1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:05,080 Remember the Titans is a movie based on a true story of the 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:11,960 1971 TC Williams High School football team in Alexandria, VA. 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,160 Up to this point, schools had been segregated by race and now 4 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,000 3 high schools in the area were forced to integrate and this 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,760 caused a lot of tension in the community and many resisted the 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,600 change, especially when their new head coach was Herman Boone, 7 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,720 a black man. But the biggest opposition that 8 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:39,200 they faced was the internal struggle, the internal division 9 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,640 between the white and the black players. 10 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,440 They refused to trust one another. 11 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,800 They refused to work together as a team. 12 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,160 And the tension reached a climax when they're at training camp 13 00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:54,840 and Coach Boone wakes the team up at 3:00 in the morning. 14 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,680 And they run and run across several miles in the dark until 15 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,800 they finally reached the Gettysburg Cemetery, where 16 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:08,320 51,000 American men had died during the American Civil War 17 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,920 fighting their own people, fighting against one another. 18 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,440 And then Herman Boone gave this speech. 19 00:01:16,320 --> 00:01:20,360 Anybody know what this place is? This is Gettysburg. 20 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,160 This is where they fought the Battle of Gettysburg on this 21 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,560 field, fighting the same fight that we're still fighting 22 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,760 amongst ourselves today. This Greenfield right here, 23 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:39,040 painted red, bubbling with the blood of young boys, smoke and 24 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,800 hot lead pouring through their bodies. 25 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,720 Listen to their souls, man. I killed my brother with malice 26 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,720 in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family. 27 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,560 You listen and you take a lesson from the dead. 28 00:01:55,040 --> 00:02:01,080 If we don't come together here on this hallowed ground, then we 29 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,960 too will be destroyed just like they were. 30 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,400 This was the turning point for the team. 31 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:13,400 Slowly, they began to trust and respect one another and they 32 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,000 came together as a team. They went on to finish the 33 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,760 season undefeated and won the Virginia State championship. 34 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,760 This morning, as we're picking back up in the book of Nehemiah, 35 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,600 we see the same principle. Now remember, as we began the 36 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,520 book that Nehemiah heard of the destruction in the ruins of 37 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,680 Jerusalem. And so he began to pray, and the 38 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,320 Lord paved a path for him to go back with a vision on his heart 39 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,120 to rebuild the walls. And as he cast that vision to 40 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,320 the people, they caught on. They bought into the vision, and 41 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,160 the work began. But no sooner did the work begin 42 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,520 than outside pressure began to come from their enemies and they 43 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,440 began to be attacked and slandered. 44 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,800 But they put their trust in God and they continued on the work 45 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,880 on the wall, and it seemed like there was nothing that was going 46 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:09,440 to stop them until they began to fight one another. 47 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,520 In order for them to succeed on building of the wall, they 48 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,160 needed to come together. They needed to come as one body 49 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:21,960 and recognize that they were a team. 50 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,240 The success of the mission was now at risk, however, not 51 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,440 because of enemies from the outside, not because of attacks 52 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,040 from the outside and persecution, but because of 53 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,600 quarrelling and conflict among themselves. 54 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,880 The title of my sermon this morning is We Are One Body. 55 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:48,200 Let's live like it. The success of the church today 56 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,760 depends on this same sort of unity, the same sort of unity 57 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,200 that Israel needed. They needed to come together as 58 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,800 one body and work together. And that's exactly what we need 59 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:00,840 to do. The success of God's mission is 60 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,280 dependent on us coming together in unity as his people, as one 61 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,000 body, as we work together to bring him glory. 62 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,480 Before we dive into our text this morning, let's bow for a 63 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,680 word of prayer. Father, we thank you that this 64 00:04:17,079 --> 00:04:21,320 narrative, this story has been recorded for generations, and we 65 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,280 thank you, Lord, that it has blessed many over the years. 66 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:26,640 And we are so grateful, Lord, that you have preserved your 67 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,440 word for us over the years. We believe that your word is 68 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,840 authoritative. It is true, it is instructive, 69 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,840 each and every part of it for every area of life. 70 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,800 And Lord, we come to it this morning thinking that it is not 71 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,840 just words on a page, but that it is Your word. 72 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:47,600 It is living, it is active, it is sharper than the sharpest 2 73 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:51,720 edged sword, dividing between soul and spirit, between joint 74 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,080 and marrow. And Lord, we recognize that each 75 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,920 and every one of us is accountable to you. 76 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,480 Before you, each and every one of us are naked. 77 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:07,520 Lord, you see our inmost thoughts and hearts and desires. 78 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,320 And we pray, Lord, that you would give us a desire as Your 79 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:14,560 people to be pleasing to you. That as we open up your word 80 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,600 that you would teach us, that you would instruct us that Lord 81 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:21,720 you would correct sin in our hearts, and that You would unify 82 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,360 us together as your people as we seek to make Your name great in 83 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,800 all the earth. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen. 84 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,520 Would you open your Bibles with me to Nehemiah chapter 5? 85 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,480 Nehemiah chapter 5. I will read the whole chapter 86 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:42,760 now. There arose a great outcry of 87 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,920 the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 88 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,640 For there were those who said, with our sons and our daughters, 89 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,320 we are many. So let us get grain that we may 90 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,960 eat and keep alive. There were also those who said 91 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,360 we are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to 92 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,400 get grain because of the famine. And there were those who said we 93 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,240 have borrowed money for the King's tax on our fields and our 94 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,960 vineyards. Now our flesh is as the flesh of 95 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,000 our brothers, our children, or as their children. 96 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:17,200 Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and 97 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,320 some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is 98 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:24,760 not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields in our 99 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,120 vineyards. I was very angry when I heard 100 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,120 their outcry in these words. I took counsel with myself and 101 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,680 brought charges against the nobles and the officials. 102 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,600 I said to them, You are exacting interest. 103 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,360 Each from his brother and I held a great assembly against them, 104 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,440 and said to them, We, as far as we are able, have bought back 105 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,000 our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations. 106 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,800 But you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us. 107 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,920 They were silent and could not find a word to say. 108 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,280 So I said, The thing that you are doing is not good. 109 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,720 Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the 110 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:04,920 taunts of the nations, our enemies? 111 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,400 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them 112 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,320 money and grain. Let us abandoned this exacting 113 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,880 of interest. Return to them this very day 114 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,400 their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their 115 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,600 houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that 116 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,000 you have been exacting from them. 117 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,440 Then they said, we will restore these and require nothing from 118 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,920 them. We will do as you say. 119 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,360 And I called the priests, and made them swear to do as they 120 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,120 had promised. I also shook out the fold of my 121 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:38,480 garment, and said, So May God shake out every man from his 122 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:42,000 house and from his labour who does not keep this promise, so 123 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,640 may he be shaken out and emptied. 124 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:48,080 And all the assembly said, Amen, and praise the Lord. 125 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:50,840 And the people did as they had promised. 126 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,360 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their 127 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:58,000 governor in the land of Judah, from the 20th year to the 32nd 128 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,720 year of Artaxerxes the King, 12 years, neither I nor my brothers 129 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:04,360 ate the food allowance of the governor. 130 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,840 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on 131 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,360 the people and took from them for their daily ration 40 132 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,640 shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it 133 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,440 over their people. But I did not do so because of 134 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:21,520 the fear of God. I also persevered in the work on 135 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:25,400 this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were 136 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,920 gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table 137 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,480 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us 138 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,080 from the nations that were around us. 139 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:39,559 Now, what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox 140 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,559 and six choice sheep and birds, and every 10 days all kinds of 141 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,920 wine in abundance. Yet for all this, I did not 142 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,000 demand the food allowance of the governor because the service was 143 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,000 too heavy. On this people, remember, for my 144 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,520 good, Oh my God, all that I have done for this. 145 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:03,600 People, as we begin, the first thing that we're going to see 146 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,480 this morning as we strive to be a part of the body together, is 147 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,000 that we must expose sin in the body. 148 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:13,760 This chapter opens with the problem. 149 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,240 It opens with what's going on among the Jews. 150 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,640 There are those who are sinfully taking advantage of their 151 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:25,240 brothers and sisters in the Lord, their own body, but the 152 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,240 oppressed people come and expose the sin. 153 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,240 It says there arose a great outcry of the people and of 154 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:34,280 their wives against their Jewish brothers. 155 00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:38,440 Now remember that that Nehemiah had come and asked everyone to 156 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,000 come and join in building the wall. 157 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,040 So everybody left their farms, they left their fields, they 158 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:45,720 left their vineyards and, and couldn't devote that attention 159 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,320 that they needed to on the work of their hands because they had 160 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,800 devoted their work to the building of the wall. 161 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,480 And that may have contributed to a famine that is going on here 162 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,480 at this time. And the situation was desperate, 163 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,880 but their own people began taking advantage of those people 164 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:06,560 who were oppressed and poor. Some were being denied food by 165 00:10:06,560 --> 00:10:09,160 their own people. Some were selling their 166 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:13,160 vineyards and their fields and their homes to buy people to buy 167 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,760 grain, this from their own people. 168 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,720 Some were borrowing money from their own people to pay the 169 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,760 King's tax and then being charged high interest rates. 170 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,320 Some people say maybe up to 50% interest rates is what was being 171 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:28,800 charged. Then some were selling their 172 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,920 children to be slaves to their own people in order to get food. 173 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,040 And what we learned from this passage is that there was 174 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,400 nothing that they could do. They said we're that we can't 175 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,400 help it. We don't have any way to stand 176 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:44,560 up to these people. We don't have any defense. 177 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:50,440 We are helpless, but rather than remaining silent, they expose 178 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:54,320 the sin of the leaders, They bring it out, they shed light on 179 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,440 what is going on. And the reason they're confident 180 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:00,640 to confront, to expose the sin is because they were disobeying 181 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:02,240 God. He had commanded them. 182 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:06,760 In Leviticus chapter 25, if your brother becomes poor and cannot 183 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,800 maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he 184 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,080 were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. 185 00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:17,000 Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God that 186 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:18,600 your brother may live beside you. 187 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,560 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him 188 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:27,840 your food for profit. God wanted his people to act as 189 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:32,880 one body, as one people taking care of each other and blessing 190 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,720 one another. But instead they took advantage 191 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:37,800 of each other out of selfish gain. 192 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,680 So those who were oppressed exposed the sin in the body 193 00:11:42,680 --> 00:11:46,160 because they realized they recognized if we allow this sin 194 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,840 to go on, if we allow it to go on unchecked, it has the 195 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,520 potential not only to stop the progress on the wall, but to 196 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,520 completely destroy us as a nation. 197 00:11:56,560 --> 00:12:01,480 And so they exposed the sin. And many of you remember the 198 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:03,120 story of King David in the Bible. 199 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,600 He was anointed as Israel's next king as a young man, but then he 200 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,920 suffered many years of torment from the present king, King 201 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:15,920 Saul, who was jealous of him. Finally, after many years of 202 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:20,240 patient trust and waiting on the Lord, David is anointing king. 203 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,360 And sadly, one of the most memorable things about King 204 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,360 David's life is his sin with Bathsheba. 205 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,720 In an attempt to hide his sin, he sleeps with Bathsheba. 206 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,840 And then in an attempt to hide his sin, he kills her husband 207 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:37,600 Uriah. And God sends the Nathan the 208 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:41,040 prophet to confront David. He tells him a story of this 209 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,840 wealthy king who has all the pastures and all the all the 210 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:48,960 sheep and, and herds of goats and lambs, and then the story of 211 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:53,240 a man who, who just has one. And he treats this lamb like a 212 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,280 child, like a son. It eats from his table. 213 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:59,440 He he snuggles it on the couch. This is his lamb that he loves 214 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:01,840 and cherishes. And, and when the rich king has 215 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,440 a guest come for a meal, he doesn't take from one of his 216 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,760 many, many sheep. He takes the sheep of the man 217 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:13,280 who just had one. King David is outraged, and he 218 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,800 says, as the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to 219 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:21,480 die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did 220 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,160 this thing and because he had no pity. 221 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,160 Nathan said to David, You are the man. 222 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:32,560 Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel. 223 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,480 I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the 224 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:39,880 hand of Saul, and I gave you your master's house, and your 225 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,440 master's wives into your arms, and gave you the House of Israel 226 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,920 and of Judah. And if this were too little, I 227 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:50,520 would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word 228 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,000 of the Lord to do what is evil in his sight? 229 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,640 You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have 230 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:00,560 taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the 231 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:04,560 sword of the Ammonites. Now the interesting thing about 232 00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:09,040 all this is David has described as a man after God's own heart, 233 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,920 and yet he sinned greatly against God and the people that 234 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,080 he was leading. But because of his love for 235 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:21,160 David, God exposes his sin through Nathan the prophet, 236 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:25,240 rather than allowing it to go on unchecked and to lead deeper 237 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,760 into sin. Brother and sister, if you have 238 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,680 placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, 239 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,040 you're a child of God. You're a member of his family. 240 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,480 You're a brother and sister in Christ. 241 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,000 We're brothers and sisters in Christ. 242 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:45,000 We are one body. Paul says that in his letter to 243 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,000 the Corinthians. He says that we are, though we 244 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,600 are many members, we are one body. 245 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,800 Now we generally, if we look at our own bodies, we don't do 246 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,240 things that would bring harm to my own body. 247 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,120 So then why do we sin against our brothers and sisters, 248 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:06,080 bringing harm to them? We are commanded by Paul to 249 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,240 treat one another better than ourselves. 250 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:09,640 He says in Philippians chapter 2. 251 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,880 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility 252 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:18,040 count others more significant than yourselves. 253 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:24,240 The truth is, sadly, that we do sin against one another. 254 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,120 And when that happens, we need to expose that sin. 255 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,960 It's tempting to ignore it. It seems easier to just sweep it 256 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:36,040 under the rug. But we must expose it, or else 257 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,400 unforgiveness and bitterness will settle into our hearts. 258 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:42,120 And others could be harmed as well. 259 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:46,000 If we don't expose their sin, they could harm other people as 260 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,000 well. And this threatens the work that 261 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,240 we are seeking to do in building God's church. 262 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,840 So maybe a brother or a sister in Christ has hurt you, has 263 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,520 sinned against you. If you feel safe enough to do 264 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:04,480 so, you should go to that person and expose that sin. 265 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:07,880 Maybe they didn't realize what it was that they did wrong. 266 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:11,280 Or maybe they will confess that they wronged you and then you 267 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:16,640 can work towards reconciliation. If you don't feel safe enough to 268 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:18,960 go to them privately, then you should come to a leader in the 269 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,960 church or someone that you respect, someone that you see as 270 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,200 having wisdom who can help you navigate that situation with 271 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,720 that person so that you can work towards reconciliation. 272 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,040 I'm not talking about gossip and going to someone and telling 273 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:33,720 someone else what that person is doing. 274 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:36,920 We're talking about finding someone who can help you have a 275 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,440 conversation with that person to bring it to reconciliation, to 276 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,440 bring it to restoration. If we are going to be the people 277 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,000 of God, then we must keep Christ's church pure. 278 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,760 And in order to do that, we must expose sin in the body. 279 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:55,720 The next thing that we learned from chapter 5 is that we must 280 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,920 confront sin in the body. The people understood the 281 00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:02,920 seriousness of the situation, that that sin needed to be 282 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:07,319 exposed, but it's not enough to just expose it or to just 283 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:10,240 uncover it. It now needs to be confronted, 284 00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:13,000 and this is exactly what Nehemiah does. 285 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:15,880 But as we look at Nehemiah's confrontation, we're going to 286 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,520 learn some principles for how we can confront people when we're 287 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:22,599 bringing up sin in the body. And the first thing is that 288 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:25,760 confrontation should seek self-control. 289 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:31,640 Now Nehemiah when he learns of what happens he gets angry but 290 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,480 listen to how he shows self-control in verse six and 291 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:36,360 seven. He says I was very angry when I 292 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:38,440 heard their outcry in these words. 293 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:43,240 I took counsel with myself and I brought charges against the 294 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,880 nobles and the officials. He was angry, but he didn't rush 295 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:52,080 out in his anger hastily and and confront that sin. 296 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,200 He counselled with himself. He took himself back, he 297 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:59,240 stopped, he paused, he waited, and he even brought charges, 298 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,920 right. He formalized his complaint to 299 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,560 these people. He didn't just come and rattle 300 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,120 off whatever he wanted to say in the moment. 301 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,920 He thought about what it was that they were doing and how 302 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,160 they were sinning against their people and brought those charges 303 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,360 to them. He showed self-control. 304 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,480 The next thing is that confrontation should seek the 305 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,840 truth. As he brings these charges 306 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:21,800 against the leaders. He's wanting to present the 307 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:25,760 facts accurately, which is why he he brings these charges. 308 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:30,240 He is seeking the truth. In verse 7 and 8 it says I said 309 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,080 to them, you are exacting interest. 310 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,200 Each from his brother and I held a great assembly against them 311 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,480 and said to them, we, as far as we are able, have bought back 312 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,800 our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but 313 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:44,760 you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us. 314 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,320 They were silent and could not find a word to say. 315 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,120 So notice that he carefully brings the charges that he's 316 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:55,120 bringing against them. He's seeking the truth, but we 317 00:18:55,120 --> 00:18:57,320 also see that he's seeking the truth because he gives them an 318 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:01,400 opportunity to respond. They don't have a word to say. 319 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,520 But again, he's not trying to blast them and just overpower 320 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,320 them with words and confrontation so that they don't 321 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,400 have an opportunity to speak. He wants to seek the truth. 322 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:12,880 He wants the truth to be made known. 323 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,840 The third thing is that confrontations should seek God's 324 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,480 glory. We see here in this passage that 325 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,440 Nehemiah is concerned about God's reputation. 326 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,000 Look at what he says in verse 9. So I said, the thing that you 327 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,160 are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the 328 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:32,600 fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nation's our 329 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,960 enemies? Nehemiah understood that when 330 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,040 God's people treat each other sinfully, that reflects poorly 331 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:42,360 on God. And as the nations begin to 332 00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:44,560 taunt them because of the way that they're treating one 333 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,720 another, God's name is dragged through the mud. 334 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,320 And so Nehemiah is concerned about God's glory and his 335 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:57,160 reputation. 4th Confrontation should seek reconciliation. 336 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,920 The goal of confrontation is not not just to get something off 337 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,320 your chest or to vent towards someone. 338 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,640 It's to reconcile. It's to make things right. 339 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:11,440 Look at verses 10 through 12. Moreover, I and my brothers and 340 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,720 my servants are lending them money and grain. 341 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,920 Let us abandoned this exacting of interest. 342 00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:20,360 Return to them this very day. Their fields, their vineyards, 343 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:23,120 their olive orchards and their houses, and the percentage of 344 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:26,040 money, grain, wine and oil that you have been exacting from 345 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,120 them. Then they said we will restore 346 00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:31,440 these and require nothing from them. 347 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:35,080 We will do as you say. And I called the priests and 348 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,760 made them swear to do as they had promised. 349 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:41,760 So notice what Nehemiah does. He confronts the sin, but he 350 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,000 calls them and tells them what to do. 351 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:48,360 Not just confronting the sin, but here's how we remedy it. 352 00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:51,680 Here's how we fix the situation. Here's how we bring 353 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:55,200 reconciliation. Stop charging interest. 354 00:20:55,920 --> 00:21:00,560 Return all that you've taken sinfully and an amazing thing 355 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:04,360 happens. They do it, they confess their 356 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:08,040 sin and they return it all. And look at what happens in 357 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,760 verse 13. The result is worship. 358 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,160 Nehemiah says in verse 13. I also shook out the fold of my 359 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,520 garment and said, so May God shake out every man from his 360 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,720 house and from his labor who does not keep this promise, so 361 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:23,320 may he be shaken out and emptied. 362 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,520 And all the assembly said Amen and praised the Lord. 363 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:30,360 And the people did as they had promised. 364 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:36,120 Sin had been exposed, sin had been confronted, and the leaders 365 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:40,920 repented and the people offered their forgiveness and joy was 366 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:46,320 restored, leading to worship. When we are faithful to expose 367 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,520 sin in the body and confront sin in the right way with the right 368 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:53,800 motivation, we restore the brokenness in our relationships 369 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:59,080 and bring glory to God. Now if you live long enough, you 370 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:04,160 will experience hurt and pain from someone, a family member, a 371 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:08,720 friend, a Co worker, somebody. Many of you I would guess have 372 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,880 had very painful experiences where where you allowed someone 373 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,720 into your life you shared intimately and deeply and you 374 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:20,800 were burned. This happened to Paul after 375 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:24,000 spending a year and a half in the city of Corinth, pouring 376 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:27,400 into these people, sacrificing for these people, teaching these 377 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,120 people, giving of himself for these people. 378 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,560 He after he left after a year and 1/2, he goes away and a 379 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,960 false teacher came into the church and was able to turn all 380 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,640 the church against Paul, calling into question everything that he 381 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,440 ever did, his authority, his teaching, his work. 382 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:45,920 Paul was incredibly hurt by this. 383 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,200 And so he wrote a very severe letter to that church. 384 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,280 We don't have that letter, but he wrote a very severe letter to 385 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:55,600 that church confronting them in their sin, rebuking them for 386 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,720 their sin. An amazing thing happened. 387 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:05,080 Those people repented. They repented of their sin and 388 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:08,920 they even disciplined the person who had come in and stirred them 389 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,120 up. They disciplined this man and an 390 00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:12,480 even more amazing thing happened. 391 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:17,680 He repented and he turned back and he confessed the sin that he 392 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,320 did wrong. Now the problem was that the 393 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,840 people were slow in welcoming this man back and so Paul had to 394 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,440 write to them. In Second Corinthians chapter 2, 395 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:31,640 verses 5 through 8, he says now if anyone has caused pain, he 396 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:35,000 has caused it not to me, but in some measure not to put it too 397 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:39,520 severely to all of you for such a one, this punishment by the 398 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:43,040 majority is enough. So you should rather turn to 399 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:47,480 forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive 400 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:51,360 sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your 401 00:23:51,360 --> 00:23:54,920 love for him. In that severe letter he had, he 402 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,800 had called them to turn back from their sin and they 403 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:00,480 listened. But now they disciplined this 404 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:03,160 man and they kept disciplining him even though he was 405 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,000 repentant, even though he had confessed what he had done. 406 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,960 And Paul tells them now the time for confrontation is over. 407 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:15,240 It is now time to forgive, to comfort, to affirm your love. 408 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,280 John MacArthur, speaking on this passage, says Paul knew there 409 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:26,160 was and is no place in the church for man made limits on 410 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,720 God's grace, mercy and forgiveness toward repentance 411 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,960 sinners. Such restriction could 412 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:37,680 restrictions could only rob the fellowship of the joy of unity. 413 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,120 Nehemiah understood this as well. 414 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:45,560 He understood and was willing to confront sin in the body because 415 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:50,200 the goal was reconciliation and restoring joy, restoring unity, 416 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,960 restoring worship of the true God. 417 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:58,320 This must be our goal as well, which is why we must confront 418 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:01,480 sin in the body. We need to expose it. 419 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:05,960 We need to confront it so that reconciliation can happen and we 420 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,960 can restore the joy of unity. So what is the best way to do 421 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,600 that? How do you seek reconciliation 422 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,000 and restoration when when confronting sin? 423 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:20,440 We follow Nehemiah's example. First, we seek self-control. 424 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,120 When others sin against us, our, our emotions tend to be high. 425 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:27,480 And so this is not the time to run out and confront someone. 426 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,800 We need to take the time to think, to pray, to come up with 427 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:34,560 with what we're going to say and the best way to approach. 428 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:39,200 We must be self controlled. 2nd, we must seek the truth again, 429 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,920 when when our emotions are, they're clouding our judgement 430 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,120 and we need to seek the truth. We need to slow down and think 431 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:48,240 about what we're saying and, and think about what is best and 432 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:50,560 allow the other person a chance to respond. 433 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,200 And maybe there's pieces of information that we're missing 434 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,600 that we need. And so we go in on a fact 435 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,400 finding mission trying to find out what is going on. 436 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:02,280 Often times they've been hurt as well. 437 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,880 And so we need to share in their pain and work together to seek 438 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,440 the truth. 3rd. We must seek God's glory. 439 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,440 If we want to confront someone, we must be concerned not about 440 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:13,960 our who we are and what we're going through. 441 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,760 Not just our well-being and the fact that we're offended. 442 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:20,000 But we must take the time to consider how our actions and how 443 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,600 actions of others towards us affect God's name and 444 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,840 reputation. Scripture is our ultimate guide, 445 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:31,000 so use it in your conversation. And when we follow God's word, 446 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:35,800 he is glorified. 4th We must confront people but seeking 447 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,400 reconciliation. Now again in our confrontation 448 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,200 we sometimes we were tempted just to want to vent to to want 449 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,880 to be able to show our thoughts, show our feelings and just dump 450 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,600 on someone. And if this is your motivation 451 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:51,760 then you're not self controlled and you're not ready to confront 452 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,080 someone in their sin. You need to ask yourself the 453 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:58,440 question, am I seeking revenge or am I seeking for this 454 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:03,280 relationship to be restored? Pray that the Lord gives you the 455 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,920 desire to reconcile. If you don't have it, and if you 456 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:10,000 do desire the relationship to be reconciled, then say to that. 457 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:11,920 Say that to the person that you're confronting. 458 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,640 I'm coming to you because I want our relationship to be restored. 459 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,640 I want unity to be present once again, that we can worship the 460 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:25,080 Lord together and you can do all the right things and someone may 461 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,840 still reject you. They will deny that they've done 462 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,760 anything wrong and maybe still not want anything to do with 463 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,240 you. But if you follow this pattern 464 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,400 in confronting someone, it has a greater potential of leading to 465 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:41,200 reconciliation, restore joy, unity, and worship. 466 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:44,920 The next thing that we learned from chapter 5 in the book of 467 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:48,320 Nehemiah is that we must kill sin in the body. 468 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:52,320 Now when sin happens, we must expose it and we must confront 469 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:54,200 it. But the better way is to kill 470 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,120 sin altogether and to avoid the pain that it causes. 471 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:02,200 As we close Chapter 5, Nehemiah begins to give us insight into 472 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,920 how he lived as the governor of Judah. 473 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,360 The reason this is important is because if he is confronting 474 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:12,320 those leaders for taking advantage of the people, they 475 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,760 could think that he's a hypocrite if he's doing the very 476 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,080 same thing. And so as we look at Nehemiah 477 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,400 and how he lived as a governor, we're actually going to see how 478 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:24,160 we can learn to actively kill sin in our lives, how we can 479 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,680 learn to kill the sin of selfishness and greed in our 480 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,880 hearts. And the way that we do that, the 481 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,640 way that we kill that sin of selfishness, that sin of greed, 482 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:39,000 is having a heart to serve. But the way that you serve 483 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:43,440 matters. You should serve not to get, but 484 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,600 to give. We don't know exactly when, but 485 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,680 at some point after Nehemiah arrives, he's appointed the 486 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:53,440 governor of Judah. He was willing to serve, but as 487 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:55,960 we see from his life, and it was not because of what he could 488 00:28:55,960 --> 00:29:00,280 get, but what he could give. Look at verses 14 through 18. 489 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,400 I'll read these few verses. Moreover, from the time that I 490 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,800 was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, 491 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:10,040 from the 20th year to the 32nd year of Artaxerxes the King, 12 492 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:14,600 years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the 493 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,160 governor. The former governors who were 494 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,360 before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them 495 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:22,880 their daily ration, 40 shekels of silver. 496 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,680 Even their servants lorded it over the people, but I did not 497 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,040 do so because of the fear of God. 498 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:33,280 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no 499 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,400 land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 500 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:41,560 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, 501 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:44,400 besides those who came to us from the nations that were 502 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,000 around us. Now what was prepared at my 503 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,520 expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, 504 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,680 and every 10 days all kinds of wine in abundance. 505 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,320 Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the 506 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:02,240 governor because the service was too heavy on this people. 507 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,280 So though Nehemiah had the right to the food allowance as the 508 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:10,680 governor, he didn't take it. Governors before him use this as 509 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:13,160 an opportunity, use their position and their authority as 510 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:16,320 an opportunity to take advantage of people, and even their 511 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:18,440 servants would Lord it over these people. 512 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:23,880 But Nehemiah killed that sin by serving to give. 513 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,440 Nehemiah provided food for himself for 150 men, Jews and 514 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,800 officials who sat at his table. He provided. 515 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,760 There were even people outside of the community who came to him 516 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,840 asking for food, and he provided for them as well. 517 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:43,160 He did that for 12 years. This gives us a little bit of 518 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:47,560 insight into the wealth that Nehemiah had gained as the cup 519 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,040 bearer to King Artaxyrxes. The fact that he's able to 520 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:55,360 provide for over 150 people for 12 years, he had grown 521 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,840 incredibly wealthy and he was coming here to serve not out of 522 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:02,440 what he could get, but what he could give. 523 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:09,960 You also kill sin by seeking to serve, not to please man, but 524 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,760 God. After mentioning all of these 525 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,880 personal sacrifices for the people, Nehemiah says in verse 526 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:21,240 19, Remember for my good, O God, all that I have done for this 527 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:24,360 people. Nehemiah is willing to make all 528 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:28,640 of these sacrifices personally because of his desire to be 529 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:33,280 pleasing to God. Obviously his work and his 530 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,240 sacrifice was a benefit to the people he was serving, but 531 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:39,240 ultimately he wants to do what's pleasing to God. 532 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:42,800 And this distinction is really important because at times 533 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:46,200 Nehemiah had to do really hard things and he had to say really 534 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,880 hard things. And if our desire is to please 535 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,640 man, then we we are tempted to not say the hard things. 536 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:54,880 We're tempted not to do the hard things. 537 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:59,400 But when our desire is to please God, as Nehemiah's desire was, 538 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:01,440 then we're willing to do those hard things. 539 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,160 We're willing to say those hard things because our desire is to 540 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:09,440 be pleasing to our Lord. And so the way that Nehemiah 541 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,560 killed sin in his own life was by seeking to serve. 542 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,960 And his heart of service was motivated by what he could give 543 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:18,600 and how he could be pleasing to God. 544 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:23,520 Now, the reason that we struggle so much with sin is because of 545 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:28,040 our selfish desires. It is because of our selfish 546 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,400 nature. Rather than seeing ourselves as 547 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,800 a body, we think of ourselves individualistically. 548 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:40,800 James addresses this very issue as he writes to believers who'd 549 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:43,080 been scattered because of the persecution. 550 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:46,760 They're facing persecution from the outside, but they're also 551 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,200 beginning to face internal conflict. 552 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:53,560 And James exposes and confronts the heart of the issue in James 553 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:58,240 four, verse 131 through three. What causes quarrels and what 554 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:01,680 causes fights among you? Is it not this that your 555 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:05,960 passions are at war within you? You desire and you do not have, 556 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:09,320 so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so 557 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,720 you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do 558 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,000 not ask. You ask and do not receive 559 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:18,800 because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. 560 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:23,440 The reason they had sin and fighting in the body was because 561 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:27,360 of their selfish desires. They were more concerned about 562 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:30,560 their personal desires and their selfishness than what was good 563 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:33,480 for the body as a whole. And so James goes on and says, 564 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:37,160 You adulterous people, do you not know that friendship with 565 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:41,880 the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a 566 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:44,440 friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 567 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,920 Or do you suppose it is Nope to no purpose that the Scripture 568 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,040 says? He yearns jealously over the 569 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,480 Spirit that he has made to dwell in US. 570 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,840 So he calls out their selfishness, but then says, 571 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:58,680 Don't you know that your selfishness is putting you as an 572 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,720 enemy of God? God had given them His Spirit, 573 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:06,320 and he wanted them to find their true delight in him, not in the 574 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:11,400 things of the world. Thankfully, James gives the 575 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:16,840 remedy to their selfishness, but he gives more grace. 576 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:21,840 Therefore, it says God opposes the proud, but gives grace to 577 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,639 the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to 578 00:34:24,639 --> 00:34:27,320 God. Resist the devil and he will 579 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:30,239 flee from you. Draw near to God and he will 580 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:33,960 draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, 581 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,880 and purify your hearts. You double minded. 582 00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:41,120 If they humbled themselves before God, He would give them 583 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,239 grace if they draw near. If they were going to draw near 584 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:46,520 to God, then God would draw near to them. 585 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,400 If they pursued God's ways, then their hearts would be pure. 586 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,280 The believers that James was writing to were quarrelling and 587 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,400 fighting because of their sin. They forgot that they were a 588 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:04,360 body. They needed to kill their sin by 589 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:06,720 seeking to serve and be pleasing to God. 590 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,880 Is this not exactly what we struggle with, brothers and 591 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,080 sisters? The reason that we have 592 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,320 quarrels, the reason that we have fights among us, is it not 593 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:20,360 because we fail to recognize that we are one body. 594 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:27,400 If I truly saw that you were a part of me, that we were a part 595 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:31,200 of the body together, then I would be just as concerned for 596 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:36,760 you as I am for myself. If you truly understood that I 597 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:41,240 was a part of you as the body, then you would be just as 598 00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:44,440 concerned for me as you are for yourself. 599 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:49,320 That is the result of us being a body together. 600 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:55,680 Well, how do we kill the sin of selfishness in our own hearts? 601 00:35:56,720 --> 00:36:01,160 We follow Nehemiah's example. We seek to be servants. 602 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:07,520 Do you view church, this body of believers, as a place to get 603 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:11,080 what you want? Do you view it as a place to get 604 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:15,320 your needs met, to have your preferences satisfied? 605 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:21,400 If you're going to kill the sin of selfishness and greed, we 606 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:27,200 need to be willing to serve one another, to sacrifice and to 607 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,360 surrender for one another, not out of what we can get. 608 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,760 A good reputation, a good feeling on the side, on the 609 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,000 inside, people looking at us from the outside and thinking 610 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,280 that we're good people. It's not out of what we can get, 611 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:43,200 but it's about what we can give. If you've placed your faith in 612 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:46,720 Jesus Christ as your Savior, His Spirit has given you a gift. 613 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,040 That gift is not so that you can elevate yourself. 614 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:53,480 That gift is so that you can use it in service to help the church 615 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:57,880 to grow, to help the body to grow into the fullness, the 616 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:04,720 maturity of Christ. And we should do this not to 617 00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:06,760 please one another, but to please God. 618 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,760 Our desire should be to be glorifying to Him. 619 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:15,200 And this means at times confronting sin, exposing sin, 620 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,600 but when we desire to please God, we're willing to do those 621 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:22,160 hard things. So I have some uncomfortable 622 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:26,480 questions for us this morning. If you are a part of this body 623 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:30,440 of believers, are you more concerned about what you can get 624 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:36,400 or what you can give? And I'm asking these questions 625 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:40,280 to myself as much as anybody. Are you more interested in 626 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:44,120 looking good to others or pleasing God? 627 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:50,280 Do you see the people around you as this part of the same body as 628 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:55,240 you? What are you doing to help them 629 00:37:55,240 --> 00:38:01,480 grow? If you want to kill sin in the 630 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:04,440 body of Christ, you must become a servant to your fellow 631 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:08,280 brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one body. 632 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:15,480 Let's live like it. The only reason that we can live 633 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:20,720 as a body is because of what Christ has done for us, the work 634 00:38:20,720 --> 00:38:25,320 that he has done on the cross, reconciling a people to himself. 635 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:31,120 Because you see, God has exposed our sin, He said in Romans 323 636 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:36,480 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and 637 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:39,760 God has confronted our sin. And he says in Romans 623, the 638 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:50,520 wages of sin, the wages of sin is death, but God has killed our 639 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:54,840 sin through Jesus Christ. He goes on to say the gift of 640 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,400 free. The free gift of God is eternal 641 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:02,320 life in Christ Jesus our Lord. How did Christ do this? 642 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:05,560 How did he accomplish this? He accomplished it by emptying 643 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:09,920 himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the 644 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:13,040 likeness of men and being found in human form. 645 00:39:13,240 --> 00:39:17,080 He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, 646 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:25,760 even death on a cross. Friend, God loves you enough to 647 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:30,320 tell you that you're a Sinner and to tell you that your sin 648 00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:34,960 will lead to death. But God also loved you enough to 649 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:40,720 send his Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for you to take your 650 00:39:40,720 --> 00:39:45,880 sin on himself to himself. Bear the wrath of God in your 651 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:50,680 place so that you can be forgiven, so that you can have 652 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:54,240 the hope of eternal life. And if you will confess your 653 00:39:54,240 --> 00:39:58,400 sins and believe in Him today, you can be saved. 654 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,840 Have you done that? After the service today, I would 655 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:06,360 encourage you to talk to a pastor or a leader. 656 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:08,400 Talk to someone who's sitting around you. 657 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,440 As you go out for lunch and go this afternoon and go watch the 658 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:14,200 Super Bowl somewhere this evening, talk to someone, Talk 659 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:17,200 to a friend and ask them what it means to follow Christ. 660 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:20,440 What it means to give your life to Jesus as your Lord and 661 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:24,080 Saviour and to accept His sacrifice that He has made for 662 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:28,160 you. Brothers and sisters in Christ, 663 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:30,640 those who have placed their faith in Him. 664 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:34,760 Since Jesus loved us enough to humble Himself, to take on the 665 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:38,280 form of a servant, to die on a cross so that we could be saved, 666 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:43,160 we should desire to follow His example and seek to live our 667 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:45,920 lives in humble sacrifice for one another. 668 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:49,960 Thank God that even though we fail, He gives us grace. 669 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:54,880 Amen. If we turn to God in humility 670 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:57,200 and repentance, He will give us grace. 671 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:00,720 He will strengthen us by the power of His Spirit to be 672 00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:05,120 unified as we seek to build His Kingdom and make His name great 673 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:07,000 and bring glory and honour to Him. 674 00:41:07,720 --> 00:41:13,240 Let's pray. Father, we thank you for all 675 00:41:13,240 --> 00:41:16,960 that Christ has done for us. We thank You that You have saved 676 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:21,680 us as a body. Lord, would you kill selfishness 677 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:24,440 and pride in our hearts? Would You help us to be willing 678 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,640 to surrender and sacrifice for one another, not looking to only 679 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:32,000 our own interests, but looking also to the interests of others 680 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:35,280 and in this same way having the mind that Christ had? 681 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:40,480 Or would you strengthen us? Each and every one of us needs 682 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:42,720 your help. We cannot do it on our own, but 683 00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:46,200 we praise you and thank you that You have given us your Spirit to 684 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:50,080 walk with us, to guide us. And we confess this morning that 685 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:54,080 that far too often we grieve the Holy Spirit through our sin. 686 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:58,520 We ignore his promptings. We ignore as He leads and guides 687 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:02,240 us and strives to to point us in your ways. 688 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:05,880 And we pray, Lord, that you would continue to soften our 689 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,560 hearts, continue to make us more willing to live for your glory 690 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:12,760 and honour. Or would you help us to forgive 691 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:17,000 one another, to work towards reconciliation? 692 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:21,200 And Lord, would you restore to us the joy of your salvation as 693 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:24,680 we seek to be the faithful body of Christ building your Kingdom? 694 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:27,600 This we ask in Jesus name, Amen.