Nehemiah 8

As a launch team at Harvest we have been looking at Nehemiah under the title 'Restoring a City.' On Sunday we spent some time in chapter 8 and looked what does it mean to have God's Word as central to what we do. Here are my notes from it:

Restoring a City: Nehemiah 8
Word-centredness produces worshipping community.

What would we suggest being at the heart of such an occasion?
They don't ask for a show
They don't crave a circus
They ask for God's Word
Call for us to abandon attractional tendencies and pursue Biblical priorities.

Anticipation breeds attendance (1)
Starving ears and hearts come longing to hear from God.
Thirsty people will gather where they will be quenched.

Appetite breeds attention(2-3)
The absence of something vital tends to focus the mind.
People willingly listen when they know there is life in the message.

Ascendance breeds acknowledgement (4-5)
The place given to God’s Word in a church defines the place it will have in the believer’s heart.

Ascription breeds adoration (6)
The priority given to God in a church defines the priority He will have in the believer’s heart.
The place of God's Word and the priority of God are inseparable- if we don't elevate what God's Word says then we cannot worship God for who He is.

Explanation breeds application (7-8)
Preaching for transformation not just education.
If we invest in the depth God will take care of the breadth..

Designed to replace grief with joy as lasting fruit. (9-12)