Sermon Central
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It's Not About The Wall
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Nov 5, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: The wall is finished, but the real work has just begun. It's not about the wall, it's about the Word and the Worship that will be shared within the walls. Link inc. to formatted text, audio/video, PowerPoint.
It's Not About the Wall
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/NotAboutTheWall.html
We've spent 18 sermons on the rebuilding of the wall. But it's not about the wall, it's about the Word, and the worship. In spite of all the dirty devil's efforts to prevent it from taking form, the wall was completed.
15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
Chapter 7 tells how the people got organized, housed and fed, and they all got involved in a big love offering, from the least to the greatest, to jump start their new spiritual life in their new city with their new wall.
The wall is finished, but the real work has just begun. And God's real purpose for the wall is just beginning. Thank God His people in Jerusalem did not have a 'monument' mentality. They didn't see building the wall as the ultimate goal. They understood that what went on inside the walls was what really mattered. What will now happen inside was the reason the walls were built in the first place.
This week a new roof was put right above our heads. It's much better, and looks great, but it's what happens under it that counts!
Once the wall was finished the people began to worship and they had revival! They had an old fashioned, heaven sent, sin erasing, devil chasing, window shaking, soul saving revival!! And it was all based on the Word! It's not about the wall, it's about the Word and worship that went on inside the wall.
5 elements of this worship:
1. It was rooted in a Hunger for the Word.
v. 1 "We want to hear what God has said!" This happened at the water gate, a symbol of the Word! The people gathered there in great number because they were hungry for the Word. Are you hungry for the Word? Is that why you've gathered here today? Are you really hungry for it? Does that mean you'll gather at the gate again tonite? Wed. nite? Were you gathered there at 9:30 this morning in s.s.? Will you be hungry on a Monday or a Thursday too?
A little boy brought his father the family Bible from the coffee table. "What is this daddy?" "It's the Bible, it's God's book." his dad replied. "Then should we give it back to Him since we don't use it?"
How about your Bible? Does it collect dust on a table or shelf? Do you even need to take it home or could it just stay in your seat all week?
Another lady wanted to impress the preacher when he dropped by for a visit. She said to her daughter, "Honey, go get the blessed book mama loves so much." She ran off and returned w/ the Sears catalog!
I hope you're hungry, because we've got a feast set before us, and it would be a shame not to clean our plates!
9 ... the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
We're not gonna have revival in America because of the election results. We're only gonna see revival when God's people want the Word more than they want money, prosperity, or healthcare.
12 ... I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
I'm addicted. I'm addicted to food! So are you!! Just fast from it for 24 hours and you'll know it. In just a few hours you'll find yourself looking longingly at that fridge, saying, remember what we used to have together? Remember when I would throw open your door and indulge in anything I wanted? Oh my love, we can have it all again, you and me!
We've got a love affair w/ our refrigerator and we cheat on it with many restaurants! But abstinence is not the choice we make...at least not for long. Most of us can't go 7 hours without eating, but we can go 7 days without partaking from the Word of God! Something is wrong. We feed the flesh bountifully but we don't feed our Spirit properly. No wonder our flesh grows and our Spirit shrinks up against our spine!
"These hath God married and no man shall part,
dust on the Bible and drought in the heart."
162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
That's hidden treasure! David said, I go on a daily treasure hunt, and it's not hard to find gold nuggets in this Book! We may call it hidden treasure, but it's hidden right under our noses!
Nehemiah's people were hungry for the Word more than food, gold, or treasure. Keep in mind they didn't all have copies of the Word. They didn't have a Bible bookstore on the corner. Most of them only heard the Word when someone would stand and read it publicly.
