A VIEW FROM THE INSIDE - A View from the Pulpit
March 25, 2018
Nehemiah 8:1-12 (p. 338)
Introduction:
Life has a lot of disappointments. But I doubt if there is one any greater than the realization that you’ve been abused. Webster’s Dictionary defines abuse as “a deceitful act…improper treatment…a corrupt practice.”
We live in a culture of abuse…it’s found reported on in every newscast…it has permeated every arena from Hollywood to the Olympics…Politicians fall daily from its reality and it’s accusations…sinful abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, drug and alcohol abuse.
But I’ve encountered an abuse that devastates believers and unbelievers alike, “Biblical Abuse.” And by that I mean the improper use of scripture…when someone takes God’s Word out of context…or uses it to propagate an agenda…twisting scripture to mean something it does not mean…lifting it out of context to be a prooftext for something God never intended. Those who don’t know better start believing it with all their hearts, only to discover later on that what has been taught is dangerous to their spiritual health and growth.
I think it’s the ultimate rip off for someone to disillusion others through the misuse of scripture.
This truth is something that weighs super heavy on me as I stand before you each Sunday. I truly understand that one day I will stand before God and be judged by how I’ve handled His words to you…as a teacher and preacher…Have I accurately handled them and challenged you to obedience…or have I “tickled” itching ears and compromised its power, have I been more afraid of hurting people’s feelings than speaking the truth with boldness and grace? Have I rightly discerned His truth or have I tried to share mine?
James says, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (3:1) We’ll be judged more strictly because we presumed to represent God and His Word…we will be judged by how our life matches our words. Do we practice what we preach? And we’ll be judged by how accurately we teach its truth.
Nehemiah and Ezra have been used by God to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and also the spiritual foundation of God’s people. They had been in captivity in Babylon for 70 years…through Queen Esther and King Artezerxes the Jews were allowed to return home. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther all take place at the same time period…Ezra & Nehemiah are 1 book in the Jewish Bible.
Through the centuries, God’s people have gone through cycles where His word has been neglected or abused and the spiritual condition of His people deteriorates. In His grace, God sends revival and that revival always is found in a renewed emphasis on God’s Word.
Nehemiah 8 shows us a view from the pulpit…spiritual revival when people encounter God’s Word.
I. FOR REVIVAL, GOD’S PEOPLE MUST READ HIS WORD
Nehemiah 8:1 says, “All the people assembled as one man in the square…they told Ezra to bring out the Book…the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel”…The first 5 books…the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).
Ezra has brought these from Babylon…Copies are rare…and for 70 years it’s been absent…there are many there who have never heard it read and many that haven’t heard it for a long time. Until the invention of the printing press in the 15th Century, the Bible had to be copied by hand and often there would only be 1 copy in a city, often chained to a pulpit. Some people were illiterate, the Bible needed to be read publicly for the common people to hear it.
I bet most of us have several Bibles (15 in my office as I write these words). Illiteracy isn’t our problem…priorities are. I promise you if we compared how much time we spend watching TV compared to the time we spend in God’s Word the difference would be monumental. One spews out garbage…one the words of life.
I love this quote form Stephen Jo Cole, the preacher at Flagstaff Christian Fellowship:
God could have communicated with us in some form other than writing. He could have sent an angel to each language group with His message and saved Wycliffe Bible Translators a lot of time and effort! He could have had the message communicated verbally from generation to generation. But He chose to put it in written form. That means that for people to know God and His message of salvation, at least one person in the group, and preferably many, have to learn to read and study. I would argue that the strength of a church will be in direct proportion to the number of people in that church who read and study God’s written Word.
Every revival that has ever taken place in history has taken place because of a renewed emphasis on God’s Word.
In the Old Testament when Judah languished under the godless reign of Manasseh, and his son Amon, God’s Word was ignored…But Amon’s son, Josiah, began to seek the Lord when he was 16. Hilkiah, the priest found a copy of God’s Law and Josiah called the nation to repentance (2 Chronicles 34:14). Revival swept the land because God’s Word was read and obeyed.
If we want spiritual renewal it will come through God’s Word…and it begins with us.
So we have a plan printed out so that we can read through the Bible in a year (show it). We’ll also publish it online. For spiritual renewal, God’s people must read His Word…also:
II. FOR REVIVAL, GOD’S PEOPLE MUST HEAR HIS WORD WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Ezra read the word of God from daybreak till Noon (that’s a six hour sermon guys). Verse 3 says, “And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the law.” Verses 5 & 6 record, “Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened the book all the people stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the Great God and all the people lifted their hands and responded ‘Amen, Amen.’ Then they bowed down and worshipped the lord with their faces on the ground.”
These folks were attentive and engaged and that comes from an attitude of worship…a reverence that God was speaking to them through His Word. They were not worshipping Ezra or the scroll he held in his hand. They were worshipping the God who had given those words to Moses and through Moses to them.
It’s the very reason Jesus often said, “He who has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Mark 4:9 & 23)
Having 2 ears doesn’t guarantee that we really hear…Kari told me I have 2 faults…One, I don’t listen…and two, I can’t remember right now.
But most of us know it’s not about not listening to someone we love…it’s about being distracted by a thousand other things…our phone, the TV, other people…“Honey, what’d you say…I was reading a text.”
For us to hear the word of God our focus has to be on God….He must be the center of our focus and Satan will put a thousand other things in our way to make God’s voice peripheral noise. “Father, what’d you say…I was focused on other stuff.”
Religion is actively focused…worship is relationship focused.
Our relationship with God is the most important reason we meet and hear from His word…please be careful about thinking it’s about what you have to do. This attitude changes everything.
Jesus quoted these words from the prophet Isaiah about people who nullify the word of God by doing this…“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” (Matt. 15:8-9)
Those who never expect to hear from God are never disappointed. Let me end today with a final view from the pulpit…
III. FOR REVIVAL, GOD’S WORD MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AND OBEYED
Verse 8 tells us “Ezra and Nehemiah read from the book of the law making it clear and giving the meaning so the people could understand what was being read.”
It seems pretty clear that scripture was read… “Do not commit adultery…Do not murder…Do not lie…” and then Ezra makes it clear… “Don’t cheat on your wife…be committed to the bond…“Don’t kill people”…Don’t let your anger lead to violence…be people of peace…“Don’t lie”…Tell the truth no matter what circumstances!”
The law of Moses was God’s standard for holiness…and guidelines for what to do when someone broke these guidelines. It was given by God to set His people apart from all other people.
Some of it might be hard to understand but most of it is pretty clear stuff…like Mark Twain said, “It wasn’t the sections of the Bible he couldn’t understand that bothered him, it was the parts he could understand that troubled him.”
Ezra and Nehemiah read God’s law…made it clear to understand…and we know the result.
The people bowed down and worshipped God…said Amen, Amen…which means “So be it…or Make this so.” And then they wept in mourning…Why do you think they wept? Because they’d lied…They’d murdered or hated people…They’d cheated on their wives…They’d worshipped other gods…They’d forgot about the Sabbath…They’d disrespected their parents…They thought about the idols in their homes.
God’s Word is living and active and sharper than a double sided sword. And as it was read and God’s desire for HIs people was made clear…It cut hearts in two. Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s view from the pulpit was a people in repentance…and spiritual renewal always involves repentance.
The people wept when they heard and understood God’s Word, because they realized how much they had sinned against God. God’s Word was the light that showed their darkness…“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my pathway.” (Ps. 119:105) tells us God’s Word reveals when we are headed in the wrong way…and shows us a better road.
[Repentance literally means “Turn Around.” Do a 180…and it’s the Word of God that is the catalyst to do that.
2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
Conclusion:
When the Israelites repented it lead to obedience, it flowed over into caring for others who had needs, and the result was joy.
Both Peter and Judas were sorry for their actions…we see Godly sorrow, repentance and restoration in Peter…no regrets. We see worldly sorrow in Judas and he hung himself.
God doesn’t reveal our sin through His Word and His Spirit to kill us. He let His Son die for our sin. He reveals our sin so we can change…Repentance is revealed in a change of our minds…a transformation of our hearts…It leaves no regret…it celebrates the joy of salvation with a different way of life…True for those who Nehemiah and Ezra viewed from the pulpit…and true for us today.
