Dear Brothers and Sisters,

King Herod, a Jew by upbringing, opposed the King of Kings, and tried to kill the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths. The song, Joy to the World cries out, “let earth receive her king,” and “He rules the world with truth and grace.”  Ezra 4 speaks of what the people do when they have not crowned Him king of kings and Lord of Lords. Here it is: Christianity “lite” will always be trying to destroy the true worship of God. Why? Because the worship of God in the true church is the most important thing happening in the world because it bears witness to the loving authority of God. There will always be two kingdoms in conflict – the kingdom of the light of the world, the prince of peace, Jesus the Son of God and the kingdom of darkness ruled by the accuser of the brethren and the father of lies – the devil. This conflict is the subject of Ezra 4. 

In this chapter, we gain insight on the ways that the dark kingdom seeks to pollute the worship of God and the ways that the devil works to destroy it, and neutralize the people who uphold it. On Sunday we will be studying Ezra 4:1-24, where opposition to the rebuilding of the temple begins. In order to understand the chapter you must first know how it is structured – that v1-5 speak of the beginning of the opposition to Zerubbabel. Then, verses 6-23, speak of the following 117 year period of sustained opposition over the reigns of four kings. The last verse in the chapter, v24 refers back to the first opposition that is described in v1-5. Second we need to know where the opposition came from. Who were these people, called, “adversaries.” They were religious Jews who had rejected the true worship of God and mixed worldly elements into their worship. They were syncretists. They wanted a little bit of God and a a little bit of the world mixed in. These are the ones who wrote to the civil authorities to get the true worship of God stopped. The underlying issue was the authority of God over worship. Who is authorized to determine how we worship God? What happens when you try to establish, or re-establish worship that is regulated by God? You will have opposition from your religious friends, and they may rise up to destroy you through their slander and their letters to other authorities. They want to stop you and they will use various means as outlined in this chapter. 

Prayer will be held at the Brown’s Barn.

The songs we will be singing are,

• Angels from the Realms of Glory
• Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
• O Come, O Come Emmanuel
• All I Have Is Christ
• Joy to the World

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Angels from the realms of glory

Wing your flight o’er all the earth

Ye who sang creation’s story

Now proclaim Messiah’s birth

Come and worship

Come and worship

Worship Christ our Lord and King!

Shepherds in the field abiding

Watching o’er your flocks by night

God with man is now residing

Yonder shines the world’s true Light

Come and worship

Come and worship

Worship Christ our Lord and King!

Saints before the altar bending

Watching long in hope and fear

Suddenly the Lord, descending

In His temple shall appear

Come and worship

Come and worship

Worship Christ our Lord and King!

Tho’ an infant now we view Him

He will share His Father’s throne

Gather all the nations to Him

Every knee shall then bow down

Come and worship

Come and worship

Worship Christ our Lord and King!

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! the herald angels sing

“Glory to the newborn King:

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With th’angelic host proclaim

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest heav’n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of the Virgin’s womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail th’incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with men to dwell

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark! the herald angels sing

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail, the heav’n born Prince of Peace

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness

Light and life to all He brings

Ris’n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that men no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! the herald angels sing

“Glory to the newborn King!”

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice!  Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death’s dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice!  Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high

And order things, far and nigh

To us the path of knowledge show

And cause us in her ways to go

Rejoice!  Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Desire of nations, bind 

Thy sons and daughters in one heart and mind

Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease;

Fill Thy whole church with heaven’s peace

Rejoice!  Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

All I Have Is Christ

I once was lost in darkest night

Yet thought I knew the way.

The sin that promised joy and life

Had led me to the grave.

I had no hope that You would own

A rebel to Your will.

And if You had not loved me first

I would refuse You still.

But as I ran my hell-bound race

Indifferent to the cost

You looked upon my helpless state

And led me to the cross.

And I beheld God’s love displayed

You suffered in my place

You bore the wrath reserved for me

Now all I know is grace.

   Hallelujah! All I have is Christ

   Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone

And live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands

Could never come from me.

Oh Father, use my ransomed life

In any way You choose.

And let my song forever be

My only boast is You.

   Hallelujah! All I have is Christ

   Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heav’n and nature sing

And heav’n and nature sing

And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing

Joy to the world! the Savior reigns

Let men their songs employ

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

No more let sin and sorrow grow

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

Far as the curse is found

Far as, far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of His love

And wonders of His love

And wonders, wonders of His love