The Importance of the Word
Nehemiah 8:1-18
Ezra Reads the Law
1And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of (A)the Water Gate, and they asked (B)Ezra the scribe to bring (C)the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel.
2Then (D)Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on (E)the first day of the seventh month.
3He read from it before the square which was in front of (F)the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
4Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.
5Ezra opened (G)the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people (H)stood up.
6Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "(I)Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then (J)they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place.
8They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.
"This Day Is Holy"
9Then Nehemiah, who was the (K)governor, and Ezra (L)the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "(M)This day is holy to the LORD your God; (N)do not mourn or weep." For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.
10Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and (O)send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
11So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved."
12All the people went away to eat, to drink, (P)to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, (Q)because they understood the words which had been made known to them.
Feast of Booths Restored
13Then on the second day the heads of fathers' households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law.
14They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel (R)should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
15(S)So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and (T)in Jerusalem, saying, "(U)Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written."
16So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each (V)on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at (W)the Water Gate and in the square at (X)the Gate of Ephraim.
17The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel (Y)had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day And (Z)there was great rejoicing.
18(AA)He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day And they (AB)celebrated the feast seven days, and on (AC)the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.
------------------------
How to grow a church....preach the
Word of God!
Greatest need of the church today? Expository preaching!!!
I Peter 1:23
23for you have been (A)born again (B)not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring (C)word of God.
Acts
6:7
7(A)The word of God kept on spreading; and (B)the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to (C)the faith.
12:24
24But (A)the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.
19:20
20So (A)the word of the Lord (B)was growing mightily and prevailing.
When you see a church or person that is hungry for the Word of God, that is a sign of spiritual growth and that God is at work.
I. Believe it!!!
If we want to see our church grow, we need to believe what it says!!!
A. Enthusiastically and expectantly
- they expected God would speak to them personally
B. Attentively
- for hours they listened
C. Reverently
- they stood up when the Word was read. They believed that the Word
was God speaking to them.
D. Submissively
- bowed low and humbled themselves.
-Submit ourselves to what God's Word says and obey it!
II. Receive it!!
Not just to be a heater, but a doer!!!
A. The power to purify.
- the Word of God convicts them of their sin.
B. Receive the promise of provision
Have you truly received the conviction of sins & the provision for sins?
Today is the day of salvation! When God convicts you of your sins, it's because He wants to forgive you of your sins!
III. Live it!!!
Live it out so others can see.
Those that were looking to them could see that the Israelites were living for God. (v.18)
Problem with Christians today, we tell people to believe in Jesus, but the way we live tells them just the opposite.
626-710 S Reynolds Rd, Bryant, AR 72022, USA
Nehemiah 8:1-18
Ezra Reads the Law
1And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of (A)the Water Gate, and they asked (B)Ezra the scribe to bring (C)the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel.
2Then (D)Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on (E)the first day of the seventh month.
3He read from it before the square which was in front of (F)the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
4Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.
5Ezra opened (G)the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people (H)stood up.
6Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "(I)Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then (J)they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place.
8They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.
"This Day Is Holy"
9Then Nehemiah, who was the (K)governor, and Ezra (L)the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "(M)This day is holy to the LORD your God; (N)do not mourn or weep." For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.
10Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and (O)send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
11So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved."
12All the people went away to eat, to drink, (P)to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, (Q)because they understood the words which had been made known to them.
Feast of Booths Restored
13Then on the second day the heads of fathers' households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law.
14They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel (R)should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
15(S)So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and (T)in Jerusalem, saying, "(U)Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written."
16So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each (V)on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at (W)the Water Gate and in the square at (X)the Gate of Ephraim.
17The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel (Y)had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day And (Z)there was great rejoicing.
18(AA)He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day And they (AB)celebrated the feast seven days, and on (AC)the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.
------------------------
How to grow a church....preach the
Word of God!
Greatest need of the church today? Expository preaching!!!
I Peter 1:23
23for you have been (A)born again (B)not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring (C)word of God.
Acts
6:7
7(A)The word of God kept on spreading; and (B)the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to (C)the faith.
12:24
24But (A)the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.
19:20
20So (A)the word of the Lord (B)was growing mightily and prevailing.
When you see a church or person that is hungry for the Word of God, that is a sign of spiritual growth and that God is at work.
I. Believe it!!!
If we want to see our church grow, we need to believe what it says!!!
A. Enthusiastically and expectantly
- they expected God would speak to them personally
B. Attentively
- for hours they listened
C. Reverently
- they stood up when the Word was read. They believed that the Word
was God speaking to them.
D. Submissively
- bowed low and humbled themselves.
-Submit ourselves to what God's Word says and obey it!
II. Receive it!!
Not just to be a heater, but a doer!!!
A. The power to purify.
- the Word of God convicts them of their sin.
B. Receive the promise of provision
Have you truly received the conviction of sins & the provision for sins?
Today is the day of salvation! When God convicts you of your sins, it's because He wants to forgive you of your sins!
III. Live it!!!
Live it out so others can see.
Those that were looking to them could see that the Israelites were living for God. (v.18)
Problem with Christians today, we tell people to believe in Jesus, but the way we live tells them just the opposite.
626-710 S Reynolds Rd, Bryant, AR 72022, USA
-Christy
