Ezra 3. I've entitled this message, What Was Built First? In Chapter 2, we read of 49,000 637 people leaving Babylon on the command of Cyrus and going back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temples, or the temple, and the walls around the city. Now these people, all of which were under 70 at any rate, had lived in Babylon all their lives. It'd be like me being called upon to go to a country of my ancestors that I'd never been to. And here I go. Why did they do this?

We'll look in Ezra chapter one. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah, and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised up." Now that is the same word used in verse one. Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing. The Lord stirred up Cyrus. I think that's exciting. The Lord stirring up the heart of a man or a woman.

And here he stirs up the hearts of over 49,000, very close to 50,000 people to return to Jerusalem. So they take a four-month journey. That's how long it took. Can you imagine walking for four months to a place you'd never been, most of them, at any rate? And they get back to Jerusalem, and this is the condition they find Jerusalem in. It had been this way for 70 years. Look in 2 Chronicles 36, beginning in verse 17.

Therefore he, God, brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, speaking of Nebuchadnezzar, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age. He gave them all into his hand, and all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, out of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and break down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. The place was left in ruin."

And they come back to this place that had been destroyed. And in chapter three, and when the seventh month was come, now evidently, after this four month journey to Jerusalem from Babylon, they took about three months to get settled in before they could begin the building of this house. And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. For this purpose, this great work of rebuilding Jerusalem.

Now, if you were them, and you come into this rubble, this ruin, this city that had been burned and broken down, where would you begin? I'd begin with the walls. for protection. I mean, the walls had all been broken down, and where would I begin? I'd begin with the walls, and the people were concerned about the heathen round about them.

Look in verse three. And they set the altar upon his bases, for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries. And they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, and even burnt offerings morning and evening. They were afraid of the people that lived there. And as a matter of fact, look in chapter four for just a moment.

Verse 11, when the enemies of the Jews were riding to Artaxerxes to try to get him to stop this building, they faced opposition nonstop. Verse 11, this is the copy of the letter they sent unto them, even to Artaxerxes, the king, thy servants, the men on this side of the river, and such at a time, be it known unto the king that the Jews which came up to us are coming to Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations thereof. Be it known now unto the king if the city builded and the walls set up again, Then will they not pay toll and tribute and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. We are warning you, don't let them build these walls, because once they have these walls of protections, they won't pay taxes anymore, and you'll be the loser out of this. So I can see where the walls would be the first thing they would want to build, but what did they build? Back to chapter three, verse one.

And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. Then stood up Joshua, the son of Josedach, and his brethren, the priests, and Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded," what?

The altar of God. The place for sacrifice. This came before the walls, This came before the building of the temple. They built the altar. Now, evidently, they had to search for it through the rubble. And they set the altar upon its basis. They found the place where it had been laid. And they built an altar exactly like the one that had been destroyed. The altar for sacrifice. And they made it exactly like the original altar that Solomon built in Solomon's temple.

Now, what comes first in the salvation of the sinner? The sacrifice of Christ. That comes first, the cross. Revelation chapter 13, verse eight, we read, of the lamb having been slain from the foundation of the world. Before there was a sinner, before the sinner had any experience of salvation, there was a lamb slain before time began. I want you to think for a moment about this incredible, profound, extraordinary truth. Christ, before time began, Before there was a creation. Before there was a sun. Before there were stars in the sky. Before there were galaxies. Christ was the Lamb having been slain from the very foundation of the world. The whole counsel of God. Now the issue of The sacrifice of Christ, the lamb being slain, beginning with the altar is this. Who is Christ?

That's the first issue. I love what Paul said in Romans 8, 34. Who is he that condemneth? I love his answer. It's Christ that died. That's why I can't be condemned. Christ died for me, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, before I ever committed a sin. In eternity past, Christ stood as my surety, taking full responsibility for my salvation, and I was saved in the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

That comes before anything. At all times, Christ crucified is our only ground of approach to God. Amen? Would you dare come any other way? And everybody he represented before the foundation of the world, everybody he died for in time, they must be saved because it's Christ that died.

Now, this is the beginning point. This is the ending point. This is everything in between. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. They began. Now, like I said, I would have begun with the walls to protect myself. There are people who are against me. Not then.

The only hope they had was in what that altar represented. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And at all times, Christ crucified is our only message. Didn't Paul say, I determine not to know anything among you? Say, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Think of that. Nothing is important Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is my only message.

At all times, this is my only ground of assurance. What gives you assurance? It's Christ that died. What makes you think you're secure? Well, as long as Christ is secure, I'm secure. That's my security. The Lamb having been slain from the foundation of the world. He's the only object of faith. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's the object of my faith. That's why I have peace right now. All God requires to me I have because of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The cross is the whole counsel of God. That's where salvation begins. Not my experience. Not me seeing my need. Listen, the universe was created. The fall of Adam took place for the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole counsel of God. Now, this is what the writer to the Hebrews called the new and the living way. And I love to think about this.

He's new, and that word is the only time it's used in the New Testament. It means freshly slaughtered. Jesus Christ, it's a, I don't even like to use the word as if, He's slaughtered, but it's just like it just now happened. That's how poignant it is to God. That's how poignant it is to His people. He's the freshly slaughtered way.

This isn't something from way back, although it's from way back before time began, but it's right now. Right now, this is my only ground of approach. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But we're not presenting the priesthood and presenting a dead sacrifice. He's the living sacrifice. He is, I am He who was dead and liveth, behold, I'm alive forevermore.

They began with the altar of sacrifice and anything but this is anti-Christ. Now anti doesn't mean against. It means in the stead of. It's in the stead of Christ. Oh, may the Lord deliver us from anything other than this. This is the beginning. This is the middle. This is the end. This is everything in between. Now we make the statement. This is where Christ centered. This is a Christ-centered church. This is a Christ-centered message. I've used that statement before, Christ-centered, but I fear that that is diminishing what we're supposed to be saying. This isn't Christ-centered. This is Christ alone. This is Christ only. In that passage of Scripture where Clare was reading in Matthew chapter 17 on the man of transfiguration, when he was transfigured before them, And his face shined as the sun.

And the disciples hit the dirt. They were afraid. Now, you remember what Peter said? Moses and Elijah were talking to the Lord at this time. And Peter said, let's make three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. At that time, a bright cloud overshadowed them. and they hit the dirt and they heard the voice from heaven, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased, hear ye him.

And I love that when they looked up, they saw no man save Jesus only. Were Moses and Elijah still there? They might've been, I don't know. But like when the sun shines in Zenith, the stars are still there, but you don't see them. When you see the Son, everything else is not there. No man save Jesus only. Turn to 1 John chapter four. Hold your finger there in Ezra. Beloved. 1 John chapter four.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God. I don't want to listen with a critical ear, but I want to listen with a critical ear. I want to try the spirits, whether they be of God. How can I know whether they be of God? Trying the spirits is talking about trying preaching. I don't want to listen to preaching critically in the sense of a critical attitude, but I do want to listen to preaching critically with a discerning ear. He tells us to try the spirits, whether they be of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth. Now don't miss that word confesseth. This is a public proclamation. It's what I do when I confess. This is not something I'm hiding. This is something I'm confessing before all the world. There's something public about this. If I say it in private and don't say it in public, it's no good.

Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." Now there's so much in that confession. He was before He came. He came. God was manifested in the flesh. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. He came. But He was before He came the Eternal Son of God. He came in the flesh. The Word was made flesh. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who before this was spirit. He didn't have a physical body. He came in the flesh and became a man, bone of our bones, flesh of our flesh.

He had blood pumping through his veins. He breathed in air. And whatever it was he came to do, he did. Now said, call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. When he said it is finished, they were saved from their sins. Now there's a public confession of this, who he is. He's God. He came as a man in the flesh. He obeyed God's law perfectly. He put away the sins of his people. He was raised from the dead. There's a man in glory right now.

Verse three, and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God, but is that spirit of antichrist, in the stead of Christ, a substitute Christ, a fake Christ, a counterfeit Christ. Where have you heard that it should come? And even now already is it in the world.

They built the altar first. The cross of Christ comes first, last, and everywhere in between. Not Christ-centered. Christ only. Now let's go on reading. Verse 3, they set the altar upon his bases, for fear was upon them. because of the people of those countries, and they offered burnt offerings there and to and to the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening. Now, if I wanted to protect myself, what would I do? I'd build the walls, but not them. They built the altar, and they looked to Christ crucified only as their only protection, the only reason God would hear them.

And they put it upon the basis where it was originally made. It was 15 feet high, 15 by 30 by 30, and they put it back on its basis. Verse four, here's the next thing they did. They kept also the Feast of the Tabernacles. As it's written, one of the three festivals that the children of Israel were commanded to observe yearly, they kept also the Feast of the Tabernacles. In this, they would begin on the Sabbath day. And on that Sabbath day, they would do no work. People miss the point of the Sabbath. What's the point of the Sabbath? Don't work. Don't work. There remaineth a rest for the people of God, for he that's entered into his rest has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. No works.

And then they would spend seven days in booths or tents or tabernacles, that's why it's called the Feast of Tabernacles. They'd leave their home, go to Jerusalem and spend seven days in a booth, remembering how the Lord protected them throughout that 40 year period.

And I think it's very interesting that this feast is the only one where they were commanded to rejoice. This was a, I'm sure everybody was excited about it, the kids were excited about it, they had fun at it, I'm sure, but the reason they were to rejoice was in what that altar represented. And the Lord took care of them throughout this time, and they rejoiced, and I think it was very much like what we're doing tonight, when we observe the Lord's table, it's something physical, and we're rejoicing in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We're rejoicing in what He accomplished.

So, once again, they reinstituted this thing of, of the Feast of the Tabernacles. It hadn't been kept in a long time, but they're going to do it now. Verse 5, And afterward they offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord. They did this because they wanted to. From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord, but the foundations of the temple of the Lord were not yet laid. Now first they build the altar, now they're going to build the foundations.

Now what's the most important part of a building? Everybody knows the answer to that. The foundation. Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. You'll remember the Lord's parable about the house built on the rock, the firm foundation, and the house built on the sand, something other than Christ. And you remember the end of that house that was built on the sand. It was destroyed. And the house built on the rock was preserved through the Rain and flood.

1 Corinthians 3 and 11, other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, Jesus Christ. He is our foundation. Now, let me expand on that. When I say that Jesus Christ is our foundation, what all does that mean? Well, it means, first of all, the love of God. The love of God to His Son. love of God to those in his Son, and really whom he did foreknow." That's where it began.

Whom, not what he foreknew. God knows everything. I know he does, but that's not the point of predestination. Whom he did foreknow. Them he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. That foreknowledge, whom he foreloved. He didn't just know who they were. He loved them. Adam knew his wife Eve. He didn't know her name. He loved his wife Eve. There is the love of God. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

2 Thessalonians, or 2 Timothy 2.19, the foundation of God. Notice that. The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. That's the very foundation of God, the love of God. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now in this foundation, Jesus Christ, we have our union with him.

Hebrews 2.11, Both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one."

Remember when the Lord Jesus Christ said, I and my Father are one? How one were they? They were one. This means the same thing. Just as much as the Father is one with the Son, every believer is one with the Lord Jesus Christ. And we wouldn't dare say something like this had not the Bible made it known. Both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one. One with Christ. What a foundation. As He is, 1 John 4, 17. As he is, it's just as if we were that. No. As he is, so are we in this world. The grace of God. When we talk about Jesus Christ being the only foundation, we're talking about the grace of God.

When Zachariah was prophesying during this time of rebuilding, And we're going to look at Zechariah. He and Haggai were the two preachers who were preaching during this, prophesying during this time. But when, in his book in chapter four, when Zerubbabel, however you pronounce his name, when he laid the capstone and it was finished, what was the cry? Grace, grace unto it. When we talk about Christ being the only foundation, we're talking about the grace of God being the only foundation. He is the grace of God.

We're talking about electing grace. We're talking about justifying grace that makes me, grace chose me, grace justified me, made me to stand before God without guilt. God can do that. We're talking about redeeming grace, where He paid for my sins. We're talking about life-giving grace, where He regenerated me and gave me a new nature, a holy nature, born again. We're talking about preserving grace, where He preserves me all the way to the end. We're talking about glorifying grace. Perfectly conformed to His image. Christ being the only foundation is the saving grace of God. And this was all realized.

Thinking about this more than I ever have for the last year or so, from his name Jehovah, the self-existent one, God's self-existence makes it so he doesn't need anything from us to make this happen. That's who he is. He doesn't need anything outside of himself. He doesn't need you to do something before he can do something for you. This is His utter self-existence.

Like, was there any cooperation done in creation? No! He spake the world into existence. Everything in providence is His will being done, and He is able to make me perfectly conformed to the image of His Son, make it to where I've never sinned. I stand before him in perfection and shall be perfect to be accepted. He made me perfect.

And when we talk about the foundation, the foundation is grounded in the justice of God. And the cross of Christ is about the justice of God. Listen to this scripture from Romans chapter 3, verse 25, whom God set forth, speaking of Christ, whom God foreordained, who he set forth to be a propitiation a sin-removing sacrifice through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, His righteousness, not His mercy, although it's seen, not His grace, though it's seen, not His love, though it's seen, but His righteousness, His justice for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, that he might be just and justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Everything about the gospel of Jesus Christ is righteous and just. It's all based upon the absolute justice of God, where the justice of God, the righteousness of God demands my salvation. If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just. to forgive us our sins. And this is all founded on the covenant that God made with Christ before time began. I love this scripture, 2 Samuel chapter 23, verse 5.

David, the man after God's own heart, says, although my house be not so with God. And number one, His house wasn't so with God. His kids, they got into a lot of trouble. They were enemies of God. They tried to murder David. He had nothing but trouble in his home. But I think what he's talking about, even more than that, is he's talking about this house. This house. The Bible describes the body as a house. And he says, although my house be not so with God, yet. Although, yet.

Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. That's my hope, David. I'm right there with you. And I love what David says about this everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. This is all my salvation. Not 99%. This is all my salvation. And all my desire, I don't want anything else. Though he makes it not to grow. What a foundation. Jesus Christ is God's love, God's purpose, God's grace, God's independence, God's justice, God's faithfulness. Now let's go on reading in verse seven of Ezra chapter three. This is about the finishing of the foundation.

They gave money. Also unto the masons, and to the carpenters, and meat and drink and oil, and to them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon, to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia." Cyrus said, put this on my bill. Put this on my tab. I want this done. Remember, the Lord stirred his heart. The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turns the weather so ever he will.

Now in the second year of their coming into the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month begins a rubble the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedach, and the remnant of their brethren, the priests and the Levites, and all that they were come out of the captivity. unto Jerusalem and appointed the Levites from 20 years old and upward to set forward the work of the house of the Lord. They began this construction project, then stood Joshua with his son and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together to set forward the workmen and the house of God, the sons of Hinnadad with the sons and their brethren, the Levites. And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set priests and their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with symbols to praise the Lord after the ordinance of David, King of Israel.

It was scriptural worship. And you'll also notice that in the scriptural worship, it was according to what David instructed it to be. First Chronicles chapter 25, verses 1 and 2. Verse 11, and they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord.

Why? Because he's good. Everything about God is good. When people say, how could a good God let that happen? Whenever I think that, whenever I hear someone make a statement, I see someone who has no knowledge of the living God. Everybody knows he knows he's good. All he does is good. His wrath is good. Whatever he does is good because he is essentially and fundamentally good.

And because of his goodness, his mercy toward Israel endures forever. Israel is the elect of God. It's every believer. His mercy endures forever. It never lets up. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. rejoicing was going on when they saw the foundation of the house of the Lord lay.

But, verse 12, many of the priests and the Levites and chief of the fathers who were ancient men, now these men were older than 70, they had been brought into Babylon and they had seen the previous temple. Remember Daniel was brought into Babylon when he was a teenager. And maybe these men were in their 80s, 90s, I don't know. But they were brought in. But many of the priests and the Levites and the chief of the fathers who were ancient men that had seen the first house when the foundation of the house was laid up before their eyes, wept with a loud voice and many shouted aloud for joy.

Now some people have said, well, they were weeping because this was just not as spectacular as the original one. Well, it doesn't say that. It doesn't say that, that's men putting their thoughts on why it happened. It doesn't say that, but let's go on reading.

Many shouted for it, so there was weeping, and there was shouting for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. What was the noise? weeping and joy. Now, if I know the Lord, I'm going to weep and I'm going to mourn over my sin. Blessed are they that mourn. And this morning is personal. It's not something you're trying to get out there and show everybody how sorry you are. This is before the Lord.

And you never really mourn over your sin until you know the Lord. When you know the Lord, that's when you mourn over your sin. You don't even know what sin is, really, until you know the Lord. And when you know the Lord, you say with David, my sin is ever before me. But you're also rejoicing. Oh, you're rejoicing in Christ and the cross. And the people couldn't tell the difference. They couldn't discern the difference. They're both there rejoicing in Christ.

The kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, but it's righteousness and peace. The peace that comes from having His righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost. There's joy and there is mourning. And that mourning will continue till I die. And in heaven, all there will be is joy." You see, there's no sin there. And I don't understand how this is, but I won't even remember what it's like to be a sinner.

I'll be perfectly conformed to His image. The former things have passed away. Behold, I've made all things new. He makes a new history so that my history, it's all good. Everything is good and perfect and righteous and holy. And while here on earth, we mourn and we rejoice in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Where you have the one, you have the other. You have the mourning, you have the rejoicing, or you have the rejoicing, you have the mourning. But one of these days, it's gonna be nothing but rejoicing. Isn't the building, the rebuilding of the temple beautiful? That began with the altar, then the foundations, and then the response. mourning and rejoicing. And the people that heard couldn't tell the difference. Let's pray.

Lord, how we thank you for the sacrifice of Christ. How we thank you that you would be willing to give your son to die for such as we. How we thank you that he was willing to come to this earth and keep the law for us and die to put away our sins. And how we thank you, you raised him from the dead, having accepted all that he did. And Lord, as we prepare to observe thy table, we ask that this would be a celebration Lord, we mourn over our sins as we consider his broken body and shed blood, but how we rejoice in what he accomplished by that glorious sacrifice. By your grace, enable us to do this in remembrance of you. In Christ's name we pray, amen.