Januray 6 , 1st Sunday Morning Service

I never saw about Jesus taking a rugged tree and making it is righteous Throne. I really believe that the music Ministry of our of a corporate worship service. Do you have two functions? Primarily? I believe that that one of the functions of the music Ministry of our corporate Gathering should focus our hearts on the heart of God the gospel. I Love My Mama, but I don't want to be focused on my mama on Sunday morning. I want to be focused on the heart of God and in what he is done, but beyond that not just a focus on the heart of God, but I believe that the music Ministry of our church. The singing should stir up our affections for God face. They should they should be lifted up. We we should we should be led by songs. Will it will encourage us to think about what God has done and to respond to that with adoration and love and some say this morning. Very good, very good. Thank you for those songs. And and I believe that we have had some great ones. Lay before us plenty of opportunities for God's gospel to be centered before I sent also I hardly stirred up in an adoration. So sweet to say that we are glad you're here and we as a church or are digging back in to a a book in the Old Testament that we had laid down a few weeks ago and I as we started walking through Advent and last week we can lay before us that what I felt as if the Lord was calling us to in 2019 that that we would really be intentional about about not focusing on just being moments in God's presence. We want to see a movement of God's glory is Gospel and and what that's going to look like as we go forward but this morning we're going to dig back into any of my chapter number 8 this Going to dig into but before we get there, I want to I want to give you two verses that will lay before you the context to where we have been 4 months. I don't know how other pastors do it. We got brother gym with us this morning. He passed a lot longer than I have done an awesome job, wherever God had placed in. I don't know if brother Jim if you had it mapped out when you would start a series how long that would last a kind of in my mind thought of where we were going to be at and what Sunday mornings but I didn't really after we got into me and my there was times where I had to stop and slow down. So I love the Providence of God and this our first Lord's Day 2019 and where we are in the M. I think it's fascinating. So where we are going to see in these two versus is that the work is completed. The work on the wall in the gates are done. What is next and I'm excited about we're going to dig into this morning. We're going to stand as weary God's words to reverence God's word. It's interesting. What we going to see this one is Israel standing when they received the word of God. I want to read see you verses 15 and 16 of chapter number six of me and my I believe this will set our context and then if you got a Bible, I hope you do I love you to turn with me over to me and my chapter number 8, that's what we're going to walk through this morning all of chapter number 8 Lord willing. Nehemiah tells us that the wall verse 15 so the wall was finished on the 25th day of the month of Evie Lou in 52 days and when all are enemies heard of it all the nations around us were afraid and fail greatly in their own esteem. So they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our god. Let's pray together God. We thank you that we have your word and we thank you God that your word is sharp. Your word is powerful. And we want God to be a people of your word Lord. So we're asking that this morning as we walk to this chapter Lord that that your word would be senior will be understood and that your word would be applied to air loss to our situations. To whatever Lord we are walking through right now. Got to love you Lord, and I thank you God for what you're going to do. Belaying you were before us your people God. We ask these things in the name of Jesus a man. You can be seated.

So we we we have walked through the first six chapters even integers chapter number 7 of Nehemiah and what we saw in Nehemiah was this burden that God had had really burst in the ammonia my was a cupbearer to the king artaxerxes in a Faraway land and God birth in him a burden to go back home. Go back to Jerusalem. Go back to the city of God because they were in need. They had no defenses around the city. The walls were broken down the gates were torn down and Nehemiah cupbearer to the king gets this burden and he goes back he goes back home and God assembles around the amount of these workers these people that are going to be fulfilling the the call of God to rebuild and fortified the city of God and now we've come to the end of the work the end of the work as we see took 52 days within those 52 days. A lot of things happened God Supernatural EP how did resources God supernaturally provided protection God supernaturally provided even insight into what the enemies were planning to do to Israel Anthony in my The Works done Now what does God want to do with the people with this this movement of God? I don't know what y'all did over your Christmas break. We tried to spend as much time as possible as a family because we don't get to do a whole lot of that. And and one of the things that that we like to do is get outside and and kind of just enjoy the great outdoors and it's kind of tough one that it rained a whole whole lot. So the next best thing to getting outside enjoying the outdoors is watching people get outside and enjoy the outdoors and me and my son found a way a particular program. It's not on normal TV. It's on YouTube and have some of that will turns turns some of y'all just me saying that I watch YouTube. But anyway, this guy is a he's a he's a celebrity because he got famous on a show called alone. I don't know if anybody's ever watched alone, but they stick you out and know where you're all by yourself yet to film yourself and whoever makes it the longest wins and this guy won that series now he's got YouTube channel and he's a follower of Jesus and he's does these periodical challenges out in the nature surviving and I really like this I could really really like this me and Elijah and shallow really get into this end and he does all kinds of crazy stuff like he he goes and he catches is on animals and eat and he eats them and you know, he's eating turtles raccoons possums. I even ate a possum. He said it was great.

You know me, but I actually have a family member that I'd opossum. He said it was great to so I don't know. But anyway, he he builds his own shelter. And one of the first things he tries to do after he gets his shoulder sorted out is he wants to get a fire going and I'm not really down with an opossum. I don't really think that's going to be something. I'm looking forward to doing door build a shelter. But I do like trying to get a fire so mean Elijah we go down to to an area that they're on the farm and then we try to get a fire going Elijah's got all these these these fire making things that we've got him kneel flint and steel trying to trying to get it go on there and it would not try to Bowl yet. But but Daddy's got a lighter that's kind of how I get fire started and and we had tried for a couple of days to it to get something like this going and I figured out what the problem was. He know everything was soaking wet. So I took some of our own firewood that was in the dryer and and and and kind of got a little bit of fire going one thing. I realize while we were down there. It was it didn't matter. How wet the wood was if you got the fire hot enough it burn and before long we had this huge awesome fire and and and just it was so nice and the ground was soaking wet everything was nasty, but it was so nice to sitting around the fire and being warm by the fire and spending time as a family talking to each other looking at each other laying down phones right laying down technology and just looking at each other. This morning as we look at chapter and bright we're going to see the truth just as it doesn't matter. How wet wood. Is it the fire is hot enough. It doesn't matter how dead how discouraged how to spawn that we are if we get the word of God in us if we get the word of God before us in us and we start living by the word of God God is going to start a fire within us within our families within our hearts within our community and it's going to be Revival. We are at a place in Nehemiah where the work is done and what we want to see now, I think it's this great truth you seeing Ezra as well, but this truth in chapter 8 really comes to the Forefront be on Wiles Beyond Gates true restoration true Revival Tru renewal happens when God's people get God's word in their hearts. So let's look together at chapter break. We're going to see three key elements, I think. Did are present in the Revival that Nehemiah experiences and hopefully these three keys will be present in our own life as we seek or viable for the davises for the church before this community to work with me and chapter 8 verse number one actually chapter 7 verse number 73 gives us the full context. Let me restart their first number 73 of check number 7 we read so the priests the Levites The Gatekeepers the singer some of the people the temple servants and all Israel live in their own towns in Windows 7 7th month had come the people of Israel were in their towns and all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Watergate and they told Ezra the Scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So what has happened here is people of KY. Kind of taking a deep breath like they have work and work and work. And finally the the work is over 52 days of watching your back because you got enemies 52 days of laying bricks. Why you got a sword in your hand 52 days of wandering God. Are we going to get this done now the work is done and you would think that it would be a proper time to just take a deep breath. Maybe the kickback bright, maybe get a little R&R but there is something in the hearts of the people that they know there must be more. There's something else. His wanting to do here. There's more and what is that more what you see in person but one that the more is they need the word of God the key to Revival always starts with getting the word of God before the people of God. That's one of the reasons why we value and I think appropriately and rightfully so the preaching of the word of God, I love good singing man. I'm bad cuz I love Good evening. But we need the word of God it is what changes our lives and it's not because I'm a preacher of the word of God. It's because that's what the word of God shows us. That's what we've experienced. We all know what it's like to read the word of God and then one day the Holy Spirit as Kinsley sung open their eyes to the word and it was no longer just a bunch of letters. There's no longer just a bunch of words. It was written to us. It was written for us. It was the story of our God would come to this world and Donald F so that we could be raised to New Life and all of a sudden you became a story Game of War written to us and we responded to it and what happened we were raised to New Life. Family Guy started speaking to us I'm just two people 2000 years ago, but to us the people have gone understand y'all we've now got gauge now. We've got a wall, but we need something more.

We have been praying. We've been searching. We've been seeking the Lord for years. About what is next? Not building buildings about what is next purchasing land.

All those things are important but not essential. We will find a way if we have to to meet here five times on the Lord's Day. There is one thing that is essential to the people of God, and that is the word of God. Go to China go to places where they can't meet like we meet and you see that they have found what is truly essential that is the word of God for the people understand that there is one thing that they still need more bring us the book of the law and then we'll see what happens. This is amazing verse number to a chapter break. So as you are the priest brought the law before the assembly both men and women and all who could understand what they are. So they brought all of Israel together everybody. They can understand what was being read. And this was the first day of the seventh month which by the way is a very holy month to the people of Israel verse number three and Ezra Reddit from the flight from from it facing the square before the Watergate from early morning until midday in the presence of all the men and the women and those who could understand and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the loss of what's Happening Here. Just before the people. They're all facing him. He's facing them and he begins to read and for 6 hours. He read nothing but the law of God and for 6 hours people are standing hearing the word of God. And you know, what's fascinating about all this is there won't be more they're hungry. Some of these folks have never heard the word of God some of them for 70 years had been made even born in captivity that heard their grandparents talk about coming to the temple and hearing the word expounded and red, but now they're getting to experience it turns I think sometimes with just so very spoilt.

I know myself. I've got 25 Bibles at my house. Who needs 25 Bibles?

Most of the time we don't even use whatever.

People are hungry after hearing the word of God in for 6 hours. They want more and then God uses as reversible for Ezra The Scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose for this purpose and beside him stood a bunch of guys that I can't pronounce their names and verse number 5 and Ezra open the book in the side of all the people for he was above of all the people and as he open it all the people stood we can see how the people of God viewed the word of God two things happening right here. They had made preparations to receive the word of God had built. I don't know if it was a Pulpit. It seems to indicate that it was some type of platform that had been specifically built so that people could see the word of God and make preparations to receive the word of God. Do we make preparations to receive the word of God? You know what it might require. I'll tell you what it requires of me as a dad at 3. husband of one

I got to get up before you buy else gets up. Well, I got to stay up later than anybody else stays at. When I get here, I've got to let go of what happened before I got here. So that I can make preparations to receive the word of God. Maybe this morning you might even have to look past the man of God to receive the word of God, but all we willing to make preparations to receive to work all day. They made preparations. They even they built furniture but beyond that look at what else they did. This is so important we get this first number 5 and Ezra open the book. And read it in the sight of all the people. Why did he do that? Why did he just pull out his phone? Where's tablet? Right now I'm helping with youth ministry along with a bunch of other awesome volunteers. 1 things that I'm really trying to when I have the opportunity to teach them and I know it may sound like legalism. I'm trying to discern but I want them to open the word of God now they've all got it on the phones and I'm not trying to say you can't open the door to go on any phone. But when We Gather corporately I want you to see that I'm opening the word of God. Not opening Jamie Davis not opening Southern Baptist living. I want you to open the word of God because it's the most important thing right? It's what makes us the people got so Israel wants the people to see that this is not Ezra. This is the word about this is what God's word is saying to the people beyond that look at what they do as he opened all the people stood.

When I read that the first time I got this image, you know when somebody who's really awesome walks in I don't know if you've ever had this happen. I don't have all of you are really awesome. I'll just say that for I get myself in a big old hole, but I don't I don't ever remember a time where I was in a situation with somebody walks into the room and we all just stood up now when I do weddings, you know that happens. I kind of picture that Open the word of God in the people still because of what cuz they recognize that the word of God symbolized. Communicated the presence of God. This is who I am. I'm given this gift to you my word and the people stand in attention. They stand before the word of God and Ezra blessed adverse or 6A bless the Lord the great God and all the people answered. Amen who lifted up their hands and they bowed their heads and they Worship the Lord with their faces to the ground Austell jeshua and some other guys. The Levites helped the people to understand the law why the people remained in their places? They read from the book from the law of guy clearly and they gave the sin so that the people understood the radius What's Happening Here is Ezra's reading the word of God, but you know, what's what's really fascinating as they've been exiled for so long some of the people that have come back. When this law got was written which was maybe as much as maybe more than a thousand years before this present day. Didn't understand what Hebrew was being read to them. They didn't understand the language. So what was happening Ezra would read and these these men would go out into the crowds and make sure that they understood what they were reading. We must lay the the word of God before the people of God. You got to hear the word of God, but if you're just hearing stuff that you don't understand then what good is that to you? Revival happens when we lay the word of God before the people of God

So that transformation can happen right so that so that God's working me like before then but Revival moves forward when the word of God lay before the people of God are understood by the people of God. Nursing bright receded think they are hearing the law of God clearly and the people are understanding what is being read. So when they start understanding what is being read look at what starts happening in their life or or not? And Nehemiah who was the governor and Ezra the priests and scribes and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people this day is Holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or wait for all the people. Whip as they heard the words of the logging you imagine. This is probably several thousand that are gathered there. Cuz in chapter 7 you see the list it's several thousand Ezra's reading for 6 hours the word of God. And they're grieving their morning the crime.

What time I really get upset at Church's when my stomach starts growling right? I get a little hungry. What is happening here is their hearing maybe for the first time the law of God and you know, what's happening in their life. and being convicted know the word of God. It's been said is this does this to the people got it Comforts The Afflicted?

Betaflex the comfortable.

At least people are hearing the word of God and their there they're weighing. They're lining up the word of God compared to their life. And you know, what's what's what's kind of being made known to them is a long way to go. We're still far away Lord from from what you desire of us. So the people of God are or weeping, but look at what the leadership says to the people of God don't grieve don't don't mourn for some attention. Then he said to them go your way eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready for this day is Holy to our Lord do not be grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength is Airstream the key is getting the word of God into the people of God understanding it. That's why I think it's essential maybe not that you get plugged into Sunday school. I get that might not be something that you really open to but you got to get Beyond just hit. This is the only thing that you got If this is all you get is just coming in and hearing me proclaim the word that I believe that you're missing out on so very much. I believe that what God wants to do in the people of God is get us into Community iron sharpening iron, and maybe it's not Sunday school for you. Maybe it's maybe it's a Bible study at your workplace. Maybe it's a Bible study at your school. This is earth-shattering and radical make it to Bible study in your home to put your wife or your children, but the key is getting the word of God into the people of God because when the word of God starts getting into us what happens

I used to be a show years ago. I don't even know if it's still out there, but it was it was called Extreme Makeover home Edition. You better remember that I think it started out with Extreme Makeover people Edition and then it went to homes. So what would be so fascinating is that grow up into this place? It was junkie, right? I mean nasty falling down and assemble within a week a crew that would change that place where you could even recognize it some of them even they changed it so much the people couldn't live there no more. I can't do this stupid thing. There's too many things happening. The key was getting the right people into the right position to do the work we get the word of God into US transformation is all that can happen. Nordstrom 11. So the Levites calmed all the people saying be quiet for this day is Holy cannot be grieved and all the people went their way to eat and drink and send portions and make gray or enjoy see because they had understood the words that were declared to them. The word of God is starting to get into It's starting to transform them. And that brings them to this key juncture and this is what we want in. We must lay the word of God for the people of God. We got to make sure that we do everything we can for the people of God to understand the word of God for to get inside of them. And her life goes from the ordinary to the extraordinary her life goes from the natural to the supernatural. We not only have the word of God before us we'd only have the word of God in us that when we start allowing the word of God to feed us. colitas That's when everything changes. Really quickly. I promised single take long. Look at what happens when the people of God allow the word of God to lead him on the second day that all happened on the first day on the second day verse 13 the heads of Father's House of all the peoples Habits, stay here for a while.

The things I think is really lacking.

We say in America, but I'll I'll go little bit more specific and get make people with pitbull mad. then the church Is male leadership?

male leadership not mail domineering male leadership Look at what happens when the men of God go after God. On the second day the heads of fathers houses of all the people with the priests and Levites came together to Ezra The Scribe. Why did they come there that you email for? Keep them 6 hours? Say brother a chicken was cold.

No, they didn't come to Africa to make sure he understood that there was a reason the clock was on the wall.

I came to Ezra because they wanted to go deeper. Ezra The Scribe in order to study the words of the law and they found it written in the law of the Lord has commanded Moses the people of Israel that they should dwell in booths during the Feast of the seventh month that they should Proclaim it and publish it and all their towns in Jerusalem. I want to read all this will say one thing go out to the hills and bring branches of Olives while Dolphins Myrtle palm and other leafy trees to make boost as it is written. So the people went out and brought them and they boost for themselves each on his roof and in there chords and intercourse the house of God and in the Square the Watergate in the Square at the Gate of Ephraim and all the Assembly of those who have returned from captivity made booths.

at some times much more so years ago then today you could walk into my house and there would be blankets trolled all over the room. Baby, cheers up and down drone prop them up and you stay there long enough to be a couple Davis's run out from under. That everyone liked ants in the house. And when I was a kid, that was all right, but when I get into an adult, it's will activating. You know, I'm saying like you trying to do life in that room and you can't Little inconvenient what the people of Israel had failed to understand was that God wanted them to make little tents everywhere.

even beside their house he was at the house that had a nice soft bed. I wish I had about 15 more minutes. Are it be rude to get up and leave while I'm still preaching, right?

This Was An Inconvenient command It didn't make a lot of sense. But what did the people of God do I want bear down right here? Did they try to reason with God we got houses?

We can just we can just read your word and our house. No, they recognize the authority of God's word and they responded to the authority of God's word not to the authority of Ezra or to the story of God's work. God wants us to build tents. And for a week, he wants us to live in why so that we can remember the 40 Years of wandering in the wilderness where God did not let our feet get sore. Our clothes wear out or a Billy's go hungry.

Me tell you what, I guarantee you.

What happened when we get serious with the word of God? I'm going to read it. I'm going to find a verse that's going to get us wrong.

And we'll go to Chiefs. Is this my authority? Love your enemy. forgive those who wrong you love your wife as Christ loved the church. Are you going to respond to it? Nobody needs? I'm going to shut it. I'm going to lay down. I'm going to keep doing LifeWay been doing it. The key is getting God's word for the people of God key is getting God's word into the people of God, but the most important key First Baptist Decatur is this allowing the word of God to leave your locs. Cuz not only will we be transformed but our world will be transformed. Can you imagine us pulling out of Decatur head to Piggly Wiggly McDonald's La Hacienda wherever you going? And look it up down Highway 58 and seeing tents outside air buddies house. imagine people at waving at you. Hey, we're just staying out here for a week. Why does God told us to?

God's probably not want you to put it in outside your house.

God is probably wanting you to forgive that person that you need to forgive.

God is probably wanting you to quit gossiping.

father we love you, and thank you God that you're