1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,960 I'm so excited to invite you to turn with me now to the book of 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,960 Nehemiah. You're probably already there, 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,400 and if you're not, Nehemiah is right after the book of Ezra. 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:20,320 Hopefully that's helpful. And once I hear those pages 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,080 settled, I'd love for us to pray one more time. 6 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:29,680 Can we do that together? Blessed Lord, thank you for a 7 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,760 room every week that is filled with people who love your word. 8 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,640 We pray that you would go before us in this new journey. 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,040 You've been with us year after year, month after month, week 10 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,760 after week, and we trust that you'll be no different as we 11 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,120 faithfully come to this new text. 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,280 We pray, Lord, that tonight as we are introduced to Nehemiah, 13 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,360 his story, his mission, his message, that you'd use these 14 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,600 truths to weaken our attachment to the world. 15 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,480 And we pray that you would energize our holiness. 16 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:08,400 You would supply greater grace to trust you, to love you, to 17 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,800 adore you, To know that everything that we learned in 18 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:16,400 this session means that we can know you in the same way that we 19 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,800 can relate to you and experience you because you are the same 20 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,240 God, the same God as Nehemiah served. 21 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,520 So Lord, we do ask that you would protect this, this opening 22 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,440 service from error, from confusion, frustration, and 23 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:35,840 especially distraction. Lord, subdue any rebellious 24 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,240 thing that would try to rob us from the experience of your 25 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,760 voice through your written word. We bless you Lord, we love you. 26 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,440 Lord, in Jesus name we pray. Amen. 27 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,000 The book of Nehemiah. I'm not sure if you've been in 28 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,520 church circles long enough, but I have been to know that 29 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,960 Nehemiah has developed an interesting reputation. 30 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,680 And that reputation is that it is a narrative that many 31 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,919 churches draw inspiration from, especially when that ministry is 32 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,200 looking to enter into a new building campaign. 33 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,360 Maybe you sat through such a series. 34 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:18,480 Maybe you've heard Nehemiah quoted when there is a 35 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:23,040 construction project being proposed to a group of 36 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,200 believers. And Nehemiah is often referenced 37 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:32,360 to see how things such as building or renovating or 38 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,880 renewing can be done in remarkable timing. 39 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,200 But I'm here to tell you with great joy that there is much 40 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,080 more that Nehemiah has to offer than finding such inspiration. 41 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:48,240 Like Ezra, we will see and learn about godly qualities concerning 42 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:55,320 leadership, how to overcome various persecutions and 43 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,000 pressures and adversity. We will notice the beauty of 44 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,800 unity among believers. We will see again the power of 45 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,240 prayer. We will look at some of the 46 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:10,600 character traits that are necessary for longevity and 47 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,360 serving God, and much, much more. 48 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,200 But before we consider these things, let us take a moment to 49 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:21,160 situate ourselves by reflecting and clarifying some background 50 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:26,560 information. Nehemiah's story begins 13 years 51 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,960 after Ezra enters Jerusalem from Babylonia. 52 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:36,680 We know this because in Ezra Chapter 7 verse 8, Ezra tells us 53 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:41,360 that he arrives at Jerusalem in the seventh year of King 54 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,320 Artaxerxes who is the Persian king at the time, while Nehemiah 55 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:50,440 chapter 2 verse one, it is recorded that Nehemiah received 56 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,160 permission from the same king in the 20th year of his reign. 57 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,680 So 13 years go by as we open this new book. 58 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,160 And as many of you already know, Nehemiah will be raised up by 59 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,240 God to be the leader who will guide the third movement of 60 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,520 restoration for the Jewish exiles. 61 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:15,280 Approximately 90 to 100 years earlier, God stirred the heart 62 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,200 of a man named Zerubbabel to help rebuild the temple. 63 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:24,080 Later, God summoned a man named Ezra to rebuild the community, 64 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,920 the actual people, spiritually through the teaching of the law. 65 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,480 And now, as we come to this new book, this new account, we will 66 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,160 discover how Nehemiah will come alongside Ezra. 67 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,120 Yes, Ezra and Nehemiah are actually going to work together 68 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:41,080 to not only rebuild the walls, but to actually stabilize the 69 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,320 people of God in their relationship with the Lord. 70 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,600 Nehemiah is an important figure and his purpose and mission 71 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,000 therefore make this book a natural sequence to what we have 72 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,600 studied in Ezra. So much so that there are many 73 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,320 people who believe that Ezra is the author of the book of 74 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,560 Nehemiah. And though you may find some 75 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,160 similar parallels or qualities, we will actually see that 76 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,240 Nehemiah is in fact the author of this book. 77 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,760 There's stronger evidence for that than anything else. 78 00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:16,080 Now, as I was meditating on on this new study, I could not help 79 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:22,360 but think how difficult it must have been for the activities 80 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:30,280 that were under Zerubbabel and Ezra without city walls all 81 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:35,200 those years. This is staggering if you think 82 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,280 about it. Over that timeline, the people 83 00:05:39,280 --> 00:05:44,840 of God did so much with so little protection and security. 84 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,320 In fact, the vulnerability of the people of God during this 85 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,920 time may have been greater than most of us actually think. 86 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,120 Isn't it interesting that the last things that we read in the 87 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:02,160 book of Ezra are how the people of God committed a great sin, 88 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,200 namely the sin of interfaith marriage? 89 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,320 While the first thing that you and I encounter and face in the 90 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:11,280 opening of Nehemiah is a reminder of how the city walls 91 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:15,320 were still broken down. Now, I'm not suggesting that the 92 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,840 primary cause for the people intermingling with idolaters was 93 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:20,720 because there was no physical barrier. 94 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:25,280 But it makes you wonder whether that contributed to the 95 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:31,160 unregulated interaction of the surrounding world, if this 96 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:36,280 allowed outside influences and forces to easily invade the 97 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:41,920 space of the righteous, and if it overall weakened their sense 98 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:47,520 of distinction and separation. In other words, Nehemiah appears 99 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,480 to have this insight that the condition of the walls 100 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,200 threatened more than just the dignity of the Jewish people. 101 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,080 There was more at stake here. Nehemiah will show us that these 102 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:06,800 walls actually offered practical help, safeguards for the 103 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:12,040 sanctification of the people of God, in the same way that we 104 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,400 have practical instructions in the New Testament to help us 105 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:20,760 guard our own hearts and to avoid certain temptations and to 106 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,640 secure an undivided devotion to the Lord. 107 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,040 In fact, there is an example of this in the book of Nehemiah. 108 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,320 Now we're there, the 1st chapter, but I'd like to ask you 109 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,160 to go to chapter 13, which is the last chapter, just to 110 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:41,200 reinforce this point. Look at Nehemiah 13, verse 20. 111 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,880 This is long after the walls and the gates were resurrected. 112 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,840 Notice what happens here. This is one among many 113 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:52,640 instances, unfortunate instances. 114 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:57,120 In the MI 13 verse 20, we read then the merchants and sellers 115 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:02,000 of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 116 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,440 But I warned them and said to them, why do you lodge outside 117 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,040 the wall? If you do so again, I will lay 118 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,240 hands on you. From that time on. 119 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,480 They did not come on the Sabbath. 120 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:17,160 So this is a glimpse of of some of the lurking temptations that 121 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,000 await the people of God even after the walls and the gates 122 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,360 were rebuilt. Here you have merchants and 123 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,080 sellers lingering outside the city, and they're seeking to 124 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,720 entice the people inside the city who have barred themselves 125 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:33,159 from any kind of trade or business deals because they are 126 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:36,159 honoring the Sabbath. And yet you have these vultures. 127 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,280 We're trying to tempt them with their presence and take 128 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:45,160 advantage of the proximity to try to pull them away from 129 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,920 obedience to God, namely in regards to the Sabbath. 130 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,040 And although the wall didn't completely deter these 131 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,400 influences, it did serve as a buffer. 132 00:08:55,960 --> 00:09:00,480 It provided separation between the pressures and the people of 133 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,600 God that the community here. And so this is just a an 134 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,000 illustration really of how what we have here, this enclosure 135 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:15,640 offers much more than just protection against weaponry or 136 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,440 some kind of siege. No, this actually provided a 137 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,080 measure of protection for the people's hearts. 138 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,200 It would preserve Judah's distinct way of life. 139 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:33,160 And this is just, again, a small preview of the kinds of insights 140 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:38,000 and instructions that we will unfold and discover that will 141 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,520 help us in our own walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. 142 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,000 So with that in mind, let's come back to Nehemiah chapter 1, 143 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,240 turning to this opening scene by reading and studying the first 3 144 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:55,760 verses together, the words of Nehemiah, the son of Hakalaya. 145 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,640 Now what happened in the month of Kislev in the 20th year, as I 146 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:05,120 was in Susa, the citadel, the Hanani, one of my brothers came 147 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:08,960 with certain men from Judah, and I asked them concerning the Jews 148 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,960 who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning 149 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,960 Jerusalem. And they said to me, the remnant 150 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,760 there in the province who had survived the Exiles in great 151 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:23,520 trouble and shame, the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and 152 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,120 it's gates are destroyed by fire. 153 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,160 In this study, I'd like for us to organize our thoughts with 154 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,560 three simple headings. We're going to consider three 155 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:36,040 things tonight. One, the person, the person 156 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,320 Nehemiah. Secondly, there is the 157 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,000 preoccupation, the preoccupation in this man's heart and his 158 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,520 mind. And lastly and briefly, we will 159 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:46,480 look at the problem. The problem. 160 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,480 Let's look at the person. Right at the outset, we are 161 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,240 introduced to Nehemiah himself. And interestingly, unlike 162 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:57,240 Zerubbabel, who is of royal descent and like Ezra who is 163 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:00,760 from the priestly line, we do not have much data about 164 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:07,920 Nehemiah's family background. Some assume and claim that he is 165 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,720 from the tribe of Judah, but there's no conclusive evidence 166 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,720 for that. All we know about Nehemiah is 167 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,960 that he was a Jew and his father's name was Hakaliah. 168 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:20,520 And the limited information that we have about this may can 169 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,240 actually be more encouraging, depending on the way you look at 170 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:27,480 it. Think about it, up to this point 171 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,880 in the storyline, we have seen how the Lord raised up certain 172 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:32,800 men that we would expect for him to use. 173 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,640 Zerubbabel, who had David's blood running through his veins. 174 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:38,760 I can see why you would use a man like that. 175 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:43,320 And you have Ezra, who is from that ancient priesthood. 176 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,880 But then you come to a man like Nehemiah and he doesn't have any 177 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,480 kind of pedigree. There isn't any significant 178 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:57,120 heritage that he represents, but from time to time, you know what 179 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,000 the Lord does. He often surprises the world and 180 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,560 even his own people by whom he chooses to use to do great 181 00:12:03,560 --> 00:12:08,160 things for His name. And Nehemiah is one of those 182 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:13,520 surprises. And if you are completely 183 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,320 convinced that you want to live for the glory of God, you may be 184 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,560 surprised yourself of how God can use your life. 185 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,880 Nehemiah may not have known how the Lord was going to use him as 186 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:33,200 a governor, as a reviver of sorts, but I wonder if his 187 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,880 parents had high hopes for him, saying where do you get that 188 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,840 idea from? By the fact that Hakalaya and 189 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,680 his wife named their son Nehemiah. 190 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:47,680 Do you know what Nehemiah means? The Lord comforts. 191 00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:51,040 Isn't that a beautiful name? The Lord comforts. 192 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:55,880 Now, I'm sure that in part they named Nehemiah this because his 193 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:59,080 presence, his birth, his entrance into their world indeed 194 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,200 brought comfort to them, especially because they were in 195 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:06,240 exile. But I also wonder if they hoped 196 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,320 and long for Nehemiah to be an extension of God's comfort to 197 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,640 others. And what we're going to see 198 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:14,760 early in this study is that Nehemiah is going to live up to 199 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:16,760 that name. He is indeed going to be a 200 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,120 conduit. He's going to be a vessel used 201 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:23,640 by God to bring comfort to a hurting, despairing, and 202 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:27,120 distressed people because of his leadership, because of his 203 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:28,760 conviction, because of his drive. 204 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,720 We're going to see in a moment how that's the case, but we 205 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,240 learn more about the person of Nehemiah. 206 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,640 His character shines through even in the fact that he tells 207 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,720 us where he was at the time of the introduction of his memoirs. 208 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:45,760 Look here at the second part of verse one. 209 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,600 Now, what happened in the month of Kislev in the 20th year, as I 210 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,640 was in Susa, the Citadel. Now the month of Kislev 211 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:57,360 corresponds to November or December, so we're in the winter 212 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:02,640 months here. But notice the location as I was 213 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:07,760 in Susa, the citadel. Does that setting sound familiar 214 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:12,080 to any of us? Where do you find the setting 215 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:13,640 and other portions of the Old Testament? 216 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,200 You can you can say it out loud if you have an idea. 217 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:17,360 Esther, Very good. Anybody else? 218 00:14:23,460 --> 00:14:25,340 Let me read this verse without giving you the quote and tell me 219 00:14:25,340 --> 00:14:28,620 who you think it is. And I saw in the vision, and 220 00:14:28,620 --> 00:14:31,980 when I saw I was in Susa, the citadel, which is in the 221 00:14:31,980 --> 00:14:34,580 province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I 222 00:14:34,580 --> 00:14:38,580 was at you lie at you lie canal. Daniel. 223 00:14:39,620 --> 00:14:41,820 So you had Daniel who was in Susa. 224 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,960 You had Esther who became a queen in Susa. 225 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,960 So that tells us at least two things #1 Susa and the citadel, 226 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:54,400 the fortress, the palace. There was the winter residence 227 00:14:54,400 --> 00:15:00,880 for the kings of Persia. But #2 we also learned that 228 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,480 whoever operated in that kind of a setting must have been a 229 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,920 high-ranking official or someone closely associated with those 230 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,920 and upper levels of government. So what does that tell us about 231 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:18,120 Nehemiah? Nehemiah may not have come from 232 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:20,600 a notable family tree, but he did become somebody very 233 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:24,560 important. And that's confirmed further in 234 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:25,840 this chapter in the very last verse. 235 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:28,320 Look at the last sentence of verse 11 of Nehemiah 1. 236 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,840 He writes, Now I was cup bearer to the king. 237 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,600 Now, in our modern context, that might not be very impressive. 238 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:42,080 That may sound like a Butler of some sorts, but history teaches 239 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:48,480 that a cupbearer was a much more impressive and respected role 240 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:54,280 than we might imagine. You see, one of the dangers that 241 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:58,160 a king would face was what poisoning among many other 242 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,800 dangers. And so a cupbearer would be 243 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:05,960 recruited to taste the wine before it was consumed by 244 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:10,320 royalty, so that if it was contaminated, then that man 245 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:14,400 would die instead of the king. So cupbearer put his life on the 246 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:20,080 line every single day. And you would think then with 247 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:24,200 such a responsibility that you would require a trustworthy 248 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:29,280 individual to fill it, which indicates that Nehemiah must 249 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,080 have been a man of impeccable character. 250 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,000 A cupbearer would be one of the closest people to the king in 251 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,640 all of the Kingdom. And though, yes, he would serve 252 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,240 the drinks and the foods, ensuring that it was safe to 253 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,400 consume, but more than that, they would be trusted friends to 254 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,320 some extent. There would be conversations. 255 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,920 Sometimes even the king would inquire and seek advice or have 256 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:59,800 just, you know, a developed sense of growing love and 257 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:07,319 admiration and respect. And so Nehemiah was somebody who 258 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:11,880 developed a character of integrity and reliability and 259 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:16,400 really a blameless testimony. And I think that's important for 260 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,200 us to consider because we mentioned earlier how God can 261 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:23,599 use anyone in the sense that he will never hold against us 262 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:25,119 things that are outside of our control. 263 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:30,680 Nehemiah could not control which parents he was born to, which 264 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:33,040 family line he came from. But you know what? 265 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,880 Nehemiah could control who he was as a man. 266 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:47,160 And so, yes, God can use anyone, but God has a standard, a 267 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,440 standard that's achievable for any of us. 268 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:55,160 And before Nehemiah even enters into his ultimate calling, we 269 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,280 learned that he was a man of great character. 270 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:05,600 That's what prepared him to win the trust and even the favor of 271 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:07,440 the king. We're going to see that 272 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:15,640 especially in Chapter 2. Had Nehemiah been sketchy, had 273 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,280 he been inconsistent? Had he had been someone that was 274 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:21,960 not really respected or trusted or make you wonder how that 275 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,120 would jeopardize this potential mission. 276 00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:31,960 But instead we find a man who was strong with his walk, with 277 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:38,440 his work ethic, with his history, and that won him a 278 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:42,320 calling. And so this is what we see about 279 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,880 the person of Nehemiah. Not much information, but enough 280 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:49,040 for us to be inspired. And more of his God honoring 281 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,040 character shines in the next part of our analysis. 282 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:53,480 We looked at the person, but let's consider the 283 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,280 preoccupation. At this point. 284 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:00,200 We may have some fresh questions springing up in our minds about 285 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,400 Nehemiah. One of them might be the 286 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,600 following How did somebody like Nehemiah arrive at this role? 287 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:14,160 That's a legitimate question. Or why didn't Nehemiah join Ezra 288 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:20,400 a few short years earlier when he called the Exiles in 289 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,800 Babylonia to come back with him to Jerusalem? 290 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,800 That's what I was thinking, and we can't spend too much time 291 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:28,600 entertaining the possible answers. 292 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,760 Instead, I want to look at what's obvious and what's clear 293 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,600 here. That although Nehemiah was a man 294 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:39,000 who enjoyed unique privileges and advantages, really being so 295 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,280 near to royalty and having interaction and and relationship 296 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,960 with those of nobility, his heart was still set on the 297 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:51,240 people of God and the place that represented God's glory. 298 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:58,120 Look again at verse 2, that Hanani, one of my brothers, came 299 00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,320 with certain men from Judah, and I asked them concerning the Jews 300 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:04,320 who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning 301 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,200 Jerusalem. Again, we don't have much 302 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,200 insight about what led to this interaction between Nehemiah, 303 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,600 his actual blood brother Hanani, and some of the men that came 304 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,000 back from Judah. But it's telling, isn't it, that 305 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,720 when they come and visit their friend, the brother, he's the 306 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:26,400 one who initiates the inquiry? What is going on back in 307 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,200 Jerusalem? What is happening with the 308 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,920 people of God? What condition is the city in? 309 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,920 I don't know about you, but this is a strong reminder and it's 310 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,720 really an encouragement that it is totally possible. 311 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:47,600 Like Nehemiah proves to be somebody who is promoted in 312 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,560 different arenas in society and who operates in prominence and 313 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:56,960 yet still have a love for the Lord and still be concerned with 314 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:00,960 the purposes of God being advanced and honored. 315 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,160 Nehemiah did not lose that. You know what makes that even 316 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:07,160 more staggering? Nehemiah was not born in 317 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,760 Jerusalem. He was not born in the Promised 318 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:11,600 Land. He had never seen the holy city 319 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:15,000 with his own eyes. He never tasted of the milk and 320 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:19,600 honey that Moses spoke of all his life. 321 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:25,120 Nehemiah only heard, and he was certainly taught, and he had a 322 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:27,120 grasp on the truth of God's Word. 323 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,240 And with everything around him, with all the opportunities he 324 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:36,600 had, with the promotion that he had here, even now he still had 325 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:41,800 this deep burden. This is instructive for us 326 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:46,480 because one of the ways that you and I can determine if our souls 327 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:52,080 are healthy in the midst of success is if you can honestly 328 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:58,120 identify a genuine, sincere concern for that which God cares 329 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:04,200 about. Nehemiah proves to us that it is 330 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,960 absolutely possible. Now. 331 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:11,760 He was not a prophet. He was not a king. 332 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,000 For all we know, he was a layperson, and yet he possessed 333 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,200 an authentic love for what God loved. 334 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:20,840 And notice here the order of his inquiry. 335 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:25,240 Look at verse 2 again. And I asked them concerning the 336 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:30,000 Jews who escaped and would survive the exile and concerning 337 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,680 Jerusalem. Nehemiah asked first about the 338 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:34,440 holy people before the holy city. 339 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,080 This is a true leader in the making. 340 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:41,720 This is a true minister being molded here. 341 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:49,520 You know, I've even met many, many people who really champion 342 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:54,000 and sacrifice and love the church and ministry in the 343 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:59,960 church for different reasons. And sometimes those reasons 344 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,680 don't include the people being served. 345 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,200 Some people like to preach because of how it makes them 346 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:13,840 feel, the purpose that it gives them, the honor that they 347 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:16,560 receive. Some people like to play because 348 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:21,760 of the musical element. Some people like to come just 349 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:26,360 because fill in the blank. But you know what Nehemiah shows 350 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:28,560 us? This whole thing ultimately is 351 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,520 about God's glory. And we glorify God by loving the 352 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:37,560 people of God. We minister, we serve, we take 353 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:40,800 up opportunities, we volunteer, we sacrifice, we get for what? 354 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:45,920 The well-being of God's people, the welfare of the Saints, the 355 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:50,040 strength of the church through the people of God being 356 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:54,200 strengthened. So he asked about the people 357 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,880 before he asked about anything else. 358 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:03,440 Now, you and I heard earlier how character is vital in order for 359 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,240 us to be positioned for God's calling. 360 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:07,720 But there's something else we have to be mindful of. 361 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:13,120 As valuable as character is, God uses men and women who have real 362 00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:19,160 concern, real desires that are aimed at the right things, real 363 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:25,880 passions that are in agreement with what makes God and his 364 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:31,480 heart move. God does not, and He cannot use 365 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:39,600 somebody who does not have the ambition and the right motive in 366 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:45,400 serving Him. You know, many people miss this. 367 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:48,960 I'd like to give you another example. 368 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:54,920 Moses. Where did Moses calling begin? 369 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,000 You know how many people think the burning Bush? 370 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,880 Although that was his official commissioning, this man was 371 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:08,000 being prepared long before he heard a voice from a burning 372 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:09,880 Bush. Can I tell you where it started? 373 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:14,720 It's in Acts Chapter 7. Notice what I said about Moses 374 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:25,370 in Acts 7. Acts 7, verse 22. 375 00:25:28,770 --> 00:25:30,850 You'll notice that there's some similarity between Moses and 376 00:25:30,850 --> 00:25:35,050 Nehemiah. It reads here in Acts 722. 377 00:25:35,050 --> 00:25:39,130 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and 378 00:25:39,130 --> 00:25:41,370 he was mighty in his words and deeds. 379 00:25:42,170 --> 00:25:46,650 When he was 40 years old, it came into his heart to visit his 380 00:25:46,650 --> 00:25:48,810 brothers, the children of Israel. 381 00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:55,680 It came to where his heart, something was birthed in this 382 00:25:55,680 --> 00:26:00,360 man's heart to check on the well-being of his brethren. 383 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:08,000 This is where it all begins. And I want you to see here that 384 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:12,240 both Moses and Nehemiah were born in a foreign land. 385 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:14,760 Both held positions of influence. 386 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:20,200 Both interact with people of power and prestige, and yet both 387 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,560 had the welfare of the people of God burning in their hearts, and 388 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:33,090 that is why God used them. And so you and I have to ask 389 00:26:33,090 --> 00:26:35,890 ourselves at this point, especially for those who are 390 00:26:37,290 --> 00:26:41,090 more inclined to relate to men like Moses and Nehemiah, you 391 00:26:41,090 --> 00:26:45,290 can't really maybe understand Ezra's whole thing because he 392 00:26:45,290 --> 00:26:48,650 was a priest, he was a minister, he studied the Word of God 24/7. 393 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:54,320 So here you are now with Nehemiah before you as an 394 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:58,600 example. And I'd like to ask you this, 395 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:03,000 Can God find a concern for his people and His purpose in your 396 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,960 heart? How do you feel about the 397 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:13,200 church? What does it do to you when you 398 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:18,240 hear the church at large or even on the local level is not doing 399 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:24,200 well or has many needs or suffering? 400 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:31,000 Or are you completely wrapped up in your career? 401 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:37,880 Are you completely consumed with your personal agenda? 402 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:44,920 If you can't find it in your heart to say I I want to do what 403 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:51,680 I can to help build up God's work, especially God's people. 404 00:27:53,720 --> 00:28:00,040 You are limiting yourself and you are hindering a possible 405 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,040 ministry being born in and through you. 406 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:12,880 Moses had it in his heart. Nehemiah asked what is going on, 407 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,040 and he did so from the place of a genuine care. 408 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:21,720 And this is all showing us that how necessary it is to be 409 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,320 connected with the Lord internally before we do anything 410 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:30,600 for him externally. This is the preoccupation of 411 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:32,600 this man. I'd like to offer another hope, 412 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,600 another note of inspiration. Come back with me here to verse 413 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,920 2. Notice who it is that is named 414 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,760 among the group that came to Nehemiah and Hanani, one of my 415 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,320 brothers. Now that's not a spiritual 416 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:46,680 brother. This is his actual brother, his 417 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:48,560 kinsmen. They share the same blood. 418 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,160 So I thought if they named Nehemiah the Lord Conference, 419 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,120 what does Hannity mean? And I discovered that it means 420 00:28:55,120 --> 00:29:00,200 gracious. Now we don't know much about 421 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:03,160 Nehemiah's brother here until you go later on in the book of 422 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:05,160 Nehemiah. And I want you to see what is 423 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,480 said of this man in Chapter 7, verse 2. 424 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,600 Can we go there? Look at Chapter 7 verse 2. 425 00:29:16,890 --> 00:29:22,520 Nehemiah writes I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the 426 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:29,040 governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem for he was a more 427 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:33,160 faithful and God fearing man than many. 428 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:37,880 Notice how careful Nehemiah is. He didn't say that he elected 429 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:39,720 Hanani because he was his brother. 430 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:44,040 That's nepotism where you give favor towards relatives, though 431 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,840 they don't merit that position or that authority or that 432 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:52,680 ministry. No, he says Hannity was promoted 433 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,600 because he feared God than most of the others. 434 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:02,640 Now, we'll talk more about that when we arrive to Chapter 7. 435 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:06,160 But for now, I want to show you how encouraging this is. 436 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:14,320 God can do a great work in households. 437 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:23,600 God can do a great work through siblings, spouses, husbands and 438 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:30,360 wives, entire families. And I looked at this and I 439 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,920 meditated on it and I thought, it's possible. 440 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,920 It's possible for brothers to serve God in the ministry 441 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,040 together. It's possible for sisters to 442 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:45,400 have an equally yoked devotion and love for the things of God. 443 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:47,320 It's possible for husband and wives. 444 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:48,960 I mean, think about some of the apostles. 445 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:50,360 They were brothers. Did you know that? 446 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:53,920 Think about some of the couples that God used in the New 447 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,640 Testament to to have churches in their homes. 448 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:00,720 So you might be sitting there tonight thinking, I wish I had 449 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:02,920 that with my sibling. We barely get along. 450 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,120 And May God do a work in your heart and in their hearts. 451 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:10,040 But should you become a leader in your own home, Should you 452 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:15,120 become a mother who raises more than one child, believe this for 453 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:18,760 your family. Believe this for your 454 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,560 descendants. Believe this for your children. 455 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,760 It's a little thought, but it means so much to me that 456 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:29,480 Nehemiah is not working solo here. 457 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:32,800 Yes, he had a group supporting him, but he even had his own 458 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:38,240 brother in his corner. And when we see God working in 459 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:40,880 families in the local church, we should celebrate that. 460 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,720 We should love that. We should say, I want that for 461 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:46,920 my own house. I want that for every house. 462 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:52,480 Is there concerns in ministry when when there's family members 463 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:53,920 serving in a capacity of authority? 464 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:57,000 Absolutely. But Nehemiah shows us, and 465 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:02,280 Hannity is a qualified man. He wasn't where he was because 466 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:04,400 he was Nehemiah's brother. He was where he was because he 467 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:06,280 loved God and feared God more than anything. 468 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:14,720 The preoccupation. But now we look at the problem. 469 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:21,720 Look at verse 3 again with me. And they said to me, the remnant 470 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:25,600 there in the province who had survived the exile is in great 471 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:29,560 trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken 472 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:33,160 down and its gates are destroyed by fire. 473 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:36,800 It doesn't take much to understand how disappointing it 474 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:41,240 is to learn that after all these years, the Exiles were still 475 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:48,120 unable to restore their sense of stability and security. 476 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:55,520 Whether they attempted to rebuild over those years is 477 00:32:55,520 --> 00:33:01,280 unclear. Whether prior attempts, it's not 478 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:03,040 obvious to us, it's not indicated. 479 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:10,400 However, the current condition of the city was a perilous 1, 480 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:14,680 one that disturbed Nehemiah, as we're about to find out. 481 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:21,840 So much so a city without walls in biblical times was so 482 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:25,760 unthinkable that it actually became an illustration or 483 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:31,200 proverb of a concerning spiritual condition. 484 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:34,400 Did you know that? Let me give you one example in 485 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,400 the book of Proverbs. Go to Proverbs 25 with me, 486 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:59,250 Proverbs 25 and verse 28. A man without self-control is 487 00:33:59,250 --> 00:34:02,530 like a city broken into and left without walls. 488 00:34:04,250 --> 00:34:07,810 You see that? How is it that a man without 489 00:34:07,810 --> 00:34:13,290 self-control is like a city left without walls, or like a city? 490 00:34:13,290 --> 00:34:18,960 In that state you become totally vulnerable to the enemy. 491 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:25,760 You become an easy prey for foes and predators. 492 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:33,840 The temptations and the impulses of the flesh of the world will 493 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:40,239 have a much easier time invading the soul and seizing whatever 494 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:44,360 good remains in US. In other words, the Holy Spirit 495 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:48,199 teaches us here that that self-control is like a wall 496 00:34:48,199 --> 00:34:58,000 around the heart and it provides resistance against anything that 497 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,320 was seek to subdue us and control us and dominate us. 498 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:08,920 And so we understand here that Nehemiah knows the value of 499 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,960 physical walls absolutely, but he will also show by way of 500 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:17,600 examples that there are protocols that we must make for 501 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:23,240 our own souls, that we must raise up safeguards in order to 502 00:35:23,240 --> 00:35:25,680 protect our testimony and our ministry. 503 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:34,640 And perhaps this is a good place to land and making this 504 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:43,120 connection between a broken city with no protection and a 505 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:51,440 vulnerable heart, in the same way that there were years after 506 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:55,360 years being spent without knowing the fullness of the 507 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,480 grace that could have been known with walls. 508 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:03,880 I'm afraid that there are many people even in the church who 509 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:07,120 have not tasted what they can know in their walk with Christ 510 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:12,040 because they have not considered how to build the right barriers 511 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:20,760 around their own hearts. And one of the things that we 512 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:24,240 have to understand when we consider this proverb is that 513 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:27,640 the place to start is with the help of the Holy Spirit. 514 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:33,520 When we think about the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the last item 515 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:41,120 mentioned is what self-control meaning as much as you think 516 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:47,760 that those urges and those habits and those tendencies are 517 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:53,080 virtually impossible to overcome and conquer, you will never be 518 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:57,720 able to know what God wants to know without God himself. 519 00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:04,800 And so as we look at this tonight, I'd like for us to 520 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:09,440 pause and ask the Lord to help us looking at our own hearts. 521 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,160 It may not mean much to us to look at this historical account 522 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:15,640 and think about a wall without a city without walls. 523 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:21,800 But let's look at our own, our own lives and ask the Lord to 524 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:26,760 help us to know the spiritual protection that He can offer for 525 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:30,240 desperate and concerned enough like Nehemiah is. 526 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:37,760 So be honest and pinpoint in your own life what it is that 527 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:39,560 you feel like has mastery over you. 528 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:45,880 Then ask yourself, what kind of walls am I building to protect 529 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:50,760 myself from such influences? What kind of investments have I 530 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:52,120 made? What kind of plans like Nehemiah 531 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:54,880 is going to show us here? What kind of efforts have I made 532 00:37:54,880 --> 00:38:02,080 with others to ensure that I am not so easily arrested and 533 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:09,640 controlled by these things and believe that God is willing and 534 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:12,880 waiting to do something in that very area? 535 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,800 All it took was one man, as we're going to see, who realized 536 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:25,800 the seriousness of this state to bring change and actually shape 537 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:29,200 history, not just for himself, but for the people of God. 538 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:38,120 And like manner, it's going to take a level of burden, not 539 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:43,040 guilt, not condemnation, but God inspired burden to see similar 540 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:49,600 change in our own lives. I remember the story in seminary 541 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:54,360 in our spiritual discipleship class, where they encouraged us 542 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:56,760 to have an accountability partner for that semester. 543 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,200 And the professor gave an example of a real story of two 544 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:03,600 classmates who were working together, and one of the 545 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:10,880 classmates kept falling into the same sin over and over and over 546 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:14,360 again, had dealt with his sexual lust. 547 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:21,960 And I don't advise that you say this unless you're absolutely 548 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:24,480 confident in your observation and your conversation with such 549 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:27,000 a person. But this individual who was 550 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,080 holding this friend accountable eventually looked at this, this 551 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:33,800 brother in Christ in the eyes and said, it seems to me that 552 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:37,600 the reason why you are not overcoming and you will never 553 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:40,960 overcome is because you don't hate your sin enough. 554 00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:46,520 You actually love it, you enjoy it. 555 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:56,840 And that individual who received that observation was honest 556 00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:00,760 enough to say you're right. And he prayed differently. 557 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:08,800 He began to get before God and asked God for an awareness of 558 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:14,480 how heinous and destructive and of how poor of a condition he is 559 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:18,960 because he is just allowing the sin to eat away at his life. 560 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:23,600 And over time, God changed his heart. 561 00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:29,880 God gave him the strategy, and that was the turning point in 562 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:34,960 his walk with the Lord. You see Nehemiah here showing 563 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:41,800 us, as we're going to see in the next verse, that there are 564 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:46,280 certain things that should bring us to our knees, not just out of 565 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:50,200 an emotional reaction. Keep in mind here when Nehemiah 566 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:53,720 introduces us to his story in the month of Kislev, because 567 00:40:53,720 --> 00:40:56,400 there's going to be another time stamp that's going to show us 568 00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:00,080 that Nehemiah's reaction to this whole thing wasn't just a 569 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:05,840 spontaneous emotional eruption because he was surprised by what 570 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:07,280 his brother and his friends said. 571 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:09,480 It was something that sat with him. 572 00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:13,360 It was something that made such an impression on him. 573 00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:16,960 And it was that kind of impression that birth something 574 00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:22,000 that would restore Jerusalem and the people in Jerusalem. 575 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:24,520 Let's pray and thank God for these truths. 576 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:41,520 Father, we thank you for this introduction to this book. 577 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:49,280 And Lord, those though these were just a few verses, we 578 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:52,280 believe that they will prepare us for what you have in in store 579 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:56,520 in the coming weeks. Thank you that You are ready to 580 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:05,400 use anyone, and yet there is a responsibility in our end then 581 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:09,360 in the waiting, in our faithfulness, in whatever area 582 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:16,120 we find ourselves in, to allow Christ's character to be moulded 583 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:20,040 and pressed against our own hearts. 584 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,400 Thank you Lord, that before anything can actually gain 585 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,440 traction, before anything can actually be done effectively, it 586 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:29,720 needs to be birthed in the heart. 587 00:42:29,720 --> 00:42:34,440 We need to have a perception and an awareness and a connection 588 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:38,680 with your heart in order to engage with it successfully. 589 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:46,800 And Lord, as we're about to see, thank you for the reminder that 590 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:52,720 not just physical walls, but spiritual walls are important. 591 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,320 And one of the layers of protection that you remind us of 592 00:42:56,320 --> 00:43:03,600 is self-control. And Lord, if we lack that, that 593 00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:08,960 may we partner with the Holy Spirit to see those bricks being 594 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:11,560 built up in a way that we've never known before. 595 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:20,080 And Lord, if we have no motivation to that end, give us 596 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:23,960 a sensitivity that Nehemiah had when he learned that the gates 597 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:26,000 were burned and the walls were in rubble. 598 00:43:27,720 --> 00:43:32,720 In other words, may we not be so satisfied of being defeated in 599 00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:35,240 any area where sin is having its way with us. 600 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:41,560 Maybe with instead with the great excitement believe that 601 00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:47,440 things can change. So Lord we we praise you now we 602 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:49,440 sing these songs and Thanksgiving for these truths. 603 00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:52,520 In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Amen. 604 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:54,080 Let's stand and worship the Lord together.