Work It!

1. A working church is mobilized (3:8a—emphasis on “ALL they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem”)
2. A working church is organized (3:8b—emphasis on “APPOINTED” and “SET FORWARD THE WORK)
3. A working church is unified (3:9—emphasis on “TOGETHER”)

Well, the delay is over. Last week we talked about how the remnant had become satisfied. Once they arrived in Jerusalem from Babylon, they quickly became satisfied with the things God had intended to only be preparation. They were satisfied with the preparation for God’s work and delayed in actually doing God’s work. Well, in our passage tonight, the delay is over. To the remnant’s credit, this delay wasn’t a long one. It really only lasted a few months. But any delay in doing the work God intends for us is too long, isn’t it? Now it’s time for the remnant to get on with the work God intended for them to do. It was time to get on with the work of building the temple. Of course, you know the first thing you have to do anytime you build a building. The first thing you have to do is lay the foundation. And that’s the work they had ahead of them. It is interesting that the text spends absolutely no time describing the nature of the work they had to do. There are no details of the dimensions, or the building materials, or the methods they used. All of that is left out. What is the only thing that’s talked about? The people. The remnant. The workers themselves. There is no talk about processes or plans or procedures. There’s no talk about footers or bricks or mortar. None of that. Only people. And only what it took for them to begin the work that God had called them to. And what was that work? Building the temple. Building the temple that was to stand as a witness of God’s faithfulness to His chosen people. The temple that was to stand as a witness to the nations that God is a God who is who He said He is and does what He says He’s going to do. The preparations had been made, the delay was finished. Now it was time to get to work. Where are we in that process tonight? I firmly believe that God has been preparing Brushfork Baptist Church for something. I don’t know what it is. But I know it is something that will make us stand as a witness to the nations around us. It will make us stand as a witness that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. That He is who He said He is and He did what He said He did. I don’t know what the work is, but I know it’s going to take a working church to do it. Just like it took a working remnant to build the temple foundations. So, what can that remnant teach us about how to be a working church? They can teach us three traits of a working church. The first trait is that a working church is mobilized. Look back at verse 8:

EZRA 3:8

A working church is mobilized. Here are a couple of people that we’re already familiar with. Remember that Jeshua was the chief priest and Zerubbabel was the chief prince. Zerubbabel’s bloodline enabled him to be the king. He was of the house of Judah, the line of David—so he had a royal bloodline. But he couldn’t be king, because God had forbid it because of the nation’s rebellion. But even though God wouldn’t allow him to be king, he was their leader. Along with Jeshua, he was their leader. And as their leaders, Zerubbabel and Jeshua mobilized all of the remnant.