Good Snakes And Bad Snakes                                     
                                             Nehemiah 9:1-6 (#15)  Click Here to listen (mp3)
 snakecharmerThis young man set a record that probably doesn’t interest you. He is a Thai snake charmer who set a new Guinness World Record…by kissing 19 deadly cobras, besting a standing seven-year record of 11 kisses.  (Click here to see a video of this nut!)

At the risk of being tagged politically incorrect, I wonder—Are you prejudiced? 
Are you prejudiced against snakes?

*…If a family of snakes moved in next door or into your back yard, do you
 think it would lower your property values?

*…Suppose your daughter brought home a snake for dinner. Would your
 family be comfortable with that?

Chances are you are prejudiced against snakes.

What you fail to realize is that there are bad snakes, but there are good snakes, and the bad snakes give the good snakes a bad name. 

According to the encyclopedia, there are between 2,500 and 3,000 different varieties of snakes crawling around our planet, and most of them are good snakes! They eat rodents; they get rid of mice and rats. 

But for some reason, whenever you think of snakes, you always think of the bad variety—like copperheads, rattlers, vipers and cobras.  No doubt about it…those bad snakes give the good snakes a bad name.

It is true that there are snakes you ought to be prejudiced against, but the key is learning to tell a good snake from a bad snake. It’s called discernment.

Difference Makers are people of discernment…who know the difference…In what they hear!

That’s the subject of Nehemiah chapter 8.  (I & Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah)This incredible chapter records one of the great revivals of history.  The wall at Jerusalem is now complete; the people step forward with passion, “Bring The Book!” they cry. They knew that there is something even more vital, more non-negotiable than security, peace and prosperity… There is a spiritual need deep in the human heart that can only be filled by God Himself, that’s why even atheists pray.  They desperately needed spiritual revival. 
 
In this passage, we discover three non-negotiables for revival; three things that are always present…no matter the century or the culture…1. There is a removal of sin—V9
2. There is a return to God’s Word—Vv 1, 6, 8
3. There is a renewal of worship—V 6

      Verse 6 says, “…they bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD with
      their faces to the ground.”Due to popular demand, Ezra, with the scrolls of Scripture in hand, steps onto a platform, flanked by 13 men. This has been called “the perfect church service”:  A Spirit-filled preacher, reading and preaching the Word to people with open minds and surrendered hearts before the Lord.

Due to popular demand, Ezra, with the scrolls of Scripture in hand, steps onto a platform, flanked by 13 men. This has been called “the perfect church service”:  A Spirit-filled preacher, reading and preaching the Word to people with open minds and surrendered hearts before the Lord.The Dynamic Dozen, Plus 1, literally took the Word to the people…They left the platform and formed small groups all across the square, where the Word was further explained, and people had opportunity to ask questions.

This is a primary purpose of effective Sunday school classes, bible studies and small groups of all varieties— To provide opportunity for the text and the teaching to be made clear and practical; a place where folks can get their questions answered, and to take the sermon or lesson to the next level of application.

I smile when someone in a group raises their hand or speaks up and the first words out of their mouth is, “I know this is a stupid question but…”  I always remind them, and the group, there are no stupid questions; only unasked questions.

They “helped the people” in another sense. The phrase, “and they gave the sense” in verse 8, may mean, “to translate.”  Ezra read from Hebrew scrolls;
the people who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem spoke Aramaic, a dialect of Hebrew.  So, the Dynamic Dozen Plus 1, took the Hebrew Scriptures and helped the people understand in their language.

Thank God that we hold in our hands a copy of God’s word in English…our native language.

Thanks God for people like Cam Townsend and the Wycliffe translators, and so many others, who have given their lives to the translation of the Word of God into other languages.

Most of you are aware that contradiction swirls around the English translations, particularly the King James Version.  There are many in fundamentalism, who are termed “King James Only.” That is, they hold vehemently that the King James Version is the inspired Word of God, and all other translations are corrupt counterfeits.  I recently heard a fundamentalist preacher refer to the NIV as the HIV. 

I saw a license plate recently that read, “King James 1611.”  I would venture a guess that dear, sincere person has never seen a 1611 translation of the King James.  I have one with me, if you would like to see it after the service; it’s very difficult to read.  What we have is a third or fourth edition of the KJV.

One person reported seeing a bumper sticker that read (I’m not making this up):  “If the KJV was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me!”

Let me make three simple statements, before passing on…

1. No translation is “inspired” in the same sense as the original manuscripts
    (autographs).  We have no “original manuscripts.” Thinking, Bible believing
    people have always believed this.2. God has spoken through writing (Revelation); that writing is without error
    (inerrant); God guides translators so as to preserve the integrity of His
     Word.

3. Living languages are dynamic, therefore, they are always changing.
    New, trustworthy translations are essential if every generation is to have
    the Word of God in its language.  (We must know the difference between
    good snakes and bad snakes to be sure.)

    All of my life I’ve heard the phrase, “I don’t want to sound like a broken
    record but…”  Would one of you teens or person in your twenties tell me
    what that means?  “Record, what’s that? Who broke it?”   A contemporary
    equivalent might be, “I don’t want to sound like a scratched CD,” but even
    that’s passé in an iPod world!    Suppose the only available English translation were John Wycliffe’s
    Version of the Bible, the oldest version in English?  Study this NT passage,
    can you identify the reference?

        alle ye that traueilen & ben charged come to me & I schal fulfille you.              
        take ye my yok on you & lerne ye of me for I am mylde and meke in
        herte:  and ye schulen finde rest to youre soulis/ for my yok is softe &
        my charge liyt.”

Matthew 11:29-30— “Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden
   and I will give you rest.”Wycliffe’s translation goes back about 625 years (1382); but, even if all the people at the Water Gate had understood Hebrew, there was 1,000 years between Moses’ writing of the Law and Ezra’s reading it!

Wycliffe’s translation goes back about 625 years (1382); but, even if all the people at the Water Gate had understood Hebrew, there was between Moses’ writing of the Law and Ezra’s reading it!Lucy is speaking to Charlie Brown:  “I just heard some people over at the church singing, ‘Bringing in the Sheaves.  I don’t know what a sheave is…Charlie Brown:  “Me neither, but if I ever see one, I’ll bring it in.’Bottom Line:  If all we have is the beloved King James Translation, eventually people will not be able to understand God’s Word.  The Word of God does not change, but language and culture do.

  If all we have is the beloved King James Translation, eventually people will not be able to understand God’s Word.  The Word of God change, but language and culture do.And are we so arrogant that we will say to non-English-speaking Christians around the world: “I’m sorry you don’t have the Word of God.”

”They gave the sense” can also mean, “to break up, to make clear.”  The Williams paraphrase, says, “paragraph by paragraph…”  The Message has it, “[they] explained The Revelation while people stood, listening respectfully.”This important phrase refers to a particular approach to the Scripture and to the sermon; it’s what is called today “expository preaching.”Webster defines “exposition” as, “the setting forth of the meaning or purpose (as of a writing).

Webster defines “exposition” as, “the setting forth of the meaning or purpose (as of a writing).Expository preaching is defined (by Haddon Robinson) as,

     “…the presentation of biblical truth, derived from and transmitted through a
     historical, grammatical, Spirit-guided study of a passage in its context,
     which the Holy Spirit applies to the life of the life of the preacher and
     then through him to his congregation.”

Most believers identify this genre of preaching as simply “a teaching
sermon.” Exposition has been described as “letting texts talk.”
Dr. Carl Armerding was pastor of Moody Church in Chicago.  He was a illustrious preacher. One Sunday morning, he was standing in the foyer greeting the people as they exited the service. Partly obscured by a pillar, he overheard an obviously affluent lady comment to her friend:

   “Well, I don’t think he is such a great preacher. Why, all he did was explain
   the Bible.”

There are three basic sermons types you are likely to hear at church today.
There is the topical Sermon.  For example, let’s take the topic- grace.  The preacher would lead to various verses of Scripture that talk about grace.

For example, he might talk about:

*Saving Grace—Ephesians 2:8-9
*Standing Grace—Romans 5:2—
*Suffering Grace—II Cor 12 (Paul describes his thorn in the flesh).

A second approach is the textual sermon.  The message is center is a verse or two.  For example, the grace theme is prominent in II Cor 8:9:

   “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,
    yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might
    become rich.”The main points might be:

The main points might be:I.  The Source of Grace— “The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
II. The Sacrifice of Grace— “…for your sakes He became poor…”
III. The Sharing of Grace— “That you through His poverty might become
        rich.”

Why point this out? Because it is very important that you be able to discern good snakes from bad snakes. You need discernment, first, because…

1. Preaching is under Attack Today.

Preaching is being debunked as passé, archaic— “Who expects people to sit still and listen to someone talk for 30 minutes.”Preaching has been abandoned for drama, multi-media presentations,
        discussion.

D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, the beloved English physician and pastor wrote:

    “The most urgent need in the Christian church today is true preaching;
    and as it is the greatest and the most urgent need in the Church, it is
    the greatest need in the world also.”

God the Father, has only one Son, He came preaching!  Young men, are you
open to the possibility that God might want you to preach His Word?

2. Biblical Preaching Is Under Attack.

Exposition is viewed as passé; pop psychology, and group therapy is in vogue.  You have “The Andy Griffith Show” Bible study video series, and book reviews. You have the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) Curriculum on spiritual warfare. (I made that one up!)Friends, church leaders are lamenting the fact that there is a famine in the land…a famine of biblical preaching, and appetite for it.

”The famine of the Word continues,” says Walter C. Kaiser, “ in massive
 proportions in most places in North America.”
 
 Another (Stephen Lawson) attests:

        “A new way of ‘doing’ church is emerging. In this radical paradigm shift,
        exposition is being replaced with entertainment, preaching with
        performances, doctrine with drama and theology with theatrics.”

Many preachers preach about the bible, but not the Bible.  Walter Kaiser:

      “Too often the Bible is little more than epigrammatic sayings or spring
       boards that give us a rallying point around which to base our editorials.
       But where did we get the audacious idea that God would bless our
       opinions or judgments.  Who wants to hear another point of view as an
       excuse for a bible study or a message from the Word of God. Who said
       God would bless our study, our programs for the church?  Or our
       ramblings on the general area announced by the text. 

       Surely this is a major reason why the famine of the Word continues in
       North America.  Surely why the hunger for the teaching and proclamation
       of God’ Word continues to grow year after year. Men and women cannot
       live by ideas alone, no matter how eloquently they are stated or argued. 
       But solely by a patient reading and explanation of all the Scriptures, line
       upon line, paragraph after paragraph, chapter after chapter, book after
       book…”

3.  The Pastoral Role Is Under Attack

Many churches press their pastors to be CEOs, administrators, and
counselors. They want pastors who preach sermonettes to  Christianettes—
Bible-lite in 20 minutes or less.  The pastor is more of a cheerleader than a biblical preacher.One brother, in leaving our church, said to me, “You are a good preacher
(whatever that means he didn’t day), but not much of an administrator.”    
My response was:  “Thank you, brother, for that complement.”  There is a person in every row who can administrate; only one “pastor-teacher.”

Many churches change pastors every three to five years because either, he is given to topical preaching, (topics soon run out), or he gives up and moves on because the people are unwilling to roll up their sleeves and take responsibility for the ministry, thus allowing him to pursue a lifestyle of prayer and study required by expository preaching.

Every congregation must decide whether they want a pastor who counts
the sheep or feeds the sheep. As a church grows, this commitment to Biblical preaching involves bringing on support staff. 

It is a life and lifestyle commitment.   John MacArthur, the dean of expository preachers, was asked in a Q & A session at a pastor’s conference:

     “Dr. MacArthur, what is the key to effective expository preaching?”    The audience probably expected some “spiritual” answer… Fast three
days a week…’walk with God.’   He answered, “The key to effective expository preaching is the ability to keep your back side in the chair until the work is done.”There are no short cuts. How much time does it take? A minimum to 10-13 hours per sermon.

There are no short cuts. How much time does it take? A minimum to 10-13 hours per sermon.4. This Discussion is important because you may should have high expectations, and you may move someday.And you will need to know how to identify where the church places its emphasis, and the quality of the pulpit ministry in choosing a new home church.

And you will need to know how to identify where the church places its emphasis, and the quality of the pulpit ministry in choosing a new home church.If you walk through the new auditorium, now under construction, you will see in the platform area where the pulpit will be, an outline of an open bible.  When I am there, I often stop and kneel, praying that the pulpit, symbolizing the preaching, the hearing, and obedience to the Word, will ever be the center point of this church…

…not wishy-washy theology
…not entertainment
…not charismatic personalities
…not programs
…not shallow emotion

and that many precious people will come to know Jesus in that place.

Ultimately, a church and its people rise and falls upon the honoring of God’s word. And when revival comes, the Word is always in the center.

Is it at the center of your life?
Is it at the center of your worship? 
How much does preaching matter to your spiritual life and growth?

I recently talked about a national survey that says that 14 percent choose a church today based on the pulpit ministry.  That is telling!

George Bernard Shaw, the British playwright, once had a bible. Four years before he died in 1950 he sold it to auctioneers who in turn sold it for $50 after Shaw’s death.  One of the selling points was an inscription on the flyleaf written by Shaw himself: 

       “Except as a curiosity, this book is a most undesirable possession…I
       must get ride of it. I really cannot bear it in my house!”Shaw didn’t know the difference between good snakes and bad snakes. He didn’t recognize that the Bible tells you the bad news before the good news.  The bad news is…

Shaw didn’t know the difference between good snakes and bad snakes. He didn’t recognize that the Bible tells you the news before the news.  The bad news is……You are a sinner, and your only hope for heaven is to trust Jesus as your
     personal savior.

..The good news is, if you will invite Jesus into your life this morning, you will
    be saved, right on the spot!

An American tourist visited an exquisite art gallery in Europe.  As he was passing out the door, he remarked to the curator:  “Sir, I don’t think much of your paintings.”  With a gentle smile, he replied, “The masters’ painting are not on trial, you are.”

When God’s Word is ignored, twisted, handled glibly, recklessly, the good Word, becomes a bad Word in our lives.

The call today is to pray that pastor and people would be discerning, commitment people…committed to Scripture.

It is the key to Revival, and the blessing of God!