In Ezra chapter 10, we have come to the conclusion of Ezra's prayer. Now it doesn't take very long to read through that prayer. It doesn't take very long for Ezra to pray that prayer. But the gold that is in that prayer has taken us some time to go through and to reap a little bit of it. Because even in Ezra's prayer, He was careful to preach the truth of the gospel. How blessed it is, as we read here in verse 1, how blessed it is when the gospel is declared as Ezra declared it. And that prayer, verses 8 and 9 in particular, share that with us. We don't have the gospel until we realize that we've been ruined by the fall. And then that gospel becomes so aware to us. As we heard read there in the book of Ezekiel this morning, how much God has done for sinners before we even realize what a sinner we are. And where the gospel is believed and preached, There are a number of points that must agree. I'm wearing a tie this morning. This tie was given to me by a dear friend in North Carolina. And he gave me these points except for the last one. He said, where the gospel is believed and preached, all points must agree, The motive, the music, and the methods must agree. I'm going to add one more. The prayer must agree. God's people are going to pray, nevertheless, not my will be done, but thy will be done. We're never praying to try to change God or to change God's purpose. We're praying, Lord, make me Agree with your purpose help me because I have so much unbelief in that area. I Believe help thou my unbelief so The prayer and Ezra certainly shows us that Ezra chapter 9 Excuse me chapter 10 in verse 1 now when Ezra had prayed And when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children, for the people wept very sore. The truth, only those regenerated, those born again, have any real sorrow for sin. In religion, we find out we repent of our sins because we got caught and in Christianity, in Christ, we repent from worshiping foolishness and turn to worship the true and the living God. Repentance means a change of mind. and that change from I am attached and worshiping all of these dumb thoughts and idols and our worst thoughts and our worst idol is ourself and believing that we can affect God's purpose and he will change his mind about us because we're doing so many good things. Well, God certainly changes us on that state, because we find out that it's not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saves us. And we had nothing to do with that. We didn't tilt God one way or the other. In fact, if we tilted him, we tilted him away. Because we are fallen creatures. Though all are sinners in God's sight, there are only a few that know so. John Hart wrote in one of his hymns, a sinner is a sacred thing, for the Holy Spirit has made him thus. Up to that point, we have done bad things. We're sorry we got caught. And I heard the other day that more new births take place in the backseat of a police car than anywhere else. Maybe we'll go through a reformation right there, because, oh, have mercy on me. Well, look with me now at verse 2. And Shechaniah, the son of Jehel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, we have trespassed against our God. We have trespassed against our God. Remember with me the words of King David when he cried unto the Lord. Back up, excuse me, go ahead just a little bit to the Psalm. Psalm 51. In Psalm 51, we have King David's confession here. And we're going to go back to 2 Samuel in just a moment. But here in Psalm 51, here's David's confession. He could have, and most people do, blame everybody else for what happened to them. She shouldn't have, he shouldn't have, they shouldn't have, we shouldn't have, but I didn't do anything wrong. I always go up on the top of my building at that time of day. It's like that guy that was ran into by another car without giving a signal and without having a stoplight on his car. And his confession to the police officer was, I've turned at this place for the last 30 years at this time of day. Well, that makes no conclusion, does it? Well, in Psalm 51 verses 3 and 4, we have these words that David shares. Psalm 51 verses three and four, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest. Now take this back to the book of 2 Samuel chapter 12 and we find there a passage of scripture that David shares with us And Nathan has brought to him the attention of what he has done. And in 2 Samuel chapter 12 and verse 13, we have David saying this, he blamed nobody just as we find Shekinah here in the book of Ezra chapter 10 and verse 2, we have sinned. We have sinned against God. He put himself just where Ezra had put himself in that prayer. In the lead up to the very thoughts about the gospel in that prayer, he shares with us that he too has been guilty of this very thing. Maybe not the very act that they were going through, but he is guilty of sin before God. Here in 2 Samuel chapter 12 and verse 13, we have these words. It says, and David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. What words that were brought to David when he completely and wholly admits the problem was his, and he sinned against God. Now he had sinned against Bathsheba, he had sinned against her husband, he had sinned against all the people of Israel, he sinned against himself, and yet in the summation, the conclusion of all of it, he said, I have sinned against God. He understood what sin truly is, just as we find over there in the book of of Ezra chapter 10. And we find in the book of 1st John chapter 1 and verse 8, if I say that I have no sin, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. So if we have any idea about not being the problem, the truth, God's truth, the Holy Spirit as the truth of God, the Son as the truth of God, dwells not in us. Well, there's a part two to this now, going back to the book of Ezra chapter 10, part two. And here we have Shekinah summing up, sharing with us these words. He said, we have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the land. And the real problem was they had adopted the religions of those people. That was the problem. They'd adopted and said, this is just as good as this. This is just as good as this. This religion is just as good as God's religion. I remember a lady standing at my door one time, trying to get a word in edgewise about their religion, and I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, just a moment. Can you answer a question for me? She said, okay. I said, do you know the difference between margarine and butter? Well, yes. Margarine isn't real and butter is. And I said, why would I give up my butter then for your margarine? What glorious thing it is to know the sweetness of the gospel, to know the clear sound of the gospel, the truth of the gospel, and here were people that had heard that and said they agreed with it, but they'd go over here and get into a septic tank of religion with these people and say, this is just as good as what we have over there. That was the real problem. How sad it is. as it goes on and on and on. It is just not a Jewish problem. It wasn't just these folks' problems, but how people will say, well, I will change him from the inside. I will go up and... God is gracious, brings to us the gospel. I shared in a message not too long ago, my wife thought she married a believer, and she didn't. I was saved 15 or 16 years after we were married. I heard the gospel. God was gracious. All right, let's look at the words of this man that stood up. He said here, we have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the land. Now listen to this. You just expect as religious preachers say, and you are going to have to answer for this, and you are going to have to stand in judgment for this, and you are going to have. What does Shekinah say here? He says here in this verse of scripture, yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. There is hope in Israel concerning this thing. What a blessing it is to know hope, to know the hope. Now Shekinah was a prisoner of hope. Would you keep your finger here and travel over to the book of Zechariah. Zechariah chapter 14 and there in verse 8. Zechariah chapter 14 and verse 8. Here, excuse me, Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 11. Zechariah 9 and verse 11. It says, As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Now what a metaphor that is. By the covenant, I've taken people out of the pit, and in the pit there is no water. There's no gospel in there. But look at this, turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope. Even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee. What's that mean? I will render double. I will pay double for all your sins. I will take you out of the pit. Now we as believers are prisoners of hope. There is hope. Now we're going to find out in the scriptures that the Lord Jesus Christ is the hope of Israel. And God's people are prisoners of hope, are prisoners of Jesus Christ, depending upon Him for everything that is necessary that will enable us to stand before God clean and righteous. We are prisoners of the belief of the gospel. We're prisoners of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We're prisoners believing what he has to say to us. We're prisoners about the gospel. We can't go elsewhere. We can't go to another, because going to another is something else that's not even the gospel, but as we read here, Jeconiah is a prisoner of the gospel, he is a prisoner of hope, he is a prisoner of Christ, he is a prisoner to the gospel, and here he is going to bring these people to the very heart and core of the gospel, and that is hope! Religion offers no hope for anyone if you, oh my goodness, if you are able, if you endure to the end, if you work hard enough, if you do this, and there's absolutely no hope in that, and yet we find the Lord Jesus Christ's very name says, They shall save his people from their sins. In that, in the word of God, there is tremendous hope that he will save his people from their sins. He is a savior that actually saves people from their sins. He doesn't put it in, if you, but he puts it in, I will. I will do all my part and you will be the recipients of all the part that I do. In the book of Jeremiah chapter 14, Jeremiah chapter 14, back up to that if you would, Jeremiah chapter 14 and verse 8. I was reading the right passage and the wrong name just a moment ago. But in Jeremiah chapter 14 and verse 8, we have this, oh, the hope of Israel. Oh, the hope of Israel. Jeremiah is going through some terrible times in Israel. You read about Jeremiah. You find out he spent some time that was not very pleasant. He was in an adversarial, the government at that time was in an adversarial role against him. The king was in an adversarial role against him. The king put him in prison. The king did all of this stuff to him because he was a preacher of the gospel. And here in Jeremiah chapter 14 and verse 8, It says, O the hope of Israel, the Savior thereof in time of trouble, why shouldst thou be a stranger in the land as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Why should Christ, why should the gospel, why should the truth of the gospel be as a wayfarer, a stranger in the night? Because he is, Christ is, the hope of Israel, the Savior thereof. Chuck and I come out and said, things are really in bad shape here. It's worse than we thought. This whole mess has been going on here and Ezra was faithful to bring the mess to our attention and show us that the gospel is far more than what these other religions are teaching. My goodness, you just follow him for a short time and you find out, boy, there's some things of that I don't want to get involved in. But we consent to it by volunteering to be in it. Oh, the mess. Yet Shekinah comes up and he said, ''Against God have we sinned and done this terrible deed.'' But he says this, Yet now there is hope. What's that mean? There is a Savior. There is a Savior in Israel, and His name is Jesus. Now in the Old Testament, He was known as the Messiah, the Promised One. He was known as the Christ. To us, He is the Lord Jesus Christ. As we look at this, we find again in Jeremiah chapter 17, Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 13. Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 13. As we look at this hope and hope. is something that is anticipated. It's not saying, I hope things go all right. Hope is understanding that what God said, he will do. We just read that, heard read over there in the Book of Romans. What God said to Abraham, Abraham believed he would do it. That's hope. And when God told Abraham that he was going to have a son, and this son would be the son of promise, even though all the mess that went on over there in the book of Genesis, even the humanity that he brought out in the book of Genesis, it did not thwart God's purpose one bit. And Abraham was caused to understand what God said he will perform, and he hoped against hope. Things were going awry. He had this wife over here that brought him a son, and that son was being terrible to the son of promise. He hoped against hope. He knew where hope was, and hope is in a person. The hope of Israel, the hope of the church, is Jesus Christ and him crucified. And putting away all sin by the sacrifice of himself, that's hope. That says, oh, there's hope in Israel. Jeremiah chapter 17, and there in verse 13, the scriptures share this. Therefore, will I cast you out of this land. 17, chapter 17, verse 13, here we go. O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth. Because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters. But to the church, what is he? He is the fountain of living waters. He is their hope. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for a people. There is no hope in a religion. There is only hope in Christ that He will do what He promised. I will forgive all your sins and you shall have everlasting life. Take that to the bank because I have spoken it. God has spoken his word. Turn with me just a little further in the book of Jeremiah to chapter 50 and verse 7. Jeremiah chapter 50 and verse 7. We find here about this hope, the hope of Israel and Jeremiah. He goes on to write the lamentations of Jeremiah. He is lamenting over the problem of Israel and yet in that very book, almost in the center of that book, he comes out with hope and says, great is thy faithfulness. What glory, even in the greatest of times, the most aggravated of times, great is thy faithfulness. You know what he's saying, what Abraham said. Hope, even when it doesn't look like there's hope. What God has spoken, he is able to fulfill. You know, the contrary, the difference that's found in our own system of religion when we're born is that we have the ability of attempting to make God look our direction. And then after we're saved, to find out what he has said he will fulfill. that he will present his people spotless, that he will deal with all their sin. Jeremiah chapter 50 and verse 7, all that found them have devoured them. And their adversary said, we offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of our fathers. We haven't done anything. He was the hope of our fathers, but we've grown beyond that. We've moved past that. One thing about the constancy of the gospel, it is the same today as it was given to Abel, to Adam, to Eve. Why? Because men have not changed. Women have not changed. We still have the same Adamic character, and we are in desperate need of salvation, and God alone is the hope of the church. In the book of Ephesians, we find where we are by nature when it comes to hope. Ephesians chapter two. We have no hope, it says. We're depending upon ourselves. We're pedaling a bicycle without any brakes. We're pedaling a bicycle without any pedals. We're rolling along, coasting along. Hopefully, there won't be any real downhill because there is going to be a big tragedy. No brakes. Tires are blown out. No pedals. We're stuck in the seat going downhill and there's just tragedy ahead. What a rock wall. And by the grace of God, he takes his people that are in that condition without screaming and hollering their head because of, you know, right now, there's a whole bunch of people to see we're at the end of the world. Well, hallelujah. What could be better? Jesus Christ coming back? What could be better than that? If we are, hallelujah. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. People have always been just as stupid as we see them going on right now. Always been that way. Noah, you're the stupidest person I've ever seen. What are you doing? There's nobody ever seen an inch of water on this ground, not alone enough to float that boat. But Noah continued on as a preacher of righteousness for 600 years. And his success rate, there were eight that entered that ark. Just faithful. Why? Because his hope was in Christ. All right, notice here with me the book of Ephesians chapter 2. Here's where we are by nature. Paul summed it up as the Holy Spirit led him in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 11. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 11 wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision of the flesh by the hands that at that time Ye were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. He's making a list here of things without Christ You don't know the gospel. Strangers from the covenant of promise. You have no idea about the goodness of God that leads you to repentance. You don't have any idea about the covenant of grace. You don't even want to talk about things that happened before the foundation of the world. It's just right now and right here. Having no hope. And without God in the world. Look at that list. That is a checklist. By nature, there's where we are. He said, that's just where we are. It doesn't matter whether you're circumcision or uncircumcision, there is nothing. By nature, we're in this terrible plight, just as Shek and I have brought out to those folks there in Jerusalem at that time, and he said, we sinned against God, yet there is hope. Because he that has spoken from heaven is able to keep his word, and he will lose none of his sheep. In 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 1, would you turn there with me? 1 Timothy chapter 1, the hope of Israel, the hope of glory, the hope of God, the hope that is placed within us. And it's not, I hope I don't have to go to the doctor tomorrow or the dentist. It is having an absolute assurance that what God has said he is able to do. Hope. In 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God, the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope. Our hope is in the Lord who made the heavens and the earth and has spoken dead people to life. What a message the gospel is. Jesus Christ is our only hope, and that's the hope that is given to every believer. Our eyes are fixed on him, even though sometimes we stray. I really appreciate what the pastor said who brought me the gospel about the Mississippi River. If you've ever flown over the Mississippi River, you find it's in such a flat area that the only thing it can do is call meandering. meandering, meandering, meandering. Breaks through, creates new courses all the time. And you drop a piece of wood in at the upper end of the Mississippi River in time without only meandering, It will come out into the Gulf of Mexico. And he said, we may meander in this life. If we know Christ, if he's given us the new birth, if we've been regenerated, we have him as our hope. Like David, like Noah, like Moses, like Paul, like Peter, like John, we may do some meandering in this life. But the goal is set for us, and God Almighty is drawing us to him. He promised My boat will sink, but I won't lose my life This flesh will die, but I will be entering in with him in the book of Hebrews chapter 6 travel just a little bit further with me into the book of Hebrews chapter 6 Hebrews chapter 6 verse 18 Hebrews chapter 6 verse 18 the scripture says that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie. Mark that down. Isn't that wonderful? He's not going to lie to Ezra. He's not going to lie to Moses. He's not going to lie to David. He's going to keep his promise. I promise to present you spotless. Oh, the test that those of Judah and Benjamin went through when Ezra got back to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity, hardly able to wipe the sweat off of his brow. The attention is brought to him of what is going on, and he comes before the Lord with nothing in his hands. He prays to Almighty God. The people are stirred, and a man stands up and says, yes, but there's hope. Jesus Christ the Lord. Even in this desperate situation, there's hope in Jesus Christ the Lord. Here in the book of Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 18, two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie. that we might have strong consolation who have fled to refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. We've been led up to this hope. We've been led up to this rock. We've been led up to this rope. We've been led up to this grace. We've been led up. And it is hope that is, it goes on to tell us which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." What's that mean? Somebody is sitting on the right hand of God. That veil was only a symbol, a picture, a type, and a shadow of the glory of God. And our Savior is sitting at the right hand of His Father, making intercession for us. And every day, He's drawing us to Him. At the right moment, we'll be drawn into his presence. We have this sure hope. God has an anchor, and he is, his name is Christ, and he is anchored within the veil. Whether the forerunner is for us in it, even Jesus made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. What a promise, oh, to have a man stand up in all this trouble and says, folks, I know of a hope. Let me tell you about this hope. And that hope is the gospel. Ezra has already declared it in his prayer. Jeconiah is going to declare it again. There is hope in Christ. There is a hope in the Messiah. There is the hope in the promised one. He will do all that he ever said he will do, and that is to deliver his people from this present state of sin and transform us into the kingdom of his dear son. Turn with me to 1 Peter, if you would, right after the book of Hebrews there, 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again. What does that mean? Nicodemus, you must be born again. Nicodemus never asked how, and Jesus never said how. Because he goes on to say, that which is born of spirit is spirit, and that which is born of flesh. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit. It's that different. Here's the picture, but it's so different. He has begotten us again unto a lively hope, This is a live hope. And this live hope has been established, why? By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And we recognize not just the resurrection, but we recognize what the resurrection symbolizes, that all the debt has been paid. Oh, yes. I have and am and will continue to be a terrible sinner in myself, this wretched flesh that I carry about. But he has taken care of the problem at the cross and by it he has declared all his people free. Their hope is in the Lord. the Lord Jesus Christ. We heard read over there this morning in the book of Romans chapter five, or excuse me, chapter four. Would you turn there just a moment as I read just a couple of verses of scripture in Romans chapter four, and there in verse 18, Romans chapter four in verse 18, it says there, Abraham, who against hope believed in hope. Boy, everybody else is saying, there's no need to go there, Abraham. Come over here. You can see our God. Come over here. You can bow down before this stone God. You can see him. And he says here, you know, who against hope believed in hope. People said, you need to go somewhere else. He said, no, no. that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And he believed what God said he would do. Backing up, going ahead just a bit, chapter 5 and verse 5. The scripture says, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. Hope maketh not ashamed. I don't mind being called, I hope, in the Lord. Colossians chapter 1. Would you turn there, Colossians chapter 1? As this man comes out after Ezra prayed, they saw the effect that had been upon him. He was like a broken man. He's such a typical picture, such a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, taking all this upon Himself. And someone comes out and says, he's right. But he preached hope. Hope in the Lord. There's hope in Israel. Church has hope. Here in the book of Colossians chapter 1 and verse 27, the scriptures share, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of his mystery unto the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. There is hope in Christ. All we can say is those who had done a great crime and some elder, said, go to the city of refuge. That's the only place you can go to. Go to the city. Flee to the city of refuge. Flee to the refuge. Flee to Christ. There is hope in the Lord. There's hope in Israel. There's hope in the gospel. The gospel, the true gospel is the only place of hope that he is able to do what he said he will do and he will carry it out. Completely. There is hope in Christ, flee to Him. So in closing, I just want to read that part of that verse once again, as that man of God stood up and shared these words, he said, I have taken, yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Hope in Israel. Brother Mike, if you'll come.