1 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,120 Nehemiah Chapter 11 is where I'd like you to turn in your Bible, 2 00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:14,600 and we're going to have a look at Nehemiah Chapter 11 and 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:20,760 chapter 12 this evening. Title of tonight's message 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,120 placed for his purpose. What we're going to see through 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,480 our text is that God sets people apart. 6 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,080 He takes them out and He brings them and He rebuilds their 7 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:37,760 lives, and He'll often have us placed for His purposes to 8 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,920 accomplish what He wills because He is an amazing God who just 9 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,960 desires to use the foolish things of this world to confound 10 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,280 the wise. That's just the method that He 11 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,800 has chosen. But it's in serving Him that 12 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,160 we're filled with the wonder and the joy of the Lord, and it's 13 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,520 all for His glory and for our good. 14 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,280 And what a blessing that is where we left off last time at 15 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,240 the end of Nehemiah chapter 10. There's this tension that's been 16 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,560 simmering under as we've seen revival starting to take place 17 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,840 in chapter 8, Chapter 9, and in chapter 10. 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,240 The wall again has finished 52 days. 19 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:19,800 Nehemiah had put hands together in the the group there in 20 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,840 Jerusalem and and they've been building and labouring and 21 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,200 they've renewed this covenant. We looked at that last week. 22 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,040 They made certain promises under God. 23 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,600 Reform is beginning. But there was this problem that 24 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,600 was introduced to us in Nehemiah Chapter 7 all the way back there 25 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:36,800 in verse 4. And it says this, we've been 26 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,480 told it and this is what Nehemiah deals with now in 27 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,880 Nehemiah 11 and 12. And in Nehemiah 7, it says it's 28 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,360 the city was wide and large, but the people within it were few. 29 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,600 So there's no point having these grand walls and these gates 30 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,880 erected if there's no people dwelling in the city. 31 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,960 Jerusalem that we'll discover in Nehemiah Chapter 11 is called 32 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:03,840 the Holy city of God. It's kind of like those times 33 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,680 whenever maybe you've travelled overseas and, and you've visited 34 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,240 these, these beautiful architectural cathedrals that at 35 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,480 one point in time we're buzzing and filled with people, but now 36 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:18,160 are more like museums that are just empty and bereft of people. 37 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,200 And, and it's purely just this sort of dusty smell of, of 38 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:23,680 emptiness. And people will look at the 39 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,680 stained glass windows and, and be amazed perhaps by some of the 40 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,600 artistry that's gone on there. But it was built and designed 41 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,760 for people to gather and to congregate and to worship God 42 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:37,640 ultimately. And so for a little over 140 43 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:40,120 years, Jerusalem had been broken. 44 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,200 And then Nehemiah arrives on the scene. 45 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,080 And now it's structurally restored. 46 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,240 Physically, there's some some things happening, but 47 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,720 spiritually and socially, it must be reinhabited. 48 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,320 And that's what we see. The walls rebuilt. 49 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,720 The temple standing there, that was built by a fellow called 50 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:56,480 Zerubbabel. That's a pretty cool name. 51 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,800 I just like how that rolls off the tongue. 52 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,320 Zerubbabel. Imagine down at the park and you 53 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,000 hear someone calling their dog. Zerubbabel come here. 54 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,440 That's maybe a disservice to Zerubbabel because he's such a 55 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,320 wonderful character in the Bible. 56 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,000 But then suddenly, like I said, in Nehemiah 11, we see this this 57 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,120 term that's used of what this forsaken place once was and it's 58 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:26,000 now called holy city, holy city in Nehemiah 11, verse one and 59 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,440 holy. We use it all of the time and 60 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,000 it's part of our our Christian vocabulary and vernacular. 61 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,080 But sometimes we don't know the the fullness of the meaning holy 62 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:38,240 means to be set apart. It speaks of otherness and of 63 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,880 this sanctification and a specific purpose. 64 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,080 And there's to be a distinction and a difference. 65 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,600 And so to reference Jerusalem as the holy city, something needs 66 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,560 to take place and something needs to happen. 67 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,440 What? What makes the difference for it 68 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,440 to be called a holy city? It's more than bricks and 69 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:56,680 mortar. It's more than walls. 70 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:58,720 It's more than gates being put in place. 71 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,080 It is God's people, it's the dwelling place of God as he 72 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:04,760 inhabits the praises of his people. 73 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,080 And we see all of that in this this chapter or these chapters 74 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:15,040 11 and 12, who who show up, who serve God and who celebrate God 75 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:17,760 and God does a work in their hearts and lives. 76 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,040 I don't know if you recall seeing on the news or times when 77 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,360 various cities will bid for the Olympics. 78 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:28,480 I remember way back in 2000 how they were bidding for the Sydney 79 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,880 Olympics, while 2000 was when it was on and in the 90s was when 80 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,400 they were bidding and they labelled it as the green 81 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:39,240 Olympics when my wife's from LA are hosting the Olympics next. 82 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,040 And and all of these bidding cities will highlight the 83 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,320 differences that make that city unique. 84 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,480 One of the things that Los Angeles laid claim to is the 85 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,880 fact that in and out the burger chain was there and that's 86 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:52,680 nowhere, nowhere else in the world. 87 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:59,320 It's like, OK, they might tout stadiums, infrastructure, the 88 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,360 capacity to stand out, to be separate, to be different from 89 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,120 all others. And that's part of the selling 90 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:06,880 of, you know, here's why we should host the Olympics. 91 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,400 But in Nehemiah's story, as we get to it in a moment, 92 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:15,360 Jerusalem's holiness, it's set apartness, it's otherness, it's 93 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:20,000 distinction comes from something far deeper than burger chains, 94 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:23,440 far deeper than a green Olympics. 95 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,520 It's the faithful commitment of ordinary folks that we're going 96 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:33,680 to see to live and to work and to worship where God called 97 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:38,600 them. As we dive into Nehemiah 11 and 98 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,480 12, we're going to see a long list of names. 99 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,880 Again, been seeing it all through Nehemiah. 100 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,200 It's been like the Hebrew phone book, but priests and Levites 101 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,720 and gatekeepers and families. And then there's joyous 102 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,080 dedication ceremony that happens at the end. 103 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,840 It's not just sort of bureaucratic details that are in 104 00:05:56,840 --> 00:05:59,480 the Bible for us to record history, but it's more of a 105 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:04,120 testament to God at work through his people as they step into the 106 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,520 roles that God has assigned to them for the purposes that God 107 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,560 has declared and revealed. And so today, you and I, we're 108 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:17,200 not called to necessarily pack up and, and move to a bustling 109 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:21,040 metropolis, though, you know, cities are pretty pivotal in the 110 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,280 way that God works and his plans and just that density and 111 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:28,040 diversity of population. But there's a bigger call that I 112 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,200 want us to see out of this passage upon our lives and that 113 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,440 is this. That wherever God has planted 114 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:39,440 you, wherever God has placed you, whether it's inner city 115 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:45,280 Jerusalem, where it's suburban Perth, suburb of Secret Harbour 116 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,000 or rural town is what we'll see out of this. 117 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,640 Commit to that place as the place where God has planted you 118 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:58,960 to serve him in, to serve him there, to rejoice in him there. 119 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:05,040 Because holiness set apart that otherness, that distinction 120 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:10,640 comes from committed presence and faithful service and joyful 121 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,280 worship of God wherever He chooses to place His people. 122 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:17,640 So we're going to see three things. 123 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,000 Again, if you're the note taking type, this will be up on the 124 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,360 screen for US. Number one, settle where God 125 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:27,880 stations you #2 serve where God assigns you. 126 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,400 And thirdly and lastly for us tonight, sing in worship because 127 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:37,000 God sustains you. The first point comes out of all 128 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,480 of Nehemiah 11. Now we're not going to read all 129 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,240 of these verses, but let's have a look at verse one and two as 130 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:46,280 as Nehemiah 11 begins with this logistical but very deep 131 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,240 theological decision that's going on now. 132 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,840 The leaders, verse one of the people dwelt at Jerusalem and 133 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:58,760 the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of 10 to dwell 134 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:03,720 in Jerusalem. The holy city and 9/10 were to 135 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:08,240 dwell in other cities and the people verse 2 blessed all the 136 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,480 men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at 137 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,320 Jerusalem. Again, I want to draw your 138 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,760 attention to that phrase that's used of Jerusalem, the city. 139 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,880 It's called the holy city, the holy city. 140 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,240 The walls again didn't make it holy. 141 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,480 The fact that the gates were on even the building known as the 142 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,280 temple did not make Jerusalem holy. 143 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,799 It was holy because it was the place that God chose to dwell. 144 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,880 It was holy because this is where now he had chose to 145 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,559 indwell his covenant people as we've been looking at. 146 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:44,280 And yet there weren't many people there. 147 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,840 And so they cast lots. And in the Old Testament we see 148 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:53,120 that utilised as as a means to decipher God's will on a matter 149 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,840 and a subject. And so they organised lots to be 150 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,640 cast. And it seems like from verse 2 151 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,480 that some even volunteered. Or the idea might even be that 152 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:03,960 even though that the lots were cast, that they willingly said, 153 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,800 yes, we'll go and move into Jerusalem, the city. 154 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,720 And many celebrate that and applaud and cheer and say, yes, 155 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,280 thank you, well done. But consider the cost for these 156 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,600 people. Jerusalem at this time, if you 157 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,000 were to think of a place to move to, it certainly wasn't 158 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,600 Jerusalem in the Persian Empire. The city was vulnerable, 159 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,960 frequently under attack, economically unstable. 160 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,160 There'd been famine throughout the Persian Empire, and 161 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:31,800 particularly in that region at this time. 162 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,360 So moving into Jerusalem meant sacrifice. 163 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,360 It meant giving up certain things, maybe certain comforts. 164 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,720 Unlike those living in the countryside that had land that 165 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,880 had stability and agricultural security, none of that was 166 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,400 afforded by moving into Jerusalem and it certainly would 167 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:51,800 not have been the easier option for them. 168 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,640 There might have been a few awkward, difficult discussions 169 00:09:55,880 --> 00:10:00,800 at home when news of the lot fell of a dad, I was supposed to 170 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,040 do this and where am I going to go and do that? 171 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,200 And all of those sorts of things that you could imagine might 172 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,400 have been part of the table conversation. 173 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,160 And yet some chosen by lot, some volunteered. 174 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,720 Maybe verse 2, the people blessed all the men who 175 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:19,400 willingly offered themselves because I want us to see however 176 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,080 it was that they got to Jerusalem. 177 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,880 Understand this, they were in the will of God. 178 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,000 That's an amazing thing to live life in the will of God. 179 00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:33,000 And that meant that their life in Jerusalem, the holy city now 180 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:38,000 had purpose and now had significance and now had meaning 181 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,720 for the reasons that God would reveal ultimately to them 182 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,840 individually and and corporately to the body gathered in 183 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,520 Jerusalem of what life would be like living for him and loving 184 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,240 him and serving him. And so then there's this list of 185 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,400 names again in the flow of verses from verse 3 through on 186 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,920 to to 36 even. And what we've discovered all 187 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,040 through Nehemiah is that names are important. 188 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,560 And we might, you know, devotionally read scripture and 189 00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:09,800 we'll go, oh, a bunch of names. I'll flick over that and get to 190 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:14,760 the chapter where stuff happens. But but names matter to God. 191 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:16,920 Why? Because people matter to God, 192 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,920 and God here records ordinary faithfulness. 193 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,560 Now my name's been called up, the lot has been cast, or in 194 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:27,080 fact, no, I'm going to volunteer and my family is coming along. 195 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,120 We're moving to Jerusalem, and God notes it. 196 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,360 So this wasn't just about leadership relocating certain 197 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:37,080 people out of the cities. It was a communal obedience unto 198 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,920 God that we're seeing happening in their hearts and lives as 199 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:43,920 God's changing them. I think this decision and this 200 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,320 action that we read in Nehemiah 11 challenges us in many ways. 201 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:51,120 It certainly challenged me because as I reflected over my 202 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:55,480 life and in our day and age, we live in an age of restlessness, 203 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,760 of discontent, of dissatisfaction. 204 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,880 And you know, the, the commercialised existence that we 205 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,240 have of advertising constantly telling us that we need the new 206 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:06,960 and, and the best and the greatest. 207 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:10,760 And all of that I think creeps in into our Christianity and 208 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:12,800 understanding of God in many ways. 209 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,640 We've got career mobility, we can chop and change jobs as we 210 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,360 please and, and the power is, is very much in the hands of the 211 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,960 employee to dictate terms of employment and so on. 212 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,640 And there's geographic mobility. You can travel parts of the 213 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,160 globe and, and set up no worries in this global village that is 214 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,080 now the world. In this day and age with 215 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:38,440 technology, we have relational instability and we have church 216 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:40,360 hopping as a thing that people do. 217 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:45,240 But you know, covenant faithfulness requires something 218 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,920 called rootedness. There's in the Bible the 219 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,680 theology of being planted, and maybe you're familiar with 220 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:54,600 passages that I'll bring to your attention. 221 00:12:54,600 --> 00:13:00,160 Now, Psalm One, blessed is the man, and it uses this imagery of 222 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:03,120 being planted by a stream of water as the life that is 223 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,040 connected in relationship with God. 224 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:10,400 At Jeremiah 29, Jeremiah is speaking to people who will be 225 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:15,080 taken out of This is prior to our time in Nehemiah, but taken 226 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,760 out of Judea and on into Babylon. 227 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,560 And in Jeremiah 29, they're commanded and told to stabilise 228 00:13:22,560 --> 00:13:25,560 themselves and to live in the land and build houses and and 229 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:29,440 commit to being a blessing in where they find themselves. 230 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,720 Remember when we studied through our first Corinthians in one 231 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,560 Corinthians 7, Paul commands to remain in the condition in which 232 00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:40,320 you were called in reference there speaking to those that had 233 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,680 been saved and then were, you know, coming to a faith in the 234 00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:48,760 Lord, but their spouse wasn't the big idea and all of that. 235 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,280 And here in Nehemiah 11 is this, and I want you to see this, is 236 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,320 that God is sovereign over placement. 237 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,800 God's hand is upon you where you are. 238 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:07,600 You are not randomly located, your street, your workplace, 239 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:14,120 your school, your extended family, your involvement here in 240 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:18,800 this church. They're not accidents, they are 241 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:24,360 assignments. You might have been drafted. 242 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:27,040 I just came here because my husband got a job. 243 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:29,120 Otherwise I'd be living somewhere else. 244 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,200 You might have volunteered. Oh, I'd love nowhere else than 245 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,480 to live here in the world where we are. 246 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:42,240 But are you rejoicing in the planting of God for your life? 247 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:45,600 Perhaps you need to hear this tonight. 248 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,040 I know that there were periods in my life where I felt 249 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:53,080 unsettled. Should I move here? 250 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:55,880 And you know, April and I, especially before our children 251 00:14:55,880 --> 00:15:00,840 came along, Should we, you know her from having originated from 252 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,600 California? Should we move to America and, 253 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:06,280 and often that was a discussion and, and something that we'd sit 254 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:08,800 and I would wrestle with. And should I be doing this 255 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,560 instead? Or have I missed the boat on 256 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,360 where God has called me and called us to and, and all of 257 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,560 those sorts of dialogues that run through our minds. 258 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,920 And I think many of us also know of this propensity that we have 259 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,920 in our day and age to resist our, our, our rootedness, you 260 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:26,440 know, to see that the grass is greener somewhere else. 261 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,560 The fear of missing out maybe comes in discontentment 262 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,120 comparison with others lives as we look at their social media 263 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:38,880 feeds and see all of the happenings and wow that that 264 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,640 place looks beautiful and wow look what they did and all of 265 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,040 those sorts of things. And we start to romanticise 266 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,080 somewhere else other than where we're living another way. 267 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:49,240 God has us planted. And you know what happens 268 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:53,080 attitudinally as we become bitter to the blessing and to 269 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:55,760 the call that God has placed for us and over us? 270 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,600 People talk about something called the divine discontent. 271 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,480 I don't know if you've heard that terminology, but also, 272 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,040 discontentment can be spiritual ingratitude. 273 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:10,680 Here's a truth that I've come to know through experience and in 274 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:14,960 studying God's Word. God often does his deepest work 275 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:22,280 not through dramatic relocation, but through durable presence of 276 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:29,120 faithfulness to being settled where God has planted you and I 277 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,120 referenced it last week. It's a passage that Jesus out of 278 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:37,440 Matthew chapter 6 in the Sermon on the Mount talks of Matthew 6 279 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:42,000 verse 33 was a real galvanising scripture for me on this. 280 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,280 Seek you first, the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and 281 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:47,520 all these things will be added to you. 282 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,520 And in the context of that is is the things that we worry about. 283 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,480 And so for me, it was a matter of you know what, here is where 284 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,480 God has chosen to plant me, us right now. 285 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,280 And if I'm seeking first God and his Kingdom right here, right 286 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,079 now, how can I not be in his will? 287 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,400 How can then not his purposes and the blessing that comes out 288 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,160 of serving Him and loving Him and living for Him where He has 289 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:17,640 chosen to plant me, us. You then not change my attitude 290 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:20,920 and my heart and mind to where it is that God has called me 291 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:26,079 physically to be present in. So practically, what does 292 00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:28,520 settling where God stations you look like? 293 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:35,800 Are you open to being used by God where He has placed you to 294 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:41,200 commit to your local church long term, to invest relationally in 295 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,080 your neighbours? I won't worry about getting to 296 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,080 know them because you know, we're going to be moving in a 297 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:49,800 few months anyway to pray consistently for your suburb. 298 00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:52,680 You know, as you drive around Secret Harbour or wherever it is 299 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,800 that you live and you see things, does that just spark off 300 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,480 prayer in your mind and your life under God as you you see 301 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,600 and witness certain things? Do you see your workplace as a 302 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,440 mission field or boy, man, I cannot wait till I put in my 303 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,000 resignation and I'm out of there. 304 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:13,480 And if God does move you because that does happen, go then as one 305 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:21,400 cent, not as one drifting with purpose with gospel mission and 306 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,480 focus. Those one out of 10 that had the 307 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,080 the lots cast or that volunteered to move into 308 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:30,120 Jerusalem. They I think arrived and the 309 00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:33,240 celebration of verse 2 tells us that with great fanfare and 310 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:36,960 determination to go yes, this is what God has called us to do. 311 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,560 We are going to live here for the glory of God and trust in 312 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:43,360 Him for the results. Yes, I'm worried about how the 313 00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:45,680 bills will be paid. Yes, I'm worried about how the 314 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,080 city's going to be transformed and what it will look like. 315 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,200 But let's, let's trust God in where he has planted and and 316 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:56,040 placed us because the goal is not merely to live somewhere, 317 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:03,320 but to honour God there. So Nehemiah 11 deals with all of 318 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:04,960 those people in the listing of names. 319 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:06,880 And we move ahead to chapter 12 now. 320 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,320 And you can move in your Bibles there. 321 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:09,920 And as you do, here's what I want you to do. 322 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,800 I want you to move into the New Testament and park a finger in 323 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,560 Ephesians chapter 4 for me because I'm going to turn there 324 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,040 and read some verses later on out of Ephesians chapter 4. 325 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:22,560 So I want you to be ready for that. 326 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,800 So Nehemiah chapter 12 now and in verses 1 to 26, the chapter 327 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:31,240 again opens with more names. The priests, the Levites are 328 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,360 mentioned. There's gatekeepers who are 329 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:38,280 doing a service and there's this generation of servants listed 330 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,880 harking all the way back to that fellows rubber bell that I 331 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,720 mentioned. And there's this genealogy of 332 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:48,880 names of people who served God and and the question is why 333 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,840 these names and why those names from way back then as well 334 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:54,400 listed at this point in time in Nehemiah? 335 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,840 And that is because there's a continuity in God's restoration 336 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,000 of Jerusalem, the holy city that's happening here. 337 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:07,560 And that is that these people in Nehemiah are building on those 338 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:12,000 that have gone before, those that had served God and had 339 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:17,920 loved him and honoured him. And now they're able to continue 340 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:22,240 and build upon that foundation laid by the generations prior. 341 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:31,240 And you know, for, for us, we in 2026 are building on some 2000 342 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,800 years of Christians who have gone before us who have 343 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,640 faithfully served God and loved him. 344 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:38,880 And that's why I commend to you any study of church history and, 345 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,560 and looking into, we call them Saints of old who have lived for 346 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,120 God and loved him as examples of what to do and of what not to 347 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:48,400 do. There's many mistakes as well to 348 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,600 learn from and to have that be a foundation and to recognise that 349 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,160 we're not the first generation to arrive on the scene and serve 350 00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,160 God. I think that's kind of 351 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,040 chronological snobbery if we think that. 352 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,320 But we arrive on the scene and we build on that which Jesus 353 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,760 Christ himself established in the founding of the church, and 354 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,280 we are the Church of today. And there's this continuity that 355 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:18,120 is evident in this listing of names that in the past and in 356 00:21:18,120 --> 00:21:21,840 the present and in the future, there will always be servants of 357 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,920 God Almighty. And I love this here about this 358 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,480 because there are some alive at the time of Nehemiah that could 359 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,840 trace back their heritage to go, yes, that was my great 360 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,160 grandfather. And there are some of you who 361 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:41,000 can trace back into your generations 3-4 on and go. 362 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,600 My great, great grandfather. He was a pastor and he was a 363 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,560 minister and he's he served God or you know, my great, great 364 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:48,800 auntie, she was a missionary in this country and so on. 365 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,720 And you're connecting with that heritage of believers that have 366 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,440 gone before you. And for some of you, you're 367 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:56,560 first generation believers. And guess what? 368 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:01,480 You get to start that legacy for should God carry those 369 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,480 generations to come after you of being faithful servants of God? 370 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:08,440 God's work is multi generational. 371 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,480 Now notice the diversity of roles. 372 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,760 Nehemiah 12 verse one through to 8 here. 373 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,840 Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with 374 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:20,760 Zerubbabel, the son of Shiltil and Jeshua, Soraya, Jeremiah, 375 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:25,080 Ezra, and there's a a a number of names mentioned through to 376 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,680 verse 7. Verse 7 then says these were the 377 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,640 heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of Jeshua. 378 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,760 Moreover, verse 8, the Levites were Jeshua, Binyu, Cadmium, 379 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:42,000 Shirabaya, Judah and Metaniah who led the Thanksgiving Psalms, 380 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,920 he and his brethren. And then move ahead to verse 24 381 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:52,760 and 25 and the heads of the Levites were Hashabaya, 382 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:58,000 Sharabaya, and Jeshua, the son of Cadmil with their brothers 383 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,080 across from them to praise and give thanks. 384 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:05,680 So there's like this. Remember in the old days when 385 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,560 we, and I'm talking about when I was young, a young kid in 386 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,320 churches, we used to sing in rounds and you have like one 387 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,720 part of the congregation. We'd sing the first part of the 388 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,000 song and then they move on to the next part. 389 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,080 And then this group would sing and join on. 390 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,120 And what that's almost what's taking place here is one group 391 00:23:23,120 --> 00:23:27,480 of singing and another responding in song like a the 392 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:31,920 original battle of the bands going on here and with their 393 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,320 brothers across from them to praise and give thanks. 394 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,800 Group alternating with group according to the command of 395 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:43,920 David, the man of God, Matanaya, Bakbakaya, Obadiah, Meshalam, 396 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:48,000 Telmon and Aqab were gatekeepers keeping the watch the storerooms 397 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,720 of the gates stopping there. Verse 25 and you'll see in this 398 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:58,000 chapter 12 priests offering sacrifices, Levites leading 399 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:03,120 worship, gatekeepers guarding entrances, temple servants 400 00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:09,360 handling logistics, some roles very visible and present, others 401 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,960 hidden behind the scenes, but all necessary. 402 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,040 Paul echoed this when we studied through First Corinthians 403 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:26,120 chapter 12 that we're one body, many members, and to not 404 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:29,560 begrudge or be jealous of another or to hope that we'd all 405 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,480 be an eye or that we'd all be a finger. 406 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:36,640 How distorted a body would be if we were all the one member. 407 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,640 But understanding that we need all parts of the body to 408 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,160 function. Very practical is the Bible in 409 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,280 that. And that some are visible and 410 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:47,360 that others are hidden and it's often the hidden ones that are 411 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:49,800 the most important. And when think of the anatomy of 412 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:53,360 the body. But here's what I want you to 413 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:57,560 know, because there are some who I know who are sitting here 414 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,760 tonight who go, what has God got for me? 415 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,960 And I don't feel like I can do anything. 416 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,000 I don't know how I can help or how I can serve God. 417 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,480 I want to, but know that the moment that you trust Christ, 418 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:14,320 you're in the ministry. We've been baptised into his 419 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,880 body. It tells US1 Corinthians 12/13. 420 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,840 And the purpose of that is that we've been gifted to build up 421 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:26,000 that body to benefit the body. And that's not just pastors, 422 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,200 that's not just leaders, that's all believers. 423 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,960 And so service in the church, just a service back then in 424 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,400 Nehemiah 12, is not just about filling rosters. 425 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:39,600 It's about protecting the community. 426 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:45,400 It's about facilitating worship. It's about extending impact and 427 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,640 influence. You see, the city of Jerusalem 428 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,120 back then, as we've been reading, understand, could not 429 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:56,520 function without structured service, and neither can the 430 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,920 church. And service unto God isn't just 431 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,960 for professionals. Nehemiah's people didn't just 432 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:08,120 show up and expect Nehemiah to do everything. 433 00:26:08,120 --> 00:26:09,840 They contributed and they helped out. 434 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,600 Some had prominent roles like Nehemiah that's mentioned, but 435 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:15,320 others are a little more obscure. 436 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,840 I wonder what in verse 13 this fellow called Amariah did. 437 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:26,960 Don't know, doesn't mention what he did, but his name's there and 438 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:30,120 God noticed. Because every role matters. 439 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:35,280 Every person serving the Lord matters, whether that be in your 440 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,800 secular job or in church ministry. 441 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:44,920 And in a city like Jerusalem, where we'll see later that the 442 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:48,200 farmers from the outside would provide food and on the help and 443 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,160 the insiders would have defended it and so on in the worship, 444 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:57,440 every person mattered. Now, modern Christianity will 445 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:02,720 often drift on into consumption. What do I get out of being here? 446 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,240 What's this church got for me? And what are these people? 447 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,400 You know, nobody did this for me and nobody helped me with that. 448 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,720 And does this meet my needs? And do I like this style and all 449 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,480 of those sorts of things? But there's something that's 450 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:17,680 different about a covenant community that we've been 451 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,840 reading of in Nehemiah and and is to be a part of any any 452 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,440 gathering of believers of the Church of Jesus Christ. 453 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:33,360 And that is this Christ, our example did not consume others. 454 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,080 He didn't use them for his purposes. 455 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:43,120 Christ instead came and gave himself. 456 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:48,560 Mark chapter 10 verse 45 is a wonderful verse that says that 457 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,720 He came to serve, not to be served. 458 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:57,720 And so service then is not beneath us, it is rather Christ 459 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:03,760 like and it begs the question, are you serving where God has 460 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:08,160 planted you? Seems to be a message that the 461 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:14,920 Holy Spirit is teaching us in 2026 about pressing in, in our 462 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:21,440 recognition that God has placed me here for a purpose and to 463 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:26,440 serve and to honour him in that. So now turn ahead to Ephesian, 464 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,640 Ephesians 4 verse 11 to 16, because practically tonight you 465 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:35,920 can make concrete steps in that direction of going, OK, I'm a 466 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:42,880 Christian, I'm baptised into the ministry of building up the body 467 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,000 of believers. What what might that look like? 468 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:49,520 Ephesians 411 to 16 says, and we read again New King James 469 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:54,360 Version self Speaking of Jesus, gave some to be apostles, some 470 00:28:54,360 --> 00:29:00,240 prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the 471 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:03,520 equipping of the Saints, for the work of ministry, for the 472 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:07,960 edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of 473 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,200 the faith. Verse 13 Of the knowledge of the 474 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:14,440 Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of 475 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:18,360 the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children 476 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:20,880 tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of 477 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:25,520 doctrine, See the purpose of it by the trigger of men in the 478 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:29,200 cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but. 479 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,880 Verse 15 speaking. The truth in love may grow up in 480 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:35,840 all things into him growing up maturing. 481 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:39,800 Who is the head Christ, from whom? 482 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,320 Verse 16. The whole body joined and knit 483 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,680 together by what every joint supplies. 484 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:49,400 Every joint, according to the effective working by which every 485 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:53,760 part does its share, causes growth of the body for the 486 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:59,800 edifying of itself in love. Where has God gifted you? 487 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:01,120 Tonight. Is it teaching? 488 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,760 Is it administration? Is it mercy? 489 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:06,080 Is it encouragement? Is it evangelism? 490 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:11,160 Is it hospitality? Serve in structured Church 491 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:15,960 ministry, in informal discipleship, in community 492 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,880 engagement, in vocational integrity. 493 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:24,080 Contribute humbly where God places you. 494 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,280 If you're new here, maybe. You've taken a few months to 495 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:32,280 just look and watch and observe and see and assess. 496 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:35,360 And now you're going, OK, this is this is where I'm going to 497 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:40,320 call our church home. Shift from evaluating to 498 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:45,240 engaging. Join a serving team, pray behind 499 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:48,520 the scenes for leaders for the ministries going on. 500 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:53,560 Give generously, even even if it stretches you at sometimes. 501 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:57,640 But I am so grateful and thankful for this that is in our 502 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:01,160 church that I think's unique when you know, I I converse and 503 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:03,520 discuss with other people about what's going on in their 504 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,480 churches and that is this. There are many faithful church 505 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:09,880 members in our midst, serving here in so many visible and 506 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:15,560 invisible ways that God knows that God's written the name 507 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:21,520 down, that He's recorded. And it's not for fame, but for 508 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:25,120 this, that every act builds God's Kingdom. 509 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:30,440 Every act God is. Able to use because this is how 510 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,560 God works. God's not about serving 511 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:37,240 programmes, He's about redeeming people through people. 512 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:42,800 So I serve today. Sign up for that ministry. 513 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,840 Get involved. Your contribution, like back in 514 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:52,720 Jerusalem, sets this place apart as holy, set apart for the 515 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:57,160 service of God. You are placed where you are. 516 00:31:57,160 --> 00:31:59,480 To function there as salt and light. 517 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,000 And your assignment is not accidental. 518 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,760 You know what? Happens when you commit. 519 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:10,800 To that and go, OK, God has me here for some reason, I'm going 520 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:15,240 to serve him in that. The Third Point, what we see in 521 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,960 the people is that God is doing a work in their hearts. 522 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:22,600 And you can jump ahead to verse 43 of chapter 12 as this worship 523 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:27,120 just bursts forth out of them as they start to become blessed in 524 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:29,880 their service of God. There's this wonderful 525 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,840 celebration that takes a hold of them and they they commit to 526 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,960 dedicating the walls and celebrating all that God is 527 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,440 doing in their midst and the great work that He is been 528 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:42,000 facilitating in and through them. 529 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,840 In verse 27, now at the dedication of the wall of 530 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:48,360 Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites in all their places to 531 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,400 bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with 532 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:54,760 gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing with 533 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:57,080 cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. 534 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,000 And the sons of the singers gathered verse 28 together from 535 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:04,200 the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of 536 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:09,920 the Natathites, and on through verse 29 from the House of 537 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,320 Gilgal and from the fields of Gieba and Azimothfeth. 538 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:17,000 For look at this, the singers have built themselves villages 539 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,440 all around Jerusalem, even back in Old Testament days. 540 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:23,600 There's something about musos just wanting to hang out 541 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:26,120 together. It was like the early Nashville 542 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:30,000 or the early Fremantle of WA. Have you ever gone into Frio and 543 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,480 seen all the hipsters sipping their coffee and with musical 544 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:35,480 instruments around? No, just me. 545 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,720 All right then, verse 40. Three. 546 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,840 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, you know what 547 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:51,080 sacrifices? An act of worship and rejoiced, 548 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:57,880 for God had made them rejoice with great joy the women. 549 00:33:57,880 --> 00:33:59,840 And the children. Also rejoiced. 550 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:05,120 And look at this, the neighbours heard, so that the joy of 551 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:12,880 Jerusalem was heard afar off. This is worship in action. 552 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,120 The verses that we've just read and you can read through other 553 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:20,199 parts as I'm continuing now of chapter 12 to see that after 554 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:23,159 hard work, the opposition, the toil that they'd experienced. 555 00:34:23,159 --> 00:34:26,520 They paused now to dedicate everything unto God, and they 556 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:30,440 just cannot help but but spring forth in praise unto Him, and 557 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:33,760 it's and it's God birthed in them, and the. 558 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:34,960 Singers. They they just. 559 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:36,840 Want to be there? They congregate together and 560 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:39,480 build villages around Jerusalem, integrating. 561 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:43,520 And the idea of that is, is that everyday life is now integrated 562 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:47,239 with praise. And so if you're the. 563 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:49,920 Kind of person that at home vacuums with your headphones on 564 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:53,320 with worship music. That's that's these guys. 565 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,880 We're we're wired to worship God, aren't we? 566 00:34:58,240 --> 00:35:02,160 That's why we're created. It's why what, why we derive 567 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,640 great pleasure from doing it. And it blesses God. 568 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:07,320 In fact, we're all worshippers. It's a question of whether 569 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,520 you're worshipping God or something or someone else. 570 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,480 And here there's this. Dedication and to dedicate meant 571 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,760 to set apart, to acknowledge to God. 572 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:18,920 It's kind of like, you know, when you read dedications. 573 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:21,560 Yeah, if you open. Up a. 574 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:24,760 Book and you'll see dedicated to so and so and and it's an 575 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:28,280 acknowledgement from the author to the the sacrifice of the 576 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:29,720 commitment that others have made. 577 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,680 We have baby dedications here at church meaning to set aside 578 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:36,280 that. Child unto. 579 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,400 The Lord. And so here the wall isn't just 580 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:43,000 merely infrastructure, it's understand consecrated space, 581 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:47,360 that God is permeating every aspect of their lives and they 582 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:51,920 see it now as worship unto God. Sometimes we can 583 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:55,200 compartmentalise life and worship is what we do on Sunday. 584 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:58,520 And then we go into our job and man, I've got to be a cutthroat 585 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:00,880 kind of business guy and I've got to make some difficult 586 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:04,240 decisions and we'll act like every ordinary Joe Blow out 587 00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:06,440 there. But in other words, what we 588 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:11,760 should be seeing is that all of our life 24/7 is sacred space 589 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:14,880 that God has to be worshipped and honoured in. 590 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,480 That's what's happening here. They sing loudly, they worship, 591 00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:22,440 the amps are dialled up to 11. There's people complaining about 592 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,080 the noise. Can you turn it down? 593 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:26,400 There's probably some in the back saying this isn't how 594 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:28,880 you're supposed to worship God. Where's the old hymns? 595 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:30,880 And I don't like that song and all of that. 596 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,960 You know, it's generations old, thousands of years, it goes on. 597 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:37,040 But here it was loud. It was unto God and they were 598 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:40,200 dedicated and they were praising and they were worshipping. 599 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,320 And there's this wonderful thing, verse 43, Guess what? 600 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:49,280 God made them do it. God made them rejoice. 601 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,160 Because joy is not manufactured. Hype it. 602 00:36:55,720 --> 00:36:59,720 Was the overflow of. Divine faithfulness at work in 603 00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:02,320 them. So the joy matters here. 604 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,880 It authenticates what's going on, the restoration that's 605 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,680 taking place. And think of it, the city of 606 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:14,440 Jerusalem was no longer defined by exile and ruins and decay, 607 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:18,880 but now defined by this is a place where we live for God and 608 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,600 we serve him, and we're going to praise him with all that's 609 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:24,520 within us. And man, let's let the 610 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:30,200 neighbours here. So Nehemiah. 611 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,560 Is in fact going all the way back some of the structures that 612 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:37,880 are in place to Israel's golden ear of what David instituted in 613 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:41,120 their worship. That's part of the the the cycle 614 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:44,720 of that moving of different worship and singing parties and 615 00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:46,760 so on. Now I. 616 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,680 Want I want us to. See a connection to our day and 617 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:57,640 age and sometimes I think the Australian culture and our 618 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:01,560 capacity to downplay and to minimise things get gets the 619 00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:03,640 better of us in our worship of God. 620 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:11,640 We're often productive. But joyless, you know we build 621 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:14,480 walls. God does a work in and through 622 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:17,000 us, but we forget to sing and praise Him about it. 623 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:23,360 Busyness can often crowd. Out gratitude in our lives, yet 624 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,440 we've seen Nehemiah 8 verse 10 that the joy of the Lord is to 625 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:30,440 be our strength. So Christian joy is not naivety. 626 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,640 You know, sometimes people will even go, you know, they're a 627 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:36,760 happy, clappy Christian. You ever heard that used as a 628 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:38,680 derogatory term about some people? 629 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,720 But it's about resurrection, confidence in our lives. 630 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,480 The joy of the Lord is my strength, and how can I help but 631 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:51,760 praise Him? And you know, a rejoicing. 632 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:57,240 Christian is actually countercultural, so celebrate 633 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:02,080 wherever God has planted you. Pause to acknowledge God's 634 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:05,640 blessings in your life, the salvations that he has brought, 635 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:08,680 the community that he has brought alongside of you, 636 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:12,040 restoration in your life, transformation in your life. 637 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,520 Give all the glory to God. Let. 638 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:18,040 Let his. Joy overflow into daily life 639 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:21,120 because in this joyless world, you're rejoicing testifies to 640 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,920 God's goodness. Have you ever worked with? 641 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:29,960 People who have said, why aren't you miserable like the rest of 642 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:35,120 us about this? I had one person asked me. 643 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:37,880 That, you know, about something that had come up in work and you 644 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:39,520 know, said Israel, why aren't you worried? 645 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:42,160 Or why aren't you bitter like the rest of us about this? 646 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:46,160 Well, because I trust God, you know, I've got a faith and I can 647 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:49,360 choose to be bitter or angry or upset about it, or I can choose 648 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,360 to trust him and, and honour him and work for him and, and 649 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:54,440 worship him in that part of that. 650 00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:59,480 Now move ahead. We'll finish with this. 651 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:03,600 To Revelation chapter 2021, because Nehemiah 11 and 12 652 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,240 doesn't end the story, of course. 653 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:07,880 It actually anticipates something far greater. 654 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:11,520 And if your heart's been stirred in any way with what you've been 655 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:14,240 seeing and reading of what God is doing in the hearts and lives 656 00:40:14,240 --> 00:40:17,200 of the people, then boy, look out for what's ahead in 657 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:21,760 Revelation 21. In Revelation 21. 658 00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:28,720 Hopefully you're there by now. And man, I think with what we're 659 00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:32,160 seeing in the news and so on, this can't be much longer around 660 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:35,600 the corner. Lord Jesus, come quickly now. 661 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:41,880 Revelation 21 I saw a new heaven verse one and a new earth for 662 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:46,840 the 1st heaven and the first earth had passed away also. 663 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:49,280 There was no more sea. And then I. 664 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,040 John saw the. Holy City. 665 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:56,040 New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as 666 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:57,960 a bride adorned for her husband, I. 667 00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:03,560 Heard a loud voice. From heaven, saying, Behold the 668 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:07,240 Tabernacle, that means the dwelling place of God is with 669 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:09,800 men. He will dwell with them, and 670 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:12,920 they shall be His people. God himself will be with them 671 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,080 and be their God. Look at this. 672 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:18,120 First of all, God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 673 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:22,680 There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. 674 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:27,320 There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed 675 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:29,600 away. Move ahead. 676 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:33,280 To verse 22, Speaking of the New Jerusalem. 677 00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:36,760 Still I saw no temple in it. Why for? 678 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:40,640 The Lord God Almighty. And the Lamb are its temple, the 679 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:41,840 city. Had no need of. 680 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:44,680 The sun or of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God 681 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:46,840 illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 682 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:51,760 Verse 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk 683 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:54,480 in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and 684 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:57,720 honour into it. It's gates shall not be shut at 685 00:41:57,720 --> 00:42:00,000 all by day. There shall be no night there. 686 00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:03,840 And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations 687 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:08,760 into it there and then no temple is needed. 688 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:11,920 God dwells fully with His people. 689 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:18,360 Holiness saturates everything, and at the centre, Jesus. 690 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:23,640 Because Jesus embodies. All that we focused on and 691 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:27,320 looked at tonight. As we read. 692 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:29,880 In the Gospels, incidentally, after Nehemiah, we're going to 693 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:33,480 get into a study of the Gospel of Matthew on Sunday nights. 694 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,800 But as we read in the Gospels, it tells us that Jesus settled 695 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:40,560 among us. The Word became flesh and dwelt 696 00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:44,720 among us. It tells us that he served among 697 00:42:44,720 --> 00:42:46,760 us. He washed feet. 698 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,880 He bore sin. He gave His life. 699 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:55,680 It tells us that He was dedicated as an act of worship 700 00:42:55,680 --> 00:43:00,920 unto God, to the cross, and so much so that that dedication, 701 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:03,960 that act of worship, it says in Hebrews 12 verse 2 that He 702 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:07,040 endured the cross. It was a joy for the joy that 703 00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:09,400 was set before Him. We've. 704 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,320 Spoken tonight of being. Settled of, of serving and of 705 00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:15,080 singing and of and of worship and the power of that and the 706 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,720 impact of that. So again tonight, what makes a 707 00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:20,560 place holy? It's not prestige, it's not 708 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:23,560 architecture, it's not walls, it's not influence, it's not 709 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:27,320 gates, but it's people settled under God's sovereignty. 710 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:29,560 It's people. Serving. 711 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,440 Under God's authority, it's people. 712 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:34,760 Singing in worship. Under God's grace. 713 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:39,600 So commit tonight. Settle intentionally. 714 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,360 Thank God for where He has placed you. 715 00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:50,480 Serve actively. Identify a concrete way that you 716 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:54,960 can contribute and be a blessing this month of March. 717 00:43:56,680 --> 00:44:00,280 Sing in worship and praise visibly. 718 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:06,000 Express joy in God's. Faithfulness this week. 719 00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:12,680 Let's pray, Lord God. We thank you for this chapter 720 00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:15,440 tonight. I thank you for each person here 721 00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:17,680 tonight that has heard your word, and I pray that you would 722 00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:21,160 help us. Help us to be faithful where it 723 00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:26,240 is that you have stationed us. We might not think of it. 724 00:44:26,240 --> 00:44:30,760 As a rebuilding of Jerusalem. But we can certainly be your 725 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:36,400 sanctifying presence wherever we find ourselves in our in our 726 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:39,840 street, in our workplace, in our community groups, in our sport 727 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:46,440 clubs, amongst our families. We can honour you, we can 728 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:51,160 worship you and God. You can strengthen this your 729 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:55,800 Church here through the faithful service of the Saints gathered 730 00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:59,160 here and. When the final city, the. 731 00:44:59,160 --> 00:45:03,680 New Jerusalem descends. We will never regret having 732 00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:07,920 served you and been planted for your purposes and praise here on 733 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:11,360 earth for all that you have in store for us, your people. 734 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:17,920 As John ended the book. Of Revelation, We end our time 735 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:21,560 tonight with this Maranatha. Even so, Lord Jesus, come 736 00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:24,560 quickly. This we pray in Jesus. 737 00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:26,120 Mighty name. Amen.