Faithful Teachers and Godly Leaders
If nothing else, Ezra gives us a glimpse into a community of God’s people trying to put things in place to “do them right.” What I mean is that they are aware of the way their predecessors had messed things up so badly it had ended in the Babylonians destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem and their deportation to Babylon. They saw this as God’s discipline for their steady drift away from him. This community of returnees, however, wanted to do things right.
Yesterday, in Ezra 7 we see Ezra come into this community to take the role of faithful teacher. His calling to is remind people of what God’s Word has said and to call them back to it when they have wandered away from it. Next Sunday, in Ezra 8, we’ll see the need for godly leaders in this community who are willing to follow God’s plan and calling for this community. Faithful teachers and godly leaders were important for God’s people in the time of Ezra, and they continue to be important today.
We are thankful that Jim and Mary Hinrichsen joined the membership of our congregation yesterday. If you haven’t had a chance to, I’d encourage you to welcome them into our fellowship.
Remember that next week we will be celebrating our graduates after the service as well. You’ll find a further announcement about that elsewhere in this E-Gram.
Celebrating our graduates reminds us that we are also rapidly approaching our summer change in worship time. Remember that in three weeks, on June 4th, we’ll begin meeting at 9am for our worship service and that Sunday School will be suspended until Fall.
Hope you are doing well!
God bless,
Brian
Ezra 8:15-36—What do you notice about the kinds of leaders that are set apart?
Titus 1:5-9—Why is it important that there are leaders appointed in the churches?
Ezekiel 34:1-16—What warnings are given to leaders in this passage?
Matthew 20:20-28—How are leaders in the church supposed to be different than other “rulers”?