Bible Sunday Year A – Nehemiah 8:1-4a; 8-12 & Matt 24:30-35

Many of us have Bibles, that carry stories.

When we open them up, we may find underlined verses, notes in the margins, old prayer cards, funeral service sheets or reminders of seasons of both joy and of sorrow.

The pages remind us that God has been faithful before.

That matters, because all of us walk through seasons when we need to be reminded of that truth.

Some of us may have arrived at church today full of hope and joy. Others may be carrying disappointment. Some may have seemingly unanswered prayers that weigh heavily on your heart. Others may be worried about the future. Some may not be sure what they believe, or even why they believe it.

It strikes me that the people we find in Nehemiah chapter 8 were not so different.

They were a people who needed to hear from God.

The story begins with a people group who have been through a great deal. They have known exile, loss and disappointment. They have returned to Jerusalem, and the city walls have by this time been rebuilt.

But rebuilding walls, though a difficult task, is far easier than rebuilding hearts.

The people need more than physical security. They need to hear the voice of God.

So they gather together and ask Ezra to bring out the book of the law. Notice that nobody has to persuade them. Nobody has to manufacture enthusiasm. They are hungry to hear God speak once more.

Ezra reads the scriptures aloud. The people listen carefully. The Levites help them understand what is being read. And the people respond.

Their example, gives us a simple but helpful pattern for engaging with the Bible: they listened, they understood, they responded.

So, when was the last time you came to scripture genuinely expecting God to speak and meet with you?

What if we opened our bible and simply prayed, ‘God, I want to hear from you.’?

In our Gospel reading, Jesus makes a remarkable claim.

‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’

Those words sit right at the heart of Bible Sunday. In days of destruction and disruption, as concern weighs in even in the end of times, Jesus’ words remain. An anchor of hope for the soul, firm and secure.

In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks in a setting of uncertainty, upheaval and change. the disciples are anxious about the future. Jesus does not promise them an easy of predictable path. Instead, he points them towards something utterly dependable … his word.

Everything around us changes. Empires rise and fall. Cultures change. languages change. technology changes. Our own lives change. but the words of Christ remain. Faithful from generation to generation.

The things surrounding us may be changing, but the word on which we build our lives does not.

The same truth is illustrated beautifully in Nehemiah. Jerusalem has been rebuilt, but the people need more than walls. They need Gods voice. And when they hear Gods word, something happens.

Gods word brings life, strength and joy.

As Ezra reads, the people are deeply moved. They begin to weep as they recognise God’s holiness and their own need of him.

But the story does not end in tears.

Nehemiah tells them:

‘Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (verse 10)

God’s word does not simply expose them. It restores them. Hearing the scripture leads them not into despair, but into renewed joy, hope and strength.

What happened in Nehemiah still happens today. When people encounter God’s word, lives are changed.

That is why the Bible matters. It is not merely a historical document or a collection of ancient writings. Through these words, God continues to reveal himself, draw people to him and shape his people.

Across the world, Christians know the reality of Jesus’ promise that his word will never pass away. The bible continues to be read, translated, shared and treasured. People continue to encounter Jesus through its pages.

And on Bible Sunday, it is right to give thanks for the Bible. But Bible Sunday is not simply about celebrating the Bibles survival. It is also about asking what place Gods word has in our own lives.

The people in Nehemiah listened, understood and responded.

The Bible society across England and Wales is focusing on the theme of Bible confidence.

The pattern we find in Nehemiah of Listening, understanding and responding, can help us think about bible confidence with our heads, our hearts and our hands.

Firstly, our head confidence.

This is when we grow in our understanding of scripture. We learn its story. We ask questions. We allow others to help us understand. Bible confidence does not mean having every answer. It means becoming increasingly confident in exploring the bible and discovering what God is saying through it. Understanding the context of the stories that we read and the narrative from Genesis through to Revelation.

Secondly, heart confidence.

The bible is not simply information to master. Through scripture, we encounter the character, promises and purposes of God. We can ask, ‘What is God showing me about Godself?’ and ‘What is God shaping in me?’ I wonder, do we expect God to shape our hearts as we read his word?

Thirdly, hand confidence.

The bible invites a response. What needs to change? whom might we need to forgive? Where is God calling us to act with courage, generosity or compassion? Who needs our encouragement? What would it look like to put what we have heard into practice?

A bible confidence that informs our heads, transforms our hearts and moves our hands.

So as I conclude, a couple of questions to ponder

What place does God’s word actually have in my life?

Am I making space to hear Gods word?

Am I allowing it to shape my heart, my thinking, my priorities?

Am I putting what I read into practice?

The people in Nehemiah gathered around scripture. They listened, they understood, they responded and they found joy.

On Thursday, in my Morning prayer, I was encouraged to focus on the life of Eugene Peterson, who amongst other things, was the writer of ‘The Message’ bible. This paraphrase, took the great story of the bible and made it accessible to ordinary people in contemporary language.

‘Stories invite us into a world larger than ourselves,’ Eugene Peterson said in one interview, ‘and the bible is our greatest story. If we just live within ourselves, or if our needs are determined by our own needs, our wants and our desires, it’s a very small world.’

So, on this bible Sunday, let us give thanks for the gift of scripture. Let us recommit ourselves to reading it, listening to it and living it. And let us pray that many more people in this nation and across the world will encounter the life-giving message of Jesus through the Bible. For heaven and earth may pass away, but the words of Christ will never pass away. Amen