Title: Spiritual Revival/Nehemiah 8:1-12
Content revival of spirit
Neh 8:1-12 980718
We can divide the book of Nehemiah into two main parts.
The first part covers chapters 1-6, and the second part covers chapters 7-13.
In chapters 1-6, Nehemiah appears as the main character and the work of rebuilding the wall is recorded. From chapter 7, the main character also changes to Ezra, and the movement to rebuild the spirit is carried out.
Nehemiah, who was the governor of King Artaxerxes, prayed to God that the city of Jerusalem, his homeland, had been devastated by the enemies, and prayed to God.
The castle was rebuilt. But this was not all. The hearts of those people are still desolate.
Through Ezra, a scholar and preacher, Nehemiah raises a spiritual revival movement in Israel.
Ezra and a group of people returned to Jerusalem about 14 years before Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem. He struggled to rebuild the faith of the people of his crumbling country.
Nehemiah did not return after building the walls of Jerusalem with God's help. Rebuilding the walls was not his final goal.
Why did the walls fall down and the gates burn? It is because of Israel's sin. That is why Ezra was invited to renew the hearts of the people with the word of God.
Our country's difficulties today do not lie in economic difficulties. Although all the focus is on the economy, the tragedy of the modern times is that our spiritual culture is not awakened in proportion to the development of industrial civilization. We worked hard to buy a house and a car, but we left the garden of our hearts to overgrown with weeds. It becomes lively. However, the couple divorces and their children derail. what's the reason? It is because they do not know where and what true happiness is, know that money solves everything, and run from morning to evening only to earn money.
North America and South America are different.
British Puritans came to North America to gain religious freedom.
But at the same time, a group of people, from Spain, Northern Europe, and England, came to South America for gold.
North Americans who obeyed God's Word with a God-centered focus also sought God and found freedom, prosperity, and happiness at the same time.
However, those who searched for gold in South America lost their gold and even lost the value of their lives.
It is important that the castle be rebuilt.
It is important to have the outward appearance in our lives, but what is more important than that?
It is fortunate that the Israelites realized that they had built a wall, but that alone could not be satisfied.
The spiritual aspect is more precious than the physical, but many people do not value it.
I feel hungry because I'm hungry, but I don't feel hunger for the soul, and when I do feel it, I ignore it. But when our souls are at peace, there is peace, and when our souls are satisfied, our lives are free from dissatisfaction.
Today, our students also want and pray for the revival of the Korean church. Revival does not mean quantitative disposition, it means restoration.
Then, what is spiritual recovery in the true sense?
This is fundamentally to recover the image of God that was lost because humans sinned and lost the image of God when God created human life. It doesn't just mean that some of our lives get better and our hearts change into good ones. That is why it is not in our own strength and strength.
It is an amazing work that begins with God.
This recovery, our spiritual revival, does not belong to humans.
It is God who will make it happen.
A wonderful change is taking place in our hearts,
I will become a man pleasing to God,
When my heart is filled with what God wants it to be, it is called revival.
This is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Nehemiah 8 records the amazing work of revival for the rebuilding of the soul. This is probably the first revival meeting in the Bible.
What do we expect today?
It is a revival of the soul. Our livelihood has become richer, and external conditions have been met for us, but our hearts are empty, and we are dissatisfied with something, aren't we?
We live only when the revival of the soul takes place through the word of God.
It's not just about eating rice.
Having an apartment does not mean having a home.
Just because there is an economy doesn't mean there is true happiness.
True revival is the restoration of the image of God, and it is only through the Word of God.
Previously, I used the word revival society a lot. Sakyunghoe is a gathering that thinks about the Bible, that is, a spiritual revival in which people return to the Bible and receive grace from the Bible. Real revival happens when the Word reaches you.
Revival in our family occurs when the Word of God comes and we want to obey it.
So is the revival of the church. Build a large building, and do not ignore the large number of members.
But true revival is a return to the Word of God. A return to God is revival.
We believe that there will also be a quantitative revival in our homeland church. However, what is more urgent today than this is spiritual revival.
Let's all return to the Word. The revival of the Word is the revival of the soul.
The Israelites gathered at a place called the floodgates and asked the scholar Ezra to bring the book of the Law of Moses.
It was not forced by Ezra or Nehemiah, but the people themselves invited Ezra to hear the word.
For the rebuilding of the wall, Nehemiah found the people and encouraged them. However, this revival was something Nehemiah wanted, but the people were longing for it. This is important. If you become poor in spirit and have longing for the Word, you will receive grace from God. They realized that man does not live on bread alone. That is why the people wanted to teach Ezra the Word.
All the people of Israel listened together from morning to evening. In verses 2 and 3,
(Nehemiah 8:2) On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest took the book of the law and came before the congregation that could be understood by both men and women. The people listened to the book of the law.
All the people who could understand, men and women, all heard it together. The Word of God is the Word to be heard and obeyed.
These are from dawn. I put all my energy into listening to the Word until noon. I listened to him for over 6 hours.
It also happened when the Word of God was proclaimed. This is reverence for the word of God.
This is revival.
Previously, when the Puritans held worship services, they worshiped for three hours.
Even now, the Chinese underground church holds worship services from morning to noon even though there are no preachers and no Bibles.
After the 6th and 25th, the Korean church did the same. Usually 3 hours of worship, and 8 hours of meetings.
It does not mean that a lot of time must be given for true worship.
Even though some movies are screened for more than 3 hours, I feel sorry for them. Why is the worship service a nuisance? I'm hungry. Do you not want to eat anything or vomit when you are full?
The words they heard were just reading the Bible. Still, I stood there for more than 6 hours and listened, and all the people listened without leaving their seats. This is what happens when you have a thirsty heart.
I bless you in the name of the Lord that these thirsty and blessed souls will give you.
Third, they wanted to understand the Word more clearly (verse 13).
They met again the next day. After listening to the Word for 6 hours, I wanted to understand this Word more clearly, so I asked for a sermon.
This is the sermon.
1. Preaching is to understand the Bible.
I am not referring to any other books, ideas, or my own thoughts. Preaching is the realization of the word of the Bible as it is in the Bible.
2. You must carefully observe the Bible.
They spend more than 6 hours reading and listening to Bible texts.
3. Interpret the meaning.
Preaching is the unraveling of what the words written in the Bible are.
4. Preaching is to contrast the Word with the reality of myself. It is not just a bible study. It doesn't matter what you know intellectually. When the people heard this word, they went on to the point of understanding, and in verse 9 they wept when they heard the word. This is Bible interpretation and sermons.
You should not expect anything else from the sermon.
Where did this revival come from?
They are in awe of the Word of God.
In verses 5-6, the people stood up when the Bible was opened.
Ezra blesses the vast God.
At this time, all the people raised their hands and answered, Amen, Amen.
They acknowledged and responded with Amen when the word of God was proclaimed.
They bowed down and worshiped God as the Word was proclaimed.
When we believe, acknowledge, and obey the Word of God as the Word of God, power is revealed. A revival takes place.
Even when the Word is preached from the pulpit, those who accept it as their own words receive grace. However, those who deal with this word regardless of knowledge do not give authority to the word even if they know it intellectually, so their power does not appear in their religious life.
Please believe that God is always at work where the authority of the Word is revealed and obeyed.
Do you fear God?
Respect the word of God.
Do you respect God's Word?
Do you believe that this promise will come true?
When we believe that there is salvation and judgment according to God's word, there will be no one who will not be afraid. As long as he truly believes in the promise of God's protection, there will be no one to fear him.
Preaching is about holding on to the Word of God, interpreting it in the Word, and testifying and proclaiming what you have lived with the Word. For this reason, sermons that depart from the Bible are human, and no matter how much they say, they are powerless words that cannot be heard.
How much do you recognize the authority of the Word?
How much do you obey these words?
Is it really worth risking your life to keep this word?
Blessed are those who realize this, believe in it, and become thirsty for it. A revival arises in this person's heart.
From the day the head of a family returns home to teach the word of God to his family, the family changes.
When a person teaches the Word at his workplace, decides to live by the Word, and returns to work, that workplace is not his previous workplace.
When a teacher who has applied the Word to their life begins to teach the Word, a wonderful revival occurs in the class.
Do you wish this revival to happen in your hearts?
I pray that this revival will happen in your homes.
I sincerely hope that this revival will take place today in our homeland Gangsan.
The fire of this revival must be kindled.
It should be roaring.
What revival are you talking about?
Returning to the Word It is a revival of the soul with longing for the Word.
Let us kindle this revival fire from our own hearts.
It's not a money life. The saint must enjoy the satisfaction of his soul.
What do we fill our hearts with? Only with God and the Word of God. These words are both healing and education. It makes a whole person.
Let's get back to the word.