How many of you would say or agree:
We want the RCBC to be a healthy growing church?
As most of you know - or, you’ve heard us talking about this
A good number of people from this church have been meeting together
-we started out calling it, “Strategic Planning”
-& now, we’ve called it the “Church Growth Team”
The idea is, a church should be healthy & growing
Churches aren’t meant to just grow old, retire & die
-as we mentioned last week - churches are meant to exist in a “hospice stage”
-a stage of just existing to stay comfortable until we die
We don’t want this church to move across the highway!
God wants the Body of Christ - the whole church to be alive & growing
-& so, that should apply to each local church as well
-a church like ours, the RCBC, should be actively growing
-if not in numbers, in maturity & commitment
-but preferably in both - maturity & numbers
-in faith & size
-in disciples making disciples
Wouldn’t you say, God has a mission for us - to grow as a healthy church?
We’ve been studying through the book of Ezra
It’s a book that’s about building
-first, there was a generation that went back from Babylon to build the temple
-in Jerusalem
-now, starting in chapter 7 to the end of the short book
-a generation later - we have the account of Ezra, the author
-who has the mission of going back with people
-leading them to repopulate the nation & fill the temple in worship
-he was building the nation of Israel - the people of God
-& so, we can draw on this example for our own building of the people of God
-we’re not building a nation - as the people of God
-we’re building a church - as the people of God
So, last week, we looked at the early parts of Ezra 8
Ezra assembled the people in preparation to go back to Jerusalem
-we’re reminded of the importance of people - plain & simple
-that’s what God is building
-then, a nation of people
-now, a church of people
-we need to come together in unity in the Body of Christ
-serving God together
-we need to be about, becoming disciples who make disciples
-which takes:
-prayer for workers
-development of workers
-recruitment of workers
So, we need to be in prayer over our need for workers to join us in the mission
-of building the church
-then second, we need to pray for the mission itself
-we need to humble ourselves & look to God for His direction
-we need to pray for God’s blessings in the building
-we need to courageously step forward in faith & trust
-we need to break free from the shackles of contentment & complacency
-that imprison us to the status quo
-& run the race course that God has marked out for us
-a course of change, growth, life & spiritual vitality
So, in chapter 8, you’ll see Ezra assembling these people
-to leave their bondage in Babylon/Persia - to make the long journey
-to Jerusalem
8:1
These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
& there’s a list of those going
v.15 I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days.
When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.
So, he went out & recruited the appropriate needed staff
& when it came to leaving - they prayed, prepared their hearts
& established their faith for the journey
vv.21-23
There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
Here are some essential elements to spiritual growth & fulfilling God’s mission
1. Fellowship of believers working together to serve God
2. Fervent Prayer & Bold Trust for the mission
3. Faithful Stewardship - giving for the mission
-& responsible use of the resources God gives us
Look at the example of Ezra & the people on that mission
vv.24-30
Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, 25 and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. 26 I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 2720 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.
28 I said to them, "You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel." 30 Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.
Someone estimated this to be worth $3 million!
-no wonder they were somewhat apprehensive about traveling
-without an army escort
-but then again, maybe the army escort would have drawn unwanted attention
-so, here they entrusted their safety to the Lord to protect them
-on this perilous journey
God will entrust us with certain resources - of which we need to be faithful
-in using & administering those resources
-a good & big example of this is our money & giving of offerings & tithes
First, it’s important that we give to the Lord’s work
-our giving is what the Lord uses for the building process
-it takes money to build & to accomplish the mission
-& the money, for the most part, comes from the giving of God’s people
Second, we need to have wise & faithful people keeping track of it & using it
-for building the church
-this was true for Ezra & this movement to Jerusalem
If we’re going to build, we need resources - God uses His people
-to give & tithe towards the building of His Church
-as He did for the temple in that day
-the law required a giving of 10% as a tithe & additional gifts as offerings
-we’re under grace in the NT times
-so, how much do you think we should give?
If God has so richly blessed us with grace, should we give less than 10%?
I think we should give at least that, & probably more
-cheerfully, & willingly
2 Cor inthians 9:6-15
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever."
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
So, when we talk about giving in the church - it’s meant to be motivated
-not by guilt or manipulation by church leaders
-simply, be motivated yourself to give - by God’s wonderful giving to you
-& by the cheerful prospect of God’s rich rewards
-by the blessings you receive for when you give
To build this church - may we see our role of giving
Then, may we as a church be good managers,
-of what we’re given to be used for the Lord’s work
So, to build & grow & to accomplish God’s mission:
We need to have Fellowship of Believers - serving God together
We need to have Fervent Prayer & Courageous Dependence on God
We need to have Faithful Stewardship on our part
And, to keep alive & vibrant - we need to have Genuine Worship
-the exercise of our growth & building is worship
-we’ve seen this from the beginning of the temple building
-& have applied it to our church
-it’s like the blood circulating through the vessels of the church body
-expressions of worship
vv.31-36
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.
33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.
35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king's orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.
The giving of the offering of silver & gold - money - was worship
The giving of the animals in sacrifice - was worship
Worship is making sacrifices to God
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
The most important sacrifice we make is our lives
-offering our lives as living sacrifices
-& there are some expressions of this,
-that are very meaningful & important
-the giving of our offering
-is an expression or an extension of the giving of our lives
-the making of music - if it’s sincere
-is an expression of our lives being given to live for the Lord
-the service to our Lord - is worship
-let’s say, working in the nursery or Children’s Church
-maybe more of an expression of worship than a lot of people
-coming to church on Sunday just to sit in a chair
The bottom line - we need to come together for Congregational Worship
-in order to build our church
-may the getting together for our Worship Celebrations
-be exactly what they are called - worship celebrations
-may we be sincere, in the singing of our music
-sincere in the giving of our offerings
-sincere in our prayers
-sincere in our getting to know God in His Word
-& letting the Bible teach, reprove, correct & train us
-sincere in our desire to live for God
We have some history here - God has built this church
Let’s not fall into the all too easy church doldrums of retirement
-let’s keep building!
-let’s come together in fellowship
-let’s pray & boldly depend on God - courageously stepping forward
-let’s give & administer the gifts that are given to further God’s work
-let’s be genuine in our worship
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
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