The People And The Book

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). Visually: He made sure people could see him (vs 5).

(2). Audibly: He made sure people could hear him (vs 5).

(3). Respectfully: He made sure people were tuned in (vs 5b & 6).

(4). Patiently: He made sure people were (vs 5b).

(5). Clarity: He made sure people could understand (vs 8-12)

(5). Obediently: He made sure people applied the Scriptures (vs 16-18)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Your trivia question this morning is…

• What is Dutchman Hans Lippershey credited for inventing it in 1608

• Answer is the telescope.

• Some people point at this optical instrument and say, “It’s a telescope!”

• Some might see it as a valuable antique worth hundreds of pounds,

• But both of them have missed the point,

• It is not what it looks like that matters,

• A telescope has one main purpose, it is designed for people to look through it!

• And if you correctly look through a good telescope,

• You can see worlds beyond!

• The Bible is like a telescope.

• Some folks see this book and say, “It’s a Bible!”

• Some folk used to keep a family Bible as an heirloom, something valuable.

• But again, they have missed the point,

• The Bible is something we look through to see beyond our world.

• To discover the God of the universe,

• The who made us and wants to be involved in our lives.

• This morning our subject is, ‘The People and the Book’

• And our Bible passage is Nehemiah chapter 8.

Pause to remind you of the background to this chapter:

• The place: Persia, (Persia is the old name for Iran)

• The year: around 445/444 BC, the 20th year of King Artaxerxes reign.

• The main character: is a man called Nehemiah – who was cupbearer to the king.

• While on duty at the palace.

• Nehemiah learns that the walls of Jerusalem, the capitol city of his homeland,

• Were broken down and destroyed,

• So, he asked the king for permission to return to his homeland and rebuild them,

• And King Artaxerxes granted him permission to return to his homeland (Judah).

• Nehemiah was sent back as governor of the province with a mission to rebuild the walls.

• Last week those walls were finished, complete, secure.

• We noted that in the first half of this book (Nehemiah),

• The people existed for the walls, but from now on the walls exist for the people.

Quote: William Booth (Founder of the Salvation Army).

"You cannot warm the hearts of people with God's love

if they have an empty stomach and cold feet.”

• TRANSITION: His point was meet a person’s physical needs,

• And you win the right to meet their spiritual needs.

• Nehemiah met the practical and physical needs of the people.

• Now it is time to meet the spiritual needs of the people.

• Having secured the city by rebuilding the walls,

• Nehemiah in chapters 8 to 13 will now rebuild the people:

Note: As you read this passage,

• Note that there is no mention of the wall.

• Our attention now shifts from the bricks to people,

• And how these people can get back in touch with God himself.

• For me, the lesson for us in Chapter 8 is this:

• After reconstruction, there is also a need for re-instruction.

• It is time to meet the spiritual needs of the people.

• I want to point out 4 observations from this chapter,

• So, let’s read verses 1-4 again, as they set the stage for what follows.

“all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

4 Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood” – 13 men, you can read their names if you want to!

(Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.)

Question: Have you got the picture?

Answer: 4 things in the mix.