Back to the BibleSpeaker: Rev. Shine Thomas
Introduction:How much importance do you give to God’s word? Do you have a habit of daily meditating on the Word of God? Do you take life’s values and principles from the Bible? The Word of God is a believer’s standard. Illustration: In New Delhi there is an office called BIS, Bureau of Indian Standards. This facility is responsible for storing perfect samples of weights, measurements, and quality of metals. The BIS derive their standards from the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, Paris. The BIS have what are called “prototypes” of kilograms weights; measuring rods for feet, yards, and meters. The scales and measures that we use are authorized by the international and Indian standards. These standards never change. We Christians also have a measuring rod that never changes, that is the Word of God. The Word of God is the manual for a good and successful Christian life. Today we are going to see the importance of the Word of God in bringing revival and blessings in our lives based on the book of Nehemiah chapters 8 and 9. Brief History: God burdened Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall around the city. Nehemiah went to Jerusalem, gathered the people, and started rebuilding the wall. Nehemiah faced opposition both from within and outside, but eventually the work of the wall was completed. Praise God! What God starts God finishes no matter what opposition raises against it. The gates have been hung, the city is protected, and the people are secure. Once the work was done, the 7th chapter tells us that the people quickly began to settle down into their old, comfortable lifestyles. We can almost see them getting out their barbecues, baking cakes, going for long rides; they’re settling down to a peaceful, affluent existence. They look at the wall & say, "Boy, that was great! When we were building that wall it was a challenge, we were all united. That was a wonderful time! But now it’s finished, it’s great to be safe and secure behind the walls of Jerusalem!" However, nothing of any spiritual significance is happening, spiritually they were dying. Nehemiah looked at the people and realized that they were spiritually dead. They weren’t following God’s commandments. They were God’s people but are now very complacent, there needed to be a revival among the people. Interestingly, tucked away in the 8th & 9th chapters of Nehemiah is the first recorded revival. And it comes about because someone begins to read the Word of God! Turn with me to the 8th chapter of Nehemiah. Nehemiah 8:1 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. The Water Gate was simply a gate in the wall leading to a spring where the people could get water. There was a large area there with plenty of room for people to gather for caravans to stop & water their animals. It was in this water gate that Ezra decided to read the book of the law, the scripture. Nehemiah 8:2-3 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. Now Nehemiah was a fine cup bearer, a good wall builder, and now he is making a good governor, but he realizes that if the people are going to be revived spiritually, Word of God is needed. So he brings in Ezra, a priest of God to make known God’s Word to the people. Reading and meditating the Word of God leads a person into the times of revival. Listen if you lack, blessings, refreshing, hope in your life start reading the Word of God. 1. Read the Word.If there is ever to be a revival among the people, God’s Word must be made known! And that often requires a good and faithful teacher. So here is Ezra a man of God who is willing to stand up & with deep conviction present the truth of God to the people. I believe that is just what we need today. I believe that it is time for churches to insist that preachers proclaim the Word of God, not just preach on psychological subjects, moral stories, or promoting self. We need good and faithful men, like Ezra, who will preach and teach the word with deep conviction and concern. The teaching of the word should not only contain in the church but we need to take it to our families. We need fathers and mothers to sit with their children and read and mediate on the Word of God. We need youngsters who have a systematic devotion in their life. Let me ask you are question: Which book/character of the Bible are you studying now? Nehemiah 8:4 Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion.
Note: Do you respect the Bible? Nehemiah 8:6% Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Ezra stood up to read & the people listened. They were attentive to the Word of God. What had happened in Jerusalem was that it had been so long since they had heard anyone teach the Law of God that they had forgotten it. Now, for the first time in years, they were hearing the Law of God & it says that they "lifted their hands in praise & they bowed their heads in reverent respect for the Word of God." They realized that God was reaching into their hearts & ministering to their needs. God’s Word was being proclaimed! And they were listening attentively with great respect for it. I wonder if we have been hearing the Word of God so many times that we have lost its significance? There is no response when there is preaching or reading. Have we read so much from this book that it no longer speaks to our needs? Or have we read so little from this Book that we have forgotten what it says? Let us get back to reading the Word of God. Read and study the Word. In 2 Chronicles Chapter 17 there is a mention of a king of Judah called Jehoshaphat. He was a king who brought revival in his time to Israel. God gave him success and peace. When we see closely it was the Word of God that brought revival in the reign of Jehoshaphat. 2 Chronicles 17:7, 9-13 7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethaneel and Michaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. 9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. 10 The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats. 12 Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah 13 and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. What happens when we read and mediate God’s word?a. Our enemies will fear God. The fear of the Lord will come over our enemies.
b. Opposition will stop. People who oppose and persecute us will stop doing so.
c. Peace with enemies. God will make our enemies at peace with us.
d. God’s people prosper. Reading the Word of God makes a person prosperous.
For true revival the Word of God must be read. Now, we should not stop with reading the Word of God, there should be apt response on our part. 2. Respond to the Word.For true revival Word of God must be responded with conviction. Next, notice the people’s response as Ezra reads the Word of God to them. Nehemiah 8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. You see, their initial reaction was to weep & mourn. No one had clearly presented the Word of God to them for years. Now they were hearing it, & the result was that they were deeply convicted of their sins & their negligence in doing what God had commanded. That brought about their sincere repentance, mourning, & weeping. What is our response when we hear God’s word? When was the last time we wept reading the Word of God? When was the last time we stood up to surrender after the Word of God was preached? Word of God needs adequate response. When we go to 2 Chronicles we find details of King Joash of Judah. There was revival in Judah in the time of King Joash too. What did King Joash do? He ordered the temple to be cleaned and repaired, in the process they found the book of the Law. See what he did with the book of the law? 2 Chronicles 34:14-15 14 While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses. 15 Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan. 2 Chronicles 34:18-21 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. 19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. 20 He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: 21 “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.” There was a response to the reading of the Word. The king tore his robes and acted in accordance to what was written in the book. The Word of God has to be responded with deep conviction but understand when you are convicted, when you humble and surrender to the Word of God it leads to joy. Nehemiah 8:9-11 9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. 10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.” The beauty of the Word of God is that even though they had neglected it all these while, God was willing to forgive them when they repented, joy was restored back to them. 3. Word brings Joy. Conviction of the Word of God brings joy.Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” The joy of the Lord is our strength. How does the joy come? Joy comes from reading the Word of God. 4. Habitual reading of the Word brings revival.Once the Israelites were convicted of the Word of God, they made it a habit to continuously read and obey the Word of God. Nehemiah 8:12-13 12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. 13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. Nehemiah 8:18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly. The spirit of God working through the Word of God brings the revival. Once they developed the habit of reading the Word of God automatically revival followed. See the revival that followed in Israel: Nehemiah 9:1-6 The Israelites Confess Their Sins
The reading of the Word of God brought revival. People gathered together, they fasted, separated themselves, confessed their sins, every day they read the Word 3 hours and worshipped 3 hours. What a revival! We need a revival, we need refreshing, we need to get back to the Bible. Ezra preached the Word to them he explained the Word to them, & they listened to it attentively. They responded at first with weeping, & then with joy. The joy of reading the Word brought the revival. Conclusion:The Word of God can bring blessings, and times of refreshing back in your life. It can bring joy back in your life. We do not have a revival and blessings because we do not know the Word. See what it says about God’s word in Hosea. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.” Get the Bible back! How then do we get the Bible into our lives? One person once said: "A bible in the hand is worth 2 on the shelf" First we need to decide is that it is important to read the Bible. If I’m not convinced of the Bible’s importance, this reading habit is not going to happen. Secondly, we need to find every avenue we can to pour God’s word into our souls. Read it in the morning. Read it at night before you go to bed. At lunch when you’re at work, read it. Have a Bible with you always. Read it in different versions. Listen to them on tape in the car. Put the Bible in your mobile phones, read and listen to them. To help in your discipline, study the Word with others.
And don’t stop there, memorize it, meditate on it, hide it in your heart. Because it is God’s gift to you, and through it you can receive of God’s other gifts. I’ll tell you one secret. The Word of God affects God more than it affects you. Can you imagine how proud and pleased & impressed God will be every time you pick up His Word & read it that tells Him that what He has said to you is important to you and that you desire the best He can give you? Get back to the Word! This sermon belongs to the series Revival. Other sermons in this series:
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