05-30-10 Sermon Notes

“Open House”

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Scripture Readings: Neh 8:13-18, 9:1-31  On October 9 the family leaders of all the people, together with the priests and Levites, met with Ezra the scribe to go over the Law in greater detail. … they discovered that …the Israelites should live in shelters during the festival to be held that month…. The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun. Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God on each of the seven days of the festival. Then on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly…. (Neh 9:1-31) On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted....as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors. They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God…. Then the leaders of the Levites… (said) to the people: "Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!" Then they prayed: "May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise!..."You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and … renamed him Abraham… you made a covenant with him… And you have done what you promised …"You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven…"Then you helped our ancestors conquer kingdoms and nations ..."But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you…. But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God are!”

Sermon Texts: Neh 10:30-36, 12:27-43 "We promise not to let our daughters marry the pagan people… Every seventh year we will let our land rest, and we will cancel all debts owed to us….pay the annual Temple tax… "We promise to bring the first part of every harvest to the Lord's Temple…We agree to give God our oldest sons and the firstborn of all our herds and flocks… We will bring the best of our flour and other grain offerings, the best of our fruit, and the best of our new wine and olive oil. And we promise to bring to the Levites a tenth of everything our land produces…."We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God." (Neh 12:27-43)  For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres…. Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.

Sermon Outline

1-Recap of the Building Process

  -community

  -vision

   -stress points

  -nurture

   -getting it done

   -fire of ‘God’ power 

2-Remembering Who & Whose We Are   

    Insight—the gift of perspective

    We also remember… 

 3-Re-Membering

    They promised God:

     -the first of their produce

     -the best of all their gain

     -to furnish the temple 

4-Commitment through Joy  

   Happiness is contagion

   Dedicated the Wall to the glory of God

   Joy was heard from far away 

Questions for Reflection:

 -do you bring joy to those you lead?

 -is your leadership marked with a sense of humor?

Study Guide