The race isn’t over till it’s over
Nehemiah 8:1-18
Chapter eight begins with, “All the people came together as one.” They had been separated, scattered: first by the Exile in Babylon, then by the time it took to recover from the Exile. But now they were able to return, to gather together once again. They returned “as one”.  When they were all together, they were complete. Had some not returned, they wouldn’t have felt whole. 
That’s the same for us. Right now, with this four-week lockdown extension, we still feel like the people of Jerusalem – scattered. But, the end is in sight. The end has a date and it’s 25th July. Please don’t think it doesn’t matter whether or not you return. It does. We are more complete, with you!
Where did they gather? In the square. Not in the temple, but in the square, where life and faith were to be lived out. Gathering is important
And they gathered before the Water Gate, the Gihon spring. This is the spring that inspired Ezekiel’s prophecy of the River of God, flowing out from under the Temple, bringing life to wherever it flowed. Remember High Vis Man?: dipping his toe in, then ankle deep, knee deep, waste deep, before finally deciding to go all-in into the things of Gid. The Bible is the unfolding story of God. Don’t be surprised when it all inter-links.
Nehemiah wants us to know, it’s not just about a wall. It’s about a Movement, not a monument. Just as a river flows/ moves, so does the Holy Spirit. God is on the move. And if we want to be with God in His presence, we too better be prepared to move with God. It’s all about a movement, not a monument.
Ezra, the Priest, then brought out the Book of the Law of Moses – the book of Leviticus. He’s again reminding the people that they are part of a Movement, that began way back with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses…
And it was a radical movement. Verse two says the assembly was made up of men AND women. This growing community was to be an inclusive community. Not just men, but men AND women.
And intergenerational too. It comprised “All who were able to understand” The children and young people were included too.
No wonder two of our values are being inclusive and intergenerational.
Ezra read the Scriptures from daybreak till noon, over 6 hours. And so that everyone had a good view, Ezra stood on a raised platform. Our raised platform arrived this week.
Ezra was accompanied by 13 others.
Verse thirteen says, “And all the people listened attentively.” They didn’t just hear the words, they digested them. The people were helped by the Levites who, in small groups, gave explanation/ helped people understand the meaning. Then the Scriptures came alive to them, That’s why we both GATHER on Sundays and CONNECT in small groups. Both/ and, not either/or. Did you know we produce Small Group/ Reflection notes to accompany each talk? They’re a great tool to help you discuss, reflect, go further… Find them on our website, ChesterRoadBaptist.org.uk/Resources
By being attentive, actively listening, they came to realise two things:
First, they needed to re-align their lives with the plumbline of Scripture. The more Ezra read the Scriptures, the more they realised aspects of their lives needed to change. It was like coming under the surgeon’s knife.
Hebrews four tell us: 
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Often, what we read in the Bible is so uplifting, encouraging. It’s like honey, a pampering session at a cosy spar.  But just occasionally, Scripture doesn’t massage us, it cuts us up. But grace abounds!
This was the seventh month of the year. The tenth day was the Day of Atonement – the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The people of Jerusalem found themselves weeping. But, grace abounds.
So Ezra tells them to feast, to enjoy good food and drink.  Just remember to include others too – be that inclusive community.
So, by being attentive, actively listening, first they needed to align with Scripture. Second, they were to be a people on a mission.
It says, verse 14, “They found written in the Law...”  That truth had always been there in the Law. No doubt they’d read it many times before. But now, it was as if it had come alive to them – like a new revelation. Timeless truth. Have you experienced that? Each generation ‘discovers’ timeless truth that was always there in the Scriptures but, for what ever reason, we were previously blinded to. What will come alive us to us in the years to come?
The seventh month was also the feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot. Again, it’s in Leviticus 23. Once a year, the people were to make and then spend seven nights sleeping in temporary shelters. Making a shelter out of branches and leaves, It was the stuff of Bear Grylls. No matter how rich or poor you were, everyone was to do the same, as a reminder that they were part of a movement, not a monument. A movement that had included:
Abram – leave and go. Where? To a land I will show you.
Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and then journeying for years in the wilderness, led by the pillar of smoke by day and the pillar of fire by night.
Joshua crossing the River Jordan.
God had called the Israelites to be pioneers. But when they reached the ‘promised land’, they instead became settlers. And it eventually led to their exile in Babylon.
Ezra was reminding Nehemiah and the people that, though they had returned to Jerusalem, and though they had just bust a gut to rebuild the wall, they too were called to be pioneers, not settlers, a movement, not a monument.
We’ve just spent an intense six weeks working on our facilities. And it’s starting to look and feel amazing. I can’t wait for us to gather in four weeks time - 25th July. We’ve sought to create a flexible space that enables us to create a more informal, open, contemporary vibe in the mornings, and a more formal, traditional vibe in the evenings. All in one space.
But I think God wants to remind us still some more… It’s not about our building, it never was. It’s not about our levelled floor; our new flexible, comfortable seats. It’s not about our stained-glass windows, high vaulted ceilings, exposed brick walls and pillars. It’s not even about whether we face left or right., front or back, down or up. We don’t worship the building. We’re not about creating a monument.
It’s all about Jesus. It’s Jesus we gather together as a movement to worship.
I’m not sure building a Temple was ever God’s BIG idea. Now, a Tabernacle, that was different. A Tabernacle could move, it could serve a movement. Whereas a Temple was static, fixed, more of a monument.
John’s Gospel tells us Jesus, the Word, became flesh and ‘tabernacled’ among us. Jesus IS what the bricks and mortar Temple could never be.
We mustn’t ever make the mistake the Israelites made by confusing the bricks, stone, glass, wood of the temple in Jerusalem (or elsewhere) with Jesus. He is the True Temple.
It’s all about Jesus and the mission and ministry God has called us to. We must remain nimble, flexible, adaptable. We must be about a movement, not a monument.
And when the people of Jerusalem did this, in verse 17, it says, “And their joy was very great.”
Who has the most joy, those who settle for a monument or those that are part of a pioneering movement? Let’s choose wisely!
Finally, in worship, the people of Jerusalem responded to God by raising their hands, shouting Amen, Amen, Amen, and bowing down. When your focus is truly on God you don’t worry about what others might think or what they are doing. Things went horribly wrong for the Israelites when they became more concerned with their monument.
                					DannyBrierley@ChesterRoadBaptist.org.uk