Discussion for this week:
- What would I be like, if I worshipped for the first time after 70 long years? Would my worship change? Would it be different? If so, how different?
Ezra 3
Bring Back Worship
- LIVE SACRIFICIALLY (They Sacrificed Completely v.3)
3 …they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice (not a dead sacrifice), holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
- RESPOND IN SINGING (They Sang Responsively v.11)
11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Isaiah 6:1-3 6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
What does this encourage?
- All people
- Biblical practice
- Communication of praise
- DISCERN THE SHOUT (They Shouted loudly v.12-13)
12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.