Intro:

With Mike and Teresa moving away, my responsibilities for Venture Club have changed as I am now leading the high school age class… Along with that, some reality is starting to set in, that I may be getting a little older… …

A couple of weeks ago we were talking about what it means to be a disciple and I had asked the questions; “Who have you been following in your life?” … and “who do you want to be like?”… and after receiving some answers, I gave them an activity to make a map or a timeline of their lives up until that point and highlight the people that have had the biggest impact on them thus far.

That was going just fine… until I shared my timeline as an example… …

Of course, the journey starts at birth… and I said that my journey started on June 26, 1989… To which one of the girls yells “you were born in the 1980’s!”… …

Then this passed Wednesday, we were talking about Scripture, how it is God’s written word to us and that we need to use it as a guide for every aspect of our lives.

They all participated in an activity… that was very entertaining to watch… I blindfolded one person and then I set a soccer ball and basket ball in separate locations. Two other teens were chosen to give instructions, one on how to get to the soccer ball and the other gave instructions on how to get to the basket ball.

The person wearing the blindfold has no idea who is giving instructions for what ball… I choose a target ball and tell the blindfolded person your goal is to get to the basketball… all they have to do is choose who they are going to listen to… if they pick the right set of instructions and pick up the target ball, rewards were given.

In every decision we make in life… we, as godly leaders, will have the Holy Spirit pulling us in one direction and we will also have Satan trying to get us to go the other way.

The question is… who will we listen to?… who will we follow? … as we gather here this morning, at church, just getting done praising God through tithing and singing… and while we are here, it is easy to say… “We will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit every time”

And there are times when the decision is 100% obvious what God’s will is… but there will be times when it is not…

Sometimes, there is no clear right or wrong, but rather a decision between two good options… Sometimes, our personal desires make it difficult to discern God’s will because our emotions may be clouding our judgement… What do we do then?…

At the end of our Wednesday night activity I asked the teens how can we discern between the leading of the Holy Spirit and the leading of Satan… …

The answer is… It all comes back to God’s Word. Because the Holy Spirit will never lead us in a way that goes against God’s Word or God’s Character.

When we know what Scripture says, then it is easier to discern the proper decision to make… but it is not enough to just know Scripture says… we need to know what it means… because Satan loves to use Scripture and twist it… and ask questions like “Did God really say that?”…

This is why it is so important for us to be…

Leading With God’s Word - pt.2

Last week we made it through the first 8 verses of Nehemiah chapter 8.

We were answering the question…

Why should we lead with Scripture?

1. It Brings People Together

2. It Must be Proclaimed

3. It Produces Reverence

4. It Needs to be Understood

How can we know what God’s Word says if we don’t spend time reading, studying and understanding it?

Let’s check out some more reasons why we should lead with Scripture from Nehemiah 8…

(Read vv. 9-18)

Meat:

The first four reasons from last week are included on your outline, so we will start with #5…

Why should we lead with Scripture?… Because…

5. It Brings Conviction

When we lead with Scripture, we must recognize that conviction is not something we manufacture—it is the supernatural work and a ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says this about the Holy Spirit in John 16:8

John 16:8 NKJV

8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

As Jesus is praying for His disciples… this was one of His requests to the Father… John 17:17

John 17:17 NKJV

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Hebrews 4:12 says…

Hebrews 4:12 NASB95

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

5. It Brings Conviction

This is evident with the reaction of Nation of Israel… remember they are all standing in the open square of the city… hearing for the first time, the Law of God that they and their ancestors were supposed to be abiding by…

Look at what v.9 says…

Nehemiah 8:9 “9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, 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 nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.”

The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to expose sin and reveal God’s standards… when this happens, it is very evident to the one being convicted, that…

5.1 Change is Required

This is why they were weeping when they heard the Law… it was Holy Spirit-led conviction as they realized how far they had strayed from God’s commands.

When the Law was first given, Moses specifically instructed the adults to teach it to their children…

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

How long do you think they followed those instructions?

Let’s see if we can find out…

Judges 2:8 NKJV

8 Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old.

Just so you are tracking with me here… Joshua was the one who took over leading the nation of Isreal just before Moses died… Joshua led them into the Promised Land… I am sure that he did his part to teach his children the ways and Laws of God.

Now look at this…

Judges 2:10 NKJV

10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.

No idea that God led them out of Egypt, no idea that God parted the red sea, no idea God destroyed the walls of Jericho for them… none of it… They “...did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.”

The previous generation had experienced firsthand the power and provision of God. However, the new generation did not prioritize God’s commands, leading them to idolatry and sin.

Fast forward 1,000 years (to Nehemiah 8:9), and the nation is weeping due to the enormous weight of conviction as they finally come face to face with the Word of God after generations of neglect.

The people were overwhelmed with sorrow because they realized how far they had strayed from God’s commands.

They now understood:

The pain and suffering their ancestors endured in exile were direct consequences of disobedience.

The blessings they forfeited because they had not followed God’s covenant.

How merciful God had been in bringing them back to the land despite their unfaithfulness.

The changes that were required in order to restore their relationship with God… They had to turn away from the sins that had led to exile.

Conviction led to understanding, understanding led to repentance, and repentance led to real transformation.

When we lead with God’s Word…

6. It Produces Joy

Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.””

The initial reaction of the Israelites was sorrow because they saw their sin in light of God's truth. However, conviction is not meant to leave us in despair; it is meant to lead us to repentance and restoration… which ultimately brings joy.

The Psalmist says it correctly in Psalm 30:5

Psalm 30:5 NASB95

5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

Scripture produces Joy…

6.1 By Revealing God’s Mercy

The people were told to rejoice because God’s mercy was greater than their failure.

As the Israelites heard the Law, they didn’t just hear judgment—they also heard about;

God's covenant - The Law revealed that they were still God’s chosen people, despite their past disobedience. They were reminded of God’s faithfulness to Abraham and Moses… and they would’ve heard Deuteronomy 7:9 which says… “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”

They heard about how God had delivered Israel in the past - how God had rescued Israel from Egypt, provided for them in the wilderness, and given them victory in the Promised Land… This reminded them that God was still able to deliver and restore them, even after being exiled.

They heard about His promises - Even as they faced challenges, they heard of God’s promises of restoration and blessing if they turned back to Him. This assurance turned their sorrow into joy.

Hearing the Law wasn’t just about judgment; it was about mercy, grace, and redemption. This is why Nehemiah and Ezra told them to rejoice—because their story wasn’t over, and God’s faithfulness remained unshaken.

vv.11-12…

Nehemiah 8:11–12 “So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.”

God’s word produces joy… and…

7. It Leads to Obedience

When people truly receive and apply God’s Word, it does not remain just information—it produces transformation. A heart that embraces Scripture responds with obedience…

7.1 Starting With the Leaders

v.13…

Nehemiah 8:13 “Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law.”

These men understood that leaders must first be learners. Their return for further instruction demonstrated their commitment to deepening their knowledge so they could properly guide their households in faith and obedience.

As the ones responsible for shaping the spiritual and moral direction of their families, they sought wisdom to ensure that God’s truth was not only understood but also lived out in their homes.

As godly leaders, we must remain students of God’s Word. We also need to realize that it is not enough to just acknowledge faith; we must be intentionally living it out everyday as priority number 1…

That is exactly what these household leaders were convicted to do, and there obedience was…

7.2 Seen through Action

look at the next few verses…

Nehemiah 8:14–17 “14 And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,

15 and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

During their study of Scripture they found that God had told the children of Israel to dwell in booths as a remembrance of their time spent in the wilderness wandering around. These booths symbolized the temporary dwellings they lived in during their journey.

After reading the instructions, each of these men felt compelled to go back and lead their families in preparing booths.

16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim.

So the fathers helped all the family build a booth for the celebration.

As godly leaders, we need to take responsibility for guiding our families in faith. We must intentionally plan and lead our households in biblically based activities that cultivate spiritual growth and understanding.

Our role is to ensure that God’s truth is consistently taught, modeled, and lived out in our homes, creating an environment where faith is actively passed down to the next generation.

If we don’t make it a priority, then those we are leading won’t prioritize it either… If we only open God’s word on Sunday morning when we are in church, chances are that those we lead won’t open it at all… and then we will be guilty of raising a generation that does “… not know the Lord nor the work which He has done...”

17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.”

When the true meaning of the celebration was restored, and the heads of the homes took action and began to order their lives around Scripture... God was glorified... and there was very great gladness.

This goes back to the point that Scripture produces joy…

There is great joy in serving the Lord, and an even greater joy when you see your close family and friends following where you lead in obedience to His Word.

when the leaders took action and observed the Feast of Booths as God commanded, there was "very great joy" Their joy was not just personal—it was communal, as families and the entire nation came together in obedience.

As godly leaders, when we commit to following God’s commands, we create an environment where those around us—especially our families—are inspired to do the same.

Seeing them walk in faith, embrace God’s truth, and experience His blessings brings a deep and lasting joy that surpasses any worldly satisfaction. True fulfillment comes not just from our own obedience, but from witnessing those we love walking faithfully with the Lord.

Nehemiah 8:18 “Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.”

The people gathered day after day to hear the reading of the Law, showing that their obedience was not just a one-time, emotional response, but an ongoing dedication to learning and living out God’s instructions.

True obedience is not just about hearing God’s Word—it is about seeking deeper understanding, and faithfully applying it to our lives…

Closing:

As we close today, I want to ask you this…

Are you being led by God’s word today?

Do you include it in your daily decisions, priorities, and leadership?

Do you have a hunger to learn more from it, just like these household leaders?

And then… Are you leading with Scripture?

Whether in your home, workplace, or neighborhood, are you pointing people to God’s truth, or is something or someone else guiding them?

As we leave here today, may we commit to being people who lead with Scripture—in our hearts, our homes, and in the world around us.

Let’s not just be hearers of the Word, ...but doers, who allow it to transform our lives and the lives of those we lead.

Prayer: