Sometimes saying no is the most spiritual thing you can do.
That was the heart of the message Minister Mike Hendricks brought to us on Sunday at Motivation Church. Drawing from the book of Ezra, he unpacked what it looks like to protect what God is building in your life and in your community.
Here is a recap of the three questions he challenged us to ask.
Are You Stirred?
Before the people of Israel could rebuild the temple, God had to stir their hearts.
He stirred King Cyrus to issue the proclamation. He stirred the priests and the Levites to pack up and go back to Jerusalem. And when God stirs people, they do not just feel something. They move.
Minister Mike made the distinction between a commuter and a mover. A commuter leaves every morning and comes right back to the same place. A mover changes their address. They are not going back to the same house.
When God stirs you, he is not calling you to commute to your destiny. He is calling you to relocate to it.
So the question is not just whether you feel something. It is whether you are willing to move because of it.
Are You United?
Stirred people still have to come together with a shared purpose.
In Ezra 3, the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose. Even with fear around them, they came together and got to work.
Minister Mike reminded us of something God said in Genesis 11 about the people building the Tower of Babel. He said nothing they set out to do would be impossible for them. That is the power of unity. And it is exactly what the enemy is afraid of.
But unity does not mean anyone and everyone. It means people who are sent by God and moving in the same direction. Fire without direction just burns everything down.
Whose Man’s Is This?
This was the third and most discerning question of the message.
In Ezra 4, the enemies of Judah and Benjamin approached the leaders and said they wanted to help build the temple. It sounded like a generous offer. But Zerubbabel and the other leaders said no. Clearly and firmly.
Why? Because these people worshipped multiple gods. They were not fully committed to Yahweh. Letting them put their hands on the temple would have meant letting them have a say in it.
Minister Mike used a clip of a well-known gospel television host and a Nation of Islam leader to illustrate the point. The conversation sounded like common ground. And on the surface, it was warm and friendly.
But when you dig deeper, the theology does not match. A Muslim tradition honors Jesus as a prophet. The Christian faith declares him Lord, Savior, and the Son of God. That is not a small difference.
The helpful haters will always say the things that sound right in your ear. Discernment is what helps you hear what is actually being said.
Zerubbabel was not being rude. He was being responsible. The temple was not just a building. It was where God would rest and meet his people. The wrong hands could corrupt the whole thing.
What Was Once Prohibited Will Not Be Prevented
Minister Mike closed with a word for the house.
Motivation Church has faced its own opposition. Permits. City approvals. Building challenges. Things that tried to slow down what God was doing. But none of it stopped the plan.
What God has ordained for this house will not be prevented. And that includes what he has placed in your life individually. The business. The idea. The calling that has not come to fruition yet.
Stay stirred. Stay unified. Stay discerning.
If this message resonated with you, we would love to have you join us in person.
Come visit us and experience the community for yourself. Ready to take a next step? Connect with us and let us know how we can walk alongside you.