Sermon Notes 09-06-09

September 6th 2009 “Lean Times”
“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia” Ezra 1:1

Millions of Americans find themselves facing the greatest struggles of their lives today, squeezed financially by rising energy costs, rising unemployment rates, fears of a national recession – or even a depression. The housing market has changed dramatically, dramatic stock market losses have taken huge bites out of once-healthy retirement accounts, and credit that was once easily obtained is suddenly in a lock-down mode. In addition, a new presidential administration means more change is on the way, and no one is certain where the change will lead. It adds up to a shocking new way of life: These are “Lean Times.”

Naturally, “lean times” might apply to some other areas of life, too. Relationships and Marriages; the loss of loved ones, can hit hard times as well and grief can leave a person in emotional ruins!
The faith challenge is simple. If you face “lean times,” you’d better have a good foundation on which you can “lean.”
We a not to just survive in lean times but we are to Thrive in Tough Times!
Ezra and Nehemiah provide the biblical background, for they led a people facing far more difficult circumstances to a point of great success – in their work, in their national identity, and in their new understanding of faith.

Illustration: I saw a man, on TV, standing in front of his home in on Monday, August 31st. He had his cell phone in his hand and he was saying, “It’s all gone, it’s burned to the ground. All the houses on our street are gone.” He was talking to his wife and he said: “We will survive, we will re-build. This will be our home again, don’t worry honey!”
How can you survive in lean times?

Points to Ponder:
1st It Takes Two!

It takes you and God to believe and it will be done!
Ezra 1:1 “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia”

Ezra and Nehemiah—two guys who followed God! Instead of Malibu, CA, it was Jerusalem that had been destroyed. The great city had lain in ruins for decades. Those who had been left behind when Judah had been taken away into exile were those deemed the least of the bunch, those not worthy even of capture.

When Ezra and Nehemiah returned, they found that no one had attempted to rebuild either the Temple, or the city.
Jerusalem was ruined, and no one had the energy to rebuild it.
When they arrived home, Ezra and Nehemiah changed all of that. One man was a Bible teacher, and the other was a motivator.
One knew the law, and the other one knew people.
One was committed to preaching, one was committed to action. Together, the two men were used by God to rebuild the city, rebuild the Temple, and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
They worked in an environment that was overwhelmingly negative, with each day’s news reports explaining why they couldn’t do … exactly what they were doing.

In the middle of lean times, they succeeded. In the worst of all the bad days, they were victorious. When people insisted they couldn’t make it, they did more than simply survive. They thrived.Connection with today: The news reports tell us that we’re in hard times, right now. House prices have fallen dramatically, and still aren’t selling. A tank of gas feels like a major purchase, and everything from food prices to basic supplies have seen dramatic increases. For most Americans, it creates “lean times.”

Actually, our version of “hard times” won’t sell very well in the rest of the world, or in the past pages of history.
Actually we’ve got a lot of people hurting. The down-turn in the economy has affected everyone, every industry, every organization, every church.
The history that takes us into the story of Ezra and Nehemiah is pretty simple. After seeing its best days ever under David, and then Solomon, Israel foolishly divided with a Civil War.

The northern kingdom became known as Israel, and it had almost all of the natural resources, and the very best cash flow. The southern kingdom was known as Judah, and its best claim to power was Jerusalem, its capitol and the spiritual center of the people.
In time, the northern kingdom was completely destroyed by the Assyrians. The reason for the destruction was ungodly leadership. There wasn’t a single king in the north that was godly.
Once the northern kingdom was gone, the southern kingdom was a sitting duck. The Babylonians finally took the people captive, 136 years later, and transported the whole lot of them to the area of the world we now know as Iraq and Iran. History better knows the area as Persia, but the point of the Bible is that the entire Jewish people – the people of Judah – were taken into a 70-year exile.
Miraculously, the people were given permission to return to Judah. They were allowed to go back to Jerusalem.
And this is Ezra and Nehemiah’s story, for they were the men who inspired those who had returned to re-build.
They were the men who decided to thrive in very difficult circumstances, and lead the reconstruction of Jerusalem, of the Temple, and of God’s people.

Points to Ponder:
1st Two Believed! It just takes you and God to believe and it will be done!
2nd God is In Control! World leaders are under God’s control.

Ezra 1:1”… the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm”
King Cyrus was the ruler of the world of his day!
The most powerful world leaders of Ezra’s day were under God’s control. Ezra 1:2 “Cyrus, king of Persia, hereby announces that Jehovah, the God of heaven who gave me my vast empire, has now given me the responsibility of building him a Temple in Jerusalem, in the land of Judah.”

The Same is true today. No matter how powerful, the world leaders are as puppets in the hands of God.
From Raul Castro, Fidel’s Brother, to President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, to President Mahmoud Ahma-dine-jad of Iran; to President Shimon Peres of Israel; to Prime Minister Valdimir Putin if Russia; to President Barak Hussein Obama of the United States all of them are under God’s control.

The Romans are examples of God using un-Godly nations to spread the gospel:
The Romans built super highways, improved shipping and transportation, and even volunteered to transport missionaries from the Middle East to Europe (via persecution) … spreading that message faster than could have ever been done, if the first followers of Jesus hadn’t had the unintentional help of the Romans.
The Roman emperor decreed that there must be a census and Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem and the Savior was born!
Are world leaders still under God’s control? Absolutely. We may not understand it, but you can count on it. God is in control. Complete control.

Points to Ponder:
1st Two Believed! It just takes you and God to believe and it will be done!
2nd God is In Control! World leaders are under God’s control.
3rd Follow the Instructions!

Only those who hear – and obey – God’s instructions will thrive in lean times.

Illustration: Every year, about the time April 15 rolls around, there are a lot of news stories about income taxes. But did you know each year, thousands of people forget to claim refunds the IRS has waiting? For the 2006 tax year, for instance, the IRS still has about $100 million in refund checks waiting on the rightful owners to claim. The average, unclaimed refund, they say, is $953. And more than 100,000 taxpayers have let it go.If you’re going to get your refund you have to be aware of the rules! Pastor Phil says: “Only obedience will take us to a point of thriving during lean times.” Ezra 1:6-11 Every lesson of value seems to come in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Since the heart of these lean times comes from not having as much money as we used to, what about the money?
Will we take money away from our gifts to the Lord so we can keep putting the same amount of gasoline in our vehicles? What if tough financial times were actually a test from God?

The Bible has told us that God can provide for all our needs. Could it be that God is calling us back to a state of biblical, fiscal responsibility? Psalms 37:1-5 “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

Elijah and the Widow women! How to survive in lean times: 1st Kings 17:2-1