1 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,880 Good evening again, welcome tonight open with me your Bible 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,240 to the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:25,580 That is in chapter 3 where we find ourselves the title of 4 00:00:25,580 --> 00:00:31,780 tonight's message. God uses the ordinary to do his 5 00:00:31,780 --> 00:00:35,720 extraordinary. And we may or may not have some 6 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,680 slides tonight. We've just had a few issues, but 7 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,600 it's not that big of a deal as we go through the Scripture and 8 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,720 we'll be able to pull out what we need to. 9 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,680 And returning to Nehemiah three, I'm not sure how many of you, as 10 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,440 we've been studying through the book, have been reading ahead. 11 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,360 But maybe you've looked ahead into our passage tonight in 12 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,560 chapter 3. And you know that it reads a lot 13 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,720 like the Hebrew phone book, and you're just seeing a list of 14 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:07,720 names and name after name and what seems to be mundane, almost 15 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,520 boring information. And if I stood here and read all 16 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:17,920 32 verses of Nehemiah chapter 3 right now, you know, having read 17 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,720 ahead, you would secretly start checking your phone or planning 18 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:26,360 the week or just checking out. Boring, you might be thinking. 19 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,520 And as you're now flicking your eyes through it, what you'll see 20 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:35,760 is a long roll call of names, which many we can't pronounce 21 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,920 properly. The trick with that is to read 22 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:44,120 them fast and confidently. Gates that we've never seen with 23 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,880 our actual eyes as there's these descriptions of Jerusalem being 24 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,320 rebuilt and and the people of Jerusalem doing the seemingly 25 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,440 mundane construction work. Now, for example, we'll see a 26 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,640 liar ship rebuilt the sheep gate. 27 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:03,280 You're going who is a liar ship and what is the sheep gate? 28 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,840 The men of Jericho work next mirror moth repaired another 29 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,320 section, the fish gate will be mentioned, the Jeshana gate and 30 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,160 even the dung gate. Depending on what translation 31 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,120 you've got, it might say refuse gate on and on. 32 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,240 And many commentators in in studying and preparing for this 33 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,040 actually skip chapter 3 altogether. 34 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,240 You know, you'll be reading through the commentary. 35 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,600 OK, chapter 1, great, that's some good information. 36 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,120 Chapter 2, good. And then next minute it's gone 37 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,520 to chapter 4 and you're going hang on, what happened to 38 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,240 chapter 3? And the temptation would have 39 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,880 been for me to also skip over it. 40 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:42,760 But here's what we believe, here's what we know. 41 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,080 And here's what we hold to be true is that God doesn't put any 42 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,480 filler sections in the Bible like, oh, that books kind of 43 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:51,720 looking a little bit short. I just need to add a bit more 44 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,000 information and we believe wholeheartedly and trust 45 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,600 wholeheartedly that that every part of Scripture is inspired is 46 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,040 God breathed by God. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 47 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,440 16 tells us that that all Scripture is profitable and 48 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,160 beneficial. So if the Holy Spirit devoted 49 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,520 time and energy to what seems like an ancient work roster, 50 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,680 then it's it's important for you and I to consider even in 2025. 51 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,920 And this is what we're going to have a look at and, and dig into 52 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:26,400 tonight. And so here's the big idea out 53 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,240 of what is before us tonight in this chapter. 54 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:35,720 God delights to use ordinary people doing ordinary tasks to 55 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,480 accomplish his extraordinary purposes. 56 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:44,040 I'm going to say that again, God delights to use ordinary people 57 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,840 doing ordinary tasks to accomplish his extraordinary 58 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,680 purposes. There's about 38 names mentioned 59 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,880 in this chapter and and these are regular folks. 60 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,080 We'll read of priests, we'll read of merchants, we'll read of 61 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:02,240 perfume makers of, of daughters and dads and of of single Men At 62 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,920 Work hauling stones and, and hanging doors and swinging 63 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,040 hammers and, and getting dirty in the construction, the 64 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,880 rebuilding business of the walls around Jerusalem. 65 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,120 And yet through their everyday faithfulness to this task, God 66 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,720 will rebuild this city. And it'll happen in this 67 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,120 miraculous 452 days that we'll get into. 68 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,960 And God restores the people, the people of Israel to the land of 69 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:29,800 Israel in Jerusalem, the capital city. 70 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,720 And, and God ultimately sets the stage for the coming of Messiah 71 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:36,920 and the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. 72 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,960 You see, if there's no Jerusalem rebuilt, there's no Jerusalem 73 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:43,800 for Jesus to come to. If there's no Jesus to come to a 74 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,720 Jerusalem, then there's no gospel that springs out of Jesus 75 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,200 coming as God in flesh who we've just sung about. 76 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:53,360 So there's so much wrapped up in this passage that we need to dig 77 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,360 into and understand more. And I think why we consider it 78 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,080 boring when we first read it is we don't know the people. 79 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:04,200 It's just a list of nameless, sorry of names, but faces that 80 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:05,560 we can't picture and we don't know. 81 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:07,280 But here's what I want you to imagine. 82 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:11,680 Imagine if your name showed up in the Bible, if you were 83 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,880 reading and, and your name, my name pops up a lot, Israel, by 84 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:17,480 the way, saturated through the Scripture. 85 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,120 But if your name showed up, if there was a chapter, if there 86 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,120 was a passage where, where your name, your, your spouse, your, 87 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:27,760 your family, your kids and and so on were mentioning this in 88 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,760 the Scripture, would that not be your most favourite passage in 89 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,320 the Bible? I mean, you'd have that 90 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:37,000 scripture framed in your home. It'd be on every coffee cup. 91 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,440 You'd make T-shirts out of it. You'd certainly post it on 92 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,400 social media. It's suddenly become your 93 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,160 favourite passage. Well, one day Jesus will open up 94 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,320 a book in eternity that has your name in it. 95 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,480 And if you're serving Him and serving him even in your 96 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:58,760 ordinary life in the Monday to Friday grind in the the Saturday 97 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,160 weekend tasks and chores and the running around and so on. 98 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:05,640 If it's all done for the glory of God, then God is is aware and 99 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,080 he takes notice of it. And God is able to use the 100 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,800 ordinary, the ordinary people and accomplish his 101 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,000 extraordinary. That's what we see in this 102 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,040 passage. And so there's three big truths 103 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,520 that flow out of this chapter that concern our ordinary and 104 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:19,880 the ordinary of the people there. 105 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,400 And we'll see that. Firstly, sacred service, and 106 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:29,320 that is that every job done, every task fulfilled for Jesus 107 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:34,160 is holy. Secondly, unified strength. 108 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:39,200 The diversity is, is God's design for his work that God is 109 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:43,920 able to use each and every one of us in in the the different 110 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,840 sort of idiosyncrasies that we possess and giftings and talents 111 00:06:47,840 --> 00:06:49,640 that we have. And, and we might think it 112 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,560 ordinary and we might think it useless before God, but God is 113 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,680 able to use that. And we'll see in our passage a 114 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,120 very commitment. There was a faithfulness in some 115 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,560 that brought about the blessing of God, but there were others 116 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,360 who who demonstrated a different approach to the work at hand. 117 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:09,000 And we'll learn out of that. So let's let's tackle it as we 118 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:13,160 consider the first sacred service that every job done for 119 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,400 Jesus is holy. And I want us to go back into 120 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,560 verse 18 of chapter 2 where we pick up the story. 121 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,360 Nehemiah has come into Jerusalem. 122 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,920 He's travelled from the capital of of Persia and he's been given 123 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,240 this mission by the king. Now his heart was burdened, for 124 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,520 the city of Jerusalem lay in ruins. 125 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:37,120 And he's been commissioned with the resources now of the king to 126 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,920 go and facilitate this work. He's arrived on the scene and 127 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:41,560 he's spoken to the people gathered there. 128 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:45,240 And in chapter 2, verse 18, is is really the background to what 129 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,440 this chapter is about. Says I told them of the hand of 130 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:52,160 my God, which had been good upon me, and also of the King's words 131 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:56,000 that he had spoken to me. So they said, let us rise up and 132 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,040 build, and then they set their hands to this good work. 133 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,800 And now chapter 3 is the rising up and building and the setting 134 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,760 of their hands to this work in chapter 3, verse one. 135 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,720 Then Elias ship the high priest, rose up with his brethren the 136 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,440 priest and built the sheep gate. They consecrated it and hung its 137 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,000 doors. They built as far as the tower 138 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:21,000 of the 100 and consecrated it then as far as the tower of 139 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,880 Hannanel. Next to Elijah ship, the men of 140 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,600 Jericho built verse 2. Next to them Zakhur the son of 141 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,800 Imri built. Also the sons of Hassanah built 142 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,640 the fish gate. They laid its beams and hung its 143 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,400 doors with its bolts and bars. And next to them, Miramoc the 144 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,039 son of Urijah, the son of Koz made repairs. 145 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,360 Next to them, Meshalam the son of Barakaya the son of 146 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,840 Meshazabel made repairs. Next to them Zadak the son of 147 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,400 Banhar made repairs. Next to them the Takoats made 148 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,720 repairs, but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the 149 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,120 work of their Lord. Moreover, Jehoiada, the son of 150 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,520 Pasia, and Meshalam, the son of Pasadaya, repaired the old gate. 151 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,040 They laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 152 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:08,960 Next to them. Verse 7 Melatiah, the Gibeonite, 153 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,920 Jade and the Moronathite, the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, 154 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,880 repaired the residence of the governor of the region beyond 155 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,280 the river. Next to him, Isaiah, the son of 156 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:21,400 Haraya, one of the Goldsmiths, made repairs. 157 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,480 Also next to him, Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, 158 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,200 and they fortified Jerusalem as far as the broad wall. 159 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,600 Jump ahead verse 10. Next to them Jediah, the son of 160 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,280 Hermaph, made repairs in front of his house. 161 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,200 Next to him, Hatush, the son of Hashmaya, made repairs. 162 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:44,240 Jump ahead to verse 12. And next to him was Shalom, the 163 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:48,880 son of Haloshih, Hello Hesh, leader of half the district of 164 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,520 Jerusalem. He and his daughters made 165 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,280 repairs. Jump ahead to verse 14. 166 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,000 Malkajar, the son of Recap, leader of the district of Beth 167 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:03,480 Hakaram, repaired the Dung Gate, the refuse gate he built. 168 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,640 It hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 169 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:11,200 Move ahead to verse 28. Beyond the horse gate, the 170 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:15,400 priest made repairs each in front of his own house after 171 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:17,400 them. Zadok, the son of Imam made 172 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:19,720 repairs in front of his own house. 173 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,280 After him. Shamaya, the son of Shechiniah, 174 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,680 the keeper of Eastgate, made repairs after him. 175 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:28,920 Verse 30. Hananiah, the son of Shalamaya 176 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,200 and Hanan, the sixth son of Zailev, repaired another section 177 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:35,920 after him. Meshalaam, the son of Berekaya, 178 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,080 made repairs in front of his dwelling. 179 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,480 After him, Melchizedear, one of the Goldsmiths, made repairs as 180 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,240 far as the House of the Nethanim and of the merchants in front of 181 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,000 the MIP CAD gate, and as far as the upper room at the corner and 182 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:54,040 the last verse 32, between the upper room at the corner, as far 183 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:56,520 as the sheep gate, the Goldsmiths and the merchants 184 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,880 made repairs. Wow. 185 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,600 And maybe even reading it and hearing it, your eyes glazed 186 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,400 over. You tuned out and you've gone. 187 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,920 You were right, Israel. I'm having a hard time engaging 188 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:16,320 with this chapter, and so first I want us to notice how ordinary 189 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,520 the work was. They're digging foundations, 190 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:25,520 laying beams, hanging heavy gates, bolting bars. 191 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,040 Imagine construction dust everywhere you ever had a 192 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,960 renovation conducted in your house, been a part of any kind 193 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:37,600 of building work, and you know that the dust fills the nostrils 194 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,760 and as you sweat covers the body and all of that. 195 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:45,240 This is these people right here. Nothing flashy. 196 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:50,600 And yet the trap chapter, it seems as we read it, it records 197 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,360 and treats every hammer swing as sacred. 198 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,240 The names of the people and their contribution, what they 199 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,400 they put their hands and their efforts and their energy to Why? 200 00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:03,640 Because it was done for the glory of God and the protection 201 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:08,720 of his city. The high priest, the liarship 202 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,240 himself starts at the sheep gate. 203 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:14,160 We began in verse one. This is a a religious leader 204 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:18,200 with calloused hands, not afraid to roll up the sleeves and get 205 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,680 in amongst it with the people that he's serving and 206 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:24,200 ministering to. Goldsmiths are mentioned, 207 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,760 perfume makers and merchants seemingly leave their shops to 208 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:34,840 swing picks. Families repair the wall, in 209 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,200 many instances right in front of their own houses. 210 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,880 This is gritty physical labour going on that we're reading. 211 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,880 And let me tell you this, because it's tied to God's 212 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:53,200 purposes, it is worship. It is worship. 213 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,360 Understand it as that. You see, it's not what you do, 214 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:00,920 it's who you're doing it for. I want you to know that the 215 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,040 world needs gospel preachers. Absolutely. 216 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,440 It needs people to unpack and to open up the scriptures and to 217 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,280 declare the truth of that. But you know, the world also 218 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:14,440 needs this spirit filled teachers, spirit filled 219 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:16,040 mechanics. Amen. 220 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:21,120 Pray for more spirit filled mechanics, mums, accountants, 221 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,320 sparkies, brickies who who see the Monday morning as sacred 222 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,600 territory, as heading into the workplace, as as God ordained 223 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,720 opportunity for ministry and service and worship that 224 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,440 glorifies and honours him. And so do you recognise that in 225 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:41,640 your life tonight that as you're thinking ahead to tomorrow and 226 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,160 what it holds, do you recognise it and see it as ordinary? 227 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:49,200 Yes, but as holding the potential for the sacred to to 228 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:51,720 be an act of worship and service unto God. 229 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:57,440 Let me pose a question to you. Do you have mainly extraordinary 230 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:02,080 or ordinary days? Ordinary days, don't we that 231 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,760 seem mundane and social media lies to us. 232 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,680 We look at everybody's kind of orchestrated and curated 233 00:14:08,680 --> 00:14:11,680 pictures and, and we look at that and we go, wow, how 234 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:15,200 wonderful, how extraordinary their lives when, when really 235 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,120 they're bloated and their dog just threw up in the lounge room 236 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,320 and they're hiding that. And we're just seeing this, this 237 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:23,360 glorified image and picture of, of, of that which they want to 238 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,760 present to us as reality. But here in Nehemiah chapter 3, 239 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,480 the ordinary days that we're reading, you know, they actually 240 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,640 lead on to some extraordinary days ahead in chapters that 241 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:39,320 we'll get to, you know, here they're, they're working on 242 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,000 walls. They're, they're digging, 243 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,360 they're lifting, they're cementing and, and they're 244 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,480 soaring and it's all hands on deck and they're sweating and 245 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,160 it's, and it's pretty ordinary work. 246 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,760 But in 52 days it'll be complete. 247 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:58,440 That's a miracle, considering that for 141 years this city has 248 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:03,120 has lied in ruin in the walls. And then later we'll read of 249 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:07,000 some extraordinary happenings of revival breaking out amongst the 250 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:11,440 people of repentance of hearts turning back unto the ways and 251 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:15,040 the things of the Lord and, and it reads like a Pentecost of the 252 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,440 Old Testament. People get right with God, save 253 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:22,680 lives and and new legacies and them desiring to to affect 254 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,600 change that is transformative in their lives to to generations 255 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,320 after them. Some wonderful and amazing and 256 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,160 awesome extraordinary things we'll read ahead of happening, 257 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,520 but they spring out of the ordinary days that we see here 258 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:42,320 in this chapter. The ordinary and the 259 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,880 extraordinary days are all God's work. 260 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,080 God records it in the Bible, here, chapter 3. 261 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,720 God is aware of it in your life too. 262 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:58,800 God is with you in the cubicle returning emails tomorrow. 263 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:03,840 God is with you tomorrow writing school reports. 264 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,840 God is with you working on the bricky side, cleaning the house, 265 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,920 just as he's with you in the miraculous, in the supernatural, 266 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:17,320 in the extraordinary. So go to work this week knowing 267 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,320 God knows and God cares and God is aware. 268 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,000 Often times we can read the Bible and, and it's the 269 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:26,400 extraordinary days that really stand out to us. 270 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,600 I often hear this particularly in reference to the book of 271 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:31,920 Acts. You know, the miracles and the 272 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,920 healings and the supernatural and the extraordinary days that 273 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,400 are recorded there. And people go, why not now? 274 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,000 Why? Why aren't we seeing that happen 275 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,960 before our very eyes? Let me summarise this for you. 276 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:47,960 There are 14 healing miracles in the book of Acts. 12 of the 28 277 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,400 chapters in the book of Acts have a healing miracle. 278 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:55,200 You know, the book of Acts covers a period of 30 years. 279 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:01,360 So sometimes when you flip a page in the book of Acts, you 280 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,079 know, you're actually flipping a decade of time. 281 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,720 And what that means is that even in the times that we see as 282 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,920 extraordinary in, in the 1st century, early church, in the 283 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,160 book of Acts, for every extraordinary day that we read 284 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:20,440 of there's 700 ordinary days where they just faithfully 285 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,680 committed their hand to serving God and honouring him in the 286 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:26,839 workplace, in the marketplace, in the home, wherever it was 287 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:29,520 that God LED them and guided them and directed them to. 288 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,280 And so know this, that in the ordinary and in the 289 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:37,440 extraordinary days, God is in them and God is with you, no 290 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:42,040 matter how ordinary, how mundane or how boring it might seem. 291 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,880 Think about Jesus, you know, for roughly 20 years of his life, 292 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:50,760 the better part of his life, he was what the Greek describes A 293 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:54,480 tecton. It means a a builder, we know it 294 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,360 as as a Carpenter, but it was really where he he would be a 295 00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:02,240 contractor in in working on construction sites for the 296 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:04,880 better part of his life. Jesus measured timber, cut 297 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:10,200 joints, hung doors, worked up a sweat all perfectly in the will 298 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:15,360 of the Father before ever 1 miracle was performed at his 299 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:20,720 hand or at his words whilst on the earth, you know in our 300 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,760 lives. Colossians chapter 3 verse 7 and 301 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:28,600 and verses 23 to 24. I think nail it and whatever you 302 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:34,040 do, whether in Word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord 303 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:37,240 Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 304 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:41,400 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for 305 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:43,920 the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are 306 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:47,280 serving. So this week tomorrow, if you're 307 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,520 back at the desk in the office, if you're on the job site, 308 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:55,040 you're doing the school run, you're at the kitchen sink. 309 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:02,800 Pray Lord, this it's ordinary, there's mundane, there's boring. 310 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,720 This is for you. I worship you, I honour you in 311 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,440 and through it. And your ordinary just became 312 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:14,240 extraordinary. Who who knows God knows what, 313 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,280 what foundation is being laid ahead for extraordinary 314 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:22,720 supernatural workings of God in your life and in this work. 315 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,120 Secondly, you see this unified strength. 316 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:29,680 There's a a diversity at work and the people you, you know, as 317 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:35,120 we read through it, we see a huge variety of people working 318 00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:37,960 shoulder to shoulder together. And there's a phrase that 319 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,000 repeats over and over next to him. 320 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,000 I don't know if you notice that or another one after him. 321 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,840 It actually appears over 20 times in these 32 verses. 322 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:54,560 So as I said, there's, there's 38 names mentioned, not to 323 00:19:54,560 --> 00:20:00,360 mention those implied, but whose names aren't actually recorded 324 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:02,640 for us. There's, there's teams of people 325 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,720 working, there's, there's households of people working, 326 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,880 there's groups of people. So in reality, it's like there's 327 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:14,240 hundreds of people putting their hands together to work to repair 328 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:15,800 the walls of Jerusalem at this time. 329 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:21,160 And this before us is a, a masterpiece of teamwork as a 330 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,720 consequence. And and each name, each person 331 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,320 and each phrase after him and after them. 332 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,920 Alongside them represents different parts of the community 333 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:32,400 of God coming together to contribute to the work that 334 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:35,600 we're reading of. We're told that workers came 335 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,320 from inside of Jerusalem as they were repairing across from their 336 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:43,200 house, the wall and then others coming from surrounding towns. 337 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:47,560 Jericho is mentioned, Tokoa is mentioned, Gibeon, Miss Parr. 338 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,520 These people would have woken in the morning and made the trek on 339 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,360 into Jerusalem to be about the work that they're putting their 340 00:20:54,360 --> 00:20:57,440 hand to. You have priests and rulers, you 341 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,440 have mentioned merchants and and temple servants. 342 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,160 Even single blokes are working. You know that the spirit is 343 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,040 moving when even the single guys get up and start getting 344 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,000 activated to the work. And there's women that are 345 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,640 mentioned. Shalom's daughters in verse 12 346 00:21:13,120 --> 00:21:17,600 indicated entire families labouring side by side, 3 347 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,360 generations no doubt working in some sections. 348 00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:27,040 And what we basically see in this chapter is the Church of 349 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:32,360 today in miniature, the body corporate of the Church of God 350 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:36,440 at work in the world today. A microcosm is represented here 351 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,440 in this chapter. There's young and old working, 352 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:43,640 rich and poor together, educated and uneducated, those with 353 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:46,960 opportunity, those without opportunity, the locals and the 354 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,160 blow insurance all contributing and putting their hand to the 355 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,600 task of rebuilding the city walls. 356 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:59,000 Now Paul the Apostle calls the Church of Jesus Christ today a 357 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,480 body. He uses that analogy of 358 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,080 different members and of different parts of the body, all 359 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,000 contributing to the work in One Corinthians chapter 12. 360 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,800 We stated it when we went through it and for exactly the 361 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,680 same reason that we read of here in Nehemiah chapter 3, and that 362 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:18,160 is that we need each other because we complete one another 363 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:19,600 in the work that God has called us to. 364 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:23,200 We don't compete against one another in the work that God has 365 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,800 called us to. Imagine your body physical, 366 00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:31,120 having 10 legs and one arm. That wouldn't work. 367 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:36,360 No, we have every member, every part facilitating a certain 368 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:38,560 role. And it's that diversity, all 369 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:42,440 needed parts at work together that creates something 370 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:45,240 beautiful. I think this is one of the most 371 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,880 beautiful things about the Church of Jesus Christ, one of 372 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:52,080 the most diverse movements of any sort or kind in the history 373 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,480 of the world. I think and consider today that 374 00:22:55,480 --> 00:23:00,120 there's probably about a billion people who would lay claim to 375 00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:03,960 being followers of Jesus Christ that say they love him and serve 376 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,280 him and have Jesus as God and Saviour. 377 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,800 And, and this church that we know globally and then the 378 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,880 church locally as a representation of that, we have 379 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,160 people who are young and old and rich and poor and black and 380 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,880 white and educated and uneducated and those who have 381 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,120 succeeded and, and those who are struggling and, and everybody's 382 00:23:23,120 --> 00:23:25,480 welcome. And there's a place for all to 383 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:29,880 have meaningful, valuable, purposeful contribution to Jesus 384 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:35,280 Kingdom work, just as here in Nehemiah chapter 3, diversity 385 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:41,600 coming together because all are needed and called to the work of 386 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:43,880 God. And you and I need to know and 387 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,920 to understand this because there, there may be times when 388 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:51,480 you come into this place and you think, well, who am I God? 389 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,840 I see that person serving and I see them being used by God. 390 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:58,720 And I hear of what God is doing, but I'm nothing, I've got 391 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,200 nothing. My life is, is ordinary with a 392 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,640 capital O but Jesus, could you ever use me? 393 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,120 I want to be used by you, Lord God. 394 00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:10,040 And here I am, Lord God, take my life, use it for your purposes. 395 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,320 God will do that. God will honour that desire and 396 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,240 that heart. That's what happens here and I 397 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,800 love that outsiders joined in. Nehemiah didn't say you know 398 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,240 this is Jerusalem's wall. You you don't belong here. 399 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,280 You live outside of the city. Everyone else stay home. 400 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:28,000 You guys from Jericho get out. No, he he welcomes them in and 401 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,000 anyone who is willing to serve for the Lord's purpose. 402 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:36,000 Notice that it seems that the leaders plan while workers 403 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:40,280 executed and Nehemiah no doubt had spent months and we've we've 404 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:44,960 read already in chapter 1 and 2 to put it into modern 405 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:48,680 terminology, he's been out getting permits, he's been 406 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:52,760 raising funds, he's been silencing opposition to the 407 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,320 people and the work. He's been handling the PR 408 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,000 campaign, he's been dealing with the bureaucracy. 409 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:01,960 And sometimes the most important work is is that unseen work of 410 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:06,640 preparation. And so both the planners and the 411 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,520 doers are essential in the work. And sometimes we can look at at 412 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:12,760 people working and go, what are you contributing? 413 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,000 What are you doing around here? But we're not seeing the behind 414 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,240 the scenes effort that God is is using them in. 415 00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:23,240 So feel the warmth of this picture for me, with me for a 416 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,560 moment, a divided world around them. 417 00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:31,640 But in this, the effort, the energy that they're pouring into 418 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:33,240 it. There's this beautiful mosaic of 419 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:37,480 people just as there is in the Church of God, professionals and 420 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,120 labourers, insiders and outsiders, seemingly linking 421 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,800 arms and and and coming together for the common purpose of God's 422 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:50,080 Kingdom. It's it's inspiring I think like 423 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:54,040 a family reunion where everyone contributes and chips in. 424 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:59,840 Imagine the joy these families working alongside each other 425 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,200 felt. Grandparents watching grandkids, 426 00:26:04,120 --> 00:26:10,800 parents side by side, building a legacy and in a culture of 427 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:16,080 isolation back then and and now, this unity is something that 428 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,720 that ties us into that sense of belonging that we have as a part 429 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,000 of the family of God and the Church of Jesus Christ. 430 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,760 And God invites everyone to contribute meaningfully. 431 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,520 But thirdly and lastly, what we see there's a a varied 432 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:31,800 commitment. There was a faithfulness that 433 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:35,520 brings blessing to some, but not everyone responded the same way. 434 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,760 And the and the text is honest about it. 435 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,680 Some in fact refused outright to work. 436 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:49,040 In verse 5 it says that the nobles of Toccoa would not some 437 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:55,600 translations have stoop to serve their Lord literally. 438 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,920 They did not put their necks to the work. 439 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:06,360 They were too proud, too important, too refined to get 440 00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:10,640 their hands dirty. These you could see them as 441 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:16,920 maybe the the wealthy influences of the day, the VIPs, or simply 442 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,480 those that thought this work to be beneath them. 443 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:23,240 You know what? They missed the greatest 444 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,520 blessing of their lives. Yeah. 445 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:29,520 I love how Scripture actually takes notice of this. 446 00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:33,840 It doesn't escape the attention of God. 447 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:37,640 It's actually recorded in the Scripture that that these 448 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:41,520 individuals thought themselves too important to stoop down to 449 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:45,480 the work that everybody else saw of value and, and we're willing 450 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:50,160 to commit to and, and labour and express and sacrifice themselves 451 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,520 towards. But these people, No, that's not 452 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:54,080 for me. I'm not, I'm not having a part 453 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,600 of it. And God the Holy Spirit writes 454 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:03,120 it and records it in verse 5. Yeah, it used to be common in 455 00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:09,920 some churches in in past times to have in the foyer area a 456 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,960 notice board. In some churches, the leadership 457 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:17,480 would place up on that notice board the list of members not 458 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,360 contributing. Can you imagine coming to church 459 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:22,880 and seeing your name at the entrance there on the notice 460 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:27,040 board where you've not paid or not, you know, provided any 461 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:31,040 offering or tithe or you've not contributed to any service? 462 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:39,480 Wow. But Nehemiah chapter 3 has 463 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:41,920 certainly got that for these nobles. 464 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,080 In verse 5, there's a fellow called John Maxwell. 465 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,280 He's a leadership guru. He says there's four kinds of 466 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,280 people. He says there's cop outs, 467 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,920 they're never going to serve. There's holdouts. 468 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,960 They've always got an excuse. He writes of holdouts. 469 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,880 There's dropouts. He labels who start and then 470 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,640 stop. They quit and give up. 471 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:15,720 And then the 4th category he describes are all outs. 472 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:21,400 They go all in. I wonder which you might be, 473 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:26,680 which I might be, because others, as we read here in this 474 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:31,360 passage, went above and beyond. We had those in verse 5 who the 475 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,360 work was beneath them. I'm not going to to dig in and 476 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:39,080 chip in, but in verse 20, Barack, son of Zabai is singled 477 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:42,000 out because he zealously repaired another section. 478 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:45,680 And he's the only person described in this chapter who 479 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:51,480 had this kind of zeal and all out passion to go in where he 480 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:52,560 was. Just like, you know, I've 481 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:54,480 finished mine. But is there something else I 482 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,400 can do? Let me add it. 483 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:00,200 Let me contribute more. You know, in any team, and 484 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,600 you've probably found this in the workplace and in the 485 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,880 ministry and in any time where there's a collective of people 486 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,520 gathering and working together, there are just some people who 487 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:14,040 are more productive than others, have a high capacity. 488 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,120 And, you know, they show up early and stay late and they 489 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,720 just get more done. And you know what Nehemiah does, 490 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:22,920 he honours that in this chapter. I see this guy. 491 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:24,720 I'm going to put him in the Bible. 492 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:28,280 And it's not to dishonour the people that did a good job, 493 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,640 because that's what all of the others were doing and they were 494 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:32,600 faithful to the task that which they did. 495 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,040 But it was also to honour the people who did an exceedingly 496 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:39,720 great job and mention that and identify that. 497 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,000 And then there's others as we read through the work that 498 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,560 tackled the glamorous gates, we read of those. 499 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,120 But you know, some jobs are less desirable. 500 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,320 As you're reading the city of these different gates and the 501 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,400 different people repairing and reattaching, I'd submit that 502 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,320 there's probably 1 gate that would have been the least 503 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:04,080 desirable, The dung gate, the refuse gate, because it was 504 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:09,040 literally that the city dump. Imagine the smells emanating 505 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:12,480 from that. And you know, with our Fogo bins 506 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:15,640 right now, it going every two weeks, I think we're starting to 507 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,800 get a, a sense of that smell here in the Council of 508 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:24,320 Rockingham. So there are certain jobs that 509 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:29,480 are less desirable, right? You know, things in the ordinary 510 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:32,160 that you and I that we don't want to do, but we kind of have 511 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,520 to do it. Somebody had to rebuild the 512 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,400 refuse gate, the Dung Gate, didn't they? 513 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:41,320 You know, of all of the gates. Imagine if everything was built 514 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:47,200 and then the last gate is like, who wants the Dung Gate and 515 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,920 somebody has to do it, you know, cricket, silence and then 516 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:53,760 eventually someone puts their hand up. 517 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:58,680 I'll do it, I'll take care of this work. 518 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:06,520 Verse 14, you know, likewise in the church, in ministry, in 519 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:08,480 serving God and in serving others. 520 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,360 There's those certain tasks, there's those certain things 521 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,520 that we don't necessarily want to do because they're not 522 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:18,640 glamorous. They don't, you know, get the 523 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,320 accolades and the applause and the notice and the attention. 524 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:28,600 They're the, the Dung Gate jobs. Maybe it's serving in creation. 525 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,360 There's a few literal nappies that might need changing. 526 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,400 Maybe in the, the rebuild of the church, we could relabel the the 527 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,640 creche, the Dung Gate, or at least the door into it. 528 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,000 But someone still has to do it, right? 529 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,920 And they did it. You know what? 530 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:53,160 God records it. God takes notice of it. 531 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:58,280 It's in the Bible we read of it. So here's the the comfort and 532 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:02,760 the challenge in all of this. God doesn't demand that 533 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,720 everybody do the same amount or the same thing. 534 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:13,600 He looks for faithfulness with what He's given us, but you know 535 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:18,000 what he has given us to do and what He has called us to put our 536 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,240 hand to and to be faithful in serving. 537 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,840 What Nehemiah chapter 3 indicates to us is that God 538 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:30,240 takes notice of. He records the zealous here in 539 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,600 chapter 3. He records the steady those who 540 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:37,560 are faithful. He records the quiet ones who 541 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:41,680 just showed up and and did it and and day after day for those 542 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,360 52 days just just worked and put their effort and their energy 543 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:47,760 in. And he records the indifferent, 544 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:53,960 the too important, the blase. Oh, that's, that's for somebody 545 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,120 else to take care of. And, and I'll say this, I think 546 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:01,400 that the attitudes that we see in this chapter of how all of 547 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:05,800 the different people worked, that all of this starts in the 548 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:10,320 home and many in this work here and there's these phrases that 549 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:14,960 we see repeated, actually started their work repairing the 550 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:20,480 wall opposite their house. That's profound to me because I, 551 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,800 I believe and I know it to be true, that a serving family of 552 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:29,159 God is a special family. In Nehemiah chapter 3, there's a 553 00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:34,239 lot of times where it says this, that this family served here and 554 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:39,840 that family served there. Now here in Australia, serving 555 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,159 others isn't the greatest value that we instil in our children, 556 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:47,719 that growing up we, we don't necessarily instruct them as, as 557 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:50,159 that's the most important thing. That's a, that's a wonderful, 558 00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:52,239 valuable thing. You know, we tend to think of, 559 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,199 oh, if I can just get my, my son or my daughter a good coach, or 560 00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:58,240 if I could just get them a, a good teacher or a good youth 561 00:34:58,240 --> 00:35:00,600 pastor. If I can get the right people to 562 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:03,480 serve my kid, then then they'll be like Jesus. 563 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:06,760 No, they won't. Why? 564 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:10,440 Because Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. 565 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:15,640 You can't be like Jesus by being served. 566 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:17,600 You can only be like Jesus by serving. 567 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,640 And so ultimately, if you want your marriage to get stronger, 568 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:26,040 serve Jesus together. If you want your family to go 569 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:30,360 deeper, serve Jesus together. The family that serves together 570 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:33,520 sticks together. That's the way it works here in 571 00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:37,360 Nehemiah chapter 3, we see families working together. 572 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,800 You know, that is one of my absolute favourite things about 573 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:43,200 the church here at Calvary Chapel, Secret Harbour, is that 574 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:47,200 we get to see families working and serving the Lord together. 575 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:50,920 You know, there's some here in our fellowship where it's 3 576 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:55,000 generations all serving the Lord together, you know, whether it 577 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,760 be in the kids ministry or in ushering or in worship or 578 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:02,000 whatever the case might be. And you know, that's in fact how 579 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:06,280 this church started was as a work project from the family, 580 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,200 You know, no sound system, no building, no this or that. 581 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,320 All of the things that normally go into this is how you, you 582 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:15,880 start and plan a church. But from the very beginning, a 583 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:18,520 Bible study and a family serving God together. 584 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:21,360 And out of that God blessed and moved. 585 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,600 And I'll tell you, one of the greatest gifts that's ever been 586 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,600 given is families serving God together. 587 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:30,720 Don't ever deny that. Don't ever diminish that. 588 00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:34,080 Don't ever belittle that, don't ever begrudge that, pursue that. 589 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,800 You know, it blesses my heart to see when families understand 590 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,960 this and know this because it blesses God's heart. 591 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:46,480 He records it here in chapter 3. And I think that the most 592 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:51,160 strategic mission field for many of us is the people who share 593 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:57,640 our address to work on instilling that that precious 594 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:00,080 value of serving the Lord as a family together. 595 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:04,160 So Church Nehemiah chapter 3 is not boring. 596 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:08,120 It's a wonderful, amazing chapter. 597 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:11,880 It's a reminder from our heavenly Father who sees every 598 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,160 ordinary Monday, every ordinary Tuesday, every ordinary 599 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:18,720 Wednesday, every unnoticed act of service, every load of 600 00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:21,760 laundry done for his glory and says, I saw that. 601 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:24,920 I love that I'm going to use that. 602 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:30,760 It's a testament that God again uses ordinary people in ordinary 603 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:33,600 tasks to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. 604 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:40,720 We've seen sacred service, making every job holy if Jesus 605 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:44,520 is being served in it, of the importance of unified strength, 606 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:47,920 of the diversity of of all hands on deck, of everybody 607 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:52,200 recognising and tributing their work, and of a very commitment, 608 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,440 yes, but that it yields blessings. 609 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:59,040 But I want us to zoom out because this points to Jesus, 610 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:02,600 the ultimate builder. Again, He worked faithfully in 611 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:05,280 obscurity. He served unto death. 612 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:09,160 And now the Bible tells us in John 14 this, that he actually 613 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:14,800 prepares a place for us. Jesus said in John 14, I go and 614 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,320 I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, you may be 615 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:23,160 also. And what the Scripture tells us 616 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:27,440 all the way through is that Jesus, he worked for us, that he 617 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:31,720 works in US. And now Jesus chooses to work 618 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:39,240 through us for whatever reason. We are his hands and his feet to 619 00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:44,320 accomplish and affect his work in the world today and so see 620 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,680 the ordinary as the possible means through which God's 621 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:51,320 extraordinary purposes can be accomplished. 622 00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:56,160 Now here's a wonderful thing. Philippians chapter 4 verse 3 623 00:38:56,160 --> 00:39:01,720 speaks of Paul writing of fellow workers and he says this whose 624 00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:06,840 names are in the book of life. It's like a heavenly Nehemiah 625 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:12,200 chapter 3 up there in God's throne room listing of faithful 626 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:16,480 acts conducted in the service of the Lord and the Book of 627 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:19,840 Revelation echoes this Revelation 20 verse 12 and 21 628 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:23,880 verse 27 Speaking of books being opened and of the promise of 629 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:28,520 rewards, not for salvation that's by grace, but for service 630 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:33,560 of the work done. So you and I, at some point in 631 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:38,560 time in, in the not too distant future, what we read of in the 632 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:42,200 Scripture, we'll have these books opened and we will see our 633 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:51,600 names recorded, our spouse, our children, our grandchildren, of 634 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:55,440 the group of people that we, we, we work and serve alongside our 635 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:58,480 church family. All because we took the ordinary 636 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:02,240 life and the day to day grind and we placed it in the hands of 637 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:06,880 an extraordinary guy. We trusted him with the results 638 00:40:07,720 --> 00:40:09,360 and the usage of that for his glory. 639 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:12,720 So tomorrow, I don't know what you've got ahead of you. 640 00:40:12,720 --> 00:40:15,320 I don't know what lies ahead of this week. 641 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:18,920 And you might be all day just going, oh, Monday. 642 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:25,600 Go into ordinary week with this knowledge now out of Nehemiah 643 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:32,400 chapter 3, that God sees that God cares and that God records, 644 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:36,960 writes it down. And so serve him wholeheartedly 645 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:43,160 with your head in understanding, your heart inspired, and your 646 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:50,360 hands active, because who knows, your wall section might spark a 647 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:54,520 revival of God in some powerful, miraculous, extraordinary way. 648 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:59,080 That's God's to do his work in and through, if you'll just 649 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:02,000 trust him in that to work through you. 650 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:06,040 Let's pray. God, I thank you for this 651 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:10,720 passage, this chapter tonight and something that upon first 652 00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:15,120 read may before us seems like something to skip over. 653 00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:20,520 But Lord, every word of yours as valuable, as beneficial to us. 654 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:24,680 And I pray that we've understood that that we've realised that 655 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:28,320 out of this passage tonight as we've read of people who just 656 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:34,720 ordinary contributed and work day in day out, faithful to that 657 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:38,040 task before them of repairing and mending walls. 658 00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:42,960 But of a great city, the city of Jerusalem, a city that was to be 659 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:46,640 a beacon and a light for you of life lived for your purposes and 660 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,720 honouring you and be a a point of attraction for the worship of 661 00:41:49,720 --> 00:41:51,760 God. And ultimately the place where 662 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:57,480 Jesus Messiah would come and live and teach and display your 663 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:02,400 heart and to communicate your truth and and die for our sins. 664 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:06,360 Rise again three days later and the the place, the city where 665 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:10,600 Jesus you will return and you will rule and reign and, and God 666 00:42:10,720 --> 00:42:13,280 you will accomplish the extraordinary in and through 667 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:16,720 what these ordinary folk did in the ordinary work before them. 668 00:42:18,240 --> 00:42:23,840 And God, who knows what you have in store for our lives, we just 669 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:28,800 faithfully commit to serving and honouring you in what may seem 670 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:34,160 boring, mundane, ordinary, to trust you with the results of 671 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:37,240 our labour. So may we serve you, may we 672 00:42:37,240 --> 00:42:40,960 bless you, may we bless others, This we pray in Jesus name, 673 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:42,200 Amen.