2. God put Israel in time out…for 50 years.

3. The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem & the Temple of God

4. Ezra 1:1 (NIV) 1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the L ORD spoken by Jeremiah, the L ORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing. page 263 of The Story

5. It is the Lord. He moved the heart of a pagan king.

6. Ezra 1:2 (NIV) 2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “ ‘The L ORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.

7. Sometimes we can look around and despair. We ask, “Where is God? Can God fix this mess? Does God have a plan?”

8. Trust in God. He can even use secular Governments to finance and promote God’s work.

9. Ezra 1:3 (NIV) 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the L ORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.

10. They were sent with an express purpose: To rebuild the temple.

11. Ezra 1:4 (NIV) 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’ ”

12. Ezra 1:5 (NIV) 5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved— prepared to go up and build the house of the L ORD in Jerusalem.

13. Restoration, renewal, and revival—begins with God stirring a heart.

14. What do you see in your world that needs the movement of God upon our hearts to change it?

15. Ezra 3:1 (NIV) 1 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem.

16. Ezra 3:2 (NIV) 2 Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.

17. Renewal begins with worship. Restoration begins with worship. Revival begins with worship.

18. Ezra 3:3 (NIV) 3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the L ORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices.

19. Ezra 3:11 (NIV) 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the L ORD : “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the L ORD, because the foundation of the house of the L ORD was laid.

20. Ezra 3:13 (NIV) 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

21. Return of Israel from exile back to Jerusalem

22. The foundation of the altar is rebuilt by Zerubbabel

23. Ezra 4:4–5 (NIV) 4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 5 They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

24. Ezra 4:24 (NIV) 24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

25. Opposition came, and they gave up.

26. Haggai 1:1 (NIV) 1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the L ORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest:

27. Haggai 1:2 (NIV) 2 This is what the L ORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the L ORD ’s house.’

28. Haggai 1:3–4 (NIV) 3 Then the word of the L ORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

29. Haggai 1:5–6 (NIV) 5 Now this is what the L ORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

30. Haggai 1:7–8 (NIV) 7 This is what the L ORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the L ORD.

31. Haggai 1:9 (NIV) 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the L ORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.

32. They had forgotten the mission.

33. The reason God stirred their hearts was IN ORDER TO BUILD THE TEMPLE

34. Haggai 1:10–11 (NIV) 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

35. Haggai 1:12 (NIV) 12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the L ORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the L ORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the L ORD.

36. When God rebukes you, through circumstances, through direct instruction, or through moving your heart—our response must be to move with Him.

37. Haggai 1:13 (NIV) 13 Then Haggai, the L ORD ’s messenger, gave this message of the L ORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the L ORD.

38. Haggai 1:14 (NIV) 14 So the L ORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the L ORD Almighty, their God,

39. Key Point: God will not be left on the back burner, while you “get on with your life.” He will pursue you until you return to Him.

40. God can never be put into the closet of lost passion. God is either the big thing or he is nothing.

41. C. S. Lewis wrote: “If we put first things first, we get the second things thrown in; but if we put second things first, we lose both the first and second things.”

42. Revelation 2:4–5 (NIV) 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.