1997-08

SERMON NOTES

TEXT: Leviticus 23:3; Joel 1:14; 2:15-17; Nehemiah 8:1-18; 12:43; 13:1-31

Lev 23:3 "'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sa- cred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. (NIV)

Joel 1:14 Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. (NIV)

Joel 2:15-17 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, 'Spare your people, O LORD. . . (NIV)

INTRODUCTION: In the days in which we live, we have seen the beginnings of revival coming to our land. This is coming on the heels of our grief as we have seen some well-known, and some hardly known, church leaders fall into disrepute. Now we know that failure in the church is not a new happening, nor is it limited to any particular segment of the church. In almost any year, we will hear of moral failure in the Evangelical, the Fundamental, the Pentecostal, and Catholic communities; these failures often have national and international consequence.

Now the very real cause of these failures, and the pain they cause is the fact there is a very real devil who is the ultimate cause of all sin. It is difficult to account for so much sin in the world, and even more difficult to do anything about all the evil, unless we begin with the understanding there is a real devil, determined to destroy the work of God on this earth.

There is an all-out war against the church today, from within as well as from without. We must band ourselves together as believers and resist this work of Satan, by prayer, fasting, and standing on the Word of God. In these days, there will be traitors and failures; those who wear the uniform of the church, sing the songs of the church, go through worship services, give to the church, but in the final analysis serve only themselves. Such people are deceived many times into sin because one of the first things sin does is cause confusion.

As the church is more revived, and consequently more militant against Satan, there will come even stronger attacks. As we begin to make the presence of the church felt more, we will be attacked more by Satan. He will attack us because of our stand against abortion, pornography, sexual perversion, gambling, and other evils; as we proclaim the light of the Word of God. Satan is not disturbed by a sleeping church, but a militant church angers him. We know the Bible says the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. However, we must not let our assurance of victory cause us to be spectators only in this very real battle. We must join the Lord and other Christians to defeat Satan. He is our enemy, not other people, though he will indeed use them. Be aware also, that though the church as a corporate body will never die, many local, individual churches will.

A historic church in LA, the Church of the Open Door, closed its doors and moved away a few years ago. There were likely many reasons for this, but the result is that thousands of people in the inner city who desperately need the gospel of Christ were left without that, resulting in crime of epidemic proportions; the situation seems hopeless, according to city officials. But the good news is that inner city LA has not been forgotten in God's plan, and Tommy Barnett and the L. A. International Church have come to the inner city to meet the need.

What should we do when faced with a bad situation; should we run away? The answer is no. The gospel of Christ is needed everywhere. We need to learn, and live up to, the old saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." This does not mean they leave, but rather that they go into action to meet the emergency. The church needs to learn once again that its leaders and army should not ride into battle in a Rolls-Royce or BMW, or stay at the Hilton, but should rather endure even terrible misery if called for. We need to forget the doctrine which tells us "to get all we can for ourselves from God because He wants to bless us" as far as the material and the natural go, and remember that we are to go into combat, not comfort We must still seek all we can get from God as far as spiritual blessings, and spiritual callings goes. He does want to bless us all with salvation, sanctification, and the Holy Spirit. He then wants to crown our lives with His call to service.

What can we do about some of these problems we face today? Let's look into the matter. In Nehemiah's time, they called a "holy convocation." Now what do we mean by that? Let's begin by defining terms. Just what do we mean by a "holy convocation?"

Holy (or sacred) is derived from the Hebrew qodesh (ko'-desh); meaning a sacred place or thing, "pure" and "devoted." KJV-- consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, holy day, holy portion, holy thing; saint, sanctuary. In the Old Testament it has a strongly religious connotation. In one sense the word describes an object or place or day to be "holy" with the meaning of "devoted" or "dedicated" to a particular purpose. Particularly the Sabbath day is "devoted" as a day of rest.

God has dedicated Israel as His people. They are "holy" by their relationship to the "holy" God. All of the people are in a sense "holy," as members of the covenant community, irrespective of their faith and obedience: "They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, 'You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly?'" <Num. 16:3(NIV) >. God's intent was to use this "holy" nation as a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation." <Exod. 19:6 (NIV)>. Based on the intimate nature of the relationship, God expected His people to live up to His "holy" expectations and, thus, to demonstrate that they were a "holy nation": "You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own." <Lev. 20:26 (NIV)>. Now, since we as Christians have been grafted into the Vine, we have become part of God's holy family through adoption.

The priests were chosen to officiate at the Holy Place of the tabernacle temple. Because of their function as intermediaries between God and Israel and because of their proximity to the temple, they were dedicated by God to the holy office of priest: "They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the LORD by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy. They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy-- I who make you holy. <Lev. 21:6-8 (NIV)> Aaron as the high priest was "the holy one of the Lord <Ps. 106:16>, NASB.

The Old Testament clearly and emphatically teaches that God is "holy." He is "the Holy One of Israel" <Isa. 1:4>, the "holy God" <Isa. 5:16>, and "the Holy One" <Isa. 40:25>. His name is "Holy": "For this is what the high and lofty One says-- he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" <Isa. 57:15 (NIV)>. The negative statement, "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. <1 Sam. 2:2 (NIV)>, explains that He is most "holy" and that no one is as "holy" as He is. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words) (Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Assembly is from the Hebrew miqra' (mik-raw'), meaning "something called out"; a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place.). KJV-- assembly, calling, convocation, reading.

It means "public worship service; convocation." The word implies the product of an official summons to worship ("convocation"). In one of its 23 appearances, miqra' refers to Sabbaths as "convocation days" <Lev. 23:2>. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words) (Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Let's look first at Nehemiah 8:3-8. What can we learn here.

I. They gave much time to the reading and explanation of the meaning of the Word. (Neh. 8:3-8)

The Word must be given a place of priority in any sacred convocation. First, there was an official summons to the convocation. What happened when the people responded and convened.

1. The people listened with attention to the Word as it was read (v 3). This says that all who were old enough to understand listened attentively.

2. There are, unfortunately, many in the church today who, because of their spiritual immaturity, cannot understand the Word.

3. There is a tool, called distraction, which Satan used with regularity to keep people from hearing and understanding. We may be distracted, or we may distract. The sad thing is that many times, we hinder someone from hearing the Word of God.

4. These people had enough respect for the Word, that when it was read, they stood without being asked to do so. If we honor the King, we will honor His Word.

5. There was conviction as a result of the reading; spontaneous weeping broke out. When the Word is really heard, there is always meaningful response; it does accomplish what it was sent for.

6. The Word is the base for two things, which are opposites. These people first wept (v. 9), but when they understood the Word, they were filled with joy and celebrated (V. 12).

Today, in our churches, all those who are old enough to understand need to listen with attention. Those who are new Christians should listen and gain as much knowledge as they can, while older, more mature believers can move deeper into the things of God. We must learn to guard against distractions. We must not do anything which distracts, nor must we allow ourselves to become distracted. We should have respect for the word of God when it is read, taught, or preached. It is the Word of Almighty God; the teaching of the King of kings and Lord of lords. When we listen attentively, not being distracted nor distracting, showing the proper respect for the Word, conviction and sorrow for sin will result. But after the repentance, after the cleansing which will come, will also come the joy. We will be able to celebrate our Christianity with joy.

II. They spent much time in worship. (Neh 8:6; 12:27-43) There should always be a time or praise and worship of our mighty God.

1. They did not exalt anyone but the Lord Almighty. Not Ezra, Nehemiah, or any of the other leaders.

2. They did not worship Ezra, though he stood above them, at a pulpit (the only instance of this word in the Bible, and then only in the KJV). He was not there to draw attention, but so that he could be seen and heard. Note there is no way the reader of the Word (preacher) can separate himself from the Word. It must be part and parcel of his life.

3. They heard Ezra read a Word he kept in his own life; he was willing to follow what the Word said.

4. The people heard God revealed in the reading; they saw Him and lifted their hands to God in praise; they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Today, we must learn to spend time in worship. Now true worship must follow repentance and obedience; these are necessary first steps. In our worship, we must be careful not to worship anyone other than God. We must not worship the worship team, nor the preacher, teacher, evangelist, or any other leader. We must not worship in such a way that we draw undue attention to ourselves. We must learn to worship in Spirit and truth. Those who lead in worship must be living right themselves; they must be good examples. Neither they, nor the ones preaching, must place themselves above the Word of God, but must keep it; they must obey and follow it. When we worship in this fashion, and when others see us do so, they in turn will raise their hands to God in praise; they may bow their faces to the ground in worship. The outward manifestation of worship is not of most importance, but the condition of the heart is. True worship will come from a true heart; it will come from a heart which follows God.

III. No one came simply as a spectator. Neh 8:1-3 Everyone had to leave their own business and personal life, and become personally involved. How can the church of Jesus be all it should be when 90% of the people are untrained and uninvolved; when they are sitting in the grandstand rather than going to the floor of the arena to participate?

1. The governmental leaders and religious leaders were involved (v. 9). They were concerned about the plight of the country.

(1). They were concerned enough to leave their normal duties to see if the need could be met.

(2). They, like the rest of the people, heard from God.

2. The heads of the families came, and brought their families along (v. 13)

(1). They did not just send the wife and children, they came themselves.

(2). They showed their support for the leaders by their visible presence.

(3). They returned to the ways of their fathers (vv. 8-13) to show they could obey God.

Today, we need to realize that we must all do our part if the decline of our country and churches is to be reversed. We look at the deteriorating moral and social problems around us; we are confused about sin and its consequences. Our world is mixed up. The church weeps over the failure of prominent preachers while the world laughs about it; yet neither the church nor society is overly horrified over the murder of 1.5 million babies here in our country annually. We need to take our witness outside the church, into the marketplace, into the darkness in which we live. The cross of Christ must be lifted high.

Years ago, George McLeod of Scotland wrote: "I simply argue that the cross should be raised at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus Christ was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town's garbage heap; at the crossroads, so cosmopolitan they had to write His title in Hebrew and Latin and Greek . . . at the kind of a place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died. And that is what He died for. And that is what He died about. That is where churchmen ought to be and what the church ought to be about."

We must also begin living out, fleshing out, our Christian witness at home before anywhere else. We must do our best to lead our families to the Lord. We must be concerned about the sinfulness of the society in which our children and grandchildren are being raised, and become angry enough about it to do something. We must quit coexisting with sin, and fight it. We must quit condoning it, especially in our own lives, and clean up our lives and our homes. We need to be less tolerant, or we will become like a garbage can, which is tolerant of anything placed in it. We must learn to be angry with sin, yet forgiving with sinners.

A few years ago, a man broke into Angeles Temple, a Four Square church in Low Angeles. It was determined it was his second attempt to break into the building. As one of the policemen started looking through the building, he asked, "Pastor, if we risk our lives and catch this thief tonight, are you going to press charges?" The officer knew the church stood for compassion and forgiveness, and might want to blame the poor man's tendency to commit crime on unfortunate hereditary or environmental influences. They assured him they would prosecute him, and when he was caught did. Remember that the Lord was crucified between two thieves, one of whom said, "We deserve our punishment."

A woman is foolish if she continues to live with a husband who beats her. If a pastor fails, it is a foolish congregation which does not judge him if he falls into a moral sin. They should forgive him, but restoration comes only after a time of proving. Christ would have forgiven Judas if he repented, but I doubt He would have made him treasurer of the group again the next day. God's love is tough love, at the same time it is tender love. It judges the sin, while forgiving the sinner.

IV. All who came needed repentance; nothing less would do. (Neh 9:1-3) The people realized they were sinners, and the children of sinners, so nothing less than repentance would meet their need.

1 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.

2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.

3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshipping the LORD their God. (NIV)

1. From the past, they knew judgment would be pronounced on any who could come though this time without repentance.

2. The people prayed; they prayed jointly and corporately.

Today, we need to know that nothing takes the place of repentance. When we find ourselves in a place of sin, or in a place of disobedience to God, nothing less than repentance will cure us. Praise and worship will not do it. Giving to the Lord, of ourselves, our talent, our treasure, our testimony, will not heal the soul without repentance. Repentance is absolutely, totally, and completely necessary.

V. All who repented and worshiped received joy, the characteristic of the day. Neh 8: 9-10; 24:43

They were rewarded for all that they did with joy. Now sometimes, just before the joy, it will seem the darkest. But persevere, and the joy will come.

1. Their repentance brought sorrow and tears at first.

2. They were instructed to rejoice, rather than to be sorrowful.

CONCLUSION: You may ask, "How can I be joyful in the kind of sinful world in which we live?

Malcolm Muggeridge was a breakfast guest some years ago in Washington, and gave his testimony of his "rediscovery of Jesus." He then make some remarks about how pessimistic he was about the condition of the world, and was asked, "Mr. Muggeridge, you have been so pessimistic; are you now optimistic about anything?" "My friend," replied Muggeridge, I could not be more optimistic about anything than I am, for my hope is in Jesus Christ, and Him alone!" There was a heavy silence for some seconds, then he continued, "Just suppose the apostolic church had put its hope in the Roman Empire." Let's learn something from that. We must not put our hope in anything else but the Lord. As the old song says, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."

Where is your hope this morning? Is it in Christ and Him alone? It must be if we are to live for Christ in this world. Without hope in Him, the world situation seems to be hopeless, and indeed may well be. But we serve Christ, who is going to triumph. We are His church, His body on earth, and will one day be His bride. That is worth rejoicing over. Let your hearts be filled with joy.

Osage Gospel Lighthouse, Linn, MO 2-16-97 am