Together in Sharing the Gospel - October 23, 2022 sermon

 

On Jim’s bucket list was to play one of those extremely difficult golf courses – you know, the kind that have a green out on an island?  So, he travels to Myrtle Beach to play a course called Man O’War.  And the name fits.  Just look at the 15^th hole.  What kind of person designs something like this?  The Devil may have been in Georgia playing a violin, but he first stopped in South Carolina to design a golf course!

Anyway, not wanting to lose any of his good balls, Jim pulls out an old scuffed and tattered one.  As he bends down to place the old ball on the tee, a voice from Heaven says, “Use a new ball.”  Jim is amazed.  Was it true that God was going to guide his shot safely to the green?  So, he asks, “Are you sure, Lord?”  And the voice booms, “Take a practice swing.”  Jim swings his club with confidence. 

A moment later the voice from Heaven replies, “Use the old ball.”

Funny story, right?  But that sort of thing doesn’t happen in real life.  I mean, you start telling people that you hear voices in your head, and you’ll find yourself wearing a bathrobe from Happy Acres, or something.  Counting flowers on the wall, playing solitaire till dawn.  Watching Captain Kangaroo.

And yet…

Last week Pastor Kevin shared that a person who has given their life to Jesus receives the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of God comes and dwells within the heart of a believer.  A Christian is never truly alone, for the Spirit of God is with them wherever they may be.  The Old Testament Prophet Isaiah says that when the Spirit of God dwells within us, “Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.” ^[1] (Isaiah 30:21).  In other words, Isaiah says that the Spirit will be our moral compass.  He will direct us to live in a way that is pleasing to God.  The Spirit of God speaks to us when we step away from living the kind of life that is pleasing to God.

But the Spirit also does much more.

Did you know that Spirit also directs us in sharing the Gospel?  It’s true.  The Spirit also works with us to share the Good News about Jesus. 

Yes, Jesus has given us a command to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).  That’s a broad command from Jesus to be active in outreach, evangelism, and discipleship.  The Spirit, on the other hand, deals in specifics.  He directs us to individuals.

Consider how the Spirit was working in and through a guy named Philip.  We can rightly assume that Philip knew about Jesus’s great commission (see Acts 8:5-6) but watch how specific the Holy Spirit was in this man’s life.

Acts 8:26-40 - As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷ So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹ The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” ³⁰ Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

³² The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. ³³ He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”^*

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” ³⁵ So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.  ³⁶ As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”^{* 38} He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus (az’otos). He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea (Ka sar’ia). ^[2]

I don’t know how you respond when the Spirit starts nagging.  And I hate to use that word but, in all honesty, that’s sort of how it feels.  The Spirit just keeps bringing up what God wants us to do.  He does it over and over and over and over until we comply.  It doesn’t appear that Philip needed to be prodded repeatedly, but I confess that I sure do.  Rather than responding, I keep asking questions.  How far along the road do you want me to walk?  Should I bring enough water for a long journey cause it is a desert road.  You do know that, right?  And where am I headed?  What am I supposed to do?  What’s the plan?  What’s the goal?  Am I supposed to meet someone?  Should I go by myself?

I don’t want to go on the cart.

I tend to make one excuse right after another.  Anyone else respond to the Spirit in the same way?  Why?  Why is it we hesitate to speak to others about Jesus?  Why does it make us so uncomfortable?  If you’re like me, you worry about what other Christians might think or that we might mess up and upset God.

If you remember one thing here today, it is this: When we share the Gospel – the Good News of what Jesus did for us – we are never alone.  When the Spirit sends us, He goes with us.  We go together.  In fact, most of the time God has already been at work long before we are even sent.  It’s true!  In most encounters with another individual, God has already been working.

Look closely at the text here in Acts 8.  Consider all the small details that had to fall in place long before Philip even arrived.

1.     An Ethiopian official was in Jerusalem worshipping.  It’s not like he would have been permitted to enter the Temple proper, and not just because of his ethnicity.  His physical condition excluded him (see Deuteronomy 23:1).  Yet there he was with a thirst to worship God.  Who put that there?

2.     Why did Candace give him the time off?  His absence back in Ethiopia would have been noticed.  Yet apparently, she saw value in allowing this man time away.

3.     Where did he get a copy of Isaiah?  Did he find this Greek version in Jerusalem or somewhere else?  Did he find it in the nightstand in his hotel?

4.     Philip was walking while the official was riding in a carriage (chariot).  The text doesn’t say but if this chariot was being pulled by a horse (or camel), then what are the chances the two men would meet on this desert road at precisely the right moment?  Knowing Philip’s walking pace, the Angel would have instructed him to leave at precisely the right moment so he would “encounter” the official along the road.

5.     The official “just happened” to be reading from Isaiah 53 at the exact moment Philip arrived.

Are you following me here?  At just the right moment, Philip encountered a man whose heart was bent toward God and who had questions about the biblical text.  God was already at work long before Philip arrived on the scene.  Once God had everything in place, he appointed the right man to be in the right place at the right time.  The only thing that man needed to do was show up and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

What we see here in Philips’ encounter with the Ethiopian Official is the result of what God had already been doing in this eunuch’s heart.

Keep in mind that the person we happen to meet in this world might just be in the same place as this Ethiopian Official.  It’s possible that God has been at work in that person’s life ahead of time.  Guided by the Spirit, someone else may have planted the seed.  Another person may have helped that seed grow.  The Spirit quite likely has already been working in that person’s life through another faithful servant just like you.  And when the Spirit says, “Go over and talk with them,” He’s not asking us to do the background work; the Spirit has already taken care of that.

“Each of us did the work the Lord gave us,” writes the Apostle Paul.  “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:5-6). ^[3]  Together, with the Holy Spirit, we serve the Lord as we share the Gospel in this world.

In speaking about the Kingdom of God, Jesus compared it to a tiny mustard seed.  Once planted, it grows into the largest plant in the garden (see Luke 13:19).  What may seem small at first will grow quite large.  The work that you and I do in the Lord’s name may appear simple and insignificant.  However, we need to remember that the small seed we plant in others may one day change their entire life.  No deed done in the name of Jesus is too small or too insignificant.  We are called not to judge the size of the deed or the simplicity of the message we shared.  We are called to be faithful, and let God do the mysterious work within that person’s heart. 

In the times when I have obeyed the Spirit’s prompting, I am amazed at what happens.  For example, a number of months ago I was serving at the Rescue Mission.  A lot of folks were there but the Spirit directed me toward one man.  His name is Zmar.  Like I have often done, I simply asked how I could pray for this man.  Nothing hard about that.  It was his response that caught me off guard.  He asked “Why would you do that?  Why would you pray for a complete stranger?”  A few moments later I heard words coming out of my mouth but not from my mind.  Do you know what I mean?  I didn’t think the words then say them.  They came from somewhere else.  That feels kind of strange.

I never saw Zmar after that.  I don’t know what happened to him.  But I keep praying that he meets someone who can water the seed that was planted that day.  And one day, I pray that Zmar will meet a Philip who has responded to the Spirit, just as I did.

So…

How do we know when the Spirit is speaking?  Do we actually hear a voice in our head?  Apparently, a few people do.  Most do not.  For most of us it’s a thought that has been planted in our mind or a feeling we have in the moment.  There is a sudden burst of compassion or tenderness toward an individual – a desire for that person to know the depth of God’s love for them.  We want them to know that God does indeed care for them and that He knows them; He sees their situation in life.  That’s the Spirit working in your heart.

The Spirit is our partner in missions.  He supplies what we need to spread the message of Jesus and His Salvation (2 Corinthians 9:10).  He gives us the appropriate words at just the right time (Matthew 10:19-20).  As Paul writes, Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives ^[4] (Galatians 5:25).  Even when the voice says, “Get up and go for a walk.”

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Is 30:21). Tyndale House Publishers.

^* 8:32–33 Isa 53:7–8 (Greek version).

^* 8:36 Some manuscripts add verse 37, “You can,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.” And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ac 8:26–40). Tyndale House Publishers.

^[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Co 3:5–6). Tyndale House Publishers.

^[4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ga 5:25). Tyndale House Publishers.

Is Jesus the Only Way to God - July 17, 2022 sermon

 Have you been watching the new series about Jesus called The Chosen.  This series depicts the interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus in a way we have probably never imagined.  Imagine what John the Apostle must have thought as he listened in on that conversation.  Watch the episode HERE.  Specifically, its the exchange at the 26 minute mark that really struck me.

“Have you ever heard anything like this before?” asks James.  Now, I know the exchange depicted here isn’t mentioned in the biblical text, but we can be sure John the Apostle was listening to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.  To be sure, John and his fellow apostle James had never heard words like this before.  In fact, all of humanity had never heard words like this before.  Listen to what Jesus says here:  No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:13-17 CSB)

Jesus looks at Nicodemus and says, “I came from Heaven; I give eternal life; I am here to save the world.”

What’s notable is that the words of Jesus stand in stark contrast to those uttered by every other religious leader the world has ever known.  If you research the world’s religions you will discover an elaborate process created by an individual that, if completed correctly, will lead a person into the next life.  The process is either a long list of deeds one must complete or certain ritualistic sacrifices that “appease” whatever god a group might be worshipping.  Adherents to these other religions hope they have been good enough, faithful enough, or did enough to earn a trip to glory.  Sadly, they will never know the feeling of assurance that Jesus gives.

In the old days, only the Hebrew people believed in one God.  The rest of the world’s religions were polytheistic – they believed in a whole slew of gods.  Think of the ancient Greek or Roman gods.  There are a few religions around today that still function this way (Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism), but after Jesus came along, there was an influx of monotheistic religions – believing in only one god (Islam, Mormon, Jehovah Witness, etc.).  Although they believe in one god, their concept of this deity is nothing like the God worshipped by the Jews or by Christians.  And then there is pantheism – believing everything is god; god is all, and we are god (New Age religion). 

What’s interesting is that most of humanity intuitively knows that there is more to our existence than this physical world.  And almost since the beginning, people began imagining ways to move from this life to the next.  To a degree, this is understandable; everyone has their own idea on how to get to their concept of heaven.  What is odd, however, is that once Jesus came along, these world religions felt it was necessary to make some sort of statement about Jesus.  Why?  Why were they unwilling to let their religious practices stand on their own?  It’s because of what Jesus said about Himself.  The world’s religions say this about Jesus:

·       Jesus was not God - Judaism

·       Jesus was created by God – Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Science

·       Jesus is not necessary because there is no sin – Buddhism, Christian Science, New Age

·       Jesus is not necessary because people must pay for their own sins – Islam, Buddhism (Right understanding, right intention, right speech, etc.), New Age

·       Jesus was not raised bodily from the dead – Jehovah Witnesses, Islam

·       There are many ways to God, not just one – New Age, Unitarian Universalist

In answering Thomas’ question on how to get to Heaven, Jesus says…

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:1-6 NASB).

Look closely at the words of Jesus here and with what He told Nicodemus in John 3.  Jesus says that He has come from Heaven to provide a way for us to move from this life to the next.  In fact, God Himself sent Jesus for this very purpose.  But rather than give us a long list of duties to accomplish or rituals to perform, Jesus asks us to simply accept His sacrifice on our behalf.  Jesus says He will suffer death so we will not need to; His death grants us what our hearts desire.  But only if we believe in Him.

Instead of telling us what to do or how to live so we might get to Heaven, Jesus offers to escort us there, personally.  In fact, He has a place prepared for us; He and the Father are looking forward to the time when we can join Him there.

But the question still remains; Is Jesus the only way to God?  How does a person move from this life to the next?  How does the created get to stand in the presence of the Creator?  The Lord’s answer is blunt and to the point: if a person wants to stand before God – to find themselves in glory – they need to go through Him.  Good deeds will not get you there.  Right thinking and right living will not work.  Denying our sinfulness is simply lying to ourselves – it’s not being truthful.  Jesus says, “If you want to get to glory, then I’m your guy.  But you gotta believe to get in.”

But why?  Why can’t I work my way in?  Why can’t I pray my way in?  Why can’t I find another way?  Why is the gate to eternal life so small and the way there so narrow (Matthew 7:14)?  Why only Jesus?

It’s simple, really.  Because Jesus is the only way to overcome the stench of death.

Think all the way back to the beginning.  According to God, what was the consequence for disobedience?  What did He tell Adam in Genesis 2:17?  “The day that you disobey, you will surely die.”  The consequence of disobedience – sin – is death.  So, in order to become sinless, we would have to overcome death.

It really comes down to this: to stand before God we must be sinless.  And to be sinless is to have defeated death.  And the last I checked, there is only one empty grave.  Only one Man defeated death by rising from the grave.  Only Jesus has removed the sting of death.

According to the first-century evangelist Paul, to come into the presence of God, these “dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies” (1 Corinthians 15:53 NLT).   And no amount of fervent prayer will keep me from dying.  No long list of accomplishments will change my sinful nature.  Rewriting the list of sins will not take away the disease that causes death.  I must grab ahold of the One who offered to swallow death in victory.  “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).  “We can access God only on the coattails of the one Man who has the right to enter His presence” (Irwin Lutzer – 10 Lies About God).

 

A long time ago, a man named Job desired to have a conversation with God about a series of hardships in his life.  But Job laments, “God is not human like me, so I cannot answer him. We cannot meet each other in court. I wish there were someone to make peace between us, someone to decide our case. Maybe he could remove God’s punishment so his terror would no longer frighten me. Then I could speak without being afraid, but I am not able to do that” (Job 9:32-35 NCV).

Job’s prayer was answered by the coming of Jesus, the Messiah.  Sent by God, Jesus offers to remove the stench of death by covering our sin.  He is the only religious leader in this world who offered to take away the one thing that is keeping us from joining God in glory – the death sentence caused by our sin.

That’s why “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

My friend, if it is your heart-felt desire to spend eternity in glory, don’t be troubled.  Believe in God and believe that the Father has sent Jesus to show you the way home.

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Who Made You Judge - May 22, 2022 sermon

         Have you ever stopped and wondered at some of the things people eat?  Can you imagine the first person who held something in their hand and said, “I’m going to eat this”?  I can just picture a group of boys standing around on the beach and one of them says, “Look what I found!”  You know – you know it happened this way – one of the older boys said, “I dare you to eat it.”

I remember watching a guy trying to muster the courage to eat raw oysters.  He’d pick up the plate, swirl it around, lift it to his mouth, then chicken out.  Don’t blame him.  I won’t even eat cooked oysters!  Yes, it’s true.  I was quite the disappointment to my family.  At reunions, aunts and uncles would stand around in hushed tones saying “Did you hear about Lois and Barney’s boy?  They say he doesn’t even like oysters or shrimp!”

I’ll never forget the first time I noticed the smell of sauerkraut (“noticed” is a bit too kind of a description, I think. “Assaulted” is probably more accurate).  I thought we were stripping the varnish off the floors or something.  No.  The smell was coming from a pot out in the kitchen.  And as I watched – you’re not going to believe this – as God as my witness, my mother dumped a whole skillet of pork into that disgusting mixture of fermented cabbage.  “Sauerkraut,” she said.  I imagine it tastes just as bad as it smells.

Every New Year of my childhood was the same.  I sat at the table looking for something more tolerable to eat… and, just for the record, I’ve seen the look some of you are giving me.  I’ve seen it before.  And I’ll tell you what I told my family.  Read Leviticus 11:10. “But you must never eat animals from the sea or from rivers that do not have both fins and scales. They are detestable to you. This applies both to little creatures that live in shallow water and to all creatures that live in deep water.”  Hey, don’t judge me; I’m just being obedient to the Law.

Never understood why we couldn’t start the New Year with stromboli.

 

My family and I were divided over what foods were acceptable and which ones were not… just like many in the first-century church.

Take out your Bibles and turn with me to Colossians 2:16. While you’re turning there let me point out that God’s chosen people – the descendants of Jacob; Israel – were to set themselves apart from the rest of the world.  Before Jesus came along, it was following a lot of “dos and don’ts” that distinguished a person of God from a person of the world.  When a Jewish person acted too much like the rest of the world, Jewish teachers and Rabbi’s would instruct a person according to the Law.  And there were about 613 of them; 248 of them commanded “do this” and 365 that said, “don’t do that.”  The idea was that by following these Laws a person would restore their broken relationship with God.  Well, what was happening in Colossae is that some people were teaching that to really be a Christian, a person needed to keep following those Laws.  And Paul’s point is that adherence to those Laws is no longer necessary. 

  Paul writes, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.  Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires“(Colossians 2:16-23).

Conquering evil desires.  That’s the point to all of this.  What does it take to overcome our sinful human nature?  Some people claimed it was found in obeying a list of dos and don’ts; a person wasn’t truly a Christian until they started observing certain customs or rituals or holy days.  But these Old Testament commands were merely a shadow, says Paul; they hinted at a future means to holiness (not to be confused as a means to Salvation.  Jewish teachers merely begin to assume they were).  It’s true.  God didn’t give those Old Testament food laws and festival instructions so that a person might be saved through their observance.  Rather, those Laws of clean and unclean foods and whatnot were given so that through a person's obedience, they might set themselves apart from the rest of the world; that’s what holiness means – to set apart.  In other words, the pagans might eat pork mixed with fermented cabbage, but not those who worshipped God.

Paul points us to Christ and reminds his readers that a person is set apart from the world because of their submission to Jesus, not laws.  We are saved through faith in the work of Jesus on the cross, not by what we eat or what we do.  As the author of Hebrews points out, following all those laws and offering a lifetime of sacrifices could never remove the feelings of guilt. (Hebrews 10:2).  Only Christ can help us conquer our evil desires, not following a list of laws.

 

The real battle men and women have been facing almost since the beginning is an attempt to overcome the evil desires in their heart.  Oh, I know; some people don’t really seem to be trying – it looks like they are feeding the evil desires of their heart, but for most people there is this battle that takes place within them to get control of their life.  A lot of people know deep in their heart that they are not living the kind of life that is pleasing to God.  To overcome this feeling of guilt – these evil desires – most people figure that if they can stop doing this or stop doing that, they might just get themselves on God’s good side.  Does that describe you?

Have you found yourself thinking that in order to earn God’s favor there are certain things you need to stop doing and things you need to start doing?  Tell me; how’s that working out for you?  Have you been successful in getting your life cleaned up?  Have you been able to overcome the evil desires in your heart?  I’m not sure who told you that you must not... or you need to... if you want to complete your salvation.  Those words are not found in the Bible.  In fact, Paul assures us that Jesus has already done this.  It’s true.  When you trust Jesus as your Savior – believing that His death on the cross covered EVERYTHING – then He has set you free from this nonsense that says you need to follow a long set of rules to be saved.

I wasn’t saved because of the food I ate or what I didn’t eat.  I wasn’t saved because I stopped doing this thing or stopped using those words.  I was saved because of what Jesus did.  And what sets me apart from the world is my submission to Him, not a bunch of laws and customs.

Here’s the main point: following rules does not remove our guilty feeling.  I mean, how much must you remove from your life until your guilt goes away?  It’s unfortunate but a person can spend a lifetime trying to chase away something that Jesus will freely remove. 

Sadly, humanity seems drawn to rules and regulations; they become checkmarks that measure our devotion to God.  Rules and regulations also allow us to measure our spirituality against others.  And in our self-righteousness, laws and regulations enable us to determine just how much more spiritual we are than those around us.  To that, Paul writes, “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law” (Galatians 5:1).  It’s not a refusal to eat raw oysters that proves we are children of God, it’s our acceptance of Jesus that sets us free from a life of sin and death.

I’ll confess that it took me a while to understand this concept.

In my early years of being a follower of Jesus, I naively believed obedience to a long list of rules would draw me closer to God.  I was convinced the feeling of guilt – those evil desires within me – would go away if I removed certain things from my life (a list of dos and don’ts).  So, I burnt a big stack of albums that were part of the dark culture that held me captive.  Burning those records failed to remove the evil desires within me.  In fact, nothing I tried gave me the assurance I was looking for.  I made sacrifice after sacrifice in my life and still felt separated from the Father.  In truth, I didn’t feel accepted by God until I realized Jesus died for me BEFORE my trip to the burn barrel, not after I completed a list of dos and don’ts.

What Jesus did on the cross for you was enough – more than enough.  It is your acceptance of this that sets you apart from the rest of the world.

As Pastor Keven mentioned the other week, these evil desires – this “sinful nature” – is removed from us when we understand and accept what Jesus did for us when He willingly died in our place.

Not because we refused to eat sauerkraut.

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Heart Reconstruction - February 27, 2022 sermon

 

With the help of the Lord and the undaunted commitment of Nehemiah, the wall around Jerusalem is completed on October 2^nd, 445 B.C.  In chapter seven we learn that the gates were installed.  People were appointed to serve and keep watch.  Instructions for the security of the city were made.  Here, at last, was Jerusalem.  Not quite the same as she was in Solomon’s day, but there was finally some dignity in the place.  She was no longer broken down and in shambles (compare Nehemiah 1:3). 

Now, if you were the mayor of this city, what would you plan next?  A celebration, right?  Throw a party.  Let there be dancing in the streets.  Pass out a couple of bonuses.  Why, in the past two months the people of Israel did what others said would never happen - had tried to keep from happening.  However, despite the opposition, the wall was completed.  And the adversaries even confessed that this happened with the help of Israel’s God (Nehemiah 6:16).  But instead of a party, Nehemiah plans a community worship service.  Why?  Because there was another rebuilding that needed to take place

On the east side of the city, by what is called the Gihon Spring, Nehemiah had a wooden platform constructed and asked Ezra the Scribe to read the Book of the Law to the people.

(Nehemiah 8:1-11) In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, ^8:1 all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.

² So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. ³ He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.

⁴ Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵ Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.

⁶ Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷ The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places. ⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰ And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

¹¹ And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” ¹² So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

There are a lot of things that stand out in this passage of scripture (when is the last time you’ve seen a crowd rise to their feet and praise the Lord simply when someone opened their Bible?), but one statement in particular caught my attention: why did the people cry?  Why did they weep?  At first glance I thought that perhaps they were convicted because of the way their lives had not been honoring the Lord.  And to be honest, the Word of God should convict us.  I mean, without feeling convicted of our sin, we will not recognize our need to be forgiven – our need for a Savior.  But see, up until this city-wide construction project had begun, Ezra had already been teaching the people.  He had been in Jerusalem the past 13-14 years calling people to obey the Word of God.  So, it’s not like this was the first time Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy had been read to them.  But something caused these people to be deeply impacted by the words of God this day.  What might it have been?

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, not only did he discover the city needed a construction project, but he learned that the “remnant” who had returned to the land also needed work; the people needed Heart Reconstruction.  And, as some of you know, reconstruction is not just demolishing; it is also a rebuilding.

As the Levites wandered through the crowd, they helped people connect the dots – helped them understand what was being read.  The Word became relevant to them, especially in light of their recent experiences.  I mean, think about it: in the last two months, these former exiles were threatened, lied to, lied about, and ridiculed by the non-Jewish people living in the region.  In fact, those from the other nations had been oppressing these Jewish people for the past 74 years… ever since Zerubbabel led the first group out of exile. 

After years of being labeled worthless, did these former exiles truly believe they were valued by God?  Did they believe God would keep His promises to them?  For sure, some of the Heart Transformation that was taking place was caused by a conviction of their past disobedience (the “demolition” part).  But these descendants of Jacob – the people of Israel – were probably learning for the first time of that God’s promises and His forgiveness even applied to them.  This was their “rebuilding;” Helping these former exiles understand that they too were included in the covenant God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

For example, imagine what it must have been like for these people to hear the words of God in Deuteronomy 30.

(Deuteronomy 30:1-10) “In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the Lord your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions. If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you. Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the Lord your God will gather you from there and bring you back again. The Lord your God will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again. Then he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors! “The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate and persecute you. Then you will again obey the Lord and keep all his commands that I am giving you today. “The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

This “remnant” that had returned from exile perhaps finally understood just who they were in the eyes of God.  And you can almost hear the Levites speaking to the people, “See this wall?  God made you successful in this project because He delights in you.”

It’s been my observation that heart reconstruction also includes learning that we are valued by God. 

What does heart reconstruction mean?  From a Biblical World view, it means we examine ourselves in light of scripture.  We permit the Bible to speak into our life.  We stop comparing ourselves to others and allow God to reveal who we are.  Sometimes heart reconstruction takes place when we hear the Word of God – the Bible – and realize just how disobedient we have been (for example, we learn that selfishness and arrogance are attitudes that dishonor God).  But heart reconstruction also happens when we fully understand just how precious we are to the Lord.

(John 15:13-14) There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.

As the Apostle Paul describes it in Ephesians 2:1-5, Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!).

I understand that reading the Bible or even listening to someone read from it can be difficult at times.  There are passages of scripture that point out our disobedience and sin.  And some folks like to merely point out just how often we fail to live according to God’s standards.  Today, I want to make sure you understand just how much God loves you.

Maybe the reconstruction that needs to happen in your heart is that the Father in Heaven loves you so much that He sent Jesus to give you eternal life.