Nehemiah 13:14

Nehemiah 13:14

Nehemiah was not only the one who guided the rebuilding of the wall and the temple.  Nehemiah was also a reformer of the spiritual life of Israel.  None of these reforms were popular but he did them.  As he recounts them, he prays that what he has done has honored God and will be remembered.  He prays that God will also remember those who have not faithfully served God.  This week will be an important week in the life of our Church.  A day of reform that may cost us, and yet like it was for Nehemiah, it is something that must be done.

1. THE NEED FOR REFORM

            A. ALLOWED AMMONITE AND MOABITES IN THE TEMPLE AND THEIR LIVES.

            B. CHIEF PREIST GAVE TOBIAH AN APARTMENT IN THE TEMPLE.

            C. THE LEVITES AND MUSICIANS LEFT THE TEMPLE TO WORK FIELDS TO SURVIVE.

            D. THEY WORKED ON THE SABBATH

            E. THE MEN TOOK WIVES FROM ASHDOD, AMMON, AND MOAB (WHO DID NOT FOLLOW GOD BUT LEAD THE JEWS ASTRAY.)

2. NEHEMIAH’S REFORMS

            A. THE READING OF THE LAW

            B. PURIFING THE TEMPLE

            C. RESTORING THE LEVITES AND PROVIDING FOR THEM

            D. STOPED ALL TRADE ON THE SABBATH

            E. STOPPED INTERMARRAGE

3. NEHEMIAH’S PRAYERS

            A. I PRAY I HAVE DONE WHAT IS RIGHT

            B. I PRAY THAT WHAT I HAVE DONE HONORS YOU GOD

            C. REMEMBER MY LOVE FOR YOU GOD

4. THINGS THAT SHAKE YOUR RESOLVE

            A. POPULAR OPINION

            B. PERSONAL DESIRES

            C. AFECTION FOR OTHERS

CONCLUSION: Like Nehemiah we have been called to live not only the forgiveness of God but in obedience to God.  To show respect and honor to Jesus through our actions.  Some of our actions will not be popular or may cost us.  In the end we must seek God with all our heart, mind and strength.  Then we pray the prayer of Nehemiah.  “Lord I pray I have honored you, I pray I have pleased you.”  “Lord give me peace.”

Point: We do our best to honor God, knowing that will remember it.  God will remember the sacrifices you have made.

Nehemiah 13:14   
¹⁴ Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

Nehemiah 13:22   
²² Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

Nehemiah 13:29   
²⁹ Remember them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

Nehemiah 13:31   
³¹ Remember me with favor, my God.

Nehemiah 4:10-15 “Facing Opposition”

Nehemiah 4:10-15  “Facing Opposition”

INTRODUCTION:  I was looking at Nehemiah and I could not help but think it could be our monthly newsletter.  I believe we can find some inspiration in this book for our own lives.  I hope you have been reading along with us on our trip through the Bible, which is now in Nehemiah.  John Lennon imagined a world where people lived only for themselves and only for today, and in a very real sense we live in that world.  “Whatever” “it is what it is”  are the most common and most hated things we say.

1. NEHEMIAH AND THE PEOPLE FACE OPPOSITION

            A. THE TIREDNESS OF THE PEOPLE

            B. THE CLUTTER THAT WAS GETTING IN THE WAY

            C. THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WERE ENEMIES WERE PLANNING AN ATTACK

            D. SOME PEOPLE OPPOSED THEIR WORK

            E. THE OTHER JEWS DISPARAGING REMARKS

2.  THEIR PLAN OF ACTION

            A. STATIONED PEOPLE TO DEFEND THE WORKERS

            B. GIVE THE WORKERS SOME REST

            C. REMINDED THEM THAT GOD WAS ON THEIR SIDE

            D. REMINDED THEM WHAT THEY WERE WORKING FOR

3.  WHAT WE ARE WORKING FOR

            A. WORKING FOR GOD

            B. IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU, THE CHURCH, THE SERMONS, OR THE MUSIC

            C. IT’S ABOUT REACHING THE LOST

            D. WE WORK IN THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD TO REACH THE LOST

            E. OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN

            F. OUR HUSBANDS OR WIVES

            G. FOR THE LOST IN OUR COMMUNITY

            H. FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WILL COME HERE TO FIND JESUS 40 AND 50 YEARS FROM NOW.

CONCLUSION:  We all face opposition.  Fatigue, rubble and clutter in our lives, disorganization in the church.  There are nay Sayers, some openly hostile and others are just discouraging.  People who for whatever reason oppose our living for Jesus.  But if we remember who we are working for and what we are working for and defend and protect each other.  We will finish the work God has assigned us to do, and change the lives of people 40 and 50 years from now.

Ezra 1:1-4

Ezra 1:1-4

Israel has been a sitting empty and without rule, with most of its Jewish population in exile.  Babylon took the people away then when the conquer Israel.  Persia will defeat Babylon and takes over Israel.  Cyrus king of Persia makes the proclamation that the Temple be restored.

The work would start under the rule of Cyrus, then Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes.  Ezra is the priest, Nehemiah is the politician, some others who figure into this time are Daniel, Ester.

Cyrus’s proclamation could have come from his encounters with Daniel.  But in the first year of his reign he honored the one true God.

The people start a rebuilding project that will cover the reign of three Persian kings. 

1.  TO FULFILL THE WORD OF THE LORD

            A. SPOKEN BY JEREMIAH (JER 25:11)

            B. 70 YEARS IN EXILE  (JER 29:10-14)

            C. THE TIME FOR BABYLON  29:10

2.  GOD MOVES THE HEART OF CYRUS

            A. NO MILITARY CAMPAIN, WAR OR REVOLT

            B. THE LORD USES NEHEMIAH OR DANIEL

            C. CYRUS FEELS CALLED BY GOD TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE AND RETURN THE PEOPLE.

            D. THEN THE PEOPLE GET EXCITED

3.  GOD’S PLANS WILL BE FULFILLED

            A. PLANS FOR THE WORLD (its JUDGEMENT AND END)

            B. PLANS FOR OUR NATION (IT’S PART IN HISTORY)

            C. PLANS FOR THIS CHURCH (TO REACH THE PEOPLE IN OUR AREA)

            D. PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE (TO HONOR GOD, BE A WITTNESS TO HIS FORGIVENESS)

            E.  PLANS TO CHANGE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE YOU SHARE LIFE WITH.

            F.  NOT BECAUSE OUR STRENGTH, POWER, RIGHTOUSNESS.

            G. NOT BY MIGHT AND NOT BY POWER ( Zec 4:6)

Conclusion :  God has great things to do in the life of this church and in your personal life.  We may not see it today.  Perhaps we feel like exiles, broken and powerless.  But God has a plan for this church and for you personally.  We have been Gow Memorial, Loomis, Middle inlet, Faith Presbyterian, and now Faith EPC.  All through our history of ups and downs and transformations, God has been at work to change our lives and the lives of the world around us.  God has amazing things ahead for you, and for our church.