Oct 18, 2020
Renewal – Life Lessons From Nehemiah
Christ-Centered– Neh. 8
By Louie Marsh, 10-18-2020
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THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS ALL ABOUT JESUS!
“2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2, ESV)
These things that I once considered valuable, I now consider worthless for Christ. It's far more than that! I consider everything else worthless because I'm much better off knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. It's because of him that I think of everything as worthless. I threw it all away in order to gain Christ and to have a relationship with him. This means that I didn't receive God's approval by obeying his laws. The opposite is true! I have God's approval through faith in Christ. This is the approval that comes from God and is based on faith that knows Christ. Faith knows the power that his coming back to life gives and what it means to share his suffering. In this way I'm becoming like him in his death, with the confidence that I'll come back to life from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11 (GW)
Common Christian Substitutes for Christ-Centeredness
Moralism is a philosophy that arose in the 19th century that concerns itself with imbuing society with a certain set of morals, usually traditional behaviour, but also "justice, freedom, and equality". Wikipedia
Moralism is the belief that you are made right with God, forgiven, go to heaven, etc. by your high moral standards of belief and behavior.
It’s my knowledge of doctrine and the Bible that makes me spiritual and saves me.
Self is the center of everything in the modern world.
5 Signs I’m Christ Centered
1) I faithfully CARRY OUT my ministry.
“1And all the people gathered as one man 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. 2So 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.” (Nehemiah 8:1–2, ESV)
The public reading of the Scriptures was required by the law to be made every seventh year; but during the long period of the captivity this excellent practice, with many others, had fallen into neglect, till revived, on this occasion. A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments.
2) I ABSORB God’s Word to grow spiritually.
“3And 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.” “8They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:3,8, ESV)
3) I WORSHIP Jesus with a grateful heart.
“6And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” (Nehemiah 8:6, ESV)
4) I SHARE the joy with my brothers & sisters.
“9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.” (Nehemiah 8:9–12, ESV)
5) I TELL OTHERS about what Jesus has done for me.
“14And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”” (Nehemiah 8:14–15, ESV)