10,000 Bricks: Too Much Truth In Nehemiah 8 Series

10,000 BRICKS: Too Much Truth in Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8:1-18

#10000bricks

INTRODUCTION / FRAMING FOR CCC

When we think about the word “worship,” many times we think about singing songs in church, piano or organ music, and raising our hands or not. It happens in the church building. It is for Sundays and what we do on Sundays. BUT… worship is much more than music on Sundays or what happens in a church building. Worship is a way of life. Worship marked the end of Nehemiah’s building activities described in the Book of Nehemiah. Chapter 8… Nehemiah 8… has worship at the center of it!

Go ahead and turn to Nehemiah chapter 8. It is in the Old Testament between Ezra and Esther. The Book of Nehemiah is the 16th book in the Old Testament and has 13 chapters with 406 verses. It is a historical memoir as it was written by Nehemiah. We have been reading about Nehemiah’s wall building efforts in Jerusalem. He had a holy burden from the Lord which he acted on in obedience. The past couple of weeks we have been focusing on the opposition that Nehemiah experienced externally and internally.

FRAMING FOR CCC

I would like you to keep in mind why we are going through the Book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah is all about a building project. Our church family is currently in the process of praying, working a plan, and considering building a new sanctuary. This is a huge expensive task. Last year our elders asked us to pray and fast and vote on whether we wanted to move forward with planning a new sanctuary. You all said yes! You fasted and prayed and said yes!

This effort is not without opposition:

* Spiritual warfare around us has been on the rise

* Doubt, fear, disagreement pop up regularly… if I’m honest, mostly doubt and fear

* Some are very afraid of the price tag of the new sanctuary

* Some doubt that we need the sanctuary because we will shrink and lose people

* Passive aggressiveness is a real temptation when talking about this subject

Thus far, we have prayed, fasted, consulted experts, come up with a plan for fundraising, discussed among leaders, and gotten a financial commitment from the leadership of our church. We will be rolling out the full plan after Easter. This sermon series in Nehemiah is another way we are trying to prepare our church for the task ahead:

* Please pray and be open to God laying on your heart a burden for a new sanctuary

* Please pray for the favor and blessing of God on this whole process

* Keep in mind that unity is important as everyone has a part to play

* Just know that every good work faces opposition from outside forces

* Just know that every good work faces opposition from inside forces

That is where we have been thus far with Nehemiah on his journey as he arrives in Jerusalem which was in shambles. So much had been destroyed. There was a lot of sorrow and hurt and there was much work to be done in restoring all of Jerusalem.

By chapter 8, where we are today in the book of Nehemiah, walls have been restored around Jerusalem and the gates and bars have finally been hung. People are safe from raiders and enemies. Opposition from people like Sanballat, Tobiah, and the others has been silenced and overcome and outmaneuvered. There is no more physical rebuilding that is needed for the walls in Jerusalem, but there is much to rebuild inside the hearts of the people who live there.

We need to remember that not only was the city of Jerusalem broken to pieces, the hearts of the people who lived there were as well. Remember in chapter 1 how when Nehemiah found out Jerusalem was still in ruins how that dug at his identity as a follower of God. His identity was in ruins because Jerusalem was in ruins. God is still in the process of rebuilding His people in chapter 8.

We see in Nehemiah chapter 8 that while the rebuilding of the walls was an important task for Nehemiah, the rebuilding of the faith and spiritual life of the people was perhaps more important. The Book of Nehemiah is a book all about rebuilding the city of Jerusalem. The Book of Nehemiah is also about rebuilding our lives after life comes crashing a down around us.

TRANSITION

Let’s read from Nehemiah 8 today.

READ NEHEMIAH 8:1-18 (ESV)

And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. 9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. 13 On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. 14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.