Restoring Proper Worship
Ezra 3
Preached at the Laurel Church of Christ
On March 2, 2003
Introduction:
I. “After attending church one Sunday morning, a little boy knelt at his bedside that night and prayed, “Dear God, we had a good time at church today – but I wish you had been there!”
A. The Lord’s church is facing an epidemic of catastrophic proportions if nothing is done soon with our worship.
B. It is not enough to have a good time at church services, how easy it is to forget our purpose.
C. Our purpose to worship God, which translates into strengthening the Saints.
D. Our primary purpose: Worship God
II. Our study thus far as been tuned to the restoration of God’s people
A. This is important because many people slowly move away from God without knowing any difference
1. They begin by simply drifting and while their backs are turned they have drifted a long way from shore.
2. There is no place more evident than the worship people corporately produce for God, where you will find a slow drifting from the truth.
3. I noticed this past week in the CBD catalog a book discussing why Christians should not participate in what they called “praise” worship.
4. They were using the same arguments that we use for not using instruments period.
5. Our faith begins with worship and adoration, yet it seems that true worship fleetingly flees the worshiper
B. We have learned many lessons from remnant of Israel, and we still have many great lessons to learn.
1. God prepares the way for us to return
2. It is important to assess where we are
a. Part1: Realize it is time to return to God
b. Part 2: Give back God’s possessions.
c. Part 3: Identify the remnant that belongs to God
d. Part 4: Identify the center of worship
3. Now it is time to establish proper worship
Body:
I. Step 1: Approached “the SOURCE”
A. Ezra 3:1-2 “When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem. Then Jeshua 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.”
1. The remnant found the center of worship
2. Leaders know to search the “Source”
3. God’s word is our source to begin restoring true worship
B. Worship is not about you – it’s about God
1. Worship is not about getting you here it is about getting God here
2. A minister once introduced the speaker and said, “We are now at the most important part of our service?”
3. I respectfully disagree. God desires our worship!
4. Praise, prayer, remembrance and reflection, and you freewill offering
C. When we realize what worship is problems that have arisen just seem to melt away
1. Churches argue over the song selection
2. They argue over the bread in the plate and fruit of the vine in small cups or one cup
3. All the while forgetting, why we are here.
4. To WORSHIP
D. The Remnant wanted to worship and the leaders were very wise and understood that God had ordered specific worship
1. We had better be wise and see how God wants us to worship him
2. He wants it to come from the recesses of your heart
3. He wants five things to happen in the worship of him (Prayer, singing, giving, Lord’s supper, and the preaching of his Word)
4. That means that when God asks for something that is what he gets.
5. We had better not hand him something he did not order or he will be coming through those front doors angry because we messed up his order.
6. That means when God says he wants singing and not instruments we give him what? SINGING
7. When God asks us to partake of the Lord’s Supper every week we do what? The Lord’s supper EVERY week
8. We are not here to be worshipped, but to WORSHIP
II. Step 2: Established the altar of SACRIFICE
A. Ezra 3:3-7 “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. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the LORD. On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, though the foundation of the LORD’s temple had not yet been laid. Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and 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.”
1. Once they found the specifications for the altar, the people followed the source
2. Once established they began offering sacrifices and celebrating
B. In order for anyone to approach God an offering of sacrifice must be made.
1. We are sinners and the sin must be taken away or God will not be able to accept our worship
2. So God gave a sacrifice, His Son, Jesus Christ
3. Yes, we remember that sacrifice every week so that our worship is acceptable to God
C. We must understand that just like the remnant of Israel understood that we are all sinners and only blood can cover our tainted souls.
1. That blood we do not have to offer any longer, because it has been done once for all
2. Hebrews 9:27-28 “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
3. Hebrews 10:10b-12 “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”
4. So Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice logic concludes that we should remember that occasion once a week like God has asked.
D. Our Sacrifice has been made, but the Israel remnant had to offer sacrifices because Jesus had not yet died for them
E. They began these sacrifices to cleanse themselves to worship and to begin building the house of God.
III. Step 3: Built the FOUNDATION
A. Ezra 3:8-13 “In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work, appointing Levites twenty years of age and older to supervise the building of the house of the LORD. Jeshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-- all Levites-- joined together in supervising those working on the house of God. 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. With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: "He is good; his love to 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. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.”
1. It has been a full year and a couple of months since they had arrived and it had now become evident that it was time to build the temple of God
2. When the foundation was built, the people began to rejoice
a. A mixture of feelings were felt.
b. The young rejoiced loudly, while the old wept because of the temple’s former beauty
B. If we are desiring to worship God like he deserves, and the sacrifice for all of mankind’s sins has been made, what is left for us to do.
1. We have got to restore the temple of God
2. Done in three ways
a. Restoring your soul that the devil has taken – Non-Christian
b. Restoring you saved soul of Christ to its rightful owner – Straying Christian
c. The ones in the right location, must take part in the saving of souls
3. The temple is not a physical building that must be built.
a. But your faith must be built on the foundation of God with Jesus as the cornerstone
b. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
Conclusion:
I. Restoring Worship in the Lord’s church
A. Approach the Source
B. Establish the Altar of Sacrifice
C. Build upon the foundation
