WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.240 Hello, good morning. 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:05.060 My name's Tommy. 00:00:05.459 --> 00:00:06.400 I'm the rector here. 00:00:06.640 --> 00:00:08.540 If you're new or visiting, welcome to you. 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:09.700 Delighted that you can be with us. 00:00:09.779 --> 00:00:12.679 We have several baptisms to celebrate in a little while. 00:00:13.099 --> 00:00:16.740 We always love that, but first we're going to spend a little time looking at God's Word. 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:24.679 We have been in a memoir of sorts reading the story of the life of a man named Nehemiah. 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:31.719 God calls Nehemiah to lead in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and then to spiritually help 00:00:31.719 --> 00:00:35.500 to rebuild God's people who are scattered and destitute. 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:37.280 It is a great story. 00:00:37.380 --> 00:00:43.079 We've been getting a lot out of it, but quite frankly, the chapter that we just heard read 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:46.280 is one that many people are very tempted to skip. 00:00:46.579 --> 00:00:49.640 It's like reading a 2,400-year-old phone book. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:54.500 I don't normally do this because this is all really devoted to the glory of God, 00:00:54.500 --> 00:00:58.119 but I want to take a moment to say Sharon did a phenomenal job with that reading. 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:05.180 I would personally have been quite intimidated to have to read that, 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:08.680 and Sharon this week just quietly said, I'll be happy to do it. 00:01:09.299 --> 00:01:14.480 And with all due respect, I would be happy to listen to Sharon read the actual phone book. 00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:16.120 She's such a gifted reader. 00:01:17.240 --> 00:01:19.200 But yeah, it's so good. 00:01:19.620 --> 00:01:22.560 It's amazing to see God's people doing what they're gifted to do. 00:01:22.859 --> 00:01:24.280 It's such a joy to see that. 00:01:24.980 --> 00:01:28.379 That's actually going to tie into the themes that we're going to be looking at. 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:33.239 But we are, when we read this chapter, we're essentially presented with a very long list of names 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:39.299 that tell us who was involved and what section of the wall they were assigned to. 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:44.500 And so it raises the question of what could something like this possibly have to teach us 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:46.319 so many years later? 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:52.979 The answer, in short, is that there is a continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament. 00:01:53.099 --> 00:01:54.899 They're all part of the same story. 00:01:55.559 --> 00:02:00.799 In Nehemiah, they're focused on the rebuilding of the physical city of Jerusalem. 00:02:01.379 --> 00:02:05.899 But in the New Testament, God's project is much larger. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:08.579 It's actually the project He's had all along, 00:02:08.699 --> 00:02:12.620 but we get to step back and we get to see what Jerusalem really represents. 00:02:12.620 --> 00:02:19.200 In the New Testament, we see that God's plan of renewal actually means building the new Jerusalem. 00:02:19.740 --> 00:02:23.379 And the new Jerusalem isn't just a city in the world. 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:24.800 It is the world. 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:33.020 It is God's vision at the end of the New Testament of what the whole world will become when His work of renewal is complete. 00:02:33.140 --> 00:02:40.219 One great city where the heavens and the earth come together and God's presence dwells in the midst of it and illuminates it. 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:41.120 The new Jerusalem. 00:02:41.939 --> 00:02:44.680 And because we know where the story goes, 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:51.319 that means that as we look at these people working together to rebuild Jerusalem 2,400 years ago, 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:55.040 we can apply some of this to the ways we approach our work. 00:02:55.719 --> 00:02:59.819 And we can begin to make connections between our work that God has given us to do 00:02:59.819 --> 00:03:07.260 and His larger project of renewal culminating in the new Jerusalem, the new creation at the end of all history. 00:03:07.259 --> 00:03:13.219 So we're going to look at this list of names and we're going to see that it teaches us three things about our work 00:03:13.219 --> 00:03:17.139 and the relationship between our work and the kingdom of God. 00:03:17.299 --> 00:03:19.019 So let's pray and then we'll dive in. 00:03:19.819 --> 00:03:21.439 Lord, we thank You for Your Word. 00:03:21.679 --> 00:03:25.479 We thank You that it is not just ink and paper, 00:03:26.099 --> 00:03:27.560 but that it is living and active, 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:30.180 that because of Your presence with us and Your Holy Spirit, 00:03:30.579 --> 00:03:32.139 because of Your grace and Your love, 00:03:32.459 --> 00:03:34.659 that You're able to do Your work in us through Your Word. 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:36.639 And we ask for that this morning. 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:38.539 We ask that we would have hearts that are open, 00:03:39.319 --> 00:03:42.379 that we would be willing to place ourselves under the authority of Your Word, 00:03:43.059 --> 00:03:46.039 that You would stir up those who have become complacent, 00:03:46.139 --> 00:03:48.759 that You would comfort those who are afflicted. 00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:53.359 Lord, that in all ways You would do what only You can do in us, 00:03:53.379 --> 00:03:55.099 and that through Your Word written, 00:03:55.279 --> 00:03:58.299 we would come to see Your living Word, Jesus Christ. 00:03:58.919 --> 00:04:00.799 And it's in His name that we pray. Amen. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:00.900 Amen. 00:04:02.700 --> 00:04:08.060 So three things that we can learn from this list of names and work assignments 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:10.980 about our work that God has given us to do. 00:04:11.040 --> 00:04:12.960 The first thing that we see right away is this, 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:18.240 that our work is sacred in the kingdom of God. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:22.580 Our work is sacred in the kingdom of God. 00:04:22.579 --> 00:04:29.180 In our culture, we have a tendency to think in dualistic ways about work. 00:04:29.259 --> 00:04:35.120 We tend to divide work into sacred work and secular work. 00:04:35.620 --> 00:04:39.539 This, in some ways, goes back to medieval Catholicism. 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:42.579 It was heightened by the Enlightenment. 00:04:43.339 --> 00:04:49.060 It was further heightened by the emphasis of the separation of church and state. 00:04:49.060 --> 00:04:53.100 There's been lots of rounds of things that have happened throughout history 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:56.379 that have deepened this sense of divide in our minds 00:04:56.379 --> 00:05:02.300 between sacred kinds of work, pastors, missionaries, and secular work. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:05.459 And along with that division, there's a kind of hierarchy. 00:05:06.300 --> 00:05:09.019 People tend to see sacred work as somehow more important, 00:05:09.180 --> 00:05:11.399 higher up the tree, the hierarchy. 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:15.720 Secular work is necessary because somebody needs to give the offering, 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:19.700 but it's seen as lower down in the hierarchy. 00:05:20.740 --> 00:05:24.640 That is not, I would say, a biblical view of work. 00:05:24.980 --> 00:05:30.060 And it is certainly not the view of work that we see here reflected in Nehemiah. 00:05:30.900 --> 00:05:36.040 Some people have tried to spiritualize the order in which we are given these names, 00:05:36.520 --> 00:05:39.800 but then some archaeological work was done in the 1960s. 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:43.360 And I think it was a woman named Kathleen Kenyon, 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:47.639 and she helped us understand what Nehemiah is actually doing. 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.480 If you look at ancient maps of the wall of Jerusalem, 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:55.280 we realize Nehemiah is giving us a counterclockwise tour around the wall. 00:05:56.080 --> 00:05:56.960 That's all he's doing. 00:05:58.259 --> 00:06:00.900 So he's giving us a counterclockwise tour. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:03.580 He starts with the sheep gate. 00:06:03.840 --> 00:06:06.900 He goes all the way around the wall, and he ends at the sheep gate. 00:06:06.899 --> 00:06:12.319 You can almost imagine him riding along, riding down as he goes. 00:06:12.699 --> 00:06:13.859 Okay, there over there. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:15.019 Okay, he's there. 00:06:15.339 --> 00:06:15.939 There, there. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:18.699 And he goes around the wall, and he just lists it as he sees it. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:23.500 And one of the first things we notice is that there are priests and religious leaders listed, 00:06:23.659 --> 00:06:26.459 but they're listed right alongside everyone else. 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:27.739 There's no separation. 00:06:27.939 --> 00:06:28.759 There's no distinction. 00:06:28.939 --> 00:06:31.359 There's no priority given to them over anyone else. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:37.199 And this accurately reflects the larger biblical view of work in general, 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:45.240 that from God's perspective, there is no sacred, secular divide when it comes to our work in the world. 00:06:45.780 --> 00:06:49.660 The Bible actually begins with God himself going to work, 00:06:50.400 --> 00:06:52.460 showing us that God is the ultimate entrepreneur. 00:06:52.780 --> 00:06:54.259 He's in the business of creation. 00:06:54.259 --> 00:06:58.399 And then we have the first problem in creation. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:00.279 It's not the fall. 00:07:01.159 --> 00:07:03.819 This is before sin entered in. 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:07.360 The first problem is in Genesis chapter 2, verse 5. 00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:11.719 Everything's in place, but there is no one to work the ground. 00:07:13.300 --> 00:07:15.139 Now, it's easy to just skip right over that, 00:07:15.219 --> 00:07:17.719 but we need to think about what that actually means. 00:07:17.720 --> 00:07:25.300 The story begins by God creating and ordering a world that is perfect and yet unfinished. 00:07:26.300 --> 00:07:27.220 It's unfinished. 00:07:28.200 --> 00:07:33.220 It's a world that by design is full of potential, 00:07:33.400 --> 00:07:35.720 but that potential needs to be realized. 00:07:36.620 --> 00:07:39.360 So God intentionally creates a world that is incomplete, 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:41.160 and it needs something. 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:43.960 And it turns out, if you keep reading, that something is us. 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:50.459 God puts Adam in the midst of his creation and says, 00:07:50.979 --> 00:07:51.479 get to work. 00:07:52.979 --> 00:07:55.060 In Genesis chapter 1, verse 28, 00:07:55.339 --> 00:07:57.979 this is what we have come to call the cultural mandate. 00:07:58.199 --> 00:07:59.740 God creates humans and tells them, 00:08:00.099 --> 00:08:02.839 be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it 00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:04.859 and exercise dominion over it. 00:08:05.039 --> 00:08:06.859 Now, what exactly does that mean? 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:12.699 The Bible scholar Nancy Piercy unpacks this verse in a wonderful way. 00:08:12.699 --> 00:08:15.959 She says, the first phrase, be fruitful and multiply, 00:08:16.539 --> 00:08:18.680 means to develop the social world. 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:20.680 It's not just talking about having babies. 00:08:21.099 --> 00:08:23.959 It is talking about that, but it's talking about much more than that. 00:08:25.579 --> 00:08:26.939 Developing the social world. 00:08:27.019 --> 00:08:31.659 In other words, build families, churches, schools, cities, governments, laws. 00:08:32.319 --> 00:08:36.600 The second phrase, subdue the earth, means to harness the natural world, 00:08:36.939 --> 00:08:40.319 plant crops, build bridges, design computers, compose music. 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:43.980 Taken together, this tells us that our original purpose 00:08:43.980 --> 00:08:48.900 was to create cultures, build civilizations, nothing less. 00:08:50.580 --> 00:08:54.600 We were created to work, to take the potential of creation 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:57.780 and bring it to its fulfillment. 00:08:57.779 --> 00:09:01.740 God made a world that by design needs work, 00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:03.259 and he created us to do that work. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:04.620 The point is this. 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:07.299 God cares about your work. 00:09:08.980 --> 00:09:10.779 God cares about your work. 00:09:12.319 --> 00:09:14.319 Because he created you to work. 00:09:15.459 --> 00:09:17.839 So even if you feel like nobody sees you, 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:19.600 God sees you. 00:09:20.379 --> 00:09:22.919 Even if you feel like no one knows the hours 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:24.980 that you put in behind the scenes, 00:09:24.980 --> 00:09:26.300 God knows. 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:29.279 Even if you feel like your work doesn't matter, 00:09:29.379 --> 00:09:31.440 it matters a great deal to God. 00:09:32.060 --> 00:09:33.539 Because when we work 00:09:33.539 --> 00:09:36.759 the way we were created to work, 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:38.860 we glorify God. 00:09:40.139 --> 00:09:42.500 It doesn't matter if we're digging ditches 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:44.000 or doing brain surgery. 00:09:45.379 --> 00:09:48.060 We are doing what God created us to do 00:09:48.060 --> 00:09:48.960 when we work. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:50.680 This is one of the reasons why 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:54.639 it makes sense that the Hebrew word avodah 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:56.539 means two things, 00:09:56.579 --> 00:09:57.899 and it's used interchangeably. 00:09:58.079 --> 00:09:59.000 In the Old Testament, 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:00.179 it means work. 00:10:00.739 --> 00:10:02.399 It also means worship. 00:10:02.959 --> 00:10:06.079 The same word means work and worship. 00:10:06.239 --> 00:10:07.339 From God's perspective, 00:10:08.099 --> 00:10:10.399 work is in itself 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:12.839 a way to worship and glorify him. 00:10:14.539 --> 00:10:17.179 So just think about this question 00:10:17.179 --> 00:10:17.959 before we move on. 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:19.420 How would this change 00:10:19.420 --> 00:10:22.040 the way you approach your job 00:10:22.040 --> 00:10:23.740 if you were to pause 00:10:23.740 --> 00:10:25.580 and reflect on what we're talking about 00:10:25.580 --> 00:10:27.259 for just a few minutes every day? 00:10:29.620 --> 00:10:30.440 Excuse me. 00:10:30.800 --> 00:10:31.060 Wow. 00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:32.780 Shouldn't do that again. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:35.139 What if every day 00:10:35.139 --> 00:10:37.000 you approach your laptop, 00:10:38.300 --> 00:10:39.740 the emails in your inbox, 00:10:40.580 --> 00:10:41.540 the phone calls, 00:10:42.100 --> 00:10:43.420 the meetings on your schedule, 00:10:43.720 --> 00:10:44.600 what if you approached 00:10:44.600 --> 00:10:45.780 all of those things 00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:47.679 as though you were a priest 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:50.279 entering into the temple 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:52.659 to offer worship to the Lord, 00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:54.279 to offer service to God? 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:55.860 Right? 00:10:55.899 --> 00:10:56.939 If you work from home, 00:10:57.860 --> 00:10:59.279 maybe you have a desk or an area, 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:00.980 a certain chair that you sit in at home. 00:11:01.059 --> 00:11:02.000 If you go into an office, 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:03.819 maybe you have a desk or a cubicle, 00:11:03.939 --> 00:11:05.339 some area that is your workspace. 00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:07.199 What if you entered into that workspace 00:11:07.199 --> 00:11:09.059 as though it were a sacred temple, 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:11.360 and you were a priest, 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:12.620 and you were there 00:11:12.620 --> 00:11:14.560 to render service to God? 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:17.879 Worship isn't confined 00:11:17.879 --> 00:11:18.940 to Sunday mornings. 00:11:19.139 --> 00:11:20.539 It's possible to worship God 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:22.120 every day of the week 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:23.460 by doing the work 00:11:23.460 --> 00:11:25.639 that God has given us to do 00:11:25.639 --> 00:11:27.659 in ways that glorify Him. 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:29.860 So our work is sacred 00:11:29.860 --> 00:11:30.940 in the kingdom of God. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:32.220 That's the first thing 00:11:32.220 --> 00:11:34.220 we can draw out of this text. 00:11:34.340 --> 00:11:34.879 Number two, 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:37.840 everyone has a job 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:39.620 in the economy of God. 00:11:39.620 --> 00:11:42.539 Everybody has a job. 00:11:43.340 --> 00:11:44.659 Nehemiah's list shows us 00:11:44.659 --> 00:11:46.460 how many different kinds of people 00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:48.960 are involved and necessary 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:51.600 in rebuilding the city. 00:11:52.419 --> 00:11:53.620 There are metal workers 00:11:53.620 --> 00:11:55.179 and perfumers and parents 00:11:55.179 --> 00:11:56.200 and government leaders 00:11:56.200 --> 00:11:57.159 and business people 00:11:57.159 --> 00:11:59.360 and retailers and contractors, 00:11:59.860 --> 00:12:01.360 all different kinds of people, 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:02.899 and they all have a job to do. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:03.779 In God's economy, 00:12:03.899 --> 00:12:05.759 the employment rate is 100%. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:07.399 There's no unemployment. 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:09.620 And there are different classes 00:12:09.620 --> 00:12:10.199 of people. 00:12:10.340 --> 00:12:11.379 There are wealthier, 00:12:11.419 --> 00:12:12.620 if you look into the backstory 00:12:12.620 --> 00:12:13.899 of some of these people 00:12:13.899 --> 00:12:17.000 that we can get pieces of their story 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:18.259 from other places in Scripture, 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:19.740 some of these people listed 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:21.319 are very wealthy aristocrats, 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:22.679 and they're working 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:23.959 right alongside the poor. 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:26.539 You have white-collar workers 00:12:26.539 --> 00:12:27.879 working right alongside 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:29.019 blue-collar workers. 00:12:29.659 --> 00:12:31.460 And the list even includes people 00:12:31.460 --> 00:12:33.620 who had messed up in the past. 00:12:33.620 --> 00:12:36.379 Malkijah, the son of Haram, 00:12:38.460 --> 00:12:40.620 first shows up in the book of Ezra. 00:12:41.259 --> 00:12:43.940 He first shows up in the previous book, Ezra. 00:12:44.700 --> 00:12:45.179 Thanks, brother. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:47.240 He first shows up in Ezra, 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:47.919 and in Ezra, 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:49.440 he's a very different sort of individual. 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:51.779 Ezra's calling God's people 00:12:51.779 --> 00:12:53.080 to repent and return to him, 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:55.279 and Malkijah is listed among the men 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:56.740 who had married foreign wives, 00:12:56.899 --> 00:12:58.159 which means he was probably 00:12:58.159 --> 00:12:59.820 worshiping foreign idol. 00:12:59.820 --> 00:13:08.120 How about that? 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:11.960 He's married into a kind of foreign tribe. 00:13:12.060 --> 00:13:13.120 He's worshiping foreign idols, 00:13:13.640 --> 00:13:14.980 and so he's listed among the people 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:15.740 who need to repent, 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:16.500 return to the Lord. 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:18.879 And then we see him here in Nehemiah 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:20.040 13 years later. 00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:21.820 He's clearly repented. 00:13:22.160 --> 00:13:23.680 He's clearly come back to the Lord, 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:25.420 and he's working right alongside 00:13:25.420 --> 00:13:26.200 everyone else. 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:27.280 There's a place for him. 00:13:28.060 --> 00:13:29.280 There's a place for everybody. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:33.079 Everybody is part of rebuilding the city. 00:13:34.059 --> 00:13:35.679 Everybody, every one of us, 00:13:35.740 --> 00:13:38.019 has a section of the wall, so to speak, 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:40.639 that we are responsible for repairing. 00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:43.019 And the only way we're gonna get it done 00:13:43.019 --> 00:13:44.620 is if everybody does their part. 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:46.959 It's if everybody pulls their weight. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:49.459 And that's exactly what it's like 00:13:49.459 --> 00:13:51.240 for those of us who are Christians. 00:13:52.100 --> 00:13:53.539 As I said, in God's kingdom, 00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:55.259 the employment rate is 100%. 00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:57.480 Every single one of us has a job to do. 00:13:57.480 --> 00:14:00.060 When it comes to the renewal of the world, 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:02.440 when it comes to God's great project 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:04.759 of renewing and restoring all that is broken, 00:14:05.340 --> 00:14:07.800 we all have a section of the wall 00:14:07.800 --> 00:14:09.899 that has been entrusted to us. 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.600 What that means is there are needs around you 00:14:12.600 --> 00:14:15.600 that only you are uniquely able to meet. 00:14:16.580 --> 00:14:19.600 Some of us do that work of repairing the wall 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:21.759 through leading or teaching. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:24.340 Some of us do it through organization 00:14:24.340 --> 00:14:26.659 or planning or administrating. 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:30.720 Some of us are parents or we teach or we are coaches. 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:34.679 Some of us offer counseling or encouragement or support. 00:14:34.840 --> 00:14:37.980 Some of us use our creativity or we are entrepreneurs. 00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:42.259 Some of us through physical work or serving or cleaning 00:14:42.259 --> 00:14:45.779 or fixing things or building things or selling things. 00:14:46.259 --> 00:14:46.340 Right? 00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:49.440 God can use you no matter who you are, 00:14:49.940 --> 00:14:51.720 no matter what you've done in the past. 00:14:52.040 --> 00:14:53.740 In fact, if you look at scripture, 00:14:53.920 --> 00:14:59.100 many times God delights in using the people 00:14:59.100 --> 00:15:03.519 we would think least likely to have a place in his kingdom. 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:05.960 He delights in taking the person that everybody says, 00:15:06.220 --> 00:15:07.620 I don't want them on my team. 00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:09.420 I don't want them on my labor crew. 00:15:09.620 --> 00:15:11.420 And God says, I'm gonna do something amazing 00:15:11.420 --> 00:15:12.379 through that person. 00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:15.759 Because that's the kind of God he is. 00:15:16.059 --> 00:15:17.399 God can use almost anyone. 00:15:17.620 --> 00:15:18.919 There is one exception here though. 00:15:19.980 --> 00:15:21.500 We see it right in the middle of the passage. 00:15:22.220 --> 00:15:25.259 As we read along, we see people standing shoulder to shoulder, 00:15:25.899 --> 00:15:26.960 all working together. 00:15:27.059 --> 00:15:28.220 If you were listening to Sharon Reed, 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:30.539 it's this person was next to this person 00:15:30.539 --> 00:15:31.980 and this person was next to this person. 00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:33.419 But we get to verse five. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:36.960 And next to them, Zadok the son of Banna repaired. 00:15:37.559 --> 00:15:39.440 And next to them, the Techoites repaired. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:41.259 Listen to this. 00:15:41.259 --> 00:15:44.639 But their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord. 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:49.819 The nobles from Tekoa are the only ones listed 00:15:49.819 --> 00:15:52.139 who refuse to join in the work. 00:15:52.259 --> 00:15:53.220 They're the only ones. 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:55.000 Why? 00:15:55.419 --> 00:15:56.559 Well, it literally says, 00:15:57.480 --> 00:15:59.740 and their nobles would not bend the neck. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:02.700 So the issue here is pride. 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:09.139 God cannot and God will not use people who are prideful. 00:16:09.139 --> 00:16:12.000 The Bible is very clear on this. 00:16:12.059 --> 00:16:14.460 The Apostle James says God opposes the proud, 00:16:15.419 --> 00:16:16.840 but gives grace to the humble. 00:16:16.980 --> 00:16:18.480 Jesus Christ himself says, 00:16:18.699 --> 00:16:21.039 whoever exalts himself will be humbled 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:24.319 and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:28.060 Now, when we talk about pride, 00:16:28.160 --> 00:16:31.800 what we're really talking about is our general view of life, 00:16:32.379 --> 00:16:34.560 our general view of what life is all about. 00:16:35.520 --> 00:16:41.860 Our culture strongly emphasizes self-exaltation. 00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:49.519 We're led through a variety of influences to believe that it really is all about me. 00:16:50.680 --> 00:16:52.120 It's all about my accomplishments, 00:16:52.860 --> 00:16:53.840 my accolades, 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:55.379 my achievements. 00:16:55.379 --> 00:16:59.279 When we hide this, 00:16:59.580 --> 00:17:03.279 we try to hide that attitude under a kind of veneer of false humility, 00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:06.140 what we often call humble bragging. 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:11.640 We find ingenious, creative, rhetorical strategies for bragging 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:13.579 without seeming like we're bragging. 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:16.460 David Brooks writes a lot about this. 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:21.160 He says that our humble bragging has become so unapologetic 00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:24.259 that now humility is the new pride. 00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:31.800 We have ways of aggressively promoting our humility 00:17:31.800 --> 00:17:36.600 such that it has become its own manifestation of pride. 00:17:36.660 --> 00:17:37.440 Just go on Twitter. 00:17:39.580 --> 00:17:42.540 You see people all the time on Twitter saying things like, 00:17:42.620 --> 00:17:45.120 you know, I was so humbled to receive this award. 00:17:47.620 --> 00:17:50.420 I'm so humbled to accept this position. 00:17:51.160 --> 00:17:51.640 Right? 00:17:52.140 --> 00:17:53.300 And what Brooks says is, 00:17:53.420 --> 00:17:55.779 you never see people tweeting about something 00:17:55.779 --> 00:17:57.500 that would actually lead to humility. 00:17:58.300 --> 00:18:01.940 Like, I'm humbled that I went to a party and nobody noticed me. 00:18:02.540 --> 00:18:06.040 Or, I'm humbled that I got fired for incompetence. 00:18:06.740 --> 00:18:08.860 Like, nobody tweets that. 00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:11.340 But that would actually lead to humility. 00:18:12.620 --> 00:18:12.880 Right? 00:18:13.080 --> 00:18:16.500 So we have this kind of aggressive false humility that we put out there. 00:18:16.820 --> 00:18:20.940 True humility flows out of a right view of reality, 00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:21.860 which is simply this. 00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:23.820 It is not about us. 00:18:26.019 --> 00:18:27.220 It's not about me. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:29.220 It's not about you. 00:18:30.299 --> 00:18:31.680 We're not the protagonist. 00:18:33.640 --> 00:18:34.860 It's about God. 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:37.700 It's about God's purposes for our lives. 00:18:38.820 --> 00:18:40.380 Until we wrestle with that, 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:42.039 our lives are not going to make sense. 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:46.659 Because reality constantly reminds us, 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:48.019 it's not about you. 00:18:49.399 --> 00:18:50.659 You're not the hero. 00:18:53.099 --> 00:18:56.619 Verse 5 is actually heartbreaking when you really think about it. 00:18:56.619 --> 00:19:03.019 These nobles had the chance to be listed among all of these people, 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:06.119 all joining in and doing this work together. 00:19:06.539 --> 00:19:07.759 This could have read, 00:19:08.119 --> 00:19:12.479 everyone worked and no one worked harder than the nobles from Tekoa. 00:19:13.339 --> 00:19:15.719 That's what it could have said for all of history. 00:19:16.479 --> 00:19:17.179 But instead, 00:19:17.859 --> 00:19:18.839 they are remembered, 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:21.299 they are singled out for all of history 00:19:21.299 --> 00:19:25.240 as the only ones who refused to participate. 00:19:26.220 --> 00:19:27.500 All because of pride. 00:19:29.220 --> 00:19:30.419 It makes you wonder, 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:35.139 what are we missing out on 00:19:35.139 --> 00:19:37.839 in our lives because of pride? 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:41.339 What great work 00:19:41.339 --> 00:19:44.079 are we not a part of? 00:19:44.259 --> 00:19:45.859 What opportunities 00:19:45.859 --> 00:19:47.899 are we blind to? 00:19:48.659 --> 00:19:50.740 What doors remain closed? 00:19:50.899 --> 00:19:53.240 What stones remain unturned 00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:56.039 because we think it's all about us? 00:19:56.519 --> 00:19:59.139 Because we're so focused on what we think we owed 00:19:59.139 --> 00:20:01.819 or on proving ourselves 00:20:01.819 --> 00:20:04.399 or on what other people think about us 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.560 that we're excluded from what God's doing 00:20:08.560 --> 00:20:10.460 right in front of us. 00:20:11.540 --> 00:20:15.940 God uses people who are simply willing to say yes to him. 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:18.620 People who say, 00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:20.460 I'm not above whatever you would call me to do. 00:20:21.620 --> 00:20:23.300 People who say in the words of the prophets, 00:20:23.580 --> 00:20:24.860 here I am, Lord, send me. 00:20:25.700 --> 00:20:26.259 I'll do it. 00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:31.800 If you're wondering what God's purposes in your life might be, 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:33.340 if you're seeking to know that, 00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:34.939 that's a great place to begin 00:20:34.939 --> 00:20:36.720 just by simply praying that prayer. 00:20:37.439 --> 00:20:39.359 Every day, saying yes to God, 00:20:39.459 --> 00:20:40.980 saying here I am, Lord, send me, 00:20:41.339 --> 00:20:42.679 and then saying yes 00:20:42.679 --> 00:20:46.099 to whatever comes your way. 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:49.839 So this brings us actually to the third point. 00:20:49.939 --> 00:20:51.079 Number one, the first point, 00:20:51.139 --> 00:20:52.819 our work is sacred in the kingdom of God. 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:57.019 Number two, everyone has a job in the economy of God. 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:01.159 Number three, the work we do, 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:03.740 all the work we do is in service to God. 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:07.300 With the exception of the nobles from Toccoa, 00:21:07.340 --> 00:21:10.140 the rest of the community actually sets an amazing example 00:21:10.140 --> 00:21:12.279 for how to approach our work. 00:21:12.840 --> 00:21:15.779 For starters, they were truly humble. 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:18.680 Some of the professions listed 00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:20.460 would have been quite lucrative. 00:21:21.500 --> 00:21:22.920 These are not all people 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:24.740 who are accustomed to manual labor, 00:21:25.360 --> 00:21:27.180 and yet they're willing to roll up their sleeves 00:21:27.180 --> 00:21:29.460 and do the hard work necessary to get the job done. 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.960 No one is above doing whatever task 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:35.420 might be required of them. 00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:37.539 You know, there was a great example of this yesterday. 00:21:40.080 --> 00:21:42.480 We've bought and we now own this property 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:43.580 at Fifth and Q Northwest. 00:21:43.820 --> 00:21:44.880 We're renovating it now. 00:21:45.180 --> 00:21:46.580 We're raising money now, actually, 00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:48.060 to renovate it over the next year. 00:21:48.420 --> 00:21:50.440 And it had gotten really overgrown 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:51.940 because we're not able to use it yet, 00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:54.360 because we are still doing that work. 00:21:54.900 --> 00:21:57.039 And so we had to go do some work. 00:21:57.220 --> 00:21:59.799 And so some of the men from the men's ministry 00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:02.080 said, we'll take care of it. 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:05.440 And we had a bunch of guys show up on Saturday morning, 00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:06.620 and they brought a bunch of tools 00:22:06.620 --> 00:22:09.200 and spent a couple of hours out there. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:12.140 You know, we just, we were trimming hedges, 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:13.980 and we were, you know, mowing grass 00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:16.640 and pulling out weeds and hauling stuff away. 00:22:16.840 --> 00:22:18.440 And it was just a couple of hours of guys. 00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:21.880 Now, some of these guys may have super important job titles. 00:22:22.080 --> 00:22:24.220 They may have lots of people who wanna meet with them. 00:22:24.340 --> 00:22:26.840 They may have, you know, but they're like, 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:27.840 a job needs to be done? 00:22:28.180 --> 00:22:29.120 We're gonna take care of it. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:30.440 You want me to pull weeds? 00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:31.200 You want me to get dirty? 00:22:31.580 --> 00:22:32.480 We'll take care of it. 00:22:32.900 --> 00:22:33.980 And it's that kind of attitude. 00:22:34.120 --> 00:22:35.440 It's such a beautiful thing in the church. 00:22:35.500 --> 00:22:36.519 When you have somebody in the church 00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:40.660 who might, in another kind of sphere of life, 00:22:40.900 --> 00:22:43.779 they might be the CEO of a multinational corporation, right? 00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:46.279 They might be a high-level political leader, right? 00:22:46.279 --> 00:22:49.460 But in the church, they might be setting up folding chairs. 00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:51.559 They might be taking out the trash. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:54.220 It's beautiful when you see God's people 00:22:54.220 --> 00:22:56.180 gather together with true humility, 00:22:56.700 --> 00:22:58.099 willing to do whatever needs to be done. 00:22:58.299 --> 00:22:59.899 Another characteristic you see here 00:22:59.899 --> 00:23:01.680 is that these people demonstrate 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:03.960 a generous commitment to the common good. 00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:07.339 You need to read closely to figure this out, 00:23:07.420 --> 00:23:09.799 but it's not only the citizens of Jerusalem 00:23:09.799 --> 00:23:11.039 who are building the wall. 00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:13.599 There are volunteers who are coming in 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:15.019 from the surrounding region, 00:23:15.339 --> 00:23:17.480 traveling 15 or 20 miles to help. 00:23:18.179 --> 00:23:19.199 Now, these are people who, 00:23:19.339 --> 00:23:21.459 they did not directly benefit 00:23:21.459 --> 00:23:23.179 from Jerusalem being rebuilt. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:25.139 They had their own farms. 00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:26.299 They had their own communities. 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:27.379 They had their own workshops. 00:23:27.639 --> 00:23:28.619 They had their own families. 00:23:28.859 --> 00:23:31.000 They had stuff that needed to be maintained back home, 00:23:31.679 --> 00:23:33.439 but they were willing to leave their homes 00:23:33.439 --> 00:23:35.740 and their families in order to offer themselves 00:23:35.740 --> 00:23:36.939 in service of the city. 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:40.600 And there are several examples of people who, 00:23:40.860 --> 00:23:42.519 when they finish their section of the wall, 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:44.299 the Tekoites are one of these examples, 00:23:44.600 --> 00:23:45.880 they finish their section, 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:47.519 and then they go on to do another section. 00:23:48.340 --> 00:23:49.820 These are people who are so generous, 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.100 they're willing to go above and beyond. 00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:54.660 Now, why are they so exemplary? 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:57.539 I believe it's because they knew, 00:23:57.620 --> 00:23:59.240 because Nehemiah makes it very clear 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:00.759 in the previous chapters, 00:24:01.500 --> 00:24:04.200 because they knew they weren't just working 00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:05.240 for their boss, 00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:08.500 but they were working for their boss's boss. 00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:11.080 They might be digging a ditch. 00:24:11.340 --> 00:24:12.580 They might be building a fence. 00:24:12.980 --> 00:24:13.480 They might be, 00:24:13.799 --> 00:24:15.039 they might have a foreman 00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:16.420 who's telling them what to do. 00:24:16.519 --> 00:24:17.340 That's their boss. 00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:19.840 But they know that ultimately, 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:21.019 they're working for the Lord. 00:24:22.420 --> 00:24:24.660 That's how Paul talks about Christian work 00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:26.039 in Colossians chapter three. 00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:27.319 He says, 00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:29.160 whatever you do, 00:24:29.559 --> 00:24:32.140 work heartily as for the Lord 00:24:32.140 --> 00:24:33.200 and not for men, 00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:34.920 knowing that from the Lord, 00:24:35.019 --> 00:24:36.440 you will receive the inheritance 00:24:36.440 --> 00:24:37.720 as your reward. 00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:40.920 You are serving the Lord Christ. 00:24:41.779 --> 00:24:42.340 He's saying, 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:43.840 whatever your job is, 00:24:44.180 --> 00:24:45.900 whether you have a supervisor, 00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:48.360 whether you're self-employed, 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:51.080 work wholeheartedly 00:24:51.080 --> 00:24:52.400 because you're working for Jesus. 00:24:53.600 --> 00:24:54.500 And that, my friends, 00:24:54.580 --> 00:24:57.100 is the real definition of Christian work. 00:24:57.299 --> 00:25:00.160 It's not limited to any particular career path. 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:02.759 It's working wholeheartedly 00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:04.860 in whatever job you've been given 00:25:04.860 --> 00:25:07.360 because you know that you're serving Jesus. 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:11.519 Whatever career you have chosen, 00:25:12.779 --> 00:25:14.920 there are ways of doing your job 00:25:14.920 --> 00:25:17.720 that are sinful and idolatrous, 00:25:17.720 --> 00:25:20.100 and there are ways of doing your work 00:25:20.100 --> 00:25:22.680 that honor and obey and glorify Jesus. 00:25:22.680 --> 00:25:24.960 That's the difference between Christian 00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:26.320 and secular work. 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:28.759 So you can have somebody 00:25:28.759 --> 00:25:31.120 with a very sacred job title, 00:25:31.320 --> 00:25:32.759 like a pastor, 00:25:33.420 --> 00:25:35.320 but that person does their work 00:25:35.320 --> 00:25:36.799 in a very secular way. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.680 They mistreat their staff. 00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:41.700 They use the church as a vehicle 00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:43.460 for their own fame and success 00:25:43.460 --> 00:25:45.200 rather than as a place 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.740 to serve and minister. 00:25:47.860 --> 00:25:49.360 Likewise, you can have somebody 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:51.119 with a very secular job title, 00:25:51.699 --> 00:25:52.859 but they do their work 00:25:52.859 --> 00:25:54.319 in a very sacred way. 00:25:55.379 --> 00:25:56.299 You know, I was at an event, 00:25:56.419 --> 00:25:57.199 Laura and I were at an event 00:25:57.199 --> 00:25:58.119 a couple of weeks ago, 00:25:58.619 --> 00:26:00.039 and we ended up meeting 00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:01.919 the head of the catering company 00:26:01.919 --> 00:26:04.559 responsible for catering the event. 00:26:05.259 --> 00:26:06.599 And we made the connection, 00:26:06.759 --> 00:26:08.159 you sort of feeling each other out, 00:26:08.199 --> 00:26:09.639 and we realized pretty quickly 00:26:09.639 --> 00:26:10.679 that we're both Christians. 00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:12.759 And then this man 00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:14.459 just begins to pour out his heart. 00:26:15.079 --> 00:26:16.979 And he gave one of the most passionate 00:26:16.980 --> 00:26:18.980 and beautiful descriptions 00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:21.599 of biblical hospitality, 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:24.019 of the central importance 00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:25.240 of table fellowship, 00:26:25.940 --> 00:26:27.220 of the way he believes 00:26:27.220 --> 00:26:29.779 hospitality, generous hospitality, 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:31.000 has the power to change 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:32.180 and transform people, 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:33.440 and how that connected 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:34.440 to his own story 00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:35.539 of coming to know Jesus 00:26:35.539 --> 00:26:36.920 and being transformed by him. 00:26:37.660 --> 00:26:39.180 And I was tearing up. 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:42.000 And then I saw the way 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:43.900 this man treated his employees 00:26:43.900 --> 00:26:46.079 as well as the guests, 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:47.240 how he treated everybody 00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:48.500 with incredible respect 00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:51.319 and kindness and patience. 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:53.599 You know, that man, 00:26:53.899 --> 00:26:58.220 that man is a priest, right? 00:26:58.279 --> 00:26:59.879 His sanctuary just happens 00:26:59.879 --> 00:27:01.220 to be the dining room, 00:27:01.619 --> 00:27:03.439 and his sermons come 00:27:03.439 --> 00:27:05.379 in the form of the meals he serves 00:27:05.379 --> 00:27:07.659 and the way he responds 00:27:07.659 --> 00:27:08.579 to his employees 00:27:08.579 --> 00:27:10.460 when they're 30 minutes behind. 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:12.480 Right? 00:27:12.539 --> 00:27:13.699 That's what it looks like 00:27:13.699 --> 00:27:15.119 for someone to do their work 00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:16.259 as though they are doing it 00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:16.899 for Jesus. 00:27:17.479 --> 00:27:18.459 It was very clear 00:27:18.459 --> 00:27:20.339 to see this guy in action. 00:27:20.459 --> 00:27:21.079 It was very clear 00:27:21.079 --> 00:27:21.899 who he serves. 00:27:25.139 --> 00:27:26.119 Let's bring all this 00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:26.759 to a close. 00:27:27.719 --> 00:27:29.179 When you wake up tomorrow, 00:27:29.679 --> 00:27:32.039 wherever you are going, 00:27:32.500 --> 00:27:33.759 whatever you're going to do, 00:27:33.879 --> 00:27:36.179 whatever tasks lay before you, 00:27:36.859 --> 00:27:38.379 I want you to try 00:27:38.379 --> 00:27:39.199 to do your best 00:27:39.199 --> 00:27:40.759 to remember these three things. 00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:42.220 Number one, 00:27:42.359 --> 00:27:44.099 your work is sacred 00:27:44.099 --> 00:27:45.299 in the kingdom of God. 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:45.960 What would it look like 00:27:45.960 --> 00:27:46.759 for you to approach 00:27:46.759 --> 00:27:47.980 your tasks tomorrow 00:27:47.980 --> 00:27:50.460 as though you were doing 00:27:50.460 --> 00:27:51.359 the sacred work 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:53.200 of leading worship 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:55.000 in the temple? 00:27:56.160 --> 00:27:56.799 Number two, 00:27:56.900 --> 00:27:57.779 you have a job 00:27:57.779 --> 00:27:59.180 in the economy of God. 00:28:00.460 --> 00:28:01.640 Ask God what that is. 00:28:01.819 --> 00:28:02.879 Ask God to help you 00:28:02.879 --> 00:28:04.200 understand what is 00:28:04.200 --> 00:28:05.460 your section of the wall. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:06.920 How is your work connected 00:28:06.920 --> 00:28:07.660 to the renewal 00:28:07.660 --> 00:28:08.700 that God is doing 00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:10.300 around you 00:28:10.300 --> 00:28:11.660 in whatever spheres 00:28:11.660 --> 00:28:12.340 you occupy? 00:28:13.540 --> 00:28:14.200 And then number three, 00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:15.560 remember that the work you do, 00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:16.380 you ultimately do 00:28:16.380 --> 00:28:17.960 in service to God. 00:28:18.080 --> 00:28:19.440 You may hate your boss. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:23.100 You may have a boss 00:28:23.100 --> 00:28:24.560 that treats you unfairly. 00:28:25.460 --> 00:28:26.200 You don't feel like 00:28:26.200 --> 00:28:27.320 it's worthy of your respect. 00:28:27.740 --> 00:28:28.340 But remember that 00:28:28.340 --> 00:28:29.259 your boss has a boss. 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:30.620 One day, 00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:31.980 your boss will be called 00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:34.060 to account by his boss. 00:28:34.800 --> 00:28:35.860 And remember that ultimately, 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:36.980 the one that you're serving 00:28:36.980 --> 00:28:38.799 is Jesus. 00:28:40.259 --> 00:28:41.960 And so work wholeheartedly. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:44.599 And as you work, 00:28:45.299 --> 00:28:47.160 rest in and trust in the fact 00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:48.839 that God delights 00:28:48.839 --> 00:28:50.299 in you doing that 00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:51.960 every bit as much 00:28:51.960 --> 00:28:52.579 as he delights 00:28:52.579 --> 00:28:53.519 in us coming together 00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:54.880 and singing praises to him. 00:28:55.559 --> 00:28:57.059 God delights in you doing 00:28:57.059 --> 00:28:57.700 what he put you 00:28:57.700 --> 00:28:59.039 on this earth to do. 00:28:59.700 --> 00:29:00.259 Let's pray. 00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:04.400 Lord, we love you 00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:05.299 and we thank you 00:29:05.299 --> 00:29:07.919 that even though 00:29:07.919 --> 00:29:08.899 none of us deserve it 00:29:08.899 --> 00:29:09.599 and none of us 00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:11.659 even asked for it, 00:29:11.919 --> 00:29:12.960 that somehow we have been 00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:13.839 enfolded into 00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:15.019 and invited into 00:29:15.019 --> 00:29:16.919 being a part of the work 00:29:16.919 --> 00:29:17.440 of renewal 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:17.899 that you're doing 00:29:17.899 --> 00:29:18.559 in the world, Lord. 00:29:19.419 --> 00:29:20.359 And this is only 00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:21.599 because of your grace 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:23.519 that we on our own 00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:24.700 don't deserve any of this. 00:29:24.779 --> 00:29:25.740 We can't repay. 00:29:26.639 --> 00:29:27.819 And yet it's your delight 00:29:27.819 --> 00:29:29.200 to forgive us 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:30.419 and to bless us 00:29:30.419 --> 00:29:31.480 and to include us 00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:32.440 and to give us 00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:33.440 a section of the wall. 00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:34.940 Lord, we are all 00:29:34.940 --> 00:29:35.759 like that man, 00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:36.640 Melchizedek, Lord. 00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:38.420 We've all gone astray. 00:29:38.539 --> 00:29:39.480 We've all gone after 00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:40.519 other gods. 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:41.160 We've all tried 00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:42.259 to glorify ourselves. 00:29:43.059 --> 00:29:43.759 But you've given us 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:44.819 a path of restoration. 00:29:45.380 --> 00:29:45.940 You've given us 00:29:45.940 --> 00:29:46.539 a way back 00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:47.480 to be a part 00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:48.720 of the real work 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:49.259 that's happening. 00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:50.059 And I pray that you 00:29:50.059 --> 00:29:50.740 give us a vision 00:29:50.740 --> 00:29:51.660 to see and understand 00:29:51.660 --> 00:29:53.059 how the work that we do 00:29:53.059 --> 00:29:53.779 Monday to Friday 00:29:53.779 --> 00:29:55.920 connects to that larger work 00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:56.240 of renewal 00:29:56.240 --> 00:29:56.680 that you're doing 00:29:56.680 --> 00:29:57.079 in the world. 00:29:57.860 --> 00:29:58.740 I pray that you 00:29:58.740 --> 00:29:59.059 would give us 00:29:59.059 --> 00:29:59.819 a renewed vigor 00:29:59.819 --> 00:30:01.139 and passion for it 00:30:01.139 --> 00:30:01.759 because of you. 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:03.460 That we would understand 00:30:03.460 --> 00:30:04.419 that the meaning 00:30:04.419 --> 00:30:04.879 of our work 00:30:04.879 --> 00:30:05.440 doesn't come from 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:06.000 what we do. 00:30:06.539 --> 00:30:07.259 It comes from 00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:08.139 the one we do it for. 00:30:09.220 --> 00:30:09.859 Lord, I pray that you 00:30:09.859 --> 00:30:10.679 would keep this central 00:30:10.679 --> 00:30:11.279 in our minds. 00:30:11.419 --> 00:30:12.639 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:30:12.839 --> 00:30:13.059 Amen.