Integrity needs to be restored in the Church, clergy and Christians in general

1. Rebuilding: Trust Ezra 7:1–28

2. Ezra 7:1–28
1 Now after these things, in the reign of
Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra [of
the family of] the chief priest. 6 This Ezra went up
from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the
law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had
given; and the king granted him all he requested
because the hand of the LORD his God was upon
him.

3. 7 With some of the sons of Israel and some of the
priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers
and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in
the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 He came to
Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the
seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first of the
first month he began to go up from Babylon; and
on the first of the fifth month he came to
Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was
upon him.

4. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of
the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His
statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Read aloud everyone

5. I have a couple of questions
Why are people suspicious of pastors?
What keeps people away from church?
How has the church broken trust?
What can we do to fix it?

6. Trust by profession
Pastors have dropped from
67% to 44% trusted
Church 59% Pos 26% neg

7. Ezra
Skilled scribe
Hand of God on him
Knew what he wanted to do
1. Study God’s word
2. Practice God’s word
3. Teach God’s word

8. God’s hand was upon him
He was doing God’s will

9. The favor of the Lord
God’s person
God’s plan
Exalt God’s name

10. What type of leader are you?
EGO-Edges
God
Out
EGO-Exalt
God
Only

11. Favor of the king
New king Artaxerxes
About 55 years after the completion
Here’s his proclamation for Ezra

12. 12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the
scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect
peace. And now 13 I have issued a decree that any
of the people of Israel and their priests and the
Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to
Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 “Forasmuch as you
are sent by the king and his seven counselors to
inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem
according to the law of your God which is in your

13. hand, 15 and to bring the silver and gold, which
the king and his counselors have freely offered to
the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
16 with all the silver and gold which you find in the
whole province of Babylon, along with the
freewill offering of the people and of the priests,
who offered willingly for the house of their God
which is in Jerusalem;

14. 17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently
buy [sacrifices] and offer them on the altar of the
house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

15. What do all these things have in common?
Priests
Levites
Law
House of God
Altar
Sacrifice
Offering

16. Worshipping God!
But an hour is coming, and now
is, when the true worshipers will
worship the Father in spirit and
truth; for such people the Father
seeks to be His worshipers.
John 4:23

17. Worshipping God!
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by
the mercies of God, to present your
bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual service of worship.
Romans 12:1

18. The Church needs to have Christ at the center

19. The Church and the pastor need to have integrity
THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION
1. To be an agency of God for evangelizing the
world.
2. To be a corporate body in which man may worship
God.
3. To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body
of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.
4. To be a people who demonstrate God’s love and

20. 18 “Whatever seems good to you and to your
brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold,
you may do according to the will of your God. 19
“Also the utensils which are given to you for the
service of the house of your God, deliver in full
before the God of Jerusalem. 20 “The rest of the
needs for the house of your God, for which you
may have occasion to provide, provide for it from
the royal treasury. 21 “I, even I, King Artaxerxes,

21. issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the
provinces beyond the River, that whatever Ezra
the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of
heaven, may require of you, it shall be done
diligently, 22 …as needed. 23 “Whatever is
commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done
with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so
that there will not be wrath against the kingdom
of the king and his sons.

22. Keep the change!

23. Money is a measure
He who is faithful in a very little
thing is faithful also in much; and he
who is unrighteous in a very little
thing is unrighteous also in much.
Luke 16:10

24. Spiritual riches withheld
Therefore if you have not been
faithful in the use of unrighteous
wealth, who will entrust the true
riches to you?
Luke 16:11

25. Good Christ like leadership

26. 24 “We also inform you that it is not allowed to
impose tax, tribute or toll on any of the priests,
Levites….or servants of this house of God. 25 “You,
Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which
is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges
that they may judge all the people who are in the
province beyond the River, even all those who
know the laws of your God; and you may teach
anyone who is ignorant of them.

27. Matthew 20:24–28 (NASB95)
24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two
brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You
know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their great men exercise authority over them. 26 “It is not
this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great
among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to
be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus told how to be leaders

28. Acts 6:2–4 (NASB95)
2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the
disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect
the word of God in order to serve tables. 3
“Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven
men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of
wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4
“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the
ministry of the word.”
How to Choose

29. These thing lead to God receiving glory

30. 27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers,
who has put such a thing as this in the king’s
heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in
Jerusalem, 28 and has extended lovingkindness to
me before the king and his counselors and before
all the king’s mighty princes. Thus I was
strengthened according to the hand of the LORD
my God upon me, and I gathered leading men
from Israel to go up with me.

31. Strengthen
God is glorfied
His church is restored
Our work is not hindered

32. 2 Peter 1:3
seeing that His divine power has
granted to us everything pertaining
to life and godliness, through the
true knowledge of Him who called us
by His own glory and excellence.

33. 2 Peter 1:4
For by these He has granted to us His
precious and magnificent promises,
so that by them you may become
partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that
is in the world by lust.

34. 2 Peter 1:5–7
Now for this very reason also,
applying all diligence, in your faith
supply moral excellence, and in your
moral excellence, knowledge, and in
your knowledge, self-control, and in
your self-control, perseverance,

35. 2 Peter 1:5–7
and in your perseverance, godliness,
and in your godliness, brotherly
kindness, and in your brotherly
kindness, love.

36. 2 Peter 1:8
For if these qualities are yours and
are increasing, they render you
neither useless nor unfruitful in the
true knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.