Authentic Gospel Renewal

HP: Continually receive the Living Word into your life, and you will be strengthened with a joy for true renewal!

1. True Renewal/revival/reformation happens only when God visits His people!

You will remember that the first 6 chapters recount 52 day wonder of physical rebuilding. But now begins even more difficultwork ofthe spiritual, social, community re-building of the people of God. In Chapter 7 some time ago we see Nehemiah recruiting and delgateing, organizing - Gatekeepers, singers, Levites, priests. Heads of tribes, like small groups. INcredible commitment of resources! But that is not true renewal is it. Have all the program, staff, buildings, even say God is with us in the instituationalized, outward doings of church. Liek Elijah, we lay the wood, but God must send the fire from heaven!

But the key word in v.1-12 occuring a remarkable 13x = people! Remarkable occurence month after all returned to homes, come back - sun up to noon Bible Study - meet back in Jersusalem. All the people show up as one man…all the poeople listened atentively to Word of God…all stood before great scribe Ezra..all lifted up their hands…all bowed down faces to the ground worshippped…all gathered in smaller groups to hear TOrah, instruction of God through words of Moses - promises and curses - law wisdom - explained in own Aramaic language. All the people wept…all feasted…and ate and drank and shared!

What’s going on is the first necessity of a true renewal: God must visit His people. Wasn’t he there before. All through Scripture’s story, all through Christian history - times when God drew near to his people. Has this happened to you - your family - our Church family.

Often in times of earnest seeking - prayer, confession - seek me you will find me… Tell this was something planned and people rearranged their schedule for - prayer meeting, small group meeting,…even family devotions!

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

We ought to expect God to draw especially near as he promised, when we are seeking him.!

He GOT THEIR ATTENTION MADE HIS PRESENCE FELT on the first day, seventh month 444BC =

Moments when minds and hearts are inundated and overwhelmed by the reality of God in his holiness and grace!

All the rest is prepratory work and useless without this visitation of God with His People! NOt something we can maniupulate - but if as whole people of God - children, men and women - gather to really hear to be rebuilt, to give glory to God - expect that He will come - that he will use the regular means of grace! WHy it happened at the Watergate - where God’s people gathered to have Him work in them!

But maybe like some little gaffer wondering stand here all morning - doing here - and then feels mighty power of the Word of God, the working of the Holy Spirit in worship, the excitement of a people whose hearts are soft and tender to re-molded by the Living God, and a community that is ready to start living like new society of God on earth. Like that little gaffer you might ask: Why didn’t God visit us like this before?

2. There will be spiritual draught, dryness, when their is a famine of hearing God’s Word.

Understand the context here. The day is the feast of trumpets, celebrating the 7th year in their church calendar. God had commanded that every year the whole Torah be read to his people - story of creation, sin, their redemption,brillinat vision of new society inwhich he dwelt, the will of God for life in his kingdom! They understood the priest must teach them God’s word!

But that had all stopped for over a hundred years - imagine like when I was in Slovakia - sit in family even a Christian one - only great grandmother ever read a Bible - could happen here couldn’t it? Then communism fell - brightest minds - studying God’s word, families going to camps - week long courses… That’s what going on here!

They understood as Amos had prophesied before the exile: “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. They had just lived through those times - new times of refreshing coming if God’s Word honoured once again!

What about us 40% of those who say committed Xns, only once a year or less = those who neglect the privelege and discipline of daily Bible reading are severing their links with vital spiritual resources…“

LifeWay Research, surveyed 2,390 U.S. Protestants who said they attend church at least once a month, according to the Christian Post.

According to the results, 19 percent of respondents said they read the Bible outside of church services “every day,” nearly identical to the 18 percent who answered “rarely or never.”L

LifeWay Research Director Scott McConnell told the Christian Post he attributes the results to modern American culture.

“Regular Bible engagement is both personal and requires discipline. Neither are popular in Western culture today,” McConnell told the Post. “Too many churchgoers want the benefits of salvation without investing in personally knowing Christ and the abundant life he offers.”

So surprised this past week my Dad visited me - asked do you read God’s law in worship - generation missing that - don’t know it - people murder, commit adultery, need to hear what God says is the way of faithful living - 8thgrade education, never led a bible study in his life… God’s pressed on his heart for little church he’s part of!

Many note that actual reading of the Bible amount down the tubes… verse, video clips topical preaching - but not explanation and application of God’s Word!

Mark Dever says: Most important thing we do as a church is teach God’s Word, because God’s word alone generates lifes ; = People who hear God’s Word and believe it have their lives changed! Peter says:God’s word is the seed that gives birth to God’s people!

Best serve church if Word at centre -elders serve best ensure God’s Word is preached accurately and forcefully applied, small group, discipling relationships, educational min - encourage in home.

3. Mere reading and preaching with application will not be enough!

In v.3 b we see that all the people were there listening attentively. Picture that huge Scaffold and Ezra this preist who been there 13 years earlier - spent years getting a complete copy of the Law - he reading the whole thing. But what is the result: Defintely not warm fuzzies, walk away with inspiration:

V. 9b For all the people had been weeping as they listened tothe words of the Law. Not just because they hadn’t heard them for over a hundred years. But this is the first work of the Holy Spirit in renewing a people by the Word, next chapter see the power of confession. The Spirit and Word do a work of conviction - ever experience grief for sin - ever feel how utter sinful offensive sin is - Saint Augustine in Confessions - Thank you for the sins I didn’t commit. Understand even those areas kept pure - not areas to boast bu t only by grace …

First sign is Scripture as Looking Glass -”There God is seen especially and Christ, but also there you see yourself and your own dirty face; there also you see the creatures - see their empitness and the emptiness of all comforts and relations” William Bridge; = realize fall short, tragic consequences of human sin

This is why they are weeping. Most likely the Law Ezrais reading, is Deuteronomy that 2nd giving of the law for the generation inheritting the pormised land. Why we have the Levites not only translating but v.8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

In exile they developed new language Aramaic, living now in new circumstances, the Levites were doing what Paul calls all of us to do: right divide the Word of God, let it be powerful pentertraing and discerning your thoughts and attitudes; let it reprove correct, recallibrate your whole life - Isn’t this what Jesus said would keep you abiding in His life - abid ein my Word!

SO they’ve explained and applied whole of God’s will for there lives, but do you remember how Torah ends? Mt Gerrizim,Mt Ebal - read covenant promises, covenant blessings. So heard all of how God saved, mercy ,forgave, grace set them to be kingdom in whom he dwells at cetnre - but recalling how lived breaking God’s will, law, instruction - hearing the curses they’ve jsut been experiencing! Where renewal,new direction,new filling with the Spirit for servie starts, but it cannot end here!

4. So then must come the reading and preaching of God’s Word with an apprehension of the gospel promises!

Look at the change that comes over the people in v.10,12 Nehemiah understands there is more than theats, bad news in God’s Word. Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” When the Word of God is received in its fullness it is not only conviction of sin, the bad enws it will bring, but also the forgiveness and the new life . The promised of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. They now understand these words - and they party like the nation had never partied before - here is a new beginning with the Lord - and the joy they experience in their merciful, beatufiul, power-filling God - that Joy becomes their strength!

Have you experienced this in your reading of God’s Word - fulness of the Torah in the NT. Warnings , mroal instruction - but not enough - have you found the grace, new beginning, in Christ?

Not only see condemns sin, but remedy of sin too! Ten days after this holiday would be the day of atonement… = anual public declaration of Gods’ mercy on all the uncleanness and rebellion of Israel would be fully, immediately and inrrevocably pardoned - whatever their sins had been! = sins cleansed strength renewed! No strength spiritually without living in the joy of forgiveness !

Do you read the Bible looking only for moral direction, rabbit foot, fluffy inspiration; or do you believe what Christ spoke: All these SPEAK OF ME - I Appeared to Abraham - READ TO HAVE MORE OF GOSPEL APPLIED TO YOUR LIFE = 1 PETER TELLS US WE WERE REBORN BY THE wORD, NOW WILL YOU LIVE BY THE WORD LETTING CHRIST TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE WITH HIS TRUTH!

“Embraced with greatest reverence and ask God to make it possible for us by the spirit of revelatoin - Calvin!

Experiencing that in study of James in small groups - what happens that joy in the Lord together gets in your bones, strengthens you to lvoe and serve those people, Read the love fo Christ compels us - bursting with joy!

5. When we ourselves are receiving God’s Word in this strengthening joy, we will share it with others.

We serve this first in works of mercy and love to those who Nehemiah said had nothing! 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. Scripture does that doesn’t it: it opens our eyes to the need of others! As Christ has come to our rescue, we are sent by Him to meet the needs of others in need!

But then we also see it as they read God’s word and desire that joy, celebration, that saving knowledge for others! They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem.

Those who had been unable or unwilling to attend this remarkable renewal service - they actually love them enough to go to them and invite them to the next event! The Feast of Tabernacles. Let me read how a modern Jew describes its significance:

Sitting in the sukkah underneath its canopy of leaves I often think of my ancestors and their wanderings across Europe in search of safety, and I begin to understand how faith was their only home. It was fragile, chillingly exposed to the storms of prejudice and hate. But it proved strong than empires. Their faith has survived.

That really is at the heart of the matter -even the pagan Greek philopher knew it: Thucydides: It is the people not the walls that make a city! The spiritual, moral, social contribution of committed men and women is of greater importance than strong bulwarks. As those ancient Jews gather at the Watergate for their Bible study and worship,as they sat under their temporary little tents remembering their exodus - they have something crucial to teach our gloomy age: Peace and joy and strength are to be found in the Lord alone; in His word, in His worship, and in His service! There alone will we find continual strength to be a church that is reformed and always reforming! Amen.