1. We Worship God As You Do Ezra 4:1-5

2. Adversaries Have Always Existed Satan - your adversary the devil (1 Peter 5:8) Opponents and enemies of truth – there are many adversaries (1 Cor. 16:9; see also Phil. 1:28) There were adversaries in the days of Ezra (4:1; Zech. 3:1)

3. We seek your God as you do How can good and religious people like this be a hindrance? They just want to help! Their religion was in fact one of compromise (2 K. 17:24-41) Any such inter-faith project (ecumenism, syncretism) together would have resulted in compromise

4. We seek your God as you do Promise Keepers, etc. Inter-denominational (ecumenical) projects Inter-denominational worship services including churches of Christ (Easter, Christmas, etc.) - Great communion on Oct. 4, 2009 - Abilene churches (Methodist, Baptist, Church of Christ) welcome back college students

5. We seek your God as you do Was the response of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, unnecessarily severe, uncharitable, bigoted, and narrow toward the locals? Did it lack a loving, ecumenical spirit? -Compromise with the locals is what started Israels downfall (Judges 2:11ff; 2 Kings 17:7ff) -The leaders used the locals for business, but not for religion (Ezra 3:7) -Why had the locals not rebuilt the temple already?

6. Compromise is An Adversary Truth is hindered (Gal. 2:5) Error is advanced and the faithful are misled (2 Tim. 2:15-18; Rev. 2:20-24) Error is not converted by compromise (2 K. 17:28-29) Error continues to develop into a full-blown religious system (Jn. 4:20)

7. Compromise is An Adversary What we need today is a spirit of… Discrimination (1 Thess. 5:21-22; Rev. 3:9) Scrutiny in Gods work (1 Cor. 5:9-13) Firmness in Gods work (Jn. 4:22-22) Endurance in Gods work (1 Cor. 16:9) Refusal (2 Cor. 6:14ff)

8. Compromise is An Adversary Zerubbabel and Jeshua understood this: You have nothing to do with us But do we?