1 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,360 As we've been studying through the book of Nehemiah, what we're 2 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:15,080 we're learning is that there is a mighty difference between 3 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,560 being emotionally stirred towards something and actually 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,160 changing. You know, there's often a token 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,360 thing that people will say things with their mouth and with 6 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,000 their lips, but it's not until that their lives back that up 7 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,280 and, and actions follow from that, that speak do we start to 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,080 see and sense there's transformation taking place. 9 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:37,760 You can be moved by a powerful sermon. 10 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,640 You can come away from hearing that and go, wow, my, my 11 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,120 heartstrings were tugged and my mind was engaged. 12 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:51,560 But unless there's an active desire to obey and to live that 13 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,880 out, to be deeply convicted by that Scripture and, you know, 14 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,480 weep with repentance, unless that turns into some kind of a 15 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,480 concrete commitment, then there's no real change in the 16 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:08,560 long run. That's exactly where we meet our 17 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,760 characters, the people of Israel in Nehemiah chapter 10, after 18 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:15,920 the walls have been rebuilt in record time. 19 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:21,160 You remember that's taken some 52 days when Nehemiah encouraged 20 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,680 everybody to put their hand to, to labour, that the walls have 21 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,280 gone up to surround and protect the people of Jerusalem 22 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,000 physically. There's now a spiritual 23 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,320 awakening that's taking place in chapter 8. 24 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:39,080 The word of God, it seems, was rediscovered for them and they 25 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,240 read and they read and they read and it was explained clearly to 26 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,040 them as it was taught, and they understood the meaning. 27 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,360 And then they realised as a consequence of that, of how far 28 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,720 away from God's commands they had drifted as these people. 29 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,320 So they started to observe some festivals and feasts that they 30 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:59,040 should have been observing in this month. 31 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,680 And, and God is doing a work in the midst of the people. 32 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,200 And there's been both sorrow and joy out of that. 33 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:09,440 Chapter 9 Last week we saw that they confessed sin, and 34 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:14,000 generational sin at that, going all the way back in times past 35 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,560 into their ancestors, and how as a people they had turned away 36 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,760 from God unto idols again and again and again. 37 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,960 And yet they're astounded by God's faithfulness in and 38 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,120 through it. They carried that all the way 39 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,840 through from the creation story into Exodus. 40 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,080 And probably as they're reading through the Pentateuch, the 41 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,840 first five books of the Bible, and, and then on into other 42 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,480 parts of, of God's Word, that they're starting to see the 43 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,960 history of the people of Israel through the judges and through 44 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:43,200 the kings of, of this cycle of turning to God and then away 45 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,760 from God and, and God bringing them back and him always being 46 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,840 faithful to his covenant. And now in chapter 10, they take 47 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,200 this decisive step that we'll read and they put their 48 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,000 repentance into writing. And verse 38 of Chapter 9 49 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:02,240 describes it as a binding agreement, a sure covenant that 50 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,240 has been there before them. And they seal it. 51 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:06,880 They mark it, they stamp it, they sign it. 52 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:11,720 And there's 84 names that are mentioned for us in Nehemiah 53 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,520 chapter 10 that are recorded from Nehemiah the governor, down 54 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,080 to the heads of the families and to anybody who could understand 55 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:20,760 what they were doing in that moment. 56 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:22,920 I'll sign it. This is this is me. 57 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:25,000 I'm in agreement with this covenant. 58 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,120 And this didn't end in just emotional impulse. 59 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,160 Yeah, this will be a wonderful thing to do. 60 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,400 But it was a deliberate and costly consecration taking place 61 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:36,680 here that we're about to read off. 62 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,200 You see, what's happening is they're being changed again as 63 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,920 God's people. And the main idea out of 64 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,920 Nehemiah chapter 10 for us tonight, and if you're taking 65 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,440 notes, it'll be up on the screen, is that when God and his 66 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,560 word grips our heart, it produces a covenant commitment 67 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,200 that should reshape everyday life. 68 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,240 And so true revival, we've been learning is not just about 69 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,840 tears, It's not just about emotions, but it is structural, 70 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,600 it's practical. And, and often times we'll see 71 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,880 some painful obedience that comes through that touches every 72 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:18,600 sphere of life, family time, all of our priorities, certainly our 73 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,680 resources, and it covers every aspect of our life and living. 74 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:29,720 I think in our day, people feel this void of of what's called 75 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,120 covenant commitment. We'll see this term come up 76 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,720 again and I hope to explain it throughout the course of the 77 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,880 chapter. Covenant or vows. 78 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:39,840 And we make vows in our day and age. 79 00:04:39,840 --> 00:04:43,240 Certainly the marriage ceremony comes to mind, and we'll see how 80 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,440 it fits so aptly with this passage. 81 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:50,480 But Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame once claimed that Facebook 82 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,480 could fill the gap left by, and he said, declining churches and 83 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:59,160 community groups in society. So he claimed that using AI and 84 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:03,280 algorithms that they could suggest meaningful communities 85 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:06,480 for people to be a part of and help billions of people join 86 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,000 them. But you and I know that social 87 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:14,000 media only offers this disembodied individualistic 88 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,120 connection to said groups, right? 89 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,680 It's always on your terms with easy outs. 90 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,520 You can unfriend people, unfollow people, and if you're a 91 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,800 bit afraid to do that, you can just mute them. 92 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:32,640 But it cannot replace face to face, covenant bound life. 93 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,440 And that is what we're reading of here in Nehemiah. 94 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,680 And that is what we experience as a part of the body of 95 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,200 believers that is the Church of Jesus Christ. 96 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:46,280 Nehemiah 10 shows us the real thing that a covenant 97 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:51,000 relationship is about a binding relationship with God and one 98 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,280 another that makes us family. So that's what sits underneath 99 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:57,280 this. And as I said, I hope to explain 100 00:05:57,280 --> 00:05:59,000 this a little further as we go along. 101 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:03,280 Tonight, we'll go through three kind of key phases in chapter 102 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:05,080 10. Number one, we see that there's 103 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:10,480 a resolved submission to God's word #2A renewed separation in 104 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,680 daily living. And thirdly, A reordered 105 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,320 stewardship of their life and resources. 106 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,000 So let's move through the text carefully. 107 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:23,560 Let it challenge our minds, let it stir within us our affections 108 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,560 and ultimately call us to action. 109 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,200 Go back with me into Chapter 9, into verse 38. 110 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,520 Let's read. And it says I'm reading again 111 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:38,640 the new King James Version. And because of all this, we make 112 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:44,960 a sure covenant, a binding agreement, and write it. 113 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,800 Our leaders, our Levites and our priests seal it. 114 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,000 So before we move on, let's let's see who it is that signs 115 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,720 on the dotted line, so to speak, puts their name to this 116 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,400 contract. Now verse 1, chapter 10, those 117 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,280 who placed their seal on the document were Nehemiah the 118 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:09,920 governor, the son of Hakalaya and Zedekiah. 119 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,440 Verse 2, this list of names, Soraya, Azariah, Jeremiah, and 120 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:19,400 on through verse one are the civil leaders, Nehemiah, he's 121 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,520 the governor. He's the one that this book is 122 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,160 named after. And he's, yes, politically in 123 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,760 charge, but he's taking care of all of the civil aspects. 124 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:30,520 But it's flowing on into the religious, spiritual sphere of 125 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,240 life and living for them there. And it was followed in verses 2 126 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,080 to 8 by the listing of the names there of the priesthood. 127 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,560 Interestingly, Ezra we've read of him having been the scribe 128 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:47,360 who was part of the the priestly lineage that was reading out the 129 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,600 scriptures. And his name would be included 130 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:54,040 in his family line, which is the first name mentioned in verse 2. 131 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:58,360 Soraya, that was his family line, kind of like his surname, 132 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,200 if you would like to see it as that. 133 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,480 And then in verses 9 through to 13 are the Levites of the tribe 134 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:08,600 of Levi, who were all part of the responsibility of 135 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,000 encouraging the people to worship God and adhering to His 136 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,000 commands and structures. And then the heads of the 137 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,520 families as you cast your eyes over it from verse 14 to 27, I 138 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,160 mentioned that. Are the names there that we read 139 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,320 off. And then move ahead now to verse 140 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,080 28. It says now the rest of the 141 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,640 people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the 142 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:36,840 singers, the nethanim, they were the temple servants and all 143 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,159 those who had separated themselves from the peoples of 144 00:08:40,159 --> 00:08:45,120 the lands to what? To the law of God, their wives, 145 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,560 their sons and their daughters. And I've underlined this, 146 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:53,960 everyone who had knowledge and understanding, basically, if you 147 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,280 understood at this time what was going on, all that had happened 148 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,960 in the past weeks and you had intelligence in mind and, and 149 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,760 understood what was taking place and you could sign and make your 150 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:10,760 mark, then you were involved in this commitment to this covenant 151 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,080 agreement that they made. Again, the leaders going first, 152 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,320 setting the tone, being the example. 153 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:18,640 This is what we're going to do as a people, as followers of 154 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,360 God. And then everyone joins in this 155 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,920 collective collaboration of commitment and a desire to 156 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,760 follow the Lord, a submission to God's Word. 157 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,920 Ultimately, the repeated we throughout the chapter 158 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,080 underscores what we're seeing in this unified, unified 159 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,680 responsibility. In other words, what they were 160 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:39,280 saying to one another as witnesses. 161 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,880 By putting my name to this, you'll hold me accountable. 162 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:48,280 I'll hold you accountable. You are a witness to my 163 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,880 commitment to these promises that we'll read off here. 164 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,960 And it was public. It was before all, and there was 165 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,840 this obligation one to another that now you're witnesses to our 166 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:02,360 commitment to these holy lives of service, separation under 167 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:06,880 God. So this vow in verse 29, it 168 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:08,880 captures the heart of what is going on. 169 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:13,160 It says these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and 170 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,920 entered into a curse and an oath to what? 171 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:21,520 Walk in God's law, which was given by Moses, the servant of 172 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:27,160 God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our 173 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:31,080 Lord and his ordinances and his statutes. 174 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,520 There is again a resolved submission to God's word. 175 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,480 That's what we've just read in verse 29 and they invoke a, a 176 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:44,440 curse on themselves that if they fail, and it kind of echoes what 177 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,840 we read of in, in the book of Numbers in chapter 30, verse 2. 178 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:52,640 And, and what Ecclesiastes 5 verse 4 tells us that when we 179 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,880 make a vow to God, it's serious business. 180 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,120 It's not something flippant, not something to take lightly. 181 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,120 It's not just like a, you know, a promise that you make 182 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:04,080 tokenists. Yeah, I'll, I'll be at the footy 183 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,360 game or whatever. No, this is serious now that 184 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:12,200 they're committing to and it's not about legalism or a desire 185 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,680 to return to earning God's favour. 186 00:11:14,680 --> 00:11:16,520 That's not what's underneath this. 187 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:21,120 I think we can say that because Chapter 9 has already released 188 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:26,920 God's mercy in a way where most likely they had celebrated the 189 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:31,240 festival of the Day of Atonement, where where sin had 190 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,320 been dealt with and taken care of. 191 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:39,040 And so this covenant now is one of grateful obedience that stems 192 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:43,000 out of God's grace and forgiveness 1st that comes upon 193 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,600 them so that now they're going, we cannot help but obey God's 194 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,440 commands and what he has shown us in his word. 195 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,520 And it says that they commit to all the commandments. 196 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,200 There's no selective obedience. They haven't written in the 197 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,760 contract. Well, we'll agree to this 198 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:04,200 commandment God, but we're not doing that bit out of, you know, 199 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:09,960 Leviticus chapter 20, Numbers, you know, 11/12/13. 200 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,640 We're OK with that. But you can scrap out Numbers 201 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,080 15. We're not going to do that. 202 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,600 No, they hadn't placed themselves over God's Word as 203 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,280 authority, but they submitted themselves under the authority 204 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,800 of God's Word. I think sometimes we can do that 205 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,920 now day and age when it comes to God's Word, we have some 206 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:32,360 selective obedience going on. We, we trim out the 207 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:36,040 uncomfortable parts as we might say it, and we, we pick out what 208 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:41,080 suits us and sometimes we sit over it rather than sitting 209 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,800 under it in submission. We need to be people who are 210 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,680 submitted to God's Word and what he has revealed in the Scripture 211 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:53,520 and not just admiring it, but surrendering to it. 212 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,840 And that's where revival always begins, by the way, lives that 213 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,440 are surrendered to God's Word and the authority of it. 214 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:06,160 Now, sometimes we can read a passage like this and we can be 215 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,880 looking at, you know, well, that's Old Testament and, and 216 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,960 covenants and vows and things that they did back then. 217 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,040 But are we bound to them today is the question, you know, as 218 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,880 New Testament believers. And sometimes people think that, 219 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,240 well, you know, I, I'm under the new covenant and there's a, a 220 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,680 New Testament, a new agreement. And what about that that we're a 221 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:26,520 part of. So let me try and explain a 222 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,480 covenant a little bit here and understand it as more than just 223 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:36,680 a promise, but see it as a binding relationship, a binding 224 00:13:36,680 --> 00:13:42,680 commitment based on vows that make people now as close as 225 00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:45,760 family. It's a good way to understand it 226 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,080 and think of marriage in that sense. 227 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,320 Vows are spoken and in the Christian marriage ceremony, 228 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,120 it's that threefold chord of of God. 229 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,680 And some have described the marriage commitment and the 230 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:01,680 ceremony attached to that as being seen as as like a triangle 231 00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:04,720 with God at the top and the husband and the wife at the 232 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:07,760 bottom. The interesting thing about that 233 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,560 and understanding that binding connection one to another and 234 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,760 and on to God is that the closer that both get to God, what 235 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:19,360 happens automatically is the closer both get to each other. 236 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,160 There's that important connection there because what 237 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,680 happens in the marriage relationship is this two people 238 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:31,600 of totally different DNA who aren't family, who aren't 239 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,520 connected, who are separate. And now in that covenant 240 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:38,320 relationship of marriage and the vows said one to another become 241 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:43,160 what a new family bound together and share that. 242 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,600 And this is what's wrapped up in this whole covenant here. 243 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:50,920 And so vows spoken in a marriage relationship are spoken not just 244 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:55,520 about current present love, but they are promises of future 245 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:00,760 faithfulness and commitment, one to another, of God joining and 246 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,760 holding us together with those vows, and then of the people 247 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,120 gathered being witnesses to that. 248 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,600 That's why when vows are said in marriage, they're not whispered 249 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,280 to each other. They're not just written and 250 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:16,480 passed as notes 1 to another, but they're audibly spoken out 251 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,920 loud so that anybody in the congregation can go and say 252 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:24,200 10-15 years later, hey, I was there at your wedding as a 253 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,720 witness to you saying those vows. 254 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,640 What's changed? It's a, it's a testimony, It's a 255 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,640 public declaration of the binding relationship that is 256 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,080 taking place in that covenant agreement. 257 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:42,680 And so we likewise in our faith today, we have similar and very 258 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:46,320 important public declarations that are like these, these 259 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:54,240 covenants, sort of vow, ceremony, baptism is 1 Communion 260 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:58,880 is another. These public markers of what is 261 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:03,280 taking place of declarations of obedience under God. 262 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:08,360 Not to be legalistic about them and not to be binding ourselves 263 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,960 in an oppressive sense about them, but as shows of a desire 264 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:16,760 of serious surrender under God, as indicators of this, that we 265 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:23,160 are now the family of God. So the covenant and the vows 266 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,800 going on here are significant displays of a binding 267 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,000 relationship that is based on submission and surrender to 268 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:33,120 God's word. And So what might this look like 269 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,720 practically for you and I tonight? 270 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:38,320 So we just consider those verses. 271 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,200 It might be that God in his Word, and maybe as we've been 272 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,200 going through the book of Nehemiah, that God's Word has 273 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:51,600 been convicting you about a habit or about a relationship or 274 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:56,640 a priority, and you've been a bit similar to Saul this 275 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:01,000 morning, being prodded by God through His Word. 276 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,800 Tonight is the night to surrender and to submit. 277 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:09,400 Don't delay. Make a commitment. 278 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:16,319 God I I vow to follow and start small if needed, be it daily 279 00:17:16,319 --> 00:17:20,240 time in the Scripture and see it not as a duty but as a delight. 280 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,560 Oh God, you have done so much for me and I see it in Your Word 281 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,880 and I experience in my life and I cannot help but respond in 282 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:32,480 committing to you in this way. For them, they were submitted to 283 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,960 God's Word as authoritative and they had a resolved submission 284 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:40,560 to it and it flowed on. In verses 30 to 31, we see that 285 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,520 there's a separation that takes place because God's Word has 286 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,400 been revealing some things to them, but now they go, well, we 287 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:50,000 need to put in place some changes in our lives because of 288 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,160 what God's Word says. So there's a renewed separation 289 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,720 and it flows onto their daily living, targeted promises that 290 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,880 we'll see in a minute. Read out addressing where Israel 291 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,960 as a people had repeatedly fallen over their history as 292 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,360 followers of God and these reforms show us that a head 293 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:12,600 knowledge of Scripture is now moving down into heart level 294 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,680 change and then hands on obedience. 295 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,320 And the first promise we see is in verse 30. 296 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:22,720 It's a faithfulness in marriage. We would and here's one of the 297 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,400 things that they agree in this contract, in this binding 298 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,520 agreement. We would not give our daughters 299 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:32,800 as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters 300 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:35,920 for our sons. I want you to understand that 301 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,920 this isn't racism here, this declaration. 302 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,800 It's not about ethnicity either. As we read through the 303 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:48,000 scriptures, we see the likes of Moses who had married Akushite, 304 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,680 an Ethiopian. Rahab and and Ruth were Moabites 305 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,040 who had been allowed and brought in to the people of Israel and 306 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:59,160 were welcomed. What the concern is as you read 307 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,480 through the scriptures is a spiritual level. 308 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,880 See the marriage relationship as I described it. 309 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:08,000 This binding together of of two separate individuals now 310 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,920 becoming one family had a whole lot to do with shared worship 311 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:16,920 and gods. And so it went into the the 312 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:21,960 realm of worship and history would prove the danger of this. 313 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,840 As we read through what the Old Testament describes, I think of 314 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:28,280 the likes of Solomon and his foreign wives who it says that 315 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:32,840 led him astray as he began to worship these false gods and 316 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:38,080 idols before God Almighty. And we see Ahab's marriage as an 317 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,960 example to Jezebel, as an example of how it turned a whole 318 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,440 nation of Israel at the time towards worship of Baal. 319 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,240 Then later, interestingly, in Nehemiah 13, the last chapter of 320 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:54,640 this book, Nehemiah comes back and there's an entire group that 321 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,760 have married foreign women and their children have lost the 322 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,680 Hebrew language and cannot even read the Scriptures. 323 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,160 So the principle that they adhere to is one that we covered 324 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,520 to great lengths when we studied through the book of Second 325 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:10,400 Corinthians. You remember that the 326 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:14,200 application there in chapter 6 verse 14 where it says do not be 327 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:18,360 unequally yoked. With unbelievers and we looked 328 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:20,880 at that and you can go back to that study of what that means 329 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,400 and looks like for Christian singles and and dating and 330 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,440 looking for prospective, you know, husband and wife and how 331 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,600 the significance isn't just about being compatible. 332 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,560 And you know, I, I, I like her and him for for their looks or 333 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:39,160 for their personality or for their job or for their potential 334 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,880 and so on. But it is about the spiritual, 335 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:44,640 that shared spiritual trajectory. 336 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:47,880 We considered what the Bible said on that. 337 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:49,640 I just wanted to remind you of that. 338 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,840 And we also looked at what that means for those who are already 339 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,840 married to unbelievers. Now, first Peter chapter 3 tells 340 00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:00,280 that you're to be a witness in that marriage relationship and 341 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,240 allow God to do the work on the unsafe partner. 342 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:08,160 But the goal for all of that in US and for them is what God's 343 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,080 heart is, and that is that He desires our closest 344 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:15,880 relationships on Him. That's what sits beneath this 345 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,640 first promise of theirs, faithfulness in marriage. 346 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:21,960 The second promise honouring God with time. 347 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:27,520 In the first part of verse 31, if the peoples of the land, it 348 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:32,040 says wrought wares, they're selling anything that they've 349 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:36,320 made or that they've grown and they do so on the Sabbath day, 350 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:42,440 which is their Saturday, then it says we would not buy it from 351 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,480 them on the Sabbath. Remember that the Sabbath was to 352 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,440 be a holy day. It was the 7th day of of the 353 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,160 week, and it was the day when God rested from creation. 354 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:54,640 And it was marked in the, the calendar of the Jewish structure 355 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,560 in the week as a day of rest and a day of observance and worship 356 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:03,800 of God hardwired into the structure of how that they were 357 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,560 to function. And so for them to say that no 358 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,520 matter the merchants that come on the day, no matter the wares 359 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,160 that they're selling, no matter how good it looks or how much we 360 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,920 need it, we will not buy on the Sabbath. 361 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,400 It will be a wholly separated day as unto the Lord. 362 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,640 It was to be a day of worship, a day of rest. 363 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:27,360 It was to be a witness to surrounding nations that on this 364 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:30,240 day, no, we, we are honouring God. 365 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,000 And it was a declaration of obedience and surrender and 366 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,120 submission to him. Would this decision cost them 367 00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:38,200 financially? Absolutely. 368 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,840 Would it require trust that God would take care of them if they 369 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,680 didn't work on that day, if they didn't take, you know, care of 370 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,720 the the normal, ordinary needs of every other day on that 371 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:51,160 seventh? Yes, it would. 372 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:56,000 But they, you see, were willing to lose profit, maybe even to 373 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,120 preserve the priority of worship and focus on God. 374 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:02,240 Now, today we gather on a Sunday. 375 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,880 We don't gather on the Saturday and we're not bound to the 376 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,480 Mosaic Sabbath as is written here in the rules that we see in 377 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,360 the Old Testament. For Christ is our rest. 378 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,840 Mark chapter 2, verse 27. You can go to Galatians chapter 379 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,800 4, verse 10. Even Paul speaks of this in in 380 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:25,200 Romans 14. But the principle endures today. 381 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:30,960 And what is the principle? All our time belongs to God. 382 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:36,920 Every day is a holy day. All days are Sabbaths devoted 383 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:41,520 unto him. And so all of our, our, our 384 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,640 week. And if every week is structured, 385 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:48,000 then without worship, we are saying something about our 386 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,920 ultimate allegiance. You know, in our 24/7 world, 387 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,160 this could mean like tonight, what we're doing, making the 388 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,640 Lord's Day special. I will come and I'll worship and 389 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,240 I'll, and I'll sit and I'll open God's word and I'll make it a 390 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:06,480 priority to be in, in the House of God with the people of God 391 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,240 and, and honour him with, with my worship in song and honour 392 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:14,280 him in, in my worship of giving with my tithes and offerings 393 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:17,320 and, and honour him in, in being a part of the body. 394 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,080 And, and during the day, You know, I'm, I'm going to skip my 395 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,360 work emails. That can wait till Monday. 396 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:25,120 I'll take a rest and a break from that. 397 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,600 I'll, I'll rest physically, you know, the lawns looking like it 398 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,680 needs a mow, but that can, that can happen Monday after work. 399 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:36,880 No worries about that and you know, maybe this day I'll serve 400 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,200 others and make that a priority to really just make this a day 401 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:46,120 that is particularly set aside to honour the Lord in Jesus said 402 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:49,600 this, that the Sabbath was made for men and not man for the 403 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:52,120 Sabbath. And so I see the Sabbath as as 404 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:55,400 like the woodsman who sharpened his axe during breaks and 405 00:24:55,720 --> 00:25:01,240 outworked the non stop chopper resting in the Lord renews 406 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,200 effectiveness. Have you not found that to take 407 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:08,120 that time to come apart into the Lord before you come apart in 408 00:25:08,120 --> 00:25:12,400 the world and fall apart? And this was their second 409 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:14,000 promise. The third promise is in the 410 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,480 second part of verse 31, to trust God with security. 411 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,480 And it flows on out of this Sabbath and moves on into 412 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:22,040 something called the Sabbath year. 413 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:28,840 And it says that we would forgo the 7th year's produce and the 414 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,520 exacting of every debt. You see, what was to happen was 415 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:36,000 that they were committed under God's law that Moses had given 416 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:41,840 to them to work until the land every six years and in the 7th 417 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:47,200 year to let it rest. And you know what that Sabbath 418 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:51,200 year, that 7th year meant was that they were trusting in God 419 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,440 to supply all their needs for that 7th year when they wouldn't 420 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:59,520 be tilling and, and working the soil and even beyond into the 421 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,280 first year of the next cycle as they would await the planting 422 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:05,520 and and await the harvest of that first seed. 423 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:08,400 So it's really trusting God for a good year and a half. 424 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,480 And most likely what they reinstituted was probably the 425 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,640 year of Jubilee as well. If you read that, that there 426 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:19,160 were these 7 Sabbaths of years that they were to honour. 427 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,000 And so 49 years. And then in the 50th year was 428 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:28,000 the year of Jubilee when they were to absolve any debts and 429 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,000 they talk about that and set free anybody who is in servitude 430 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:36,280 unto another and return land that it may be been bought off 431 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,920 or set aside as collateral against debts owed. 432 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,600 And, and all of that was to return in the 50th year. 433 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:46,480 So if you were to honour in that sense, you're not only dealing 434 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:48,960 with the 7th year of the Sabbath, but then the Jubilee on 435 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,520 top of that, you could be looking at two years of having 436 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:55,600 to trust in God to supply and meet your needs while you're not 437 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:59,680 working and tilling the land. And in an agrarian society, that 438 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,960 is the ultimate display of trust in God for your security. 439 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,240 Imagine being the provider in the family and freaking out how 440 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,800 we're going to make those bills and how we're going to pay and 441 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:12,160 take care of it. What are you going to do? 442 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:17,440 God help God, we need you to take care of us in these six 443 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,920 years and and look after us in the 7th and then wow, Jubilee's 444 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,040 coming around the corner. That means a couple of years 445 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,760 where I've got to trust in you to supply and meet our needs. 446 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,040 Jesus in Matthew chapter 6 gave us a wonderful modern 447 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:35,240 application of this. He said to the crowd gathered 448 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:37,720 who were no doubt freaking out and wondering. 449 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,280 And he said, don't worry about what you'll wear. 450 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:43,920 Don't worry about where you'll get your food from. 451 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,120 But Matthew chapter 6, verse 33 says what? 452 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,640 Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. 453 00:27:51,120 --> 00:27:55,640 And then all these things, your Father in heaven, he'll take 454 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,960 care of you in that. And so that's that security, 455 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,160 that's that trust, that's that promise that we have now as as 456 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:04,680 believers today that we can go, you know what? 457 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,800 I'm going to trust God that no, we're seeking first his Kingdom 458 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:09,920 and his righteousness and honouring his ways. 459 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:12,920 I don't know how he's going to do it, but he's promised to take 460 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,960 care of us and he'll look after and meet that need. 461 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:19,840 So they make this promise as a part of it, trusting God with 462 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,680 their security. And I think that confronts us 463 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:27,640 and reminds us tonight of this in our lives, to trust in the 464 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:32,120 Lord and his faithfulness. So they make these promises. 465 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:36,000 Through these promises, they renew their separation from, 466 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,000 from worldly compromise and, and they're desiring to protect 467 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,400 faith, purity. And now thirdly and lastly, 468 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:47,240 verses 32 to 39, there's this reordered stewardship that's 469 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,440 going on in their life and, and the resources that they have. 470 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:53,960 It's the longest section of this chapter. 471 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,440 It's their commitment to the House of God. 472 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:01,280 It's the temple and that phrase, the House of God. 473 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:04,760 It repeats 9 times throughout the passage. 474 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:08,840 So another vow that they offer here is support for God's work. 475 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:16,480 Verse 32. Also, we made ordinances, or we 476 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:21,200 promised. We assume the responsibility of 477 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:25,160 doing what to exact from ourselves yearly 1/3 of a shekel 478 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:26,880 for the service of the House of our God. 479 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:31,600 Verse 33 For the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for 480 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,920 the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the new moons, and 481 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:38,360 the set feasts, for the holy things, for the sin offerings to 482 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,120 make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the House of our 483 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,800 God. Verse 34 We cast lots among the 484 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,400 priests, the Levites, and the people, for bringing the wood 485 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:50,880 offering into the House of our God, according to our Father's 486 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,440 houses at the appointed times, year by year, to burn on the 487 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:59,120 altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law, and we 488 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:03,480 made ordinances. Verse 35 To bring the first 489 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,680 fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all fruit of all 490 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:11,800 our trees year by year to the House of the Lord to bring the 491 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,880 first born of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the 492 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:20,200 law and the first born now in in that bringing of the first born 493 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:24,600 is that they would offer a a monetary substitute for the 494 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:29,960 first born of each household. In that sense there and it is 495 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,920 written the first born of our herds and our flocks to the 496 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:35,960 House of our God to the priests who minister in the House of our 497 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:37,800 God. Verse 37 to bring the first 498 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,840 fruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all 499 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:44,960 kinds of trees, the new wine and oil to the priests to the 500 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,600 storerooms of the House of our God and to bring the tyres of 501 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:52,720 our land to the Levites. For the Levites should receive 502 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,960 the tithes in all our farming communities. 503 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,600 That was their, their remuneration, their salary of 504 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:02,680 not having a tribe allotment in the land, that the other tribes 505 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:05,920 were to support and take care of the Levites to be able to 506 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:08,880 function in the the priestly service in the temple, and so 507 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:10,720 on. Verse 38. 508 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:13,560 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the 509 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:15,960 Levites when the Levites receive tithes. 510 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:19,440 And the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the House 511 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:23,360 of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse for the children of 512 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:25,600 Israel. And the children of Levi shall 513 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,840 bring the offering of the grain, verse 39, of the new wine and 514 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,440 the oil to the store rooms where the articles of the sanctuary 515 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,280 are, where the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers 516 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,760 and the singers are. And then says, And we will not 517 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:45,520 neglect the House of our God. So they again offer and commit 518 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:50,280 to supporting God's work in the land. 519 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:52,760 They promise a yearly temple tax. 520 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:56,800 Verse 32, wood for the altar, the amount of sacrifices that 521 00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:00,080 are part of worship. Think of how much wood is needed 522 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:03,040 and required for that of the first fruits. 523 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:08,720 Verse 35, the first born offerings, verse 36, the tithes 524 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:13,880 for the Levites, verse 3738, and all of it concludes in verse 39. 525 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:17,520 We will not neglect the House of our God. 526 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,360 And in this commitment we see that their giving had certain 527 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,320 characteristics to it, a responsibility that they said. 528 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,760 We'll assume that we read that verse 32 and verse 35. 529 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:31,920 It was obedient to what was revealed in God's law. 530 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,400 It was systematic. So there was an order and a 531 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,800 regularity to it, not an ad hoc kind of randomness to it. 532 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,800 It was proportionate according to the blessing that they had. 533 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:45,960 It was sacrificial. The first fruits weren't 534 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:52,920 leftovers, comprehensive crops, animals, sons, I mean, the list 535 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:56,040 of things that were identified there as what they would give 536 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,760 and honour unto the Lord are very prescribed in their 537 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,800 generosity. And so they understood this 538 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:06,960 fundamental truth that guides our lives in this area of giving 539 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:10,120 today. Everything belongs to God. 540 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:17,240 We are His stewards of that. So this stewardship flows out 541 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:21,680 from that, that family covenant agreement bound together in 542 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,840 relationship with God because we are God's people and we have a 543 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:27,880 covenant that he has made with us. 544 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:32,000 We share the same DNA. Now, God, our heavenly Father, 545 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,920 is a generous, giving God. And so it stands to reason that 546 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:40,120 we as his family adopt that attribute, that characteristic 547 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,840 of being generous and of being givers. 548 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:48,560 And God works now through US, his people, as his stewards, to 549 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:53,200 use the resources that he has given to us to bless others and 550 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:58,360 to not neglect the House of God, to glorify him in there. 551 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:01,840 Now tithing in the Old Testament is is commanded. 552 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,160 Malachi tells us that under the new covenant. 553 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,920 We looked at that also in our study through Second 554 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:14,440 Corinthians, and what guides us is that now it flows from grace, 555 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:20,920 not compulsion, not manipulation, but cheerful 556 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:26,080 generosity, that each man be convinced, it says, and give in 557 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:29,960 accordance with that. And all of this for them and for 558 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:34,080 you and I, revolves around this. We will not neglect, we will not 559 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:37,679 neglect the Temple. Understand that it stood at the 560 00:34:37,679 --> 00:34:42,440 centre of Israel's spiritual life and so supporting it meant 561 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,840 that they were prioritising God's presence among them, 562 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,520 supporting those who serviced it, who helped in the worship 563 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:54,400 going on in the temple, providing for the people and the 564 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:57,120 sacrifices. There was how they were 565 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:00,640 determined to not neglect God in this way. 566 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,080 Now a lot we've been reading in Nehemiah at the beginning had 567 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,240 been supplied by the Persian government already. 568 00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:11,440 Remember that Nehemiah had requested that Artaxerxes, you 569 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,400 know, king, could you supply this, that and the other and he 570 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,720 agreed. But now Nehemiah is very 571 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:22,120 understanding that government supply runs out pretty quick and 572 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:24,520 that for the worship of God's people, you know, the Persian 573 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,160 government's not committed to the worship of God in Jerusalem, 574 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,600 that it needs to be that the people of God commit to 575 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:34,320 establishing and continuing the worship of God in that place. 576 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:37,320 They determined to ensure that they were not neglecting the 577 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:41,320 worship of God. Now, for you and I, tonight and 578 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:47,600 today, the church is not a building, but a people. 579 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,160 And yet ministry still requires provision. 580 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:56,200 God's work gets accomplished through the resources that God 581 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,880 provides. Imagine the children's ministry. 582 00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:05,280 Here we have workers, but no resources, no curriculum, no 583 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,800 pens, no pencils, no tables, no chairs. 584 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,760 Just how effective might that be in ministering to the children? 585 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:16,800 Imagine the worship team, some skilled musicians and singers, 586 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:22,960 but no sound system for them to bless God and to worship him and 587 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,320 to honour him. And so God's resources provide a 588 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:30,520 way to supply God's people what is necessary to do God's work. 589 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:35,000 And God uses God's people to provide those resources. 590 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:42,560 Money is never merely financial, though it reveals allegiance. 591 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:46,800 Jesus said where your treasure is, there will your heart be 592 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:51,200 also. And here it seems to indicate to 593 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:55,640 us that they reordered their budgets because revival was 594 00:36:55,640 --> 00:37:03,120 reordering their hearts. I think Nehemiah chapter 10 to 595 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:08,640 be a beautiful chapter, but also sobering in many ways. 596 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:13,040 Because if you keep reading the book and you know anything about 597 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,600 Israel's history, you discover something painful that they did 598 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:18,400 not keep their covenant perfectly. 599 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:23,920 As I entered that already, chapter 13, Nehemiah goes away 600 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:26,600 for a little bit and comes back and there's all sorts of things 601 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:30,080 taking place that indicate the breaking of this very covenant 602 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:33,480 agreement. And that's why Nehemiah chapter 603 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:38,840 10 points beyond itself in the book of Jeremiah chapter 31, God 604 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:41,000 promised this. He said a new covenant will 605 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:46,560 come, one that is not written merely on stones or parchment, 606 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:51,400 but on hearts. So Jesus at the Last Supper 607 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:58,160 said, this cup is the new covenant in my blood that I give 608 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:02,160 to you. Under the old covenant, the 609 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:05,800 people pledge, will obey, but they broke it. 610 00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:10,200 But under the new covenant, Jesus said it is finished. 611 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:17,240 And so now our obedience, any vows, any commitment, any desire 612 00:38:17,240 --> 00:38:21,680 to serve God, it's not about earning favour from God. 613 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,040 It comes from grace and flows out from it. 614 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:27,880 We do not succeed because we make promises to God. 615 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:30,880 Ever made a promise to God and broken it literally that day? 616 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,040 And so we succeed. Because of this, we trust the 617 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:38,920 promises of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 618 00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:45,480 Theologian Alec Mottier writes when his people could not rise 619 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:49,800 to the height of his standards. The Lord does not lower his 620 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:51,600 standards to match their ability. 621 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:57,160 He transforms his people. That is why you must be born 622 00:38:57,160 --> 00:39:00,720 again. There needs to be a change in 623 00:39:00,720 --> 00:39:03,040 your life. You can't do it in your own 624 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,400 strength. The people of Israel prove it 625 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:09,720 again and again. And yet grace does not produce 626 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:13,440 passivity in our lives. We don't just sit there and go, 627 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:15,800 well, you know, God does everything, but it should 628 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:19,680 produce devotion in our hearts and lives in response to that. 629 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:24,000 Our response is covenant commitment to him and his 630 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,640 people, ongoing, relational, sacrificial. 631 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:34,680 We are the family of God, after all, bound by grace to act like 632 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:38,640 the family of God, to reflect him, his character, his 633 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:46,760 attributes, to show that on to other people, to obey him, to 634 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:50,680 minister together. So here's the immediate 635 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:54,520 application, I think, for this. Where has God's Word been 636 00:39:54,520 --> 00:40:00,280 convicting you? What specific obedience have you 637 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:04,760 delayed? What areas of life need covenant 638 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:08,480 clarity? Is it submission to Scripture? 639 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,080 Is it a relationship that needs guarding? 640 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:19,080 Is it time reordered around worship, finances brought under 641 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:24,200 stewardship, a step of trust unto God that you've delayed and 642 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:29,680 pushed back and postponed? Nehemiah 10 ends with this 643 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:31,960 declaration. We will not neglect the House of 644 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:35,000 our God. You know what? 645 00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:38,560 Because of Christ, here's what we're told in the New Testament, 646 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:45,240 that we are now that house. No, you're not That you are the 647 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:51,200 temple of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us so let us say 648 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:54,640 not to earn his smile and favour, but because we already 649 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:59,640 have it. Let's say God take my life, take 650 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:05,400 my relationships, take my resources, take my time all for 651 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:09,880 Jesus, I surrender. Let's pray Lord, thank you for 652 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:14,160 your word tonight. Help us in that. 653 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:17,520 And as we see an example of people who commit and make a 654 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:22,360 covenant, renew vows, and they're they're determined and 655 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:25,080 in all of their strength and might they try to adhere to it, 656 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:26,760 but ultimately we know that they cannot. 657 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:30,720 That's why Jesus, you came and you brought a new covenant and 658 00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:33,320 new agreement and you have done all of the work. 659 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:37,680 And because of your finished work, we respond to that because 660 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:41,720 of now your grace upon us. May we out of devotion, 661 00:41:42,240 --> 00:41:46,960 surrender and submit to you and and reflect that we are bound to 662 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:51,000 you as family. We share your DNA, that we're a 663 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:55,280 part of what you have begun and what you're going to finish in 664 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:59,080 and through us. Let us see it as a privilege to 665 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:02,680 be used by you and to serve for your purposes. 666 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:09,000 May it come out of a desire of love to serve you and honour you 667 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:15,200 all the days of our lives. I pray for any here tonight who 668 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:19,120 need to know your peace, who need to know the reality of you. 669 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:24,560 May you reveal that to them in a mighty powerful way. 670 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:27,760 These things we pray and ask in Jesus name. 671 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:29,720 God's people said Amen.