Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture:

On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law.

14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”

16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.

17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so.

And there was very great rejoicing.

18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God.

They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Intro

In Paul wrote, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

It is a nice sentiment.

One that most all Christians desire for their own life and faith.

What Paul is talking about in this passage is a life that is lived wholeheartedly for the Lord.

To walk in obedience to him in every area of life as we grow to be more and more like Christ.

Where day by day it looks as if we are truly dying to ourselves and loving the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength.

But here is our problem.

For most of us, if not all of us, that kind of life, that kind of whole-hearted, totally-committed, living for the Kingdom kind of life seems to be impossible for us everyday Christians.

How do we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God in our spiritual worship to the Lord?

How do we live for Jesus and nothing else?

Last week as we studied we learned that in order for God’s people to grow to be his holy people and be a light to the nations of God’s salvation, they must love God’s Word.

And as Ezra read the Law to the people of Jerusalem, Nehemiah showed us a model for what it looks like when God’s people truly love his Word.

We said that God’s people hunger for the Word, the receive the Word with faith, they repent at its truth and turn from sin, and they respond to his Word in worship because God’s Word shows us how God has loved us and forgiven all our sins in Jesus Christ.

As we continue by looking at this week’s sermon is really an extension of last week’s.

If last week we said God’s people love God’s Word, our focus this week is that God’s people obey God’s Word.

But rather than just telling you, “Ok, here is God’s Word, now you need to go obey it,” I want to do the real practical work of explaining how Christians go about obeying God’s Word.

I want to help you see how living a life of absolute surrender to the Lord where you daily grow in your obedience to Jesus Christ is not something that is reserved for pastors, spiritual gurus, or other people.

I want to practically show you, from how you can be a living sacrifice like Paul talks about in and live all of your life for the glory of Christ.

First, it all begins with...

1.

A Call to Obedience

On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law.

14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”

Nehemiah says on the second day

He is referring to the second day of the revival that began in verses 1-12 when Ezra read the Law and the people worshiped the Lord.

So the very next day, the heads of Fathers’ houses come together with the priests and Levites to have a Bible Study with Ezra.

Now the heads of fathers’ houses were men who were the leaders of their families.

These were the patriarchs who wanted to obey what commands, that all the people of God, not just the priests were to know and live out God’s Word.

If this ideal was going to be realized, that all of God’s people would know and live out God’s Word, then it could not all be left to just the priests and the levites.

The men of God had to take up their mantle as the spiritual leaders of their families and teach their wives and children the Bible.

Men of Metro, you are the spiritual leaders of your family and God expects you to steward that responsibility faithfully.

In the same way as the people in Nehemiah, if our church is going to be a light to the nations of the gospel of Christ in Northwest Arkansas, then we must take the responsibility to teach our families the Bible seriously.

And I think one common lie that rob men of this dignity to see their wife and children grow to love the Lord under their godly leadership is that they do not believe they are capable of teaching their family theology.

To “do theology” is to apply the Bible to every area of life.

It isn’t knowing technical terms and being able to reference every verse on command.

So teaching your family theology is not about having a seminary class in your living room on Tuesday nights.

Its about showing your family how to walk in step with God’s Word in every area of their life and lead them by example.

But in our culture of nominal Christianity and marshmallow discipleship, it is not uncommon for some men to not feel equipped to lead their family well.

If that is your situation, where you do not feel equipped to spiritually lead your family, take a note from the men in Nehemiah.

They went with other men and studied the Bible with Ezra their pastor.

This shows us two possible roads for you:

Engage your family in our process of making disciples and lead your family to commit to the Body of Christ.

Get involved in a Community Group to get around other godly men to learn from them how to lead your family.

Discipleship is a learned skill.

You must have other brothers come along side you whom you can ask questions to and to give you advice.

Talk to your pastors.

Listen, we love to shepherd you.

We want to equip you to follow the Lord faithfully particularly with your families.

Ask one of us your questions or for advice.

Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed that we are going to think lowly of you for not knowing something.

We are your pastors, we want to disciple you so that you in turn can disciple your family.

And ladies, encourage your husband in this.

Don’t brow beat him saying, “You should be the spiritual leader in our family, why aren’t you doing more?”

The quickest way to discourage a man from pursuing his calling is convincing him he is a failure when he starts.

He’s not going to be perfect, but take every opportunity to encourage him and thank him when you notice he takes the initiative in making the Word of God central in your home.

Build him up.

Be his helper.

Help him do the thing God has called him to do and your family and our church and Lord willing Northwest Arkansas will be surely blessed when the men of God of Metro Church live as men of the Word.

And as the men of Nehemiah determined to be men of the Word, they studied the Scriptures and found an opportunity for greater obedience to the Lord.

And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,

And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,

As they study the Scriptures together they come across a command to celebrate what is called the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

The Feast of Booths was commanded in .

It was a harvest festival of sorts that was to be celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month.

And as part of this week long celebration the people of Israel were required to live in booths, or temporary shelters that they made.

Basically, it was one giant campout with the purpose of reminding the people how God had saved them from Egypt.

You shall dwell in booths for seven days.

All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Why God gave his people the Feast of Booths was because it was a testimony to how God had brought them out of slavery in Egypt where they lived in temporary shelters on their way to the Promised Land.

You shall dwell in booths for seven days.

All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

The Feast of Booths was a Celebration of God’s Redemption secured for his people similar to how we celebrate Christmas, Good Friday, or Easter.

These kinds of celebrations help remind God’s people about the type of thing God does for his people, namely saving them.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Upon seeing an opportunity to obey God’s Word, the people of God seize it and they go and proclaim in Jerusalem and all the surrounding towns Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.

There they had spent spies in the land, most of who came back with a debilitating report that the people of Israel would be unable to displace the people of the land of Canaan because of their great strength.

Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.

Remember, this is on the 2nd day of the 7th month and the Feast of Booths was to be celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month.

Because of their lack of faith, God takes Israel into the wilderness for 40 years until all the Jews of that generation died off except for those that had faith God would give them the land.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

So the men of Israel who devoted themselves to obeying God’s Word in every area of their life and to lead their families to do the same had 2 weeks to prepare for the Feast.

And they did so immediately.

They did not delay in obeying God’s Word.

And when the day came, the people of Israel heard the call to obedience from verses 13-15 and answered with...

2. A Relentless Obedience

So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.

17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so.

And there was very great rejoicing.

So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.