34:19.320 --> 34:21.640 Doesn't mean you'll never commit it, 34:21.640 --> 34:23.960 because it's always gonna be there. 34:23.960 --> 34:26.640 But the more distance you create between you 34:26.640 --> 34:29.120 and the committing of that sin, 34:30.000 --> 34:32.400 the higher your chances are higher 34:32.400 --> 34:35.280 of actually having victory over that particular habit 34:35.280 --> 34:36.120 or whatever it may be. 34:36.120 --> 34:38.400 Look at 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 18, 34:38.400 --> 34:40.720 it says, flee fornication. 34:40.720 --> 34:42.800 Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, 34:42.800 --> 34:43.960 but he that committed fornication 34:43.960 --> 34:45.840 sinneth against his own body. 34:45.840 --> 34:47.920 What know you not that your body is the temple 34:47.920 --> 34:50.000 of the Holy Ghost which is in you, 34:50.000 --> 34:53.160 which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 34:53.160 --> 34:55.920 For ye are bought with the price, therefore glorify God 34:56.760 --> 34:58.840 which are God's. 34:58.840 --> 35:01.520 So the way we can apply Zerubbabel 35:01.520 --> 35:03.720 is that when we get right with God, 35:03.720 --> 35:05.560 when we come back to church, 35:05.560 --> 35:06.520 the first thing we have to do 35:06.520 --> 35:08.040 is start rebuilding this temple. 35:08.040 --> 35:09.040 Okay? 35:09.040 --> 35:12.400 Being strong in the Lord and the power of his might, 35:12.400 --> 35:14.920 learning spiritual disciplines once again, 35:14.920 --> 35:16.080 and renewing our minds. 35:16.080 --> 35:16.920 The Bible tells us, 35:16.920 --> 35:18.560 I beseech you therefore, brethren, 35:18.560 --> 35:20.600 by the mercies of God, listen to this, 35:20.600 --> 35:24.000 the present your bodies a living sacrifice, 35:24.040 --> 35:25.920 holy and acceptable unto God, 35:25.920 --> 35:27.280 which is your reasonable service. 35:27.280 --> 35:28.120 What does that mean? 35:28.120 --> 35:30.040 It means you have to start becoming 35:30.040 --> 35:32.400 a living sacrifice once again. 35:32.400 --> 35:33.240 Okay? 35:33.240 --> 35:36.560 Like intentionally living, recognizing like tomorrow, 35:36.560 --> 35:38.480 it's time to deny the flesh again. 35:38.480 --> 35:39.320 Okay? 35:39.320 --> 35:41.360 The day after, I'm denying the flesh. 35:41.360 --> 35:44.480 I'm putting spiritual things first. 35:44.480 --> 35:45.960 Second Corinthians chapter seven, 35:45.960 --> 35:47.880 you don't have to turn there, says this, 35:47.880 --> 35:50.760 having therefore these promises dearly beloved, 35:50.760 --> 35:53.160 let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness 35:53.160 --> 35:55.400 of the flesh and spirit, 35:55.400 --> 35:59.600 perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 35:59.600 --> 36:00.560 So what am I saying? 36:00.560 --> 36:01.720 I'm saying that, you know, 36:01.720 --> 36:04.240 just like Zerubbabel is rebuilding the temple, 36:04.240 --> 36:07.280 you also need to rebuild your temple, so to speak. 36:07.280 --> 36:08.120 Okay? 36:08.120 --> 36:12.600 Rebuild yourself once again in the things of God. 36:12.600 --> 36:14.560 You know, the apostle Paul said, 36:14.560 --> 36:17.280 this I say therefore in testifying the Lord, 36:17.280 --> 36:20.640 they ye walk not as other Gentiles walk 36:20.640 --> 36:22.640 in the vanity of their mind, 36:22.640 --> 36:26.680 having their hearts understanding darken, 36:26.680 --> 36:28.240 you know, it talks about the fact 36:28.240 --> 36:30.560 that they've been given over to uncleanliness 36:30.560 --> 36:32.080 with greediness, and then he says, 36:32.080 --> 36:34.360 but ye have not so learned Christ, 36:34.360 --> 36:35.800 if so be that ye have heard him 36:35.800 --> 36:38.840 and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, 36:38.840 --> 36:42.680 that ye put off the former conversation, the old man, 36:42.680 --> 36:44.600 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 36:44.600 --> 36:46.120 and he put on the new man, 36:46.120 --> 36:48.080 which after God is created in righteousness 36:48.080 --> 36:48.920 and true holiness. 36:48.920 --> 36:51.320 It sounds like some intention is necessary 36:51.320 --> 36:53.120 in order to rebuild the temple. 36:53.120 --> 36:55.680 He's like put off and put on, right? 36:55.680 --> 36:58.800 And I'm sorry, there's no portal at these doors 36:58.800 --> 37:00.160 where as soon as you go in, 37:00.160 --> 37:03.080 you just dip your finger in some dirty holy water, 37:03.080 --> 37:04.960 and you just, you know, you just sprinkle that on yourself 37:04.960 --> 37:06.200 and somehow you're cleansed. 37:06.200 --> 37:07.400 It doesn't work that way. 37:07.400 --> 37:09.600 You don't just come to First Works Baptist Church, 37:09.600 --> 37:12.360 and you're automatically fundamental Baptist, 37:12.360 --> 37:16.600 King James only, just completely sanctified, 37:16.600 --> 37:18.200 and just meet for the master's use. 37:18.200 --> 37:21.120 No, it's actually the process is called sanctification. 37:23.080 --> 37:24.680 And you need to learn once again, 37:24.680 --> 37:27.140 how to put off and put on. 37:27.140 --> 37:30.300 Put off the old man, put on the new man. 37:30.300 --> 37:34.520 Put off sinful habits, put on purity, right? 37:35.440 --> 37:40.440 Put off laziness, put on discipline, and so forth. 37:40.440 --> 37:45.000 Okay, Haggai, go to Haggai if you would, chapter one. 37:45.000 --> 37:47.100 We're gonna come back to Ezra in just a bit. 37:48.800 --> 37:53.200 So Zerubbabel is really putting the focus on the temple. 37:53.200 --> 37:55.240 It's reconstructing the temple. 37:55.240 --> 37:57.560 We need to make sure we get the house of God up 37:57.560 --> 38:00.520 so we can start attending the house of God. 38:00.520 --> 38:03.440 And we apply this as in, you know, 38:03.440 --> 38:05.760 prioritizing spiritual things, 38:05.760 --> 38:08.200 rebuilding our bodies, subjugating it 38:08.200 --> 38:10.800 so that it does the things that it's supposed to do, 38:10.800 --> 38:15.160 but also just rebuilding the habit of being in God's house. 38:15.160 --> 38:16.000 Right? 38:16.000 --> 38:19.160 Just prioritizing the house of God in general. 38:19.160 --> 38:21.740 Look at Haggai chapter one, verse four. 38:22.760 --> 38:27.760 Is it time for you, oh ye, to dwell in your sealed houses 38:28.160 --> 38:30.640 and this house lie waste? 38:30.640 --> 38:32.240 Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, 38:32.240 --> 38:34.120 consider your ways. 38:34.120 --> 38:36.560 I like Haggai, he's like, oh, is this the time for you 38:36.560 --> 38:39.560 to just stay at home instead of going to church? 38:39.560 --> 38:40.400 Is this the time? 38:40.400 --> 38:43.020 Now obviously, work schedules, 38:43.020 --> 38:45.080 things hinder us from coming to church, 38:45.080 --> 38:48.440 but if you're literally just doing nothing but being home 38:48.440 --> 38:49.720 and you're not projectile vomiting, 38:49.720 --> 38:51.000 you should be in the house of God. 38:51.000 --> 38:55.560 Why dwell ye in your sealed houses, right? 38:55.560 --> 38:57.080 And this house lay waste? 38:57.080 --> 38:59.420 Be in the house of God. 38:59.420 --> 39:02.180 If you are coming back to the things of God, 39:02.180 --> 39:04.500 this especially applies to you. 39:04.500 --> 39:08.560 You need to make the house of God a priority once again 39:08.560 --> 39:12.960 and have, you know, renew your attitude about church. 39:13.080 --> 39:15.600 Because a lot of times, you know, people have a hard time 39:15.600 --> 39:18.240 coming to church because, oh, it's just so boring. 39:18.240 --> 39:19.840 No, you're boring. 39:19.840 --> 39:21.280 My preaching is not boring. 39:21.280 --> 39:22.880 Fellowship here is not boring. 39:22.880 --> 39:24.720 Soling is not boring. 39:24.720 --> 39:28.400 You know, the house of God is an exciting place to be. 39:28.400 --> 39:30.120 You're just carnal. 39:30.120 --> 39:31.920 You're just fleshly. 39:31.920 --> 39:32.960 You're just wicked. 39:32.960 --> 39:33.800 No, I'm just kidding. 39:33.800 --> 39:36.200 You know, we should have the attitude, 39:36.200 --> 39:39.120 I was glad when they said it to me, 39:39.120 --> 39:41.680 let us go into the house of the Lord. 39:41.680 --> 39:43.600 That should be the attitude, right? 39:43.600 --> 39:47.320 You know, Saturday is just like, hey, church is tomorrow. 39:47.320 --> 39:48.720 Time to go to church tomorrow. 39:48.720 --> 39:49.560 Wake up in the morning. 39:49.560 --> 39:50.440 It's church time. 39:50.440 --> 39:53.080 Now I'm not saying you're like waking up and just like, 39:56.920 --> 39:58.640 you know, you're just like super thrilled 39:58.640 --> 40:00.400 because I'm not like that. 40:00.400 --> 40:03.440 You know, it takes me a couple hours to transition, okay? 40:03.440 --> 40:06.040 To even, you know, talk to people. 40:06.040 --> 40:09.520 But in my mind, I'm like, today's Sunday. 40:09.520 --> 40:11.360 You know, it's time to go to the house of God. 40:11.360 --> 40:15.120 It shouldn't be like, oh, time to go to church again. 40:15.120 --> 40:17.240 Do we have to? 40:17.240 --> 40:19.320 I don't want to go to church. 40:19.320 --> 40:21.040 You know, let the kids be that way. 40:21.040 --> 40:24.920 But I personally would not let my kids be that way, okay? 40:24.920 --> 40:26.920 My kids ever complain about going to the house of God? 40:26.920 --> 40:28.120 It's time to renew them. 40:28.120 --> 40:29.800 It's time to renew them, right? 40:30.960 --> 40:34.080 And teach them, you know, the fact that we need to esteem 40:34.080 --> 40:36.080 being in the house of God. 40:36.080 --> 40:36.920 You know why? 40:36.920 --> 40:38.840 Because for a day and night courts is better than a thousand, 40:38.840 --> 40:41.840 I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God 40:41.840 --> 40:44.720 than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 40:44.720 --> 40:46.680 I'd rather be Cody. 40:46.680 --> 40:48.160 I'd rather be Jacob. 40:48.160 --> 40:49.720 No offense guys, you know, 40:49.720 --> 40:52.720 the doorkeepers of the house of God, 40:52.720 --> 40:54.440 they are the doorkeepers, right? 40:54.440 --> 40:55.800 Who's the other doorkeeper? 40:56.760 --> 41:00.400 Jacob, Vitor, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 41:00.400 --> 41:04.240 Meaning I esteem any position in the house of God 41:04.240 --> 41:08.480 more than any lofty position in the world 41:08.480 --> 41:09.880 in the tents of wickedness. 41:09.880 --> 41:12.040 We need to have our minds renewed 41:12.040 --> 41:16.360 and have the same desire and zeal as Zerubbabel 41:16.360 --> 41:18.720 than when he brings them back from captivity, 41:18.720 --> 41:20.000 they're no longer backslidden. 41:20.000 --> 41:22.560 It's like, all right, let's go to the house of God. 41:23.800 --> 41:25.040 You know, and there's various things 41:25.040 --> 41:26.600 that can make you get right with God, right? 41:26.600 --> 41:29.960 Maybe you experienced some form of punishment. 41:29.960 --> 41:33.720 Maybe you saw a real, maybe you saw or heard a sermon 41:33.720 --> 41:34.640 and just like, oh, you know what? 41:34.640 --> 41:36.040 I'm really excited about the things of God. 41:36.080 --> 41:36.920 Oh, really? 41:36.920 --> 41:38.920 Go back to church and show it then. 41:40.040 --> 41:43.080 Oh man, you know, I just really love the word of God. 41:43.080 --> 41:45.120 I just really love biblical truth. 41:45.120 --> 41:45.960 Really? 41:45.960 --> 41:47.280 Where were you on Sunday? 41:50.160 --> 41:53.400 Oh man, I'm so excited about doctrine 41:53.400 --> 41:57.160 and you know, the things of God or replacement theology. 41:57.160 --> 41:58.680 Go to church. 42:00.440 --> 42:01.360 Yeah, amen. 42:03.200 --> 42:05.040 Go to the house of God. 42:05.080 --> 42:06.600 I hope I didn't sound like that when I said that. 42:06.600 --> 42:07.520 I'm just kidding. 42:07.520 --> 42:08.480 Is he imitating me? 42:09.360 --> 42:12.600 You know, do whatever it takes to be in the house of God. 42:13.720 --> 42:18.720 Brother Rick, sorry for his outfit, but you know, 42:19.880 --> 42:21.520 brother Rick, if you're seeing this, 42:21.520 --> 42:24.240 brother, I think it was wild, all right? 42:25.280 --> 42:29.920 You know, I'll bring you an extra pair of clothes. 42:29.920 --> 42:32.800 Rode his bike three hours to get here from Pasadena 42:32.800 --> 42:34.680 to be in the house of God. 42:35.680 --> 42:37.200 Make it happen, amen. 42:38.560 --> 42:40.480 Be like Zerubbile that says, hey, 42:40.480 --> 42:44.440 why are you just like in your sealed houses? 42:44.440 --> 42:48.240 Why are you just hanging out, worrying about your finances 42:48.240 --> 42:51.040 and worrying about your house? 42:51.040 --> 42:54.520 God literally brought you back from captivity. 42:54.520 --> 42:57.240 You should be esteeming the house of God 42:57.240 --> 43:01.200 and making it a priority in your life, okay? 43:01.200 --> 43:03.080 And I get it, today's Mother's Day, 43:03.240 --> 43:05.160 so everyone's like, well, I'm taking my mom out 43:05.160 --> 43:07.440 and everything, all right, all right. 43:07.440 --> 43:09.480 We'll see what happens on Father's Day, though. 43:09.480 --> 43:13.440 You know, dad's better stay in church, amen. 43:16.440 --> 43:18.920 Eat a steak afterwards, but be in church. 43:18.920 --> 43:21.240 You know, for the men, let me just talk 43:21.240 --> 43:22.440 to the men real quick. 43:22.440 --> 43:24.120 You know, a gift for Father's Day 43:24.120 --> 43:26.120 is not to take a day off of church. 43:27.600 --> 43:28.920 Amen? 43:28.920 --> 43:32.160 It's not like, well, you know, it is Father's Day, 43:32.240 --> 43:34.160 and so I'm just not gonna go to church on that. 43:34.160 --> 43:35.080 What is that? 43:35.080 --> 43:35.920 You know, for Father's Day, 43:35.920 --> 43:37.600 I'm gonna be in my father's house. 43:38.680 --> 43:41.440 Be about my father's business. 43:41.440 --> 43:43.560 Honor my heavenly father. 43:44.640 --> 43:46.200 It's like people don't go to church on Christmas 43:46.200 --> 43:47.600 or something, you know what I mean? 43:49.520 --> 43:51.600 But let me also say this, okay? 43:51.600 --> 43:53.560 Is that, so we see Zerubbile, 43:53.560 --> 43:55.920 he is the one responsible for bringing 43:55.920 --> 43:57.920 the children of Israel in that first wave. 43:57.920 --> 43:59.760 He's prioritizing the house of God. 43:59.800 --> 44:03.000 And what happens when you are seeking 44:03.000 --> 44:04.840 to rebuild something again, 44:04.840 --> 44:06.920 when you're seeking to do something for God 44:06.920 --> 44:08.760 and get your life back together 44:08.760 --> 44:10.280 and prioritize spiritual things, 44:10.280 --> 44:12.680 you're always gonna face opposition 44:12.680 --> 44:14.960 because a great ineffectual door is open unto us, 44:14.960 --> 44:16.000 and there are many adversaries. 44:16.000 --> 44:18.400 If you want Zerubbile, face opposition as well. 44:18.400 --> 44:20.760 Look at Ezra chapter four and verse number one. 44:20.760 --> 44:23.600 It says, now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin 44:23.600 --> 44:26.080 heard that the children of the captivity 44:26.080 --> 44:29.280 builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel, 44:29.320 --> 44:32.840 then they came to Zerubbile and to the chief of the fathers 44:32.840 --> 44:35.800 and said unto them, let us build with you, 44:35.800 --> 44:39.200 for we seek your God as ye do. 44:39.200 --> 44:43.360 And we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhadon, 44:43.360 --> 44:46.120 king of Asher, which brought us up hither. 44:46.120 --> 44:48.320 Now, you know, when I read this verse, 44:48.320 --> 44:51.480 first and foremost, why are you calling it my God? 44:51.480 --> 44:54.920 If you're seeking my God, just call him your God as well. 44:54.920 --> 44:57.000 You know, we seek our God as well. 44:57.000 --> 44:59.360 You know, we're seeking the God of Israel as well. 44:59.360 --> 45:01.120 They're obviously flattering. 45:01.120 --> 45:03.360 They're trying to disrupt something here. 45:03.360 --> 45:06.640 Verse three says, but Zerubbile and Jeshua 45:06.640 --> 45:08.640 and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel 45:08.640 --> 45:11.200 said unto them, you have nothing to do with us 45:11.200 --> 45:13.440 to build and house unto our God. 45:13.440 --> 45:15.800 But we ourselves together will build 45:15.800 --> 45:18.600 unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus, 45:18.600 --> 45:20.600 the king of Persia had commanded us. 45:20.600 --> 45:23.400 Then the people of the land weakened the hand 45:23.400 --> 45:27.440 of the people of Judah and troubled them in building 45:27.440 --> 45:29.400 and hired counselors against them 45:29.400 --> 45:31.840 to frustrate their purposes, their purpose 45:31.840 --> 45:33.600 all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, 45:33.600 --> 45:36.040 even until the reign of Darius, king of Persia 45:36.040 --> 45:39.280 and in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, 45:39.280 --> 45:41.360 wrote they unto him an accusation 45:41.360 --> 45:43.440 against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 45:43.440 --> 45:44.760 So what do we see here? 45:44.760 --> 45:46.040 Once someone comes back to church, 45:46.040 --> 45:47.320 let me just tell you right now, 45:47.320 --> 45:49.480 you're gonna face some form of opposition. 45:50.280 --> 45:52.480 Oh, okay, that's fine, you're going back to church, 45:52.520 --> 45:54.080 but don't go that much though. 45:55.200 --> 45:58.120 Okay, you went Sunday morning, but don't go back Sunday night. 45:58.120 --> 46:01.520 Okay, don't start getting all crazy 46:01.520 --> 46:04.760 about going to church now, now that you're going back. 46:04.760 --> 46:06.880 And when I say you're coming back in stages 46:06.880 --> 46:09.440 and incrementally, I'm not referring to the fact 46:09.440 --> 46:11.600 that you shouldn't be in the house of God 46:11.600 --> 46:14.640 through to thrive, because I believe that 100%. 46:14.640 --> 46:16.760 I believe you should not have the expectation 46:16.760 --> 46:21.240 that you're gonna be at 100% as soon as you come back. 46:21.240 --> 46:24.120 I think you should be in the house of God 46:24.120 --> 46:25.440 when the church doors are open. 46:25.440 --> 46:27.880 I have a strong biblical conviction about that. 46:27.880 --> 46:29.880 Can you be right with God with one service? 46:29.880 --> 46:32.080 Yeah, but you know, honestly though, 46:32.080 --> 46:35.000 if you could be a decent Christian with one service, 46:35.000 --> 46:37.480 shouldn't you desire and strive to be a better Christian 46:37.480 --> 46:39.240 by adding a second and a third one? 46:41.280 --> 46:44.520 What we see here, we see Zerubbabel facing opposition. 46:44.520 --> 46:46.960 People are trying to frustrate his purposes, 46:46.960 --> 46:48.280 they're trying to hinder him 46:48.280 --> 46:49.600 from building the house of God, 46:49.600 --> 46:52.720 and it says that they weakened the hand of Judah. 46:52.720 --> 46:54.880 This could be your family. 46:54.880 --> 46:57.520 This could be your close friends, right? 46:57.520 --> 47:00.080 The people you're backsliding with. 47:00.080 --> 47:01.320 It's like, oh, you're going back to church, 47:01.320 --> 47:03.080 that's cool, bro, you know? 47:03.080 --> 47:05.240 But we've got a barbecue on Sunday afternoon, 47:05.240 --> 47:08.960 so go to church, and then come hang out with us afterwards. 47:08.960 --> 47:10.000 You know what they're trying to do? 47:10.000 --> 47:11.800 Weaken your hands. 47:13.040 --> 47:17.040 And look, here's my personal preference. 47:17.040 --> 47:19.080 This is the principle that I live by, 47:19.640 --> 47:22.440 I've lived by this even before I was a pastor. 47:22.440 --> 47:25.120 Everything centers around my church schedule. 47:26.800 --> 47:28.720 We got a birthday on Sunday, you wanna come? 47:28.720 --> 47:31.120 Sure, as long as it's before or after church. 47:33.000 --> 47:33.960 Right? 47:33.960 --> 47:35.560 It's like, yeah, I'll go, no, 47:35.560 --> 47:37.080 I don't even do that anymore. 47:37.080 --> 47:39.120 But just, whatever event you want me to go to, 47:39.120 --> 47:40.920 as long as it's before or after church, I'll do it. 47:40.920 --> 47:44.240 Because everything centers around the house of God. 47:44.240 --> 47:45.840 Because anything that's trying to take me out of church, 47:45.840 --> 47:46.680 what are they trying to do? 47:46.720 --> 47:50.640 Weaken the hands of Judah to prevent you 47:50.640 --> 47:54.480 from rebuilding that which was destroyed, okay? 47:54.480 --> 47:56.240 Go to Ezra chapter seven, if you would. 47:56.240 --> 47:57.440 Ezra chapter seven. 47:57.440 --> 48:00.040 So, you know, Zerubbabel is awesome. 48:00.040 --> 48:03.120 He is not a prophet, he's a governor of Judah. 48:03.120 --> 48:07.360 He did a fantastic job rebuilding the temple 48:07.360 --> 48:09.160 in the face of opposition, 48:09.160 --> 48:11.360 and the face of those who are acting 48:11.360 --> 48:13.640 like they're his friends, but they're not. 48:13.640 --> 48:14.560 They're trying to weaken Judah, 48:14.560 --> 48:16.400 but he's still got the job done. 48:17.080 --> 48:19.320 The building was up, the temple was up. 48:19.320 --> 48:22.480 They can now go in and worship the Lord, okay? 48:22.480 --> 48:24.080 Here's the second stage, 48:24.080 --> 48:28.040 and that is Ezra rebuilding the people. 48:28.040 --> 48:30.280 So you have Zerubbabel, you have Ezra, 48:30.280 --> 48:31.520 and then you have Nehemiah. 48:31.520 --> 48:34.360 Zerubbabel is in charge of rebuilding the temple. 48:34.360 --> 48:37.720 Now Ezra is the one responsible to rebuild the people 48:37.720 --> 48:40.160 that are gonna go to the temple, okay? 48:40.160 --> 48:42.400 Now Ezra was a priest and a scribe 48:42.400 --> 48:45.440 that God used to restore the spiritual condition 48:45.440 --> 48:48.000 of the people after the temple had already been built. 48:48.000 --> 48:50.400 Look at Ezra chapter seven and verse number six. 48:50.400 --> 48:53.960 It says, this Ezra went up from Babylon, 48:53.960 --> 48:57.560 and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, 48:57.560 --> 48:59.960 which the Lord God of Israel had given, 48:59.960 --> 49:03.080 and the king granted him all his requests, 49:03.080 --> 49:05.960 according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. 49:05.960 --> 49:07.240 Look at verse number 10, 49:07.240 --> 49:09.260 for Ezra had prepared his heart 49:09.260 --> 49:11.720 to seek the law of the Lord and to do it, 49:11.720 --> 49:16.160 and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. 49:16.160 --> 49:18.000 Now why is this important? 49:18.000 --> 49:19.920 How are we gonna apply this to ourselves 49:19.920 --> 49:22.220 regarding Ezra building the people? 49:22.220 --> 49:23.840 Well here's the thing, folks. 49:23.840 --> 49:26.460 It's one thing to come back to church. 49:26.460 --> 49:27.640 It's another thing to actually do 49:27.640 --> 49:28.720 what's being preached from the pulpit 49:28.720 --> 49:30.600 when you come to church. 49:30.600 --> 49:33.800 Again, we're not superstitious Christians here, 49:33.800 --> 49:36.060 or just because you come back to the house of God 49:36.060 --> 49:38.760 means that you're just gonna be a great Christian thereafter. 49:38.760 --> 49:41.200 You have to be a doer of the word, 49:41.200 --> 49:44.480 not a hearer only deceiving your own selves. 49:45.480 --> 49:47.920 Don't treat preaching like entertainment, 49:47.920 --> 49:50.200 though it is entertaining sometimes. 49:50.200 --> 49:52.680 We need to treat it as the word of God 49:52.680 --> 49:54.440 and apply that which is being preached 49:54.440 --> 49:56.400 if you actually want to change. 49:57.480 --> 49:59.680 Because look folks, if you're just here 49:59.680 --> 50:03.320 hearing the word of God, and I, like Ezekiel, 50:03.320 --> 50:06.240 be coming to you as a very lovely song, 50:06.240 --> 50:08.260 I profit you nothing. 50:08.260 --> 50:09.860 You need to make sure that you're actually 50:09.860 --> 50:13.180 putting into practice that which is being preached. 50:13.180 --> 50:15.020 You may like it when I preach against feminism, 50:15.020 --> 50:16.700 but if you're still feminist after I preach 50:16.700 --> 50:19.020 against feminism, you failed. 50:20.960 --> 50:24.380 If the order in your home is not what it is, 50:24.380 --> 50:26.660 despite the fact that both of you are coming to church 50:26.660 --> 50:28.680 and all this stuff, and you're not applying 50:28.680 --> 50:31.820 these principles, it profits you nothing. 50:31.820 --> 50:34.140 You have to actually put in the effort 50:34.140 --> 50:35.500 to do what the preaching is saying, 50:35.500 --> 50:37.780 to do what the word of God is stating. 50:37.780 --> 50:41.740 Ezra is here to teach statutes and judgments. 50:41.740 --> 50:42.580 Why? 50:42.580 --> 50:44.740 Because being in church doesn't automatically 50:44.740 --> 50:47.740 mean spiritual growth. 50:47.740 --> 50:49.100 The temple is up. 50:49.100 --> 50:51.420 First work's about this church is always gonna be here. 50:51.420 --> 50:54.140 The doors are open, 10.30, 5 p.m., 50:54.140 --> 50:56.180 seven o'clock on Thursdays, but you know what? 50:56.180 --> 50:58.840 It does nothing if you don't actually put into practice 50:58.840 --> 51:00.820 that which is being preached. 51:01.980 --> 51:04.380 A person can physically return 51:04.380 --> 51:07.100 while remaining spiritually weak. 51:07.580 --> 51:09.860 Here's some areas that you need to build yourself upon 51:09.860 --> 51:10.780 when you come back to church 51:10.780 --> 51:12.380 that you need to actually put into practice. 51:12.380 --> 51:13.500 Just reading the Bible. 51:14.980 --> 51:17.660 If you want optimal results 51:17.660 --> 51:19.460 from the preaching of God's word, 51:19.460 --> 51:21.220 let me tell you something right now. 51:21.220 --> 51:25.540 If you're like, I want to just get the most optimal results, 51:25.540 --> 51:28.940 I wanna get the most protein synthesis 51:28.940 --> 51:31.500 from being in church. 51:31.500 --> 51:32.840 Like when I come to church, 51:32.840 --> 51:36.100 I'm spending all this expensive gas right now to get here. 51:37.100 --> 51:38.660 I'm waking up, I'm trying to, 51:38.660 --> 51:41.540 I'm brushing my teeth, I'm putting on a suit. 51:41.540 --> 51:45.640 I wanna get the most bang for my buck when I come to church. 51:45.640 --> 51:46.820 Well, this is how you do it. 51:46.820 --> 51:49.480 Read the Bible Monday through Saturday. 51:51.340 --> 51:53.200 Don't let this be your only meal. 51:54.720 --> 51:56.420 You're not gonna get the most bang for your buck 51:56.420 --> 51:59.220 if you're only reading the Bible when you come to church. 52:00.220 --> 52:01.160 It's just not gonna happen. 52:01.160 --> 52:02.760 Now you will profit from it a little bit 52:02.760 --> 52:05.380 because it's just the word of God, right? 52:05.380 --> 52:08.380 But if you really wanna get optimal results, 52:08.380 --> 52:11.420 you have to make sure that you're reading the word of God 52:11.420 --> 52:14.000 every single day. 52:14.000 --> 52:15.820 Because when you read the word of God every single day, 52:15.820 --> 52:18.820 that works in conjunction with the preaching of God's word. 52:20.660 --> 52:22.300 And so rebuild your Bible reading, 52:22.300 --> 52:25.940 rebuild your prayer life, rebuild your soul winning, 52:25.940 --> 52:28.180 rebuild your spiritual disciplines once again. 52:29.340 --> 52:32.020 Go with me if you would to Nehemiah chapter eight, 52:32.020 --> 52:34.620 Nehemiah chapter eight, hold your place there in Ezra. 52:34.660 --> 52:36.820 We're gonna come back to Ezra chapter nine. 52:38.460 --> 52:40.880 So daily devotions needs to be restored. 52:42.540 --> 52:44.100 I'm glad you believe the right doctrines, 52:44.100 --> 52:45.420 but man, you better be making sure 52:45.420 --> 52:46.820 you're actually reading the Bible 52:46.820 --> 52:49.720 and trying to finish it at least once a year, 52:49.720 --> 52:51.880 if not twice, or at least trying to read 52:51.880 --> 52:53.060 through the New Testament. 52:53.060 --> 52:55.560 Just make it a daily habit of reading the Bible. 52:57.340 --> 52:59.620 No more playing video games on your phone, 52:59.620 --> 53:02.800 doom scrolling instead of reading the Bible. 53:02.800 --> 53:04.720 If you want to doom scroll, that's on you, 53:04.720 --> 53:07.280 but make time to read the word of God though. 53:09.360 --> 53:11.280 And so look at Nehemiah chapter eight, verse eight, 53:11.280 --> 53:12.640 he says, so they read in the book, 53:12.640 --> 53:14.760 in the law of God distinctly, 53:14.760 --> 53:17.400 and gave the sense and caused them 53:17.400 --> 53:19.920 to understand the reading. 53:19.920 --> 53:22.720 Now look folks, I try my best to preach 53:22.720 --> 53:25.360 as long as I possibly can on Sundays. 53:26.520 --> 53:29.860 And I commend you for being able to endure 53:29.860 --> 53:31.820 an hour and 15 minute sermon. 53:32.960 --> 53:35.520 Because that's how long typically I preach by the way. 53:35.520 --> 53:38.000 It's at least an hour for sure. 53:38.000 --> 53:41.240 A short sermon for me is like 50 minutes, 45 minutes. 53:41.240 --> 53:43.480 A really long one is like an hour and a half. 53:43.480 --> 53:45.960 And I commend the people here who are just able to do it, 53:45.960 --> 53:48.160 they hack it, and they keep coming back for more. 53:48.160 --> 53:49.320 I think that's great. 53:49.320 --> 53:51.060 But you know, in Nehemiah's day, 53:51.060 --> 53:53.080 there's times when they're reading the scriptures 53:53.080 --> 53:55.300 for like six hours a day. 53:55.300 --> 53:56.240 That's a lot. 53:57.360 --> 53:59.480 I mean, that's a long time, right? 53:59.480 --> 54:01.740 But it kind of shows you the hunger 54:01.780 --> 54:03.460 that people were having for the word of God, 54:03.460 --> 54:05.140 that they're willing to listen 54:05.140 --> 54:08.260 to the preaching of God's word for that amount of time. 54:08.260 --> 54:11.500 Point that I'm making here is that you need to make sure 54:11.500 --> 54:15.260 that you digest scripture daily. 54:16.320 --> 54:17.160 Why? 54:17.160 --> 54:18.860 Because you need daily renewal of the mind. 54:18.860 --> 54:21.740 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way 54:21.740 --> 54:25.420 by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 54:25.420 --> 54:27.300 Thy word have I hid in my heart 54:27.300 --> 54:30.020 that I might not sin against thee. 54:30.020 --> 54:31.620 We need hard preaching. 54:32.500 --> 54:33.340 We need great fellowship. 54:33.340 --> 54:34.180 But folks, let me just tell you, 54:34.180 --> 54:36.660 you need to be reading the Bible every single day 54:36.660 --> 54:38.700 to cleanse your mind every single day. 54:38.700 --> 54:40.340 Go to Ezra chapter nine. 54:40.340 --> 54:41.420 Ezra chapter nine. 54:43.140 --> 54:47.700 So we see that Ezra is rebuilding the people spiritually 54:47.700 --> 54:49.420 by giving them the word of God. 54:49.420 --> 54:51.140 He's teaching them the laws of God. 54:51.140 --> 54:54.640 But he's also confronting sin and compromise. 54:54.640 --> 54:56.220 Verse number one of Ezra says this, 54:56.220 --> 54:58.040 now when these things were done, 54:58.040 --> 54:59.460 the princes came to be saying, 54:59.500 --> 55:03.580 the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites 55:03.580 --> 55:07.100 have not separated themselves from the people of the lands 55:07.100 --> 55:09.280 doing according to their abominations, 55:09.280 --> 55:11.660 even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Parasites, 55:11.660 --> 55:13.780 the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, 55:13.780 --> 55:16.620 the Egyptians and the Amorites. 55:16.620 --> 55:18.860 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves 55:18.860 --> 55:20.960 and for their sons so that the holy seed 55:20.960 --> 55:23.460 have mingled themselves with the people of those lands. 55:23.460 --> 55:25.600 Yea, the hand of the princes and rulers 55:25.600 --> 55:27.680 have been chief in this trespass. 55:27.680 --> 55:31.600 When I heard this thing, I rent my garments and my mantle 55:31.600 --> 55:33.840 and plucked off the hair of my beard, 55:33.840 --> 55:37.360 of my head and of my beard and sat down astonished. 55:37.360 --> 55:39.040 So what do we have here? 55:39.040 --> 55:42.600 They report to Ezra and say, hey, these guys are just like, 55:42.600 --> 55:44.240 they're getting involved with other ethnicities. 55:44.240 --> 55:45.960 No, they're getting involved with other people 55:45.960 --> 55:47.280 of different religions. 55:47.280 --> 55:49.260 They're not living separated lives. 55:50.380 --> 55:53.040 So Ezra makes a huge deal about this. 55:53.040 --> 55:54.400 He's very grieved. 55:54.400 --> 55:55.240 Why? 55:55.240 --> 55:57.320 Because we should make a big deal about these things. 55:57.320 --> 55:58.480 Why are you so mad about sin? 55:58.480 --> 56:00.480 Because we should be mad about sin. 56:00.480 --> 56:01.880 Why are you so mad about fornication? 56:01.880 --> 56:03.960 Because we should be mad about fornication. 56:03.960 --> 56:05.640 Why do you always yell when you talk about alcohol? 56:05.640 --> 56:07.880 Because we should be angry about these things. 56:08.940 --> 56:09.780 That's why. 56:09.780 --> 56:11.280 And if you're not angry about that, 56:11.280 --> 56:13.200 then something's wrong with your heart. 56:13.200 --> 56:15.400 You know, sin should upset you. 56:15.400 --> 56:18.040 You know, alcohol consumption should upset you. 56:18.040 --> 56:20.940 Backsliding, fornication, pornography, gambling, 56:20.940 --> 56:24.760 covetousness, idolatry, these things should upset us. 56:25.760 --> 56:28.440 And you say, how mad was Ezra? 56:28.440 --> 56:31.160 I mean, he's plucking out his own hair. 56:31.160 --> 56:32.160 Now, I will say this. 56:32.160 --> 56:34.960 You know, here's the difference between Ezra and Nehemiah. 56:34.960 --> 56:36.980 OK? 56:36.980 --> 56:39.640 Ezra's just like, ah, he's pulled out his hair. 56:39.640 --> 56:41.200 He's plucking out his beard. 56:41.200 --> 56:43.760 He's like, these people are not separated themselves. 56:43.760 --> 56:47.200 You know, you're an awesome guy, Ezra. 56:47.200 --> 56:49.520 And you show that you have a tender heart. 56:49.520 --> 56:52.960 But in that case, I kind of like Nehemiah a little more. 56:53.000 --> 56:55.560 Because Nehemiah didn't pluck out his own hair. 56:55.560 --> 56:59.200 He plucked out the hair of the people who were doing it. 56:59.200 --> 57:01.080 He's like, I'm sorry, you did what? 57:01.080 --> 57:02.040 He's like, come here. 57:02.040 --> 57:03.760 He's like, ah! 57:03.760 --> 57:04.760 Ah! 57:04.760 --> 57:07.360 He's just plucking out their beard. 57:07.360 --> 57:09.760 And we're not talking about, he's not cutting their beard. 57:09.760 --> 57:12.280 He's just tearing it out. 57:12.280 --> 57:13.480 You know, giving them a lot. 57:13.480 --> 57:15.040 You know, he's basically saying, like, 57:15.040 --> 57:16.640 just as I'm plucking out your hair, 57:16.640 --> 57:17.760 you need to be plucked out. 57:17.760 --> 57:19.240 You need to come out from among them 57:19.240 --> 57:21.720 and be separate, say, at the Lord, right? 57:21.720 --> 57:24.800 They have a good illustration to work with there now. 57:24.800 --> 57:27.040 You know, it's just like, anytime they're tempted by a mobile, 57:27.040 --> 57:29.160 they're like, I'm not going to do that. 57:29.160 --> 57:30.240 You know what I mean? 57:30.240 --> 57:32.200 Nehemiah's going to have my beard for this. 57:32.200 --> 57:33.640 Now, with some of you, you know, you're good, 57:33.640 --> 57:35.600 because you wouldn't have a beard to pluck, amen? 57:35.600 --> 57:36.520 This is just. 57:36.520 --> 57:38.600 Come on. 57:38.600 --> 57:41.640 Or anything to pluck from your head, amen? 57:41.640 --> 57:43.760 Point that I'm making here is that, you know what? 57:43.760 --> 57:46.600 Sometimes, listen to me, sometimes, 57:46.600 --> 57:50.000 I'm just trying to keep you awake, sometimes, you know, 57:50.040 --> 57:53.320 part of rebuilding ourselves and teaching us the law of God 57:53.320 --> 57:57.200 is plucking out the hair, OK? 57:57.200 --> 57:59.400 And sometimes, you know, the man of God comes to you 57:59.400 --> 58:01.360 and plucks out your hair. 58:01.360 --> 58:03.760 You know, he's preaching against your sin. 58:03.760 --> 58:06.480 He's kind of grabbing you, and you're just like, 58:06.480 --> 58:07.840 stop being so lazy. 58:07.840 --> 58:09.200 Stop being so effeminate. 58:09.200 --> 58:12.440 And, you know, stop being such a feminist. 58:12.440 --> 58:14.680 And you're just like, ah! 58:14.680 --> 58:17.000 But I'm doing it because I'm mad. 58:17.000 --> 58:19.000 And you know, you should be upset about that, too. 58:19.480 --> 58:23.200 If you pluck yourself out from that habit, 58:23.200 --> 58:28.080 then you wouldn't need me to pluck it out for you, right? 58:28.080 --> 58:31.920 This is part of a man, you know, this man of God who's just 58:31.920 --> 58:33.240 upset about the things of God. 58:33.240 --> 58:33.600 And you know what? 58:33.600 --> 58:35.400 It's good to come to a church where your sin is being 58:35.400 --> 58:36.600 preached against. 58:36.600 --> 58:39.400 You need that. 58:39.400 --> 58:41.720 You know, it's not the most pleasant thing to do. 58:41.720 --> 58:45.680 It's not the most pleasant thing to hear, but it's necessary. 58:45.720 --> 58:49.960 You know, I'm sure it hurt a lot to get their beard plucked 58:49.960 --> 58:51.840 out and their hair plucked out. 58:51.840 --> 58:53.280 And by the way, Nehemiah wasn't just plucking. 58:53.280 --> 58:55.160 He was like slapping people around. 58:55.160 --> 58:56.880 He's smiting them. 58:56.880 --> 58:59.040 You know, he's inflicting. 58:59.040 --> 59:01.640 You know, obviously, I wouldn't necessarily do that, 59:01.640 --> 59:03.480 but I approve, though. 59:03.480 --> 59:05.880 I enjoy the story, though. 59:05.880 --> 59:07.560 Nehemiah was mad. 59:07.560 --> 59:08.060 Why? 59:08.060 --> 59:09.800 Because he's confronting compromise. 59:09.800 --> 59:10.120 You know what? 59:10.120 --> 59:14.520 When you come back to church, you should expect me to confront 59:14.520 --> 59:15.720 that particular sin. 59:15.720 --> 59:18.080 Don't get mad when I preach against your sin. 59:18.080 --> 59:19.160 Don't get mad at me. 59:19.160 --> 59:22.880 Don't get mad at me when I call out your sin, when I preach 59:22.880 --> 59:25.360 against whatever habit you're struggling with, when I preach 59:25.360 --> 59:26.280 against your ideology. 59:26.280 --> 59:28.640 Don't get mad at me, and don't be looking at me all nasty 59:28.640 --> 59:30.680 either in church. 59:30.680 --> 59:33.200 If you don't want me to spend more time preaching against 59:33.200 --> 59:36.680 your sin, you better nod and smile when I'm preaching it so 59:36.680 --> 59:38.760 that I'm like, I can move on to the next one. 59:38.760 --> 59:40.440 Don't be giving me no bad look. 59:40.440 --> 59:43.720 This is all angry and mad and nasty, because that's just 59:43.720 --> 59:46.520 going to make me want to preach against it more. 59:46.520 --> 59:49.800 Because apparently, it's getting to you, and it's hitting you, 59:49.800 --> 59:53.640 and your face, your countenance, helps me to know 59:53.640 --> 59:56.080 whether I should continue on the point, or should I move 59:56.080 --> 59:57.200 on to the next one? 59:57.200 --> 01:00:00.840 Because if everyone is in agreement, everyone gets it. 01:00:00.840 --> 01:00:04.200 But when I see some feminists looking at me, and they're all 01:00:04.200 --> 01:00:07.120 mad, and they're just looking away, and they're just rolling 01:00:07.120 --> 01:00:09.960 their eyes or whatever, OK, now it's time to hit on this a 01:00:09.960 --> 01:00:12.040 little more. 01:00:12.040 --> 01:00:13.000 Oh, OK. 01:00:13.960 --> 01:00:16.800 You need more hair to get plucked out. 01:00:16.800 --> 01:00:18.640 I need to pluck out the feminist beard. 01:00:22.160 --> 01:00:25.360 But I'm doing it for your own good, though. 01:00:25.360 --> 01:00:29.360 And again, obviously, you come to this church because of this 01:00:29.360 --> 01:00:30.520 type of preaching. 01:00:30.520 --> 01:00:33.000 So why would you get mad? 01:00:33.000 --> 01:00:35.280 You saw the real before you came. 01:00:35.280 --> 01:00:37.040 You knew about my preaching before you came. 01:00:37.040 --> 01:00:39.320 You knew what you were getting into. 01:00:39.320 --> 01:00:42.520 You should come with the desire of knowing, I want my sin to 01:00:42.520 --> 01:00:45.800 be preached against, or I want my beliefs to be reinforced. 01:00:45.800 --> 01:00:49.360 And you should not get offended when I talk about these things. 01:00:49.360 --> 01:00:49.560 Why? 01:00:49.560 --> 01:00:52.400 Because Ezra confronted the compromise. 01:00:52.400 --> 01:00:54.520 I like what it says in 2 Corinthians chapter 7, verse 01:00:54.520 --> 01:00:56.160 11, you don't have to turn there. 01:00:56.160 --> 01:00:59.200 For behold, this selfsame thing that ye sorrowed after a 01:00:59.200 --> 01:01:02.960 godly sore, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what 01:01:02.960 --> 01:01:07.120 clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what 01:01:07.120 --> 01:01:11.440 fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, 01:01:11.440 --> 01:01:14.640 what revenge, and all things ye have approved yourselves to 01:01:14.640 --> 01:01:18.320 be clear in this matter. 01:01:18.320 --> 01:01:22.320 Look at Ezra chapter 4, if you would, Ezra chapter 4. 01:01:22.320 --> 01:01:25.560 The point that I'm making here is that Zerubbabel was 01:01:25.560 --> 01:01:28.120 bringing people back to the house of God. 01:01:28.120 --> 01:01:32.440 And Ezra is bringing people back to just a spiritual 01:01:32.440 --> 01:01:33.120 condition. 01:01:33.120 --> 01:01:34.800 He's teaching them the word of God. 01:01:34.800 --> 01:01:39.040 He's fixing the inside of the people, just as Zerubbabel was 01:01:39.040 --> 01:01:41.960 fixing the outside of the house of God. 01:01:41.960 --> 01:01:46.280 But Zerubbabel is not the only guy who faced opposition. 01:01:46.280 --> 01:01:48.240 Ezra also faced opposition as well. 01:01:48.240 --> 01:01:50.000 Look at verse 23 of Ezra 4. 01:01:50.000 --> 01:01:52.680 Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read 01:01:52.680 --> 01:01:56.600 before Reham and Shemshai, the scribe and their companions, 01:01:56.600 --> 01:01:59.400 they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews and 01:01:59.400 --> 01:02:02.840 made them cease by force and power, then ceased the work of 01:02:02.840 --> 01:02:05.680 the house of God, which is at Jerusalem, so it ceased unto 01:02:05.680 --> 01:02:08.360 the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia. 01:02:08.360 --> 01:02:09.400 What is he facing? 01:02:09.400 --> 01:02:10.440 Opposition. 01:02:10.440 --> 01:02:11.480 People are hindering him. 01:02:11.480 --> 01:02:12.400 And make no mistake about it. 01:02:12.400 --> 01:02:15.240 Once you start making those changes on the inside, you 01:02:15.240 --> 01:02:17.040 start changing your convictions. 01:02:17.040 --> 01:02:19.440 You're not a little feminist anymore. 01:02:19.440 --> 01:02:20.720 You throw away all your pants. 01:02:23.800 --> 01:02:26.800 You start only wearing dresses. 01:02:26.800 --> 01:02:27.880 Look at the faces here. 01:02:27.880 --> 01:02:29.680 Make sure you know. 01:02:29.680 --> 01:02:30.440 Right? 01:02:30.440 --> 01:02:32.480 Right? 01:02:32.480 --> 01:02:35.880 You're going to have some opposition. 01:02:35.880 --> 01:02:37.920 You start having some opposition. 01:02:37.920 --> 01:02:39.920 People start criticizing you. 01:02:39.920 --> 01:02:41.880 Your family starts getting on you. 01:02:41.880 --> 01:02:43.240 And then what are they trying to do? 01:02:43.240 --> 01:02:44.680 They're trying to get you to, hey, calm down. 01:02:44.680 --> 01:02:48.960 You don't need to be so extreme about this. 01:02:48.960 --> 01:02:51.040 Take it little by little. 01:02:51.040 --> 01:02:51.720 But you know what? 01:02:51.720 --> 01:02:55.160 If you know, the Bible says, he that knoweth to do good and 01:02:55.160 --> 01:02:57.320 doeth not to him it is sin. 01:02:57.320 --> 01:03:00.200 The Bible says. 01:03:00.200 --> 01:03:04.360 And so be ready for opposition when you're coming back to 01:03:04.360 --> 01:03:06.040 church or when you're starting out. 01:03:06.040 --> 01:03:08.600 You're going to have some resistance from the devil. 01:03:08.600 --> 01:03:10.800 You're going to have resistance from your family, 01:03:10.800 --> 01:03:12.120 from your friends. 01:03:12.120 --> 01:03:16.040 Oh, now you're not like, you're throwing away all your 01:03:16.040 --> 01:03:17.040 clothes. 01:03:17.040 --> 01:03:19.280 You're not dressing like a little fag anymore. 01:03:19.280 --> 01:03:21.840 You're not dressing like a little femboy anymore. 01:03:21.840 --> 01:03:23.080 You're not dressing like this. 01:03:23.080 --> 01:03:24.120 Oh, you're changing. 01:03:24.120 --> 01:03:26.000 Look at all the things you're doing now. 01:03:26.000 --> 01:03:28.960 And they're trying to reel you back in. 01:03:28.960 --> 01:03:33.400 You need to stand firm and say, this is what I'm doing. 01:03:33.400 --> 01:03:35.520 This is what I'm about. 01:03:35.520 --> 01:03:39.000 I remember when I first got saved, I went to a fundamental 01:03:39.000 --> 01:03:40.240 Baptist church. 01:03:40.240 --> 01:03:48.480 And my general clothing, BC, was just Dickies and a white 01:03:48.480 --> 01:03:54.080 shirt and Chuck Taylors and a Dickies jacket. 01:03:54.080 --> 01:03:58.640 That was what I wore every single day, amongst other 01:03:58.640 --> 01:04:02.160 things that I will not divulge, living in Long 01:04:02.160 --> 01:04:02.840 Beach. 01:04:02.840 --> 01:04:04.160 And so that's what I would wear. 01:04:05.160 --> 01:04:07.600 When I went to church, I was like, oh, I'm going to buy the 01:04:07.600 --> 01:04:09.800 cleanest white shirt that I got. 01:04:09.800 --> 01:04:11.080 You can find me. 01:04:11.080 --> 01:04:13.200 The pro clubs that are so clean, they're so white, they 01:04:13.200 --> 01:04:14.440 almost look blue. 01:04:17.000 --> 01:04:19.960 But I looked at everyone, and I was just like, everyone's 01:04:19.960 --> 01:04:22.200 dressed up. 01:04:22.200 --> 01:04:27.640 And no one told me, hey, you got to like, what is this? 01:04:27.640 --> 01:04:29.040 What is this? 01:04:29.040 --> 01:04:31.160 Chucks for the house of God? 01:04:31.160 --> 01:04:33.280 And obviously, no one said anything to me because there 01:04:33.280 --> 01:04:34.960 wasn't any dress code there. 01:04:34.960 --> 01:04:38.920 But what I noticed as a brand new believer is that these 01:04:38.920 --> 01:04:41.640 people are wearing their Sunday's best. 01:04:41.640 --> 01:04:44.200 The house of God seems to be very important to them, 01:04:44.200 --> 01:04:46.040 because they're dressing up. 01:04:46.040 --> 01:04:48.280 They're wearing a shirt and tie. 01:04:48.280 --> 01:04:49.640 Coming here is important. 01:04:49.640 --> 01:04:52.440 So I just naturally transitioned into that. 01:04:52.440 --> 01:04:55.320 And I remember when I did, my friends were just like, what 01:04:55.320 --> 01:04:57.560 is this? 01:04:57.560 --> 01:04:59.560 Oh, you're tucking your shirt now? 01:04:59.560 --> 01:05:01.400 Oh, you're pulling up your pants now? 01:05:01.400 --> 01:05:03.080 You're not sagging or whatever? 01:05:03.960 --> 01:05:06.040 And it's just like, yeah, because I'm a Christian. 01:05:06.040 --> 01:05:07.840 Oh, how does this have to do with the Christian? 01:05:07.840 --> 01:05:11.920 Well, obviously, it's catching your attention. 01:05:11.920 --> 01:05:14.600 It's showing you that there's somewhat of a difference now. 01:05:14.600 --> 01:05:17.880 And I just feel like there's been a change on the inside, 01:05:17.880 --> 01:05:21.920 and I kind of want to make a change on the outside, too. 01:05:21.920 --> 01:05:23.760 The fundamental Baptist church that I was going to was not a 01:05:23.760 --> 01:05:26.320 cholo church. 01:05:26.320 --> 01:05:29.240 It's not a come as you are and leave as you were. 01:05:29.280 --> 01:05:33.280 It was a place that wanted you to change inside and out. 01:05:35.800 --> 01:05:37.600 And so I got rid of the bus cut. 01:05:37.600 --> 01:05:41.760 I got rid of a lot of things, and I started changing. 01:05:41.760 --> 01:05:42.520 But let me just say this. 01:05:42.520 --> 01:05:46.040 I did face a lot of opposition from my family, from friends, 01:05:46.040 --> 01:05:48.480 from different people, but I shall not be moved. 01:05:48.480 --> 01:05:50.880 Amen? 01:05:50.880 --> 01:05:53.920 Go to Nehemiah chapter 1. 01:05:53.920 --> 01:05:54.960 I'm out of time, actually. 01:05:54.960 --> 01:05:57.120 Man, I got so much more to say. 01:05:57.120 --> 01:05:58.240 Go to Nehemiah 13. 01:05:58.240 --> 01:06:01.480 We'll finish there. 01:06:01.480 --> 01:06:03.960 The last part of the restoration, of the return, 01:06:03.960 --> 01:06:06.920 is Nehemiah rebuilding the walls. 01:06:06.920 --> 01:06:10.280 So you have Zerubbabel building the temple. 01:06:10.280 --> 01:06:12.760 You have Ezra building the people. 01:06:12.760 --> 01:06:15.640 And then lastly, you have Nehemiah coming and rebuilding 01:06:15.640 --> 01:06:16.960 the walls around the temple. 01:06:16.960 --> 01:06:18.920 Now, what is the spiritual significance to that? 01:06:18.920 --> 01:06:20.600 Well, the temple, we obviously know what that picture is. 01:06:20.600 --> 01:06:22.360 We obviously know what Ezra's doing by 01:06:22.360 --> 01:06:23.600 rebuilding the people. 01:06:23.600 --> 01:06:27.120 The walls are the protection to protect that which is on the 01:06:27.120 --> 01:06:28.480 inside. 01:06:28.480 --> 01:06:32.440 You know, when you come back to church, it's important for you 01:06:32.440 --> 01:06:36.680 to start setting up some rules for yourself, some preferences 01:06:36.680 --> 01:06:40.040 that protect you so that you don't revert back to your old 01:06:40.040 --> 01:06:41.520 ways. 01:06:41.520 --> 01:06:45.960 Put some walls up whereby you don't go back to your old 01:06:45.960 --> 01:06:49.120 friends, go back to your old girlfriend, go back to your old 01:06:49.120 --> 01:06:51.160 boyfriend, go back to old habits. 01:06:51.160 --> 01:06:54.120 You've got to start setting up some preferences, some 01:06:54.120 --> 01:06:57.680 standards that will protect you from violating the word of 01:06:57.680 --> 01:07:00.920 God when that temptation arises. 01:07:00.920 --> 01:07:03.440 And that's exactly what Nehemiah did. 01:07:03.440 --> 01:07:04.640 He came back. 01:07:04.640 --> 01:07:09.280 He built the wall, which represents protection. 01:07:09.280 --> 01:07:11.320 And by the way, he also faced opposition. 01:07:11.320 --> 01:07:13.440 There's people who are opposing him with the wall. 01:07:13.440 --> 01:07:16.560 They're trying to get him to stop from building it. 01:07:16.560 --> 01:07:20.240 And the cool thing about this is that Nehemiah, he's 01:07:20.240 --> 01:07:23.480 rebuilding the wall with the people. 01:07:23.520 --> 01:07:24.720 And this is extremely important. 01:07:24.720 --> 01:07:25.720 It's awesome. 01:07:25.720 --> 01:07:28.920 As they're rebuilding the wall, they have a tool on one hand, 01:07:28.920 --> 01:07:31.760 and they've got a sword in the other one. 01:07:31.760 --> 01:07:34.400 So as they're building, they're fighting. 01:07:34.400 --> 01:07:36.080 So they're just like, shh, shh, shh. 01:07:36.080 --> 01:07:37.360 Ha, ha, ha. 01:07:37.360 --> 01:07:38.640 People are just trying to stop them. 01:07:38.640 --> 01:07:40.720 They're just piercing people through. 01:07:40.720 --> 01:07:41.800 They're fighting people. 01:07:41.800 --> 01:07:46.160 So this is a principle for us that as we build, we also have 01:07:46.160 --> 01:07:48.440 to fight. 01:07:48.440 --> 01:07:51.960 As you're building yourself up, don't think, well, I'll wait 01:07:51.960 --> 01:07:54.840 until I get to 100%, then I'll start going soul-wanting. 01:07:54.840 --> 01:07:57.680 Go soul-wanting now. 01:07:57.680 --> 01:08:02.720 Oh, as I'm repenting of my sin, then I'll start going out 01:08:02.720 --> 01:08:03.480 and preaching the God. 01:08:03.480 --> 01:08:05.400 No, just do it now. 01:08:05.400 --> 01:08:09.800 Have a tool on one hand where you're rebuilding the wall, 01:08:09.800 --> 01:08:13.640 protecting yourself, and then have a sword in the other, the 01:08:13.640 --> 01:08:16.600 sword of the spirit, and you're opening your mouth, 01:08:16.600 --> 01:08:19.720 bolding to make known the mysteries of the gospel. 01:08:19.720 --> 01:08:20.960 Fight the good fight of faith, amen? 01:08:24.160 --> 01:08:25.600 All right, look at Nehemiah chapter 13. 01:08:25.600 --> 01:08:27.560 I already mentioned this, but it's cool to read, though. 01:08:27.560 --> 01:08:28.880 Look at verse 23. 01:08:28.880 --> 01:08:32.200 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of 01:08:32.200 --> 01:08:35.440 Ashdod and Ammon and of Moab. 01:08:35.440 --> 01:08:38.440 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod and 01:08:38.440 --> 01:08:41.640 could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the 01:08:41.640 --> 01:08:43.080 language of each people. 01:08:43.080 --> 01:08:46.200 So these are the Nohsabal kids, right? 01:08:46.200 --> 01:08:48.360 They couldn't really speak in their own native tongue or 01:08:48.360 --> 01:08:50.560 whatever. 01:08:50.560 --> 01:08:53.760 Koropiah, who's one of those? 01:08:53.760 --> 01:08:59.240 Nomasaherd, one of those guys, like some of you, I think. 01:08:59.240 --> 01:09:02.480 He says, and I contended with them and cursed them and 01:09:02.480 --> 01:09:05.440 smote certain of them and plucked off their hair. 01:09:05.440 --> 01:09:09.080 He's like, I'm not losing my hair for you guys. 01:09:09.080 --> 01:09:09.760 I'm going to keep this. 01:09:09.760 --> 01:09:11.080 I'm going to pluck your hair out. 01:09:11.080 --> 01:09:14.160 He said plucked off their hair and made them swear by God, 01:09:14.160 --> 01:09:17.800 saying ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor 01:09:17.800 --> 01:09:21.200 take their daughters unto your sons or for yourselves. 01:09:21.200 --> 01:09:24.040 Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? 01:09:24.040 --> 01:09:27.000 Yet among many nations was there no king like him who was 01:09:27.000 --> 01:09:30.040 beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel. 01:09:30.040 --> 01:09:32.440 Nevertheless, even him did outlandish women 01:09:32.440 --> 01:09:33.440 caused to sin. 01:09:33.440 --> 01:09:34.240 What do we see here? 01:09:34.240 --> 01:09:39.720 Nehemiah taking extreme measures to ensure separation. 01:09:39.720 --> 01:09:42.000 Hey, when you come back to church, get zealous. 01:09:42.000 --> 01:09:42.400 And you know what? 01:09:42.400 --> 01:09:44.000 If you've got to take extreme measures, take extreme 01:09:44.000 --> 01:09:45.640 measures. 01:09:45.640 --> 01:09:47.880 I'd rather have someone take an extreme measure than be 01:09:47.880 --> 01:09:52.920 overly compromising, overly soft, not really knowing where 01:09:52.920 --> 01:09:54.560 to draw the line. 01:09:54.560 --> 01:09:56.120 I'd rather have someone who's just like, I'm just going to 01:09:56.120 --> 01:09:58.560 draw the line here. 01:09:58.560 --> 01:09:58.960 And you know what? 01:09:58.960 --> 01:10:05.160 Sometimes because of the severity of your actions, it 01:10:05.160 --> 01:10:09.320 requires some extreme measures you've got to take. 01:10:09.320 --> 01:10:13.440 It requires the severing of certain relationships. 01:10:13.480 --> 01:10:17.400 Certain friendships, certain people that you know, and even 01:10:17.400 --> 01:10:19.880 in some cases, certain family members. 01:10:19.880 --> 01:10:22.000 Now, if you live with your mom and dad, you can't do 01:10:22.000 --> 01:10:24.360 anything about that. 01:10:24.360 --> 01:10:26.680 But again, I remember when I first got saved, I had a lot 01:10:26.680 --> 01:10:30.880 of friends, and a lot of them were bad influences. 01:10:30.880 --> 01:10:34.560 A lot of them were just worldly people, 01:10:34.560 --> 01:10:36.400 godless people even. 01:10:36.400 --> 01:10:38.880 And I brought a lot of them to church. 01:10:38.880 --> 01:10:42.080 And many of them did get saved, but many of them didn't. 01:10:42.080 --> 01:10:43.560 Many of them remain blasphemers. 01:10:43.560 --> 01:10:46.560 They're still blasphemers to this day. 01:10:46.560 --> 01:10:48.160 And you know what I did? 01:10:48.160 --> 01:10:51.760 I just told them, if you guys ever want to hang out, you 01:10:51.760 --> 01:10:53.560 got to come to my church. 01:10:53.560 --> 01:10:55.000 Because I'm not going to go where you guys are going to 01:10:55.000 --> 01:10:56.240 go. 01:10:56.240 --> 01:11:02.320 And that really was a test to see how good of friends they 01:11:02.320 --> 01:11:03.200 were. 01:11:03.200 --> 01:11:05.000 Because if they really loved me, if they really wanted to 01:11:05.000 --> 01:11:06.760 be with me, they would be in church. 01:11:06.760 --> 01:11:07.200 But you know what? 01:11:07.200 --> 01:11:10.440 They're not here anymore. 01:11:10.480 --> 01:11:12.880 And so those relationships were severed, because obviously 01:11:12.880 --> 01:11:14.080 it wasn't important for them. 01:11:14.080 --> 01:11:16.000 And I'm good with that. 01:11:16.000 --> 01:11:19.840 And they thought I was taking these extreme measures by 01:11:19.840 --> 01:11:21.520 being a Christian and separating myself from them. 01:11:21.520 --> 01:11:22.720 But you know what? 01:11:22.720 --> 01:11:25.160 I'm glad I did it. 01:11:25.160 --> 01:11:26.080 I'm glad. 01:11:26.080 --> 01:11:28.400 Because who knows what would have happened if I continued 01:11:28.400 --> 01:11:33.440 with the people of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab, and the 01:11:33.440 --> 01:11:36.200 influence they could have had in my life thereafter. 01:11:36.200 --> 01:11:39.640 Sometimes you just got to sever certain relationships. 01:11:39.680 --> 01:11:40.160 And you know what? 01:11:40.160 --> 01:11:41.800 If you don't feel comfortable with that, then bring them to 01:11:41.800 --> 01:11:42.200 church. 01:11:42.200 --> 01:11:43.520 Let's try to get them saved. 01:11:43.520 --> 01:11:47.360 And if they don't want to get saved, then continue 01:11:47.360 --> 01:11:48.600 without them. 01:11:48.600 --> 01:11:50.920 If they do get saved, hopefully they stay in church. 01:11:50.920 --> 01:11:53.120 Amen. 01:11:53.120 --> 01:11:55.560 And we've had many people in our church who have invited 01:11:55.560 --> 01:11:59.000 their friends, and their friends have stuck it out. 01:11:59.000 --> 01:11:59.880 Their friends have stuck it out. 01:11:59.880 --> 01:12:02.000 They got saved, baptized. 01:12:02.000 --> 01:12:04.000 Then they get married in our church. 01:12:04.000 --> 01:12:05.200 They start living a godly life. 01:12:05.200 --> 01:12:06.520 And praise God for that. 01:12:06.520 --> 01:12:08.360 That's ideal. 01:12:08.360 --> 01:12:09.040 But you know what? 01:12:09.040 --> 01:12:11.400 Sometimes that just doesn't happen. 01:12:11.400 --> 01:12:12.040 And you know what? 01:12:12.040 --> 01:12:14.600 You can't shed a tear for that. 01:12:14.600 --> 01:12:16.000 I had really good friends. 01:12:16.000 --> 01:12:18.720 And these were people who claimed to take a bullet for 01:12:18.720 --> 01:12:23.240 me, and these people were just like, they were down. 01:12:23.240 --> 01:12:25.520 That's the PG version of it right there. 01:12:25.520 --> 01:12:28.400 They were just down. 01:12:28.400 --> 01:12:29.080 But you know what? 01:12:29.080 --> 01:12:30.880 Not anymore. 01:12:30.880 --> 01:12:31.280 Not anymore. 01:12:31.280 --> 01:12:31.920 That's just how it is. 01:12:31.920 --> 01:12:32.280 And you know what? 01:12:32.280 --> 01:12:33.040 I didn't shed a tear. 01:12:33.040 --> 01:12:35.680 I was just like, well, time to move on and press 01:12:35.680 --> 01:12:37.720 towards the mark. 01:12:37.720 --> 01:12:40.960 No one join me, still I will follow. 01:12:40.960 --> 01:12:44.800 The world behind me, the cross before me. 01:12:44.800 --> 01:12:46.240 And that's how we have to treat it. 01:12:46.240 --> 01:12:47.080 What's the sermon today? 01:12:47.080 --> 01:12:49.840 Well, this morning was about the captivity. 01:12:49.840 --> 01:12:53.280 This sermon here is about the return from Babylon. 01:12:53.280 --> 01:12:56.520 It happens in stages as well. 01:12:56.520 --> 01:12:57.760 We need Zerubbabel. 01:12:57.760 --> 01:12:58.960 We need Ezra. 01:12:58.960 --> 01:13:00.680 And we need the attitude of Nehemiah. 01:13:00.680 --> 01:13:00.960 Let's pray. 01:13:00.960 --> 01:13:02.080 Father, we thank you so much for this day. 01:13:02.080 --> 01:13:04.400 Thank you for the principles of your word. 01:13:04.400 --> 01:13:07.520 Help us as your people to take the necessary steps to be 01:13:07.520 --> 01:13:09.120 restored when needed. 01:13:09.120 --> 01:13:12.000 And I pray that, Lord, you'd help us to take the extreme 01:13:12.000 --> 01:13:17.240 measures lest we should go back to the folly. 01:13:17.240 --> 01:13:20.320 Help us not to be fools that returns back to our folly as a 01:13:20.320 --> 01:13:21.840 dog returns to his vomit. 01:13:21.840 --> 01:13:23.560 And I just pray that you bless us as we go on our way. 01:13:23.560 --> 01:13:23.920 We love you. 01:13:23.920 --> 01:13:24.320 We thank you. 01:13:24.320 --> 01:13:25.600 Pray this in Jesus' name. 01:13:25.600 --> 01:13:26.840 Amen. 01:13:33.360 --> 01:13:33.720 Amen. 01:13:34.240 --> 01:13:38.480 Turn to song number 129, Rock of Ages. 01:13:38.480 --> 01:13:42.520 Song number 129, Rock of Ages.