Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
This sermon introduction discusses the beginning of recovery from a difficult period, drawing parallels between the current situation and the biblical book of Ezra.
Today we are starting an adventure in recovering. Open a Bible to the book of Ezra and put a bookmark in it. - I know. Ezra is not a place you turn to very often. So you may need to use your table of contents. Take a minute to get there, because the book we are going to begin studying today is the book God wrote for such a time as this.
For many months now our country has been shut down. Lives have been lost, jobs have been lost, loneliness has crept in, and it’s been hard to hold onto hope. Today, we begin the recovery. Our country is opening up. Our businesses are opening up, and our church is opening up. But, it will take time to recover what we’ve lost.
Today, we begin the recovery. Our country is opening up. Our businesses are opening up, and our church is opening up. But, it will take time to recover what we’ve lost.
The Bible has lessons for every situation we will ever face. Chronicles was written to teach us how to recover from a national crisis. If you’re ready to do some learning, pray this prayer out loud after me: Lord Jesus, speak to me.
Let me tell you about it. In 606 B.C. Israel was exiled to Babylonia. The Babylonians surrounded Jerusalem, broke down its walls, and carried virtually everyone into captivity. The Israelites lost everything: their homes, their jobs, their identities, their loved one.
How would they recover? How would they establish patterns and morals that would help them avoid their previous mistakes? To lead them in this endeavor, God sent them two Spirit-filled leaders: Nehemiah and Ezra.
During what is called, “the kingdom period ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium