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When God Stirs a Heart Part II

Ezra 1:5-3:3

Ezra 1:5

• As the proclamation from Cyrus goes out, the “heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites” hear it and it moves their hearts.

• When God wants to build a movement, a mighty wave of spiritual energy, He moves powerfully upon a group of leaders.

• The leaders among the exiled nation of Israel were the fathers of the clans.  These were the men who had proven their leadership among their family and tribe.

• These leaders were stirred along with the spiritual leaders…the spiritual leaders were the priests and the Levites.

• Whenever God “stirs up hearts”, He starts with the leaders and in the church, he begins with the leaders…both the members and the pastors and those in leadership across the body of Christ.

• Ex.  That’s what God is doing in our midst at MSC, God is moving in our  hearts to give toward the temple of the Lord…

Ezra 1:6

• Even the people of the land of Persia were giving their goods to help with the rebuilding of the temple.

• This is amazing…reminding us of what had happened in Egypt hundreds of years before.  He had moved in the hearts of the people of Egypt to give goods to the Israelites as they left Egypt.  It even says that “they plundered the Egyptians”.  But what’s amazing is that the Egyptians gave to them.  The Israelites didn’t take anything; it was freely given.

• That’s what is happening here:  The people are freely giving because God is stirring their hearts.

I shared last week:

1.    God Stirs Hearts through Prayer

• First of all, God stirs up your heart when you pray…prayer develops intimacy with God and He speaks to your heart when you kneel down and pray.

• God also moves hearts when we pray for others.  I would imagine that Daniel has been praying for Cyrus…probably Zerubbabel and Ezra have been praying for Cyrus as well.

Ex.  Do you have a set time and place each day where you go to seek God in prayer?

2.    God Stirs Hearts when the Bible is Read or Taught

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

• The Word of God is used by God to stir and convict hearts.

• Like no other book, the Bible has supernatural power to change lives.

Ex.  Do you take time daily to open up God’s Word and study?  We have materials to help you grow and know God in a deeper way.

3.    God Stirs Hearts through the Preaching and Teaching of the Gospel

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

• When the gospel and the cross of Christ are proclaimed, God stirs up hearts and changes lives.

Ex.  There is no other place like the church, where the gospel is preached regularly and systematically.  Make church attendance a commitment…

I want to look again at another aspect of how God stirs hearts.  Because this situation is nothing less than miraculous:

Ezra 1:6-11

• God is stirring a king of one of the greatest nations in the whole world at the time, to give freedom to a nation for no gain of his own.  It’s just the Lord moving in his heart, probably through Daniel, his Prime Minister.

• God is also stirring Cyrus to give back the articles of the Temple that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar.

• God is stirring the leaders of the Israelites to give everything they have toward the rebuilding of the temple.

• God is now moving in the hearts of the Persian people, who are not even believers to give of their financial means to help with the building of the temple…”articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with precious things”. (Ezra 1:6) 

• How does God build a mighty movement of His Spirit?  How does He stir hearts to give and sacrifice their goods and profits for the Lord?

4.     God Stirs Hearts with a God Breathed Vision.

·         Cyrus made a proclamation and hearts across the land were stirred.

·         The movement of God could not have started without a proclamation from a leader.

·         Ex.  Moses, a spokesman for God, came saying “set my people free”. A movement began that led to freedom for over a million captive people.

·         The vision resonates in the hearts of the people as God stirs their hearts.

·         Jesus’ mission statement stirs our hearts today:

Luke 4:18-19

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 

·         We as a church are called to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to the captives…

·         The vision of this church is to reach out and touch Colorado Springs,  El Paso County, and the Nation with the grace and love of Christ.

·         We have been called to plant 1000 churches around the world.

Our vision:

Vision for 2007 and Beyond “Laying Foundations”

Lay a solid foundation of lifting Christ up in Colorado Springs and    across America

·         “Experiencing the adventure of an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ”

·         2000 decisions to follow Christ over the past 4 years

Lay a solid foundation of building a balanced Word filled and         Spirit filled life in our people and in the church

·         We started Word and Spirit Ministries International about two years ago and now have ministries in Japan and Uganda.

·         We now have our members trek, called “Adventure Trek”, that we would encourage all to go through. It will train you in: 

o   Trek 1: Word and Spirit Life

o   Trek 2: ACTS of Membership

o   Trek 3: Grace Serving

o   Trek 4: Building a Christian Home

Lay a solid foundation of building lasting marriages and families that will leave a godly legacy

·         Pastor Daniel in the youth ministry will be challenging your young men and women to be leaders through leading Bible Studies and getting equipped in walking with the Lord.

Lay a foundation of training and sending out leaders who will change the world for Christ

·         Through our Word and Spirit Leadership Institute we are training men and women in leadership through the study of Theology, Bible, and practical skills.

·         We now have over 60 Life Groups for developing leadership and community.

·         AWANA is key to equipping our children and youth in the Scriptures.

Lay a foundation of discipling the nations of the world through strengthening churches, planting new churches, and caring for the orphans

·         Helping Hands is ministering to the poor in El Paso County.  If you would like to volunteer, there are many opportunities.

·         New Hope Uganda, founded and led by Jay and Vicki Dangers, is ministering to over 500 orphans.  If you would like to sponsor a child, you can fully sponsor an orphan for only $30 a month.  Jay and Vicki’s daughter, Jenni, has just come out with her first book, the history of New Hope Uganda, The Long Road to Hope.

·         In April, I will be teaching a course on church planting, taking us through the book of Acts at the WSLI.

5.     God Stirs Hearts when the People are Unified around a Common Vision

·         In chapter 2, we see the tremendous unity of the people of God.

Ezra 2:1 – 3:1

·         It is interesting that a count was kept of all the families who headed up the return to Jerusalem.

·         Over 42,000 are returning to Jerusalem.

·         We observe tremendous unity and fellowship under this common vision.

·         When we have unity among a church, people or movement we can see God stirring up hearts to carry out His plans and purposes.

·         The key to the early church was their tremendous unity.

Acts 2:42-47

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

·         Jesus final prayer was about unity.

John 17:20-23

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

·         This oneness was based on the unity of the Godhead: The Trinity.

Ezra 3:2-3

6.     Hearts are Stirred when Spiritual Leaders Lead!

• Jeshua, the priest, and Zerubbabel took up the courage to build the altar of the Lord.

• Against much opposition these leaders had the courage to lead.

• People’s hearts are stirred when leaders lead no matter what the odds and opposition are!

• Ex.  Teddy Roosevelt led his government against the monopolies in business.

• Ex.  Winston Churchill was a great leader because he stood toe to toe against the murderous regime of Adolph Hitler with no support from the U.S.