Nehemiah 8:9-18 3Ad Sermon 2018 Hush! Today is holy. Nehemiah 8:9-18 9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites, who helped the people understand, said to all the people, “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or cry!” because all the people were crying as they heard the words of the Law. 10Nehemiah0020said to them, “Go, eat rich food and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, because today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11Then the Levites silenced all the people, saying, “Hush! Today is holy. Do not grieve.” 12All the people went to eat and drink and to send portions to others and to celebrate with great joy, because they understood the words that had been made known to them. 13Now on the second day, the heads of the families of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law. 14They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the Israelites should dwell in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 15and that they should proclaim this and make this announcement in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go out to the mountains and bring branches from olive trees, wild olive trees, myrtle bushes, date palms, and leafy trees to make shelters, as it is written.” 16So the people went out and brought branches and made shelters for themselves. Each man made a shelter on his roof. They also made shelters in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the square by the Water Gate, and in the square by the Ephraim Gate. 17The entire congregation that had returned from the captivity made shelters and stayed in the shelters. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated in this way, because there was very great joy. 18Ezra also read from the Book of the Law of God every day, from the first day to the last day of the festival. They celebrated a festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly according to the ordinance.

Nehemiah 8:8-18 3Ad Sermon 2018 First we cry by our sins Hush! Today is Holy! Then we smile by his grace

From sunrise until high-noon (8:3)!! Just before the words in our lesson we learn that the people of Israel asked for a church service and they got one, one that lasted 6 hours, one that made them cry, one that brought them joy.

While they listened to the Bible you could have heard a pin drop... or maybe even a tear fall. The words of God’s expectations were being read as their tears stung and stained their cheeks. They cried in church! Do you? Does God’s Word in the Bible strike a cord in your heart, does it hit home to the point where you have to quick dig for some tissue?

We hear the message of John the Baptist preach a Baptism of repentance. That is the first part of God’s goodness, generosity and truth. God first points us to how we can relate to a people who lived 4000 years ago.

Their natural condition is not much different than ours. Their spiritual condition is not much different than ours. They had just recently been released from prison and moved back home to an unsafe place. They had trouble making their city safe because the devil, the world and their own sinful flesh tempted them with many trials, troubles and dangers.

The people realized that God was blessing their efforts and so they had a sudden surge of curiosity about their heritage and wanted to learn more about their ancestors. So the best way to do that was to go to church and learn the Bible. So much of human history repeats itself that the Bible will never grow old, will never be outdated, will never be antique.

They cried because they realized how much had been forgotten, how much had been ignored, how much had been neglected and despised. How much do people slap away the hand of God that reaches down to help and heal?

Are you safe? Are you in danger? Are you running from something or someone that is out to get you? No? well then, it’s time to come to church, it’s time to hear the Bible, it’s time to learn and relearn the truth that God speaks on this Advent Sunday of Gaudautte, “Rejoice!”

The people were crying as they heard the words of Law. God says share because I care for you. God says be forgiving because I forgive you. God says love because I am loving you. God says respect one another in a special way because you are special to me.

Just like the Israelites and their ancestors we forget how busy God has been in our lives. We forget how he watches us so closely that he doesn’t close his eyes to the things we try to hide. We forget how he has been generous to give us daily bread without our gratitude. We forget how God allows events to happen to us in order that we pay more attention to Him.

We forget our Savior when we forget our sinfulness. We forget the here and now in which God is present. We just plain forget… so like those ancient people we come to church to learn about our past so that we can be reminded about our future.

Church leaders then and now have an important job that God commands. When the Bible hits home in our hearts and the tears start to flow … notice the first thing they say, “hush, today is holy.” How can someone who is filled with guilt and remorse be comforted like that? Only by a divine God who with divine words speaks his divinely powerful mercy and peace. The Holy Spirit makes that change through these words that help us see that in the middle of our sorrow and sin - Jesus is the joy of the Lord and he is our strength!

By the miracle of forgiveness God turns bitter tears into joy-filled tears of praise.

Why did God’s people cry? Maybe because they realized how far they had fallen into sin to the point that when the Bible was read to them they realized they had forgotten. Then they understand, now you understand too!  Repentance means that we say we are sorry and show that we are sorry. Jesus says and shows how He forgives! Rejoice in Jesus!

Brothers and sisters, your Redeemer is almost here in his return trip on clouds of glory. The rose-colored Advent candle reminds us to rejoice because God in the flesh speaks to our flesh through these words of truth and joy.

Jesus turns tears into smiles…. tears of repentance into smiles of joy, Rejoice! Jesus turns tears of trouble into eyes that glisten with joy and wonder.

We already have God’s forgiveness and joy in Jesus our Resurrected Savior. There is no more reason to be sad, to be down, or to grieve… because the joy of the Lord is our strength. Jesus is your Rose-colored Joy – your very great reward – your bright morning star who comes to do more than warm your heart through these words… God fills your life with his presence. God makes faith in your heart and fills you with understanding so you can smile through the tears and know you are safe with Him.

Seven days of celebrating and joy. Eating and drinking and camping out in tree branch tents. Once slaves to sin they were now freed by the promise of forgiveness and a declaration of holiness by God’s personal touch to their lives in these words.

By Jesus resurrection he revives us, strengthens us, renews us and reminds us to rejoice!

What day is holy to the Lord? Everyday. Everyone. Everything. We are his creation and he delights in saving us back to belong to him. Notice it is the Levites (pastors) who calm and comfort the people after hearing the Law that makes them weep.

The time to feel bad about what we have done, the time to feel guilt for how we have fallen, the time to weep and mourn and cry and wail is done and over. Today is Holy, the joy of the Lord is your strength. We are weak so Jesus is strong. He fills our needs, he lives in our hearts through these words.

It is not who we are or what we do that makes today holy but rather all that Jesus is and what he has done that makes today holy. All the wrong you brought with you here today is made right by God’s forgiveness. Be filled with hope, with promise, with joy and strength! Rejoice! Because Jesus is your Redeemer!

Why did they tent? Why did they treat? Why did they celebrate those good times? Because they understood God’s Words in the Bible that were meant for them... and are meant for us. We understand the joy, purpose and meaning that Jesus brings back to us by his death and resurrection.

Hush, Today is holy! Hush, Today is joy! Hush, Today is your time to remind others about what Jesus has done for you and done for them too! Relax, Jesus renews! Be filled with smiles as God himself through these words says to your heart, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The joy that Jesus brings to you can now be joy to others who try to understand how we can have hope through our pain, suffering and sorrow.

Sometimes we even cry about the good. Do we sometimes cry at the birth of a child or grandchild. Do we cry the first time we get to hold that little tiny baby? Jesus comes again as more than a baby, then our eyes will glisten with joy as we rejoice at His return.

Any day you read your Bible you hold God’s Word in the Flesh. Every-time God speaks to your heart he always finishes with “hush, today is holy, do not grieve because the joy of the Lord is your strength”

The people who once cried now have “very great joy” because Jesus is their savior, their strength, their hope, their peace and their joy. Today is holy for your too because Jesus is just the same for all who realize their dependence on him. Amen.