1
00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,160
Well, greetings, Inglewood. 
Good to see everybody here. 

2
00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,680
For those who are here, thank 
you so much for coming. 

3
00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:16,960
And I mean that I'll say more 
about that in a moment. 

4
00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:19,960
For those who are watching 
online, we're so thankful that 

5
00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,080
you were able to join us. 
For those who could not be here 

6
00:00:23,080 --> 00:00:25,400
on Friday night, we have a good,
great crowd here. 

7
00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,040
I just want to say thank you for
coming at such short notice. 

8
00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,759
Also, just want us to share our 
appreciation to the worship 

9
00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:36,360
team, to greeters, to everybody 
who's who's helped pull this 

10
00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,960
together. 
Your staff has worked very, very

11
00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,240
hard and I appreciate them and, 
and I know you do too. 

12
00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:48,640
So thank you for that. 
Let me share just a couple of 

13
00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,000
important words with us. 
There are a couple of mission 

14
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,280
trips still coming up. 
If you've been here for 

15
00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,280
Wednesday nights, you know, I 
was talking about our trip to 

16
00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:00,440
Uganda and our trip to Iraq are 
both that we've got good teams 

17
00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,840
going, we're going, there's no 
problem, but we have a couple of

18
00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,240
spots open and if you're 
interested in that, the Uganda 

19
00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,200
trip is coming up very, very 
quickly. 

20
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,560
So you need to see me or Cassidy
for March 21st through 30th. 

21
00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:14,400
We need to know about that 
pretty quickly. 

22
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,480
And then the Rocky trip is April
24th through May 2nd. 

23
00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,600
Incredible trips with important 
ministry. 

24
00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,600
Both of these are safe places, 
wonderful places to go, dear 

25
00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,880
friends of mine that you'll be 
working with and just hope and 

26
00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:29,880
pray that some of you could 
still go on those. 

27
00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,080
I know several of you are going 
on later trips and I appreciate 

28
00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,920
that very much as well. 
Listen, I just, I'm, I'm so 

29
00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:38,960
thankful for you all. 
I'm, I'm a little overwhelmed by

30
00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:40,000
tonight. 
I appreciate it. 

31
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,920
Had no idea what was going to 
happen tonight and just again, 

32
00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,920
so appreciate that, you know, 
you are an incredibly awesome 

33
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,120
congregation to me. 
And in fact, I have proof. 

34
00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,640
I have proof because because it 
says right here that this 

35
00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,120
pastor, this pastor has an 
awesome congregation. 

36
00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,120
Can I get a name in? 
Can I get a name in? 

37
00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,880
Can I get a Hallelujah? 
I'm telling you, I wear the 

38
00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,560
proof as I believe it. 
We're having an awesome time 

39
00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,039
because God is so awesome. 
Turn to somebody sitting next to

40
00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:12,640
you and say God is awesome. 
He really is. 

41
00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,480
And he is an incredible, 
incredibly awesome plan for us 

42
00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:18,880
that no little snowstorms going 
to stop. 

43
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:20,840
And so we just look forward to 
what he's going to do. 

44
00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,400
So just think about our next 
face to FaceTime, which I'm 

45
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,880
pretty confident we'll be able 
to gather a week from Sunday for

46
00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,240
sure. 
And, and think about being back 

47
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,720
in your connect groups singing 
together. 

48
00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,600
And we had a new member 
presentation. 

49
00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:36,960
Listen, we got a whole bunch of 
people. 

50
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,600
We got a backlog of baptisms of 
people who need to get baptized.

51
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:42,920
And so just a lot of things to 
celebrate. 

52
00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:46,720
We're excited about your kids 
being in kids ministry, learning

53
00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:48,520
and growing with those 
incredible ministries. 

54
00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,840
And I know that some of the kids
are here tonight with us and in 

55
00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,920
this setting or they're sitting 
in your living room right now as

56
00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:58,720
you're watching online. 
But this weekend before you rush

57
00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,160
out to either look for snow 
because this is North Carolina, 

58
00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:07,880
or you're having a snowball 
fight or you're you're going to 

59
00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:09,640
go sledding or slipping down a 
hill. 

60
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,600
Are you going to make a snow ice
cream or a snowman or you're 

61
00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,000
going to go out and make snow 
angels, which of course, in my 

62
00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:17,680
world, I call those snow 
tresses. 

63
00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,480
Thank you very much. 
Good to see everybody. 

64
00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,080
I'll be at the door signing 
autographs. 

65
00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:27,480
Thank you. 
Thank you very much. 

66
00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,120
For those of you who need to 
come to the marriage conference,

67
00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:37,880
take notes. 
So I listen, there was a little 

68
00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,480
testimony earlier when Jordan 
was sharing about the East Coast

69
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,200
men's Bible Conference about are
there any single men and can 

70
00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,000
single women come? 
And so that was another 

71
00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,080
conversation we were having 
right before I got up here. 

72
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:49,760
But that's a that's a whole 
nother thing. 

73
00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,200
So I do want to stop and let's 
pray about seriously about the 

74
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,520
weather because there are people
who are out in there. 

75
00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,920
One of the things you all may or
may not know, some of you 

76
00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,960
probably know this well, some of
you don't know this, especially 

77
00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:06,120
those of you who are newer. 
We do, our building is used as a

78
00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,040
shelter. 
So one of the roles that we play

79
00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:12,240
at Inglewood is we work with 
Nash County Emergency Services 

80
00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,520
and the Red Cross. 
And so Pastor Jean Davis has 

81
00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,920
been working with them. 
There's a big generator Outback.

82
00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:21,760
So especially the Lewis Building
becomes a shelter for those who 

83
00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:23,600
need it. 
And so just be praying that a, 

84
00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,440
we don't need it, frankly. 
But we're also so thankful for 

85
00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,920
the people who are out and 
helping people. 

86
00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:31,920
And just so you know, your 
church is right in the middle of

87
00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:33,920
that. 
And we appreciate Pastor Jean 

88
00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,920
for leading that, that charge 
and working with those great 

89
00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:38,760
organizations. 
So let's just pray about the 

90
00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:40,520
weather. 
Let's pray for people who might 

91
00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,720
find themselves in a, in a, in a
tough spot during these winter 

92
00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,640
days who don't have shelter, who
don't have warmth. 

93
00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:50,200
And so let's just go to the Lord
for a second. 

94
00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,560
Father, we're so thankful that 
we could gather safely and 

95
00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,400
warmly in this place here. 
I pray that those who are 

96
00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,280
watching online are doing the 
same thing. 

97
00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,600
But Father, we also recognize in
our community there are those 

98
00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,240
who who maybe don't have that 
opportunity. 

99
00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,440
And so Father, we do pray for 
them. 

100
00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:13,000
I also especially lift up our 
first responders who are will be

101
00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,680
working, who'll be out there, 
people who will be in accidents,

102
00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,120
people who are going to suffer 
from the cold, people who are 

103
00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:20,440
going to have medical 
emergencies. 

104
00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,800
So, Father, we thank you so much
for all those who are working so

105
00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,440
hard to keep us safe and to keep
people safe. 

106
00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,440
Father, I do pray that we have 
no power outages. 

107
00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,440
I pray, Father, that it'll be a 
beautiful snow where we 

108
00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,400
celebrate your creation, 
perhaps, Lord, but that it will 

109
00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,760
be something that we can 
actually enjoy and celebrate and

110
00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:40,840
not have to worry about. 
So Father, we thank you for 

111
00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:43,000
that. 
I do pray, Father, you'll speak 

112
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,720
to us through Your word. 
As we look at Nehemiah and we 

113
00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,000
keep moving through this book 
together, Father, there's a very

114
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,640
important message for us. 
And so I pray that we'll pay 

115
00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,720
close attention now and just 
speak to us in Christ's name, 

116
00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,400
Amen. 
So I want you to go to Nehemiah 

117
00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,440
chapter 5. 
This really is an important 

118
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,160
message. 
I shared what I'm about to share

119
00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,040
with you 2 weeks ago. 
I'm very aware. 

120
00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,760
I, I haven't, I haven't lost 
that cognitive ability yet, but 

121
00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,120
I was asked by a few people to 
share it again and to put it on 

122
00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,720
a slide, frankly. 
So I just want to repeat this to

123
00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:16,600
you. 
If a person, this is a euert 

124
00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:21,080
ISM, so to speak, it's something
that I've I've had hanging my 

125
00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,920
office and something I've taught
people over the years. 

126
00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,760
But if a person can possess 
biblical common sense or wisdom 

127
00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,160
and they can retain objectivity,
that means to see and focus on 

128
00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,800
the big picture and they can 
keep their own ego and pride out

129
00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,080
of the way humility, they will 
serve well in the Kingdom. 

130
00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:44,200
But the problem is one of these 
key ingredients is almost always

131
00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,800
missing. 
So wisdom, objectivity, 

132
00:06:48,840 --> 00:06:51,360
humility. 
If you were to be honest with 

133
00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:53,960
yourself, how would you rank 
yourself in those areas? 

134
00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,640
Which is my stronger area? 
Which is my weaker area? 

135
00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,040
What? 
What is, is the thing I need to 

136
00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,000
work on the most? 
A dear friend of mine, and I've 

137
00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,040
shared this story with our 
staff, but a dear friend of mine

138
00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,640
that we will see on the Brazil 
trip, who's the president of the

139
00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,880
Brazilian Baptist Convention. 
He's a true level 5 global 

140
00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:13,440
leader. 
And I would, that's a, that's a 

141
00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,640
holy, holy title for me. 
I, I could name those people 

142
00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,080
I've met on one hand. 
And Fernando Brando, who we will

143
00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:23,960
go see, we were eating dinner 
one night and he, he was talking

144
00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,840
to me about leadership because 
I, I, I went down there every 

145
00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,520
year to, to work with his 
leaders. 

146
00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:34,200
And he said a man was holding a 
seed in his hand and, and he 

147
00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:39,280
asked others what they saw and, 
and one man said, I see a seed. 

148
00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,840
Another man says, well, I, I, I 
see a tree. 

149
00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,240
And Fernando said, the one I 
weren't working with me is the 

150
00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:52,000
one who says I see the forest. 
So proper vision, faith and hope

151
00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,160
are important things for us. 
Nehemiah possessed this wisdom. 

152
00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,720
Nehemiah possessed this 
objectivity. 

153
00:07:57,880 --> 00:07:59,760
Nehemiah possessed this 
humility. 

154
00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:04,200
And he models them for us as he 
sought God's restoration. 

155
00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:07,560
And so as we move through this 
series together, this is an 

156
00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:11,560
important lesson for us, 
especially today, because you 

157
00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:15,440
got to remember that many of his
people, many of the Hebrew 

158
00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:18,280
people, had just spent decades 
in exile. 

159
00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,080
And others that were actually 
there had been left behind from 

160
00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,760
the exile. 
And so these were people who had

161
00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,400
years of struggle that marked 
their life. 

162
00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:31,200
And it drove them. 
It drove them as they sought to 

163
00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,559
exist and they sought to move 
forward in some new way from the

164
00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,720
ruins of their past. 
They carried legitimate past 

165
00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,120
hurt. 
They carried legitimate past 

166
00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,120
issues with them. 
And it resulted in a stunted 

167
00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,840
present at times and a clouded 
future for many of them. 

168
00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:54,280
And maybe as you're listening to
this that describes you, maybe 

169
00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,960
your life is marked with similar
struggles. 

170
00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:01,680
Real hurt, I mean, real hurt, 
legitimate hurt. 

171
00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,560
Not just stuff you've 
fabricated, not just stuff 

172
00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:07,760
you've embellished, not just 
stuff you've overreacted to, not

173
00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,960
just stuff you've dramatized, 
but real hurt, real need from 

174
00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:16,360
your past that that still has an
effect upon your present. 

175
00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,520
It hinders, it distracts, it 
might even prevent you from 

176
00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,840
embracing what God's future is 
for you. 

177
00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,080
So, so this message is for all 
of us with the past. 

178
00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:30,360
Some of us have a bigger ones 
than others maybe, but but it's 

179
00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,720
all, it's a message for all of 
us with the past. 

180
00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,240
It's for all of us who are 
working to figure out our 

181
00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,360
present. 
It's for all of us who are 

182
00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,640
seeking A hopeful future. 
So this is important for us. 

183
00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,480
Nehemiah 5 is going to teach us 
how we might just need some new 

184
00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,480
goals. 
We might just need some fresh 

185
00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,920
priorities. 
We might just need a proper 

186
00:09:49,560 --> 00:09:52,680
perspective. 
And so as we look at Nehemiah 

187
00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:55,880
chapter 5 verse one says this. 
Now there arose a great outcry 

188
00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:59,840
of the people and of their wives
against their Jewish brothers. 

189
00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:02,760
That's an important sentence. 
Notice who they're who they're 

190
00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:04,720
complaining about. 
They're not complaining about 

191
00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,560
Sambalit and Tobiah and the 
Arabs and the and all the I TS, 

192
00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:11,040
the Philistines or whoever. 
It's not the outside people 

193
00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:13,440
they're complaining about. 
They're complaining about their 

194
00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,360
own people. 
For there were those who said 

195
00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,480
with our sons and our daughters,
we are many, so let us get grain

196
00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:24,000
that we may eat and keep alive. 
There were also those who said 

197
00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,960
we are mortgaging our fields, 
our vineyards in our houses to 

198
00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,440
get grain because of the famine.
And there were those who said we

199
00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,880
have borrowed money for the 
King's taxes on our fields and 

200
00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:37,800
our vineyards. 
Now our flesh is as the flesh of

201
00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:39,800
our brothers. 
Our children are as their 

202
00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:43,800
children, yet we yet, yet are. 
Yet we are forcing our sons and 

203
00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,760
our daughters to be slaves. 
And some of our daughters have 

204
00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:52,320
already been enslaved, but it's 
not in our power to help it for 

205
00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,320
other men have our fields and 
our vineyards. 

206
00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,440
So this is a hard part of the 
story, and there's a few points 

207
00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,880
we want to make out of this and 
apply to us today. 

208
00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:05,560
First of all, as our emphasis 
can't simply be on ourselves. 

209
00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,240
That may seem like an odd thing 
to say after what I just read, 

210
00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:09,440
but it'll make sense in a 
minute. 

211
00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:15,920
They were in a very difficult, 
historically unique situation 

212
00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,560
after the exile. 
They'd never been through 

213
00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:20,600
anything like this. 
The closest might have been the 

214
00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,080
Exodus out of Egypt, but but 
this was a very different time. 

215
00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,920
And as they were walking through
their transition from the past 

216
00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,600
to the present to the future, 
there were some very difficult 

217
00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:31,480
things going on. 
It was a hostile environment. 

218
00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,200
It was, there were tough 
physical things going on, 

219
00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,480
circumstances and people were 
hurting under the strain of 

220
00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,760
life. 
People around us all the time in

221
00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,440
our community who are hurting 
because of the strain of life. 

222
00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,760
And, and what was making matters
even more complicated is more 

223
00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:49,240
and more and more people were 
coming. 

224
00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,880
More and more people were coming
out of Babylon. 

225
00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:53,760
More and more people were being 
born. 

226
00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,200
You got to recognize that some 
of these people had been there a

227
00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,080
long time already. 
So new kids were being born and 

228
00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,960
children were being reborn there
in Jerusalem, in the area. 

229
00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:07,600
And to make matters worse, some 
of their own people sought their

230
00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,960
own agendas for their own 
benefit. 

231
00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:14,000
That happens in life, doesn't 
it? 

232
00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,720
Where people around us, people 
we would consider our own 

233
00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,800
people, seek their own agendas. 
They're only thinking of 

234
00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,640
themselves that that they don't 
have that humility. 

235
00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:25,360
They don't have that 
objectivity. 

236
00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,480
All they do is think of 
themselves. 

237
00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,000
And that might, that might sound
a whole lot like this current 

238
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,760
culture. 
Frankly, it might sound a whole 

239
00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:36,080
lot like the life that you now 
experience. 

240
00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:39,000
They were physically, 
financially, emotionally, 

241
00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:42,040
relationally and spiritually 
strained. 

242
00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,800
This was a very difficult time 
and they were experiencing 

243
00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,720
famine because the fields hadn't
been worked. 

244
00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:50,640
You got to think about it. 
The fields hadn't been worked 

245
00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:52,600
properly for years because of 
the exile. 

246
00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:55,760
And also now that they're back, 
they got to build a wall, they 

247
00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,360
got to build a temple, they got 
to re re fortify Jerusalem. 

248
00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,240
They don't have time to go out 
and farm the fields, and so 

249
00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:06,040
there's a famine going on. 
So food was scarce, money was 

250
00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:10,800
scarce. 
So some of the wealthy, some of 

251
00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,600
the wealthy Jewish people were 
taking advantage of the 

252
00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,800
situation for personal financial
gain. 

253
00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,280
That's what was going on. 
And the people cried out to 

254
00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:21,800
Nehemiah, not about their 
enemies, but about members of 

255
00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,160
their own community. 
They weren't just hurting 

256
00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,160
because of what the external 
world was doing to them. 

257
00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:29,920
They were hurting because of 
what was happening internally 

258
00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:34,040
among their own people. 
Jews were exploiting Jews, 

259
00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,000
causing this great misery. 
We need food. 

260
00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:41,000
We have to mortgage everything 
to have any money to buy it, 

261
00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:45,120
which means then we have to 
borrow even more money to pay 

262
00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,800
our taxes. 
There are people I know living 

263
00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,760
this way. 
They have to pay the taxes to 

264
00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,680
the Persian king. 
So the Persian kings were 

265
00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:58,400
notorious for charging massive 
amount of taxes. 

266
00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,200
Of those they conquered, they'd 
collected in coinage. 

267
00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,280
They'd melt it down into bars 
and they stored it back in their

268
00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,360
capital, a place called Sousa. 
When Alexander the Great 

269
00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:13,960
conquered Sousa, he found 340 
tons of gold and over 1500 tons 

270
00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:17,560
of silver. 
Now kids, you all ask your mom 

271
00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:20,960
and dad later how much money 
that is, how much allowance 

272
00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:28,440
should you get to equal 340 tons
of gold and over 1500 tons of 

273
00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:31,800
silver? 
King Artaxerxes was one of the 

274
00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:35,120
worst. 
He he, he taxed even even 

275
00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,280
heavier than some of the others 
on both property and the 

276
00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:39,760
harvest. 
So he might have set them free, 

277
00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:44,040
but it wasn't free. 
There's nothing free about it. 

278
00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,680
So there could be as high as a 
40% interest rate from these 

279
00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,560
land over land owners. 
So they fell prey to to 

280
00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:55,320
basically loan sharks who are 
making huge amounts of money on 

281
00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:57,280
their misery. 
And these loan sharks were 

282
00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,720
Jewish people. 
It wasn't like it was the 

283
00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,600
Philistines coming in to do this
wasn't the Ammonites or the 

284
00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:04,680
other Termites. 
It was the Jewish people doing 

285
00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:08,760
this. 
So it what happens is to survive

286
00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:13,160
this, to be able to pay their 
debts, they had to sell 

287
00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,200
themselves. 
They had to sell their children 

288
00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:19,800
into into basically debt 
slavery. 

289
00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:23,000
Now, could you imagine? 
Could you imagine doing that to 

290
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,200
your kids? 
I'm telling you, in the world 

291
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,280
today, it's still going on in 
the world today. 

292
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:33,560
Debt slavery still exists. 
Slavery still is thriving all 

293
00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:35,200
around the world in different 
places. 

294
00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,720
This is still happening in the 
world today. 

295
00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,000
And so the people basically 
become these indentured servants

296
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,520
to one another and they're 
saying, Nehemiah, we need help. 

297
00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,000
Maybe that's your cry today. 
I, I, I have so much going on in

298
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,960
my life right now, emotionally, 
relationally, financially, 

299
00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,240
spiritually, Man, I got a job I 
hate. 

300
00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,480
I can't get along with my 
spouse. 

301
00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,760
My kids are driving me nuts. 
I, I don't have enough money to 

302
00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:06,440
pay what I got to pay. 
That might be your life for 

303
00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:09,800
somebody. 
You know, we need help, 

304
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,720
Nehemiah. 
We need somebody to show us what

305
00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,640
to do and to help us. 
Our brothers are selfish. 

306
00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:21,120
The rich exploit the poor for 
profit and the result is this 

307
00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,640
miserable situation. 
So selfishness like this, it 

308
00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,440
defies the formula that I 
repeated earlier. 

309
00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,600
See that selfish, there's no 
wisdom in this. 

310
00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,840
There's no objectivity in this. 
There's no humility in this. 

311
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:37,960
Self focus at the expense of 
others is very dangerous. 

312
00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,400
In fact, this is the root of 
most sin, all the way back to 

313
00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:45,000
Genesis chapter 3. 
A theologian once wrote. 

314
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,800
To consider persons and events 
and situations only in the light

315
00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:52,640
of their effect upon myself is 
to live on the very doorstep of 

316
00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:57,080
hell. 
If I just use people, I'm just 

317
00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:00,360
using people for my benefit, 
trying to manipulate 

318
00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:04,000
circumstances for my benefit. 
We've got to remember our 

319
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,839
essentials of discipleship here 
at Inglewood. 

320
00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:09,280
Those essentials include we're 
to unite in fellowship through 

321
00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:13,119
hospitality and authenticity, 
and we're to commit to service 

322
00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:18,359
with generosity and compassion. 
So selfishness leaves no room 

323
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:20,640
for that kind of qualitative 
growth. 

324
00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,520
Can't make disciples. 
Well, in that kind of 

325
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,200
environment, how could a people 
move forward? 

326
00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:29,160
How could if some, if some of 
them are only in it for 

327
00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,480
themselves and what they can get
out of it, how would they ever 

328
00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,280
be able to move forward? 
So instead of being disciples 

329
00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,640
who love God and love others, 
they love themselves and what 

330
00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,000
will profit them. 
They're selfish and it makes 

331
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,360
others miserable. 
But here's the the key, the 

332
00:17:45,360 --> 00:17:48,160
twist to all this, It not only 
makes other people miserable, 

333
00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,280
but in the end it's going to 
make you miserable too. 

334
00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:56,200
In the end, your selfishness 
will cost you when you when all 

335
00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:01,360
you end up with is yourself, 
your own wisdom, your own 

336
00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:05,600
opinions, your own perspectives,
and your own pride. 

337
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:10,400
Your prize is extremely 
temporary selfishness. 

338
00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,960
Any profit gained from 
selfishness is lost in eternity.

339
00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:16,760
That's why the Bible says in 
Mark 836. 

340
00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:22,600
For what does it profit a man to
gain what the whole world and 

341
00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:27,160
forfeit his soul? 
Kids, if mom and dad say no to 

342
00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:31,360
you, with several kids here, 
some of you listening at home, 

343
00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:34,600
listen closely. 
If mom and dad say no to you, 

344
00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:37,040
it's probably the best thing for
you. 

345
00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:39,360
And here's what I want you to 
do. 

346
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,240
And so when they tell you no, I 
want you to say to them, thank 

347
00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:46,880
you for loving me. 
Now you all figure that out 

348
00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:48,400
later at home. 
I think that'd be fun. 

349
00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,680
Let's see how that goes. 
Send me. 

350
00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:57,200
Listen, let's give Send reports.
See taylor@inglewoodbaptist.com 

351
00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:04,160
We'd love to hear back from you.
How did that go right last week 

352
00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,320
when I said turn to somebody and
everybody's listening online. 

353
00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:08,520
I've one family I heard about. 
They were all high fiving each 

354
00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:10,960
other in the in the living room.
So we'll see how that goes. 

355
00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,200
Because our emphasis can't 
simply be on ourselves. 

356
00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,040
We got to make disciples who 
love God first, love others as 

357
00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:17,280
themselves. 
Look at verse 6. 

358
00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,080
This isn't to Nehemiah's 
response. 

359
00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:27,000
I was very angry when I heard 
their outcry in these words. 

360
00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,840
I took counsel with myself, and 
I brought charges against the 

361
00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,160
nobles and the officials and 
said to them, You were exacting 

362
00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:34,920
interest. 
Each from his brother and I held

363
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,760
a great assembly against them, 
and said to them, We, as far as 

364
00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,880
we are able, have brought, have 
bought back our Jewish brothers 

365
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,880
who have been sold to the 
nation's, but you Even so your 

366
00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,200
brothers, that they may be sold 
to us. 

367
00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,640
And they were silent, could not 
find a word to say. 

368
00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,000
So I said, the thing that you 
are doing is not good. 

369
00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:55,520
There's the understatement of 
the Bible. 

370
00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,800
Ought you not to walk in the 
fear of our God to prevent the 

371
00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,000
taunts of the nations, of the 
nations, our enemies? 

372
00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:07,040
Moreover, I and my brothers and 
my servants are lending them 

373
00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,120
money and grain. 
Let us abandoned this exacting 

374
00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:12,440
of interest. 
Return to them this very day, 

375
00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,280
their fields, their vineyards, 
their olive orchards and their 

376
00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,200
houses, and the percentage of 
money, grain, wine and oil that 

377
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:19,560
you have been exacting from 
them. 

378
00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:24,040
Then they said, We will restore 
these and require nothing from 

379
00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,240
them. 
We will do as you say. 

380
00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,320
And I called the priest, and 
made them swear to do as they 

381
00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,120
had promised. 
I also shook out the fold of my 

382
00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:35,440
garment, and said, So May God 
shake out every man from his 

383
00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,600
house and from his labor who 
does not keep this promise. 

384
00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:44,240
So may he be shaken and emptied.
And all the assembly said, Amen 

385
00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:49,200
and praise the Lord. 
And the people did as they had 

386
00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:51,640
promised. 
See, our emphasis can't simply 

387
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,600
be on ourselves. 
But the second thing we see here

388
00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:55,440
is we desperately need 
accountability. 

389
00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:00,440
As human beings, we desperately 
need accountability. 

390
00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,760
We don't like it, this world 
chase against it, it preaches 

391
00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:05,760
against it, but we desperately 
need it. 

392
00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,160
Nehemiah was furious when he 
heard of this sin. 

393
00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:13,000
It made him miserable. 
He suffered in misery himself. 

394
00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:15,760
And so he had to take time to 
seriously think about a 

395
00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:17,840
response. 
If you read this passage and the

396
00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:22,080
the idea in Hebrew is, is his 
his heart needed to be ruled 

397
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,360
before he spoke. 
He needed to step back for a 

398
00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:28,760
minute and think about this. 
In fact, one translation would 

399
00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,240
say that his heart consulted 
with him. 

400
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,440
He, he had to process this. 
He needed to get control of 

401
00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,000
himself. 
He was so upset, not in some 

402
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,120
emotional fit, but in righteous 
indignation. 

403
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:45,880
But he knew he had to respond in
a certain way because this hurt.

404
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,120
It struck deeply in his heart. 
And so this was about the way 

405
00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:52,080
they were treating one another 
and not just this conflict with 

406
00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:56,360
these outside pagans. 
Think of the testimony a divided

407
00:21:56,360 --> 00:21:58,200
people. 
Think of the testimony that 

408
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,760
sends out into this world. 
There are moments in ministry, 

409
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,600
my friends, when you shake your 
head. 

410
00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:09,640
There are moments in ministry 
when you just shake your head 

411
00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:11,000
and you got to strengthen your 
heart. 

412
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,600
You got to step back for a 
minute, process it when you hear

413
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,520
a fellow believers treating one 
another this way. 

414
00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:23,040
The lead in ministry requires 
the heart of a child, the mind 

415
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,680
of a scholar, and the height of 
a rhino in today's world. 

416
00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:32,360
Nehemiah was disturbed, he was 
saddened, he was upset. 

417
00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:33,960
He needed a moment to gather 
himself. 

418
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,400
I got, I got, I got, I got to 
have a moment, God. 

419
00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,320
And then I want you to notice. 
Notice how these chapters, if 

420
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:42,320
you've been following along in 
this Nehemiah study at all. 

421
00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:43,520
If not, you can go back and see 
this. 

422
00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,080
These chapters are contrasting 
anger. 

423
00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:52,760
So last time last week, the 
enemies were intensely wrongly 

424
00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:57,480
angry, raging mad about what the
Jews were doing to rebuild. 

425
00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,280
They were selfish in their 
desire. 

426
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,520
They were selfish. 
They wanted to retain control. 

427
00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,400
They wanted to fight with their 
earthly power and control. 

428
00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,000
They were mad because they 
didn't get their way. 

429
00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:10,800
I don't know if you've ever met 
a human being who got mad 

430
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,240
because they didn't get their 
way. 

431
00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:15,200
Now, you parents at home, talk 
to your kids about that too. 

432
00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,160
Tell them no and see if they 
thank you. 

433
00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:23,280
I just want to hear about that. 
But in contrast, here we see 

434
00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,480
this godly leader righteously 
angry. 

435
00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,280
Angry. 
This is strong word for anger, 

436
00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:32,800
but not because of what will or 
will not benefit him, but about 

437
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:37,520
what hurts God and brings misery
to his people and a horrible 

438
00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,560
testimony to the world around 
them. 

439
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:45,360
And so he's hurt because it's 
distracting from God's purpose, 

440
00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,560
from his calling. 
These people were being hurt by 

441
00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:50,920
sin, both, both those who were 
victims of it, but Nehemiah knew

442
00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:52,520
also those who were committing 
it. 

443
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,040
When you commit sin, you're 
hurting yourself. 

444
00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,200
And as we learned back in our 
help series some months ago on 

445
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,440
midweek, the, the Bible doesn't 
say don't be angry. 

446
00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:07,680
It says to be angry, but don't 
sin. 

447
00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:11,800
Sometimes we ought to be angry. 
Sometimes we ought to be angry 

448
00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:13,960
about sin. 
We ought to be angry about 

449
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,000
injustice. 
And Nehemiah got his heart and 

450
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,160
his head together. 
He got it under rule, literally 

451
00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,120
the Hebrew, he got it under 
control. 

452
00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,360
And, and you're going to see in 
his response, he focuses upon 

453
00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:28,760
what would God say and upon what
God does say in his word. 

454
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,040
What, what, what a godly leader,
what a practice of a godly 

455
00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,760
leader. 
He, he, he, he's, he's very much

456
00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:40,640
involved in moral indignation, 
but he doesn't simply react or 

457
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,840
overreact with emotion. 
He pauses. 

458
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,320
What does God say? 
What does God's word say? 

459
00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:48,200
What do we need to do about 
this? 

460
00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:50,720
And he shares what God says 
about the issue. 

461
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,360
So he gathered them all up in 
the assembly, gathers these 

462
00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:55,640
businessmen and these 
politicians and all the people, 

463
00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:57,320
and he talks to them about their
hardship. 

464
00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,560
And he says, this is you're 
responsible for this, this is 

465
00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:02,200
wrong. 
He rebukes them and he rebukes 

466
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,960
these these wealthy Jewish 
oppressors for their 

467
00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,240
selfishness, for their greed. 
They're violating the Torah. 

468
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,320
They're violating the Mosaic Law
by what they're doing. 

469
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,560
They were charging fellow Jews 
interests on loans. 

470
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:19,440
This was clearly specifically 
forbidden in the Law of Moses. 

471
00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:21,440
There are several places you 
could see this. 

472
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:26,200
I'll just read out of Exodus 22.
It says if you lend money to any

473
00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,960
of my people with you who is 
poor, you shall not be like a 

474
00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,720
money lender to him and you 
shall not exact interest from 

475
00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:34,760
him. 
I mean, it's about as clear as 

476
00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,640
you can get. 
They're violating the law. 

477
00:25:38,120 --> 00:25:41,120
As the commentator Warren 
Whistby says, both the people in

478
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:43,920
the land belong to God and he 
wouldn't have anybody using 

479
00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:45,400
either one of them for personal 
gain. 

480
00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,640
We're his, we're not each other.
We don't get to you. 

481
00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:51,760
I don't get to use you for what 
I want. 

482
00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:54,320
You don't get to use me for what
you want. 

483
00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,600
We've got to focus on what God 
wants and what his word says. 

484
00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:01,720
I mean, listen, they were even 
selling fellow Jews into debt 

485
00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:06,760
slavery to non Jews and then 
buying them back for a profit. 

486
00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:11,680
And this, this is actually 
specifically against the law. 

487
00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:14,280
You can go back in Exodus 21 and
this is specifically against the

488
00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:18,480
law. 
So emphasizing only yourself and

489
00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:22,400
what might profit you and not 
what God commands, always going 

490
00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,320
to lead to problems. 
This is what I want. 

491
00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,960
Well, that's not the question. 
Question is, what does God want?

492
00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:32,760
So, so so Selfishness LED their 
steps, not a reverence for God 

493
00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:34,120
or his Word. 
So for now. 

494
00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:39,000
Now maybe we cut him some slack.
Perhaps they had been away in 

495
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,840
exile so long that they'd 
forgotten. 

496
00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,360
In exile, they might not have 
been able to study the law as 

497
00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:47,520
much. 
Maybe they'd forgotten. 

498
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,320
Maybe they need to be reminder, 
reminded and restored to proper 

499
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,280
obedience to the Word of God. 
Maybe they had been so far away 

500
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,000
from it that they'd forgotten 
what God said. 

501
00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,800
They'd been removed from temple 
worship and they'd been removed 

502
00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,160
from the sacrificial system for 
so long that maybe their memory,

503
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,520
maybe their knowledge, maybe 
their love for the law had 

504
00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:10,200
diminished. 
And so that's the most benefit 

505
00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:11,840
of the doubt that I think we 
could give them. 

506
00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:15,640
But maybe, maybe they felt it 
was time though, for them to put

507
00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,640
themselves 1st to get what they 
could get. 

508
00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,520
I'm going to get mine. 
Everybody else getting theirs, 

509
00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:24,680
I'm going to get mine, man. 
I hear that out there. 

510
00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:29,680
I'm going to get mine. 
I hear that in sports even. 

511
00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:34,200
But they were putting themselves
right back. 

512
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:35,520
You got to pay attention to 
this. 

513
00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,600
They were putting themselves 
right back into the position 

514
00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:40,760
that caused the exile in the 1st
place. 

515
00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,400
And this is part of the problem.
One of the reasons Nehemiah so 

516
00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:49,280
mad is because greed was one of 
the sins the prophets warned 

517
00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:54,240
them about and denounced to them
before the Babylonian exile. 

518
00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:57,400
And so here they are just 
repeating the same sin. 

519
00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:00,800
Listen to I could quote Isaiah, 
I could quote Jeremiah. 

520
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,640
Listen to Amos, therefore, 
because you trampled on the 

521
00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:07,320
poor, and you exact taxes of 
grain from him. 

522
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,840
You've built houses of hewn 
stone, but you shall not dwell 

523
00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:12,560
in them. 
You've planted pleasant 

524
00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,280
vineyards, but you should not 
drink their wine, for I know how

525
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:18,080
many are your transgressions. 
And how great are your sins, you

526
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,720
who afflict the righteous, who 
take a bribe and turn aside the 

527
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:25,000
needy in the gate. 
So accountability for past sin 

528
00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:30,960
was demanded is for us too. 
They were right back in the same

529
00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:36,200
cycle of repeating the same old 
sin. 

530
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:37,640
I don't know how many of you are
trapped in that. 

531
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,320
I find myself I this, it's 
almost like it's, I'm just, I'm 

532
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,120
just living out Romans 6 and 
Romans 7. 

533
00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:46,880
I'm doing the very thing I don't
want to do and I've done it 

534
00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:47,680
again. 
I don't want. 

535
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:48,920
That's not what I but I'm doing 
it again. 

536
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,000
I'm just caught in a cycle of 
sin. 

537
00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:53,440
And Nehemiah says you got to 
stop. 

538
00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,240
You got to stop for God's sake. 
You've got to stop for the 

539
00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,000
people's sake, and you got to 
stop for your own sake. 

540
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,720
You can't keep bringing the same
sin from the past into your 

541
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,880
future. 
It's time to stop. 

542
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,720
You can't keep bringing the same
sin from the past into your 

543
00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:17,600
future and expect to fulfill 
what God wants you to do. 

544
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,640
This is a new day, it's a new 
chapter. 

545
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:22,600
It's a historically unique for 
them. 

546
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:26,360
For us, it's the same way. 
We're in a unique historical 

547
00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,640
moment with a new future. 
We got to confess, we got to 

548
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:35,000
repent, and we got to replace. 
So leave that miserable rubbish 

549
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,560
back there, Nehemiah says where 
it belongs. 

550
00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:39,840
Stop trying to build on it. 
Don't. 

551
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,000
Don't carry it into the future. 
Don't carry it into his future. 

552
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,640
Not that stuff from back there. 
It's not going to create the 

553
00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:47,960
foundation that you need to 
build your life on. 

554
00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:50,680
Remember past mistakes. 
We were talking about this and 

555
00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:53,080
staff. 
Remember the past mistakes. 

556
00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:58,080
Learn from them. 
File those lessons properly and 

557
00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,600
then don't repeat them. 
That's what you do. 

558
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:04,480
Learn from them. 
We've all met anybody here ever 

559
00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,280
made a mistake? 
Raise your hand if you ever made

560
00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:09,120
a mistake, kid. 
You ever gotten in trouble, say 

561
00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:12,760
yes, some of you are older kids.
That was good. 

562
00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:19,080
That was good confession. 
Listen, we've all made mistakes.

563
00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,120
Listen, we got to learn from 
them and we got to file those 

564
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,640
lessons properly where we can 
pull them out and remember them.

565
00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,720
And then we've got to not repeat
them, but praise the Lord 

566
00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:34,960
because no matter how far away, 
no matter how long ago, no 

567
00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,560
matter how, how, how long ago 
it's been, it's never too late 

568
00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:42,720
to return to obedience and to 
return to the love for God and 

569
00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:46,600
his word and his will. 
So true restoration is just his 

570
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,680
grace and our obedience away. 
That's, that's the step. 

571
00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:52,120
It's just his grace and our 
obedience. 

572
00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:55,440
That's the formula. 
And he's ready to give that to 

573
00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,280
you. 
So using his authority under 

574
00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:02,200
Persia, Nehemiah steps in and he
orders the greedy to stop it, to

575
00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,840
stop their usury, to stop this 
interest and return taken 

576
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:06,880
property. 
Property. 

577
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:09,080
Now, if you know anything about 
the Old Testament, basically 

578
00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:13,360
what he's called for is a 
modified year of Jubilee for 

579
00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:14,720
some of you, you'll know what 
that is. 

580
00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:18,400
In Leviticus 25, it talks about 
it where debts were to be 

581
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:22,440
forgiven in the 50th year, every
50th year, land was restored to 

582
00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:24,560
its owners, servants were set 
free. 

583
00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,920
This was to balance the economy.
It was to balance so that the 

584
00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:30,640
rich wouldn't just keep getting 
richer and the poor just keep 

585
00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:34,200
getting poorer, and to prevent 
sin, such as selfishly 

586
00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,960
exploiting the poor. 
So the businessmen pledge, if 

587
00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,360
you notice, we're going to do 
what we will do as you say, 

588
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:42,040
Nehemiah. 
And and you got to give them 

589
00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:44,800
credit throughout the book 
because most of the time that's 

590
00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:48,200
what they say. 
Yes, Sir, we'll do what you say.

591
00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:50,920
But Nehemiah took it a step 
further. 

592
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:52,160
You got to pay attention to this
part. 

593
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:57,400
He, he took it to a more formal 
place to where they had to swear

594
00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:01,280
an oath before God and the 
people, because it's easy to say

595
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,480
that you're going to do 
something, but he's going to 

596
00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,440
make them prove it. 
It's more binding, more lasting 

597
00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,320
when you have a whole bunch of 
witnesses and accountability for

598
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,920
your life. 
Do not miss this lesson. 

599
00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:18,360
We need accountability. 
Now listen to me. 

600
00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,920
This is part of the testimony. 
We desperately need 

601
00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,560
accountability. 
This is part of the testimony of

602
00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,800
making a public profession. 
This is part of the testimony of

603
00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:30,200
public baptism. 
We won't do private secret 

604
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:35,000
baptisms because we need the 
whole church in the world to see

605
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:38,640
this testimony, not just so 
you'll be blessed by it, but so 

606
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,120
that the person being baptized 
in a sense is testifying on the 

607
00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:44,720
level of accountability to the 
church and to the world of 

608
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:46,720
saying I'm identifying with 
Christ. 

609
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:50,680
It's a big deal. 
And so basically, I've been 

610
00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,480
saved, I've been forgiven, and 
I'm making this new commitment 

611
00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:55,440
and the power of the Holy Spirit
to live for him. 

612
00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,000
I'm accountable to the Holy 
Spirit, see. 

613
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:04,960
And so next Sunday, I believe 
it, I believe it, you're going 

614
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,360
to see people get baptized and 
do that. 

615
00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,440
And so it's not just so we'll be
blessed and we cheer them on 

616
00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:13,480
because when we do and we 
should, and it's wonderful to 

617
00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,840
celebrate with them, but it's 
also they need that. 

618
00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:20,400
You need that. 
If you've never been baptized 

619
00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,640
you and you've trusted in Jesus 
Christ as your Lord and Savior, 

620
00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:28,000
you need that. 
We need to help them remember 

621
00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,440
and it helps us remember it's of
what's going on. 

622
00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:33,520
We, we need each other to be our
witnesses. 

623
00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:35,320
We need each other for 
accountability. 

624
00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:37,440
We need each other for that 
encouragement. 

625
00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,760
And so, so sometimes when we 
don't remember our commitment, 

626
00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,880
somebody needs to say, remember 
your commitment. 

627
00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:50,560
You need that person there. 
Why do you think I scream so 

628
00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:56,240
loudly and so regularly about, 
guess what, Connect groups and 

629
00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:03,080
100% because we need that as 
human beings, not just members 

630
00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,240
of Inglewood. 
Listen, I'm not trying to pad 

631
00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,440
numbers on a roll, but when I 
talk about church membership and

632
00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:13,080
connect group participation and 
100% participation in the core, 

633
00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:15,719
it's because we need these 
relationships. 

634
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:18,960
We need to make the connection 
between what the church is 

635
00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:22,600
supposed to be and our desperate
need for accountability as a 

636
00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:24,480
testimony to that world out 
there. 

637
00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:28,239
And so being in a connect group 
can help for you to have those 

638
00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,560
accountability relationships 
which are vital for you. 

639
00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:32,800
You need that community around 
you. 

640
00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:36,199
They see you and simply don't 
want that. 

641
00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:38,600
They know you. 
A lot of people really don't 

642
00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:41,400
want that. 
And, and, and they're going to 

643
00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:45,880
help remember you and they're 
going to help you remember what 

644
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:47,120
you ought to do. 
They're going to help you walk 

645
00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:52,280
the line. 
So I hear those who say, I've 

646
00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,600
heard it too many times. 
I've heard people, I mean, 

647
00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:57,520
people even make appointments 
with me to make a big deal about

648
00:34:57,520 --> 00:34:59,680
it, to, to argue with me about 
these things. 

649
00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,720
And I, I, I, I've heard people 
say I don't need that. 

650
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,920
I don't want that. 
I'm doing just fine without that

651
00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,360
in my spiritual growth. 
I do not believe that. 

652
00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:16,280
I will never believe that. 
I will never believe you're just

653
00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:18,840
fine on your own. 
I will not because there's 

654
00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:22,520
nothing in this book that 
testifies to that. 

655
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:27,360
And so in fact, what I want to 
say, I don't see. 

656
00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:31,080
I say it secretly later to 
myself and to God. 

657
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,600
What an arrogant, selfish, silly
and I'll informed thing to say. 

658
00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,440
You're cheating yourself and 
you're cheating others. 

659
00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:41,640
Now listen to this. 
This is very important. 

660
00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,080
You don't care about you. 
Listen to this part. 

661
00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:47,280
You're not just cheating 
yourself, you're cheating the 

662
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,120
others who would benefit from 
your presence or they would 

663
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:54,200
benefit from helping you. 
You're robbing them of their own

664
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:57,120
discipleship. 
You need them and they need you.

665
00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:00,040
They need you to need them and 
vice versa. 

666
00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:06,040
I hope that made sense. 
So this is listen, and this 

667
00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:09,320
isn't just me guessing, it's not
just me researching it. 

668
00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:12,480
And, and even beyond scripture, 
I can't tell you the number of 

669
00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:14,600
people Teresa will testify. 
I have. 

670
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,520
I've had several friends, 
several colleagues, several 

671
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:20,880
people in ministry who've had 
moral failures, no longer in 

672
00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:25,120
ministry, no longer serving. 
And I talked to them because 

673
00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,760
they're friends of mine. 
They often come to me for help 

674
00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:29,840
when these things start 
collapsing around them. 

675
00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:33,400
And, and this is one of the most
consistent things those who fail

676
00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:38,040
admit they used to say and 
believe about themselves that I 

677
00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:40,560
didn't need anybody else. 
I don't need accountability. 

678
00:36:40,720 --> 00:36:43,480
I'm great on my own. 
And and they'll they'll confess 

679
00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:45,800
they also knew it in their heart
that that was wrong and they 

680
00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:48,960
needed to change. 
But their pride and arrogance 

681
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:50,440
prevented them. 
Remember the formula. 

682
00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,960
There's almost always something 
missing. 

683
00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:00,160
We are created with the need 
from the very beginning for 

684
00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:04,400
relationship. 
You defy not be the most 

685
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:06,240
important sentence. 
I say those listening online, 

686
00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:07,840
pay close attention, get your 
pens ready. 

687
00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,920
You defy your very created 
nature when you avoid 

688
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:17,120
relationships. 
You're defying how God made you.

689
00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:20,040
You're defying, you're defying 
being created in the image of 

690
00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:24,240
God when you defy relationship. 
We've got to recognize how 

691
00:37:24,240 --> 00:37:26,840
important this is. 
We need the godly ones and 

692
00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:28,840
hopefully the church can provide
that. 

693
00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:32,800
Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully,
hopefully, please, hopefully we 

694
00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:35,160
can do that. 
So Nehemiah seals their 

695
00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:36,520
commitment. 
He places a curse. 

696
00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:37,720
This is great about the Old 
Testament. 

697
00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:40,000
You get to do curses too. 
In the Old Testament. 

698
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,280
He curses anybody who breaks the
commitment, right? 

699
00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:45,720
Maybe that's what we need. 
When you start figuring out 

700
00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:48,520
Jordan, we need some curses. 
Let's figure out some curses in 

701
00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:50,760
in the in the discovery 
Inglewood classes. 

702
00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:55,480
If you don't do this, maybe 
that's what we're missing. 

703
00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:57,160
Is that what we're missing? 
Maybe that's what we're missing.

704
00:37:57,160 --> 00:37:59,240
A good curse every now and then.
Is that what we need? 

705
00:37:59,920 --> 00:38:01,440
You are a little too eager for 
that. 

706
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:06,080
That's a little scary, a little 
bit scary. 

707
00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:10,960
But anyway, it was common in 
that day and time to symbolize 

708
00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:12,800
the recognition of 
accountability and the curse, if

709
00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:14,200
you forgot it, it was a normal 
thing. 

710
00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:17,480
And one of the things that they 
did is they would shake the dust

711
00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:20,360
off their sandals or off their 
lower rope. 

712
00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:22,800
It was just a symbol of it. 
We're, you know, we're getting, 

713
00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:24,800
we're, we're casting you off, 
right? 

714
00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:27,320
And so, and so that was a 
symbol. 

715
00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:31,520
And so Nehemiah prayed that God,
and he did this for the enemies.

716
00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,840
If you'll remember this, 
remember he, he, he, he prayed 

717
00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:38,000
that God would remember the sins
of the enemies last time. 

718
00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:40,600
God. 
Nehemiah also prays that he 

719
00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:44,280
would remember them, his own 
people, if they failed to live 

720
00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,000
up to the covenant. 
So the people witnessed the 

721
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:48,920
proceedings. 
They approved with praise. 

722
00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:52,120
They approved with a loud Amen, 
which means so be it. 

723
00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:54,640
And so they were, they were 
willing to do this. 

724
00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:56,640
And so why? 
And how we use our 

725
00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:58,840
relationships, how we use our 
influence, how we use our 

726
00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:01,760
energy, how we use our 
giftedness, how we use our time,

727
00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,200
how we use our resources, all 
matter. 

728
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,800
It's the stewardship of the 
totality of life that we're 

729
00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,160
talking about. 
It's a major part of our 

730
00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:15,640
discipleship and we are 
accountably so don't force God 

731
00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:24,160
to shake his robe at you about 
to be a scary thought for God to

732
00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:27,800
dust his sandals off. 
And as the people said, they 

733
00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:29,480
they all agreed and they said, 
Amen. 

734
00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:31,920
So you turn to somebody right 
now and say, so be it. 

735
00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,040
Now kids, if you're sitting at 
home right now, listen to this. 

736
00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:38,320
I want you to scream at the top 
of your lungs right now. 

737
00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:41,400
So be it, have your parents call
me. 

738
00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:44,880
It'd be great. 
I just want to hear that result.

739
00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:47,600
We'll get something on Facebook 
about kids screaming. 

740
00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,640
So be it. 
That'd be great. 

741
00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:51,800
But we got to confront 
selfishness. 

742
00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:53,400
We got to condemn and confess 
sin. 

743
00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:56,280
We got to be accountable to God,
this word, and to godly friends.

744
00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:58,680
That's part of what the church 
ought to be about. 

745
00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,360
So say the same thing that God 
says about sin. 

746
00:40:03,240 --> 00:40:04,520
And this is the way we move 
forward. 

747
00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:08,840
Look at verse 14. 
So, moreover, from the time that

748
00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,040
I was appointed to be their 
governor in the land of Judah, 

749
00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:14,840
from the 20th year to the 32nd 
year of Artaxerxes the King, 12 

750
00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:18,200
years, neither I nor my brothers
ate the food allowance of the 

751
00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:20,480
governor. 
The former governors who were 

752
00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:23,000
before me laid heavy burdens on 
the people and took from them 

753
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,160
for their daily ration 40 
shekels of silver. 

754
00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:29,200
Even their servants lorded over 
the people, but I did not do so 

755
00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,640
because of the fear of God. 
I also persevered in the work on

756
00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:35,280
this wall and we acquired no 
land and all my servants were 

757
00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:38,240
gathered there for the work. 
Moreover, there, there, there 

758
00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:42,680
were at my table 150 men, Jews 
and officials, besides those who

759
00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:44,640
came to us from the nations that
were around us. 

760
00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:48,680
Now what was prepared at my 
expense for each day was 1 ox, 

761
00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:53,720
six choice sheep and birds, and 
every 10 days all kinds of wine 

762
00:40:53,720 --> 00:40:55,880
in abundance. 
Yet for all this, I did not 

763
00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:59,000
demand the food allowance of the
governor because the service was

764
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,120
too heavy on this people. 
So we want to avoid selfishness 

765
00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:05,240
and the way we want to move away
from sin is is we certainly need

766
00:41:05,240 --> 00:41:07,280
around us some examples of 
selflessness. 

767
00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:10,280
We want to be one of these 
examples. 

768
00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:12,160
Just a, a brief word or two 
here. 

769
00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:17,920
Nehemiah worked hard to fulfill 
God's mission and to care for 

770
00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:19,920
the missionaries along the way 
as well. 

771
00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,760
And that's important. 
He served as an example. 

772
00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:25,520
He served as a model. 
In the earlier passage, we 

773
00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:28,480
already read that Nehemiah and 
others who worked with him, 

774
00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:31,720
we're setting the proper 
examples of lending money and 

775
00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:34,480
providing grain in the right 
ways without any kind of 

776
00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:37,680
interest. 
And so his behaviour actually, 

777
00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:40,840
it was sharply contrasting to 
those who came before him. 

778
00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:43,720
The governors who came before 
him made people pay stuff. 

779
00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:47,800
They had to pay local taxes to 
support the governor and so he 

780
00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:52,520
or they had to provide supplies 
for his administration. 

781
00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:55,400
And, and this was, this was a 
normal expectation. 

782
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:59,240
He had the right to for that 
expectation legally, but he 

783
00:41:59,240 --> 00:42:03,280
surrendered personal and 
positional rights for what was 

784
00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:07,400
better for his people. 
He sacrificed for them and my 

785
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:10,120
friends, for our future. 
We have to surpass old normal 

786
00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:14,600
expectations in this 
historically new normal context 

787
00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:18,080
and moment. 
We need to, we need to be 

788
00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:20,120
examples. 
We got to let go of personal 

789
00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:24,280
privilege. 
We got to let go of of of 

790
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:26,760
personal privilege for the 
privilege of service to others 

791
00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:30,480
and create that new normal. 
So Nehemiah focused not on that 

792
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:33,600
which would most benefit him, 
but on that which most benefited

793
00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:35,880
his people. 
And he fed hundreds. 

794
00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:38,760
Look at you see that he fed 
hundreds at his own table at 

795
00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:42,200
personal cost. 
He didn't use his position to 

796
00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:45,960
exploit exploit. 
He used his power to serve 

797
00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:48,560
thousands of animals throughout 
his term. 

798
00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:53,360
You're talking about entire 
herds of animals were used over 

799
00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:56,120
his years of service to feed 
people. 

800
00:42:56,120 --> 00:43:00,480
It was expensive, but this was 
the lifestyle of a servant 

801
00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:04,720
leader. 
Service used to give, not to 

802
00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:07,920
seek to get. 
Then look at verse 19. 

803
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:12,440
So we get ready to close, 
remember for my good, Oh my God,

804
00:43:13,200 --> 00:43:16,160
all that I've done for this 
people sounds kind of selfish, 

805
00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:18,560
doesn't it? 
But it's not. 

806
00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:23,680
What he wants is God to just 
remember the example that they 

807
00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:27,440
needed to learn. 
So to avoid selfishness and move

808
00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:30,000
away from sin, we need these 
examples. 

809
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:33,280
And then finally, we need to 
experience the blessing of 

810
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:37,000
service. 
Nehemiah ends this with prayer, 

811
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:40,600
just like normal. 
He was seeking that the Lord 

812
00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:43,240
would remember him because he 
wanted the people to learn and 

813
00:43:43,240 --> 00:43:47,280
remember the example. 
He did what he did to please God

814
00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:50,280
and by doing so, he was also 
blessed by God. 

815
00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:54,120
And that's the way this works. 
So, so we don't commit good 

816
00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:56,000
works to be saved. 
We know that. 

817
00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:59,560
We've talked about that before. 
You know that we do good works 

818
00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:03,200
because we are saved. 
As a pastor recently in 

819
00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:07,440
Washington DC wrote, he says 
you're not earning the smile of 

820
00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:09,640
God. 
It's not for sale. 

821
00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:13,120
It's done, it's finished. 
You can put that away. 

822
00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:15,080
So what's the Christian life 
now? 

823
00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:19,240
He writes it's the process of 
fighting for an unrestrained 

824
00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:24,280
intimacy that Christ purchased. 
I am not earning his smile. 

825
00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:28,600
I'm fighting to enjoy what He's 
already given me by grace. 

826
00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:34,800
So expect God's eternal blessing
when we serve Him for Him and 

827
00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:38,440
His people and His promises. 
So, so, so as we close, we got 

828
00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:40,680
to ask some questions. 
What am I trying to get out of 

829
00:44:40,680 --> 00:44:45,160
this life? 
Am I so, am I so much in hurt? 

830
00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:49,160
Am I so strained? 
Am I carrying such burdens from 

831
00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:52,040
back there that I can't even 
focus on what's over here? 

832
00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:57,240
We got to learn to let that go. 
So what am I trying to get? 

833
00:44:57,240 --> 00:44:58,640
What am I trying to put into 
this life? 

834
00:44:58,640 --> 00:44:59,920
What am I trying to get out of 
this life? 

835
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:01,640
What am I trying to put into 
this life? 

836
00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:06,480
Why do you breathe, why do you 
exist, and who do you want to 

837
00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:09,840
be? 
The old Lakota Nation or the 

838
00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:16,080
Sioux tribe had a word for The 
White Buffalo hunters, and the 

839
00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:20,640
word they used means one who 
takes the fat because it 

840
00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:24,280
referenced a form of genocide. 
Frankly. 

841
00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:28,160
It referenced those who were 
greedy and wasteful. 

842
00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:33,000
It refers to killing a Buffalo 
and then just taking the tongue 

843
00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:37,560
or some real small part of the 
animal and allowing the rest of 

844
00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:40,480
the animal to just waste away 
and decay. 

845
00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:45,200
And the Lakota depended upon the
whole animal for life, and they 

846
00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:50,440
were being robbed of that. 
And so their word was the one 

847
00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:55,120
who takes the fat. 
We need to be really careful. 

848
00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:58,960
Let's not waste this incredible 
gift of life. 

849
00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:01,880
Let's not waste this incredible 
gift of salvation. 

850
00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:06,920
We serve an awesome God who has 
an awesome plan for us. 

851
00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:10,880
And, and so don't just settle 
for the fat or the tongue. 

852
00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:14,320
Don't seek simply what you can 
get for yourself. 

853
00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:19,040
We need each other. 
You need the church, We need 

854
00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:21,480
accountability, we need one 
another. 

855
00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:25,320
It's time for you. 
Perhaps whether you're sitting 

856
00:46:25,320 --> 00:46:30,160
in this room and thank you so 
much for being here, or you're 

857
00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:34,120
sitting at home, or maybe you're
listening to this as you drive, 

858
00:46:34,120 --> 00:46:38,600
someday it's time for you to 
make a public commitment to 

859
00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:40,880
Christ. 
For some of you, that might be 

860
00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:43,200
salvation. 
For some of you, that might be 

861
00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:45,080
baptism. 
For some of you, that might be 

862
00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:47,960
church membership. 
For some of you, it's 100% 

863
00:46:47,960 --> 00:46:54,520
participation in this plan, a 
commitment with accountability, 

864
00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:56,360
something that matters for 
eternity. 

865
00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:59,800
You're never too far away. 
It's never been too long ago for

866
00:46:59,800 --> 00:47:01,840
you to make that decision, to 
make that choice. 

867
00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:05,440
Listen, listen to me, don't tune
me out yet. 

868
00:47:05,720 --> 00:47:10,760
Quit holding on to mistakes from
your past just because you took 

869
00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:13,480
a long time making them and 
you're used to making them. 

870
00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:17,440
Give up the cycle, give up that 
pattern. 

871
00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:20,800
Let him replace him with grace 
and forgiveness, and then join 

872
00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:24,440
us here at Awesome Inglewood to 
build his future. 

873
00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:28,280
Now what we're going to do is 
we're going to enter into a time

874
00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:34,400
here, but also I pray with you 
online into a time of, of, of 

875
00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:36,640
response and a time of 
reflection. 

876
00:47:37,240 --> 00:47:39,520
So whether you're in this 
building right now or you're 

877
00:47:39,520 --> 00:47:44,400
online, this is an invitation 
for you to give back to God what

878
00:47:44,400 --> 00:47:47,600
he seeks from you that that 
might be your salvation. 

879
00:47:47,680 --> 00:47:50,600
The pastors are going to be here
at the front and we want to talk

880
00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:53,240
to you about that after the 
service. 

881
00:47:53,240 --> 00:47:56,040
If you want to talk to someone 
more, you can go to our we'll 

882
00:47:56,040 --> 00:47:58,280
make sure one of the pastors 
hangs around the next steps room

883
00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:01,480
tonight. 
But but we're also going to pass

884
00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:05,080
the place like we normally have 
started doing at this time, not 

885
00:48:05,080 --> 00:48:07,920
necessarily to get your money. 
And if you're a guest here 

886
00:48:07,920 --> 00:48:11,920
today, put a put a next steps 
card in there for those of you 

887
00:48:11,920 --> 00:48:14,800
who need to register for the 
Valentine's of that prime time 

888
00:48:14,800 --> 00:48:16,720
or Valentine's Day, Put, put 
your card in there. 

889
00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:21,680
But but but to pass that plate 
as a moment of worship, as a 

890
00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:25,240
moment of recognition, some of 
you need to come and you need to

891
00:48:25,240 --> 00:48:27,080
know at these steps and give 
your life to Christ. 

892
00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:29,160
Some of you need to say, I need 
to join this church. 

893
00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:31,560
Some of you need to make a 
commitment to be in a connector.

894
00:48:31,640 --> 00:48:35,400
Some of you need to be baptized.
Listen, we got a line of folks 

895
00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,200
ready, ready to do it. 
And we'd love for you to join 

896
00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:42,880
the line of commitment of public
testimony. 

897
00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:45,360
Listen for those listening 
online. 

898
00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:48,120
You can still give you can give 
your tithes and offerings to the

899
00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:50,560
you can do that online. 
You can bring them to the church

900
00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:52,200
building later. 
You can always put things in the

901
00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:56,480
offering boxes around. 
But if you have any questions 

902
00:48:58,720 --> 00:49:03,160
beyond this service or online 
and you you want to discuss 

903
00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:06,560
anything that God is laying on 
your heart or or to explore your

904
00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:09,640
next steps. 
AQR code's going to come up on 

905
00:49:09,640 --> 00:49:14,480
the screen and you can scan that
QR code or, or you can text the 

906
00:49:14,480 --> 00:49:18,080
phone number that you see or you
can e-mail us and I promise we 

907
00:49:18,080 --> 00:49:22,000
will get in touch with you. 
So remember this information. 

908
00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:24,360
We'll get in touch with you and 
pray for you. 

909
00:49:26,560 --> 00:49:30,840
But for those of us here in 
person, we'd love to connect 

910
00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:33,640
with you even as we sing in just
a moment. 

911
00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:36,800
So pastors are going to be here.
You can come and pray. 

912
00:49:37,280 --> 00:49:40,240
You can come talk to one of us 
or you can catch us after the 

913
00:49:40,240 --> 00:49:42,360
service. 
Let me pray for us, Father. 

914
00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:47,000
Thank you for being truly 
awesome, Lord. 

915
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,080
And that's not a word we're just
going to throw around 

916
00:49:49,080 --> 00:49:53,120
flippantly. 
We mean it. 

917
00:49:53,600 --> 00:49:56,880
You are awesome beyond 
imagination because of what you 

918
00:49:56,880 --> 00:49:59,840
have already done for us and 
what you plan on doing for us 

919
00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:03,720
still Now, Father, that demands 
response. 

920
00:50:04,680 --> 00:50:08,480
That demands acknowledgement. 
And so Father, we want to 

921
00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:12,680
acknowledge you by giving you 
our life, giving you everything 

922
00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:15,480
we have. 
Father, tonight we want to give 

923
00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:17,920
you our offering. 
We give it to you sometimes in 

924
00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:22,960
our ties and our resources. 
For many here though, it's it's 

925
00:50:22,960 --> 00:50:28,960
an issue of life, of new 
commitment, baptism, church 

926
00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:34,520
membership, salvation, prayer. 
So, Father, as that plate 

927
00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:37,160
touches a hand, I pray that it's
more than just an offering 

928
00:50:37,160 --> 00:50:38,760
moment. 
I pray that's a recognition, 

929
00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:41,800
acknowledging, acknowledgement 
moment of what do I need to give

930
00:50:41,800 --> 00:50:46,120
you, God and I pray others will 
come and speak to us. 

931
00:50:47,520 --> 00:50:49,000
Father, thank you that we could 
gather. 

932
00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:51,520
Thank you for the great number 
of people who've come here 

933
00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:54,480
physically. 
Thank you for the huge number of

934
00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:55,800
people who are going to be 
watching online. 

935
00:50:57,240 --> 00:50:59,880
I pray, Father, they'll reach 
out to us so that we can talk to

936
00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:02,920
them, not about us, but about 
you. 

937
00:51:04,440 --> 00:51:09,760
So, Father, bless us now as we 
respond in Christ's name, Amen. 

938
00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:11,720
Well, let's stand together. 
Our worship team is going to 

939
00:51:11,720 --> 00:51:13,880
lead us. 
Pastors are going to be here. 

940
00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:17,480
You come and talk to us. 
You can just come and pray that 

941
00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:18,880
you come. 
You respond.