1 00:00:07,610 --> 00:00:12,490 Title of the message is After the Walls Building God's People. 2 00:00:13,210 --> 00:00:16,570 The work looks finished at this point in time, at least on the 3 00:00:16,570 --> 00:00:19,370 outside. The walls have gone up in the 4 00:00:19,370 --> 00:00:21,210 city of Jerusalem, but God isn't done. 5 00:00:22,290 --> 00:00:25,210 There is still much work to be done in the hearts and lives of 6 00:00:25,210 --> 00:00:27,170 the people of Israel at this point in time. 7 00:00:27,810 --> 00:00:33,080 Nehemiah Chapter 7 comes at a moment of success and like I 8 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,640 said, the walls have been rebuilt, the gates are now in 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:40,280 place, the the city seems secure, the opposition around 10 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,960 has has fallen silent somewhat, and if the book were to end at 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,200 chapter 6, we might think that the job was finished. 12 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,400 You go, OK, great, great story. Nehemiah came over from Persia 13 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,040 and he functioned as governor in Jerusalem and rebuilt the wall. 14 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,200 Great, great little story. But Nehemiah knows something and 15 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,080 then goes through him wants to speak to you and I about this 16 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,400 tonight. Nehemiah knows something that I 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,400 think many times we can be forgetful of and that is this 18 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,600 that God's work is never finished when the structures are 19 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,960 complete, but only when people are transformed. 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,720 So that's really what's before us in this chapter as as this 21 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:27,000 now transitions through to the the rest of the book of of 22 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,920 chapters one through to six being about rebuilding the walls 23 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,360 and the practical work there in Jerusalem and dealing with 24 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:33,920 opposition as a consequence of that. 25 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,760 And now from 7:00 through to the end of the book, it's about 26 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,240 rebuilding the people, about setting in place the very things 27 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,880 that we're missing that cause them to go into exile in the 28 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,600 first instant and led to the deterioration of God's people 29 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,280 there in Jerusalem. And the people of Israel are all 30 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,160 along God's chosen people and they were chosen to be a light 31 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,200 and an indication to the nation surrounding of what life was 32 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,240 like to be lived, loving God and serving him and honouring him 33 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:05,000 there to be a a people of attraction to say what is 34 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:06,720 different about the God that you serve. 35 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,560 And so now this is the work that is before us as we read in these 36 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,880 chapters. It's instructive for you and I 37 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,120 and the chapter might look if you've skipped ahead as another 38 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,360 list of names and there are plenty and we'll not read all of 39 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:21,480 them. So don't worry about that. 40 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,280 When I said 73 verses, Oh my goodness, I gave up the tennis 41 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:29,880 for this. But it is actually a blueprint 42 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,320 here for a thriving community. And that's what it's about. 43 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,560 It's about people. It's about a group of people 44 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,160 coming together to serve the Lord and honour Him both then 45 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,360 and now. So the big idea is this, after 46 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:47,000 God rebuilds, these people must reorder their priorities around 47 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,000 and we'll see godly leadership first. 48 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,080 We'll spend a bit of time in verses one to three. 49 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,720 Our first two points will be drawn out of those verses. 50 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,200 They need to rebuild around vigilant protection and not just 51 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,200 rest and hang back on their laurels and say, oh great, the 52 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,400 walls built, the gates are hung, That's it. 53 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,520 We're mission accomplished. And then we'll we'll see a 54 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,920 living legacy that carries us from verse 4 through to the end 55 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:15,560 of the chapter. So let's consider verses one to 56 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,080 three in our first two points in Nehemiah 7, again, I'm reading 57 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:25,040 new King James Version. It says, then it was when the 58 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,720 wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, 59 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,840 the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave the 60 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,520 charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hananiah and Hananiah 61 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:43,360 the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared 62 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:48,000 God more than many. And I said to them, verse 3, Do 63 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,280 not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot 64 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:58,680 and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors and 65 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:02,640 appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at 66 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,680 his watch station and another in front of his own house. 67 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,480 We want to look at the first point being this that that 68 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,440 leadership is important when a people are coming to be 69 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,000 positioned for change and transformation towards 70 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,440 seriousness of a life lived loving the Lord and and so 71 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:23,880 leadership that fears God is put into place here by Nehemiah with 72 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,720 the walls complete. Nehemiah's first move is not 73 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,680 celebration. Hey, let's have a party. 74 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,240 Let's let's send out word to everybody and look at what we've 75 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:35,680 accomplished but appointment. So I I need to appoint some 76 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:40,600 leaders in some particular positions here in Jerusalem to 77 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,920 protect the people to bring about transformation says in 78 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,160 verse 2, I put in charge of Jerusalem this men of integrity 79 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:54,840 who feared God more than most. I want you to notice that 80 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:57,600 because Nehemiah when looking for people to appoint to 81 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,040 leadership, he's not looking for personalities. 82 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:05,800 He's not looking for people with charisma, with a whole heap of 83 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,400 social media followers. What he appoints and what he 84 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:13,720 looks for is faithful character, and especially mentioned is 85 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:15,800 integrity. Now, integrity is this. 86 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,840 It means reliability. It means faithfulness, it means 87 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:22,240 people who show up. It means dependability. 88 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,360 It meant that you could count on these individuals that were 89 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:27,400 appointed into these positions of leadership. 90 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,800 In other words, I imagine that when Nehemiah arrived and when 91 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,200 he was observing the different people that were out there in 92 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,280 Jerusalem that were helping in the building of the walls, that 93 00:05:37,280 --> 00:05:39,840 the guys he appointed, I think were these guys. 94 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:44,600 They showed up each day with chow and sword in hand, ready. 95 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,400 Nehemiah, where, where are we repairing the wall today? 96 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,720 That they may have even been there early before Nehemiah 97 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,160 arrived and and had shown some initiative and started labouring 98 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,440 hard and and saw the purpose in the work at hand. 99 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,520 Why is it that they possess such integrity? 100 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,960 Why is it that they were reliable and dependable? 101 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:09,040 It says because they feared God more than many more than the 102 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,240 others around them. And some translations even have 103 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,920 it that they feared God above how they perceived others 104 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,920 perceptions of them. So their priority was how does 105 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,080 God view me? It's an interesting way to think 106 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:24,440 of it, and I think they're related. 107 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,760 Fearing God here means living with a sober awareness that 108 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:33,960 particularly now leadership is actually exercised before God, 109 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,320 that you serve in such a position that comes with a 110 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:41,520 responsibility unto God. You might serve other people, 111 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,360 you might be accountable to people, but ultimately such 112 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,960 people who are fearful of God more than many are those that 113 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,680 recognise that this role, that this task that I am about, I'm 114 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,360 responsible, I'm accountable to God, you know, So there's a fear 115 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:59,040 of God there in that. Now these attributes that 116 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,440 Nehemiah looked for that that that we're reading, I'll 117 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:05,640 certainly apply in a modern context to elders and pastors in 118 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,000 church. And we see that all through 119 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,840 Scripture. I think of the book of Acts in 120 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,960 chapter 6, when the early church was looking for people to 121 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,800 appoint to the service of the needs of what's called the 122 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,440 Hellenist, who were among the group there who were complaining 123 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:22,200 about the what they perceived to be the unfair distribution of of 124 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,520 the food and on all of the the other essentials that they 125 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,080 needed at that point. And so they looked for faithful 126 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,120 men that they could appoint. Stephen, the first martyr of the 127 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,560 church was one such, Philip another. 128 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,600 Think of Ephesians chapter 4 and first second Timothy and Titus 129 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,880 that outline the qualities, the attributes of what it means to 130 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:45,000 be an elder, to be a pastor, to be a leader of God's people in 131 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,080 such a fashion. But also I want you to see this 132 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,160 that that such qualities, such attributes apply to whatever 133 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,600 phase of life you find yourself in. 134 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:00,280 It applies to you tonight. If you're a parent, fathers and 135 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,200 mothers, you are leaders in your home. 136 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,560 Your children are watching. They're looking to you and, and 137 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,600 not for your perfection, but your consistency. 138 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,440 It's so important, you know, do they see repentance when you 139 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,440 fall? You know, Dad blew it. 140 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:18,000 I'm sorry. You know, Mum was wrong when she 141 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,360 said that or when she did that. And the way I handled it wasn't, 142 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:22,760 wasn't good. It wasn't right. 143 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,400 It wasn't appropriate. Do your kids hear that from you? 144 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,360 Do they see prayer as normal, not exceptional? 145 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:30,680 Wow. Mum's praying. 146 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:34,880 Must be something serious going on or is it just like mom's 147 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,600 praying again or dad's praying again, just par for the course 148 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:43,200 in the household? Do they see God feared in the 149 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:48,680 home more than comfort more than sport, more than success in in 150 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:50,480 the fields that the world estimates? 151 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:56,200 And so in looking at who Nehemiah appointed as we 152 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,920 consider points of application in our lives, it's it's parents 153 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,840 as godly leaders shaping households. 154 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:08,080 But you know, it's also this, it's also older believers 155 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:14,360 modelling faithfulness year after year after year, day after 156 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,080 day after day, serving the Lord, loving Him, honouring him. 157 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:20,760 Let let me tell you about what God has done in my life. 158 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,760 I hear that you're going through such and such an experience or 159 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,280 that you've encountered that. Let me tell you how God moved in 160 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,360 our life or what he did when we prayed, when we sought Him. 161 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:34,520 That's leadership, it's youth influencing peers. 162 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:40,360 Paul said to a young Timothy in Timothy, he said, Timothy, I 163 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,440 need you to be an example in your youth. 164 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,080 Don't let people despise you for your young age, but you, you be 165 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:51,280 an example unto others of what again life is like loving the 166 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:52,960 Lord, serving him and honouring him. 167 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:58,280 It's you and I as as professionals in our workplaces 168 00:09:58,560 --> 00:10:02,320 functioning as Christians in those workplaces because we work 169 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,440 as unto the Lord. That's what the Bible tells us. 170 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:10,400 So leadership in Scripture is never about only a title. 171 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,880 It's about trustworthiness, it's about integrity, it's about fear 172 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:16,520 of God. And that's what Nehemiah looks 173 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:18,720 for in these appointments that he makes. 174 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:23,000 And then verse 3, notice that he was careful about some 175 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,320 instructions concerning the gate when it was to be opened. 176 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:30,000 It's to be open late, closed early, guarded deliberately. 177 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,480 And the city is protected in this, the people, the 178 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:37,720 inhabitants of it with the walls and with the gates in place. 179 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:39,520 But you know, it's still needed to be guarded. 180 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,240 There still needed to be a carefulness in this. 181 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,200 The strong walls would mean nothing if they were left 182 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,840 unattended. These gates with people posted 183 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,080 on there. And it's important because many 184 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:55,400 times in our lives, victories can be lost if left unguarded. 185 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,120 If we can rest on our laurels and say, God, you know, God 186 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,280 moved in in my life or in our family's life or in, in the 187 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:04,200 church's life back then. And people could have said, 188 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:07,240 yeah, God moved in our midst for the last 52 days. 189 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,560 And look how wonderful it is the wall and the gates and if they 190 00:11:10,560 --> 00:11:15,040 just sat back and relaxed. And that's, that's when the 191 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,400 enemy strikes, isn't it? We can never afford to drop our 192 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,520 guard in the battle that is the Christian life because the enemy 193 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:26,040 is like a roaring lion, constantly seeking those whom he 194 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,600 made a vow. So Nehemiah is very practical in 195 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,720 this point and it's very true in this sense for churches, it's 196 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,200 true for families, it's true for you and I as individuals. 197 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:40,000 I think many times we as parents, we can kind of work 198 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,440 hard to build good foundations in our kids lives while they're 199 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:49,080 young and we might send them off to Christian schooling, have 200 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,480 them involved in church and think about youth group and so 201 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,240 on. But we can, you know, as time 202 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:59,640 rolls around, get a little slack or relaxed in things and we can 203 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:01,760 neglect to guard what has been built. 204 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,560 You know, conversations go unmonitored, screens go 205 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:11,800 unchecked, hearts go unpasted. And so faith rebuilt. 206 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:13,080 And this is what it's about here. 207 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:17,800 Faith rebuilt after hardship must be protected. 208 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:20,440 That's what Nehemiah sees as important. 209 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:25,600 And growth in our lives after repentance must be guarded, must 210 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,200 be looked after, must be protected. 211 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:31,160 You see, success without vigilance breeds a spiritual 212 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:35,040 drift, and that truth applies to every stage of life. 213 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,920 No matter who you are, no matter where where you're sitting 214 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,360 tonight, you are here in this. You know young people tonight 215 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:46,600 the choices that you make when no one is watching will often 216 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:48,120 shape the direction of your life. 217 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,880 Singles professionals. Success without spiritual 218 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:58,560 vigilance can slowly erode the soul. 219 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:01,920 Parents again I've mentioned a little bit. 220 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,520 Foundations laid early need to be guarded intentionally for 221 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:10,720 years to come. You know, I, I thought when, you 222 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,040 know, commencing parenting with the kids that they, they needed 223 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,160 me the most when they were younger, You know, those primary 224 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,760 school years and especially in those toddler phases where 225 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,600 they're just so, so needy of you as parents. 226 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:27,160 But man, they need you in such different ways as they age, you 227 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,040 know, in different capacities and so on. 228 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:32,080 So our jobs never done and we need to guard that. 229 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:38,760 And older Saints, faith is to be watched even in later years. 230 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,440 You know, many falls happen not in youth, but after long seasons 231 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,440 of faithfulness. So, you know, it broke my heart 232 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:51,960 to read of a fellow whose readings I liked a lot who was 233 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,120 having a secret affair for eight years in his life. 234 00:13:55,120 --> 00:14:01,360 You've heard of Philip Yancey, you know, and he was, I think, 235 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,720 68, the story went, when he commenced this affair. 236 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:11,320 Now, victory is not all lost at once. 237 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,520 It's lost when we stop paying attention, when we stop putting 238 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,840 guards in place. And the gates, they're not 239 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,440 closed permanently, but they are watched carefully here. 240 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:24,120 It's not like Nehemiah shut the city down. 241 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:25,720 He's not being oppressive in that. 242 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:30,280 And sometimes we can swing the other pendulum way, especially, 243 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:32,600 you know, as parents in our households, we can become very 244 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:34,400 oppressive. And no, you're not going here. 245 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:35,680 You're not doing that. You're not doing this. 246 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,080 And no one's coming over. And you can be like the gates 247 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,560 closed. But Nehemiah, he put some some 248 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,560 mechanisms in place to protect the inhabitants. 249 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:46,560 Watch carefully. There's cheques and balances put 250 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,480 in place because the walls don't protect themselves. 251 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,920 And likewise, faith is to be watched over. 252 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,960 Let's move on to the second point again in verses one to 253 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:59,080 three. It's that protection that guards 254 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,440 what matters is important. The gates represented entry 255 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:06,120 points into the city. And so they couldn't be careless 256 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,360 in that that was most often where when a city would come 257 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,920 under attack, that the the points would be harnessed to 258 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:17,600 break down the gates. So protection here isn't 259 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:22,120 paranoia on Nehemiah's part, It's Love. 260 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:27,440 Actually, you know, Jesus warned, Paul warned as well the 261 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:32,040 the early Church of wolves coming in sheep's clothing. 262 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:39,440 Nehemiah here, I think, models the same wisdom some centuries 263 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,760 earlier. And protection then isn't about 264 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:47,240 fear, but about faithfulness. So building on the appointment 265 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:51,000 of faithful leaders in verse one and two, Nehemiah now turns to 266 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,200 the practical mechanisms of protection, verse three with the 267 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,440 gates. But then in doing so, he made 268 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,760 some other appointments that are really focusing in on the 269 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,320 spiritual health of the people of Israel, of God's people. 270 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:07,040 Verse one explicitly lists some key appointments. 271 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:08,560 Notice the three roles named together. 272 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,440 He said gatekeepers, those who would control who and what 273 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,640 enters the city. And then don't you think it's 274 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,440 odd that early on in the re establishment of a city, he 275 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:23,600 goes, you know what we need musicians, singers, let's 276 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,240 appoint them, let's pay them, let's give them that, that 277 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:30,080 capacity to sustain what and what they were specifically to 278 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,960 be about was not, you know, to have music playing on the radio 279 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,720 there in Jerusalem, just to to provide the ambience and the 280 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:37,760 atmosphere, because that'd be nice while we're working. 281 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,000 You know, it was about the worship of God. 282 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:46,160 These were the singers and the leaders and the musicians who 283 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,640 would be there for corporate gatherings of worship, to remind 284 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,800 the people of God's faithfulness, to encourage and 285 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,480 stir up the hearts of the people, to to have their 286 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:57,560 affection and their energy brought unto God. 287 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,360 And then hand in hand with that Levites. 288 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,440 Levites were those that were the teachers of the scriptures, of 289 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,560 the law, of the Bible, who would offer the sacrifices, who would 290 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,119 preserve the doctrinal purity of the people. 291 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:16,040 So these aren't random add ONS that Nehemiah is thinking. 292 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,960 You know what we need? Because we need to pay the 293 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:20,680 Levites, We need to pay the singers. 294 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:24,040 No, Nehemiah isn't just securing a physical city again. 295 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:28,760 He's safeguarding the spiritual health, the vibrancy of the 296 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:32,960 people, a covenant community, a body of believers. 297 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,160 So the walls and the gates protect the body physically, but 298 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:41,160 these appointments protect the soul spiritually, and that's 299 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:44,800 what it's about. So without them, Jerusalem could 300 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:50,280 stand strong outwardly, physically, yes, but be decaying 301 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,920 inwardly. Exactly what happened in 302 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:59,080 previous generations when false teaching, when idolatry, when, 303 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,000 when compromise came in unchecked. 304 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,280 So Nehemiah knows that more than the gates are important, I need, 305 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:09,640 yes, gatekeepers. I need the singers, the 306 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:15,560 musicians, we need the Levites as I like a church with great 307 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,840 facilities. We can have air conditioning, we 308 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,560 can have walls, we can have, you know, new buildings coming in as 309 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:25,400 our plans are this year. And it can be impressive on the 310 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:30,880 outside, but vulnerable within without the right guards and 311 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,520 checkpoints. The same enemy that Nehemiah was 312 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,160 dealing with here who mocked the builders in Chapter 4 and 313 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:41,640 schemed in Chapter 6, they would try to infiltrate and they would 314 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,880 do so to try and bring in false teachers, divisive influences, 315 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,600 you know, moral compromise or, or spiritual apathy. 316 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,760 So the principle carries over into the New Testament. 317 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,520 We read again and again and again. 318 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,360 And I think you're, you're seeing the, the modern 319 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:58,280 connection to who these gatekeepers, who these 320 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,320 musicians, these singers, who these Levites and teachers are 321 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:04,200 the gatekeepers in the body of Christ. 322 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,840 You know, the scriptures tell us are the elders, the deacons, the 323 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:10,680 ministry leaders, the, the mature believers who discern who 324 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,200 or what influences the community, the body of believers 325 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,760 of God. If they say no to false 326 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:20,520 doctrine, toxic relationships, or cultural idols that erode the 327 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:24,040 faith, the musicians, the singers, it's pretty obvious The 328 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,840 worship leaders, the composers, the the singers, the 329 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:31,200 songwriters, anyone who helps the church sing truth and 330 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,280 declare that in our hearts and without our voices unto the 331 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,200 Lord. And guard against shallow 332 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:41,520 sentimental worship by anchoring it in scripture and doctrine. 333 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,680 The Levites, the teachers are the pastors, the Bible study 334 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,120 leaders, the the Sunday school, the youth group teachers, the 335 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,360 mentors, the parents who faithfully teach God's word, 336 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,880 preparing truth, cripping believers to stand firm. 337 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:00,680 And we'll see that in action next week in Nehemiah chapter 8. 338 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:02,120 It's one of the greatest chapters. 339 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:03,800 Read ahead. It's so beautiful. 340 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,960 But here's what I want you to see that every Christian, you 341 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,880 and I plays a part in this protective ministry. 342 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,520 Protection is not just the job of the professionals alone. 343 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,680 It's the shared responsibility of all of us as the body of 344 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,680 Christ. Now, when each of us faithfully 345 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,800 gathers. And guards our assigned gate. 346 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:33,200 The whole community thrives, protected, blessed, worshipping, 347 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:37,640 growing, growing, honouring God. So whatever you've been called 348 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,600 to, may I encourage you tonight in this to serve faithfully in 349 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:45,320 the role that you have been appointed in the body of Christ. 350 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,160 And when we studied through First Second Corinthians, we 351 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,360 learnt about the different members of the body, right? 352 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,040 That we're not all ears, that we're not all noses, that we're 353 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,000 not all eyes and some are visible and some are invisible, 354 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,800 but they're all an important part to play. 355 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,440 We can't all be an eye, We can't all be an ear. 356 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:03,960 That would be an odd looking body. 357 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:09,280 We need everybody to play their part as as a member of the body 358 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,520 for the protection and the guarding and the blessing of the 359 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:16,240 body of believers. So guard personally Philtre what 360 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,920 shapes your thinking, your music, social media friends that 361 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:25,520 you associate with guard what forms your affections guard what 362 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:30,040 enters into the home and guard corporately. 363 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,840 We we pray for the church. Lord God, I pray for the body of 364 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:38,560 believers at Calvary Chapel Secret Harbour support and 365 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,720 encourage the leaders and the elders and support the the 366 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,800 worship team and, and sit under sound teaching and and be a 367 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,800 student of the word yourself. So overall in Nehemiah in these 368 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,800 first 3 verses and we're going to move on now from verse 4 to 369 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,760 the end of the chapter. I want you to see in this that 370 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:59,200 protection isn't about fear. It's what not Nehemiah is is 371 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:02,920 urging here and pushing, but it's about faithfulness. 372 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:08,400 Nehemiah appoints these roles so that the city could be rebuilt 373 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,640 and importantly, that the inhabitants of the city could 374 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,720 grow spiritually and thrive spiritually. 375 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:20,640 So in the same way, the body of Christ, we need to guard what 376 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:24,920 matters most so that we can remain spiritually healthy and 377 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:29,320 effective for the gospel. All right, last point. 378 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:35,000 We'll spend a bit of time on this legacy that remembers that 379 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:40,040 registers and responds. Verse four and five we'll read 380 00:22:40,120 --> 00:22:43,360 and then we'll we'll move through the remaining verses 381 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:49,720 touching base on a few of them. Says Now the city was large and 382 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,640 spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not 383 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:58,120 rebuilt. Then my God put it into my heart 384 00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:01,040 to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people that they 385 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:02,960 might be registered by genealogy. 386 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,080 And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come 387 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:12,840 up in the first return and found written in it. 1st floor kind of 388 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,080 sets the scene, provides the tension for us. 389 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,560 The city was large, it said spacious, but there were few 390 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:22,560 people in it. Walls without people are hollow. 391 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,320 You know, there's times through the week coming into the church 392 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,120 here and you know, we're, we're just setting some things up and 393 00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:33,080 doing some work and without the people and it's, it's kind of 394 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,280 empty. I love the vibrancy of the body 395 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:41,840 gathered here in this place. And so Nehemiah now pauses and 396 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:44,960 the progress is there, but he's remembering and reflecting the 397 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:46,680 past. And it said, verse five, my God 398 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:50,760 put it into my heart so that now we know that what Nehemiah's 399 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:53,280 actions and what he's about here are directed by God. 400 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:56,880 He says, I found the genealogical record of those 401 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,800 who'd come prior in the exile and where it says, my God put it 402 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:03,120 in my heart. This is often how God speaks, 403 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,560 not through spectacle, but through scriptures, through 404 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,360 prayerful prompting, through wise counsel, and through 405 00:24:10,360 --> 00:24:13,440 present need. That's what's happening here. 406 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,960 Now we're going to look and there's a long list of names, 407 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,960 and it's not a filler. It's not like, you know, God the 408 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:26,920 Holy Spirit was going. I need to kind of flesh out two 409 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,480 or three pages, you know, just to fill up space. 410 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,880 I'm kind of running out of my word count and the publishers 411 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,640 pushing me for this deadline. I need to pump out the words and 412 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:39,640 that's not what's going on. These names are important. 413 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:44,600 It's an honour roll. It says. 414 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,520 I found a register of the genealogy of those who'd come up 415 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,480 in the first return. And this is actually copied 416 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:55,640 almost verbatim from the book of Ezra, which is the book prior to 417 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,200 Nehemiah here in chapter 2. Ezra was a priest Will will come 418 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:02,200 across him in a few chapters time. 419 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:07,640 He'd been sent earlier to help rebuild the temple and then it 420 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,680 says and found written in it verse 6. 421 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:14,000 These are the people of the province who came back from the 422 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,480 captivity from Babylon, the Persian Empire, at the time of 423 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,960 those who had been carried away, and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of 424 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,520 Babylon had carried away and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, 425 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,440 everyone to his city. Verse 7, Those who came with the 426 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,720 rubber bell were these eleven guys. 427 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:38,120 Let me read them quickly because that's how you do it fast, 428 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,440 confident when you don't know how exactly to pronounce them. 429 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,960 Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Ramaya, Nahemani, Mordecai, 430 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:47,560 Bilshan, Mitzbreath. Big VE. 431 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:49,320 I like that one. Big VE. 432 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:52,960 That's, that's a name for a dog. If you're ever looking for a 433 00:25:52,960 --> 00:26:00,080 dog, give me a big VE Nihum and banar, the number of the men of 434 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:04,120 the people of Israel. Verse 8, the sons of Porosh, 435 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:09,320 2172. Verse 9, the sons of Shephatiah, 436 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:14,800 372. Verse 10, the sons of Arah, 652. 437 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,840 So we're not going to read all these names, but we are going to 438 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,680 read a few of them because I want you to notice something in 439 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:24,520 this. Some of these families have big 440 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:29,360 numbers. That's a big Christmas do for 441 00:26:29,360 --> 00:26:32,880 some of these. In verse 11, look at this the 442 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:37,640 sons of Pahath, Moab, of the sons of Joshua and Joab 2818. 443 00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:47,640 Verse 17 The sons of Asghad, 2322, and this one. 444 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:52,640 Verse 38 The sons of Senna, 3930. 445 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:57,920 But by comparison, some families were tiny. 446 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:05,760 Verse 25 The sons of Gibeon 95. Verse 28 The men of Beth as 447 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:11,040 Meveth 42. Verse 33 The men of the other 448 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:15,600 Meebo 52. So here's the point. 449 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:21,440 It doesn't matter if there's a whole crowd of people with you 450 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,680 or if you're practically going it alone. 451 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:29,280 When you're serving God, all that matters is what you're 452 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:33,320 doing. Whether these families had many 453 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:37,720 people with them, or only a few, at some point all of them had 454 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:43,440 set off to the unknown, living in in Babylon, surrounding areas 455 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,560 in the Persian Empire, and headed back to a city that 456 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,840 they've never seen, they'd heard of in stories told amongst the 457 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:52,720 people. Or if they'd visited, they 458 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,080 hadn't seen it in years. And they arrived back 459 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:59,840 altogether, some large families, some small, just to be there for 460 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,160 whatever God might do in and through them. 461 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,600 And that might be you tonight. You might come with a family 462 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,720 and, and be blessed in that way. And, and it's large and you have 463 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,960 that, that blessing of, of, you know, the Blood Brothers, 464 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,840 sisters, parents and so on coming together and worshipping 465 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,480 and serving the Lord. And you might come and you might 466 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:21,920 be the only one in your household. 467 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:26,640 But if you're coming to serve the Lord and to love the Lord 468 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,160 and to honour him, and to present yourself and say here I 469 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:35,080 am, Lord God, use me, God knows your name, you're numbered 470 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,920 amongst these people. It's a valuable and worthwhile 471 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:43,320 commitment in service of him. And so God is saying in this 472 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,280 list of names, these people mattered. 473 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:52,200 Their obedience mattered, their sacrifice mattered. 474 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,200 Think of maybe what many of them had back in Persia and they 475 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,000 travel months and then they arrive at Jerusalem with the 476 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,640 walls deteriorated in such a fashion. 477 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:03,840 And, and they, they lump there with all their belongings and 478 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:08,400 go. There's a certain pioneering 479 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:12,560 spirit that needed to be amongst them of trust and, and faith in 480 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:15,440 God that well, it might not look like much, but this is what God 481 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,600 has called us to and, and we're committed to put our hand to the 482 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,160 task and to serve God in this. And so that's why their names 483 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:24,600 are listed. Names matter to God. 484 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,720 And I think that truth lands everywhere here tonight because 485 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,600 you know, children, many times you can feel unseen. 486 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:36,000 I've been coming along to this church for my whole life, 10 487 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,480 years and they still don't know my name. 488 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,360 Hey, boy, hey kid, how are you mate? 489 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:49,720 Names matter to God. And I think parents, this is a 490 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,600 huge reminder to you and I, your, your children live in a 491 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:56,400 world that constantly reduces them to performances, to to 492 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:00,440 grades, to how they are in sport or their popularity or 493 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,200 achievement. But you know this, God doesn't 494 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:05,320 treat his people just as numbers. 495 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:10,400 He knows their names. It's recorded for us in His word 496 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:13,760 here and we're reading it in 2026. 497 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:17,840 I bet you these people when they were trotting their way from 498 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:21,480 Persia into Jerusalem, never thought that in Secret harbour 499 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:26,040 in WA in 2026 they're going to read my name. 500 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:32,960 So these names represent people who left comfort in Babylon to 501 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,680 return to hardship in Jerusalem. And again, life was easier 502 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,640 there, but it's better here for them as the people of God. 503 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,520 And this is a powerful lesson, again, for families. 504 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:47,240 Following God does not promise ease, but it does promise 505 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:52,600 meaning. But also these names here are a 506 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:57,640 reminder to not just families, but to, you know, adults here in 507 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:03,520 our myths whose faithfulness feels unnoticed, to singles who 508 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:08,920 sometimes feel overlooked, to elderly Saints who wonder if if 509 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:13,680 their season is over, how does it remind us that because God 510 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:18,240 again recorded their names. And likewise you, you need to 511 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:23,760 know tonight that you are known by God, you belong to God. 512 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,560 And just on that belonging, I want you to notice something in 513 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:34,960 verse 61 and verse 64 and 65. Verse 61 says, and these were 514 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:40,000 the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub Adon 515 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,120 and Imab, it says, but they could not identify their 516 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:45,840 father's house nor their lineage, whether they were of 517 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,600 Israel. So there's this group that's, 518 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:54,160 you know, from areas and maybe as the people from Babylon were, 519 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,240 were journeying through and, and word gets around about they're 520 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:00,040 going to rebuild that these people, they hear it. 521 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,160 Oh, well, let we'll go too. And they join in and well, 522 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:05,480 they're curious or they just think, you know, I'm tired of 523 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:07,360 where we're at. And anyway, whatever reasons 524 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:11,000 they, they join in, but their lineage couldn't be ascertained 525 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,080 as to whether in fact they were of tribes of Israel. 526 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:19,000 And then verse 64, these sought their listing among those who 527 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,360 were registered by genealogy, but it was not found. 528 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:26,600 Therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled. 529 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,920 And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the 530 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:32,680 most holy things till the priest could consult with the Urim and 531 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:34,360 the Thummim. So that was a means of 532 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,560 consulting direction and leading from God back then. 533 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:42,120 So some in this list of names from verse 4 through to the end 534 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,640 of the chapter and those pointed out here, they could not prove 535 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:49,000 their identity, who they were, where they'd come from, who they 536 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:50,760 were connected to, their ancestry. 537 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:55,240 And they were restricted as a consequence, not as punishment, 538 00:32:55,840 --> 00:33:00,480 but for clarity. And so in that know this, you 539 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,000 cannot serve boldly if you are unsure where you belong. 540 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:11,200 And here the chapter quietly points us to Jesus, the true 541 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:14,640 high priest who secures our place before God and writes our 542 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:17,400 names in his book, just as they were to a wait for the the 543 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,360 priest to come with the Urim and the Thummim. 544 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,680 The principle is not exclusion, it's identity. 545 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,080 And so in other words, there are many times over the years, and 546 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:28,760 I've seen it in years of ministry and and in Christian 547 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,320 service, where people have have come and they've put their hand 548 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:34,080 to the task, but they don't belong to the body of Christ 549 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:37,760 because they're not believers. They're not saved and they've 550 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:42,680 they've had some kind of appeal or attraction to what's going 551 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:44,760 on. And you know, I'm able bodied 552 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:46,960 and I'll help and I'll serve and I'll do such and such. 553 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:51,680 But they're not rightly a part of the body of Christ to serve 554 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,800 in such a capacity because their identity is not sure in, in 555 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:57,720 Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. 556 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,680 And I think parents, you and I, we need to know the greatest 557 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,280 gift that you can give your children is not moral behaviour, 558 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:09,040 but gospel assurance that your kids know who Jesus is, what he 559 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:13,960 has done, and and then therefore what they do is because they 560 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:18,199 belong to him. And ultimately our confidence 561 00:34:18,199 --> 00:34:21,639 does not rest in our family line, but in Christ, the true 562 00:34:21,639 --> 00:34:24,560 high priest who secures our place before God. 563 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:29,760 So if if we're looking to serve in the church in the body of 564 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:34,800 believers, we go am IA believer, am IA follower of Jesus Christ, 565 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:37,320 do I belong is my identity in him. 566 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:44,080 Lastly, the chapter ends from verse 70 through to the end here 567 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:48,040 with this generosity it says, and some of the heads of the 568 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:49,800 father's houses gave to the work. 569 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:54,440 So Nehemiah looks out, identifies need, and sees that 570 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:59,280 man, this need to rebuild and to provide and supply to get this 571 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:01,560 city back, vibrant and spiritually healthy. 572 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:06,960 It's going to come with cost, with finances needed and 573 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:10,000 required. And so some of the heads of the 574 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:14,320 father's houses gave to the work, says verse 70, the 575 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:19,600 governor gave to the treasury 1000 gold drachmas, 50 basins 576 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,960 and 530 priestly garments. And we look at that and we go, 577 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:25,480 we don't know what that is. Let me tell you, it's a fair 578 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:29,640 amount. Verse 71, Some of the heads of 579 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:33,640 the Father's houses gave to the treasury of the work $20,000 580 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:37,920 drachmas, 2200 silver miners. Verse 72. 581 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:41,520 And that which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold 582 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:45,880 drachmas, 2000 silver miners, and 67 priestly garments. 583 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:52,720 So verse 73, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the 584 00:35:52,720 --> 00:35:57,000 singers, some of the people, the nethanim, those who helped serve 585 00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,080 in the in the ministry of of the sacrifices and the worship of 586 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,720 God and all Israel dwelt in their cities. 587 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,960 That's how the chapter ends. The leaders gave first notice 588 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:12,600 the order there, the families followed and everyone gave 589 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:17,160 according to their means, not equal amounts, but equal 590 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:20,240 participation. Recognising that in order for 591 00:36:20,240 --> 00:36:23,720 these gatekeepers, for these singers, these musicians, for 592 00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:26,880 these Levites to function in their roles, we need to enable 593 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,480 them to do that. So let's let's give to help 594 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:34,280 supply that. So some gave more, others gave. 595 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:36,880 But in all of this, there was no fundraising pressure. 596 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:42,000 It was an act of worship that the people did unto Lord at this 597 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:46,080 time in their in their history. And God's work then is resource 598 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:49,440 through God's people here, not because God lacks provision, but 599 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:52,520 because he forms his people through generosity. 600 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,560 And again, parents, it's, it's another formative moment in this 601 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:00,080 as we're we're thinking about applications for this. 602 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:03,120 You know, your children are learning about what matters most 603 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:05,800 often about where your money goes. 604 00:37:07,720 --> 00:37:10,720 They learn priorities from your calendar. 605 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:13,320 They learn values from your budget. 606 00:37:14,240 --> 00:37:17,280 And when children see generosity, they learn that the 607 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:21,000 church then is not just a service we consume, but a 608 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:24,120 mission that we share in and are part of. 609 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:28,280 So giving is not about meeting a need, it is about shaping a 610 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:30,480 heart. Giving shapes a heart. 611 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:34,040 Isn't that what Jesus said? Jesus said that where our 612 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:37,520 treasure is there our heart will be also. 613 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,280 And so Nehemiah records these gifts not to pressure future 614 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,600 generations, but to to submit a question. 615 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:49,200 Will this generation care as deeply as the last one did? 616 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:52,760 And there's the legacy in that. Legacy is not about what we 617 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:54,960 leave behind. It's about what we pass on. 618 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:57,280 It's deliberate. It's intentional. 619 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,520 And this is what Nehemiah is about here in this chapter. 620 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:07,040 So tonight God invites you and I into his work. 621 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,400 If you're a young believer, you you learn that faith involves 622 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:18,440 sacrifice families. We we model generosity together 623 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:23,240 in our workplaces in all that we have. 624 00:38:23,240 --> 00:38:26,960 We understand as the Bible teaches us, that we're stewards 625 00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:30,720 of what God supplies for eternal purposes. 626 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:37,720 And even retirees can continue to invest in the Kingdom beyond 627 00:38:37,720 --> 00:38:42,080 working years. Nehemiah 7 teaches that once the 628 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:44,800 walls are finished, the real work begins. 629 00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:49,320 It's about people. It's about growing spiritually, 630 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:51,440 It's about loving the Lord, It's about serving Him. 631 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:55,120 It's about living for Him. And so God builds his people 632 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:56,800 through. We saw faithful leadership 633 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:02,440 through vigilant protection and then living legacy. 634 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:05,800 Not what just you leave behind, but being intentional about. 635 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:07,880 This is who we are. And this is what I want to pass 636 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:12,200 on should the Lord tarry to future generations of believers 637 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,000 that this is what it is like loving the Lord and serving Him. 638 00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:19,560 And again, all of this finds its fulfilment in Jesus Christ. 639 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:25,880 Jesus is the faithful leader. Jesus is the true gate. 640 00:39:26,720 --> 00:39:31,480 Jesus is the great High Priest. Jesus is the one who knows us by 641 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:35,600 name. So wherever you are tonight, 642 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:44,400 young, old, single, married, settled, searching, the 643 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:48,680 invitation is the same. In this guard what God has 644 00:39:48,720 --> 00:39:53,240 built, Remember who you are in Him. 645 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:59,600 Invest your life in what lasts. Walls can be built quickly. 646 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:03,800 But God is still building a people who belong to him. 647 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:09,320 Let's pray. Father God, thank you again for 648 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:12,280 another wonderful passage out of your word tonight. 649 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,840 Your word is timeless. It's not just about what 650 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:20,800 happened. It's about what always happens. 651 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:25,800 It's so relevant and so real for our lives today. 652 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:30,040 It's Your living, breathing word, so we pray that what you 653 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:33,560 have taught us tonight through it and would sink into our 654 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,760 hearts. The seed of your word would bear 655 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:40,080 much fruit for your glory and our good in our lives. 656 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:49,040 May be Lord be your people busy about what you have called us 657 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:53,400 to, trusting in You, worshipping you, honouring you. 658 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:57,520 Thank you Lord God for each person here tonight. 659 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:02,160 May you bless their hearts. May you guide them and direct 660 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:04,400 them and do a great work in their lives. 661 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:07,280 These things I pray in Jesus name. 662 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:09,720 God's people said I'm in.