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Sunday, August 27, 2023

“Repent and Worship”

 Scripture: Nehemiah 9:1-6, 28-31, 32-35, Luke 24:44-49

Last week, we discussed the attitude that we should have in worship – that we should see the opportunity to celebrate the Lord’s presence in our lives as a joyful experience.  Today, we take a look at the attitude and approach that we should take in preparing our life to come before the Lord in worship and praise.  Preparation, regardless of what lays before us, is always a vitally important aspect of every effort, regardless of the task we are about to begin.

 We pack and check our luggage before leaving on a trip; we shower and get dressed before heading out to work; we make sure that we have all the ingredients before beginning to prepare a meal; we make sure that the lawn mower is full of gas before starting to mow the lawn.  And if we are negligent in our preparations?  Our efforts seldom, if ever, work out to our satisfaction!

 So what form of preparation is important for us before we come to worship our Lord and Savior?  We need to center all of our thoughts firmly on the Lord, and discard every worldly thought that could possibly interfere with our focus on Jesus.  Nothing about our preparations for lunch, nothing to do with the afternoon’s plans, nothing about the plans that are awaiting us on Monday, nothing to do regarding those birthday and thank you cards that we had intended to send out on Friday, and no chit chat with our neighbor in the pew!  Only prayer and focus on the Lord Jesus.

 And what specifically should we do to center our thoughts on worshiping our Lord?  What did Israel do to prepare themselves to worship their Jehovah God?

 Read Nehemiah 9:1-6

 The first thing that we read is that the people fasted, wore sackcloth, and put dust on their heads.  These are signs of sorrow, broken heartedness, and repentance for the life they had been living. 

Second, they separated themselves from all foreigners – which would be seen as an intentional break with anyone who might introduce a sinful way or aberrant thought into their lives.

Third, they confessed, not only their own sin, but the sin committed by their ancestors – they didn’t want to take any chances that a family member hadn’t repented of all their sin (Exodus 20:4-6). 

Fourth, they heard readings from the Law again for another 6 hours, just as they had 2 days previously.

And finally, they entered worship, including another round of confession for their sins.  Why more confession?  It was important that after hearing the Law read, they may have come to think of additional sins that also required repentance.

 Worship was led by the Levites, who might normally have acted more like teachers than worship leaders.  But after 6 hours of hearing the Law, apparently, it was felt that this was enough.  And how did worship begin?  With the Levites crying out “Stand up and praise the Lord your God …”! 

 And what did we learn about worship and praise last week?  We lift up our hands, proclaim “Amen”, or a comparable “Hallelujah” or “Praise the Lord” would also be OK,  and bow down as a sign of acceptance and obedience to the word and way as set down by the Lord God Almighty Himself!

 As the Levites led the people in worship and praise, we see several ways of acknowledging God as the Lord and Master for our lives – we see confession, petition, proclamation, and far more as worship continues through the next 30 verses (Nehemiah 9:7-38).  How would we remember all of these important issues?  There is a great acronym available to us for prayer, worship, or teaching – the word is ACTS – which reminds us of: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (- Petition or Request).

 So how were some of these acknowledgments expressed through the Levites leadership?

 Read Nehemiah 9: 28-31

 First, we read that the Levites led the people to remember the sin that they had committed against their Lord God, and that in spite of the wicked ways that the people showed to the Lord, God had always been patient with them.  This reminds us that acknowledging our failures, as well as God’s gracious nature, are both vitally important for our faith expressions. 

 Did you notice that there wasn’t any mention of instances of faithful living on the part of Israel?  There will never be any need to remind the Lord of the times we were faithful and obedient – He already knows everything that we have done!  So the reminiscence of our sin is not for God’s purpose or information, but for our own – just as our proclamation of His goodness is to remind us of the Lord’s love for us.  And God wants to hear that we are proclaiming them both.

 And in the patience that God shows to us all, He has also sent His prophets and teachers and word for our lives, that we might know what He desires for each of us - even though we have ignored, and even denounced His truth, time and time again.

 Read Nehemiah 9:32-35

 But the question remains – why would God continue to be so compassionate and forgiving, when sin demands such a consistent place in our lives?  The answer is found in the opening verse of this passage – that God has made a “covenant of love” on behalf of every person who had ever lived, and ever will live, on the face of the Earth  His love is perfect, and complete, and eternal, and fulfilling, and as a covenant, it will never be broken by the Lord, if we will only accept it, and show our love to the Lord in return.  For Israel, they remind themselves of this shared love through the Shema that is lifted up in both morning and evening prayers, as well as on other special occasions. 

 The word Shema means “listen”, and the proclamation, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, begins with the words “Hear, O Israel”.

 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on Your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

 The prayer is calling the people to love the Lord as much as He loves them.  But how much love does that actually entail?

 Read Luke 24:44-49

 This passage comes to us after Jesus’ resurrection, and shows us that He never stops reminding us and teaching us about the extent of the love that God has already shown us, and will continue to show beyond all time.  And here, He reminds the disciples that everything that they have ever learned about Him is true, and in that regard, we, too, can never discount the Old Testament as words that only the Jews should consider as God’s word – for everything that we read about Jesus Messiah, throughout scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is God’s own truth. 

 The Law that was handed down to Moses, the messages that the Prophets brought from God, as well as the hymns, the prayers, the petitions that we read of in Psalms are all just as vital to our faith as the gospels are (Matthew 5:17).

 The Lord Jesus also tells those gathered there that day that they, too, will soon be sent out to proclaim the love of God to all of the people of Earth, enabled through the gift of God’s Holy Spirit.

 And these promises are given to each of us as well when we love God as much as we possibly can, and claiming the truth of His love for us, as well as we can possibly understand.  The vastness of God’s love has been proven to us through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

 How much more do we need?  Repent and worship Him in truth today!

Sunday, August 20, 2023

“Worship and Celebrate”

 Scripture:   Nehemiah 8:1-3;  Nehemiah  8:8-12, 18;  Matthew 15:7-14

Why do you think scripture should always be an intentional part of our worship?  Why should Bible Study also be crucial for the faithful Christian life?  The truth is that without an honest and committed understanding of God’s desire for the life we live, we will simply be carried along on the winds of the world, without even a hit of the Lord’s presence to guide us.

 But just as important to our life in faith, the one who we learn from must also be immersed and prepared to teach us in the truth of God.  In James 3:1-6, the author warns the church that “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”  James goes on to refer to the tongue as “a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body”.

 This advice isn’t only given to those who intentionally misrepresent the word of God, but also to those who are unprepared to present the truth of scripture, and wind up giving the wrong impression of God’s word to those who have come to learn.  In  today’s readings, we will see several references to both those who instruct – that they should be helping others to understand the Lord’s commands -  and those who come to learn – that we should come to listen, and learn, and understand, and to be eager and enthusiastic in acknowledging all that Christ has taught us and won for us.

 This is what is required for authentic worship and praise – that the truth that the Lord imparts to our lives should never go wanting.

 Read Nehemiah 8:1-3

 The temple restoration had been completed, reconstruction of the wall surrounding the city had been finished, and now, a short time later, it appears that the people had also become hungry to hear the word of God once again.  So much so that they pleaded with the priest to open the Lord’s Book for them.  And who came to hear?  Men, women, and “those who could understand” – in other words, entire families - husbands, wives, and their children – they all had come together to hear Ezra read from Torah.  And not just a few short passages, for the reading lasted about 6 hours, and the assembly listened intently!

 The point of this gathering is that everyone was welcome to hear, not just the priests, which, in the past, had always been the norm.  And as Ezra read of God’s desires for the people, we read later in verse 6, that “Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 

 And what did these responses signify?  The lifting of their hands revealed their admiration and reliance on God’s word; the proclaiming of AMEN, not once, but twice, was a profound expression of their agreement and acceptance of God’s commandments; the bowing of their heads and prostrate worship was a sign of submission and obedience to all that they were receiving that day.

 Worship and praise was coming together in the people’s lives, and the understanding of just who their Lord God Jehovah was for them had come alive once again.

 Read Nehemiah 8: 8-12, 18

 Not only were the people hearing the word of God, but it was being clarified - they were learning what it all meant for them.  The day was proclaimed to be holy, and the people wept.  But were the tears based in joy at hearing the word again, or were they signs of guilt for not following God’s way during the many years past?  Regardless, they were told to set aside the signs of mourning, and let their hearts rejoice and remember in holiness!  It was time to party, and to include those who may not have had the resources to be as extravagant as they had been. 

 And why was this a time to celebrate?  Not only had they been hearing Yahweh’s  word once again, but they now understood why God had given them to the nation in the first place, and they had come to know what those words meant for their lives.  The Law of God was never intended to be punitive or restrictive in the lives of His people, but rather to be seen as words of guidance to lead them and all of humanity, toward the love, the peace, the freedom, the grace and mercy that allegiance, and obedience, can bring into their battered spirits through God’s divine presence.

  Now admittedly, scripture is full of instances of struggle, punishment, conflict, defeat, and death.  But those times represent the failure of humanity to follow the way of the Lord, when they strike out to make their own ways through worldly influence.  The way of God brings love, peace, joy and hope to those who are faithful to His word, while following the ways of Earth will only result in disillusionment, suffering, loss, and abject failure.

 Worshiping in the Lord’s way should always be a reason to celebrate.

 Read Matthew 15:7-14

 This prophecy of Isaiah, found in Isaiah 29:9-16, was a proclamation against false teaching, while at the same time, was a condemnation of what people were learning, and were beginning to accept from those false teachers!  They were incorporating the word of God into an interpretation and understanding that is actually based in worldly concepts and practices!  Lip service worship can appear to be legitimate, but without divine truth and purpose in the heart, this kind of worship is meaningless and destructive in every sense.  It was as if the words had had been changed to ones that Jesus had never spoken.

 Jesus’ words regarding defilement, were, in all likelihood, in contrast to the Pharisee’s teaching regarding the washing of hands before eating (see the earlier verses in this chapter of Matthew’s gospel).  Not that washing your hands before eating is a bad thing, but rather that it, in no way, is a sin!  The point is that when you hear one thing from the world, and teach others that it is an absolute commandment from God, it is then that we have crossed the line from truth into sin.

 And if we continue to accept the false teaching as truth, even though the truth of the matter has been revealed to us, we become as blind and insensitive as the one who professed the lie in the first place!

 And even though we may continue to believe that the lie is God’s truth, the Lord God Almighty will know that it isn’t, and this leads Jesus to proclaim that it is akin to “the blind leading the blind”, and that “both will fall into the ‘pit’”.  And down in that horrid pit, there will be no celebration!

 Stay true to the way of the Lord, remain informed in the fullness of His word, and celebrate worship in the raising of your hands, with Amen after Amen, and in submissive obedience to the one and only way of God – that which comes to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Sunday, August 13, 2023

“Misinformation Abounds!”

 Scripture:   Nehemiah 6:1-14Matthew 10:21-23

Aggression can arise in many different forms.  It can come as a physical attack against our homes, our families, and our own well-being; it can appear as emotional disputes against our passions and desires; it can denounce us through anti-spiritualism in an attempt to convince others that our faith is far less than we have verbally professed; and it can even appear simply as lies regarding our thoughts, our attitudes, our intentions, and even our activities. 

 During the past year or so, we have been subjected to the spreading of falsehoods regarding the validity of those who decide to separate from our present denomination.  Those comments and accusations have, of course, totally missed the truth of the entire situation.  But that doesn’t mean that they haven’t struck home and caused injury to those who have been actively involved in the process.

 For Nehemiah and the people of Israel, for those who had been following their Lord’s call, and had given so much of themselves in the rebuilding of their city and nation, there most assuredly had been at least some hesitancy within their spirits, when verbally attacked by the occupation’s leaders.

 Today, we consider what the Israelites were experiencing as opposition to their work, as well as what those evil efforts were intended to accomplish.

 Read Nehemiah 6:1-4

 The suggested request that the three men sent to Nehemiah may have seemed fairly innocent on the surface, and it may even sound encouraging.  But the Israelite leader sees through their scheme, and recognizes the suggestion for what it is – an attempt to bring the work on the wall to a halt before the gates have been set in place and secured.  But after their failure in the first attempt, did Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem give up?  Did they decide to try another tact to interrupt the work?  Not on your life.  They tried the same thing at least 3 more times.

 That’s a favorite tactic that the enemy employs – after a while, repetition can, at the very least, wear us down, and many times can even take on the mantle of truth if the recipients aren’t careful.  And the entire plan was to separate the effective and respected leader from the very people who are trusting and following him.  Does the phrase “divide and conquer” begin to ring true here?

 Those men had lost their influence and authority in Judah, and they weren’t about to let it fall away from them without starting a fight to take it back.

 Read Nehemiah 6:5-8

 After four times, they try a different approach through the unsealed letter, which made it a public accusation that the ordinary Jews would have heard about, and would have had to consider the possible consequences that could come from the charges.  And what was the accusation?  It was specifically directed toward Nehemiah himself – that he was planning a revolt against the established authority of Persia!

 But Sanballat doesn’t leave it as a simple insinuation against the lives of the Jews – he adds that since the letter was unsealed and open for anyone to read, that the news of the allegation would soon get back to the king, that one of the Jews he had trusted and appointed as Governor, was about to declare himself king of Judah.

 And what does Nehemiah send in response?  He reminds Sanballat that he knows very well that the source of the allegation is nothing more than his very active imagination, and that it holds no truth whatsoever.  Some pretty strong words from a captive of Persia, but then, at the same time, he was also a man of faith who had absolute trust in his Jehovah God who had brought Him and the people to this place, and in this time, to complete a plan that had come from within the divine heart of God.

 Read Nehemiah 6:9-14

 We have already seen the prayer life that Nehemiah exhibited, and in the face of the lies and maneuvering that the enemies were conducting, his connection and love of God never slipped, never lessened, and never failed.  Intimidation didn’t seem to be working, as fear never seemed to get a foothold in the Jewish community – at least as far as we are told!  But prayers for strength and resolve continued, and were heard, and were answered.

 Shemaiah had been chosen as a prophet of Israel, and Nehemiah had gone to him for some unknown reason, but quickly realizes that Shemaiah had apparently been turned by the enemy, and who now also takes up the attempt to get Nehemiah to separate himself from the workforce.  “Let’s hide in the temple and close up the doors as protection against those who are out to harm you!”

 Nehemiah saw through the lie, and then knew that the prophet had been bought by Sanballat, which rendered his authority moot as far as Israel was concerned.  But even with all of the intrigue and misdirection that had been created, the work on the wall and the gates would still be completed in only 52 days. (Nehemiah 6:15-16)  Could this incredible task have gone so well if God had not been on their side?  Absolutely not!  It was the Lord’s desire, the Lord’s plan, the Lord’s preparation, and the Lord’s empowering that made it all come together so quickly and so safely for Israel.

 Read Matthew10:21-23

 In this reading from Matthew’s gospel, the Lord is warning his disciples that when they venture out into the world to proclaim the name of Jesus, they will soon find that even the people who they should have been able to trust and rely upon will turn against them.  But this, in no way, should ever discourage them in the ministry that had been laid upon them.

 For them in their day, as well as us in ours, it should come as no surprise that family, as well as church denominational family, should “hate us because of our love and faith in Jesus”.  Antagonism will come to Christ’s people regardless of the day or year or locale or means, but the Lord tells us that it will be our faith that will see us through it all.  And Jesus also says that “when we are persecuted in one place, that we are to flee to another.”  And he puts this in a slightly different way in Mark 6:1111 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

 We should consider Nehemiah’s example and Jesus’ instruction through Matthew, that when others come against us because we choose to follow in the way of the Lord, just stay strong and firm in faith, give it all over to the Lord, and let Him straighten out all of the mess that hatred has created.

 And the Lord will be praised and honored in the end.

Sunday, August 6, 2023

“True Leadership”

  Scripture:   Nehemiah 5:14-191 Corinthians 3:18-23

 As with any organization, the leadership is vital to their success in achieving the goals and targets that have been established for its membership.  Without leaders who are focused on guiding the people toward the purpose that they all have committed to, the organization’s efforts will obviously fail miserably in their attempt to be who they should be.

 And if leaders fail to live up to the standards that the body has set in place, one of two things need to occur.  Either replace the old leaders with new ones who will serve according to the rules that are in place, or else change the group’s guiding principles to reflect a whole new set of guidelines, if that is at all possible.

 The second option of changing the entire purpose of the organization, will, in all likelihood, result in creating internal strife, as well as confusion among those who are supposed to be receiving benefit from the service.  So, it would appear that if the group’s service efforts are truly important to both the members as well as those who are recipients, a change in leadership would be the only beneficial move.

 But what about the efforts that Israel was expending to rebuild and strengthen the city and nation that had always meant so much to them?  And what did they do to renew and refocus their efforts?

 Read Nehemiah 5:14-16

 It would appear that the previous governors were more focused on their own comforts, benefits and authority than they were on governing the people for both the benefit of the king and the regional province.  A change in governor may have been a routine occurrence for Artaxerxes, but when Nehemiah was given the authority, he held the position for many years, which is an indication that he was doing a pretty good job, or at least that he was producing good results.

 What did he do to make improvements in the administration of Judah?  He changed the emphasis from fulfilling his own desires and lining his own pockets, to one that reflected His love and obedience to the Lord God Jehovah, and to give his best to the people and land of Israel.  Why should this please the Persian king?  It would mean that conflicts would be held to a minimum, even though disagreements between Nehemiah and the ousted leaders may have continued.  It would mean that the king could have greater confidence that his governor would be more focused on his responsibilities and less inclined to put himself above his assigned duties.

 It would seem that true faith and trust in God makes for the best leaders, even in positions of worldly leadership.  Nehemiah stayed focused on “keeping the main thing, the main thing”, which was the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls as the Lord desired.  And in response to his example, many others did the same thing – they set themselves lower, and their responsibilities higher.  (Luke 14:7-9)

 Read Nehemiah 5:17-19

 Nehemiah’s leadership began when he approached the king back in Susa to ask permission to journey to Jerusalem to carry out the work that his God was leading him toward.  And his servant’s heart never let down.  It worked within him on the rebuilding project, it worked to the good of the people when he took that risky step to address the rumors that opposition to the restoration of the wall was growing, it led him to coordinate both the construction and the move toward security for the people, and now we see that it helped him to remain faithful and focused on the guidance that his Lord was showing to him.  And through it all, he never even thought about cutting back on the time he spent in prayer with his Lord God Jehovah.

 And what came of it?  His closest subordinates followed his example to never accept the allowances that had traditionally been used as rewards to the administrators for their service – these men accepted the Lord’s pleasure and blessing as the only reward that they ever needed.  They had all that they wanted to eat, all of the very best that they could ever want to drink, and they never had to take any of it from the people, as their predecessors were allowed to do, and fully did all the time.  And the people would have seen what their leaders were doing, and would, in turn, have followed to the best of their abilities.

 Their focus never waivered from the task at hand – that of rebuilding the city’s walls and restoring a level of security for the people of Israel.  Was Nehemiah’s prayer that we read at the conclusion of this passage heard and answered?  Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.  The Lord’s favor will always be granted to His faithful.

 The point is, though, that we don’t obey God so that He will bless us with His favors, but rather because it is what He tells us is right.  And that is why the Lord gives favor to His faithful.

 Read 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

 Several hundreds of years later, the apostle Paul is cautioning the Corinthians against thinking too highly of themselves.  This will always be the greatest reason for leadership failure – putting ourselves first instead of putting God and the task that He has given us above all else, and then letting the Lord decide what we deserve in return for faithful service!

 Our wisdom, our abilities, our plans, our worthiness – none of it has an ounce of value if we aren’t staying close to the call that God has placed on our lives.  In Matthew 23:12, Jesus tells us “12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  And in James 4:6, we read “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  When we reflect on the life of Jesus, we see that these two verses are right on as far as describing how the Lord Jesus lived and served and taught and loved us.

 This is exactly how Nehemiah lived and served and governed – faithfully and humbly.  Always considering just what his Lord had required of him, to make his life an example for those who were coming behind him.

 May we also be the type of living example that Jesus was, and the apostle Paul was, and Governor Nehemiah was.  And when we are called to lead, whether on church committees, or as teachers, or Bible study facilitators, or as friends to the hurting, or in any other capacity that the Lord God has need for us, may each of us lead and serve humbly and faithfully, above all else.