Reclaim | Silver & Sweat

Silver & Sweat | Ezra 2:68-3:11
Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

There is a cost to Reclaim what has been lost.
Two Important Lessons when Reclaiming what has been lost:

Lesson #1: Reclaiming requires Investing in the Mission.

Ezra 2:68-69 “When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.”

1 Corinthians 9:6-8,11 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
1 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 

“You can’t out give God.”   

Lesson #2. Reclaiming requires Sweat Equity

A. Rebuilding the Altar

Ezra 3:1-2 “When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. 2 Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.”

Ezra 3:3 “Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices.”

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Warren Weirsbe “It wasn’t necessary to wait until the temple was completed before offering sacrifices to God. As long as there was a sanctified altar and a qualified priest, sacrifices could be given to the Lord.”

1 Samuel 15:22 “But Samuel replied: Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

B. Rebuilding the Temple

Ezra 3:7-13 “Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the LORD.”

Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Philippians 2:2 “then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

Ezra 3:10-11 “When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel. 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.”And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.”

Lexington needs Jesus!

Jesus expects us to pray.
Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray…”
Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray…”
Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray…”
Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray:”

Unceasing Prayer for Lexington – www.ncclex.org/prayer