Caught Between A Laugh And A Cry

Caught between a Laugh and a Cry

Ezra 3:10-13

10And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.

11And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. 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.

12But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

13So 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.

1. Somehow I feel that satisfaction is the greatest enemy of the church and good church people.

a. Too many times we stop to celebrate the fact that we are SAVED and never resumed the pursuit of God.

i. We celebrate the fact that

1. we don’t cuss

2. we don’t drink

3. we don’t smoke

4. we don’t go to the casinos

5. we don’t run around on our spouse

2. We have turned our focus from His face to the memory of great experience of yesterday.

a. Jesus commanded us to take our cross and follow him daily

i. NOT when I feel like it

ii. Not when it doesn’t interrupt my schedule

iii. Not when it doesn’t interfere with my plans

3. We have an adversary that will do whatever he can to stop the advance of the church.

a. He has caused some great people to fall and lose out with God

4. I think his focus has turned in this day and age from causing us to sin, to making us feel satisfied with where we are.

5. Satan may not be able to temp you or I to

a. Murder

b. Steal

c. Commit adultery

d. Embezzle

e. Drink alcohol

f. Smoke

g. Do Marijuana

h. Cocain

6. He may have realized that I don’t have to keep them from the House of God all I need to do is

a. Steal their heart felt worship and replace it with going through the motions

b. Give them a sense of accomplishment when they simply make it to prayer meeting, (considering all you have to do)

c. Replace hunger and passion for God with the satisfaction that I am baptized in Jesus name and I spoke in tongues

d. Rob them of a desire to do something for God and replace it with the satisfaction that I did my part when I was younger, let somebody else do it.

7. We have satisfied our hunger pains through the performance of minor religious duties such as

a. Going to church 2or 3 times a week

b. Praying a little prayer on the run

c. When someone asks us where we go to church, we tell them

d. Waving our hand in the air on slow songs

e. Clapping on the fast ones

f. Paying our tithes

g. Giving offerings

h. Playing an instrument

i. Teaching in SS department

8. Hunger has become a ugly word that we don’t use

a. It is reserved for the lowly & destitute

b. It is only for those who cant afford much

c. Those in the projects of life

9. Hunger has ceased to be a part of our religious vocabulary, because it is “Undignified” to those of us who have arrived

a. We who “have been in the way” for 20 or more years

b. The spiritual elite

c. We dignified folk

d. Those of us who have been in this thing long enough to know how much it takes to soothe our conscience.

10. DEMONSTRATE hunger vs. dignity

10. How can you attract God?

a. Prayer – not impressed with your kneeling down for 5 minutes (he prayed till his sweat became as great drops of blood)

b. Faithfulness – He’s not impressed with what we call faithfulness, attending church 3 or 4 times a week

i. We think that attendance is all there is to faithfulness

1. Are you faithful to worship

2. pray

3. give

c. praise and worship – he has angels who worship 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (we get tired of worshipping if the song goes over 3 minutes)

11. What you don’t realize is that HUNGER is one of the most attractive things we have to offer God.