Ezra 8:15-2115 I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.

16 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, 17 and I sent them to Iddo, the leader in Casiphia.

I told them what to say to Iddo and his kinsmen, the temple servants in Casiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God.

18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 men; 19 and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 men.

20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

Direction, Choice and ResponsibilityEzra 7 - 10

Where am I going?What should I do?Who’s fault is it?

Ezra 1 – 6Kings and Chronicles

The people ended up in Assyria and Babylon not by choice

Defeated, captured and exiled. Ezra returns with the second

group of the exiles

Some of us go willinglySome of us go for other reasons

Some of us staySome of us return

It has always ben like thisSometimes we pick the direction

and sometimes it picks happens us

I left Colombia1973

East coast to West coastMexicoJapan

VenezuelaPhilippines

IsraelCanada

When it’s time to do something…Some of us volunteer

Some of us have to be asked, invited or dragged

Ezra713 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who wish to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.

28 …Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

CallingCollege

Career, Work or opportunityLack of opportunity

InvitationThe only choice

Ezra 815 I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.

16 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, 17 and I sent them to Iddo, the leader in Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his kinsmen, the temple servants in Casiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God.

We do not always have a choiceOur choices are often limited

We do not know what we do not know

We like to believe we are not the problem

The problem is out there somewhere

We see it as being outside of us

Ezra 9After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.

2 They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

It is very easy to identify the enemy

Especially when we are sure the enemy is not us.

15 O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

Ezra 1044 All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives

The woman caught in adulteryJohn chapter 8

Where was the man?Blame someone

The outsider and the foreigner where not excluded from Israel if

they chose to believe Matthew 1:5

Ruth

When we take responsibility we can acknowledge that we are the problem

That is why superficial changes…Geographical moves…

And other half steps do not work

Putting in all together:Sometime we can control the steering

wheel and sometimes we cannotBe at peace not knowing what

direction our lives will takeEnjoy wherever we might end up

Putting in all together:We may not have as much choice as

we would likeSometimes choices are made for usEnjoy whatever you end up doing

Putting in all together:Own up to our sins, problems and

shortcomingsStop blaming others for the way

things turn outIt may not be our fault or their fault

eitherChose to be responsible and learn from the mistakes we have made

and are about to make

We can blame people for where you end up

We can blame others for what you have to do

Or we can accept responsibility Own them and learn from our

mistakesGrow from them and through them

We are the Federated Church.Our Mission is to…

Seek Christ, Serve Christ and Share Christ.