Title The Living Church (Nehemiah 8:1-12)
Contents
Church of the Living Word
Neh 8:1-12
2004. 01. 25
This is the story of the Daegu subway disaster. Thousands of people were sacrificed, but what is even more unfortunate are the people who got on the subway, but there was no physical evidence, so their bodies were not found, they were not included in the list of deaths, and they did not receive any compensation. One of them was an elder. On the day of the subway disaster, I got a call from my house. He said he was going to die in the subway now, and then the news was cut off. The family went through the search for the body, but everyone was charred, so neither face nor shape is recognizable. However, there is a burnt-out Bible next to one of the corpses. When I opened it, there was a church bulletin for the elder's going out in the burned-out book, and the elder's hand was stained. So we found the body. Please keep the word close.
The background of this text is the story of the time when Israel was in captivity. By the grace of God, they come back to their hometown, but not all at once, but three times. Nehemiah served as a cupbearer in the royal family of Basha. However, on the second return, a man named Hanani, who returned, hears the news of Jerusalem. The news was disastrous. Jerusalem was destroyed, its gates burned and destroyed, and the people of Israel who were not captured are living a miserable life just like those who were captured. Upon hearing this news, Nehemiah fasted, prayed and wept, and with the king's permission, returned to Jerusalem and completed the wall in 52 days to rebuild Jerusalem. Then, the movement to restore faith is developed. What is important to God's people is not the walls or the organization, but the Word of God. Faith comes alive only when there is the Word.
What does the church need today? The church, the covenant community of God, must have the living Word. It must be a church where the Word moves. The church where the Word lives and works is the church of God. A church that only says it is the church of God and has no power is a dead church. Because God is living. The Church in which He lives. The church he is with has power. A church without God, a church in which the Word is dead, cannot expect any work. God created the world with the word and is still working through the word today. Revival is taking place in today's text as well.
1 All the people are listening to the Word.
This amazing experience only happens to those who listen. If you don't listen, you can't hear anything. In the book of Acts, while Paul was preaching the Word for a long time, Judugus fell asleep while falling from the window. What's the reason. Because you didn't listen. Are you not listening? The words are not heard. So you're sleepy. May the Word always be heard by all of us.
2. Respect for the Word.
When we were young, we got down on our knees and listened to the adults speaking. And I heard the adults scold me for doing other things while talking.
This is because the Word is His body. So you have to respect it. The Word became flesh and came into the world. He is Jesus. The Word is God. So, when you hear the word, you should respect it. I think he said something like that someday. When the name of the king falls, when the name of the king falls, the envoy who took it is the name of the envoy who took it, don't you see many people in historical dramas kneeling in front of him, regardless of his position, and receiving it? It's a name that I respect. In verse 5, “Ezra Hakshasa stood over all the people and opened the book before their eyes, and when the book was opened, all the people stood up.” When God opened the word of God, all the people stood up. Respect for the Word.
3, the third is to answer with Amen.
Verse 6 says, “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.” Raising your hands is praising God. Amen, to say Amen is to accept it in your heart. Bowing down is a sign of submission and worship of God. When we receive the Word, we also need this attitude. A person who chats with the person next to him while listening to the Word. A person who cares about the house. A person who is thinking of going to meet someone after worship. So that life will change.
The word must fall and sprout, but this is like a field along the road. As soon as the word runs out, the birds come and pick it up and eat it. Even if you believe in 10 years, it is the jaw, and if you believe in 20 years, it is the jaw. Even if you do not study the Bible separately, if you do not fall asleep during worship and do not bark, people will change, your life will change, and your destiny will change. But there is no change, there is no response. Amen the word and accept it. Then God's grace will come upon you. I believe that the Word will change me into a more precious person of God.
4. It is to understand the Word.
A sermon or Bible study is a word you hear to help you understand the Word of God given to you. Therefore, you must listen carefully during the sermon. You must also diligently study the Word. Therefore, we must discern what God's will is. The sermon contains the will of God given to me in this day and age. You have to find it. We can put into practice as much as we realize the Word. The world we live in today is said to be living in a flood of words.
When this text was written, people could not see the Word of God even if they wanted to see it. Because there is no Bible. But now, it is a bible book in heaven. There are many places that give free Bibles if you want. You can read the Bible and hear the Word of God. On the other hand, there are Christian broadcasts. There is Christian TV. Several sermons are delivered in an hour. You can listen to sermons all day long if you want.
But what's the problem? There is no one who understands. It must be one of them, whether all the words were dead, all ears were blocked, or all souls died. But the most important cause is people's indifference. I have no passion for words. I don't really want to go to a revival meeting these days. People don't gather. There is no hunger for the Word.
5. Those who heard the Word were moved.
Only those who are prepared are moved. To put it simply, not everyone who comes to church receives grace. Only those who are prepared receive grace. What do you prepare? These are the things I said earlier. It is to yearn for the word. It's about listening. Respect for the Word. It is to cherish the word. Those who are prepared like this will be moved when they hear the word, just like in today's text. I am so moved that I cry. Even in today's text, those who heard the word wept. rejoiced. It was a revival for them. I hope there will be a revival of the Word.
Years before the fall of communism, a theater in Moscow, Russia played a demigod play titled “Jesus in a Tuxedo,” mocking Christianity. At this time, the man who appeared as the main character, Jesus, was a handsome actor named Alexander Rostovzev. The fact that he went to church as a child was also a factor in his decision to be the main character. At the climax of the play he was supposed to read two verses of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:3-4) As he read these words, he repeated it two more times and suddenly began to weep. The theater staff were giving autographs behind the scenes telling them what to do next, but he knelt on stage. The stage was closed and the play was a mess, but instead of blaspheming Jesus that day, he returned to Jesus and took on the role of witnessing Jesus. It was the victory and revival that the Word brought. I pray that God's word will move you. Where the Word is alive, there is emotion. There are tears. There is joy. Hallelujah