Nehemiah 8:1-12
Intro: Can God’s Word bring real life change to people today? The Bible is the living Word of God (Heb. 4:12). It is infallible and has God Almighty as its Author. This book is called the “Word of life” and brings strong hope to those who believe it.
Illus: In Genesis – He’s the Breath of Life, Exodus – the Passover Lamb, Leviticus – Our High Priest, Numbers – Fire by night, Deuteronomy – Moses Voice, Joshua – Salvation’s Choice, Judges – Law Giver, Ruth – Kinsman Redeemer, 1 and 2 Samuel – Trusted Prophet, Kings and Chronicles – Sovereign, Ezra – True and Faithful Scribe, Nehemiah – Rebuilder of Broken Walls and Lives, Esther – Mordecai’s Courage, Job – Timeless Redeemer, Psalms – Our Morning Song, Proverbs – Wisdom’s Cry, Ecclesiastes – Time and Season, Song of Solomon – Lover’s Dream – Isaiah – Prince of Peace, Jeremiah – Weeping Prophet, Lamentations – Cry for Israel, Ezekiel – Call from sin, Daniel, the Stranger in the Fire, Hosea – Forever Faithful, Joel – Spirit’s power – Amos – The Arms that Carry Us – Obadiah – the Lord our Savior – Jonah – Great Missionary – Micah – Promise of Peace – Nahum – Strength and Shield – Habakkuk and Zephaniah – Pleading for revival – Haggai – Restores Lost Heritage – Zachariah – Our Fountain – Malachi – Son of Righteousness Rising with Healing in His Wings- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – God, Man, Messiah – Acts – Fire from Heaven – Romans – Grace of God – Corinthians – Power of love – Galatians – freedom from the curse of sin – Ephesians – Glorious Treasure – Philippians – Servants heart – Colossians – God-Head Trinity – Thessalonians – our Coming King – Timothy, Titus, Philemon – Mediator and our Faithful Pastor – Hebrews – Everlasting Covenant – James – the One who heals the sick – 1 and 2 Peter – He’s our Shepherd – John and Jude – Lover coming for His Bride – Revelation – King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us of its own power and potential to transform (revive) the lives of those individuals or societies who crave its truths and willingly apply it to their lives.
I. THE WORD AND ITS INSPIRATION
A. Single Minded Neh. 8:1a
God’s people had been freed from the Babylonian empire and with God’s hand and Nehemiah’s leadership the wall of Jerusalem is miraculously built in 52 days - Faithful leaders have been assigned their positions in God’s order of worship – A generous offering has been taken and received – God’s people have a single heart and mind to worship the Lord their God.
• They met at Water Gate to hear the Scriptures – God’s Word is often symbolized as water because it can take the filth out of our lives and make us clean!
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26).
“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3).
Note – There are many reasons why people come to church – yet the most important reason is to hear what God has to say to us through His word.
God’s Word teaches us of the importance of assembling ourselves to worship, hear the Word, live our witness.
Hebrews 10:25, “…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching.”
Note – A college freshman was giving her best friend a tour of the college she attended. They spent little to no time in the classrooms or libraries – but most of the time observing local hot spots for men. She showed her friend great places for hanging out, restaurants, malls, theaters, etc. Upon returning to her dorm room, she told her friend to be quiet because other girls were studying. As their neared the dorm entrance she whispered, “All they do is study. Honestly, I don’t even know why they came to college.”
Note – we come to church primarily to hear and be
transformed by the Word of God!
B. Scripture Minded Neh. 8:1b-2
• A single hearted people in the Lord assemble themselves together to hear God’s Word – The day in which they assembled was strategic and timely – the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar is similar to New Year’s Day for us – It was time for a new beginning - Celebrations during the seventh month included the Feast of Trumpets (1st day), the day of Atonement (10th day), and the Feast of Tabernacles (15th to 21st day).
Note – New Year’s Resolutions – how about spiritual resolutions led by the Word of God and empowered by the Spirit of God? Our SBC President, Johnny Hunt, recently twittered his goal for 2010, “I wish to embrace my deepest devotion ever in being ablazed for the glory of God. To love Jesus supremely and intimately. He’s worthy!
Note - J. Edwin Orr defined revival as: "The Spirit of God working through the Word of God, in the lives of the people of God."
It’s great that you are here this morning listening to God’s Word – are you letting God’s word have it’s way in your life? When you leave this service – go to your family, job, neighborhood, school, etc. how much of God’s Word is going to be filtering through your mind?
When you have settled God’s Word as the authority in your life, you will know where to turn to help you raise that family, be honorable on your job, deal with relationships, prepare yourself and others for eternity, etc.
Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
1 Peter 1:23-25, “…having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away; But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Note - We must read it (1 Timothy 4:13); eat it—that is, take it into our very being (Job 23:12; Jeremiah 15:16); bathe in it for spiritual cleansing (John 15:3); look into it as a mirror to see our true self (James 1:25); meditate on it (Psalm 1:2; 1 Timothy 4:15); memorize it (Deuteronomy 11:18; Psalm 119:11); study it (2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 5:12-14); teach it to others (Deuteronomy 11:19; Colossians 3:16); talk about it (Joshua 1:8); and sow its seeds of truth in the field of the world (Matthew 13:3-9; Luke 8:11). The daily practice of these scriptural admonitions will keep you in a state of perpetual revival. – Dr. D.J. Depree, Gideon’s
II. THE WORD AND ITS INTERPETATION
A. Speaking the Word Neh. 8:2
• Ezra knew the formation of the city could be strong and stately– but not endure. He was primarily concerned with the foundation of the city of Jerusalem – and that would be the Holy Word of God.
Ezra 7:6-10, “…this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
Ezra had a heart for the Word of God which led to a love for the people of God. This is the kind of pastor every church should be so fortunate to have.
Note – Ezra prepared to study the word of God; Ezra practiced the word of God; Ezra proclaimed the word of God.
Note - One day as G. Campbell Morgan prayed, the Lord seemed to say to him, “Which do you want to be—a servant of mine or a great preacher?” Morgan replied, “May I not be both, Lord?” A spiritual struggle ensued as he thought, God may want me to be an unknown minister in an obscure place. Then Morgan submissively prayed, “O Lord, my greatest wish is to be a servant of Thine!” The Lord responded by making him one of the greatest preachers of his time.
• Looking at Ezra’s life gives us a glimpse into what it takes to be a good and godly servant of the Lord.
1 Timothy 6:11-12, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 3:16-4:2, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
B. Starving for the Word Neh. 8:3-8
• Evidence of their hunger for God’s truth in their lives was that they were willing to listen to God’s Word for over six hours straight!
Note – Revival will come to people who hunger to know more and more of God’s Word.
Note - A woman wanting to impress the pastor when he came to visit, said to her little girl, “Honey, go get the book that Mommy loves so much.” The little girl soon returned carrying the new JCPenny catalog.
Acts 17:11, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
• The Word of God can set us free from sin – The Word of God can show us how to be pleasing to the Lord - The Word of God can make us wise unto salvation!
I pray God will wake up the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in America to reverencing, respecting, and relying on the Word of God.
Note - Daniel Webster – “There is no proper foundation for civilization, but in the Word of God. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prosperity.”
III. THE WORD AND ITS INVIGORATION
A. Sorrow for Sin Neh. 8:9
As this Jewish people began to hear the Word of God, it broke their hearts. They began to understand God had a plan and purpose for their lives – but because of sin and disobedience they had been exiled for 70 years in Babylonian territory.
Note - A young man once said to a preacher, “I do not think I am a sinner.” Then the preacher asked him if he would be willing for his mother or sister to know all he had done or said or thought, all his motives and all his desires. After a moment the young man said, “No, indeed, I certainly would not like to have them know; not for all the world.”
Note – Dr. Jack Graham recently told about a man whose heavy drinking caused him to lose his family, job, everything. One Sunday morning, he drove by the church and decided to go in. He said, “I was so ashamed and afraid of rejection, that when I came in I sat at the back of the balcony…as far as possible from people.” Something happened though as the worship team sang and he felt the presence of the Lord Jesus. The message that day was on God’s total forgiveness (because of the Lord Jesus life, death, burial, and resurrection) and that is what the man found that day. The next week he was singing in the choir and now faithfully prays for people sitting in the balcony!
B. Satisfaction for the Soul Neh. 8:10-12
Knowledge of our sin brings sorrow to our souls – some causing us to weep in the presence of the Lord. Certainly there is time to confess, agree with the Lord about our sin, asking for His Holy Spirit strength to overcome. Where would that strength to overcome be found? Answer: The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
It was time for God’s people to quit looking at the sins of their past and more time focusing on what God wanted to do with them in the present!
Note – “Nature forms us, sin deforms us, schools inform us, prison reforms us, but only CHRIST transforms us.” – Dr. Adrian Rogers
Note - In a radio address to the nation on Feb. 23, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt said: “No greater thing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of religion, a revival that would sweep through the homes of the nation and stir the hearts of men and women of all faiths to a reassertion of their belief in God and their dedication to his will for themselves and for their world. I doubt if there is any problem, either, social, political or economic, that would not melt away before the fire of such a spiritual awakening.”
“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Note - The Christian is joyful, not because he is blind to injustice and suffering, but because he is convinced that these, in the light of the divine sovereignty, are never ultimate. The humor of the Christian is not a way of denying the tears, but rather a way of affirming something which is deeper than tears. Yes, a few things in life are absolutely tragic, no question about it. First among them, a joyless Christian. —Elton Trueblood
Note – Strength comes into the life of the child of God who is willing to put the past in its place and begin obeying the will of God!
Conclusion: God is willing and ready to bring revival into the lives of His people. When His people are listening to His word and obedient to His will they will experience His refreshing presence. Enough moaning and groaning about past failures –what is God asking you to do now? Who is God calling you to be now? Life is worth the living just because He lives!
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