Sermon Notes, November
3, 2013
Pastor Jan Sinozich
Pastor Jan’s
message, fifth in the series “Living Life On Purpose,” was titled “There is
Joy—the Joy of the Lord” and was based on Nehemiah 8:1-10. The wall was finished. The people who were assigned to live in
Jerusalem moved in, and the rest were settled in their towns. All the people assembled in the square before
the Water Gate. Ezra the scribe stood on a high
platform so everyone could see. The
people told Ezra to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses. He read it aloud to everyone, from daybreak
to noon. And the people listened
attentively. They wept when the Word was
explained to them. They responded and repented. And they worshiped God. Nehemiah, Ezra, the
scribes and Levites told the people, “This is a sacred day. Don’t mourn or weep; do not grieve, for the
joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Joy is the
result of knowing who we are and whose we are. The people learned they were God’s chosen
people. They were valued and loved by
Him, and were accountable to Him—to be like Him. They were created for His purpose and in His
image. The truth is that the world and
all that is in it are God’s. Where does
life begin? In the heart of God.
Joy is the
result of discovering God’s will in His Word. Psalm 119:105 says “Your Word is a lamp for
my feet and a light to my path.” We have
a tendency to create God in our own image, rather than realizing we were
created in HIS image. We don’t want the
truth, but twist it to our likes. We
need to read the Word to know where we came from, and where we’re going. We have no direction because we’ve neglected
God’s Word.
Joy is in the
discovery of grace through repentance.
Joy comes after repentance.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us God’s Word is alive and active, sharper than a
double-edged sword. Joy is found in
confronting sin and receiving God’s grace.
Then we’ll serve Him in obedient love. And at the judgment, we’ll hear Him say, “Well
done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
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