Ezra-Nehemiah
Sermon Summary
On Sunday, Pastor Russell Johnson continued through Ezra, covering chapters 5 and 6 and the restart of temple construction after a sixteen-year delay. Pastor Russell used the "good cop, bad cop" analogy to describe how God sent two prophets—Haggai, who confronted the people's complacency and told them to "go to work," and Zechariah, who cast vision for God's future purposes and the coming "Branch." Together, their prophesying moved Zerubbabel and Jeshua to arise and rebuild. Pastor Russell highlighted the repeated use of the word "decree" throughout these chapters, showing that while Persian kings issued decrees, it was ultimately God's decree being fulfilled through them. He emphasized that "God's word is alive and active" and "energizes and works in those who receive it." The chapters culminate in the temple's completion and joyful celebration of Passover, prompting Pastor Russell to conclude with a powerful reminder: "We obey our way into feelings quicker than we feel our way into obedience."
Discussion Questions
- Pastor Russell opened with the "good cop, bad cop" illustration from police interrogations. When you're stuck or unmotivated spiritually, do you tend to respond better to direct challenge (like Haggai) or encouraging vision (like Zechariah)?
- Read Ezra 5:1-2 and Haggai 1:4. Pastor Russell noted the people had been frozen for sixteen years, and Haggai confronted them: "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?" Where might you be investing in your own comfort while neglecting something God has called you to build?
- Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13. Pastor Russell said God's word "is not a dead word but a living word, one that energizes and works in those who receive it." How have you experienced Scripture as an energizing force that actually moved you to action rather than just information you agreed with?
- Read Ezra 6:7-9. Darius commanded that the full cost be paid "without delay" and "whatever is needed" be given "daily without fail." Pastor Russell connected this to Ephesians 3:20—God doing "far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think." When has God's provision for something He called you to do exceeded your expectations?
- Read Ezra 6:14. Pastor Russell highlighted that the same Hebrew word is used for both the kings' "decree" and God's "command," showing that "silently the king was being stirred by an even more powerful word." How does recognizing God's sovereign work behind human decisions change how you view obstacles and authorities in your own life?
- Read Zechariah 4:6-7 and Haggai 1:12-14. These prophets emphasized that God's work must be done in God's way and through obedience to His voice. What do these passages reveal about the relationship between human effort and divine empowerment, and where do you need that balance recalibrated in your life?
- Read Nehemiah 8:10 and Psalm 16:11. Pastor Russell concluded by saying, "We obey our way into feelings quicker than we feel our way into obedience." The returnees' joy came after their obedience, not before. According to these passages, what is the connection between obedience and joy, and what step of obedience might God be asking you to take this week—regardless of how you feel?
Extra Credit
Look up and read these passages about the power of God's Word to accomplish His purposes:
Isaiah 55:10-11 - "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Jeremiah 23:29 - "Is not My word like fire?" declares the Lord, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?"
Romans 10:17 - "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
What do these passages teach about the nature and power of God's Word, and how should that shape the way you approach Scripture in seasons when you feel spiritually stuck or unmotivated?
Isaiah 55:10-11 - "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Jeremiah 23:29 - "Is not My word like fire?" declares the Lord, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?"
Romans 10:17 - "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
What do these passages teach about the nature and power of God's Word, and how should that shape the way you approach Scripture in seasons when you feel spiritually stuck or unmotivated?
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