Class Lesson August 26, 2018

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE 

Right before Easter, a news reporter asked me a simple question: “How do you tell the same story every year and keep it fresh?” She wanted to know how our church celebrated Easter every year without it getting old and tired. For the outsider, that’s a valid question. All over the world Christians reflect on their sins and Jesus’ death each year on Good Friday. Then on Sunday they move into a celebration of Christ’s resurrection. It’s the same story year after year: Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us the victory of life. 

I answered her question. “Every year my wife and I celebrate the birth of our children. It’s the same story, the same celebration, on the same day. Celebrating our kids’ birthdays never gets old. We look forward to it. It’s the same with Easter. We never tire of sharing the greatest story of all time.” 

In the Book of Nehemiah the people moved into a time of worship and celebration. It never gets old to celebrate God’s work on our behalf.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Nehemiah 8:9-12 

9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. 

I like to watch TV shows about restoration projects. I enjoy the programs that show master mechanics and body technicians going through the process of restoring a classic car to showroom quality or craftsmen restoring a historic piece of furniture. But those programs are misleading because they take a long and difficult restoration process and reduce it to a thirty-minute or hour-long episode. I can just sit on my sofa and watch everything quickly fall into place. 

Restoring the wall in Jerusalem took time, and so did restoring the people. Spiritual growth and discipleship cannot be rushed. It is God’s divine work, and it is carried out in His timing. 

Restoration began for the Jews as they heard God’s Word. The reading of God’s Word convicted the people and they felt the weight of their sin. Scripture exposes our sin. When we focus on a holy God, as revealed in Scripture, we become aware that we are not holy. We become conscious of both the things we have done but should not have—sins of commission—and the things we should have done but didn’t—sins of omission.

These sins are not just “mistakes.” Making a wrong turn that makes you late for an appointment is a mistake. But sin is anything we do that is against God’s revealed plan and character. Sin is seen in actions and attitudes that place us ahead of God. The Bible describes sin as a stain that we cannot wash away (see Jer. 2:22); an overwhelming flood and a burden too heavy to bear (see Ps. 38:4); and a debt (see Matt. 6:12) that leaves us owing an infinite amount we cannot pay. Ultimately, our sin is an eternal betrayal against a holy God. 

“All the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.” God’s Word prompted a collective realization that they had sinned against God. In repentance, the people began to turn away from sin and back toward God. They did not hate just the consequences of their sins; they hated the sins themselves. 

God did not leave the Jews to wallow in guilt. His grace is evident in this passage. The people surely needed to grieve over their disobedience to God’s Word, but God did not leave them there. He forgave and restored them. 

How do we know God forgave them? Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites instructed the people to do two things: Stop weeping. Start celebrating. God’s peace soothes the restlessness of ours sins. 

That’s cause for celebration! The Jews in Jerusalem celebrated that day. The people understood the impetus by the call to celebrate, and their celebration was described as “great.” And “all the people” were included. No one was left out. The people sent portions of food to those who had nothing prepared, most likely those that were poor. Their celebration was both extravagant and generous. 

This celebration represented big, bold steps for Nehemiah and the Jewish people. They had built the wall out of obedience to God, but this celebration was all about fellowship with God. We should celebrate too. As we turn from sin and turn toward the grace and forgiveness of Christ, we turn from sorrow to joy. We can celebrate the work of Christ. 

Nehemiah 12:27-31a 

27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; 29 also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. 31a Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. 

In Nehemiah 12, the walls were dedicated with a large celebration, but recall what brought them to this point. 

When the process had begun, most of the walls were rubble; now the walls stood complete. The people stood restored as well. They had pushed back threats from enemies. They had resolved a major internal conflict between the rich and poor. They had worked tirelessly for fifty-two long days, at times with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. The presence of the Word of God moved them through grief to forgiveness and joy. 

And now they were dedicating the wall, but their celebration was as much about God’s work in their lives, as it was the work on the wall. They became what they were celebrating. This dedication was as much about their spiritual condition as it was the condition of the wall. The broken walls at the beginning of the narrative represented their own spiritual decay. Now, the completed walls demonstrated their complete commitment to God. 

The dedication of the wall included thanksgiving. Because of our human nature, we don’t thank God enough. We can never fully appreciate or understand the depth of His work in our lives, but the more we see God’s work, power, righteousness, and holiness, the more thankful we become. When we properly worship God, we are consumed with joy and thanksgiving. The people who are most focused on God are typically the ones who are the least irritable in their demeanor. 

In addition to thanksgiving, the dedication also included purification. This purification process was a symbol of something occurring in the hearts of the people. The point of this dedication was not only to celebrate the completion of the walls, but a time for the entire community and everyone in it to be purified, set apart for God, and dedicated fully to Him. 

The purification, the dedication, and celebration were things the believers did together. We cannot fully express the depth of our thanksgiving to God and then keep it to ourselves. Our worship has a richness and beauty that comes through the gathering of God’s people. We see this at the wall dedication as the believers came from all over and sang together, accompanied with many different types of instruments. The people did not celebrate individually in their homes; they came together to praise God. 

When they came together, they showed just how great is the One they worshiped. Earlier, during the building process, Tobiah had criticized their efforts. “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” (4:3). Yet, Nehemiah didn’t bring a fox to the finished wall to prove Tobiah wrong; he “brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall.” A group of leaders was praising God on top of the wall! It was a testimony to the sturdiness of God’s promise. 

God works through the obedience of His people. We can lay aside our sadness and celebrate God’s restoration too. The joy of the Lord is indeed our strength!

LIVE IT OUT

Every prayer, every act of service, and every moment in God’s Word is a small celebration. How will you joyfully celebrate God’s work? 

• Confess. Write down any unconfessed sin. Reflect on how this sin offended God. Repent and thank God for His forgiveness in Christ. Shred or burn the paper as an act of joy. Talk. 

• Talk with a friend, family member, or acquaintance who recently had reason to celebrate. Talk about the work and presence of God in what he or she experienced. Share a moment of joyful thanksgiving with him or her. Invite. 

• Invite a neighbor or coworker to your home for dinner, someone who has never been to your home. Make a lavish dinner and demonstrate God’s joy in your extravagance. 

We can live lives of joy because of Christ’s work in us. We have God’s joy because the Holy Spirit sustains us. A key part of serving God is celebrating His work with praise! 

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

Teacher's Notes:

Video: Chinese underground church receiving bibles.

Click Here to Watch

A life of Service to God:

1. PRAY - Pray about all things. Always acknowledge God. Look to God for all guidance.

2. PLAN – Be intentional about serving God and that we Act when opportunities present themselves. 

3. PERSIST – When we do God’s work it will bring about opposition (Temptation). Persist and prayerfully do what God has led us to do. 

4. PROTECT - We cannot separate who we are from what we do. Christians should protect their witness. (Guard our hearts)

5. PRIORITIZE God’s Word. It must be central to our service and everything else we do. 

6. PRAISE Serving God includes celebrating His great work. (In the world and in us.)

In the Book of Nehemiah, the people moved into a time of worship and celebration. 

I. Respond to God with Both Repentance and Celebration          Nehemiah 8:9-12 

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. 

How would you describe the relationship between repentance and celebration?

· In the Jewish tradition, repentance is called teshuvah , a Hebrew word translated as “returning.” One of the Hebrew words for sin is chet, which in Hebrew means “to go astray.” Thus the idea of repentance in Jewish thought is a return to the path of righteousness.

In what way is repentance a cause for celebration?

· There is a kind of joy in repentance. I say “a kind of” because repentance is also arduous, humbling, exacting. Think of Jean Valjean writhing in agony during his soliloquy: “I feel my shame inside me like a knife!” Or Eustace Clarence Scrubb being “un-dragoned” by Aslan: “it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt.” Nonetheless, there is also joy in repentance. In repentance, we pray like David: “Let the bones you have crushed rejoice.” (Psalm 51:8) “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” (Psalm 51:12) It can seem strange that repentance can produce both grief and joy — that David’s bones can be “crushed” and yet “rejoice.” But this is consistent with the flavor of the gospel, which achieves life through death, joy through suffering, good through evil. We might say that repentance is to joy what Good Friday is to Easter — that necessary path of agonizing, self-abasing death by which alone we emerge into light and freedom beyond what we could have ever imagined.

· There is God’s work in the world and there is God’s work in you. We celebrate God’s work in the world. (Evangelism & Discipleship) Consider the celebration of God’s work in you! I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-nine just persons, which need no repentance. — Luke 15:7 The Bible tells us much about angels. It gives us different categories of angels and describes how they look, how they fly, what they do in the presence of God, their role in the earth today, and much more. By studying the Scriptures, it is easy to get an accurate perspective of what angels do both on earth and in Heaven. But today I want us to see the one unique thing that causes angels in Heaven to erupt in joy. What is this solitary act that triggers such a mighty angelic celebration?

Is there joy in repentance?

· It seems to me from scripture that repentance produces both joy and grief. In both Psalms 32 and Psalms 51 - the two psalms I often go to for this subject - joy is an expectation in repentance in the same way that Easter is longed for on Good Friday. So if we are going to exercise true biblical repentance, joy will spring forth. All for one reason: the gospel of Christ.

Points: The Word of God is powerful in its effects and able to stir the heart of all who are engaged by it. Holiness is to be celebrated and to lead us to rejoice. The joy of knowing the Lord and trusting in Him gives us strength to endure the challenges and difficulties that may confront us. 

A word of consolation. Nehemiah and Ezra told the people not to weep. They wept when Scripture was read and explained to them. The Word of God convicted them of their sins, and they realized how much they had failed God (Hebrews 4:12-13). They wept tears of repentance. It was no longer a time for weeping, but for joy. God had forgiven their sins. It was time for the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25). Our joy in the Lord is often preceded by weeping (Psalm 126:5). Many people weep when they come to know Christ. In repentance for sin. Out of joy for being forgiven. (George Younce, who sang bass with the Cathedral Quartet for many years, was known to weep tears of joy during their concerts. I once heard him say, “If you’ve never cried tears of joy, you’ve missed the best crying there is!”) Joy is often perfected through sorrow. Earthly sorrows teach us to rejoice in the Lord. Happiness depends on circumstances, but joy is greater than circumstances. 

II. Celebrate and Give Thanks to God for His Work                  Nehemiah 12:27-31a 

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. 

What are the benefits of celebrating as a group rather than just as an individual?

Points: We are to dedicate ourselves and all we have unto the Lord, for only by His favor do we live and have all we enjoy. The Lord is to be celebrated and given thanks for the great things He has done in our midst. Music is a gift from God by which we can joyfully praise Him.

A song of celebration. They held a special service to dedicate the newly-built wall. The Levites came to Jerusalem. As the law required, they lived in various cities throughout the nation of Israel. Since this was a special occasion, they gathered in Jerusalem. They assembled a great choir with musical instruments. They were to sing songs of thanksgiving. Singing is an expression of joy. What does this text teach us about worship? Weeping and celebration are both appropriate in worship, depending on the circumstances. When we are seeking the face of God and searching our own hearts, we will often be moved to tears of repentance. When God does a great work in a church’s midst, then it’s a time for celebration. 

How do we celebrate God’s great works? 

· Through testimony, prayer, song. (I’m well-aware of the “worship wars” going on in many of today’s churches. Time does not permit me to address them in this outline; I only bring them up to acknowledge that Christians do have varying preferences when it comes to your music. Whether your taste is traditional or contemporary – or somewhere in between – your songs should always come from the heart.)

LIVE IT OUT

Every prayer, every act of service, and every moment in God’s Word is a small celebration. 

We can live lives of joy because of Christ’s work in us. We have God’s joy because the Holy Spirit sustains us. A key part of serving God is celebrating His work with praise!

Conclusion: Everyone celebrates, but not everyone gives praise. We celebrate the good that happens – graduation, the dream job, the relationship moving to the next level. But the celebration, even the one that Jesus points His audience to most – the rescue of a sinner from his sin – is without merit unless it directs us to the source of the celebration. Celebrate the event, but don’t stop there. Praise the God who made the event possible. Then your celebration will last not just for a night, but for eternity.

How can we seek joy in the midst of bone-crushing repentance? Here are four (not necessarily chronological) steps.

1. Fully Acknowledge the Weight of Your Sin.

Before David asks for joy in Psalm 51:8 and 51:12, he acknowledges the weight of his sin: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge” (Psalm 51:4). The joy of repentance flows directly out of its grief; there is no path to Sunday morning except through Friday afternoon.

Thus in repentance, we must fully acknowledge the weight of our sin; we must own the staggering cost that held Christ on that cross; we must face squarely, without excuse or evasion, the depths of our guilt before a holy God.

This means, first, that we measure our sins by God, rather than mere human factors — just as David prays, “against you only have I sinned,” even though he is repenting of sins more directly committed against Bathsheba and Uriah. And it means, second, that we agree with God’s judgment against our sin, and even join him in it — just as David prays, “you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” It might seem strange to think that joy can come from such a humbling, bone-crushing experience. But in reality, it is the only path to true joy. There is no Psalm 51:8 rejoicing without a prior Psalm 51:4 acknowledgement.

2. Boldly Claim the Promises of Grace.

In the gospel, the sins we repent of are already forgiven before we even repent. We might still have to bear the consequences of our sins for a time, and perhaps even the Lord’s gracious discipline. But because of the justifying blood of Christ, our status in the eyes of heaven never waxes and wanes with the ups and downs of our sanctification. When Christ comes into our lives, we are fully, eternally, and unchangeably forgiven. This enables us to repent with a kind of glad abandon. Repentance is like saying you’re sorry to a friend after he has already run to you, embraced you, kissed you, and clung to you. There is nothing to hide, and nothing to fear.

The gospel also enables us to lay hold of God’s promises for forgiveness and change while we are repenting. David’s prayer, “let me hear joy and gladness” in Psalm 51:8 is of one piece with his prayer, “wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” in Psalm 51:7.

Repentance is like a medicine with a bitter taste that nonetheless heals and nourishes and even consoles in our stomach. If we know the medicine will work, we don’t so much mind the bitter taste. In the gospel, the medicine works.

3. Involve Other People as Appropriate.

Repentance is first and foremost a vertical matter coram Deo (before the face of God). But sincere repentance cannot help but spill out onto the horizontal plane as well. James 5:16 envisions one way it could happen: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

When we repent before others — in an appropriate context, and in a non-showy way — James says it brings healing. It frees us from our pride, it edifies others, and it puts the power of the gospel on public display.

If you are battling a habitual sin and you have not held yourself accountable in any way, be honest with yourself: You might feel badly about your sin, but you are not actually repenting of it. Repentance is more than remorse — it means change.

Raise the stake in your repentance by involving others. Risk the bone-crushing humiliation of total honesty. It may be your path to freedom and joy.

4. Meditate on Christ’s Intercession for You.

Christ’s heavenly intercession does not atone for our sin, but it applies the benefits of his once-for-all atonement to us in our real-time struggles. As the Puritan theologian Stephen Charnock put it: “it is upon every sin he doth discharge this office, and by his interposition procures our pardon thousands of times, and preserves us from coming short of the full fruits of reconciliation at first obtained by him.”

Christ’s intercession is an incredible help to finding joy in repentance. We all know what it is like to wallow in the guilt and shame of our sin, wondering if God has run out of patience. Micah 7:8–9 seems to envision this kind of post-sin wallowing, and how Christ’s intercession functions as its answer: “when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me.”

When you are sitting in the darkness, all your bones crushed by the weight of sin and guilt, remember this: He is praying for you. With all the compassion of a father’s heart for a wayward prodigal, and with all the merits and rights of one who has paid the full penalty on your behalf, he is entertaining your case before the Father. It’s a staggering thought that the very one against whom you have sinned will plead your cause.

Such an incredible love changes the tone of our repentance. It gives us gladness amidst the sorrow. It shines a light when we are sitting in the darkness. And it gives us hope that our broken bones can sing again.