A Great Revival

Introduction

In 1730-1750, the colonies in America found themselves in something new and unusual You see, in previous decades, the people of the west began to turn away from God. This was the first great awakening, which hit Europe by storm, and its waves were felt here also. In the colonies, the people became more religious, but it wouldn’t take long for them to plateau. This would continue for almost 2 generations, until the end of 18th century and beginning of the 19th, people grew hungry for God once again, and He began pouring out His spirit in new and unseen ways. In fact, many of these events happened very near to us, in rural parts of both Kentucky and Tennessee, within multiple church houses only a short drive of us being starting points and strong points of this revival. During this time, the new United States would see unprecedented numbers of churches planted, unheard of numbers of people turning to Jesus, and God’s glory on full display within large and before unreached regions. God ordained revivals have actions that take place. In our text today, we will see some of them happen in one of the greatest in history.

Prayer

Father God, we thank You for Who You are. A great Big God who sees each and every one of us here and cares deeply about us. We ask this day, as we are continuing in this time of worship to You, reading Your Word and hearing Your Word, that You refine us with it. Mold us, make us, shape us, rearrange us so that we can be more like You, and made more into the image of Christ. Help us be a people who love You and love others so much, that we are moved into action by whatever it is You are going to show us about Yourself today and what that means in our lives. Help us do this, because all too often our selfish and sinless flesh war against our will to follow Yours. As we are doing this, and as we are coming into Your Word today, we ask that You take away any distraction that we may have, and make it go as far away as it possibly can, because we want to see and we want to know You better. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.

Contex

In last week’s text, we saw Nehemiah and the people of Israel come and finish a very big, very important and God ordained feat. This of course would be the completion of the rebuild of the walls and fortifications of the Holy City of Jerusalem. After 2 months of perseverance in the rebuilding and guarding of the town, several months of prep and planning, and months spent in prayer and fasting before Nehemiah asked the king for permission to go do this, finally the monuminal task was done (despite hardship, strife, and attacks from both inside the people and from outsiders) and now the people as a whole could move on.

It’s worth noting that God was in the mix all along the way, and it’s clear that He was calling his people back to revival (that is a renewed closeness with Him). This process began even before Nehemiah came on the scene, with the prophet/scribe Ezra (who we will read about more today and who the book of Ezra is about). You see, Ezra had before led the people to rebuild the temple, and he had started the ball rolling with what happens long before any great and true revival of people back to God that has happened ever in history. That is, just like we saw Nehemiah do early in this book, He prayed a prayer of repentance, asked God for forgiveness, and asked the He would strengthen and call His people back in to Him, that God would work in a mighty way and many people would turn to or turn back to Him. God gave Nehemiah all that asked, and worked in all kinds of seen and unseen ways so the people could finish the walls.

Indeed, the precursors of revival were well underway in Israel, and now we are about to see it explode in the Nation. I think it goes without saying, that every Christian everywhere is constantly craving revival, that is a greater outpouring of God in an area, that His deeds and power is on full display. This of course, includes each and everyone of us. Let me just ask. Do you want to see God move in a big and unexpected way right here in our midst and even further out?...... So then, if that is what you want, then it will do well for each of us, to see and understand that God ordained revivals have actions that take place. I say that, not that we can fabricate or make a false revival, but so that you can see when it is working/in the midst and know if a course correction is needed. So, let’s jump in to the text and from it I want you to see and understand these actions that always happen during a great and true revival.

Message

The first action to see and and understand is that: The people of God are called in 7:1-73a

This section would be to long to read out loud, but here is the gist of what happened in this chapter. After the walls were rebuilt, the doors to the city were installed, as well as gatekeepers, singers for the temple and Levites for temple service were appointed. Nehemiah appointed trustworthy men to important posts like the oversight of the town and fortress/protections of town, the qualifications he most looked for in these men was that they were faithful in their deals and tasks and feared God. The city, though complete, was still largely empty. So, Nehemiah first met the protection/policing task by limiting the hours the gates of the cities were opened and placing guards in necessary places. Still seeing the trouble, there was this great big and finished city, but very few people in it (it seemed that most preferred to live or had long lived in the surrounding cities/villages, Nehemiah had to solve the problem, lest all the work was in vain the value of having the city fortified was lost. So, God put it on Nehemiah’s heart to call the people into the city to be registered by genealogy (we see Ezra take part in a similar event before). In Nehemiah’s census, he found more people than before, as more exiles had come in.

You should know, that it was important to the Jews, to have a census, and establish genealogies/family lineages because the city of Jerusalem had itself been portioned out by God by which tribe/family could live in each area. So, this was needed for the city to be filled, and the temple to be served in the way it needed to be. So, the people came in, and those whose claimed lineage but it could not be proved, were told to wait until the priests could consult God on the matter. From here, the governor Nehemiah and several heads of families contributed to the temple treasury that worship and service to God could renew itself. This was done, and everyone settled into their new towns/homes/roles.

Revival in and of itself, is a people's return to God. In essence, that’s just what was happening here. In this time and era, God chose to dwell on earth in the Most Holy Place within the temple that existed in Jerusalem where the people of Israel worshiped and served Him. For many years, the people did not worship and serve Him, so he sent them out to dwell in their sin and be separated from Him. Now, using the servants of God in Nehemiah and Ezra, God was calling His children back into both relationship and close proximity to Him. God ordained revivals have actions that take place. This was true then, it’s been historically true, and it’s true now. In a true revival, you will see God’s people called into a greater relationship with Him. We see this on the large scale (nations, large groups of people, towns, church bodies) but we also see it on the small scale (individuals). So believer, are you experiencing personal revival or personal plateauing right now? If you find yourself stuck, I urge you ask God to call you in, just as Ezra and Nehemiah had done in prayer. Is our church and our town ready for revival? Yes? No? We want it but aren’t ready for it? Anything in between? Then I urge you and all of us to come together in prayer and petition asking God to revive our church body and call His people in. We will have the chance to do that in just a little while, so prepare your hearts for it.

The next action to see and and understand is that: The Word of God is proclaimed 7:73b- 8:12

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,8 all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel. 2 On the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. 3 While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively[a] to the book of the law. 4 The scribe Ezra stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they knelt low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were Levites,[b] explained the law to the people as they stood in their places. 8 They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. 9 Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.”[c] 11 And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Don’t grieve.” 12 Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration, because they had understood the words that were explained to them.

So, to make a lot of words shorter, here is what happens. The people gathered in the open, God was at work in their midst, and everyone knew it. So, the had Ezra (who was both a priest and scribe) come forward with the book of the law of Moses (our first 4 books of the bible) and read it. Ezra read it from daybreak to noon, non-stop, with everyone listening with great interest with leading men among him. From his already prepared platform and we might call it a pulpit, he read The Word of God to them, with everyone showing great respect to it, Ezra blessing God for it and celebrating their God. The people agreed with every word and fell to the ground in worship. Then, some of the leading Levites within the crowd explained to the people what these words meant, and what they should do. The people, realizing their great sins and the wrongs they had done were grieved and sorrowful for the acts of treason they had committed against their loving God. They were told, do not weep, for this is a happy and Holy day (for we are returning to God) celebrate, rejoice, for there is so much great happening here in our midst.

God’s Word is an unstoppable force. That is, what God has told us and taught us from His Holy Word (that is, the Bible) is 100% true, 100% trustworthy, and 100% for you. In Hebrews 4, the apostle Paul comments on it saying: 2 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Furthermore, God shares His truth on His word in the book of Isaiah in chapter 55 saying: so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” Just like our sermon theme last week, God always wins. So, it goes with His word, it must win as well and from that, the Christian has great hope both now, in the future, all the way until the end times.

God ordained revivals have actions that take place. Among them, is the fact that the Word of God is proclaimed by the leaders God has appointed. In today’s and our sense, that is the church (especially it’s leaders), for Nehemiah and Ezra’s time, it was the priests from the temple. But, the sharing of God’s word doesn’t stop in the leadership of the church, but also we see responsibility held within the entire church. Now, I don’t mean everyone is allowed or authorized to preach a sermon, rather, I mean the entire church must have a deep and honest need to intake God’s Word more, and then share the basics of salvation with non-believers and backsliders as well. This also goes hand in hand, in mentoring one another and sharing life/encouraging one another in The Word of God, so that our affections and others affection will grow for it. This leads us up to our next point and action which is that:

The people respond to the Word of God 8:13-18

13 On the second day, the family heads of all the people, along with the priests and Levites, assembled before the scribe Ezra to study the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in shelters during the festival of the seventh month. 15 So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make shelters, just as it is written.” 16 The people went out, brought back branches, and made shelters for themselves on each of their rooftops and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square by the Ephraim Gate. 17 The whole community that had returned from exile made shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous joy. 18 Ezra[d] read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

The next day, the people gathered again in the same place. They were hungry for more. And more is just what they got. While reading along, everyone discovers something very big. You see, they were fast approaching (only 2 weeks away on this day) a very important feast and festival that God had commanded them to observe forever and ever. This was the festival of booths (aka Tabernaccles/Succoth). This was a very Holy time for them, as it began with an atonement offering to God, and normally the people had offerings to give, as the harvest had just finished. So, they didn’t waste any time. They made a big deal about it, went out and told everyone, go out into the wilderness, and get all the things you need to make a temporary dwelling! They gathered everything, and then built the shelters just as they had been commanded and lived in them for the festival period, this was a celebration of this festival, a celebration of their (and our) great God that had not been observed with so much joy since the days of Joshua (nearly 1000 years). Great joy filled everyone's hearts, as they committed themselves to God, and as the celebration required, Ezra read out of the book of the law every day in front of everyone, this continued in this joyous festival, until the required 8th day of solemn observance occurred.

I can give many examples of what it looks like to respond to God’s Word, that is also God’s will/instructions for you and your life, but one that sticks out to me is our “Go Jar.” That is our, “Go make disciples jar.” Earlier this year, we set out with a goal to respond to God’s word, that we are to all be disciples of Jesus that make more disciples of Jesus. Now, after about 5 months, we have nearly reached our goal of filling this jar with marbles (disciple making actions) and we have seen God work in ways we wouldn’t have expected with multiple dice being added (that is, through our personal ministry as disciples of Jesus, we saw people either turn to Jesus for the first time in their lives or return after running from Him). This is a great thing to celebrate, and in the coming weeks I’d like for us to share testimonies of what happened as we filled the jar for the sake of encouraging one another and spurring each other into more good works for God and His glory.

Believers in the past, now, and evermore in the future will do well to see what happened to the people in Jerusalem that day and here these words from James, the half-brother of Jesus. He writes in chapter one that we are to: be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face[f] in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does. So, followers of Jesus must both hear God’s word (that is intake God’s Word, your bible) but in turn do what it says, applying the timeless lessons and truths within to yourself, how think, what you, how you treat others, and how you think about/treat God.God ordained revivals have actions that take place. One of which has always been that God’s word is responded to, next week, we will see some more actions.

Conclusion

Beloved, in Nehemiah so far we have seen these building blocks of revival take place: Prayer for revival/renewal/recommiting to Christ, Leaders come in and begin pursuing God’s will (which leads to change), The people of God are called in ,The Word of God is proclaimed, The people respond to the Word of God. Let us now together pray for revival within ourselves, our church, and the town we are in.

With all of that being said, I would be remiss if I didn’t share the Gospel (or the Good News) of Jesus Christ with you today, for the benefit of both believer and non-believer in the room. This begins all the way back at the beginning, God created everything, and he created all things good. He gave His most treasured creation (us, mankind) the ability of free will, the ability to choose Him or rebellion. Man was deceived by Satan and desired to be like God and sinned (or rebelled against God). This brought the curse of sin and death into the world and it remains with us to this day; which separates us from God. God, though, loved His creation (mankind) so much that He worked through history to redeem all mankind that would turn to Him from sin so that we can experience a full and perfect relationship with Him again. This was through the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the pay for sins. Accepting this free gift from God, makes you new and forgiven. All you have to do is accept this free gift by repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus and you will get to experience the good side of God’s justice forever. So, now that you know this, you can no longer plead ignorance. I invite and urge you to respond today non-believer and apply this to every part of your life believers in the audience today.

Father God, we thank You for Who You are. A great Big God who sees each and every one of us here and cares deeply about us. We ask this day, as we are continuing in this time of worship to You, reading Your Word and hearing Your Word, that You refine us with it. Mold us, make us, shape us, rearrange us so that we can be more like You, and made more into the image of Christ. Help us be a people who love You and love others so much, that we are moved into action by whatever it is You are going to show us about Yourself today and what that means in our lives. Help us do this, because all too often our selfish and sinless flesh war against our will to follow Yours. As we are doing this, and as we are coming into Your Word today, we ask that You take away any distraction that we may have, and make it go as far away as it possibly can, because we want to see and we want to know You better. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.