Fourth Sunday after Easter

The title of what I want to share with you is Spiritual Captivity and Its Remedy,

because we're in Ezra 9, as we've read, but I also want to take us to John 16, which we read as well.

And the verse to focus our thoughts is Galatians 5.1.

For freedom, Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

For freedom, Christ has set us free.

Shall we pray?

Father, we ask that by your Holy Spirit, your word written will be so engraved in our hearts and minds

that we will trust you more deeply, walk with you more faithfully,

serve you with greater delight this day and as we go forward in the rest of the week.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Now tell me, what do you think, well you don't have to answer, but what do you think is the attraction

in the spiritual but not religious movement that has so many followers today?

The spiritual but not religious movement that has so many followers?

I think that part of it must be the promise of a kind of freedom.

Freedom from the control that's imposed on us by fixed sets of beliefs and practices.

And that's why a popular writer by the name of Iyanla Van Zandt can define religion

as the rules, regulations, ceremonies, rituals developed by man

to create conformity and uniformity in the approach to God.

While she says spirituality is God's call in your soul.

And the point, her point, is clear enough.

With spirituality, we have a sense of a direct relationship with God.

While religion, well it mainly just gets in the way.

Now as Christians we know that there's another kind of freedom.

And it's the kind that's found in service.

Since we see that in Jesus, perfect freedom and perfect obedience

come together even as he goes to the cross.

And while we know this truth,

we often and so very easily come up with our own more,

shall we say, baptized forms of spiritual but not religious.

The fancy word for that is antinomianism.

If you can pronounce that, you get ten bucks.

Antinomianism means a disregard for the law.

Where does it turn up?

Well, wherever I decide that God's rules don't apply to me in this particular instance.

Now this will feel and look like a form of freedom,

but in the end it will be a form of bondage, won't it?

With a look at Ezra 9 this morning, I want us to think about bondage,

this bondage as a form of spiritual captivity in fact, or exile if you like.

And then ask how our gospel reading speaks to its remedy.

So as we come to the last part of Ezra,

and well done, staying with the study of Ezra and Nehemiah together.

What have we seen so far?

A quick rehash, but let's jump into and let's identify with God's people in that time.

What's our story up till now?

Well, to start it's a story of a new beginning.

Because we've been reminded how God used even a pagan king, Cyrus,

to make a way for us, his people, to come to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.

In his mind, Cyrus' mind, we were to rebuild a temple.

To whom?

Well, to the God who lives here in Jerusalem.

That is a God who's more or less confined to this space, this territory.

It was all part of Cyrus' program for resettling foreign gods.

This was his big thing, which he probably established to show how enlightened and tolerant he was

in comparison with the Babylonians who ruled before him.

But never mind.

We've been learning that God can bend these quirky human agendas so that they can suit his purposes.

Continuing on.

Once in Jerusalem, we're in chapter 3 there,

we enjoyed a great moment of celebration as we saw the temple's foundation laid.

And as a priest and Levites, and we're thinking of the coronation and all the pomp and circumstance that goes with it,

all the trumpets and the cymbals and great shouts of praise and even tears of thanksgiving

are all part of this celebration as that foundation stone is laid.

But then came opposition to our temple rebuilding project, chapter 4.

It began when we informed those who just came up and wanted to help us build,

and we said, well, that's not going to work for us.

This was their request.

Look, we've been in the land after you folks went into exile.

Well, we've been worshiping God all along and now think it would be a great idea if we teamed up

and we lent a hand with your building.

But remembering Deuteronomy 7, we said no.

How God had told us not to form alliances with peoples of the land that he was giving us.

Well, for some reason, they didn't like that.

And in fact, they got really angry and managed through various means to put an end to the temple rebuilding project.

That wasn't the last word because God spoke to our leaders,

telling them it's time now to get the job started again.

And then, just like he did with Cyrus, very similarly,

he worked in Darius' heart to get him to favor us so that we could resume the task.

Finally, the temple is rebuilt.

And again, we celebrated.

This time, it was the Passover with great joy and thanksgiving.

And by this time, it wasn't just us former exiles who celebrated

celebrated because our number now included some who had,

in chapter 6 and verse 21,

had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land

and they had joined us in celebration.

Very important.

So what happened next?

Well, you've seen a pattern.

God moves.

A work gets done.

We give thanks and we celebrate.

Fourth, there's opposition.

And that's exactly what happened again.

But this time, the problem wasn't coming to us from out there,

but it was coming from within our own ranks.

And what was that problem?

Well, in short, it was disobedience.

Knowing God's law full well, we chose to disregard it

and said nothing when some of our men took for themselves from among

the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites,

the Ammonites, the Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.

They took to themselves wives from among those peoples.

And as I said, we knew God's law full well,

as set forth in the Torah,

because we recalled it when the offer was made to help with building.

We knew that God had said we were a people holy unto the Lord,

set apart.

We also knew that he commanded us not to intermarry

with the peoples of the land he was giving over to us.

But maybe, just maybe, in this case,

since we got the first part right,

maybe there'd be some wiggle room

on the second part.

We thought maybe it wouldn't apply to us in every detail,

that intermarriage thing.

But that's not at all how Ezra saw it.

The teacher God had just sent,

and he understood.

He understood the matter.

He knew that to disregard one part

was to disregard the whole.

He knew, as one who had,

in chapter 7 and verse 10 said,

he had set his heart

to the study of God's law.

He knew that we couldn't

do such things without

putting ourselves, really,

in God's place.

So that's why

when he heard the news,

he, remember, we just read,

he tore his garment

and his cloak.

He pulled hair from his head

and his beard,

symbolic of mourning.

He was deeply troubled.

Deeply troubled.

He knew that this was

the very sort of thing

that had landed us in exile before.

And that was, in fact,

our condition now,

I want to suggest,

because we're once again,

spiritually speaking,

in exile.

God has brought us back

to Zion.

He's granted us

a new beginning.

And yet, now we're behaving

as this good thing from God.

Weren't so good after all.

As if we were still

in captivity.

Well, the good news

is that through Ezra's

ministry among us,

God brought us

to a place of repentance.

Ezra prayed,

and in that prayer,

he reminded us

of two things.

This is, incidentally,

justification for prayers

that contain many sermons.

I think.

It used to bug me

a little bit sometimes

that prayers might contain

announcements and such.

But here we have a prayer

that is both

addressing God,

but also reminding us

of, well,

here of two things.

Of the severity

of our disobedience.

God doesn't need to know

how severe

our disobedience is, right?

But here we hear it again.

Because in verse 6,

we see,

our guilt has mounted

up to the heavens.

Secondly,

he reminds us, Ezra,

of the consequences

of our disobedience.

And he says in verse 7,

for our iniquities,

we,

our kings,

our priests,

all those who stand out

in front of us

and lead us,

have been given

into the hand

of the kings of the land

to the sword,

to captivity,

to plundering,

and to utter shame.

As it is today.

And in that prayer,

Ezra also helps us

to recall two things.

God's great deeds

in bringing us back

to Zion

and God's commands.

And with that,

he asks God for mercy.

He says,

O Lord,

the God of Israel,

you are just.

We are left

as a remnant

that has escaped

as it is today.

And behold,

we're before you

in our guilt.

For none can stand

before you

because of this.

In verse 15

in chapter 9,

which we read.

And God granted us

repentance

and a new start

yet again

as the men

who had married

pagan wives

had put them away.

As we read

there in chapter 10.

If you look ahead.

Part 2.

We've understood

something of God's story

almost exactly

2,500 years ago.

But is it ours today?

That's the question

for this Part 2.

Is it our story today?

Well,

it might seem

to us today

that it's not.

It might seem

that way.

Because three

kind of

troubling questions

emerge

out of this reading.

The first,

well,

if we back up

to chapter 4,

if we remember

that God

can use

a pagan king

to get us

back to Zion

to rebuild

the temple,

well,

why can he not

use the help

of semi-pagan

peoples

to help us

rebuild it?

Well,

we'll answer

that in a second.

2,

this business

of banning

intermarriages.

Sounds xenophobic,

doesn't it?

Or,

to put it more sharply,

when we read

in verse 2,

that the holy race

or seed

has mixed itself

with the peoples

of the land.

Isn't that racist?

Isn't that what we call

racism today?

And then thirdly,

this business

of,

well,

once the foreign wives

have been taken,

is it,

do two wrongs

make a right?

Does putting them away

fix the problem?

Does that not

tear up the marriage?

Tear up the family,

even?

Well,

the questions

might boil down

to this.

Why the need

for such a strict rule

when it came to mixing

with the peoples

of the land?

Can it really apply

to us today?

And that's where

we must not

rest on the surface

of the reading

and we must

look deeper.

On the matter

of alliances,

yes,

in principle,

God could use

the labor

of these peoples

of the land

had He commanded it.

And that's the key.

But He hadn't.

These were peoples

who at best

had blended

true worship

with inventions

of their own

and God

had expressly

commanded His people

not to associate

with them.

In fact,

not only not to associate

but not to be

merciful to them.

Sounds harsh.

But to form

any political

alliance

would have meant

to compromise

their faith

and their worship.

They would have been

swallowed up.

On the matter

of intermarriage,

the issue here

is not about

bloodlines or race

in our modern sense

because,

well, why?

Well, there's already

some cultural mixing

going on

as peoples come

and they're grafted

into the covenant family.

Some we saw

in chapter 6

are already

worshiping

along with us

returned exiles.

So,

that,

that,

the question

of race

and bloodline

is not the issue.

So, what is

the significance

of the ban then?

Well, that had

everything to do

with another

kind of mixing,

a mixing of lies

with truth,

blending of worship

of the living God

with what verse 1

says,

abominations.

It's precisely

in light of God's

command to come out

and be separate

that Paul says

in 1st,

I beg your pardon,

2nd Corinthians 6,

14,

he expresses

that rule

that applies

to his people

of all times

and places.

Do not be,

we've heard it,

unequally yoked

with unbelievers.

For what,

says Paul,

for what partnership

has righteousness

with lawlessness?

If you want

a bit of an image

or an example

of what,

of what that looks

like when this

mixing happens,

well,

in Judges 3,

we read about

the spiritual

compromise

that happened

through precisely

this kind of

intermarriage.

God's people

slowly but surely

began to worship

the statues

of Baal

and Asherah,

the fertility

God,

mainly,

and his consort.

If you spend

any time

in predominantly

non-Christian

lands,

India,

many other

places,

you know what

this feels like

palpably,

what this honoring

and reverencing

and worship

of invented

gods looks like.

Finally,

on the matter

of dividing up

families,

well,

certainly,

divorce,

in God's eyes,

is wrong.

Malachi 2 and 6

but what we

see here

is God

permitting

the lesser

of two evils.

One commentary

puts it well

when it says

that there was

not only a

past transgression

to remedy

but also

a future

blessing

to safeguard

through the

purification

of the

community

of God.

Now,

in interpreting

passages like

Ezra 9,

clearly we have

and

in our

Christian past

deliberately

twisted

God's command

regarding

separation,

promoting

at times

real forms

of racism

and it's

a sad

history

but when

the separation

message is

understood

as the text

intends,

I think we

get a sense

of how

directly Ezra 9

applies to us

today.

Now,

originally I thought

it might be

helpful to

try to

speak to the

questions of

interfaith marriage

today perhaps

or even from

there to the

full assault

on marriage

itself

that's part

of our

culture,

of our

Western culture,

but because of

time

and because I

think there's an

even more basic

problem,

I thought I

would invite you

to reflect with

me on the

way we

sometimes allow

lies to get

mixed with

truth when

it comes to

the practice

or the

discipline of

knowing God.

The practice

or the

discipline of

knowing God.

We've learned,

we've heard

the word

yoke this

morning as

used by Paul.

He was

referring of

course to

the coupling

of two

animals to

accomplish a

specific task

to give us a

picture of

how,

in this

case negatively,

we can't

follow the

patterns of

the world

for long

and not be

drawn into

the assumptions

that govern

those patterns.

Jesus,

of course,

used the image

positively when

he said in

Matthew 11,

come to

me,

take my

yoke upon

you and

learn of

me.

As I

expect,

some of you

know the

Sanskrit word

for yoking

is yoga.

which,

taken in

its full

philosophical

context,

promotes a

particular

vision or

understanding

of union

with God.

God's

providence

through some

years spent

in India

and through

some sustained

conversations

with Christians

who practice

yoga in a

sustained way,

I've had to

make up my

mind.

I couldn't

leave it

as an

issue.

We'll look

at that

at a later

date.

I can't

speak of the

postures or

the breathing

exercises

themselves.

That is,

by themselves,

in the

abstract,

more or less

detached from

the Hindu

philosophy,

with which,

at some

stage,

they are

bound up.

Because I

assume that

at some

stage,

at least,

of the

discipline of

yoga,

very,

very popular

and common

throughout India

at least,

becomes a

yoking with

assumptions about

how we know

God at some

stage.

The partial

truth in the

practice of

yoga, of

course, is

that we were

made to know

God.

That, as

Augustine said,

our hearts are

restless until we

find our rest

in Him.

And even in

living in

India, this

passion among

Hindus that I

would meet and

talk to, this

passion to be

liberated from

this endless

cycle of death

and rebirth,

that even,

isn't it a

kind of bridge

for us where

we can speak

of that message

in Ecclesiastes

about how there

is nothing new

under the sun

and this desire

to break out,

to break free

from what seems

like a

meaningless

cycle.

Well, the

heart of the

problem, all

that said, the

proper discipline

of yoga, and

I would add

there, practices

of so-called

centering prayer.

I don't know if

you've investigated

those at all,

but when you

start looking at

some of the

details, they

teach us to

look for God

where?

Well, in this

eternal now, by

which we're to

understand, in a

sense, beyond

history, or if

not there, beyond

history, apart

from history,

bypassing history

even, in the

depths of our

souls.

And there's the

heart of the

problem, because

knowledge of God

in that case is

not based on what

he's done.

It's not based on

what he's promised.

It can't be,

because the past

and the future

are distractions.

They're unreal.

They're illusions.

What's real is my

yoking with God,

my yoga, that's

already a reality

that I just need

to cultivate and

to fan into flame

through the right

disciplines.

And so, in the

end, I never

really know my

condition, my real

human condition, my

alienation from God

because of sin, and

not knowing that, I'm

bound to get the

remedy wrong.

And that's, I

think, where the

enduring validity of

God's command to

come out and be

separate is clear.

For a world that

assumes that God's

favor must be

earned through our

own efforts,

separation is only

going to look like,

well, a form of

arrogance.

And that's why our

testimony is simple.

We say with Paul,

as he says to

Titus in chapter

3, 5 to 7,

but when the

goodness and

loving kindness

of God our Savior

appeared, he saved

us, not because of

works done by us in

righteousness, but

according to his

own mercy, by the

washing of

regeneration and

renewal of the

Holy Spirit, whom

he poured out on us

richly through

Jesus Christ our

Savior.

Savior.

So we're talking

about new

beginnings that

come from God's

rich storehouse.

We're talking about

a set of

partners that's

accepted with joy

and with

thanksgiving.

And because the

pattern remains the

same, right from

the day we left

the garden until the

day we come into

that celestial city,

we're talking about

a proneness to

wander into

spiritual captivity.

And that brings us

to the message of

the gospel this

morning.

Part three of

three.

Thanks for staying

with me.

We have a dilemma

and a challenge

before us.

We know how

gracious God is

calling us back to

himself.

When it comes to

Christian obedience,

we also know that we

can only ascend

God's holy hill

because there's one

who's already gone

ahead of us.

And that's the

king of glory,

Psalm 24,

who's mighty in

battle and who's

gone ahead.

It's Jesus himself.

So what's the key

to remaining on

the path with

him?

How do we keep

from wandering

into spiritual

captivity?

If that's your

question, as I

hope it is this

morning, what

Jesus has to say

to his disciples

and to us in

the gospel is

truly good news.

We're talking

here about the

wonder and I

would even say

the beauty of

how God's will

relates to the

human will.

This is one of

those things that

has us perplexed

and I'm not here

to resolve it all

neatly, but I do

want to say this.

It's not a matter

of God putting in

his 90% or even

his 99.99%

while we do the

rest.

It's not like that

at all.

I say this

because we

often get the

priority of God's

grace right,

saying that God

has done this

great thing for

us, but then we

make it sound like

well, we take over

from there, more

or less completing

what was left to be

done.

And so we claim

part ownership of

that title deed of

our salvation.

And here you might

ask, well, since

we're in John's

gospel, why then

does Jesus say to

his disciples in

1415, if you

love me, you'll

keep my commandments?

Or why does he

say, if you keep

my commandments,

you'll abide in

my love, 1510.

Isn't this about

doing our part?

What's the answer?

Well, it is.

In a way, as long

as our part is

also 100%.

And that's the

mystery of it.

God's work is

100% so that our

response of

obedience can also

be 100%.

It's the only way

it works.

That's God's math

in the plan of

redemption.

And by his design,

a divine work in

me doesn't make me

less human, it

makes me more.

So, if you hear

what Jesus says

about abiding in

him in John 15,

3 to 5, see if

you hear some of

that mystery, some

of what I've just

tried to articulate

in my stumbling

way.

Already you are

clean because of

the word that I

have spoken to

you.

Abide in me and

I in you.

As the branch

cannot bear fruit

by itself unless

it abides in the

vine, neither can

you unless you

abide in me.

I am the vine,

you are the

branches.

Whoever abides in

me and I in

him, he it is

that bears much

fruit, for apart

from me you can

do nothing.

And here's what I

think we can

gather.

The priority and

power of the word

is not something we

see only at the

beginning of the

saving relationship.

relationship.

It's there from

start to finish

because Jesus says

apart from me you

can do nothing.

And he gives us a

picture of how his

will and ours come

together but without

being confused.

One collapsed into

the other.

He says abide in me

and I in you.

And there's the key.

As we remain in

him, as we remain in

him, and it's our

remaining, we find

that we've been

doing that by his

power all along.

We're back to the

question of true

freedom.

The freedom that

keeps us looking up

to Zion, upward to

Zion as we sing in

some of those old

songs and it works

like this.

Well, we're freed

for it by Christ.

As Paul said to the

Galatians as I read

earlier, for freedom

Christ has set us

free.

And he recognizes the

paradox there.

Because he says,

stand firm,

therefore, and do

not submit again to

a yoke of slavery.

The point is this,

when Christ frees us,

he frees us to

obey freely.

Not as slaves.

So if we're talking

about a new

beginning, and then

it's a beginning

that's ever new,

ever renewing, if you

like, by the

promised spirit who

works within us and

in the world.

And that brings us to

John 16.

I just want to share a

couple of thoughts in

John 16.

What's the situation

there with Jesus and

his disciples?

Well, it turns out that

they're sad.

And this, in spite of

Jesus' promises, just

declared earlier.

For instance, he has

promised that he will

grant to them whatever

they ask in his name.

John 14.13.

He has promised them

fullness of joy as

they abide in him.

John 15.11.

But as we read in

16.6, Jesus says,

because I have said

these things, sorrow

has filled your heart.

What are these things

now?

Well, Jesus has also

been speaking about

leaving them, even

though he's promised

something else, to

prepare a place for

them when he does

that.

And part of leaving

means, though, that

the ruler of the

world is coming.

14.30.

And that they'll be

hated by the world

and persecuted on

account of their

separation from it.

15.18 and

following.

Now, I think we have

to assume that at

least some of the

thoughts that fill the

disciples' mind are

these.

Really, what you're

saying, Jesus, is that

our situation really is

not going to be all

that different once you

leave than from what

it was before.

We'll be back in full

captivity once the

master is gone.

We won't have his

words to abide in.

Well, because he'll be

gone.

But we read on.

And as we do, we

learn that Jesus is

going away is for

their benefit.

And in what specific

ways it's going to be

for their benefit?

In verse 7, Jesus

says, I tell you the

truth, it's to your

advantage that I go

away.

For if I do not go

away, the helper will

not come to you.

But if I go, I will

send him to you.

Now, again, if we are

thinking of the Spirit

as maybe some kind of

impersonal force, as

something less, some

entity that's less than

the third person of the

Trinity, who is Lord and

giver of life, we won't

be able to grasp Jesus'

words, it's to your

advantage.

The fact is the Holy

Spirit is the Spirit of

Jesus.

We were in Galatians,

here in Galatians 4, 6.

It's clear that the

Spirit is the Spirit of

or from Jesus.

To know the Spirit is to

know the Son, therefore.

If we have the Spirit,

the Son's presence is not

diminished.

It's the real presence of

the ascended Lord, mediated

by the Spirit.

Word and Spirit are never

confused, but neither are

we to think of them as

working independently.

And with that, we see how

good is the good news Jesus

gives to His disciples.

It has two promises.

First, He says that they

don't need to worry about

the challenge that they'll

face in the world.

They might be concerned,

but they don't need to

worry about the

persecution that's going

to face them.

He says to them in verses

8 to 11 that when the

Holy Spirit comes, He's

going to convict the world

of sin and righteousness

and judgment.

And for each of these,

Jesus, notice, He gives

the reason.

Concerning sin, because they

do not believe in Me.

Concerning righteousness,

because I'm going to the

Father and you will see Me

no longer concerning judgment,

because the ruler of this

world is judged.

And I think here what we see,

I won't unpack each of those,

what we see is the Holy Spirit

going ahead of them,

convicting people of sin,

impressing on them the true

nature of righteousness,

and warning them of the

consequences of sin.

And for this, the disciples

then, and disciples today,

can rejoice and not worry,

knowing that as we go to

the nations, Christ is on

the throne, and His kingdom

will have no end.

And the second, in the second

place, Jesus turns from what

worries them about what's out

there in the world, to what

troubles them about their own

identity as disciples.

And He promises that His

word will remain.

Most immediately, He promises

that by His Spirit working in

them, they will recall what He

has taught them, as well as the

things that are yet to happen,

so that they can record them for

future generations.

As for disciples to come, like

us, we can be assured that the

Holy Spirit's purpose in all this

is to bring glory not to Himself,

but to point us to Jesus.

Let's hear what Jesus says in

verses 12 to 15 again.

I still have many things to say

to you, but you cannot bear them

now.

When the Spirit of truth comes,

He will guide you into all truth,

for He will not speak on His own

authority, but whatever He hears,

He will speak, and He will

declare to you the things that are

to come.

He will glorify Me, for He will

take what is Mine and declare it

to you.

All that the Father has is Mine.

Therefore, I said that He will take

what is Mine and declare it to you.

So let me conclude with a basic

challenge that we face.

In a word, it's that challenge of

being in the world, but not of it.

When we yoke ourselves to the

world's assumptions about what is

good and right and lovely, well, we

become gradually absorbed, don't we?

Even without noticing it.

We find ourselves forgetting to pray

that basic Christian prayer,

Come Lord Jesus.

Because our hopes and habits are

really not those of a pilgrim people

who have their hearts and their eyes

fixed on the promised land.

But, as we abide in Christ and His

word abides in us, we experience that

called-outness that is our identity

as the church of God.

It's a state of being set apart by God

that is not there for its own sake.

God doesn't just set us apart, just to

set us apart, right?

There's a purpose in His election, in

His calling of us.

It's a set-apartness to display, to

challenge, and to serve as a testimony

to all those whom God is calling by

His Spirit into communion with Himself.

I thought it's fitting to end with that

stanza from that wonderful hymn Keith

and Christian Getty wrote.

And I'll just end with it as a prayer.

It's the last stanza of Speak, O Lord.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds.

Help us grasp the heights of Your plans

for us, truths unchanged from the dawn

of time that will echo down through

eternity.

And by grace we'll stand on Your promises,

and by faith we'll walk as You walk with us.

Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built,

and the earth is filled with Your grace.