Would you join me this morning
once again in the book of Ezra? The book of Ezra, we're starting
chapter four. Ezra chapter four. Yesterday,
I tried to find a radio station to listen to on my car. And it
has one of those buttons that you press and it goes to the
next station, seek button. Well, it stopped momentarily
on a station and all the fellow said was, God is trying to help
you. And I hit the button. God never tried to do anything. God never ever tried to do anything. He's always doing. And that is
such a blessing to me as I enter in again into this wonderful
book of Ezra, the gospel according to Ezra. Ezra chapter four, I'd like to
read the first six verses of Ezra chapter four. Things change
just slightly here from our earlier studies. Now, when, the adversaries
of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity
builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel. Then they came
to Zerubbabel and to the chief fathers and said unto them, let
us build with you for we seek your God as ye do. We do sacrifice to him since
the days of Azerhaddon, king of Azur, which brought us up
hither. But Zerubbabel and Joshua and
the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said unto them,
ye have nothing to do with us to build in house unto our God. But we ourselves together will
build unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus, the king of Persia,
hath commanded us. Then the people of the land weakened
the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose.
all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign
of Darius, king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus,
in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation
against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. That verse one,
when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that, the
children and the church, the children of God and the church
have always wanted to live peaceably with all men. Just leave us alone. And very seldom has that happened.
There is a verse of scripture over in the book of Romans chapter
12 that speaks to this, Romans chapter 12 and verse 18, that
as the apostle Paul was writing, He shares with us, as the Holy
Spirit gave him utterance, Romans chapter 12 and verse 18. It says,
if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably
with all men. Almost always, it's the those
who don't like it that want to raise a ruckus. I was thinking
about Abel. He wasn't spoiling for a fight
when he offered a more excellent sacrifice. He wasn't trying to
intimidate a soul. He was just being honest. with
himself and honest with God. When God changed him, gave him
the new birth and God commanded that he offer a sacrifice to
demonstrate, to picture, to give a demonstration to his family
that truly Family, I'm a sinner, and I need a substitute, and
this lamb is a substitute, and blood must be shed, and it pictures
the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was
not looking for a fuss. He was not looking for a fight.
Exactly the opposite. I am convinced that he was like
so many. As much as lies within me, I
just want to live peaceably with all men. Cain was looking for a fuss.
And he came up and did that very thing. He killed his own brother. It was the adversaries in his
own family. And we find out in the book of
Matthew chapter 10 and verse 36, a man's foes shall be those of his own
household. And that is true right here in
the book of Ezra. Most of the people that are bringing
a fuss are part Jews. And they call these people the
children of... There in verse four, the children
of the captivity. A group of them were captured
and brought down to Jerusalem, and brought down to Judah, and
brought down to Israel, and they were transported as captives
to this land, and we have them intermarrying with the folks
that were left there, and we have the Samaritans. Those who
were half and half, they partially were the family and yet they're
raising the biggest ruckus. Judah and Benjamin were not spoiling
for a fight when they left Persia and came over here to Jerusalem
and started to build that temple. They just wanted to be left alone
like everybody else that knows anything about the gospel. Just
leave us alone. Don't impinge upon us. Don't
try to impose upon us. Yet, I've had people tell me
that A Brother Henry shared with me one time, a preacher came
to him and he says, Brother Henry, they're building a church building
right next to our building. He says, don't worry about it,
you're not in competition. I had someone tell me we have
to be really careful about where these mosques are going. in the
United States. You can feel like you want to,
but as long as our Constitution is in effect, we have guaranteed
religious freedom to everybody. And as soon as we impinge upon
somebody, they have the right to impinge upon us. So, let's
just live as much as lies within us, peaceable with all people. It is not the Christians. It's
not believers. Now they may call themselves
Christians, but true believers are not interested in a fight.
They're interested in following God. They're interested in following
the gospel. They're interested in glorifying
Christ. They're interested in lifting Him up. They're interested
in doing what He's asked them to do. They're interested in
preaching the gospel to every creature, but they will not impose
it on a soul. An unregenerate heart is always
looking for a fight. Angry with God, angry with the
people of God, and angry with self. And that's just the way
it is. In verse 2, it is easy for an
unregenerate to say, I'm just like you. I don't know how many
people have told me here in the Dalles, our church believes just
like you do. You know the crux of the matter
is to ask one question. That's all you have to ask. Who
did Jesus die for? And immediately they will tell
you, well, he died for everybody that's ever been born. And Jesus
never said that. He said he died for his sheep. That's they don't believe the
gospel, they don't believe the Bible, and they never have. And
it takes the grace of God in regeneration for anybody to ever
agree with what God has to say about his word. The world has
always been full of compromisers, and we find that throughout the
scriptures. There was a man in the New Testament that had a
lot of money, and he saw some things going on with the disciples,
and he said, I will pay to have that very gift. Turn with me
to the book of Acts, if you would. Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter
8 and verse 18. Here's a guy. He's quite wealthy. And you know, some folks, they
think their wealth can overwhelm the gospel and make it compromise.
Well, it can't. In Acts 8, verse 18, the scriptures
share this, and when Simeon saw that through laying on the apostles'
hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money. Now I'm
not completely sure what was going on there. Every believer
would have said, this is an act of God. This is not the apostles. And he goes saying, give me also
this power that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the
Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, thy
money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift
of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part. Now those leaders of Judah and
Benjamin over in the book of Ezra as they're building the
foundation of the temple and later the temple, they could
have said exactly these same words. Those folks were not interested
in helping. They were interested in hindering
the progress of the God of heaven. Here it says, that has neither
part nor lot in this matter, and that's essentially what those
leaders said to those folks. You don't have part or lot in
this, or you would not come with a conniving spirit. You would
not have this attitude that we're going to help you, but it's really
going to be a hindrance to you. We're not going to put the proper
cement in your mortar. That's all they're going to do,
and it takes the gospel to do what is necessary. As it goes
on there, Peter said unto him, Thy money
perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of
God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot
in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of
God. And that's exactly what the leaders
there in Judah and Benjamin could have said and did say to those
guys from the outside trying to come on to the inside without
any evidence that God had ever worked a work of grace in them.
You have no part or lot in us. Your heart is not right with
God. You would not be doing this if it was. You would not be trying
to bring divisions if your heart was right with God. saying, Give
me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the
Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy
money perish with thee. Verse 22, Repent therefore of
this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of
thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art
in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then
answered Simon, and said, Pray ye the Lord for me, that none
of these things which thou hast spoken come upon me. He never
said, pray for my salvation. He said, I just don't want God
to punish me like that. Well, it goes on and on throughout
the scriptures. Things like that happen. Going
back to the book of Ezra, there in verse three, But Zerubbabel
and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel
said unto them, you have nothing to do with us to build a house
unto our God. But we ourselves together will
build unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus, the king of Persia,
hath commanded. Now, may we look at who are the
true builders of the temple of God, the spiritual temple of
God. Who are the true builders of
the temple? Well, number one, the true builders
of the temple of God are they that will build on the true foundation
alone. There is a foundation. already
set. In the scriptures it's declared
that in Jesus Christ is the true foundation. There's none other
foundation given but that foundation. All other foundations are like
sand. This is the firm solid rock to
build on and every believer that has ever been called of God by
his spirit in salvation has realized that there is one foundation
and this foundation alone is the foundation that we must be
on and it is the foundation that we must declare. Note for other
foundation can no man lay than is laid which is Jesus Christ
those who? Will build on the true foundation
have part and lot in this Those disciples there in the book of
Ezra, they knew where to build that foundation because there
was the marks. This is where it needs to go.
They knew where to put the altar because the former altar had
marks there. They were not trying to rebuild
it in another place. The Samaritan woman in the days
of the Lord Jesus said, our fathers say in this mountain and you
say in Jerusalem. Well, in Jerusalem is where the
temple is, and in Christ is where the foundation is, and so true
believers will always point people to the true foundation, and He
is Jesus Christ the Lord. Those are the true builders.
Outside of that, they are the detractors. It doesn't matter
what foundation you build on. It doesn't matter where it is.
It doesn't matter what you do with it. Well, it does to God.
He will only honor one foundation and His name is Jesus Christ
the Lord. One foundation. Building rightly, excuse me,
Who are these builders? They will build with a true materials. Now those children of Judah and
Benjamin were building with the foundation stones. They didn't
add anything else, any rubble in the middle. They didn't cut
corners when they were building the foundation of that temple.
It was not cut corner time when Solomon had that temple built.
It was massive. It was foundation upon a rock
and these great stones were placed there and they were placed there
in such a fashion that people could stand back and say, what
beauty is here. Noah's brother Craig read this
morning there in the book of Matthew about the Lord on the
Mount of Transfiguration. It shared with us a bright cloud
overshadowed them. Who? Moses and Elisha. The great cloud overshadowed
the law, the great cloud overshadowed the prophets and what they had
to say, and who is left? The great foundation, Jesus Christ
and God seeing, hear ye Him. It is wonderful to have the foundation
and then to find out that the materials are ordained of God
also. That there is no need to go hunting
for the right material. It is right in front of us and
revealed to us from the word of God. When they had lifted
up their eyes, they saw no man save Jesus only. No other foundation
can be laid but that foundation, and no other material is given
but Jesus Christ the Lord. And those who came up to, and
we're gonna find out, they sent letters back to Babylon and said,
please stop this work. Guess what? The king said, okay,
and he sent word, stop the work. They may have stopped the work
for a season. But the work was eventually finished on God's
good time. People thought God's being interrupted.
He never has been interrupted. God is being thwarted. He's never
been thwarted. God has a timetable and he ordained
what happened there with the building of that temple and the
walls of Jerusalem and when it was right to have it finished,
It was finished. Now, the people that stood by
said, I wish we could be building, and I wish we could be building
with the right material, and I wish we could have that foundation
going. But they were stymied and stopped for a season. They
did not change their minds about the foundation or the materials
of the foundation. They were not going looking somewhere
else to build. They knew where it must be, and
they knew what it must be of, and so it is today. It may look
like God has been stymied, but the foundation is the same, and
the material is the same, and when it's His appointed time,
it will be built. The Apostle Paul shared in 1
Corinthians 2, verse 2, For I have determined not to know anything
among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Paul shared
many things with the churches that he wrote to, but the theme
started with that. I determine not to know anything
among you. So, if they're gonna have him
as a conference speaker, they already know what the message
will be. If he's gonna be traveling over here and speaking at a church,
that church already knows what the message will be. And so it
is, when we have folks here, We plan, we pray, we hope that
there's only one message and that is Jesus Christ and him
crucified. For he is the right foundation
and he is the right material. And he is the only one that can
make a change in people's lives. The Lord never got involved with
politics and neither did Paul. And very few times in the Old
Testament do we have people getting involved with politics. I didn't
find reading in here that the children of Israel and of Judah
and Benjamin immediately wrote a letter back to the king. They're
waiting on God. Who are the true builders? They
that will build in accordance with the true plan alone. There is a set of plans. No deviation. There is no room. for going to
the right hand or to the left hand. What a question to ask the religious
world about God's plan for building. There's a book written by a man
by the name of Finney. Can't remember his first name.
Came out in about 1800. That man and his book changed
religion in America because He took the true plan and modify it by
saying salvation is a formula. If I can just get people to listen
enough and ask the right questions, I can get them into the kingdom
because God's not doing it quick enough and I've been sent here
to help God. There is no formula. The person
is Christ. There's not questions that can
be asked. I was a kid and I said, do you want to go to, they asked
me, do you want to go to hell? Well, of course not. And so they
ask you a few more questions, says okay, now you're fine. That's
religion. That's not the right material. That is not the true building. That is not in accordance with
the true plan. The true plan is Christ and him
crucified preaching the gospel and letting God take care of
it. It is not A plus B equals C. Nobody can figure out God. Nobody can make a formula out
of God. But boy, oh boy, that whole thing
has permeated religion today. in such a manner that it is hardly
able to find the gospel being preached where nothing is added
and nothing is taken away. Those who were building that
temple, those foundation stones in the Book of Ezra, they did
not go to something else. They did tell those folks, you
have no part or lot in it. Now, in modern society and modern
religion, come right in, folks. We need your tithes. But that
day they said, stop. You go about your own business,
we'll take care of this business. They left, they that will build
in accordance to the true plan, and that plan, would you turn
with me to the book of Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10,
we find the true plan. It will never be improved upon.
God has never ordained anything else but this very plan. Romans
chapter 10 verse 8. I have a Bible my dad gave me. I think I was 10 years old and
I'm sitting by him in church and I'm messing around and he
grabs that Bible and he underlines one verse. and in whispers in
my ear, why don't you be quiet, maybe someday you'll be saved
if you follow this verse. Well, that verse is right in
this writing, but he never went ahead to the rest of the passage.
He stopped at one verse. Romans chapter 10 and verse 8,
the scripture says, but what sayeth it? The word is nigh thee,
even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is the word of faith
which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, this is the verse he gave me, and shall believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. Now my dad never believed that
verse because that is the product of salvation. That's not the
requirement for it. Those who have this are saved. not are in the process of being,
but are saved. Going on, it says, for with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference
between Jew or Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto
all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. Past tense. How then? shall they call on him in whom
they have not believed? How shall they believe on him
on whom they have not heard? That's why the formula when I
was a kid that they said, do you want to go to hell? No. Jesus never preached hell. He preached Christ. It's a formula. They had never
told me anything about sin. They never told me anything about
Christ. It was just, you don't want to
go to hell, do you? Well, here it says, how shall
they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring
glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath
believed our report? And so then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went
out into all earth, and their words into the ends of the world.
But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke
you to jealousy by them that are no people, and a foolish
nation will I anger you. But Isaiah says, very bold. and saith, I was found of them
that sought me not. I was made manifest to them that
asked not after me. But to Israel it saith, all day
long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and
gainsaying people. How shall they call without being
informed, without the preaching of the gospel? And how shall
a preacher preach without being called? And it goes right down
the road and what is required. So, who are the true builders? They that will build in accordance
of the true plans alone. The gospel, stick to it, don't
deviate, leave it alone and preach it and God will take care of
the business. Now we may think as those disciples
in the days of Ezra say, Nothing's getting done. There were things
getting done with the offenders, and there were things getting
done in Babylon, and there were things getting done right there
in Jerusalem, and in Judah, and in Benjamin, and nobody could
see it because it was a work of God, and when he finished
his work, it would go on. And that temple would be built,
just like the church is going to be built and finished. In
the end, there will not be one piece of that building left out,
because God has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail
against it. He will do all things according
to His own will, and the church will be complete, and it will
be perfect, and there will not be a spot or blemish about it,
because of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who are these true
builders? They that will build with true
aim alone. Sometimes when I read missionary
reports, I found out that there was no true aim. How many decisions,
how many people, how many baptisms, how many, how many, and nothing
was ever said, may God get glory in our ministry. Those folks
over there in the book of Ezra chapter 4, they were building
a temple of the Lord God of Israel. They were building a temple for
God, for His glory, His honor, and His praise. And that is what
true builders of the temple build today or say today. Who is getting
the glory? The glory belongs to God and
that alone takes place when He is running the show. When He
is in charge. He is the only one that will
get glory. As John himself said, the true
builders brag on God. He must increase. I must decrease. The whole purpose of preaching
the gospel is not having bragging rights on self, but having bragging
rights on God. As that old preacher said, he
had a deal on his wall. Someone said, I'm so surprised
that that man was ever saved. And that man said, I'm surprised
he ever saved me. He, God, has bragging rights
on saving us from our sins. We had nothing to do with it.
We're the sinner, he's the savior. We need to be redeemed, he's
the redeemer. We need to be ransomed, he's
the ransomer. And so it is the true builders
are those have the true aim and that is the glory of God. Building rightly would do away
with all the boasting that is done in religion today. He must
increase, I must decrease. Who are the true builders? They
will build in a true spirit of building. Number one, obedience. There was a king one time that
thought he would save a bunch of sheep, goats and cattle for
the sacrifice to the Lord. And the preacher came along and
says, to obey is better than sacrifice. One man said, it's not hard to
find the truth in the Bible. The problem is facing the truth
in the Bible. Obedience is better than sacrifice,
Samuel told King Saul. Good motive. We're going to take
all these critters and offer sacrifice to God. God had said,
kill them all. They're foreign. You don't need
them. Everything outside of Christ
is foreign. We don't need it. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of 1 Peter, chapter 5. 1 Peter, chapter 5. Those folks there in the book
of Ezra, chapter 4, they were not boasting in themselves.
They were boasting in God. But when it came time for them
to say something to those folks that wanted to help, Like the
preacher was told one time, somebody came to him and says, I want
to come and help you out. And the preacher said, I don't want
out. That's exactly what those folks were saying. We don't want
out. We have a business to tend to here. We have a call to perform
here. God has moved upon us to build
this temple. And in the state of your heart,
you have no part or lot in us. Now please, go over there on
those benches right over there and watch. Go listen. Listen to what we have to say
about God. But you have no part or lot in
us until God changes your heart. All right, here in the book of
1 Peter chapter 5. Those folks, those Jews were
not proud. They were humble before God,
obeying what he said to do. 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 5. Likewise, you younger, submit
yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one
to another, and be clothed with humility. Have you ever met anybody
with fake humility? Plastic. I like Visa humility. It's plastic. It just sticks
out. True humility is given by God.
We cannot produce it. It's something God does to us.
What is it? We bow before a God that's high
and lifted up. We're caused to step down from
ourself and look up to one who is far, far higher than us, to
realize what it took for him to step down to this earth and
lift us up to glory. That he would give up the glory
that he had with the father before the world was and pick up people
who want to be on the pedestal and set them down. And God's
people will always acknowledge the fact that we're sinners saved
by grace and nothing else. We have no pride in ourself.
We're humble before God and it makes us better citizens. Here
in 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 5, going on it says, to be clothed
with humility, for God resisted the proud and giveth grace to
the humble. Those are his saved ones that
have grace. He giveth grace, and that's a mark. Patience,
those folks had to be deadly patient. How many years they're
going to sit there before they're given permission to go back?
How long it was throughout history before certain things would happen?
400 years from the time of Malachi to John the Baptist. There was
a whole group of very patient people with God between the giving
of Daniel and the birth of the Lord Jesus. between the declaration
about Micah and where he would be born and where it actually
happened. There were those all through that time that knew where
they stood. They stood in Christ. They knew
the foundation. They knew the material, the glory
of Christ. They were waiting upon the very
glory of God in the birth of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Patience, patience, patience. They were a very patient people.
Those who were building that temple in the days of Ezra, they
had to exhibit some patience. I don't know why these guys had
to write a letter to the king, but they did and they've stopped
the work. Somebody came along and says,
it's in God's good providence. Let's just wait and see what
happens. And then they were able to go
on. Here in the book of Titus, would you back, turn back with
me just a little bit there to the book of Titus. Titus chapter
1. Titus chapter 1 verses 1 through
3. We have these wonderful words
left to us. Titus chapter 1. Paul, a servant
of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, and acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness,
in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began. But hath in due times manifested
his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according
to the commandment of our Savior. To Titus my own son after the
common faith, grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and from
the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. What patience God gave to Paul
to preach the gospel and wait for his results. What patience
God gives to his people to wait on God. He's not left. He has everything in control. Well, they trust in God. The Apostle Paul summed it up
in 1 Corinthians. He says, so then neither is he
that planteth anything. Talk about letting the air out.
He that planteth isn't anything. Neither is he that watereth.
The God that giveth the increase. Who are the true builders? We
saw some of them in Ezra. They built on the true foundation. They built with the true material. They build in accordance to the
true plan. They build with true aim alone. Glory to God. And they build in true spirit
of building. I'll follow God. God make me
humble because I want to be bragging on myself. Patience, trust God,
and trust God alone. And on goes the work. I brought up to someone, I wonder
what the last pastor of Ephesus felt like. Because that was a great church
at one time. You know, I've come to this conclusion.
It's God's work. He will do with it as He so pleases. And that's what He does with
us. He will do as He so pleases. Let's keep our eye on the true
foundation. Mike and Mike, if you'd come
please. Would you go in the office?