Audio Sermons
God's Word Revives Us (II)
Building up the Church of Christ:
God’s Word Revives Us
Life B-P Church Worship Service, 17th November 2024
Text: Nehemiah 8:1-8
Introduction
It is 507 years since the Protestant Reformation began. Sola Scriptura is one of the five tenets of the Reformation.
Today, we face the headwind of postmodernism, where the dogma of the day is that there is no objective truth.
The topic given to me is “God’s Word Revives Us”. The text is from
Nehemiah 8:1-8.
A Famine of the Word of God
Reality check
It is true today, the postmodern era as it was in the days of Amos
a. Days of Amos (Amos 8:11-12)
b. Post modernity era
- Denial of Truth
Nehemiah 8:1-8
a. Watergate revival
i. God’s word matters if we want a Revival
ii. God’s Word Revives us
iii. Principle upheld. Power of God’s Word on display.
b. The context
i. Physical renewal had been accomplished (Neh. 6-7)
ii. A Spiritual Renewal called for.
iii. A Glorious awakening awaiting.
1. The Call for God’s Word
“…bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.”
Neh. 8:1
2. The Confrontation with the Word
“…And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women…”
Neh.8:2
Ezra’s pivotal role
Prepared his heart Ezra 7:10
i. to seek - the law
ii. to do - it
iii. to teach - statutes and judgment
God prepared the occasion for the man.
God prepared the man for the occasion.
3. The Conduct of the Word of God.
Nehemiah 8:3-5
a. The Priest-Ezra
i. “read” v3 (proclaim)
• Jonah 3:2
• anointed preaching
ii. water gate: symbolises the Word of God v3
iii. from morning until midday v3
iv. a pulpit of wood (stood upon it, so that all can see) v4
v. ‘beside him’ - solidarity v4
b. The People
i. “…attentive unto the book of the law…” v4:
rapt attention; a hunger and thirst for the Word
ii. “ could understand “- anointed hearing
iii. “ - all the people stood up …” v5
• a mark of reverence
• a high view of the Word, of God
4. The Conviction of the Word of God
Nehemiah 8:6
a. “blessed the Lord”v6 - a praise befitting the reading; in Synagogue the reading is preceded by the benediction
b. “…Amen, Amen…” v6 - the people affirming
c. Conviction of the Word
i. God is exalted
- “bowed their head” v6 a act of worship ( 4:31; 12:27; 2 Chron. 20:18)
- “… worshipped the LORD” v6
- faces to the ground v6
ii. Doxology
iii. God’s Word Expounded vv7-8
When the book in the law of God “is read v8
- distinctly v8
- gave the sense v8
- understand the reading v8
- understand the law v 7
Nehemiah 8:7-8
Coram Deo
1. If we are going to have a Revival, then such type of preaching and such type of hearing is the Sine qua non, where
a. the heart is pierced and cut to the core
b. the mind is renewed by the truth of God’s Word.
c. the will and affections in total submission
2. The Spirit of God, working through the Word of God ,in the lives of the people of God, is true with
a. Biblical Awakening
- The Watergate Awakening
- The Nineveh Awakening
- The Historical Awakening of each century