God’s Gracious Hand
Text: Ezra 7:9-10
Introduction:
Last week looked at how King David had made up his mind that he was going to walk
through the valley’s of life, even through the life would even mean he had to walk through
the valley of the shadow of death or the darkest valley and he could do this because:
1) He knew valleys would be a part of life!
2) He knew there was One called the Shepherd and He was "My Shepherd" that was going to lead, guide and protect him!
3) He had everything he needed, and it was not in things, But in the great King of Kings!
"I shall want" "I got all I need" it’s in My Shepherd!
Psa. 23:2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
We seen that we need physically rest and spiritually rest, and I lightly touched on the
need for the Word of God as food for the spirit man!
"Green pastures" FOOD! Not Mc, Wendy, Subway I not talking about food for the body
But food for the spirit-man! Which is the Word of God?
How many want the blessing of God on our life?
a. Peace, joy, contentment, health and prosperity!
Or in other words how many want "God’s Gracious hand" on our life!
I want us to look at the life of Ezra an O.T. scribe and priest who had come to know
"God’s gracious hand on his life!
Text: Ezra 7:9-10
Several times in the book of Ezra we read that God’s gracious hand was firmly upon Ezra!
I don’t know about you, but just like I seen how King David said or sang "Even through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil!
I want to be able sing "The Lord Gracious hand is upon my life"
How many want to know what caused God’s gracious hand to be on Ezra?
And how many know that God’s hand is credited with God’s blessing, strengthen, protection and guidance in Ezra’s life! And God want the same for you and I!
Read Ezra 7:6, 28, 8:18, 22, 32 let turn to Neh. 2:18 Psa. 37: 23-24
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Jn. 10: 28-29 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
I don’t know about you but from the scriptures we just read I want, I need, I got to have
God’s gracious hand on my life! How about you!
All right! Toady text Ezra 7: 9-10 let turn back there if you’re not there, because it reveals Precious insights into why this man of God Ezra enjoyed such tremendous provisions and Success!
How many know what God has done for Ezra He will do for you! 2x Do You believe that?
And if we say we do, we will not only want to be hearer of what God’s about to reveal through this verse but be doers!
If you not taking notes you should be, because you not going to remember all this! All right you ready! Let’s pray, let pray in the spirit as the Holy Ghost lead us!
1. For insight to reama of the Word of God!
2. For a renewed passion for the Word of God! Reverence!
3. For forgiveness for lack of reading, studying of God’s Word!
4. For conformation of the Word of God through signs and wonders, healing, deliverances
5. For fresh impartations of infilling of the Holy Ghost as we yield our lives to God’s control in every area of our lives!
6. For a out-pouring of the Holy Ghost for those who haven’t yet been baptized by Jesus the baptizer!
Oh come on let praise Him for His Word! Read text again Ezra 7:9-10
Body:
I.
"For Ezra set his heart"
A) To begin Ezra’s whole life and ministry revolved around a resolute commitment to the Word of God! 2x
Resolute Commitment: Meaning:
Resolute: determined; firm; bold Commitment: hand over for safekeeping, as to a doctor, perform, do, bind, involve
Oneself in any course of action, a pledge
1. He didn’t treat the scriptures lightly, but held them in high regards, enough to focus his full energies upon it!
" A resolute commitment to the Word of God"
Now think about that for a moment what does this mean?
a. Ezra based his decision on the Word of God!
b. Ezra lived his life according to the Word of God!
c. Everything in his life revolved around the Word of God! Why?
He knew the power of the Word of the Lord He understood the power of the Word of God In human life! "There power in the Word of God"
Ezra 1:1 In order to fulfill the Word of the Lord, or the power of the Word of God, God’s Word is a sure Word! It shall come to pass!
Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
"He set his heart" to the Word of God "A resolute commitment to the Word of God"
And the results were God’s gracious hand on his life! God’s blessing!
The Church
1. Has not set its heart on God’s Word!
½ hr sermon pastor is all we need! Oh, We had such a powerful service that the preacher didn’t have time left to preach because all we did was just sing!
How about you? Have you set your heart, made a resolute commitment to the Word of God!
Ok let’s get back to Ezra! HE SET HIS HEART TO THE WORD OF GOD! He made a resolute Commitment to the Word of God!
Here in our text Ezra 7:9-10 we not only see that Ezra set his heart on the Word of God. But also what was the object of his commitment to the Word of God.1. "To study the law of the Lord"
a. To hear the Word of God once a week!
b. To hear someone teach the Word of God every once in the while!
c. To hear others to discuss the Word of God! NO!
"To Study the law of the Lord"
Zeal, or desire for God must be grounded in truth, and God’s Word is truth!
Psa. 119: 160
Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
Turn to Rom 10: 1-17 (Read and expound on it)
But keep your place in Ezra we will be coming back to it.
We must not only have a zeal or desire to know God in vain tradition, but a zeal for knowledge of the One we say we love, worship and service!
Ezra certainly was grounded in the truth! He focus his resolute commitment on real Understanding of the Word of God!
Ezra understanding of the meaning and implication of the Word of God required diligent effort that was energized by his compulsion to know God and His will as reveled in His Word!
"Diligent, passion enough to say I am not satisfy with a morsel of the Word of God, just a Sunday feeding, but I got to understand, know what it means!
Even if it means line upon line precept upon precept! I got to dig out the truth of the
Word of God! Because when I do "God’s gracious hand is upon me"2. "And To Practice it"
a. Knowledge alone is inadequate
If you only had one can of food and had never used a can opener or seen one, and then All of a sudden you are giving one and the instruction on how to use it to open a can, but You never use it because you never had too. And you try every old method you have Learned in the past to open the only source of food you have but nothing works, yet you Now have the can opener and the knowledge to use it how many know you will starve With knowledge that you never put to practice!
That the way it is with many, God Word is filled with the knowledge, the knowledge to live A blessed life, happy homes, health and prosperity, yet it’s never put into practice!
Ezra not only had set his heart to the Word of God by making a commitment to study the Word. But knew he not only wanted to commit to study, but to also live the Word, He was not only going to be a hearer of the Word but a doer of the Word of God.
Christians merely "Deceive themselves" when they know God’s Word, but don’t allow it to Change their lives! I didn’t say it God says it!
James 1: 22-25
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Ezra was a doer of the Word of God and God’s gracious hand was upon his life!
If you and I are doer of the Word of God by application putting into practice the Word of God in our lives we also will have God’s gracious hand on our lives!
Again looking at Ezra however, demonstrated radical conformity to the Word of God!
Carmen had a song out a while back called "Radically saved" Oh come on somebody we Need some radically changed Christians touch by the power of the Word of God where Their lives have been changed!
I used to be a drug addict but Jesus and the Word! Alcoholic, sickness, bitter, hatred,
Rom. 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
And like the one who learns and lives truth " will be blessed in what he does" (Jas. 1:25)
I want us to take a little turn away from the thought of God’s gracious hand for a moment! You see We need to understand that just as you and I do God also has two hands, and While thinking on this thought of putting to practice the Word of God in our lives we must also think of those who fail to heed the warning of the Word of God!
Yes our God is as loving God, that wants to put upon us his gracious hand on our life, But He is also a just God, and sin will be judged, rebellion will be judged! And this same Word of God that talk’s about God’s gracious hand repentsenting God’s blessing also show God’s hands in Judgement!
There is a Famous sermon that was preached many years ago called sinner in the hands of an angry God!
Exodus 3:20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
I share with you the truth of the Word of God that tells us there is a day of judgment
Coming! We are living in the time of God’s grace, a time that you can still be saved from the judgment that coming to those who will refuse to heed God warning in the Word!
For you see the one who is called Jesus came to paid the price for the sins of the world, Your sins, mine sins, He taught more on hell than heaven! And He warned that hell was Prepared for Satan and all the unbelieving or all who refuse to put into practice the Greatest promise from the Word of God
Rom. 10: 9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Confess, put into practice by saying yes I believe that Jesus came to save me, deliver me To set me free from the stronghold of the enemy!
Oh you see it too late to tell me otherwise! I have put it into practice in my Life!
I called upon His Name, and their no other name, but the name of Jesus! And He came And rescue me from the pit of hell, and He not only did He save me but He also sent the Holy Ghost to fill up my empty life with peace, joy, trust, hope, security, Come on Somebody you know what I talking about you too have put the Word of God into to practice, Notice I didn’t say He gave me happiness, happiness come and Goes!
But I got something that no one can take away, and not only that but my Father, My Daddy, My Shepherd said no one could pluck them out of my hand!
Oh I don’t know about you, but I much rather have God’s gracious hands on me than God’s hand of judgment!
And went it all said and done it not so much God’s hand that condemns you, but rather refusing to take hold the hand of God!
Today your day, Today your day to put God’s word in to practice for your salvation!
What are you waiting for? Too be good enough? You never be good enough!
Till your sow your wild seeds in life, your not promised tomorrow!
JESUS LOVES YOU! AND HE CAME TO SAVE YOU!
3. " And To Teach His Statures and Ordinance in Israel Ezra 7:10
Can you imagine with me for a moment what our world would be like if no one ever share the knowledge that they gotten, If Thomas Edition never shared the knowledge of the light bulb with anyone else! If Alexander Bell never told anyone that he founded a way To communicate through a phone line! What if Martin Luther never shares the revelation God gave to him! Torrey, Smithwiggleworth, Kathleen Kuman, Kenneth Hagin, Oral Robert
And the lists go on and on! "And"
Those who know and grow in the Word of God cannot stop there! Instead like Ezra Turn to Neh. 8 (read and expound on) They also need to commit to relational communication to other’s 2x You got to share it with someone! of the Word of God
Deut. 6: 4-9
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.(not the church) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Col. 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
2Tim. 2:2
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Heb. 5:12
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Don’t be content with just your own growth. Pass it on! So that "We all reach the unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature (Ehp. 4:13)
As we live out a commitment to hear, heed and teach the Word of God, we can expect His powerful hand to bless us in His marvelous way and timing!
Rev. 1:3
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
