It's Not About the Wall!

Introduction (5m)

Are you easily distracted?

I can be, especially when listening to someone else.

Are you? Like this:

Video Clip: Yes Prime Minister - Distracted | 1:00

Are you ever distracted in worship?

Are you ever distracted in worship?

Does your mind sometimes wander off when you’re listening to the Word of God?

Do you rush into the hall at the last minute, without time to prepare your heart?

Is your mind still on the things that went wrong before you got here?

Are you hoping we don’t go a minute over 11:45am because of everything else you have to get done today?

Is your seat too hard?

Is someone near you singing out of tune?

Are you thinking about what someone is wearing or not wearing today?

Are you thinking, is Rob really preaching on Nehemiah again today?

Have you spotted a typo in the newsletter?

Anything can become a distraction to us.

Have you heard reading so many times, the words just don’t stick anymore?

Do we lose focus when we’re singing? We just mouth words, but hearts don’t connect to them. Become lukewarm hymns.

Fortunately, Israelites offer us an example of committed, focused worship, that shows us the transformation and joy that comes from truly engaging in worshipping God and studying his Word.

Explanation (5m)

It’s Not About the Walls

Suddenly, in Nehemiah 8, we discover that his work, the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls wasn’t about the walls at all. It was really all for this moment:

Nehemiah 8:1–3 NLT

all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey. So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.

What a Commitment to Worship!

Israelites amazing commitment to worship.

V.3 Ezra read Bible from daybreak until noon - at least six hours!

Were they distracted? No - ‘All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law’.

Can you imagine your response if I read from the Bible for six hours!

Articles suggesting preachers limit sermons to 15m - the attention span of most people. I have observed people drifting off well before then!

I have drifted off well before then!

I have a book on my shelf, 10-minute sermons.

I know I have a role to play

I must strive to make the Bible clear and understandable:

Nehemiah 8:8 NLT

They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

And interesting:

If you think the gathering of biblical facts and standing up with a Bible in your hand will automatically equip you to communicate well, you are desperately mistaken. It will not. You must work at being interesting. Boredom is a gross violation, being dull is a grave offence, and irrelevance is a disgrace to the gospel. Too often these three crimes go unpunished and we preachers are the criminals. (Charles Swindoll)

And you have a role to play too

Bible = not magic book. You will not be transformed or circumstances changed just because you listen to me read it.

Teaching should lead to transformation.

Must be understood before it can enter your heart and transform you.

‘Understand’ mentioned four times - vv.2, 3, 8, 12.

God’s Word will not change you unless you work with the HS to understand it.

Understanding leads to emotional and behavioural response. Jews wept, rejoiced, celebrated.

Most of all, transformed.

Teaching should lead to transformation.

It is a tragedy that I have met Christians in my life, who have spent a lifetime in church, listening to God’s Word, and yet their lives remain unchanged. Still distracted by the same things. Still thinking it’s about the walls, when it’s about worship and transformation.

I am aware that I will only succeed as a preacher if we understand what the Bible says, when our hearts are open to be changed by HS and when he alters our lives to bring them into obedience with what God says.

That’s exactly what happened to Israelites

Their hearts were changed as they understood God’s Word, and response = celebration.

They truly celebrated Feast of Tabernacles for first time in many years. (Remember Caroline Mingay).

The ritual of making temporary booths made from branches on roofs of houses reminded them of 40 years in wilderness.

Feast reminded them of harvest blessings.

They celebrated with joy and thanksgiving, remembering goodness of Lord.

Application (5m)

What do you need to do?

Many of us are busy. We all have things to do. Many of us are busy with work, family stuff, social events, ministry and so on.

Many of us can be easily distracted from worship.

So how do we approach our worship each week

Out of duty? Out of a sense of appreciation for all God does for you? Out of tradition - it’s what we’ve always done? Out of a desire to preserve the way we do things in TSA and way we worship? Or out of desire to change the way we do things and the way we worship?

All strong motives.

But today’s reading suggests celebration is an even stronger reason for worship. If we approach worship because we rejoice in God then worship becomes a delight rather than a drudgery.

Joy trumps duty.

When I think upon my God, my heart is so full that the notes dance and leap from my pen and since God has given me a cheerful heart, it will be pardoned me that I serve Him with a cheerful spirit. (Franz Josef Haydn)

Paraphrase

When I think about God, my heart is so full that all the songs I play/sing during worship leap from me. I approach worship with a cheerful heart and serve God with a cheerful spirit.

Nehemiah 8:16–17 NLT

So the people went out and cut branches and used them to build shelters on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God’s Temple, or in the squares just inside the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate. So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters during the festival, and they were all filled with great joy! The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun.

The Israelites truly and properly celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles for the first time in many years. Looked back in joy, praise, thanksgiving, focusing on the goodness of the Lord.

We can do the same each Sunday. Not just to enjoy it, but to enrich and encourage us too.

Why we need to do it

Imagine the difference you’ll make in the world as you do.

Armed with joy trumps duty, and with that Sunday’s songs in your heart, you can bring joy, peace and the light of God into the lives of those around you.

Let’s approach our worship with joy. Let’s sing our thanks to God.

And let’s spread happiness to our community and beyond as we celebrate together each week.

Next Steps

SB 279 - To God be the glory, great things he hath done!

To God be the glory, great things he hath done! So loved he the world that he gave us his Son; Who yielded his life an atonement for sin, And opened the life gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, And give him the glory; great things he hath done! 2 O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood! To every believer the promise of God; The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives. 3 Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done, And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; But purer and higher and greater will be Our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, And give him the glory; great things he hath done! Great things he hath done! Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 135015 Copied from The Song Book of The Salvation Army Song Number 279