When God Rebuilds... Ezra/Nehemiah Part 28 Nehemiah 7:73b-8:18 "God's Word Rebukes and Reminds Us"

                                                                                                                                 August 25^th, 2024

From The Series: When God Rebuilds…

Part 28  God's Word Rebukes and Reminds Us

Nehemiah 8:1-18

Mountain View Evangelical Missionary Church

Good morning, again. Great news for those of you who are getting tired of the Old Testament. Today and next week should be the last time that we will be spending any prolonged time in the Old Testament for a while. I still reserve the right to come back to the Old Testament in the future, but after the long weekend, we will begin a new study of the Gospel of John. It will not be a quick skip through that book, instead, I hope you will exhibit the patience needed as we will do an in-depth study of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ as told through the eyes of the youngest disciple and the one whom the Lord blessed with the longest of lives. But that's in two weeks.

Today, we will spend a bit more time in Nehemiah and I think it will be time well spent. The title of today's message is, "God's Word Rebukes and Reminds Us!". "God's Word Rebukes and Reminds Us!" The word "rebuke" is a loaded word for some people. When you hear that word does it conjure images of dark skies with clouds and balls of fire and brimstone raining down?

When you think of God's Rebuke, does it conjure up dark storm clouds, flashes of lightning, and an angry God sitting atop a mountain, scowling down on His creation looking for someone to hurl a lightning bolt at? Is that the image of God that you have in your mind's eye? A keeper of the Law and a recorder of each person's rights and wrongs weighing out both to see If the person is worthy of entrance to heaven.

If that or any part of that image is in your mind, may I suggest that you do not have a truly biblical image of who God is? If this is how you see God watching over His creation you are being swayed by other influences than the Bible. We have seen over the past year, how the Lord is intimately involved in His creation and with His people. We have seen in the Books of Habbakuk and Ezra how Yahweh was able to move even the hearts of Kings who were not of His people.

We have indeed seen the punishment of Yahweh unleashed on His people to discipline them and bring His people back into a right relationship with the Lord. Here's the kicker, people often confuse rebuking with punishing. Rebuking is not the same as punishing. They are distant cousins of each other, but they are not the same thing.

We should think of rebuking as "correcting" or "correction". It is the first stage on the road to punishment. Punishment is the drastic step that Yahweh takes when His people continue to ignore the rebuking of the Lord and His pleas to His people to return to Him and His ways.

We need to constantly check our views of who God is because it is so easy for people to drift from what the Bible teaches and begin to craft a god of our own making. Entire denominations have been built around gods of their crafting. I know some of you may have a problem, or you may be uncomfortable with the notion of a God who rebukes and punishes people. Correction and punishment are not always negative things.

We were talking about this at our Bible study this week. An example was brought up about how a child relative acted differently between uncles and grandparents. The grandparents were softer and less rigid with the child and the grandparents were rewarded with terrible behaviour by the child. The uncle, however, did not accept the bad behaviour and he required more from the child, like picking up after himself and putting his dishes away. The child listened and the uncle was surprised by the child wanting to spend more one-on-one time with the uncle. I suggested that the child saw the correction as a sign of caring and love. The child may have seen the uncle's actions as a sign of love because the uncle cared enough to correct the nephew.

If boundaries and discipline are good for children from loving parents, how much more accepting should we be of rebuking or correction from our loving Father in Heaven? Once more, Yahweh is not a cold and distant god who simply set the universe in motion and has stepped back, watching us to see how this all plays out. No, Yahweh is a loving creator and the image of a Father to us is one that helps us to understand His role in our lives. One of the ways in which He communicates with us is through the Bible. Believers, adopted children of the Father, also have the guarantee of the Holy Spirit living inside us to assist us in the understanding and proper application of what God's Word says to each of us.

Quiz time for you. Do you remember a couple of weeks back when I asked some questions from the Westminster Shorter Catechism? The second question I asked was:

Question 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

Answer. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

We see the Westminster Catechism directing us to look to the Scriptures, to look to the Bible and to follow what it teaches for proper instruction and direction for our lives. Why should we turn to the Bible for this instruction? Because the Bible will direct us in the ways we may glorify God and enjoy Him!

When we glorify God, when we recognize all that He does for us and give Him the credit for these blessings. When we fail to do this, it is easy for us to get so wrapped up in our affairs and think that our successes are simply our doing. Do you understand what is at the heart of this issue, when we fail to give the Lord credit for our blessings? Pride. Pride is at the heart of our failure to give glory and credit to God when we receive every blessing from Him.

God's Word is careful to warn us and to give us instruction against falling prey to this sin of pride. It is a sin! Don't be fooled by secular teaching about this. The Book of Proverbs is full of warnings against man succumbing to the sin of Pride. Here are just three examples:

Proverbs 11:2 gives us this guidance, "² When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

Proverbs 16:5 gives us this instruction, "⁵ The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished."

Proverbs 21:4 warns us that this behaviour leads to problems for us, "⁴ Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin." This is a great agricultural metaphor, haughty eyes and a proud heart are the seeds planted into the unplowed field. Don't miss that, the unplowed field, meaning there is no additional effort required to reap the bountiful crop of sin. Haughty eyes and a proud heart produce sin in abundance for us. Pride is such a dangerous sin that the bible speaks about pride 231 times in the Bible. 231 times the Bible warns us about pride or illustrates to us the dangers and consequences of those who have pride issues. We should pay close attention to these dangers.

Pride is just one issue that the Bible gives us instruction about. The Bible warns, encourages, rebukes, illustrates, and tells us of those who ignored God's teachings in the past and the consequences for them of doing so. God does all this so that we may live our lives to the fullest and receive the maximum joy that He has planned for us.

I'm not saying that we will have trouble-free lives, but what I do mean is that when we have trouble in our lives, we can face the trouble with a calmness and certainty that results in joy that surpasses all understanding. I say all of that as an introduction because as we will see in the passage this morning, the Jews who had returned to the territory around Jerusalem reacted with joy when they were given proper instruction from the Word of God.

I want you to pay attention to the posture of the people as they received this instruction and the impact that hearing God's Word preached had on them. Then I want you to ask yourself if the reading and hearing of the Bible has the same effect on you, and… if not, ask yourself why not? Posture and impact, listen for those two things from Scripture this morning.

OK, let's open our Bibles and turn on our devices together and examine what the Holy Spirit has to say to us this morning. Turn with me to the eighth chapter of the Book of Nehemiah and we will start at verse 1.

If you did not bring your Bible this morning, you should find one underneath one of the chairs in the row in front of you. Nehemiah chapter 8 will be found on page 389 of the pew bible. If you do not have a bible at home, please take that bible with you as a gift from Mountain View Church. We feel that it is vitally important that you have easy access to God’s Word. And God’s Word says…

 

READ NEHEMIAH 7:73b-8:18

And God's Word says…

^73b When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,

8 ¹all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

² So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴ Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah (Mat-a-tie-ah), Shema (Shee-ma), Anaiah (AH-Nay-yah), Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah (May-ah-see-ah); and on his left were Pedaiah (Puh-day-ah), Mishael (Mish-a-ale), Malkijah (Mal-Key-ah), Hashum (Hay-shum), Hashbaddanah (Hash-Bad-a-nah), Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵ Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶ Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷ The Levites—Jeshua (Yesh-u-wah), Bani (Bay-nigh), Sherebiah (Cher-a-Bi-ah), Jamin (Jaw-Min), Akkub (A-Cub), Shabbethai (Sheb-a-thigh), Hodiah (Hoe-die-ah), Maaseiah (May-ah-SEE-ah), Kelita (Kell-lite-ah), Azariah (As-a-rye-ah), Jozabad (Joe-Za-bad), Hanan (HEY-nan) and Pelaiah (Puh-Lay-ah)—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

¹¹ The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”

¹² Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

¹³ On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. ¹⁴ They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month ¹⁵ and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷ The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.

¹⁸ Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.

Before we get started too deep, I just wanted to address one thing that is taught in this passage. I want us to look at a couple of verses carefully and I want us to pay particular attention to the posture of the people. The posture, of the attitude of the people as described by the author. When you read of their attitude, I want you to ask yourself if you share their same posture and attitude when you come to church on Sunday morning?

First posture, verse 1, "They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses…" They told Ezra the teacher to bring out the Book of the Law and to read it to them. God's people showed up to this gathering eager to hear from God that morning simply through the reading of God's Word. Are you eagerly receiving when God's Word is simply read? Are you paying attention to the reading of Scripture or do you tune out a little and wait for the good part to begin when the preacher begins to explain what he just read? You should find just the reading of Scripture to be every bit as edifying as the description of what was read, perhaps even more so.

First posture, they were eager. Second posture, they were patient. Look at verse 3, "³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon…" Daybreak till noon at that time of year in Isreal was about six hours. SIX HOURS! For six hours God's people, men and women who were able to understand, stood for six hours and actively listened to the reading of God's Word. Just the reading! The teaching portion didn't begin until after Ezra had finished reading and then he praised God and all the people responded by lifting their hands and saying "Amen, Amen".

Then in verse 7, "⁷ The Levites instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read." So God's people heard the Word read for six hours and then the preaching and teaching began until they "understood what was being read". So apparently, church services should last at least six hours!

Ok, we have seen the first posture was they were eager. The second posture was they were patient. The third posture I want to draw your attention to is found at the end of verse 3, "And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law." The people listened attentively. They were engaged. This week I had another premarital teaching session with the couple who I will be marrying in November, and the lesson that we covered this week was "active listening". Did you know that listening, attentive listening, is an active event? We are not to just sit back passively, drifting off when we listen. If we care about the person speaking we will actively listen being fully engaged with what the other person is saying. Now in the case of Sunday mornings, if you love Jesus, you will actively listen to what He has to say on Sunday morning. Not what I say, but what the Holy Spirit is saying to you through me. More on that in a bit.

Now for the final posture of God's people in this passage that I want to draw your attention to. We have seen the first posture was they were eager. The second posture was they were patient. The third posture was they listened attentively. The fourth posture was they responded. Look at verse 9, "For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law." There was a response from the people. The response this particular time was weeping, perhaps because they were convicted by the reading of God's Word of the errors in their lives. And they were responding. How do we know? Because we will see a little later how they changed. I'm not suggesting that it is mandatory for weeping and gnashing of teeth to occur after the message is delivered each week. Frankly, that would be a little weird and it may cause me to question your mental health. But there should be some kind of response inside of you.

I'm not looking for pats on the back or words of praise from you each week, what I am talking about is a response inside of you at the hearing of God's Word. Do you meditate on what you hear from your pastor after Sunday morning? Do you think about it at all? Do you allow the work of the Holy Spirit to continue with the lesson in you during the week? Or are you quick to put that lesson behind you and go on to the next thing? Are you eager to go home and listen to your favourite celebrity pastor and listen to what he or she is preaching on that day while putting the lesson that God delivered to you that morning behind you?

I just want to point out a couple of things with this behaviour. First, God appoints your local shepherd. The sovereign God arranges all things for the good of His will and glory. So it is no accident that I am here. I don't claim to be the best pastor or preacher, or even the best Bible teacher. What I am aware of is that God has orchestrated events so that I am here at this time for His purpose. I am your pastor and your shepherd. The person on TV or on radio is their pastor and their shepherd and you are just listening in on what he has to say to them. Don't brush past this thought too quickly.

We are each here at such a time as this because this is where God desires each of us to be. Most of you new people have shared the same story, "I have driven past this church for years and something caused me to turn in and join you for Sunday Service". I'll let you in on a secret, that "something" was God answering our prayers. This is the flock that you are to be a part of at this time and I am to be the shepherd of this flock under the guidance of the Ultimate Shepherd of us all, Jesus Christ. I say this with full humility and understanding of the responsibilities that come with it.

If you are not growing in your sanctification, if you are not growing closer to Jesus, if you feel stagnant in your walk, if you feel that you are not being fed, then perhaps it is because you are brushing past what God is speaking to you here on Sunday mornings at Mountain View Church! Instead of steeping in the message from Sunday morning, you are rushing out of here to catch a game, or searching for the next better message, while forgetting this morning's message, you may not be actively listening to what God is trying to tell you! These four postures are your responsibility on Sunday mornings and whenever you spend time in God's Word.

Alright, the four main points I see that God is speaking to us from this passage this morning are the following and you will find them mentioned in your bulletin:

1. God's Word will rebuke us.

2. God's Word reminds us.

3. God's Word is for all His People.

4. God's Word causes His people to respond.

These are the four main points I want us to examine as they are taught here in this passage. One important thing to remember is that the Bible does not teach these things here in this passage. I am sure that as we cover each of these points this morning the Spirit will bring to your mind other passages in the Bible that teach a similar point. Our Creator knows us so well, and He understands that we human beings learn best through repetition. That is why we will often see teachings, especially if it is an important lesson, we will see the same lesson presented multiple times. The Lord recognizes that we need repetition to remember, and we remember through repetition.

Let's look for the first point this morning.

God's Word will rebuke us. When you hear that term does this image or something similar come to mind? An image of a wicked storm coming across a mountaintop throwing down hail and torrential rain into your life. Or does the concept of rebuke bring to mind the end of Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed by balls of fire and brimstone falling from heaven? That is not rebuking, that was punishment from God.

As I said in the introduction, punishment is a long way down the road that begins with rebuking. The first step on this road is the adoption by the Father of us into the family of God. For God does not rebuke unbelievers. The Apostle Paul was not even comfortable rebuking an unbeliever.

In his advice to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote these words, "¹² What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³ God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:12-13.

Here is a thought that is not very popular these days. It is a major part of a pastor's job to rebuke his flock. Did that get your hackles up? A major part of a pastor's job is to rebuke his flock. People love to say that the Bible tells us not to judge people. And to a certain extent that is true. But pay attention to what Paul is saying here, it is not his business to judge those outside the church implying that it is his job to judge those inside the church. That is why Paul instructs the church to expel the wicked person from among you. For an unrepentant wicked person is not of God and therefore does not belong among the flock. Notice I said " an unrepentant wicked person". Emphasis on the lack of repentance not on the wickedness.

But with culture cramming down our throats these days the concepts of tolerance and acceptance, this idea of rebuking by a pastor really rubs us the wrong way. Keep in mind, that what the culture advocates is rarely in line with what the Bible teaches. Our English Bibles translate the Greek word elencho as "rebuke".The Greek New Testament uses the word elencho  17 times with one-third of those occurrences happening in the Pastoral Letters. 1^st and 2^nd Timothy and the Book of Titus were books written by Paul for instruction for his two proteges Timothy and Titus who were left behind and in charge of churches that Paul had started with them.

Too many leaders in too many churches today shirk their responsibility of elencho in their daily duties. Now, what do I mean that the pastor's job is to rebuke the flock? Keep in mind, the biblical definition of rebuking. It is the duty of the pastor to correct the flock using the proper interpretation of the Bible as his guide. It is not an easy thing to do, for most people do not enjoy conflict and they try to avoid it at all costs, but as I also said earlier, correction is a sign of love. Don't just take my word for it look at what Scripture has to say about it.

 Hebrews 12:5-6 provides us with these instructions, " ⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, ⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." The Lord also speaks to his people through the preaching and actions of men he has called to positions of leadership within the church, especially those involved in teaching and preaching God's Word.

Back at the end of July, when we had the congregational vote, I hope that you voted yes not because I'm a nice guy or a good teacher, but I hope that you voted yes as you were guided by the Holy Spirit to recognize the call that God has placed on me. I say this will all humility possible. I know just exactly how unworthy I am to be teaching God's Word for I am far from sinless myself. I have mentioned before that no one is more convicted by these sermons than I am while I am reading, researching, and studying God's Word in an attempt to bring the message to you on Sunday morning.

Here's the most amazing thing that happens on Sunday morning. Anyone who has been in ministry or has done some preaching will tell you the same thing. Something miraculous happens between the speaking of my words and the receiving of them by God's people. The Holy Spirit will interpret what I am saying and cause you to hear what God desires for you to hear.

So, when people come to me and accuse me of picking on them or nagging them… when they blame me for the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I calmly take the blame while silently giving God the glory for the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Can I get an amen? As Voddie Baucham says, "If you can't say amen, you outta say ouch". That too is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Now, the condition to all that I have just said, is that the preacher is delivering God's Word in love and respect, not in an abusive or controlling manner.

I can't tell you what to do in your life, because you will just ignore me. What I can do is encourage you to change, if you need to, using God's Word and the work of the Holy Spirit in your life to bring you closer to Jesus Christ.

We saw the strongest example of the rebuking or correcting of God's Word a few weeks back when we examined Ezra chapter ten. We spent two messages examining the Holy Spirit's effects on the lives of the priests once they had been convicted of the errors in their lives. If you missed those sermons, I encourage you to go back and listen to them on the church website. The two messages on Ezra chapter ten were parts 23 and 24 of this series.

The second main point I wish us to examine from this morning's message is that God's Word will remind us. We see this best illustrated in verses 13 to 17. But first, a little context to help us understand. We see in Nehemiah 7:73 that all these events in this chapter are occurring in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Now the seventh month happens to be the high-holy month of the calendar. Three major festivals are observed in this month, even through to today, The Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Booths or Sukkoth (SUE-coath). This was a high holy month, think Christmas and Easter happening in the same month.

The Feats of Trumptes was observed on the first day of the sebenth month and was a call to the Jewish people to prepare for the Messiah's return at the end of days. Of course, they are not speaking of Jesus Christ, as the Jewish people continue to fail to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

The Day of Atonement occurred on the 10^th day of the seventh month and it is the last day of the ten days of repentance observed by the Jewish people. It was a day marked with fasting, praying, and confessions of sins.

The Feast of Booths was to be a week long celebration to remember God's deliverance of the Isralites out of the bondage of slavery while they were in Egypt. It was to mark God's Salvation of His people. They were to build temporary shelters in their yards or on their rooftop and they were to move into and live in them for the seven days to mark the time that the Isrealites wandered in the desert. It culminated with the reading of the entire Torah on the eight day. Let's look at verses 13 to 17.

"¹³ On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. ¹⁴ They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month ¹⁵ and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷ The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great." So we see from these verses that the people had forgotten about this important festival and how they were to observe it in remembrance of God's mercy and deliverance. Verse 17 tells us that they had not celebrated this since the times of Joshua son of Nun, which was, for the record about eight hundred years earlier.

The equivalent would be like the Christian Church forgetting about the Lord's Supper for eight hundred years and then discovering a Biblical text giving them instructions to observe the ordinance.

God's Word reminds us of our duties to the Lord. It is so easy to be swayed by culture and forget how we are to speak, how we are to live, and how we are to worship and instead, we start adopting the ways of culture because we have forgotten God's ways. God's Word reminds us what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ in all aspects of our life.

Another point that we glean from this passage is that God's Word is for all of His people. Seven times the phrase "all the people" is repeated. Seven times we read that what was being spoken and taught in this seventh month was for "all the people". We need to understand this accurately, however. Those who benefitted were God's chosen people. All who were chosen by God at this time. In the Old Testament, God decided to choose His people primarily through birthright. This is why the genealogies were so important. We saw several times already in both Ezra and Nehemiah where people who could not prove their Jewish bloodline were not permitted to participate.

Thankfully, God has decided to broaden the selection process and it is no longer tied to our bloodlines, it is now tied to His selection and our faith. Those are the new parameters for selection under the new covenant. We have covered a lot of ground this morning and I have touched on more than just the four points outlined in the bulletin.

If you missed something or care to review the items that were mentioned, simply look for my blog where you will find a written copy of this sermon on Monday morning.

CONCLUSION

We are running short on time so I will make this quick. You know that we have been spending quite some time in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. I have spent this much time here because I think that these words are particularly relevant to this church at this time. We too are in a rebuilding stage. You know one thing that I neglected to point out at the start of the series, was that there were people already living in Jerusalme before Ezra or any of the govenors showed up. They had been there for sometime just sitting among the rubble. They had been in the rubble for so long that they had become comfortable there among the mess and just accepted it as their lot in life.

Perhaps they were too tired or too discouraged to make any changes on their own before the new leaders began showing up after being called by Yahweh. Whatever the reasons, the people did little to build back the city on their own.

Until… the reading of God's Word was re-established by His people. Once the reading of God's Word resumed, the people saw purpose for their lives again. They became motivated to make changes, to get involved, and to join God in His work.

In other words, the reading of God's Word caused His people to respond. It motivated them to once again see the Glory of who He was and the wonder of His work. It began to pave the way for the arrival of His Son in about 500 years and He would accomplish the most magnificent of any work to be done, the work which allowed us to be reconciled with the Father once more.

How did the Jewish people of Jerusalem and surrounding towns respond to the remembrance of God's Word and its teachings? Look at the last statement of verse 17, "And their joy was very great."

Friends, if you are lacking in joy in your life right now, that may be the correction of the Lord happening to you and you may want to return to the Bible more often until you begin to align your life more completely with the teachings of Jesus, then you will know the Joy of the Lord!

Praise God and Hallelujah!!

Pastor Paul’s Points:

1) God's Word will rebuke us.

2) God's Word will remind us.

3) God's Word is for all His people.

4) God's Word causes His people to respond.

 

Questions to meditate on this week:

1. What is the purpose of God's Word?

2. Are you prepared to renew your covenant with God?

3. What effects does the reading of God's Word have on you?

 

MVEMC Prayer NIght August 20th, 2024

 MVEMC Prayer Night Date, August 20^th, 2024

Topic One: Discernment For Our Body

Passage One: Hosea 14:9

"⁹ Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." NIV

"⁹   Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them." ESV

"⁹ Whoever is wise, so let him discern these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of Yahweh are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them." LSB

"⁹ Let whoever is wise understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." CSB

"⁹ Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths, sinners stumble and fall." NLT

Passage Two: Hebrews 5:14

" ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." NIV

" ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." ESV

"¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern both good and evil." LSB

"¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil." CSB

"¹⁴ Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong." NLT

 

Topic Two: Praise For New Arrivals

Passage One: Deuteronomy 10:20-21

" ²¹ He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes." NIV

" ²¹ He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen." ESV

"²¹ “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done these great and fearsome things for you which your eyes have seen." LSB

" ²¹ He is your praise and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awe-inspiring works your eyes have seen." CSB or NCV

"²¹ He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes." NLT

 

Passage Two: Psalm 42:11

"¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." NIV

"¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?                       Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." ESV

"¹¹ Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Wait for God, for I shall still praise Him, The salvation of my presence and my God." LSB

"¹¹ Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God." CSB

"¹¹ Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!" NLT

When God Rebuilds... Ezra/Nehemiah Part 27 Nehemiah 4:1-15, "We Will Face Enemies in Our Efforts"

                                                                                                                                     August 18^th, 2024

From The Series: When God Rebuilds…

Part 27 "We Will Face Enemies in Our Efforts"

Nehemiah 4:1-15

Mountain View Evangelical Missionary Church

The title for the sermon this morning is, "We Will Face Enemies in Our Efforts", "We Will Face Enemies in Our Efforts". This morning, my main goal will be to speak to the reality of the enemies we face when we are engaged in efforts for God's Kingdom. There are three main classes of enemies of God: The Primary Enemy; enemies who are external to the Body of Christ; and enemies who are internal to the Body of Christ.

One of the primary points that we must keep in mind when we face these enemies is that the battle is the Lord's. The battle with the enemies of His people belongs primarily to the Lord. What we are called to do is to remain faithful to His teachings and to pray.

This past Thursday at our Bible study, we were discussing the arrest of Jesus in the Garden and we examined what Jesus said to Peter after Peter had cut off the ear of the servant from the High Priest with a short sword. Jesus rebuked Peter by saying, "⁵³ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?". We then turned to 2 Kings 19:35 to read in Scripture what the power of just one angel was, "³⁵ That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!" What Jesus was telling Peter, and by extension is telling us through the Bible is that if He wanted to, the Lord could call on His angels and there would be complete victory in a heartbeat.

There is a mistaken worldview out there that creeps its way into the church from time to time where people think and teach God is in an epic battle with the forces of evil, and God is doing His level best, but it appears that He is losing here on Earth at the moment. I pray, that over the last 12 months preaching from the Old Testament like I have been doing, I was able to show you that God is in control of all things at all times. This cosmic battle between good and evil is based on Eastern Religions which bring a false worldview into the church.

God is allowing certain events to happen as a judgment on His people and as a method of drawing His people closer to Himself. The Father has begun separating the wheat from the chaff in these days of difficulty and persecution.

As far as the battle goes, what we must ask ourselves is, "Are we going to join and do the work that God appoints for us to do like the faithful in Jerusalem did, or are we going to walk away, and turn our backs on what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us?"

I have been trying to show you that the world is not the same place as it was when so many of us were younger. You don't need me to point that out. All you have to do is turn to accurate reporting from independent sources, and you can see for yourself. I have mentioned that we are now living in a Negative world when it comes to how the culture views Christians and Christianity.

What scares me, is the reaction of many church leaders today to this fact. Too many leaders reject the teaching of the Bible as reliable truth when it tells us that we will suffer as followers of Christ. The world hated Jesus, so why should we expect any different treatment for those who call themselves Christian?

Instead, church leaders are doing different things to try and be more appealing to culture and to be less offensive. Listen, my friends, the message of the Gospel is offensive. The lost think that we are all basically good, and we just need a little guidance, a little counselling to get back on the right track. Not that there is anything wrong with counselling. It is useful when applied properly. The problem is that the world tries to apply counselling to things that it was never meant to fix. What we need is Jesus! We need to stop being embarrassed about what God's Word teaches and start telling people about Jesus!

Turn with me in your Bibles to today's passage and let's look together at what God's Word has to say to us today.

And God’s Word says…

READ NEHEMIAH 4:1-15

Before we get too deep into the points of this morning's message, I want to point out something a little technical from this passage we just read. It is important to identify who is speaking in the text and keep that in the front of your mind as you read. I often say, that when you are reading a passage, you need to identify the pronouns to know who is saying what.

In verse one and the first part of verse two, we see the author of the book is speaking. Nehemiah is speaking in the third person. In the second half of verse two, we see that Sanballat speaks. In verse three, Tobiah begins to speak and add his two cents.

In verse four, we see that Nehemiah is once again speaking. Not just speaking but offering up prayer to God. In verse ten we hear from the people in Judah and the city of Jerusalem in particular. Verse eleven goes back to the enemies of Sanballat, Tobiah and others speaking. In verse 12 we hear from Jewish people living in the northern part of the territory, which was where the town of Horron was located and where the Ammorites lived. Finally in verse thirteen and to the end of this morning's passage, we see that Nehemiah is once again speaking. If you were not paying attention to these matters, it would seem like the enemies of God were praying for assistance in verse four. Pay attention to who is speaking, or else it is easy to get things twisted when you read scripture.

Alright, last week we examined how the work was divided among the people. Families stepped up and began to accept responsibility for a section of the wall and they began the work. We saw how people travelled from other parts of the former Kingdom of Judah to participate in the rebuilding work. We also saw that people from all walks of life joined in the work. It wasn't left to just the professionals or those who were most experienced in wall repair. Everyone participated to a greater or lesser degree.

This morning we see that the minute word of the real work got out, enemies rose up and attempted to interfere with God's work. Of course, there are enemies to God's work.

The primary enemy against God's work is Satan. We need to be aware of Satan, but not to obsess about him or to inflate his powers. The Bible tells us that he is the prince of this world.

This is not to say that he rules the world completely; God is still sovereign. But it does mean that God, in His infinite wisdom, has allowed Satan to operate in this world within the boundaries God has set for him. When the Bible says Satan has power over the world, we must remember that God has given him domain over unbelievers only. Believers are no longer under the rule of Satan. Unbelievers, on the other hand, are caught "in the snare of the devil", they lie in the "power of the evil one" and are in bondage to Satan.

So, when the Bible says that Satan is the "god of this world," it is not saying that he has ultimate authority. It conveys the idea that Satan rules over the unbelieving world in a specific way. In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Bible tells us the unbeliever follows Satan’s agenda: "The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." I want you to listen to me very carefully when I say this next sentence. That does not mean that Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, cannot save your lost friends and family. Jesus is the only one who can save them. Satan is the Father of Lies, he will try and tell you that nothing can be done. They are lost, you can't help them. These are lies, friends so don't you dare believe them.

Satan’s scheme includes promoting false philosophies in the world—philosophies that blind the unbeliever to the truth of the Gospel. Satan’s philosophies are the fortresses in which people are imprisoned, and they must be set free by Christ.

An example of one such false philosophy is the belief that man can earn God’s favour by a certain act or acts. In almost every false religion, meriting God’s favour or earning eternal life is a predominant theme. Earning salvation by works, however, is contrary to biblical revelation.

When we read our Bibles, we learn that Jesus Christ, a member of the Trinity, a divine being, accepted the task from the Father, another member of the Trinity, to temporarily leave the heavenly realm and to come to Earth as a human baby and walk among His creation. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the last person of the Trinity, Jesus added the attributes of humanity to His divine attributes.

Jesus did not stop being God in order to become man. There is a fancy theological term for this that is called "homeostasis" or the "homeostatic union". Names help us to understand difficult concepts. Through the process of homeostasis, Jesus added human attributes to His divine attributes to become fully man and fully God at the same time. The Bible tells us that He did this so that He could face every type of temptation that man faces and still remain sinless.

Jesus had to remain sinless to be the only suitable permanent sacrifice that the Father would be willing to accept on our behalf. For you see dear friends, when we fall prey to the lies of the false religions and the false philosophies that tell us we can earn our way to heaven, or that we are basically good people and just need a pep-talk to straighten ourselves out, then we reject the gift of the work of Jesus. We feel that we do not need help from anyone to get to God.

But, the Bible tells a different tale. The Bible tells us that our righteous deeds are like filthy rags in the eyes of the Father. There is nothing we can do to wash the stain of sin of ourselves. We sang this morning the hymns telling us we were bought with a price, we asked Jesus to cleanse us of our sins. Work that only Jesus can do on our behalf. This work, when accepted by us in faith, becomes a work in our lives known as Grace. It is the mercy of God alone, who extends this Grace to His children. The deal is then sealed with the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. As Believers, we have a person of the Trinity residing in each one of us.

It is the presence and work of the Holy Spirit that allows us to read and understand God's Word. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts us of what the Word of God is saying to us. Do you understand this valuable work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Believer? The Holy Spirit does not make us sinless. The Holy Spirit does not stop us from sinning. We are not perfected yet as Believers. Jesus is our role model and we are to try and live our lives as Jesus did, but He was perfect and we are not. We are to try to be a little more like Jesus every day as an improvement.

No, the Holy Spirit does not keep us from sinning, instead, it convicts us of our sins when we do commit them. That is the primary indicator between the lost and the Believer. The lost barely acknowledge their sins against God, whereas the Believers should hate when we slip. We should hate our sins and seek forgiveness from the Father. For we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ on a Roman Cross some two thousand years ago. A gift. So don't let the enemy tell you any different.

The second group of enemies that we will face are the external enemies. Turn with me back to today's passage and let us look at two of the named enemies specifically. In Nehemiah 4, verse 1 we read about Sanballat. We were introduced to Sanballat a month ago when we looked at chapter two of Nehemiah, so I won't spend a lot of time now with him. I will remind us that according to extra-biblical sources, Sanballat was a governor of Samaira but Nehemiah refuses to give him that title in this book. Sanballat represents the enemies which are external to the body of Christ. He was a government official who was attempting to stand in the way of the work of God's people. We see in the Book of Nehemiah that Sanballat tries several times ti intimidate the people of God.

Despite having the blessing of the King of the empire, we see a lesser magistrate attempting to thwart the work of God; 's people. We see the same today. I can tell you numerous stories of church work being interfered with in the City of Calgary when some street churches have been feeding the homeless and destitute and trying to share the Good News with these same people. We can feed them, we just can't tell them about Jesus. The problem is when the church submits to this type of interference from the government, the church is simply feeding people on their way to hell.

This is what Satan wants. Satan wants to neuter the work of the church here on earth. Satan has already lost, he is a defeated foe. He cannot stop the work of God, he can only slow it down and interfere with it by discouraging God's people. That is why we must keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and what His Word says and not what the authorities tell us is acceptable. When the government and the Bible are in conflict, we must follow the Bible and its teachings. We must be willing to listen to the Holy Spirit and not Satan. This is why it is important for you to be reading your bibles between Sunday mornings. It is through regular reading and studying of God's Word that you will become familiar with His voice. That is what we call discernment: the ability to be able to tell God's from all the other noise in your life.

Most times, God will not shout to be heard. The Holy Spirit speaks through the still small voice that we hear when we read His word. The only way to become familiar with that voice is to read and be still and listen for what Jesus and the Spirit are saying to you.

So, we will face external enemies. But we also face another form of enemy and this last form may be the most dangerous. We will face enemies from within the body of Christ. In this morning's passage, Tobiah is an example of an enemy who is internal to the body of Christ.

In verse 3, Tobiah is listed as an Ammonite. The Ammonites were adversaries to the Israelites for some time in their history. I think it is because the Ammonites thought that they too were a people of Yahweh. You see the Ammonites trace their lineage back to the Lot. Lot is mentioned as the nephew of Lot in Genesis 11:31. Lot plays a central role in the account of Sodom and Gomorrah as told in Genesis 19.

In Genesis 19:36-38 we see the ancestor of the Ammonites is mentioned. "³⁶ So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. ³⁷ The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. ³⁸ The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites ^t of today." So, I think that because the Ammonites traced their lineage back to Abraham's line, I think that Tobiah thought of himself as equal to the Israelites and entitled to what they had as well.

Tobiah starts out as an outsider here in the fourth chapter of Nehemiah. In verse three he mocks the efforts of the faithful in Jerusalem. He says, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."

But, by the time we read through the account into Chapter 7, verse 61 and 62 Tobiah is trying to be accepted as a full-blood Jew.

"⁶¹ The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel: ⁶² the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda." But we see in verse 64 that their claim was rejected, "⁶⁴ These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean."

But that's not the end of the trouble with Tobiah. Turn with me to chapter thirteen of Nehemiah and let's see what trouble Tobiah attempts to cause for the faithful in Jerusalem.

READ NEHEMIAH 13:1-9

"¹ On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, ² because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) ³ When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.

⁴ Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, ⁵ and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

⁶ But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission ⁷ and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. ⁹ I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense."

This was a serious offence. Next week we are going to skip ahead to chapter 8 in the Book of Nehemiah, so your homework this week will be to read chapters 4,5,6, and seven so that you will be up to speed for next Sunday.

One of the things that you will read is how Sanballat tries to intimidate Nehemiah and scare him into seeking refuge and sanctuary in the Temple. The problem is that Nehemiah is not a priest and therefore it would be a sin for Nehemiah to do this. The very same sin that we just read that Tobiah was guilty of because he too was found not to be from the lineage of priests.

This is often the problem with the enemies who walk among us, they often try to lead us into the sins that they are committing. Sometimes it is done intentionally, sometimes it is done subconsciously. Whether conscious or not, we must remain on guard against false teaching from wherever it might originate and for whatever reason.

Nehemiah 4:11 warns us of this very thing, "¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work." We see that in Nehemiah's day, his enemies walked amongst them. That is why the proper observance of what the Bible teaches is so vitally important. What I mean by proper observance is the biblical observance of the teachings and ordinances handed down to us by Jesus.

One of these observances is the Lord's Supper,or Communion, or the Lord's Table. It is known by a few different names depending on your church background. Here at Mountain View church we are currently observing it once a month, usually on the third Sunday of the month.

CONCLUSION

So this morning we examined three main classes or groups of enemies that the church will face in its work. We have Satan and his minions, the enemies which are external to the Body of Christ, and the enemies that we will find amongst us inside the church.

Of the three, I feel that the last classification of an enemy is the most dangerous. The enemies that we find amongst us inside the church are the most dangerous. I was just reading about a study out of England regarding the Church of England. A committee from within the Church of England has found that over the last ten years, across eleven dioceses, the Church of England has become embarrassed about the word "Church". During the last ten years, the new church, or church-planting arm of the Church of England has gone out of its way to give the new groups that it has formed various other names bedsides calling them a "church". New church plants have instead been called "communities", "congregations", "groups of worship", and even, "groups for theological reflection", but not one of these new "groups was called a "church".

In an attempt to become relevant to the younger generations, the church is ridding itself of the very things that make it attractive to these generations they are trying to attract. The EMCC is also guilty of this. A couple of years back, on the official website of the EMCC, the denomination began to use the term "followers of Christ" because according to the website, the term "Christian" came with "too much baggage".

Friends, whenever we begin to think this way, we must never forget the words of Jesus as told to us in Mark 8:38, "³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

I'm sure these folks are doing it with the best of intentions, but it is these very enemies which walk among us that we must be most on guard against. Jesus warned of "wolves in sheep's clothing" and false teachers who will try and lead us away to false gods.

The younger people I have spoken with, and by younger, I mean those under 40, but even younger than that, namely those in their twenties, are searching for structure and guidelines that culture has failed to give them. They are searching for someone with the courage to tell them the truth and point out the things that are wrong. Society has tried to eliminate objective, independent truth. By doing this, society can then set the rules for what is and what is not acceptable. The problem with that is then, we get blown about by every whim.

Instead, we need to stand strong on the firm foundation of the truths that are found in God's Word. We must trust the power of the Gospel and present it in a truthful and honest manner in gentleness and respect. Regardless if we offend someone when we do so. God will save them, not you. We are just called to be the messengers.

Do not give the accuser the chance to accuse you of being ashamed of Jesus Christ or the Gospel.

When we do face enemies, we need to pray and remember the words of Nehemiah 4:14, "Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

Let me close with this doxology.

²⁴ “ ‘ “The Lord bless you and keep you;

²⁵ may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

²⁶ may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Go in peace you are dismissed. Please join us downstairs for coffee and treats.

 

When God Rebuilds... Ezra/Nehemiah Part 26 Nehemiah 3:1-32 "We Each Have A Role in Building The Kingdom"

                                                                                                                                     August 11^th, 2024

From The Series: When God Rebuilds…

Part 26 "We Each Have a Role in Building The Kingdom"

Nehemiah 3:1-32

Mountain View Evangelical Missionary Church

Thank you for being here this morning. The last time we were together we examined what power a Godly civic leader could wield and the things one in government could accomplish when they put the goals of the Lord ahead of personal selfish goals.

The Godly civic leader who the LORD raised was Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a gifted organizer and motivator. This morning, we will read what amazing things God can accomplish through a dedicated group of followers who are willing to respond to the call that Jesus puts on their lives.

We are going to do things a little different this morning as we are going to cover the entire third chapter of the Book of Nehemiah. So, before we open our Bible this morning, would you join me in a word of prayer.

PRAY

Please open your Bibles or turn on your devices to the third chapter of Nehemiah beginning at verse 1. If you did not bring your Bible this morning, you should find one underneath one of the chairs in the row in front of you. Nehemiah chapter three will be found on page 384 of the pew bible. If you do not have a bible at home, please take that bible with you as a gift from Mountain View Church. We feel that it is vitally important that you have easy access to God’s Word.

Like I said, we are going to do things a little different this morning. Instead of you listening to me stand up here and read the entire third chapter, I am going to ask that you go home this week, perhaps even today after the service and read the third chapter on your own. Instead, I will read selected passages as we go along, but before we do let me ask you a couple of questions.

We have all heard some well-meaning Christian say something like, "God has a plan for your life". Perhaps you have said it yourself. Have you ever really thought about what the answer to that statement was? With a show of hands, how many have ever studied the Westminster Shorter or Longer Catechism?

The first three questions of the Westminster Shorter Catechism teach us what exactly the plan is that God has for our life. Question one starts with mankind.

Question 1. What is the chief end of man?

Answer. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. How are you doing with that? Are you glorifying Jesus in your life. I'm not just talking about living a perfect Holy life. None of us can do that. We are to pursue holiness as a lifestyle, but perfection is out of our fallen reach. I mean are you glorifying Jesus in the way that you live. Do you glorify Jesus with the way you treat your spouse? With the way you treat your children? Are you glorifying Jesus in the way that you interact with your neighbours?

If someone from the outside were to look at your actions, would they see a marked difference between your actions and your unsaved neighbour's actions? Are you living your life just like the rest of the world? Or are you living in such a way that brings Jesus the glory.

1 Corinthains 10:31 gives us this instruction, "³¹ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Are you doing all that you do for the glory of God, or are you living your life for your own fame and glory? Are you accumulating goods and money simply for your comfort and sake?

The following is a quote from the prince of preachers the great Charles Spurgeon, "Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible women. Alas! how many would be shut out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this were the case. Beloved, it is not office, it is earnestness; it is not position, it is grace which will enable us to glorify God. God is most surely glorified in that cobbler’s stall, where the godly worker, as he plies the awl, sings of the Savior's love. The name of Jesus is glorified by the poor unlearned carter as he drives his horse, and blesses his God, or speaks to his fellow labourer by the roadside, as much as by the popular divine who, is thundering out the gospel. God is glorified by our serving him in our proper vocations. Take care, dear reader, that you do not forsake the path of duty by leaving your occupation and take care you do not dishonor your profession while in it. Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little of your callings. Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the gospel to noblest ends. Turn to the Bible, and you will find the most menial forms of labour connected either with most daring deeds of faith, or with persons whose lives have been illustrious for holiness.^[1]"

Turning to the Bible, as Spurgeon puts it, leads us to the second question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

Question 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

Answer. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

We read here that the Bible is to be our source for instruction. Not the latest best-selling Christian book, not the instruction of the pastor with the biggest mega-church. Not even the words of your local pastor when they run contrary to the words of Scripture. Sola Scriptura, scripture alone is to be our guide along with the empowerment and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us… if you are truly saved, you have been given a guarantee of your inheritance and that is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will act as a guide in the proper interpretation of God's Word. That doesn't mean we cannot use tools such as dictionaries and commentaries to also aid us. But dictionaries and commentaries are not the inspired writings of God. Therefore, when there is a contradiction, the Bible is King.

So far this morning, we have seen that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. And we are to look to His Word for the instruction on how to glorify God. But in a short sentence, what does the Bible teach?

Question 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?

Answer. The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

We see there are two primary functions of the Bible. The principal purpose of the Bible is to teach us what to believe concerning God. The Bible is intended to teach us who God is in all the glory of all His attributes. Man does not have the freedom to craft on image of God of their own making. We must follow the whole counsel of God to man. We are not free to pick and choose which portions we will follow and which commands we can ignore.

We see entire denominations forgetting this core principle and are offering up doctrines that are meant to do little else but tickle the ears of false-converts. I was listening to a quote from the Pastor Voddie Baucham and his answer to the question of why are there so many false teachers and false mega-churches out there? Voddie's answer, "Because the Bible is true!"

What? The answer to why there are so many false teachers in the world today is because the Bible is true? On the surface that seems like a stupid answer but, if you know your Bible, you will know that Voddie is referencing 2 Timothy 4:3-4 which says, "³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

Let me repeat that, "³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

Ahhh. So, the answer to why there are so many false teachers that have such great reach is that the Bible is true when it tells us that "they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths".

As important as that fact is, I don't want you to miss the second half of the answer of the third question. The Bible also teaches, " and what duty God requires of man." We are going to spend the rest of the morning speaking about certain aspects of our duty, but I first want to make this very important point.

God does not require duties from all mankind. God only requires duty from His chosen people. It is not the duty of the lost to further God's Kingdom. It is not the duty of the lost, to support the local church. It is not the duty of the lost to share the Gospel. These are all duties that are placed on each of God's own people. When we were chosen, by the mercy of God, we were called to duty. This is one of the greatest shortfalls of the church today. A failure to teach this call of duty to our young people in Sunday School and to the rest in Sunday morning services. Too many services are built around a "consumer-mentality" and are more man-centered than God-centered in their teaching.

When you come to church Sunday morning, you shouldn't come expecting to "get" something. You should be coming with the attitude of "what can I give this morning?" Give your worship, give your attention to the teaching of God's Word, give your love and care to the person sitting next to you. Don't worry about "getting", worry about "giving". You'll be much happier, and you will get much more satisfaction from your walk with Christ and from your attendance at church.

Ok, let's dive into the lesson that we can glean from chapter three of the Book of Nehemiah. This is a map of the ancient city of Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah.The area that this morning's chapter is concerned with is the yellow border in the city. These are the sections of the wall that are being described in the text. Notice here is the site of the rebuilt temple which Zerrubable and Ezra oversaw the construction of. This is the site which we spent all those weeks in the Book of Ezra reading about.

 

 Here is a zoomed in view which will allow us to look at the map in greater detail. I have a few of these slides printed out on the back table if you wish to take one home with you to help with you Bible reading this week.

The third chapter of Nehemiah begins with a description of the Sheep Gate which is directly under the red arrow here. The descriptions will then move in a counterclockwise manner across the top section of the map and then move down the left side.

The Sheep Gate was where the animals that were to be used for sacrifice at the Temple were led through. According to John 5:1 & 2, Jesus used this very gate at least once to enter Jerusalem Himself. Scripture says, "¹ Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades."

Isn't it appropriate that Jesus, the one whom John the Baptist said, "behold, the Lamb of God" should enter Jerusalem through the Sheep Gate. Perhaps this was the gate He usually used to enter Jerusalem. That was the belief of one commentator. It would make sense that Jesus would enter through the Sheep Gate, the Bible is full of such wonderful imagery. Imagery which is meant to demonstrate the providence of God. When you read and study God's Word on ever deeper levels, God unlocks gems like these to demonstrate His wonderful power and control of all things. You must be paying attention to catch these details. I encourage you to study God's Word and not simply read it in a routine way to fulfill a Bible reading plan.

Of course, Jesus would enter through the Sheep Gate. He was to be the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of all His people. For all of those, who through faith, have accepted the gift of the completed work of the first earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus, who was divine in person and nature, left His privileged place at the right-hand of the Father in Heaven, to enter His Creation and to add human form to His divine form, so that He could walk among us and experience all the manners of temptations that we face, yet remain sinless.

A sinlessness that would be required of Him, so that He would be a suitable sacrifice to atone for our sins and allow us back into a rightful relationship with the Father. For from the time of our first forefather, Adam, we have all rebelled against our Heavenly Father. We were all destined for Hell, until the Father extended mercy to those who were predestined before the foundations of the earth were laid and rescue, salvation could be found in the accepting of the work of Jesus. So, Jesus walked through the Sheep Gate.

Look with me at verse one of chapter three of the Book of Nehemiah. " Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel."

The Sheep Gate is where Nehemiah begins his description of the rebuilding of the wall. If you notice on the slide, there are different color arrows of different lengths. There is also a legend on the left side of the slide that explains the verses that are describing the locations and the color-coded arrow of each section of Scripture.

We can notice one thing right away just by looking at this slide that not all contributions were equal. Some families and some groups of people working together were able to accomplish more than others. The amount of work accomplished by each is not the most important aspect here. What is most important is that almost all contributed. I say almost all because there is a group who refused to contribute, and we will get to them in a bit.

Each worked on their section according to their abilities. Some were blessed with more so they accomplished more. Some could only be concerned with repairing the small section of the wall where it met their home. They contributed to their section according to their abilities.

Look at the slide, the priests mentioned in verse 1 were able to tackle a good portion of the wall and see to the repairs. Others like the sons of Hassenaah in verse three or the two men Joiada and Meshullam could only repair a single gate each as mentioned in verses three and six respectively. Now, anyone who has done finished carpentry like Robert, can attest that the installation of doors or gates, especially ones made from scratch, would require a great deal of time and effort. Not to mention hand forging the hinges, bolts, and bars that are mentioned. Building and repairing a gate would have been a major undertaking. But on the map it seems like such a small undertaking, especially when compared to the longer arrows of some sections.

Some sections, like the purple arrow to the left of the Royal Palace were repaired by multiple families, even including the daughters of one of the families.

You will also read that some came from other places to participate in the reconstruction effort. In verse five we read about the Tekoaites, men from the town of Tekoa (the town where the Bible tells us that the prophet Amos was born) more about them in a bit. In verse seven we read that men came form the city of Gibeon, a city to the north of Jerusalem and the site of many battles in the Bible. Meronoth was another location that people came from to work on the wall. In verse 14, we read about Beth Hakkerem which was a city to the south of Jerusalem at which signal fires could be lit warning others of encroaching dangers. Verse 15 mentions rulers of the district of Mizpah also assisting. Verse 18 refers to rulers of the district of Keilah. These two places were the sites of major battles fought by Jeremiah and David respectively.

Another thing to notice in your reading of these passages is that there were people of all walks of life contributing to the rebuilding effort. Rulers and priests are mentioned, as are scribes who were experts in the Law, the Levites are also mentioned as they were the protective class for the Temple. Tradesmen such as goldsmiths and perfume makers who would have been more used to sitting at a bench and lifting things much smaller than the stones required to repair an exterior wall. I also mentioned earlier that one man even had his daughters assist in the repairing of their section.

Some groups repaired more than one section. The men from the town of Tekoa are mentioned twice repairing two different sections. They are mentioned once in verse 5 and again in verse 27. Look with me and read what it says there, "²⁷ Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel." Did you catch that, "another section". These working men were so dedicated and proficient that they were able to assist in two different places. But not all the men from Tekoa were so responsible. Look back with me to verse five.

Verse five says, "⁵ The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors." The footnote says, "or lords or governors". Scripture tells us that some of the nobles from that city felt that this work was beneath them, and they refused to "put their shoulders to the work". They refused to get their hands dirty. Some of the nobles felt that they were too good to get involved with Kingdom work. Notice that their names are not recorded here for the following generations to honour. Their names are not found in the book.

I just want to take a couple of minutes to point out some things. Notice that the work was not left up to the professional religious types. The priests were not required to do all the work. They were not excluded from the work, but it was not left up to them to accomplish all on their own. Another thing to notice is that several of the people stepped out from their comfort zones and contributed anyway. I'm not sure how many priests knew construction methods. Or how many Levites could quarry a stone to fit a wall. I mentioned earlier that goldsmiths and perfume makers were certainly used to dealing with smaller and lighter loads than they would have dealt with while repairing a stone wall. A wall thick enough and high enough to offer protection from invading forces.

I also want to talk about some of the various gates. The water gate is not mentioned as needing repairs, so this may have been the only gate left intact following the Babylonian invasion. This may have been done as a sign of mocking, for what use would a standing gate be if all the surrounding walls had been destroyed and leveled. A closed gate would be pointless, because you would simply step around it.

The Old Gate was the first and original gate at the city of Jerusalem. The dung gate was where the garbage of the city was taken and then thrown into the Kidron Valley for disposal. The East Gate is the Gate where Jesus makes His triumphal entry when He arrives in Jerusalem at the start of Holy week which culminates in the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus.

A keen observer will notice from this later map of Jerusalem from the time of Jesus right up to the destruction in 70 AD, that Herod moved the location of the Temple when he decided to remodel and expand the temple which Zerubbabel and Ezra rebuilt. Herod's Temple was more about Herod than it was about God. The location was moved over to where the East Gate was.

You can also see that the city grew and expanded in the 400 years between Nehemiah and the arrival of Jesus.

This morning, we started off with talking about how God has a plan for our lives, then we moved to learn that we have a duty to God and then we noticed that each of these plans and required duties is as individual as we are and is unique to our abilities and our gifting from God. What we all have in common is the unifying call of duty to play our role in the building of God's Kingdom.

CONCLUSION

Names are important and we just looked at an entire chapter where there was a biblical record of the names of the people who joined God's work. Those who did not contribute their names were not written in this book.

Nehemiah was a great organizer and a great motivator. The Israelites had national pride in their capital, a city captured and made beautiful by their beloved King David. In the days of Nehemiah, a portion of Jerusalem was still named the City of David and there was a reference to the tombs of David in this chapter. These were all great motivating factors for those who stepped up and despite the lack of formal training, still did their part.

As Christians, we should need look no further than our Saviour and His Word for motivation. If, the fact that He saved you from an eternity of torment in the Lake of Fire is not enough motivation to move you to action and join the construction effort of building His Kingdom for His Glory, then the words of your pastor will have little effect. The Jews had King David, we have the King of Kings, Lord Jesus. If you do not have a love for Jesus that is strong enough to be all the motivation required, then my words will bounce off you like rain off a hot tin roof.

Jesus told us, "If we love Him, we will keep His commands". Including the commands to build His kingdom through the spreading of the Gospel. We all have a gift, or service, or effort to contribute to God's work. I beg of you to join Him.

If you know Jesus, if you love Jesus, then don't just limp across the finish line by doing the bare minimum required to enter Glory. Matthew 16:27 gives us these encouraging words, "²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done." I encourage you to do all you can to ensure the largest reward you can. Do it all for the love of Jesus.

You are dismissed, go in peace.

Pastor Paul’s Points:

1) Not all contributions were equal.

2) Each worked on their sections according to their abilities.

3) All walks of life contributed.

4) Those who did and did not contribute were recorded.

 

Questions to meditate on this week:

1.      Are you glorifying God and enjoying Him in the way you live your life?

2.      Are you more concerned with getting rather than giving?

3.      Are you living up to the "duty" that Jesus has called you to?

 

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^[1] C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).