1. Ezra 8:8-13 - Building God's Kingdom is a Group Effort
8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. 9 Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah[a]) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.
10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

2. Ezra 8:8-13 - Building God's Kingdom is a Group Effort
“He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.”
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

3. Building God's Kingdom Requires Good Leaders
Good leaders should be a plurality
Acts 11:30 - elders at the church of Antioch
Acts 14:23 - Paul and Barnabas appoint "elders in every church"
Acts 15:2 - elders at the church in Jerusalem
Acts 20:17 - elders/bishops at the church of Ephesus (v. 17--"elders of the church")
Acts 21:18 - elders at the church in Jerusalem
Phil 1:1 - the church at Philippi has bishops and deacons
1 Timothy 5:17 - elders at the church of Ephesus
Titus 1:5 - Titus is to appoint elders in every town
James 5:14 - "the elders of the church"
1 Peter 5: "the elders among you"

4. Building God's Kingdom Requires Good Leaders
Good leaders should be a plurality
More strengths, fewer weaknesses
Healthier teaching
Lightening the workload
Accountability
Safety in numbers
Encouragement in difficulty
Stability in transition
Reminder that there is one chief shepherd

5. Building God's Kingdom Requires Good Leaders
Good leaders should be a plurality
Good leaders should delegate

6. Building God's Kingdom Requires Good Leaders
Ephesians 4: And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

7. Building God's Kingdom Requires Good Leaders
Good leaders should be a plurality
Good leaders should delegate
Application #1 – Leaders should not try to do everything themselves.
Application #2 – Help your leaders by joining the work.

8. Building God's Kingdom Requires Willing Workers
Everyone has a unique role
Everyone uses his or her own gifts
1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 12
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
Application: To find out your gift, start serving

9. Building God's Kingdom Results in Joyfully Praising Him
Isaiah 5: “Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.
9 The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing:
“Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. 10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.”
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. 12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine,but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord,no respect for the work of his hands. 13 Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.”

10. Building God's Kingdom Results in Joyfully Praising Him
God is merciful to restore sinners to Himself
What He restores us to, may not be the same as what we lost.
Application: If you feel you are far from God, come back to Him.
When you do well, your countenance will be lifted up
Application:
Jesus
Others
Yourself

11. Are You Building God's Kingdom Or Your Own
Charles Studd Poem -
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,Only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

12. Are You Spending Time On The Urgent Or the Important?
Family time
Date night with your spouse
Studying the Bible
Reading Christian books
Sharing the gospel with your uncle
Starting a Bible reading journal
Rebuilding the temple (Getting their own farms in order probably seemed more urgent)

13. CHRIST THE CASE FOR Bring a Friend *FOREIGN PASSPORT HOLDERS ONLY
1 CORINTHIANS 15: 15-19
*FOREIGN PASSPORT HOLDERS ONLY