Class Lesson August 19, 2018

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE 

It took a drunk man to teach me a great truth about the Bible. I was at a men’s Monday night Bible study when we heard a beat-up, old car screech in the church parking lot. A man was pushed out of the car. He stumbled to the door and began to share about his struggles. Then he said to me, “You look like a preacher. Tell me what to do.” At the time, I was a banker! 

Since I didn’t know how to respond, I randomly opened my Bible and began to read a psalm—one in which David asked God to kill his enemies! I cringed at every word. Then the guy interrupted, “That’s what I need! I need Jesus!” Christ’s name was not in the psalm! God’s Word worked, in spite of my hasty verse selection. We sobered him up and led him to Christ. He joined the church and stayed focused on God’s Word. 

As they rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah and the Jewish people learned the importance of focusing on God’s Word. Since God’s Word was central to them, they had insight in how to serve Him.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 

Nehemiah 6:1-3,15-16 

1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” ... 15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 

A celebration was close at hand for Nehemiah and the Jewish workers. They had almost finished rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. The gaps were filled. All that remained was to install the doors in the city gates. Consider all they had accomplished: In addition to doing the physical construction, they had endured ridicule and threats from outside enemies. They overcame systemic problems within the Jewish community when wealthy Jews had taken advantage of poorer Jews. Now the finish line was within sight, and they simply needed to finish strong. 

Unfortunately, their enemies made a final attempt to stop the completion of the walls, but this attack seemed more subtle than the others. Sanballat and Geshem sent Nehemiah a letter requesting a meeting. Nehemiah knew they had evil intent: “They intended to do me harm.” These enemies could kidnap Nehemiah—or worse. They knew the Jews viewed Nehemiah as more than a project manager; he was their spiritual leader. Without Nehemiah, the people would be demoralized and work would probably cease. 

Nehemiah recognized Sanballat and his gang for the enemies they were. He and they were all well aware their window of opportunity was closing. The work on the wall would soon be done. Once the gates were in place, only a siege could take the city, a move Sanballat was not likely to take. So Nehemiah stayed focused on the task of leading the final push to complete the wall. 

We are to stay focused because God’s name and His work are at stake. The work was important because God was behind it. After only 52 days, the wall was completed. When Nehemiah’s enemies heard the news, they “were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem.” This was a complete reversal; the intimidators became the intimidated. Why? “They perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” God’s work pointed to Him and brought Him glory and recognition—even among their enemies. 

We simply must stay focused on the God-given task before us; we must keep serving until God completes His work. And He will complete His work in us and through us. What God starts, He finishes! God does not do things halfway. “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). 

Nehemiah 8:1-3 

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Nehemiah knew the people also needed to give God’s Word their attention. Nehemiah did more than rebuild a wall; he wanted to rebuild the people spiritually. As the crowd gathered, they requested Ezra the priest to bring out God’s Word and read it. 

God’s Word has value for all of us. 

• The Bible shows us God. It drives me crazy when I drop food in my car. I’ve got to find it because I don’t want to remember it weeks later when I find it melted and ground into the carpet. It’s a frantic search. People frantically search for God, too, but where do we find Him? The Word of God. 

• The Bible shows us how to live. The Bible doesn’t just show us God; it also reveals who we are and who we can be in Christ. If God had inspired no written record, then we could not have any assurances of what He wants for us! 

• The Bible shows us how to live and serve together. When we come to Christ, we come to His body, the church. Growing in that relationship, then, is something we do together. Churches that are the most focused on God’s Word will be the most unified. 

The only way this unity occurs is when the church is completely focused and devoted to the foundation of Scripture. Giving attention to God’s Word—and obeying it—helps us stay unified in the work He has given us. 

Nehemiah 8:5-8 

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. 

Ezra and thirteen other men stood on a large wooden platform. Ezra “opened the book,” or more technically, unrolled the scroll of God’s Word. The Word of God led the people to worship, and their worship was both vocal and physical. They shouted, “Amen, Amen,” an expression of confirmation and agreement with God’s Word. Worship is a natural response to hearing and accepting the truth God had revealed. 

Verse 7 mentions thirteen other men—Levites—who explained the law. They translated the law and gave “the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (emphasis added). They went beyond just making sure the people heard God’s Word; they also wanted the people to understand God’s Word. We do not know exactly how this scene played out, but it appears the people may have gathered in small groups to study together. 

The principle remains today. We need to hear God’s Word proclaimed in a large corporate gathering and study God’s Word in smaller group settings. When we are teachable, we can understand and apply God’s Word to our lives. How should we thank God for His Word? 

The answer is simple. We worship the One to whom the Bible points: Jesus Christ. 

LIVE IT OUT

We will not know what God wants for us unless we are studying Scripture regularly. How can we best do that? 

• Read. Make the reading of God’s Word a daily priority. Adopt a Bible reading plan or use a devotional guide to help you read systematically through the Scriptures. 

• Study. In addition to being a part of a weekly Bible study group, plan for a time of concentrated study by yourself or with one to two other people. One option is to take the passage you study each week in your group and study it further. 

• Memorize. Hide God’s Word in your heart through memorization. Memorize one to two verses a week that encourage you, challenge you, and help you draw closer to Christ. Apps like ScriptureTyper can be used on your phone or tablet to help you memorize scripture during the week. 

God’s Word must be central to your life in order to serve Him faithfully. Cherish your time in the Word, and God will honor your efforts.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

Teacher's Notes:

Video: Tim Tebow – Shaken (Who are we?)

What have we learned about building a life of service to God?

A life of Service to God:

1. PRAYS - Pour your heart out to God in prayer. Pray about all things. Be aware of the needs of people around you. Always acknowledge God. Look to God for all guidance.

2. PLANS – That means to be intentional about serving God. It also means that we must Act when opportunities present themselves. 

3. REQUIRES PERSISTANCE – When we do God’s work it will bring about opposition. In spite of that opposition, we are to prayerfully do what God has led us to do. 

4. PROTECT OUR WALK - We cannot separate who we are from what we do. Christians should protect their witness and their fellow Christians. 

5. PRIORITIZES God’s Word. It must be central to our service. 

There’s a real debate going on in the church regarding expository vs topical preaching. In both topical and textual sermons, the Bible passage is used as support material for the topic. In expository sermons, the Bible passage is the topic, and support materials are used to explain and clarify it. 

• Our lesson tells the story of the drunk man showing up at a men’s Monday night Bible study. He stumbled to the door and began to share about his struggles. Then he said to one of the men, “You look like a preacher. Tell me what to do.” The man was a banker not a preacher. He didn’t know how to respond, he randomly opened his Bible and began to read a psalm—one in which David asked God to kill his enemies! What…why did he pick that one as he cringed at every word. Then the guy interrupted, “That’s what I need! I need Jesus!” Christ’s name was not even in the psalm! God’s Word worked, in spite of his hasty verse selection. They sobered him up and led him to Christ. He joined the church and stayed focused on God’s Word.                                                                                  
• Some say that preachers are trying to reach today’s culture with everything except the Word of God. Last summer, one of our church members had her granddaughter staying with her, and she brought her to church. Her granddaughter had also attended another large church in her area, and she said the pastor’s entire sermon was structured around an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. He did throw in a few token Scripture verses, but the movie was his main focus. Her granddaughter told her, “I miss Pastor Ken.” I don’t claim to be a great preacher; that’s not my point. The point is, even teenagers have a hunger for God’s Word. Give it to them and satisfy their hunger!

Nehemiah 6 & 8 show how Nehemiah prioritized two important elements of a life of service to God. 

The first is …

I. The Priority of God’s Work Nehemiah 6:1-3,15-16 

1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 

... 15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 

What were Nehemiah’s enemies trying to do now to distract him from completing the work?

• They were desperate. The wall was almost complete, and their efforts to stop it were failing. So, they tried a new approach, centering their attacks on Nehemiah’s character. They attacked him with rumors (6:6), deceit (6:10-13), and false reports (6:17).
• The wall was nearing completion, so Sanballat tried a new tactic. He tried to lure Nehemiah away from the work. He was likely trying to get Nehemiah alone, so he could kill him. In any case, we can be sure he was up to no good. Nehemiah declined. Even if Sanballat was calling for a legitimate peace conference, it could wait until the wall was complete. 

How did he respond?

• Nehemiah trusted God to accomplish the task and overlooked the abuse. He made the work a priority and that helped push aside the distractions. He responded with persistence, dedication, and making God’s work a priority. Keeping our priorities and completing the work God has called us to can lead others to see the Lord God who was at work in and through us. 

What should be the priority work in the church? 

• Evangelism. Someone has wisely said that churches do not “drift” toward evangelism. They drift away from it. Vance Havner used to say, “Evangelism is to Christianity what veins are to our bodies. You can cut Christianity anywhere and it will bleed evangelism. Evangelism is vascular, it’s our business. Talk about majoring on evangelism, you might as well talk about a doctor majoring on healing. That’s our business.” 
• Discipleship. It is not enough simply to get people through the baptismal waters. We must also ground them in the local church and God’s Word. Evangelism and discipleship go hand-in-hand.

God’s work pointed to Him and brought Him glory and recognition—even among their enemies. What God starts, He finishes! God does not do things halfway. “I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). 

The 2nd is … 

II. The Priority of God’s Word Nehemiah 8:1-8 

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

Who was Ezra?

• Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries, although Ezra was probably much older. Nehemiah, as governor, was the political leader; and Ezra, as priest and scribe, was the religious leader. 

Why is it significant that Nehemiah wasn’t a religious leader?

• Ezra, not Nehemiah, was the official religious leader. It’s significant that Nehemiah was a layman, not a member of the religious establishment or a prophet. He was motivated by his own relationship with God, and devoted his life to doing God’s will in a secular world. This speaks to each of us as being crucial to God’s work in all aspects of life. No matter what your work or role in life, view it as God’s special calling to serve Him.

What was the significance to the reading of God’s Word?

• It says that the people listened attentively to Ezra as he read God’s Word, and their lives were changed. Because we hear the Bible so often, we can become dulled to its words and immune to its teachings. Instead, we should listen carefully to every verse and ask the Holy Spirit to help us answer the question, “How does this apply to my life?”
• God’s Word speaks to people of all generations, young and old alike. We desire to read the Bible because we know it to be the Word of the Lord. Our reading the Word of the Lord is to be accompanied by our commitment to understanding it. Because the Bible is God’s Word, we are to give it our utmost attention. Giving attention to God’s Word – and obeying it – helps us stay focused on the work He has given to us.
• The people asked Ezra to read the Law of Moses to them. Some years had passed since they returned from Babylon, and there were signs of complacency among them. The law reminded them how they had strayed. 

Why should the Word of God take priority in our churches? 

• Without it, the church has nothing. 
• It is the church’s instruction book. 
• It is our only offensive weapon in spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:17). 
• It is our spiritual food. 
• It alone has the answer to life’s biggest questions. 
• It points out our basic problem (Romans 3:23). 
• It points us to the only solution (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). 

Why do you think it’s important for us to study the Bible as a group and not just by ourselves?

• The principle remains today. We need to hear God’s Word proclaimed in a large corporate gathering and study God’s Word in smaller group settings. When we are teachable, we can understand and apply God’s Word to our lives. 

• Worship of God is a natural response to hearing His Word. Our reading of God’s Word is to be enhanced by our studying it. Some people are called to the ministry of helping others understand God’s Word.

LIVE IT OUT

When God’s Work and Word are a priority in your life then you can serve Him well. He fed 5000 with all that a little boy had. He spoke to millions through a simple willingness to wear John 3:16 during a football game.

“Jesus isn’t asking for what you don’t have, all He’s asking is for everything you do have.”

Give it to Him, make Jesus a priority and watch what He will do.

What is expository preaching?

Answer: Expository preaching involves the exposition, or comprehensive explanation, of the Scripture; that is, expository preaching presents the meaning and intent of a biblical text, providing commentary and examples to make the passage clear and understandable. The word exposition is related to the word expose — the expository preacher’s goal is simply to expose the meaning of the Bible, verse by verse.

As a method, expository preaching differs from topical preaching and textual preaching. To prepare a topical sermon, the preacher starts with a topic and then finds a passage in the Bible that addresses that topic. For example, for the chosen topic of “Laziness,” the preacher might refer to Proverbs 15:19 and 18:9 and touch on Romans 12:11 and 2 Thessalonians 3:10. None of the passages is studied in depth; instead, each is used to support the theme of laziness.

In a textual sermon, the preacher uses a particular text to make a point without examining the original intent of that text. For example, someone could use Isaiah 66:7-13 to preach on motherhood, although motherhood is only peripheral in that text, being merely an illustration of the true theme, which is the restoration of Israel during the Millennial Kingdom.

In both topical and textual sermons, the Bible passage is used as support material for the topic. In expository sermons, the Bible passage is the topic, and support materials are used to explain and clarify it.

To prepare an expository sermon, the preacher starts with a passage of Scripture and then studies the grammar, the context, and the historical setting of that passage in order to understand the author’s intent. In other words, the expositor is also an exegete—one who analyzes the text carefully and objectively. (See our article “What is the difference between exegesis and eisegesis?”) Once the preacher understands the meaning of the passage, he then crafts a sermon to explain and apply it. The result is expository preaching.

G. Campbell Morgan, pastor of London’s Westminster Chapel and known as “the prince of expositors,” taught that a sermon is limited by the text it is covering. Every word from the pulpit should amplify, elaborate on, or illustrate the text at hand, with a view towards clarity. He wrote, “The sermon is the text repeated more fully.” A sermon’s primary function is to present the text.

While exposition is not the only valid mode of preaching, it is the best for teaching the plain sense of the Bible. Expositors usually approach Scripture with these assumptions: 

1. The Bible is God’s Word. If every word of God is pure and true (Psalm 12:6; 19:9; 119:140), then every word deserves to be examined and understood.
2. Men need divine wisdom in order to understand the Word (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). 
3. The preacher is subject to the text, not the other way around. Scripture is the authority, and its message must be presented honestly, apart from personal bias.
4. The preacher’s job is to clarify the text and call for a corresponding response from his hearers. 

An expositor cares little if his audience says, “What a great sermon” or “What an entertaining speaker.” What he truly wants them to say is, “Now I know what that passage means,” or “I better understand who God is and what He requires of me.”