DIRTY CUPS, Cleaning Up Inside
RF, Sept. 11,
2016
CONNECT
Bean dip, infamous fridge food
TENSION
Lives that don't match the packaging.
SOLUTION
Getting honest with God
TEXT Ezra 7:1 NLT Many years later, during the reign of King
Artaxerxes of Persia, there was a man named Ezra.
INSTRUCTION
Ezra
A
scribe in the Law of Moses…
Study
and obey the Law…
Lord’s
hand was on him…
His mission
Ezra 7:14 NLT Conduct an inquiry...
Ezra 7:25 NLT Teach the Law...
His
companions
Ezra 8 NLT Families and leaders
His
problem
Ezra 9:1-2 NLT “Many of the people of
Israel, and even some of the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves
separate from the other peoples living in the land… For the
men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives
for their sons… Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this
outrage.”
His reaction
Ezra 9:3 NLT I tore clothes, pulled
hair, and sat down utterly shocked.
The people’s response
Ezra 9:4a NLT Trembled
at the Word...
Ezra’s prayer
Ezra 9:4b-6 NLT I fell to my knees and
lifted my hands to the LORD my God. I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly
ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than
our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens.”
The people’s repentance
Ezra 10:1-4 NLT People gathered and wept... Let us make a covenant with our God to
divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children....
ACTION STEPS:
Ezra 10:10-12
NLT So now
confess your sin... do what he demands... Separate yourselves... Then the whole
assembly raised their voices and answered, “Yes, you are right; we must do as
you say!”
1.
Say right
(Confess)
2.
Do right (Repent)
3.
Live right (Obey)
INSPIRATION
Matthew
23:25-26 NLT You are so careful to
clean the outside of the cup, but inside you are filthy! First wash the inside
of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.
INVITATION
Let's get honest with God today...
2 Corinthians 3:17–18
HASHTAG
#say.do.live
