L IVING THE N EW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST Romans 12:1, John 14:21, Nehemiah 8:13-18

L IVING THE NEW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— this is your true and proper worship (spiritual acts of worship”. John 14:21 “ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

L IVING THE NEW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST Nehemiah 8:13-18 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. 14 They found written in the Law, which the L ORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month 15 and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem:

L IVING THE NEW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths”— as it is written. So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.

L IVING THE NEW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great. 18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.

L IVING THE NEW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST I.Obedience Requires Hunger for God’s Word II.Obedience Requires Humility before God III.Obedience Results in Happiness

L IVING THE NEW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST Post-exilic period: after 70 years of captivity Returned to Judah at the decree of King Cyrus Nehemiah: Jerusalem wall and gates rebuilt Ezra: Taught the words of the Law

L IVING THE NEW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST Nehemiah 8: 1-12 On the first day of the seventh month… Verse 3: “and the people listened attentively to the book of the Law” Verse 6 “’all the people responded, ‘amen, amen, then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground”

L IVING THE NEW L IFE : O BEDIENCE TO C HRIST Verse 8 “they read from the book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read to them.”

I. O BEDIENCE R EQUIRES H UNGER FOR GOD ’ S W ORD Verse 13 “On the second day of the month…. gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.” 12 annual feasts : three most important ones Passover Feast of Weeks or Harvest (Pentecost) Feast of Tabernacles or Booths

I. O BEDIENCE R EQUIRES H UNGER FOR GOD ’ S W ORD Verse 2-3 “So on the first day…Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly….He read it aloud from daybreak till noon…” Verse 10 “ Nehemiah said “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks and send some to those who have nothing prepared……The joy of Lord is your strength”

I. O BEDIENCE R EQUIRES H UNGER FOR G OD ’ S W ORD V. 13 “On the second day…..” Amos 8:11 “The days are coming” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD” Psalm 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for thee O God. My soul thirst for thee, for the living God”

II. O BEDIENCE R EQUIRES H UMILITY B EFORE G OD Verse 13 “On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law” Verse 16 “So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths …..and lived in them.” Verse 17 “The whole company that had returned from the exile built booths and lived in them”

II. O BEDIENCE R EQUIRES H UMILITY B EFORE G OD Proverbs 3:7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes…..” Proverbs 26:12 “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Romans 12:16 (modern paraphrase) “Do not be wise in your own opinion”

II. O BEDIENCE R EQUIRES H UMILITY BEFORE G OD Obedience to the Lord is daily and life long experience. Verse 18 “Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God.”

III. O BEDIENCE R ESULTS IN H APPINESS Verse 17 “The whole company …built booths and lived in them….The Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great” NIV “And there was great rejoicing” NASB

III. O BEDIENCE R ESULTS IN H APPINESS Trust and Obey #329 “When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, What a glory he sheds on our way. While we do his good will, he abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey,”