The Importance of the Word

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.

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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

Sent from my iPhone

A Faithful Father

My wife takes good sermon notes!

A Faithful Father
Psalm 78:1-8

Psalm 78

God's Guidance of His People in Spite of Their Unfaithfulness.

A Maskil of Asaph.

1(A)Listen, O my people, to my instruction;
(B)Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2I will (C)open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter (D)dark sayings of old,
3Which we have heard and known,
And (E)our fathers have told us.
4We will (F)not conceal them from their children,
But (G)tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His (H)wondrous works that He has done.
5For He established a (I)testimony in Jacob
And appointed a (J)law in Israel,
Which He (K)commanded our fathers
That they should (L)teach them to their children,
6(M)That the generation to come might know, even (N)the children
yet to be born,
That they may arise and (O)tell them to their children,
7That they should put their confidence in God
And (P)not forget the works of God,
But (Q)keep His commandments,
8And (R)not be like their fathers,
A (S)stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that (T)did not [a]prepare its heart

God's plan to change a nation was for families to have godly spiritual
leaders...fathers & mothers

I. You must have a saving relationship with the Lord
A. God's purpose for you (& your family) can only be fulfilled if
you have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

II. You must fulfill the responsibility of a father to train up his
children
A. Share the truth of God with your family and generations to
come...children yet to be born!!!
B. Experience
C. Share your testimony with your children & ur daily experience
with God
D. Communicate it by example
if you are trying to tell your children to be obedient to God &
walk with him, then you need to do it too!!! They need to see that
you love Jesus more than you love your life!!!
E. Education: fathers are to teach them to their children
Deut. 6:4
4"(A)Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the (B)LORD is one!

5"(C)You shall love the LORD your God (D)with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your might.

III. You must focus on the spiritual condition of your child

Your children have to make their own choices before God, but you have
to make sure you have taught them the right way & the truth!

Dr. Patrick Mead
FSBC

A Word from A. W. Tozer - Mornings with Tozer

I wanted to share this with you! 

Pastor Patrick

Loving God Only

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.Matthew 24:12

The first and greatest commandment is to love God with every power of our entire being. Where love like that exists, there can be no place for a second object.

Yet popular Christianity has as one of its most effective talking points the idea that God exists to help people to get ahead in this world! The God of the poor has become the God of an affluent society. We hear that Christ no longer refuses to be a judge or a divider between money-hungry brothers. He can now be persuaded to assist the brother that has accepted Him to get the better of the brother who has not!

Whoever seeks God as a means toward desired ends will not find God. God will not be one of many treasures. His mercy and grace are infinite and His patient understanding is beyond measure, but He will not aid men in selfish striving after personal gain. If we love God as much as we should, surely we cannot dream of a loved object beyond Him which He might help us to obtain!

Lord, show me what it means to love You as You commanded— with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind (see Luke 10:27).

Sent from the Mornings with Tozer, by A. W. Tozer. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com

Dr. Patrick Mead

FSBC

God is at Work: A Family Focus Testimony

Last Wednesday, while driving back from a funeral in Dallas, the Lord impressed upon my heart the need to change my sermon. I had every intention to preach a sermon on marriage from the book of Malachi, but God had different plans.

The Lord led me to preach from 1 Timothy 6:17-19 about the need to make investments that last. After I preached the early service, a couple visiting our church stopped me and told me of their desire to invest into the Family Focus Offering. The wife wrote a check for $1000. I was able to share their story in the second service.

Yesterday, a wonderful church member called me to testify how God was using the sermon and the sacrificial gift of the visiting couple to speak to her family about their participation in the offering.

God is the one who will provide the $100,000 we need to do some much needed work on our facilities at First Southern. And the wonderful testimony of yesterday reminded me that God is working in the hearts of his people to give to this endeavor.

I am so excited that my family can go above and beyond our giving to reach our goal as a church, and even more excited to see what God is going to do in us and through us as a church family.

Pastor Patrick

Family Focus Offering: June 20, 2010

Dear Church Family,

I love being the pastor of a family-focused church. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to be a part of a community of faith that values families and are committed to providing a place for families to connect with our church family through loving relationships.

I am also excited, as a parent of three beautiful daughters, to be a part of a church family that envisions a "kid-focused" environment that will facilitate learning and fun activities not just for my children, but also hundreds of children. If we, as a church family, want to see this vision become a reality, then we will need to provide a clean and attractive environment.

The Lord presented us with an opportunity to provide this environment when our roof collapsed in our Blue Room Building and the Children's Wing. As a member of First Southern, you have an opportunity to help this vision become a reality so that we can continue to share God’s love by leading people to life-change in Jesus Christ.

On June 20, 2010 we are going to be taking a special offering to remodel the Children's Wing. Our goal is to raise $100,000 above and beyond the regular tithes of God's people. Here are the things we want to accomplish with this offering:

• Re-roof both Blue Room Building and Children’s Wing
• Replace damaged ceilings and lights and install insulation where needed.
• Bathrooms remodeled
• Paint the Blue Room Building
• New Flooring in some areas
• New, energy-efficient windows
• Paint the Children's Wing

God has called us to reach families and one of the ways we do that is by providing clean and attractive facilities. Will you prayerfully consider how God wants to use you to reach our goal financially? God wants to do great things through our church! However, we must be willing to step out in faith and attempt great things for God.

Let's reach more families together,

Pastor Patrick

Courageous Spiritual Leadership

2 Chronicles 15:1-7 gives some great truths about courageous spiritual leadership. The first seven verses reveal certain truths about cultivating courage.

The call for courageous leadership is given in verse 7, “But you, be strong and do not lose courage.” The Hebrew word translated “do not lose courage” can also be translated “don't let your hands down.” The KJV translates it “let not your hands be weak.” If one is going to be a spiritual leader they can't become so discouraged that they can't lead. How does one keep from losing courage?

Verse 7 says that one has to be “strong” to be courageous. This strength must be cultivated. There are four truths from this passage that enable the spiritual leader to cultivate courage.

Courage is cultivated by trusting the promises of God. (15:1)

God sends the prophet Azariah to speak to Asa. The Lord, through his prophet, promises his presence and warns Asa of the actions that could hinder that promise. It was a conditional promise. The words that the Lord gave through his prophet were given to encourage Asa. They were given so that he could cultivate courage in his leadership and life.

Notice what this word of promise and warning did for Asa in 15:8, “Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage.” The Hebrew word “ Khawzak” is translated courage in this verse. The same word is translated “strong” in verse 7.

Asa strengthened himself by trusting the promises of God. The promises of God must be believed and trusted so that leaders don't grow faith and discouraged. Second, courage is cultivated by seeking the presence of God.

Courage is cultivated by seeking the presence of God. (15:2a)

Verse 2 says it all, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him” The presence of God is conditional. If Asa wanted God's presence with him, then he had to seek the Lord daily. Courageous leaders cultivate courage by seeking the presence of God continually. Third, courage is cultivated by fearing the discipline of God.

Courage is cultivated by fearing the discipline of God. (15:2b)

The last part of verse 2 gives a warning to Asa, “but if you forsake Him, he will forsake you.” In verses 3-6, the Lord reminds Asa of what happened to the people when they stopped believing the promises of God and seeking the presence of God. "For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. "But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. "In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. "Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress.”

A healthy fear of God enables the leader to overcome the unhealthy fear of man. Don't fear what man can do to you, but what God can do to you. Fourth, courage is cultivated by focusing on the reward of God.

Courage is cultivated by focusing on the reward of God (15:7)

This truth is revealed in verse 7, “But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work." God promises to provide and take care of those who trust his promises, seek his presence, and fear his discipline. God rewards faithfulness.

What is Preaching?

Genuine preaching and its importance is linked with the centrality and authority of the Holy Scriptures. Why did Paul exhort his son in the faith, Timothy, to “preach the word"? The reason for preaching the word is clear:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16)


Why was Timothy to preach the word? His was to preach the word because it is God’s word. All scripture is God-breathed, therefore, preach all scripture. Biblical preaching finds its authority and centrality in the Bible.

Authentic preaching does not find its authority in the preacher, or in the position, but finds its authority from the word of God. Even the Old Testament Prophets did not find their authority in their calling, or their office; instead they found their authority in the word of God they proclaimed. Their authority came when they said, “Thus says the Lord."

Consequently, the Bible is central to true preaching. The preacher has the awesome responsibility of proclaiming the infallible word of God. The only way one can judge whether preaching is speaking the word of the Lord is the Bible.

Genuine preaching is Bible based, or “Bible-centered.” If one is going to preach a Bible based sermon then one must first handle the text in such a way that “the real and essential meaning as it existed in the mind of the particular Biblical writer, and as it exists in scripture” is understood.

Dr. Stephen Olford said that preaching “is the Spirit-empowered explanation and proclamation of the text of God’s word with regard to the historical, contextual, grammatical, and doctrinal significance of a given passage.” This definition indicates that the sermon is already prepared, that is, God prepared it. Biblical preaching studies the text to understand the meaning it had to its original hearers, then bridges the gap to contemporary times so that modern day hearers can hear the transforming word of God.

True preaching first takes the passage of scripture and studies its historical background. This is significant because the culture in which the text is found and the culture in which the preacher’s listeners are found are centuries apart. The religious situation, the geographical situation, the governmental situation is different, and so it is very important to understand the historical setting of a passage, if it can be known.

Next, true preaching studies the passage in its context. Contextual significance is important because if one does not understand the context, then one cannot understand the meaning. One such example can be found in Philippians 4:13, where Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If we take this verse alone we will think that we can do all things, when, in reality, we cannot do all things. Study of the context shows that Paul is speaking about being content in all situations. The reason he can be content in all situations is because he is given strength to do so by Christ.

Grammatical understanding is very significant. I will hasten to state that much of the preaching heard today lacks grammatical understanding. It is easy to do word studies when preparing a sermon, but one must learn the syntax that is involved with the text of scripture. Each passage of scripture will have a dominating theme, and that theme will have subordinating clauses that modify that theme. So it is important to have a grammatical understanding.

Finally, genuine preaching shows the doctrinal significance of the passage being preached. It answers the question, “In what way does the teaching of this passage fit in with the rest of the Bible?”

What is preaching? It is, first of all, Bible-centered, and the preacher must submit his thoughts and opinions to the God inspired text so that when the preaching takes place the preacher is echoing the word of God and not the word of man.