Title: Rejoicing in the Lord is Your Strength
Contents
The words of today's text are after the ancient Israelites returned from the Babylonian captivity.
This is the story of gathering in front of the floodgates to listen to God's word after rebuilding the city of Jerusalem.
The most important thing they needed when they returned to their homeland after 70 years was the Word of God.
The thirst for the word of God, which they had not heard for the past 70 years, made the return
They gathered in the square in front of the floodgates of the newly built Jerusalem city.
They gathered voluntarily and asked them to voluntarily bring the book of the law.
All men and women, young and old, who could understand have heard the law.
The people gathered with spiritual longing voluntarily wanted to hear the word,
With an attitude not to miss a single word, as soon as the day dawned, they
Gathering in the square in front of the water gate, an unprecedented revival took place.
When they heard the word through God's servant Ezra, those who read the word became one, and a spiritual revival took place.
1. Their spiritual revival was the restoration of the Word.
All the people heard the word from dawn to noon. He read the law and interpreted the words he read.
While listening to the Word, there was repentance and a new decision.
There is real revival in the Word of God.
There is the true work of faith, the work of the Holy Spirit, and true happiness in the Word of God.
There is freedom, there is life, there is power.
Therefore, we must return to the Word of God, just like the people of ancient Israel.
Because here is a way to live, here is our hope, and there is true joy in the word of God.
2. Their spiritual revival was a responsive faith.
Let's look at verse 6. “Ezra blessed the Lord God, the great God,
And all the people raised up their hands and answered, Amen, Amen, and bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground."
The meaning of the word "amen" can also mean "it is so."
“I will definitely do that.” There is also the meaning of an oath,
There is also the determination of faith, "I believe that it will be so."
I pray in the name of the Lord that all of you become all people of 'Amen'.
3. The result of their spiritual revival was joy.
When wept in response to the word, Nehemiah and Ezra spoke to the people.
"Do not mourn or weep, for today is a holy day to the LORD your God."
And especially in the second half of verse 10, he said, "The joy of the Lord is your strength."
He said that the joy of God is our strength.
This verse is the motto of our church for 2010. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
The life of faith must also include tears and lamentations. But don't cry all the time.
The Christian, with the assurance of forgiveness from God,
We must live joyfully as people who receive God's love and comfort.
You must rejoice in God. This is our strength.
The religious life is a joy and a festival. Come to church with joy.
We should worship with joy. We should serve with joy.
This is what pleases God, where we have our strength and ability, and it is the driving force of all our lives.