1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,880
This is Pastor Daniel Stevenson at Southside Life Station in United

2
00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,000
Socialist Baptist Church and you're receiving this message because you opted

3
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,000
in to be encouraged. I'm thinking today of Ezra 4 verses 1-2. Now when the

4
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,600
enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a

5
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,520
temple to the Lord God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of

6
00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:22,720
fathers, households, and said to them, let us build with you for we like you seek

7
00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,320
your God and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esra'had and King

8
00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:30,840
of Assyria who brought us up here. The real answer to what to do here is in the

9
00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,640
phrase, the enemies of Judah and Benjamin. The bottom line is you cannot let

10
00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,200
people build what you are supposed to be building for the Lord. You're supposed to

11
00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,520
be honest and strong and true, giving and serving and worshiping God and praising

12
00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,640
him and praying to him and studying your Bible and all the things that God would

13
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:50,800
have us to do as Christians and no one else can do that for you. You have to do

14
00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,960
it because it's the right thing to do for the Lord. If the enemies step in and

15
00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,400
they take over doing what we're doing, then what happens when they stop? And they

16
00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,280
will because they aren't followers of God. They don't love the Lord. They don't

17
00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,920
have that faithfulness to continue doing what it is that we're supposed to be

18
00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,240
doing. I'm thinking of donors and finances that we struggle with at the

19
00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,240
Life Station. We have a hard time having enough money to make sure that we can

20
00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,480
take care of all the people that we're taking care of. I wonder sometimes if it

21
00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,600
isn't because everybody thinks well somebody else is going to do it. We're

22
00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,200
all letting somebody else give, serve, worship and we have to stop. We have to

23
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,000
take on to ourselves the things that God has given us as a responsibility and

24
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,560
make sure that those things get done. Honor God with your choices. Live for God.

25
00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:32,960
Serve God. Give. Stretch yourself. Sacrifice as necessary. Jesus certainly did and

26
00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:36,320
stop letting someone else take care of what it is that we're supposed to be

27
00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:39,120
taking care of. Now, I'm not saying you can't have help, especially help from

28
00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,320
other believers. Brothers and sisters in Christ and we should work together in

29
00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:45,400
community to truly honor God. We got to stop saying somebody else is going to take

30
00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,240
care of it and take care of honoring God with all that we are ourselves. Help us

31
00:01:49,240 --> 00:02:00,600
Lord in Jesus' name. Amen.