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Nehemiah 8:1-12
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. You remember the whole point of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem was so the people would return to worship God in the Temple. Nehemiah offers us some insight into actually putting our beliefs into practice. Let’s consider first
PREPARATION TURNED INTO PRACTICE! Read verses 1-7. A person can prepare forever, but until they actually do something all the prep is for naught! People have all kinds of excuses for not putting their faith into practice. We know Ezra read the Law from daybreak until noon. Scripture doesn’t tell us whether or not he read it just once or several times in those hours. However, had God known we could read Scripture just once and get it, He would have told us something like “read this once and I’ll see that you have it for life.” Since God didn’t do that,
1.) Repetition/expounding is necessary. That means we read, reread, and re-reread, our Bibles to understand. Then we need to tell someone else what we’ve read. Why? When we share with others, we are solidifying the Scriptures in our own mind. The more often we share, the better we understand.
2.) We see results/expectations from the Word. Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect! What results do you expect from Scripture? Heb. 4:12 tells us it is alive and powerful. It either draws us to, or drives us from our God! What is the desire of your heart (results) when you repeat Scripture?
3.) There must be a response/expression of the Word (verses 5-6). Does reading the Scriptures draw you in or drive you away? The immediate answer in your heart when you read that is the truth in your life. A person knows in their heart the real answer. The wonderful thing is, no matter what the answer, God always plants the idea that we can change our heart for the better. That desire also comes at the very best time for us to act to receive the greatest blessing. What could you possibly tell God that would over-ride His perfect planning and preparation for you to advance in your Christian walk? Notice second that
PENITENCE TURNED INTO PRAISE (9-12). Far too many people think to live a dedicated life to Christ means giving up anything that might be remotely fun or cause happiness. This passage teaches us these folks experienced:
1.) Rejoicing after reconciliation. We have studied that reconciliation means completely changing to a new standard. For the Christian that new Standard is Christ! When these people heard the Law of God they knew they had to abandon their ungodly lives and return to a Godly lifestyle. The Word had accomplished its cleansing work in their lives and created that desire to return to God. Notice also
2.) Reformation followed reconciliation. After reading verse 17 we might say they celebrated like they did in the old days of Acts 2. Today we tend to keep both our defeats and victories to ourselves thinking they are no one’s business. Remember we are all in this together as one body held together by every supporting ligament… (Eph. 4-6). In all this remember God meets us where we are and leads us to where He has prepared for us to be.
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