1. God’s Word – The Center of our Christian Walk
Nehemiah 8:1-8

2. God’s Word is to be read
God’s Word is to be heard
God’s Word is to be desired and honored
God’s is to be taught
God’s Word is to be responded to

3. Nehemiah 8:1-8
8:1 – “And all the people gathered as one 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.”
8:2 – “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.”
8:3 – “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.”

4. Nehemiah 8:1-8
8:4 – “And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand.
8:5 – “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood.”
8:6 – “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 worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.”

5. Nehemiah 8:1-8
8:7 – “Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozebad, Hanan, Peliah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places.”
8:8 – “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the meaning, so that the people understood the reading.”

6. God’s Word Needs to be Read for Believers to be Spiritually Renewed
Verses 1-3
Ezra
Returned to Jerusalem 14 years before Nehemiah
Returned with a group of Jewish exiles
A scribe and a priest
7th month
3 important Feasts
Feasts of Trumpets on the first day - Leviticus 23:24
The Feasts of Booths on the
The Feasts of Tabernacles on the 21st day

7. God’s Word Needs to be Read for Believers to be Spiritually Renewed
They gathered together as one
Unity and one purpose
Nehemiah 7:66-67 – “The whole assembly together was ,360, besides their male and female servants of whom there were 7, 337. and they had 245 singers, male and female.”
Does your church read God’s Word?
Do you read God’s Word?

8. God’s Word Needs to be Heard for Believers to be Spiritually Renewed
Verse 3 and verse 8
Heard -
Listen to with attention and interest
Hear and process the information
Romans 10:17 – “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.”
Check your hearing

9. God’s Word Needs to be Desired and Honored for Believers to be Spiritually Renewed
The Jews gathered together showed their desire and honor for God’s Word by:
1 – wanting to hear God’s Word – verse 1
2 – listening for 6 hours – verse 3
3 – being attentive to God’s Word – verse 3
4 – standing for 6 hours – verse 5
5 – making preparations beforehand – verse 4
6 – worshipping God because of His Word – verse 6
What do you desire and honor?
What do you pay the most attention to?

10. God’s Word Needs to be Taught for Believers to be Spiritually Renewed
Verses 7-8
Bible teaching – Nehemiah 8:8 – 3 steps
Presentation – they read God’s Word
Explanation – They gave the meaning of God’s Word
Application – so that they people understood
Understood – understand in a way so as to use the information

11. God’s Word Needs to be Responded to for Believers to be Spiritually Renewed
The rest of chapter 8 and chapter 9
The people responded by:
Weeping
Having joy
Being obedient
Confessing and repenting of sin
Being renewed – a newfound passion for God
James 1:22 – “But be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

12. Conclusion Put God’s Word at the center of your Christian walk:
Read God’s Word
Hear God’s Word
Desire and honor God’s Word
Teach and/or be taught God’s Word
Respond to God’s Word
God’s Word will change your life