Staying the Course

Staying the Course

Ezra 4:1–24

Life doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes what starts out smooth suddenly falls apart — literally, as Pastor Jeff discovered when the bumper cover of his SUV detached on the highway. What followed was fifteen months of frustrating calls, repeated forms, and endless hold music before the company finally agreed to reimburse him. Through it all, he refused to quit — not for the money, but for the principle.

That same determination — to stay the course — is exactly what Ezra 4 calls us to when life’s opposition or delay threatens to derail our obedience to God.

The Background

After seventy years in Babylonian exile, God’s people had finally returned home. Under King Cyrus’s decree, they rebuilt the altar, restored worship, and began laying the foundation of the temple. But as they did, opposition arose — the kind that tests your faith and resolve. Ezra 4 shows us how to stay the course when everything seems to be on hold.

1. Refuse to Compromise

As the exiles began rebuilding, their adversaries — descendants of Assyrians who had long opposed Israel — approached them with what seemed like an offer of peace:

“Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do.” (Ezra 4:2)

It sounded kind, even cooperative. But Ezra calls them “adversaries” for a reason — their motives were deceptive. Zerubbabel and Jeshua saw through the pretense and replied firmly:

“You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God.” (Ezra 4:3)

They refused to blur the lines of truth or mix devotion to God with the false worship of the world around them.

The same temptation faces us today — to blend in, to soften convictions, to call every path equally valid. Yet compromise erodes conviction. As Jeff humorously noted, fitting in with culture might sound harmless when it’s just slang, but spiritually, it’s dangerous. Truth is truth, even when it’s unpopular.

Staying the course begins with refusing to compromise. Don’t let cultural comfort come at the cost of biblical conviction.

2. Persist Under Pressure

Opposition didn’t end there — it intensified. Accusations flew from generation to generation of Persian kings, all the way through Ahasuerus (from the book of Esther) and into the reign of Artaxerxes. Letters were written, charges were twisted, and threats of rebellion were exaggerated to provoke fear.

Eventually, Artaxerxes issued a royal decree halting the work. The enemies even enforced it “by force and power” (v. 23).

But Ezra included this historical flash-forward for a reason: to remind his readers that opposition was not the end of the story. Even when the pressure mounted, God was still working. His purposes were unfolding through every regime, ruler, and delay.

So when resistance comes, don’t mistake it for rejection. When adversity strikes, don’t assume abandonment. God’s presence doesn’t disappear in hardship — He refines His people through it.

Persist under pressure, because God’s plans always outlast human opposition.

3. Trust God in Delays

Verse 24 closes with what sounds like defeat:

“Then the work on the house of God … stopped.”

But notice the next word: until.

The work stopped until the second year of King Darius. The delay was temporary. God’s plan had not failed — it was simply paused.

Delays are often where God does His best work. Joseph’s years in prison prepared him to save a nation. Moses’ wilderness wandering equipped him to lead. Jesus’ delay at Lazarus’ tomb revealed the glory of resurrection.

So too, in Ezra’s day, God was preparing prophets, refining hearts, and aligning kings for His purposes. The delay was not defeat; it was divine timing.

Maybe you’re in a season that feels like verse 24 — stalled, uncertain, waiting. Take heart. God finishes what He starts. What feels like a full stop is often a comma in God’s sentence of redemption.

Stay the course. Trust His timing. His “until” will come.

Conclusion

When the road feels long and opposition fierce —

• Refuse to compromise.

• Persist under pressure.

• Trust God in delays.

Because even when you can’t see the outcome, God’s purpose is still unfolding. He will complete the work He began in you. So don’t give up — stay the course.

SERMON DETAILS

Speaker: Jeff McNicol
Series: Ezra
Sermon Title: Staying the Course
Date: Oct 19, 2025

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

• Ezra 4:1-24

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