Built on the Book

If you can come to church with sin in your life and leave feeling just fine, then something is not only wrong with you, something was wrong with the sermon. >> Take your Bible, open it to Nehemiah chapter 8. Let's stand in reverence to the reading of God's word today, could we? Nehemiah chapter 8. We're going to read the first eight verses, but uh we will look at the entire chapter together. It says, "When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled into their towns, it says all the people assembled or gathered as one man in the square before the Watergate. They told Ezra Ezra the scribe, bring the book." It's a very important little phrase in this passage. Bring the book. Say it with me together. bring the book. >> Bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women, and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Watergate in the presence of the men, women, and others who could understand. and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood on a high wood platform built on that occasion. And the Bible says in verse 5, Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them. And as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God. And all the people lifted their hands and responded by saying, "Amen." Amen. And then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Verse 8 picks up and says, "They read from the book of the law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being said." Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for your word. It is a light into our feet and a lamp into our path. We pray God that you would uh help us to engage your word in such a way so that when our lives conflict with your word that we would be willing to change the course of our lives. We pray God that you would move in hearts and in lives today as only you can in Jesus name. Amen. And all the people said >> amen. >> Amen. and you may be seated. When I came here to pastor this church 13 years ago, uh we were not meeting in this building. We were meeting in the children's building across the way. Uh we decided that we were going to attempt to build this church on a three-legged dog of core values. Those three core values being that we wanted to be biblical, that we wanted to be relevant, and that we wanted to be be missional. You probably don't understand how fully each one of those values has informed every single major and minor decision that we make in this fellowship of believers. We decided that all of those values were important, but the most important value was that we be biblical. Uh the other two are in no particular order but the first one is first because it is preeminent that we wanted to be known as a people of the book. We wanted to be known as a people that preach and teach and obey God's word. And so we said during that time that anytime our lives or our church life contradicts or conflicts with the Bible that the Bible would be the trump card for everything else. That instead of trying to twist and distort the Bible to fit our lives, we would try to change our lives to fit what God's word says. Recently, over the past month, I had the occasion to meet with members across our collective of churches of every one of our locations. And in those member meetings, we've been asking this question, what brought you and what has kept you a part of Cross Church? And almost every answer is somewhat the same. We came to this church because it preached the Bible. And we stay at this church because year in and year out, we continue to preach the Bible. Over those years, we have preached through so many books of the Bible. We've preached from Genesis all the way to Revelation. We've actually almost preached all of the books of the Bible. I have saved Leviticus and Numbers for Pastor Andrew, and I'm sure he's going to do a great job with it. That's a summer series. But Pastor Andrew said some time ago in this series through Nehemiah that when the project is done, the work has just begun. that once you build a wall or build a building or build a playground or build a sports field or build a parking lot or build a splash pad or build another location, that does not mean the work is done. It actually has just begun. So, as we open the pages of our Bible to Nehemiah chapter 8, we are officially entering a major transition in the book of Nehemiah. The walls now are completely finished. They have been built, but the real work has begun. I would say to you that once they rebuilt the walls, they needed to revive the people. But how do you revive the people of God? A wall in and of itself won't revive the people. Praise teams, as great as they are. And man, didn't our praise team do a wonderful job this morning. I am so thankful for Pastor Josh and how he leads us through worship so closely connected to God's word. But praise music in and of itself will not build up and revive God's people. Beautiful LED walls like behind me and lights won't revive God's people. Splash pads won't revive God's people except when it's 120 degrees outside and then it has a chance. Nehemiah, who isn't a preacher, knows this. So the general contractor of the wall corp calls his preacher friend Ezra and says to him, "Bring the book." They assemble in front of the Watergate. Now it's important for you to know that before Nixon and Watergate, there was Nehemiah and Watergate. Uh they assemble there in front of the Watergate. The Watergate is a beautiful picture of the ministry of the word of God. John said in John 15:3, "Now we are clean through the word." Paul would say in Ephesians 5:26, he would talk about the washing of the water by the word. So what we have here is a beautiful symbol of the substance of this chapter in that the people gathered at the Watergate reminding them of the powerful ministry of God's word. So if you don't mind, I would like to take a little trip in time this morning. I'd like us to travel back in time and join in with Nehemiah, Ezra, and the rest of God's people as they bring the book, the word of the Lord. And the first thing that we see as we step out of our time machine this morning is how they are gathered for worship. The Bible says in chapter 8:1 that all the people assembled or we could say all the people gathered. Did you know that historically God's people are a gathered people? It is not only a right but it is a responsibility for God's people to gather together to worship and hear from his word. Uh this past Sunday, many of you know the news of a church in Minnesota whose services were viciously interrupted by protesters. City's Church is pastored by a colleague of mine who also works for the North American Mission Board as the Sin City missionary there for the Twin Cities. Now, I understand that many of us may have differing opinions on the cultural realities of our day, but I think all of us can agree that the Constitution of the United States guarantees and protects the right of believers to gather without fear of reprisal to worship the God of creation. Amen. >> I also want to point out to you and make very clear that while the constitution provides the right for worship, the scriptures emphasize the responsibility of worship on our part as believers. So as we step out of our time machine, we see them gathered for worship. And the first thing that we notice is the attendance of the people. The Bible says in verse one that they all were gathered. All the people assembled. There's something special that takes place when God's people get together in one place to listen to what God has to say. And the Bible indicates that they were all together, indicating a unity of spirit and purpose. Uh it reminds me of Acts chapter 2, the day of Pentecost when the scripture says that the disciples were all together in one place. They were there together physically, but they were united together spiritually. The Bible teaches that we ought to be faithful to our attendance to God's house. Uh Hebrews 10:25, every preacher's favorite verse, says,"Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as is the manner of some, but even the more as you see the day approaching." Apparently, there were those even in the New Testament that had started to fall off in their attendance to worship. And so, the writer of Hebrews says, "Don't do that." And he actually says that the closer we get to the return of Jesus Christ, the more faithful we ought to be found gathering together. When you and I woke up this morning, we woke up closer to the return of Jesus Christ than any believer has ever been. And so we see the attendance of the church. We also see the clear attention here of the church. The Bible says in verse two, "So the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand it. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Watergate." Uh, in verse three, it says, "They gathered together from morning." Most theologians believe that probably started around 6:00 a.m. in the morning and they continued until noonday approximately 6 hours. Get the picture. They have gathered together for a solid 6 hours. They are listening and reading the teachings of God's word. In addition, in verse 5, it tells us that they were standing the whole time. I notice you're enjoying our comfortable chairs this morning. But they were standing the whole time. Uh several years ago, I had the opportunity and privilege to preach in a Romanian church in Oakland, California. I got there, it was an afternoon service, and I thought, uh, you know, it be like my church. I thought we'd go there and I'd get up and preach and I'd have plenty of time to get to the airport to fly home. But about two and a half hours into the service, they had yet to invite me to the platform. My sermon was the shortest part of the service. That will not be true today, but they were there. In Nehemiah, the people are hungry for the word. God was doing something in their life and they were hungry. They said to Ezra, "Bring the book." And when people get a hunger for the word, the length of time really isn't that important. When people have a hunger in their hearts to know what God has to say, it doesn't matter if the service stops on time or not. It doesn't matter if there's a championship football game to get to or not. Too often our church services start at 10:30 sharp and end at 11:30 dull. Because we do not come with a hunger for the word. But let me tell you my friend, every time people say bring the book, God blesses. The people said in the reformation to Martin Luther, "Bring the book." And revival fires fell. They said in the days of Wesley and Whitfield, and the days of the great awakening in this country, "Bring the book." And revival swept across our eastern seabboard like a prairie fire. When people hear the book, minds are cleared. Bring the book, hearts are stirred. Bring the book and lives are changed. Bring the book and the deepest longings of our hearts are satisfied. And so as they are gathered, they are there. There's their attendance and their attention. But notice their affirmation. The Bible says in verse six that they say amen and amen. The people affirmed what the preacher was saying. I've always said that a good sermon is like a dance. Now we I know we Baptists aren't supposed to dance and the old question is should Baptists dance and some should and some shouldn't. I I can tell you that and I'm in the latter of that. But it when it comes to a worship service in a sermon, there's sort of a dance that takes place. The preacher has his move and the people have their move. What I'm trying to say is that worship is not a spectator's sport. It's a participatory event. Here the response of the people is to refer affirm the message of the preacher by saying amen. Amen. >> Amen. >> Amen. >> Oh man, I didn't even have to ask for that. You guys are going to be good. I I I'm waking up now. You guys are going to be fun. >> The word amen is a word of affirmation. It is a word which means truly. Revelation 3:14, Jesus is called the amen. He's the only true one. When you say amen in a service, you are adding your affirmation to what has been preached. >> I've always appreciated our afric African-American brothers and the affirmation they give during a worship service. If you ever had the privilege to preach in one of those services, you'll notice that many times they'll not only sit in their pew or their chair and say, "Amen." They'll stand up and preach back to the preacher. Not like you white folks sitting on your hands. Years ago, I was preaching at my first full-time church. Had a big choir at the time, and we had an African-American senior adult lady that sang in the choir. She'd normally sat next to my wife in the choir. Her name was Dimples Kelso. And I was preaching on a Sunday morning there. And I said something on an Easter Sunday morning, actually, that must have hit a nerve in her heart. and she started having a shouting fit right behind me. And I didn't know what was happening, man. I was just a little white boy. I didn't know how to handle it, but I knew something had sparked in her heart. And there was an affirmation of what was being preached. You see, real worship is not a spectator sport. The preacher has his part and the people have their part. So the first thing that we see as we step out of our time machine this morning is they are gathered for worship. But as they are gathered for worship, we also inspect and notice that they are being guided by the word. There cannot be a Bible worship service if there is not Bible preaching being done. There cannot be genuine Bible worship if the word of God is not being taught and explained. No worship is complete until we bring the book. Personally, I've always loved what the Bible says about the Bible. Uh Ezra, who we'll talk more about in just a moment, said in his book, "Is not thy words like fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces?" Jeremiah would later say, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and they were the joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by thy name, oh Lord God of hosts." Jesus would come on the scene and affirm what the Old Testament prophets said. He said that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. He would also say that heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not. The Apostle Paul picked up that same refrain and when he got ready to leave his favorite church in Ephesus, thinking that he would, we got an amener in the room. I don't know if you noticed that or not. He's a Nehemiah boy. Is that boy's name Nehemiah? When he got ready to leave a church that was dear to his heart, Ephesus, thinking and believing and it was actually true they would never see them again, he left them with these words. He said, "And finally, brethren, I commend you unto God in the word of his testimony, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those that are redeemed." He would later say to his young preacher boy in 2 Timothy 3:16, he would say, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for instruction, for teaching, and for reproving and correcting and teaching, so that you and I may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work." James would say these words and I like the King James version of James. He said, "Set aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness." That just sounds bad. And receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. And so we see throughout the scriptures of the importance of God's word. And here we find Ezra comes and expounds on the word of God. Now in this faithful exposition in this worship service there are several factors that come into play. First of all there's the man. The Bible says in 8:2 they told Ezra the scribe. It's interesting in chapter 8 that Nehemiah, whose name bears the book, for the most part is in the background. The man who steps to the front of the center of the stage is Ezra the priest. Nehemiah was wise enough to know and understand that there were others that were better at some assignments than he was. Nehemiah was a layman. Ezra was a preacher. Nehemiah led in the building of the wall. Ezra led in the worship. Ezra realized he didn't know anything about building walls. Nehemiah did that. But Nehemiah was smart enough to know he didn't know anything about preaching sermons. And so Ezra did that. I I you should pray for my wife if you don't already. I She's married to a guy that can barely uh replace a burnout light bulb. I I'm terrible at anything physical uh constructionwise. Uh early in our marriage, I had a bird dog. I still have a bird dog, but early in our marriage, I had a bird dog and I needed to build a dog box for him. So, I went down to the lumber yard. Thought I'd just put that thing together. It didn't look that hard. And today, where we uh lived at at the time, they're under about 12 ines of snow. And if this was today, that dog still wouldn't go into that dog box. It was that bad. I'm thankful that there are others that can do things that I cannot do. We have one of my uh best facility managers I've ever been had the privilege to work with, Brother Ed, who's back in the back this morning. Ed can fix just about anything. If something breaks in this church or needs to be built in this church, call Ed. You do not want me working on this building. But we probably don't want Ed preaching this sermon. No offense, brother. And so the tendency sometimes for people who are leaders is that they think that because they're good at one thing, they're good at everything. But God does not give us all the gifts. He doesn't give you all the gifts and he doesn't give me all the gifts either. So Ezra comes as the man God uses. God always takes a man with a Bible in his hand to be the key to revival in a church to be the key to spiritual growth in a church and to be the key to the loss being won through the ministry of the church. This man had a method. The Bible says in verse 5, Ezra opened the book and all the people could see him because he was standing above them. It tells us further in verse 8, they read from the book of the law, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. I I'm convinced that verse 8 may be the greatest definition of expository preaching in all of the Bible. They read it. Ezra explained it so that the people could understand it and ultimately obey it. Nehemiah 8:6 says that Ezra bless the Lord the great God. You know, every good preaching is all about lifting up the name of Jesus Christ. As a young preacher out visiting uh church members and lost people with the founding pastor of my church that I was at at that time, I was out with dear Lester Lundy. I've since preached his funeral and Lester Lundy found a magnet out in the gravel next to the driveway where we were visiting and he lifted it up and he said, "Jackie always remembered Jesus is the magnet and if he is lifted up, he will draw all men unto himself." I'll never forget that afternoon in Oklahoma. Listen, they are guided by the word by a man who has a clear method to explain the scriptures so that God gets the glory. It is said that years ago in London there were two preachers that both grew great crowds. People would say that you could go to the house of the first preacher and hear him preach. you would leave and people would be heard saying, "My, what a wonderful preacher." But if you went down the road to the other man's church and you heard him preach, you would hear people leave saying, "My, what a wonderful savior. I want to be the latter kind of preacher." And trust me, in this day of fancy pants preachers, and by the way, I got some new pants on today. I hope you like them. You want to be taught by the latter as well. >> Notice the response that the people had in verse six, the last part of it. It says, "They bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." They bowed down and worshiped with their faces to the ground. They fell down and worshiped under deep conviction. I I ask you, when's the last time that you went to church and you were so moved by the preaching of God's word that you fell down on your face and ask God to move in your life? Conviction is a naughty word in our culture and a lost element in our churches. Too many of our churches are filled with feel-good sermons by our preachers that result in no good actions by our people. What we see in chapter 8 as we step out of this proverbial time machine is we see that God's spirit is speaking and that this is not a modern-day TED talk. This is the Holy Spirit-led message sent straight from the Lord through the lips of the prophet and priest Ezra. I got to be honest with you, I don't mind coming under a little conviction when I hear a sermon. Actually, knowing the flaws of my life, I am not surprised when I come under a little conviction by a sermon. If you can come to church with sin in your life and leave feeling just fine, then something is not only wrong with you, something was wrong with the sermon. >> But here's the deal. In real time and in our time and in Nehemiah's time, conviction led to repentance. And repentance leads to joy and celebration in our lives. That's why some of my friends uh flip their worship service. And I'm not sure they're not wrong. So that they preach first and worship last because you really weren't ready to worship until you con were convicted of your sin until you confess it before the father. That's when joy and celebration come. This leads to the final point. They were grateful for the work. If you had time, we'd read the rest of Nehemiah 13-18. They were grateful for the work, not the work that they had done in building the walls. They were grateful for the work that God had done in their hearts and in their lives. They celebrated the past. They celebrated the present. and they celebrated the future. They learned that a gathered church guided by the holy word can have a giant impact on the world that we live in. But it all started with one request. Ezra, bring the book. And I want to say to you that when when you don't know where to turn and life is topsyturvy, bring the book. Uh when when you lose your job and the mortgage is due, bring the book. When your kids are going astray and you don't know WHAT TO DO, HELP me here. Bring the book. When bad news comes from your RECENT DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Bring the book. When your husband or wife is on the deathbed, bring what? The book. One dear brother was worshiping you this morning. He put his wife into the grave this last week. When that happens, what do you do? Bring the book. Oh, listen. And though the cover is worn, and the pages are torn, and places bear traces of tears, yet more precious than gold, is this book worn and old that can shatter and scatter our fears. This old book has been my guide, my friend by my side. It will lighten and brighten your day. And each promise I find soothes and gladdens my mind as I read it and heed it each day. When I prayerfully look at this precious old book, many treasures and pleasures I see, many promises of love from the father of love who is nearest and dearest to me. >> When life is a mess, when our cities are burning down, we need to bring the book. >> You say, "Preacher, that's good. said, "Is there anything practical out of this? I got, you know, I got one little goosebump and and is that all I get?" Let me give you some practical application in closing. Paul back in 2 Timothy 3, I quoted it earlier. Paul said in that chapter that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable or useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training. Here's some practical ways to interact with the book. First of all, this book is profitable for showing us how we can get on the Christian road. Some of you here and you you're not a believer, you're watching online and you don't know the Lord. Did you know it is from this book we know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus? >> Amen. Uh, this book tells us that we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. It tells us that we can't save ourselves. It tells us that God provided a substitute through his son on the cross for our sin. And it tells us that if we but would repent of our sin and place our faith in Jesus and call on his name that we can be saved today. It shows us how to get on the Christian road. But it's also profitable for rebuking. Some of us get on the road and then we get off. And sometimes the word is hard in our life. This is where conviction comes in. But we need that. We need God to say, "Listen, what you're doing is wrong and you need to correct." And that's where it's profitable for correcting. It shows us not only how to get on the Christian road and how to when we get off the Christian road, but it shows us how to get back on the Christian road. And then it's profitable for training. It shows us how to stay on the Christian road so that the man and woman of God will be thoroughly furnished unto every good work. But it all starts with this chapter started. It starts by bringing the book. You need to hear the word of God preached every week at least once. You need to read it every day at least once. And you need to do as we have said in this church. Here's how you need to read the Bible. God, as I read the pages of your word, as I hear the word of God preached daily and monthly and weekly, Father, when when my life conflicts with this book, I will not try to tweak or change this book. I will change my life. When life is hard, when you've lost your job, when the doctor gives you bad news, when your kids are walking away, when you put a loved one in the grave, what do you do? You know what to do. Help me >> bring the book. Let's pray together.