The Story Chapter 19 (Ezra 1,Haggai, Zechariah 8:9-17)

Main Point/Title: Redeemed to Bless

Text: Ezra 1, Haggai, Zechariah 8:9-17

Link: The Story Pt. 19

Ezra 1:  God's faithfulness and timing

              Leads to:

               - Revival
               - Restoration

As life goes by crazy fast are we willing to trust God's faithfulness and wait on His timing?

Haggai:  Need to avoid mission creep

Israel had been revived & restored, but the cares of life and the trails that they faced in the rebuilding of the temple side tracked them off what they had been revived and restored to do.  Haggai calls them to get back on mission.

As life comes at us crazy fast are we staying on mission or getting sidelined...do we have a long range picture of what God is doing or are we living day to day?  I think that it is safe to say that the church in America has suffered from mission creep...Last weekend I was blessed to be in a small group meeting with Gordon MacDonald where he challenged us that a church of 350+ growing numerically might be a church that is already dead, because they are off mission and not getting ready for the future/understanding the ever changing world around us.  If we are truly producing reproducing disciples we will be ready.

Application (Zechariah 8:9-17, Matthew 5:1-12)

- Are we seeking God's revival and restoration?
- As life goes by crazy fast are we being a blessing?

Matthew 5:1-12 lays out what being a blessings looks like.  Celebrate Recovery's "Road to Recovery" lays out steps on how to be revived/restored and how we can come along side others and bless them by walking them through those steps...

Christians are redeemed to bless...may God find willing followers that stay on mission.

By His Grace and for His Glory....Amen