Good morning.
My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church,
and it's my joy to bring God's Word to you today.
A special welcome if you are new or visiting with us.
We are glad you're here.
And we're glad you're here not because you are filling a seat,
but because we are following Jesus together as one community.
And so we're convinced that as we follow Jesus together,
that there is no one so good that they don't need God's grace.
And no one so bad they can't have it.
And so God has something to say to every one of us in His Word,
and every one of us needs to hear what God has to say.
If you've been with us, you know that we are going through the book of Nehemiah.
The book of Nehemiah is a book about a man named Nehemiah
who lived during the 5th century B.C.
And it's a story about him realizing the ways that Israel,
God's people in the Old Testament, had abandoned God and His ways,
and that had been shown through many things.
But one of the ways it had been shown was that God's city, Jerusalem,
which God had set to make a light to the nations for everyone in the world
to see what it's like when God's people follow God's ways,
God's people had neglected and abandoned Jerusalem.
And even though they'd been back from exile for almost 100 years,
the wall around Jerusalem was in shambles.
We met Nehemiah in chapter 1,
and he was weeping and crying and fasting and praying in repentance
over the ways that God's people had abandoned His city.
And then in chapter 2 and 3,
we saw God's people returning to the work of rebuilding the wall.
And last week, we saw the opposition that happens
when we return to God's mission.
And now we come to Nehemiah chapter 5,
and we have a problem that's a different problem than the wall.
It's been exciting so far.
We've seen God's people coming together,
working hard, putting aside their differences
so that they can have one mission despite their differences.
But now they're going to face a different struggle,
a different problem.
Not opposition from the outside,
but problems on the inside.
Now, as some of you know,
one of my brothers is in the reserves.
He's in the Army Reserves.
He used to be in the Army National Guard.
And so he was only working part-time in that way,
and so he tried to find out
what it was he was going to do for his full-time job,
what he was going to do during the week
when he wasn't a weekend warrior.
And he finally settled on doing military contracting,
and so that's his work that he pursues.
But while he was trying to figure it out,
there were a lot of different options that he looked at.
And one of them was becoming a state trooper.
And so as he explored this opportunity,
he became friends with some state troopers,
and he decided to do what's called a ride-along,
where you join a state trooper for their shift,
you ride along in the car,
you get to see the different things
that they handle and experience.
And he had one man in particular
who taught him a lot of things,
and one of the things he taught him was this.
If someone's car is a mess,
their life is also a mess as well.
And I don't mean that you have a messy car.
Many of us have messy cars.
But he's talking about the fact
that if you're driving along
and you see someone's license plate
and it's been expired for several years,
or they're not able to keep up
basic maintenance on their car,
there's often something else that's going on as well.
I-95, which is a major highway in the East Coast,
is a huge route for drug trafficking.
And there's millions of dollars of cocaine
that's taken back and forth on that road.
And so as my brother explained it to me,
he said,
if you are taking millions of dollars of cocaine
up the highway,
you don't really have time
to worry about your taillight.
In fact, the biggest cocaine bust
in Charles County, Maryland,
happened with, I believe,
this officer that my brother knew.
It was because of a taillight pullover.
And so police know this truth
that physical problems
often point to spiritual problems as well.
You pull someone over
for a physical problem with their car,
a lack of registration,
or a mechanical failure,
and you find out
that they have a warrant for their arrest,
for failure to pay child support,
a warrant for failure to appear in court.
Or perhaps they're smuggling
large amounts of cocaine
from south to north and north to south.
And that's the issue that we see here
as we come to Nehemiah chapter 5.
On the one hand,
God's people have abandoned his wall.
And that was the repentance
that Nehemiah had in chapter 1.
But they have not just abandoned God's wall,
they've also abandoned God's ways.
They haven't just abandoned God's wall,
they've also abandoned his ways.
And so this physical ruin of the wall
points to a much deeper spiritual ruin
that has happened in Israel.
And so physical ruin
and spiritual ruin are paired.
As the police know,
it's often things that travel together,
often things that travel along.
And so we're going to look
at Nehemiah chapter 5,
and we're going to see
not the external problems
of their enemies coming in
and threatening them
and attacking them,
not the physical problem
of the wall that's broken down
and shameful,
but the internal spiritual problem
as God's people,
while they're on the one hand
rebuilding something that's physical,
they have deep problems
that are spiritual,
and the two are related.
They have chosen to value
possessions over people,
property over people,
profit over people.
And that's what we're going to encounter
as we come to Nehemiah chapter 5.
I'm going to be reading
starting at verse 1.
If you have your worship guide,
you'll find Nehemiah chapter 5
printed there,
or you can follow along
in your Bible.
Remember that as we come
to this passage,
this is God's word.
And God tells us
that his word is a hammer
that breaks a rock into pieces.
In other words,
God's word is so powerful
that there is nothing
that can stand against it.
And so I'm going to read
starting with Nehemiah chapter 5,
starting at verse 1.
Please read with me.
Now there arose
a great outcry of the people
and of their wives
against their Jewish brothers.
For there were those who said,
With our sons and our daughters
we are many,
so let us get grain
that we may eat
and keep alive.
There were also those who said,
We are mortgaging our fields,
our vineyards,
and our houses
to get grain
because of the famine.
And there were those who said,
We have borrowed money
for the king's tax
on our fields and our vineyards.
Now our flesh
is as the flesh
of our brothers,
our children
are as their children.
Yet we are forcing
our sons and our daughters
to be slaves.
And some of our daughters
have already been enslaved.
But it is not in our power
to help it,
for other men
have our fields
and our vineyards.
Verse 6.
I was very angry
when I heard their outcry
in these words.
I took counsel with myself
and I brought charges
against the nobles
and the officials.
I said to them,
You are exacting interest,
each from his brother.
And I held a great assembly
against them
and said to them,
We, as far as we are able,
have bought back
our Jewish brothers
who have been sold
to the nations.
But you even sell your brothers
that they may be sold to us.
They were silent
and could not find
a word to say.
Verse 9.
So I said,
The thing that you are doing
is not good.
Ought you not to walk
in the fear of our God
to prevent the taunts
of the nations,
our enemies?
Moreover,
I and my brothers
and my servants
are lending them
money and grain.
Let us abandon
this exacting of interest.
Return to them
this very day
their fields,
their vineyards,
their olive orchards,
and their houses.
And the percentage of money
grain,
wine,
and oil
that you have been
exacting from them.
Verse 12.
Then they said,
We will restore these
and require nothing from them.
We will do as you say.
And I called the priests
and made them swear to do
as they had promised.
I also shook out
the fold of my garment
and said,
So may God shake out
every man from his house
and from his labor
who does not keep this promise.
So may he be shaken out
and emptied.
And all the assembly
said amen
and praised the Lord.
And the people did
as they had promised.
Verse 14.
Moreover,
from the time
that I was appointed
to be their governor
in the land of Judah,
from the twentieth year
to the thirty-second year
of Artaxerxes the king,
twelve years,
neither I nor my brothers
ate the food allowance
of the governor.
The former governors
who were before me
laid heavy burdens
on the people
and took from them
for their daily ration
forty shekels of silver.
Even their servants
lorded it over the people.
But I did not do so
because of the fear of God.
Verse 16.
I also persevered
in the work on this wall
and we acquired no land.
And all my servants
were gathered there
for the work.
Moreover,
there were at my table
a hundred and fifty men,
Jews and officials,
besides those who came to us
from the nations
that were around us.
Now what was prepared
at my expense
for each day
was one ox
and six choice sheep
and birds
and every ten days
all kinds of wine
in abundance.
Yet for all this
I did not demand
the food allowance
of the governor
because the service
was too heavy
on this people.
Remember for my good,
oh my God,
all that I have done
for this people.
Please pray with me
as we come
to this portion
of God's word.
Dear Father in Heaven,
we thank you
and praise you
that you haven't
left us alone.
You do not allow us
to stay
in our spiritual ruin,
but you've come to us
in Christ
to meet us
with your grace.
We ask that you
would do that right now,
that you would send
your Holy Spirit
to help us,
that we would be able
to hear
and believe
and understand
and follow everything
that you have for us
in your word.
We ask this
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
If you remember
from last week,
things were exciting
as God's people
came together
and they put aside
their differences
so that they could
work together
as one community,
even as their enemies
came up against them.
God's hand was with them.
Things were moving forward
and yet at the very end
we have this one verse,
verse 22,
chapter 4.
Where Nehemiah asks
everyone to spend
the night
in the city of Jerusalem.
This seems like
a great idea
and it was
because they make sure
that they do not give in
to the voices around them
that are encouraging them
to abandon the work
and yet this has created
a problem.
If all the men
are sleeping in the city
and if they've been
working for months now
on the wall,
what have they not
been doing?
There's no indication
that Nehemiah
has been paying them
on the one hand
and yet on the other hand
they have not been
working their fields.
All this has been
great so far.
It was, remember,
April when Nehemiah
came back to Jerusalem.
He's recruited all these
Israelites to work
diligently.
But now as it comes
near the end of the summer
and the beginning
of the fall,
this is harvest season.
And not only is it
harvest season,
it's even worse than that
because at the end
of the harvest season
is when debtors
would have to pay
their debts.
And so it's all
fun and games
until the debt collector
comes.
It's wonderful
to work on God's wall
on the one hand
except when you've
abandoned your family
fields on the other.
And so there's a real
physical need
that's arisen among
these people
and as they come
to the time
when they have to
pay their debts
they realize
what they're up against.
There's a reason
most likely in verse
one of chapter five
that the wives
especially are upset
about this
because they're the ones
who were left at home.
The men have been
working hard
having great success
and yet it's their wives
who know that the harvest
has not been brought in
in the way it needs to.
They've been faithful
to God's commands
to be fruitful
and multiply
in verse two
but yet that's created
a problem.
They have many sons
and daughters
which means they have
many mouths to feed.
These brothers
that they're complaining
against in verse one
are the rich brothers.
And so there's
those in Jerusalem
who have the resources
to be able to feed
their family
and continue working
on the wall
and then there's those
who do not have
those resources.
And so the poor
have been taken advantage
of by the rich.
There's a variety
of people
in different situations.
So in verse three
we see that there are people
who have mortgaged
their property
to get the food
that they need
for their family.
In verse four
we have people
that have a different problem.
They have tremendous taxes
that the Persian government
is putting on them
that they need to pay.
And in verse five
we meet the worst situation
of all.
There are people
in Israel and Jerusalem
to feed their family
to be able to keep
their property.
They've even been putting
out their children
as slaves
not to the nations.
They've had to put out
their children
to work for other families
so that they can pay
their debts
and continue to have
the food on the table
that they need.
What's happening
is that we have
rich people
who are taking advantage
of this situation
and taking what
the poor people have.
Rather than helping them out
rather than trying
to be there
when they need them
there are Israelites here
who care much more
about profit
and possessions
than they care about people.
They see this problem
this building of the wall
as an opportunity
for them to become rich
rather than an opportunity
to watch out
for their family members.
And this is the scandal
that Nehemiah confronts.
It's why in verse 6
we find out
that he was very angry
because he looks out
on what God's people
are doing to each other
and he sees
not them bringing
God's kingdom
on earth
as it is in heaven
but instead
he sees them using this
as an opportunity
for their profit.
But Nehemiah knows
that God
cares much more
about people
than he does
about possessions
or property.
Nehemiah knows
that God
cares so much more
about people
than he does
about possessions
and property.
And yet he also knows
in this passage
remind us
that our temptation
as people
under sin
who struggle with sin
our temptation
is to instead
care more about
property than people.
Nehemiah knows
that God
cares more
about people
than property
and yet the people
are tempted
to care more
about their property
than people.
Now we're going to
talk in a minute
about specifically
what's going on here.
This is specifically
about predatory lending
and yet generally
we have the principle
of people
over everything else.
I had the chance
a few years ago
to be at someone's house
they were hosting
a time
for a breakfast
there were friends
that were together
gathered to enjoy
some food
and tea
and coffee together
and they were all
working together
to help make this happen.
And at one point
the host asked
one of his friends
would you heat the water
for us
so that we can
make the drinks
that we need
and so this guest
it was early in the morning
he had not fully woken up
he didn't have
all his senses with him
and so he took
the electric tea kettle
off of the electric charger
and he put it
on the stove
the gas stove
and then he turned
on the burner
after he'd put water in it
and so this
tea kettle began
to slowly melt
into the gas burner
and by the time
this had happened
it was too late
for that tea kettle.
Someone realized
there was a
scramble
a shuffle
someone quickly
turned off the oven
pulled the tea kettle
off
the smell
of burned rubber
was filling
the breakfast room
and of course
this half asleep man
was just so embarrassed
and devastated
trying to apologize
offering to buy
a new kettle
repaying
and the host
simply said this
he said
I bought this
tea kettle
and the reason
I bought it
was because
I wanted to have
friends in my house
and so this
tea kettle
has served
its purpose
I would rather
have you here
in my house
with me
having breakfast
with me
than have that
tea kettle
and if I had
to choose
between having
a perfect tea kettle
and having you
here with me
in your friendship
I would choose
you every time
as a friend
tried to
offer to
replace
this tea kettle
the host
just refused
said no
I have these
possessions
for the sake
of this community
I have them
here for people
and so I've
gotten more
than my money's
worth
out of this
tea kettle
because I was
able to have
you in this
house
Nehemiah knows
that God
cares more
about people
than possessions
he knows
that God's
heart
is for the
community
and that
profit is not
the bottom line
that he calls
the people
who follow him
to
Nehemiah's
outrage
is justified
and so he
comes
not just
with anger
but with
charges
in verse
7
they are
using this
opportunity
to gain
money
rather than
showing
mercy
and so
Nehemiah
points out
the shame
of this
situation
you are
exacting
verse 7
interest
each from
his brother
and then he
reminds them
that they've
been doing
all this
work to
buy their
brothers
back from
slavery
to the
other
nations
and so
what they're
doing
with one
hand
they're undoing
with the
other
Nehemiah
doesn't
mention
this
here
but if
you're
familiar
with
Old Testament
Israel
you know
that it
was actually
forbidden
for Israelites
to exact
interest
from each
other
now the
context of
these laws
in Deuteronomy
and Leviticus
was mainly
focused around
protecting people
who were in
great need
people who were
in poverty
from being
taken advantage
of
so commercial
lending
wasn't forbidden
it was typically
practiced
not within the
Israelite community
but they would
have commercial
lending with other
communities
other nations
outside of it
but the goal
the point
of these laws
was for
the poor
to be protected
people who were
in dangerous
situations
who were in
need
would be able
to get the
resources they
needed without
someone using
that as a chance
to extract
even more money
from them
but what we see
here is that
instead of
following the
rules about
not charging
interest for
fellow Israelites
they are doing
participating in
what we would
call today
predatory lending
they are lending
in such a way
that the very
children of their
brothers and
sisters
are having to
work off the
debt
they are lending
in such a way
that the very
lands that these
people need to
support themselves
are being taken
away
and when Nehemiah
brings this in
front of them
they realize that
he is right
it says in verse
8 because of
their shame here
it says they were
silent and could
not find a word
to say
they know that
Nehemiah's
rebuke his
correction is
correct
and so he
commands them
there to return
their fields
and in verse 12
everyone turns
back and says
we will restore
these and require
nothing from them
we will do as you
say
they are not just
breaking even here
instead they are
turning away from
sin and turning back
to righteousness
they are not just
ceasing to gain
money from the
poor
but these lenders
are now actually
going to lose
money
they are giving
back everything
that they had
loaned
and they are not
going to make
any money off of
it
they are giving
back the land
they are giving
back the interest
that was charged
and what was
originally given
as a loan
is now going
to be given
as a gift
we saw Nehemiah
in chapter 1
turning back
from sin
and turning
towards God
and we see
here that that's
not something
that just happens
once
it's not just
something that
happens over
the wall
but it's
something that
God's people
do over
and over
again
this is not
going to be
this is not
the first time
we've seen
God's people
repent
in the book
of Nehemiah
and it's far
away from the
last time
we're going
to see them
repent
but they're
taking part
in the process
of turning
away from
sin
and turning
back to
God
and they're
also highlighting
this principle
not just
that as we've
already seen
God cares more
about people
than profit
but there's
a second
principle here
a principle
against predatory
lending
that accumulation
of wealth
is never
something that
should happen
at the expense
of other people
accumulation
is wealth
is not something
that we do
to take advantage
of the poor
now the Bible
is very clear
God is
eager for his
people to work
hard
to save money
to have
private property
he's just
not eager
for them
to do
that at
the expense
of people
who are
downtrodden
and so
what we see
here
the principle
in today
would be
that places
like pawn
shops
payday loans
even certain
types of
credit cards
are instruments
that the rich
use to take
advantage of
the poor
God is not
opposed to
people making
profit
he's not
opposed to
people lending
he's not
even opposed
to interest
but his
bottom line
is people
his bottom
line is
people over
profit
every single
time
and so
what we see
here is that
previously we
had people
gaining from
others losses
and now we
see as they
turn away from
their sin and
back to repentance
they are losing
so that other
people can gain
they're not
gaining from
others losses
they're now
losing so that
other people can
gain
because they
know that in
God's economy
and God's
world
God cares so
much more
about the
people he's
made in his
image than
anything they
can accumulate
at each
other's cost
Nehemiah
doesn't just
call out the
nobles around
him
he doesn't
just try to
return to
God's ways
and his
mercy
but then he
sets an
example in
the rest of
this chapter
we're told
about his
generosity in
verses 14
through 19
and we
find out that
Nehemiah has
an allowance
that he's
allowed to
collect
he's actually
a governor
he's been
given a
political position
in the
Persian Empire
remember we
talked in
chapters 1
and 2
about the
fact that he
was a
cup bearer
which was
an incredibly
powerful position
in the
Persian Empire
he goes from
one political
position to
another
and as a
Persian official
and as an
Israelite he
has the
right to
take a certain
allowance from
the people
and it's not
even an allowance
that's for his
good it's not
an allowance that
he's going to
use for his
own profit
it's actually an
allowance that's
there for his
responsibilities
we find out that
he's responsible for
serving all kinds
of people
he's responsible for
providing dinner
for those who
serve under him
and then he's
responsible for
entertaining diplomats
and foreign
dignitaries who
come into town
so this is a
right allowance
that he has
there's nothing
wrong with a
government giving
one of their
officials the
resources they
need to carry
out their job
in fact some of
you have this at
your jobs as well
you have expense
accounts so that
you can do
business and not
take it out of
your family budget
but Nehemiah
chooses to do
something very
different
knowing the
poverty of the
people around
him
knowing their
struggle to feed
their own
families
let alone feed
these dignitaries
he decides to
take it out of
his own bank
account
so Nehemiah
takes the money
that he's given
the money that
gets direct
deposited into
his checking
account
it's already been
taxed
he's already
paid the
IRS
and he decides
he has enough
that he's going
to be able to
support all these
tasks that are
before him
not because he
has the right
to
but because he's
so eager
to know that his
brothers and
sisters are not
coming into
greater poverty
because of this
we find out here
that Nehemiah
must be extremely
wealthy
there's indications
previously in the
chapter that he
comes from an
influential family
that may be why
he ended up
being a cupbearer
and so he chooses
here to
use his wealth
for the sake of
the poor
uses his wealth
to care
for those who
would not otherwise
be able to feed
their families
and so he takes
it out of his
very own
his very own
bank account
the author of
Nehemiah is making
clear to us that
God cares about
people he cares
about the poor
and as we come
against the sin
that Israel
struggled with
there's another
reality that is
sobering
and that's the
reality of sin
within God's
people
there's a
tempting belief
that some people
have called the
myth of Christendom
that if somehow
we can separate
ourselves from
all the non-Christians
in the world
if somehow we can
get away from all
those sinners out
there then we will
be free of polluting
influences we'll be
able to be free
from sin finally
if we can just keep
ourselves and our
families away from
people who have
wrong behavior and
wrong ideas then
we'll be safe
and yet here in
Nehemiah chapter 5
we have the remnant
we have those who
did not rebel against
God who made it out
of exile those who
have returned to
God's cities and
separated themselves
from the nations
and yet the reality
of sin and greed is
still in their
hearts they've not
been able to escape
sin just by escaping
people who are not
Israelites what we'll
have already seen in
the book of Nehemiah
and what we will
continue to see is
sin is not something
that is outside of us
that gets in but sin
is something that is
inside of us that
gets out sin is not
something that is
outside of us that
gets in but it is
something inside of
us that gets out and
so separating ourselves
from other people is
not going to be our
solution it's not going
to be our redemption
and there are reformed
people who claim to
believe in original sin
that still fall prey to
this way of thinking that
somehow sin is these
other people out there
that we need to escape
and yet if that were
true then Jesus would
not have needed to come
and die if all God's
people needed to do is
get out of Babylon and
get back to God's city so
they could be safe from
sin then there would
have been no need for a
savior to come and help
them and so the cure for
our selfishness the cure
for our temptation to put
profit ahead of people is
not to separate ourself
from selfish people
because that in and of
itself is selfish but
instead it's to understand
and realize our need for
the gospel our need for
God and his grace to
come and change our
hearts that we would
actually care about what
he cares about that we
would care about people
more than profit that
would be our bottom line
I mentioned earlier the
laws in Deuteronomy and
Leviticus that for
forbid the charging of
interest to fellow
Israelites the laws don't
just talk about interest in
Israelites and how they're
going to behave as one
community together but it
also in Deuteronomy chapter
17 talks about the king
that's going to one day
come to Israel and it
outlines the qualifications
for this king what has to
be true about him there's
many things we find out
he's not going to collect
horses from Egypt but the
very last thing that this
king will not do is he's
not going to amass silver
and gold he's not going to
use his position and power
to accumulate wealth for
himself instead this king
that's going to come the
king that's going to rule
Israel is going to be a
king that looks out for the
good of the people above
himself we see some of that
with the Israelite kings who
come along and yet they also
fail some of them do
accumulate wealth for
themselves most of them do
rather than using their
wealth to serve the
community God's given them
to lead and so the ideal
king that Deuteronomy 17
looks forward to the ideal
king that God's people here
need and the ideal king that
we celebrate as well is Jesus
he's the king who had all
wealth all power he had
everything and no reason to
give it up and yet he lost
all of it he did not just
refuse to acquire excessive
silver and gold as Deuteronomy
17 forbids but he actually gave
up everything he gave up
everything to live life as a
real man in this in this world in
time and space in history and
rather than coming and having
wealth he grew up without without
much of anything he's famous for
being born in a stable and then he
goes on not just to give up his
wealth but everything else so that
he can die and take the punishment
that we deserve the punishment that
we deserve for valuing profit over
people so that he could one day lead
us that we could value people over
profit as we look at this passage
and we see the challenge of our
hearts the challenge that doesn't
come from the world around us but
the sin that's in us there is only
one hope for us we cannot simply
drag ourselves up by our bootstraps
and decide to become more generous
that will simply make us more
self-righteous we can't find a
12-step program to overcome our our
greed and ignoring the people around
us but instead the only way that we
will be able to have the generosity
here that nehemiah has is when we
understand and know and believe how
much we are in poverty and have needed
Jesus to come and save us in the past
and continue to save us now and when
we understand that God has rescued us
that he has refused to charge interest
on us then we will be able to lose so
that other people can gain in 2007
there was a everyday marriage that
happened just like people marry every
weekend in this nation and yet this
marriage made it all the way into
national news it was in Michigan and a
woman named Christine and a man named
Kyle decided they were going to they were
going to marry each other and that's
normal but they decided to do
something that was not normal
rather than simply feeding their
guests who came to join them they
decided they were going to put their
guests to work Christine and Kyle had
met at this church in the neighborhood
they'd met through a neighborhood
outreach ministry and so they were
serving side by side this church was
actually a church that administered to
them as well Christine was a single
mom with two kids Kyle had been
through struggles with addictions and
they met each other in this ministry
and they decided we want to not just
serve our guests but we want to serve
this neighborhood and so instead of
having our guests come and sit down at
long tables what we're going to have
them do is actually serve food to
people outside of the wedding people
in the neighborhood families that need
food to feed to eat to survive and so
they spread the word silently quietly
through the neighborhood that people
would know when to show up at the
church and after the wedding was over
they put on bride and groom cooking
aprons and they went outside and they
served everyone through the line now I
am not saying that if you have a
wedding you need to do this what I am
saying is that what God told Abraham in
Genesis 12 that he was going to bless
him so that he could be a blessing is
true of us as well our great hope is we
look forward to Jesus second coming is
that we would sit around his marriage
feast what's called in Revelation the
marriage feast of the lamb but it's not
just a marriage feast that God has done
for our good but it's also for his
glory and so he invites his people not
just to save us from sin but to save us
to his mission saving us to be that
blessing that he has given to the world
Kyle and Christine understood that God
had rescued them they'd experienced in
their own lives they were experiencing
it as they were marrying each other and
their pastor said this people who haven't
seen them for a while that is wedding
guests will recognize them by the way
they look on the outside but they won't
recognize them on the inside when we know
and understand and believe that God has
rescued us from poverty we will have no
choice but to look to those who are losing
and lose so that they can gain because that
is what Jesus has done for us please pray
with me dear father in heaven we thank you
for your word that reminds us of the way
to go it reminds us of the way of life we
ask that you'd help us today you'd show us
the places where we're tempted to choose
people over profit profit over people and
that you'd move in our hearts that we would
choose people over profit we ask that you do
this not because we desire to prove
something to you or earn something from you
but because we know that we can't and you
have and so we ask these things in Jesus
name amen