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Pastor Lud Golz
Pastor Lud Golz

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  Home | Transcript Archive | January | January 28, 2010

Thursday, January 28, 2010

We looked at what I call an impact statement in our last visit. Ezra 3:3 declares: “Despite their fear of the people around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord.” This is a picture of the challenge of obedience.  

That first step was difficult, but they took it. Then they followed with further steps of obedience. They organized and got to work. I was fascinated by the description of who they appointed to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. It says in Ezra 3:8 they “appointed Levites twenty years of age and older to supervise the building.” 
 
We often disqualify people for the wrong reason. Would most churches be ready to appoint a twenty year old to be an elder in their church? What about appointing a twenty year old as the pastor? Is it age that qualifies a person for leadership, or character, giftedness and experience? 
 
Timothy was quite young when Paul appointed him for leadership. He had to encourage and challenge him at times to stir up and use his gifts, but he was in a position of leadership. Knowing that people often question the authority of someone who is quite young Paul wrote to Timothy in 1st Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 
 
Spurgeon, known as the prince of preachers, began his pastoral ministry at the age of 16! 
 
The building project described in Ezra went forward under the supervision of men twenty years of age and older, working together.
 

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