Setting Your Heart – Ezra 7:10 (Pastor Josiah Shipley)

Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military

And this is the book of Ezra chapter 7 verse 10

For Ezra had set in his heart To study the law of Yahweh to do it and to teach his statues and rules in Israel and read that again

For Ezra had set his heart To study the law of Yahweh To do it and to teach it in Israel.

Amen. I Would pray that Sarah Workman would tattoo that backwards on the forehead of every person in this room

So that every time you looked in the mirror every time you took a selfie you would see that verse right there

That we would set our heart to study Yahweh's Word to do it and to teach others to do the same there may not be

There there may not be a better one verse description of a life of a Christian than that right there

To study the Word of God to do it and to teach others to do it. We have long

Butchered the Great Commission To go therefore And make disciples of all nations and baptizing them in the name of the

Father of the Son of the Holy Spirit And it's this next line. The next line does not say teaching them all

I've commanded you That's not what it says in Matthew chapter 28. It says teaching them to obey

All that I've commanded you. You know, what a discipleship is So difficult because it's not teaching someone the commandments of God Pastor Jeff could teach you the commandments of God in six months and would have been able to say that he fulfilled the

Great Commission That's not what the Bible says. It says teach them to obey it

So here we are with Ezra because God's plan has never changed whether Old Testament New Testament's plans same the same

It says he set his heart To study the law of Yahweh to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel Let me give you a little of the background

First off know that today in the Hebrew Bible as well as almost every ancient copy

We have Ezra and Nehemiah were always combined as one book Always and a it's always one book

Ezra and Nehemiah really one book both almost assuredly written by Ezra And they really are counterparts to each other you see

We all should understand a little bit of the history of Israel at this point and if you don't Then I pray that this be the time that you get it.

Remember that when they left Egypt God brought them into a land there were some some bumps on the road there

But he brought them to the land promise and they were ruled by judges for a while They said we want a king God said no you don't they said yes, we do

He said listen if I give you a king He's gonna take your sons and take them to war and he's gonna take your wives

For himself and they said we don't care we want a king like everyone else and that's what he gave him well that lasted about oh three

Kings and then there was a civil war and Then they split north and south well, then

As we know at some point the Assyrian Empire came in wiped out the northern ten tribes

They have not been seen from again they will but not yet and then

And we should all know this date Dalton Wilson Dalton Wilson said it in Bible study last week

We should all know this date by now in 586 that's such an important date for the

Bible fine. You're writing it down too fast. Slow down 586 BC the

Babylonians came and Captured Judah and Jerusalem they laid siege to it and they destroyed

They took all the stuff out of the temple and took him back to Babylon That was a 70 -year captivity

Well as pastor Jeff taught on a couple months ago When the Persians took over the

Babylonians they were given permission to go back But not everyone wanted to go back because they got comfortable in Babylon.

They got comfortable living away from the presence of God So they came back in stages.

The first stage was led by a guy named Zerubbabel That was his name Zerubbabel that was the first stage and they rebuilt the temple the second stage

Was led by this guy. His name was Ezra Then about 13 years later of a third stage was read led by a guy named

Nehemiah So what we're at right here in Ezra chapter 7 is we're in that middle that second stage of return back to Jerusalem That's second stage.

We'll call this Roughly 450 BC roughly about 450

BC and this is the second wave of people returning to Jerusalem And it says that Ezra In verse 7 you may know

I'm sorry in verse 6 you may know he was already skilled in the law of Moses He was already skilled in the law of Moses.

That was his job and yet in verse 10 It says even so he set his heart to study the word

Obey the Lord and teach others to do the same. That was his goal. That was his calling. That's what he wanted to do

Now we're gonna see this play out in Ezra's life. I'm gonna show you how this plays out

So what I need you to do now and this would be the last time I need you to turn Would you please now flip over to Nehemiah chapter 8 which it's almost really the same book as we already discussed

Nehemiah chapter 8 this would be the last time you have to move your Bible We are in Nehemiah chapter 8

We just read that Ezra had set his heart to study the law of Yahweh Have you ever had your heart set on something?

Has your heart ever been set on something? Well, that's what you think about. That's your modus operandi

That's what you do Everything that you do in your life Really if you think about it is really revolving around that one thing you've set your heart to it today

Is your heart set on pleasing Yahweh? It's a real easy question to answer if you hesitate the answer is no

Yeah, the answer is no because you didn't hesitate a moment ago when I asked if you had your heart set on something before Is your heart set on pleasing

Yahweh on studying his word obeying it and show others to do the same? What I want to show you now is

Ezra doing that exact sin, excuse me doing that exact thing 13 years later

Watch this and we got to read a long section. So bear with me, okay Nehemiah chapter 8 beginning in verse 1

And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the water gate and they told

Ezra the scribe To bring the book of the law of Moses that Yahweh commanded Israel So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly

Both men and women and all who could understand what they heard on the first day of the seventh month

So we're 13 years later After he set his heart to study the word to obey the word

And to show others how to do the same. We're 13 years later. We're in that last wave that third wave of Of returning back to Jerusalem Nehemiah is leading this one and he's building something then remember what's

Nehemiah building? He's building a wall around Jerusalem took him 52 days. He's building a wall around Jerusalem and Ezra still there still teach him the same thing and encouraging others to do the same

And I want you to watch what he does with the people of God they gather together Everyone that can understand

Okay He read from it facing the square before the water gate from early morning until midday

He preached like pastor Jeff from early morning until midday in the presence of men and women and those who could understand and all

The ears of the people were attentive to the book of the law All the ears of the people were attentive to the reading of the book of the law

Are Your ears attentive to hearing the Word of God Or can you be so easily distracted that you can't even sit and listen to a reading of God's Word without thinking about something more important in your life verse 4 and Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform they made for that purpose verse 5

Ezra opened the book in sight of all the people for he was above the people when he opened it as all the people stood

I know a lot of you that show up late every week don't know this but we actually begin every service with the reading from God's Word and The reason why we have people stand is because that's the example we have in the scripture and all the people stood when he read

The the book of the law by the way if you are late everywhere you go all the time this used to be me

You are telling those people that your time is more valuable than theirs You can word it however you want.

That's what you're doing verse 6 and Ezra blessed Yahweh For how long?

Have we demanded that God bless us in our nation? Ezra blessed

God Ezra blessed Yahweh the great God and all the people answered amen and amen and lifting their hands

They bowed their heads and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground Verse 8 they read from the book from the law of God clearly and they gave sense so the people understood the reading and Nehemiah who was the governor and Ezra the priest and the scribe and the

Levites who taught to the people Said to all the people this day is holy to Yahweh your

God Don't mourn or weep for all the people wept as they heard the words of the law

Setting your heart on something is an active choice That can become a habit that can be a good thing or a bad thing

But setting your heart on something is an active choice desires are not passive.

Let me say it again Desires are not passive if you ever been told or maybe you thought you can't help what you love.

That's a lie That's a lie That is a now some of you are looking around because you have been the one to say that that is a lie

How many of you have ever heard about an acquired taste? You Know what that means

You train yourself to like it Now some of us have done that for negative things others for positive

But the point is an acquired taste something you train yourself to like and I bet everyone in this room can think of an example

Where that happens? Ain't that something? But you can't do that for the Word of God Desire is not a passive action

Colossians chapter 3 I wrote this on your paper. So you don't to turn there Colossians chapter 3 verse 5 says put to death

What is earthly in you? Now he's talking to the Christians Don't think because you're a

Christian you have nothing earthly in you put to death. What is earthly in you? Sexual morality and we've been over this before how many lists in the

Bible is that the first thing mentioned? Almost every list of sin in the Bible has sexual immorality as number one

There's a reason for that just because something becomes prolific and the norm even in the church doesn't make it

God's Word Doesn't make it God's Word Impurity passion and evil desire covetous, which is idolatry

You know those last three Passion evil desire covetousness

God tells you to put away that If desire cannot be controlled, how can

God command us to put it away? The desire can't be controlled See remember ladies and gentlemen

Looking back at the beginning of God's law in the Ten Commandments, you know, they are mostly outward actions

But when you get to number ten, you shall not covet what's amazing about that one.

What's so important about that one is Technically speaking you can covet and nobody know about it

Because it's an inward sin you follow me on that you can covet and no one will know about it

Have you ever had someone tell you well? All desires are fine. As long as you don't act on them

Then why is the Tenth Commandment you shall not covet? Because God's command you to change your desire

See, it's not just about outward conformity. It's about an inward love an inward love

Put to death the evil desire you see your heart is malleable It can be trained

See what Paul said in 2nd Corinthians. This is on your paper. He said in this matter To give context he's referring to giving to those in need in this matter

I give my judgment this benefits you who a year ago Started not only to do this work.

That's giving to the needy But also to desire to do it and read that again

Who a year ago began not only to do this work But to desire to do it

Paul is commending them not because a year ago. They started giving to those in need

Because a year ago they started desiring to do it They had been doing it before but had no desire to they did it for outward conformity

And what Paul is praising them for is now they've desired to do it Desires are not passive.

They are active choices and you can train your heart to love something Another example would be this if you can picture right now in your brain the person you love most in this world

Picture the person that you love most in this world Now I would bet for almost everyone in this room you love that person more now than when you first met them yes or no

So your desire to be with them to know them to love them has grown

During your relation with them, you know why because you can train your heart to love something

You can train your heart to desire something Don't ever listen to the world that says you can't help that that's a lie you train your heart to do that and Psalm 34 verse 1 through 4.

It says this I'll read it off the paper. I Will bless Yahweh at all times his praise will continually be in my mouth

My soul makes its boast in Yahweh Let the humble hear and be glad Oh Magnify Yahweh with me.

Let us exalt his name together. I Sought Yahweh And he answered me and delivered me from all my fears

The more you seek God with all your heart the more you'll love him, but please note church what it says

It says I sought Yahweh not what Yahweh could give me. I Sought God not what

God could do for me If you are here today Because you need

God to fix something in your life. I beg you to change that desire today See Psalm 34 says

I sought God Not what God could do for me.

I Sought him because he is worthy of being sought out regardless of what he gives me

Ladies Especially younger ladies, but all ladies is he seeking you or what you can give him

That man in your life. Is he seeking you or what you can give him? I Don't want to seek

God for what he can give me I want to seek God because I love God and he is worthy to be sought after You follow me on that.

That is what our call is that God is that? Lovable that he is that valuable that we seek him not just that which he can give us

We set our heart on something we set our heart to it and just like in 2nd

Corinthians You learn to desire it on the back end What Christianity is?

And in that show what sanctification is is Learning to love what your flesh used to hate

In learning to hate what your flesh used to love that What makes someone asked me a while back what makes obeying the

Bible so difficult You can read about this in Ephesians 2, but here's what people don't understand.

We throw around the phrase total depravity all the time According to Ephesians chapter 2 all someone has to do to follow

Satan is not wear horns on their head or draw a pentagram or Go worship the moon in the park and Bartlett all someone has to do to follow

Satan is do whatever their heart and mind want to Do I'm gonna say it again according to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 through 4

All someone has to do to be a follower of Satan is do whatever their heart and mind naturally want to do

That is what is meant by total depravity Satan does not have people on a string

When someone does whatever their heart and mind naturally want to do they are following Satan What sanctification is is a changing of desires that is what it is it is a changing of desires to go against what the flesh naturally wants and they begin to love the things the flesh naturally hates that is what sanctification is and When we set our heart on God he'll start changing those desires.

Let's keep reading in chapter 8 verse 9 in Nehemiah who was the governor and Ezra the priest and the scribe and all the

Levites who taught the people said to all the people This day is holy to Yahweh your

God Don't mourn or weep for all the people wept as they heard the words of the law 13 years later is this messing up Jeff 13 years later

Ezra is doing the exact same thing. He was Faithfulness Faithfulness Mike Freeman, where are you?

How long you been doing our ace here, ma 'am? 40 years

Raise your hand if you are 40 or under please raise your hand if you were 40 under keep them up look around Look around Put your hand down George put your hand down 40 years

That's faithfulness And you know how Mike I've talked to him about this, you know, he stayed faithful with that No, no those of you who don't see that as a challenge you see how many things you've stayed faithful to for half that a length of time

Because He set his heart To love the God who told him to do that Not the system not the program not the people because all those will come and go

But the God who called him to them That's how see he sought

God And he was heard That's faithfulness

That's love That's commitment It says in verse 9

That all the people wept when they heard the words of the law They wept years ago

Pastor Jeff pastor Jeremiah Maybe pastor Christian and myself pastor

John may have been there I don't remember but all all of us went to someone's house. It was one of those visits

And I remember Walking in and Asking this person if what

I had heard he had done was true and he said yeah, I Began to weep because of the gravity of that sin

His face was expressionless And I remember saying and maybe I'll say it wrong pastor

Jeremiah probably was better me. I said you're not ready for repentance. I Am more broken over your own sin than you are

You're you're not ready for repentance I Can't be more broken for your own sin than you are

When the people heard the Word of God they wept See the

Bible says in James chapter 4. It's on your paper draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Please note which happens first draw near to God He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double -minded be wretched and mourn and weep

Let your laughter be turned to mourning and joy to gloom Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you

There's a progression We hear the word we're convicted by the word we mourn our sin we repent

We repent when's the last time you were grieved over your sin grieved

I Fear there are people in this room that have more grief of our sports team losing than you do the own sin in your life

I'm afraid for you I'm afraid for you They wept but look at what the leaders look at what the teachers of God's Word told them

I'm in verse 10 Go away Eat and be fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready for the day is holy to Lord To our

Lord do not be greed for the joy of Yahweh is our strength There is a time to grieve our sin

And then there's a time yes where our laughter turns a mourning and then there's a time where a mourning turns back to joy

Where a mourning turns back to joy just like The prodigal son comes home.

He is greed to sin. He's repented. He has left it behind He runs home and what's the father do?

He doesn't wait for him to grovel. What's he do? He meets him from afar doesn't Seize him from afar and runs to him to the time.

We're now The repentance is over and now My mourning will turn back to joy

Well, I don't remember what month Sandra maybe Jim will remember I don't remember what month

But me and the girls Ava Naomi went to New York maybe in February. I don't exactly remember the month for Jim's father's funeral

And we were in New York and they had never flown on a plane, you know all that stuff So it was all the fun and excitement with that for them.

It was a vacation. This wasn't really a funeral for them it was a vacation right and we get there and We go to the funeral so we get off the plane the next day is a funeral and There is a line of a lot of people

They don't know who are like the average age was like 95 and we stood in line and we you know shook hands like you do at a funeral for the viewing right for like an hour and And Standing still for an hour and Ava and Naomi isn't exactly their favorite exercise

Or my own but excellent Ava introduced herself with a volume level 10 to every person that she shook hands with and and hearing aids were not needed that day and Then we went back to the hotel and I told the girls girls y 'all did excellent today

You showed love to people that were hurting you were cheerful. It's a hot chocolate day

Okay, and by hot chocolate day I mean that for free in Malawi of the motel where those

Swiss hot chocolate packets that you mix with hot water It's in Malawi So I went and grabbed a couple of those hot chocolate packets

And you know the the ones that have like the the cheap fake marshmallows already in them and you mix it with the hot water

Yeah, yeah, grab a couple of those Uh -huh, and we started walking back and you know, it's

New York and like maybe was April April so, you know April it the snow just melted.

You know I'm saying It the Sun's out and it's like 48 degrees. You know,

I mean, well, it's dreary and rainy And we're on the second level of the motel because Jim was too lazy to put his own room up there

So we were on the second level of the motel and Naomi Is holding her hot chocolate packet and she's doing the whole jump up and down thing that kids do when they're excited and she's so excited

And she drops it and it hits the ledge and with her reaction time She couldn't reach in time and it falls to the ground below The joy to morning

In a moment She was overcome with grief. I Mean she did a slow motion drops to her hands and knees and it's just bawling

Because her hot chocolate is gone and Ava Immediately says

I'll go get it Naomi. Don't worry. She drops her stuff. She sprints downstairs She goes she grabs it, you know, it's kind of wet from the rain.

She runs upstairs. Naomi's oblivious to what's going on She's still in shock and grief. Oh But from afar

Ava comes up the stairs and says Nene. I found it and Nene lifts her head and Rises and with glee she runs to embrace

Ava and they don't meet in the middle because Ava's way faster Nene gets about five steps to meet it and they just embrace and they hug and they cheer because now her morning has turned back to Joy, because she has now found what she longed for There is a time

When our laughter should turn to mourning over our sin but Christian I Know not everyone's a

Christian in here But for Christians in this room there is a time where now that morning turns back to joy

Where it is restored to a right stead We remember our place as a child of the king and the place the child of the king has in the kingdom

And that sin has no hold on us anymore There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus none at all

And then that joy Turns to strength Look what it says in verse 10

Don't be grieved for the joy of Yahweh is our strength

The joy of Yahweh is our strength. You know what the joy of Yahweh is That he's brought you through all those other times

That he's brought you through all those other times. He's talking to a people that have been exiled for 70 years

And he says the joy of the Lord is your strength because he's brought you through those times he'll bring it through again

You'll get that joy That unshakable spirit that April Abbott joy, you know,

I'm talking about that infectious joy April was the incurred one of the encouragers for the mission teams

And she took pictures of the pictures of the mission trips in the hallway

And then she put those pictures in a manual folder and gave them to us and her basic message was this

Look what God has already done with us Look what God has already done with this little place

What can he not bring us through? This is a message of encouragement throughout the Bible God has been faithful to me and to those that I love for all these years.

What can he not bring me through? What what can lie ahead that he hasn't already brought me or someone

I love through already You know when I was competing in mixed martial arts and MMA My first three or four fights.

I was always so nervous But after like the fifth one I recognized

There's nothing that's gonna happen today. That hasn't already happened There's there's nothing that's gonna happen for those 12 minutes those nine minutes was 15 minutes

Whatever in that case that I haven't already experienced a hundred times before nothing Well that gives you a level of confidence

That there is nothing that can happen today that I haven't already come through on the other side That's what the

Bible means when it says the joy of the Lord is our strength Then no matter what happens today He's brought me through worse or he's brought someone

I love through worse and there's nothing that can come about today That can shake that joy a lot can be sorrowful

But you get to a point in Christian maturity where this happens We're one of the most amazing phrases and all the

Bible happens and that's 2nd Corinthians 610 This is what happens to a mature

Christian. It says this we can be sorrowful yet always rejoicing sorrowful yet always rejoicing and This is what the

Bible means when it distinguishes between happiness and joy This is what the Bible is talking about.

You see happiness is based on a circumstance. Joy is based on a foundation Happiness can change with the wind

Joy is based on a foundation There will be days ahead where I'll get a phone call that someone

I love has died. I will not be happy that day I'll be sorrowful, but my joy shouldn't be shaken

Because that's based on a foundation the joy of the Lord is my strength When when

Burkett hired Ben Bowen, where is Ben has been outside This was a terrible example,

I mean When Burkett hired Bowen, I Remember he told

Ben this and then Ben came and told me how much confidence he had. He said listen, man Ben goes Mike. I don't know what

I'm doing and and and Mike was like, yeah, I noticed but listen There is nothing today that you can break in that attic that I can't fix

There's nothing that you will break in that attic today that I can't fix nothing Well that empowered

Ben Because the most useless worker someone who's always afraid to make mistakes

Most useless worker. I remember playing sports My father telling me do something even if it's wrong

And the idea is if I don't know if he's coming through a gap or B gap if I choose nothing always be wrong

Do something well, here's the idea When Mike taught

Ben there's nothing that you can break today that I can't fix The joy of the

Lord is my strength and there's nothing that I will face today that he hasn't already Faced with somebody else and brought them through to the other side

Absolutely, nothing Not one thing Not one thing That's what it means when it says

God is faithful and that confidence that thick skin that joy is my strength

There's nothing that will come at me today or tomorrow That God can't handle that.

He hasn't already brought someone through And look what it says again in verse 10.

They sent portions to anyone who had nothing ready And Wednesday night

I got back we got back Tuesday at like 130 I guess that'd be Wednesday at 130 in the morning.

So then when we had Wednesday night Bible study Pastor Jeremiah said hey, we're gonna take up a collection for somebody.

I Said okay. I said I don't need to know who are they a member of our church and he said yes so that's all I need to know and We did and we collected and we met the need

Um, and I just thought that was so beautiful by the way if in your brain you just thought

I wish they would do that For me this altar will be open for repentance when this is over and you can make that right

They thought look what it says they sent portions to anyone who had nothing ready

When you set your heart on God you by default sets your heart on God's people

When you set your heart on God you by default sets your heart on God's people I said this last week

I Would never love someone who doesn't love my wife I Would never love someone who hates my wife.

I'll put it that way. I would never love someone who hates my wife. I Mean that is my helpmate

So if someone hates her, how can I just be filled with love and joy and friendship with that person does that make sense?

well The bride of Christ is the church Jesus is uninterested in being buddy -buddy with someone who hates his wife

So if you were here today And you have the mindset of I love God. I just don't love his church

You might want to rethink that because what you're telling God is I love you, but I don't love your bride

That wouldn't work in your own life. Why would you dare have the audacity think that works for God?

If you love God you by default love his people remember my favorite example this in the

Bible In the book of Matthew at the end of all things what there's two groups of people Saved and unsaved sheep goats wheat tares, however, you want to divide it and Jesus looks at the one group.

It says what? Blessed are you? When I was hungry what you gave me food and when

I was thirsty you gave me drink and I was naked you clothed me No, I was sick. You visited me and you got to think about the mass of people that will be there on that day

Billions upon billions from every tribe nation language and tongue. Well, how many of them saw?

physical human Jesus The smallest of percentiles, right

And there's that one kid in the class that always raises his hand asked about the homework. He thought the teacher forgot

There's someone there that says Lord question When did we see you hungry or thirsty or imprisoned?

What's Jesus's answer? If you've done that to each other You did that for me

Blessed are you if you've done that for each other you've done it for me If you set your heart on God, you will by default be setting your heart

Towards God's people. That's how it works. You can't love God and hate the people of God That's a contradiction in terms if you love

God you will by default love God's people The Bible says very clearly if you have hatred in your heart towards brothers in Christ, what's the

Bible say? You're a liar That's what the Bible you're a liar

You can't hate Those who have the same accord as you In the same way one more

Ava and Naomi story if I may We were outside they'd had a bad day

I had gotten one too many texts from Rachel Well, I was at work that Naomi did this and Ava did this whatever

So I left to work this was maybe two or three months ago No, maybe maybe it was before the mission trip, maybe it was in June and It's hot,

I mean blazing hot like Mike had four people quit hot like that kind of hot

And I get home and it's like three o 'clock You know that perfect hottest part of the day that 230 to 430 area and I said, all right girls grab your weights let's go outside and They have these dumbbells these weights.

They have to do sprints with well Ava's is like eight pounds Well, she's only like 40 -something pounds. We're talking

I can't do was that 20 % of her body weight, right? and Naomi has a little two -pound weight and We're doing sprints.

Well, I'm sitting in the chair. They're doing sprints and I told him to say girls.

Here's the deal you did this this and this we're gonna do 15 sprints We're gonna do 40 push -ups

We're gonna do five minutes of wall sits and then if I feel we've learned our lesson will be done, right?

And I have my belt out for spankings only if they don't run fast enough, right?

Well, they're doing their sprints and surprise Ava gets done way before nae nae and Ava sitting there waiting with her weight doing that like You know like the half crying half breathing hard thing

Naomi Still has like three more to go And I'm like Naomi. Let's go hurry up She's crying and sobbing and carrying on and Ava says

I got you nae nae. I'll do them with you And Ava who has already done hers takes her weight back up Runs out with nae nae and Finishes her sprints all the while saying go nae nae go you can do it

This is why we have to obey daddy, but we're gonna learn our lesson go nae nae you can do it She finishes they come towards me for their next punishment and Ava kisses her on the head and said good job nae nae

I know you can do it Punishment was over That's exactly right.

That's exactly right punishment was over why? Because the heart of repentance was already there

The heart of repentance was already there That's the attitude we needed from the get Punishments over go inside.

Let's watch Tom and Jerry. We're done, right? Ava Had a love for her sister

That went beyond just her own wants needs and desires She set them to the side for the love of another

When you set your heart on God That will be your thought process for the people of God If that sounds foreign to you if what

I just said sounds foreign to you Maybe today is the day of salvation for you. Maybe today is that day?

that is When pastor Jeff says that type of ministry is worth a thousand sermons

That's what he means doing that for somebody else Doing that for somebody else is what it means to be a part of the people of God We're almost done verse 13

I'm sorry verse 11 So the Levites calmed all the people saying be quiet for today is holy do not be grieved and all the people went their way

What's it say because they understood the words that were declared to them now watch what happens the next day gentlemen

This is for you the very next day. So the people have heard the word. They've obeyed the word

They repented the very next day Verse 13 on the second day the heads of the fathers of the houses of all the people the heads of the father's houses

Of all the people met with the priest and the Levites They came together with Ezra the scribe in order to study the word of Yahweh the heads of the father's houses

Met together to study the words of Yahweh in front of others in front of others

That's accountability You know during that meet -and -greet when pastor Jeff asked you to pray with other people.

I Know that's a new concept for some of us Now instead of shaming us that it is a new concept to pray out loud with somebody

Let me just help you see What that does? It's not that that prayer out loud with them is heard better by God.

It's heard better by the other person and by you Sometimes the reason I pray out loud is to make these ears hear what

I'm about to say To make me hear it To make me hear what

I am confessing What I am declaring and what I am promising because when

I say it out loud I hear it not just in my head. I hear it right here But they met together in order to study the words of God One of the reasons why pastor

Jeff often says the invitation is the most important part of a service because you've heard the word of God Now it's time to do the word of God now.

It's time to do the word of God and teach others to do the same Ezra heard the word of God He obeyed the word of God and he taught others to do the same.

That's what the invitation is for Okay, that's what it's for so the invitation time is for you to pray with someone else and Have someone else hold you to the standard of what we just heard and we got that I'll go first.

I'll set the example because we're about to do invitation just a second. So I'll set the example right now Tyler's there and Cody's at work.

Oh Nick, where you at? Okay. There we go. Perfect. Mickey. Are you in here? Perfect So I Do a really good job for the most part of doing devotions with my whole family at night time

I haven't done as good of doing that just with my wife when the kids go to bed Well, we did pretty good last week, maybe four times or so last week five time

Give me some credit four or five. Okay, so so look Every day this week

And I want to do it every day this week every day this week at nine o 'clock Well one of you three call or text me to make sure

I do that and here's what I'm gonna do I'm gonna tell you on the front of what I'm gonna do I'm gonna put my Bible on my nightstand and here's why

I know me in The marriage class Brandon often says to be a student of your spouse and a student of yourself

Have y 'all heard him say that be a student? Well, I know me and if I get in that bed and grab my iPad five minutes later, there's gonna be a dude with an angle grinder

Trimming the hooves of a cow and I'm just gonna be watching that there's gonna be like Yeah Have y 'all seen these and then he's draping gets the rocks out and puss is coming out and all that stuff and then here's what's gonna

Happen after my ninth steak video. Where's Tim? The one is not enough.

Is it I will just be watching those shorts of a guy grilling steak You know how many of these I've watched here's what they quit sending them to me in English They ran out of all the

English videos now in Korean and Chinese and sign language I'm gonna know how to say tomahawk steak in 50 languages at this rate.

Okay, I Know me. That's what's gonna happen. So I'm gonna set my Bible by my nightstand.

So there's no excuse and we're following that now They're gonna help me and I'm gonna do that every day this week no matter what that's is that that hard?

Yes, the answer is yes it is. So that is what accountability looks like That's what it looks like.

It says they met all together with them to study the Word of God all together Not just privately all together.

That's our job folks That's what we're here to do. Why else are you here? You can learn

God's Word reading by yourself. You're not here to learn God's Word You're here to be challenged by it to obey it and help others do the same.

That's why you're here In summary Do you love the people of God Have you set your heart?

To obey God and to love his people. Have you set your heart to that? Is that the desire of your soul?

Is that the desire of your soul? You train that by what you spend your time on and I'll close with this scripture in Matthew chapter 6

The Bible says where your treasure is there will be your heart Also, that word treasure is the

Greek word thesaurus. Do you know that was a Greek word? Thesaurus. Now, I might be the last age bracket that knows what a thesaurus is.

Do y 'all remember thesauruses? It's a treasure of words it is a a treasure box if you will of words

You treasure up for yourselves Treasures in heaven for where your treasure is there will be your heart

What do you treasure? That's what your heart will learn to love Whatever you treasure whatever you pour your time your energy your effort your thoughts into that's what your heart will be trained to love

And as Ezra I pray that we Set our heart to study

God's Word to obey it and to teach others to do the same. Amen All right, would you please stand with me and right now