Rebuilding What Matters: Worship Before Walls

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Sermon Notes
Sermon Series:  Ezra and Nehemiah 
​Sermon Scripture:  Ezra 3

​Prioritized Worship: They Would Rather Be Right With God Than Safe In the World (3:1-6)

• They were fearful: Before they built walls for protection, they built an _______________ to worship God.
  • It is better to trust God in faith than to pursue safety out of fear.
    • Safety is not found in ______________.
    • Safety is not found in ______________.
    • Safety is found in _________________ the one true and living God.

​Prioritized Worship: They Would Rather Be Right With God Than Safe In the World (3:1-6) ​continued

• They were fearful: Before they built walls for protection, they built an _______________ to worship God.
  • It is better to please God than to appease the world.
    • Either the world will be your enemy and God your friend…
    • Or the world will be your friend and God your enemy.
• They were faithful: Before they sought safety from their enemies, they sought ______________ for their sins.
  • At the heart of OT worship was the sacrificial system pointing to atonement.
  • At the heart of NT worship is the ultimate sacrifice of _______________ for atonement.
• They were fragile: Before they built a place of worship, they focused on the ___________ of worship.
  • They kept the _________________ of worship.
    • They offered their livestock.
    • We must offer our ______________. (Romans 12:1-2)
  • They kept the _________________ of worship.
    • To remember their deliverance from Egypt, they kept the Feast of ______________.
    • To remember our deliverance from sin, we keep the Lord’s Supper and ______________.

Prescribed Worship: They Would Rather Worship God His Way Than Their Own Way (3:7-10)

• There was preparation.
  • They gathered the same materials as King Solomon. (1 Kings 5)
  • They built something new on the ___________ foundation.
• There was organization.
  • They were led by ________________ leaders.
  • They worked as a ________________ group.
• There was celebration.
  • They worshiped according to the ______________, not according to their wants.
  • They worshiped focusing on the ______________, not on themselves.

Passionate Worship: They Would Rather Express Their Emotions Than Conceal Their Hearts (3:11-12)

• Hear the ________________ emotions…
  • We should weep because of our ___________.
  • We should shout because of God’s __________________.
• Hope in the __________________ expectations…
  • Zechariah 4 - Do not despise the days of _______________ things.
    • Not by might…
    • Nor by power…
    • But by My _____________.
  • Haggai 2- A future glory will visit this temple.
    • He will be __________________ as the fulfillment of the physical temple. (John 2:19-22)
    • He will be the _________________ of the spiritual temple. (1 Peter 2:7)
    • He will build the _______________ as the living temple. (Ephesians 2:20-22)