WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.759 through the whole chapter verse 15 but it's pretty much the same all the way through to the end of 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:11.839 the chapter where you have all of these names listed and where you have certain things that 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:15.640 they did in repairing the wall of jerusalem 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:23.059 now my house such a relevant book at all times i know the whole bible is relevant to us 00:00:23.059 --> 00:00:28.160 in different ways but i think especially in the situations we're facing now 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:33.039 that nehemiah's book has so much to tell us and so much to encourage us by 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:41.320 he faced huge challenges to the work that he was doing for the lord but overcame them by the blessing 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:48.840 of the lord and he comes before us as a superb leader and every superb leader is a leader utterly 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:57.439 dependent on god and that's certainly what nehemiah was and as he was led by god and as he led the 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:03.739 people so we come to chapter three where the repairing of the wall is now taking place now 00:01:03.739 --> 00:01:09.500 the previous two chapters you find nehemiah himself referred to having come back from 00:01:09.500 --> 00:01:15.840 from where he was in exile along with others and he came back to 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:20.480 uh to jerusalem god brought him back there and he set about 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:27.159 first of all an assessment of the situation an inspection of the walls and then towards the end 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:33.520 of chapter two you find him exhorting those that especially were leaders of the people and uh 00:01:33.520 --> 00:01:41.620 exhorting them to take up their own role and to help him uh to actually come to repair not just the 00:01:41.620 --> 00:01:49.060 walls of jerusalem but the whole cause of god in jerusalem that has so long been reflected due to 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:57.880 their years in exile in babylon now the work can begin after the assessment inspection and exhortation 00:01:57.880 --> 00:02:06.439 are now over but why are we given such a chapter as this with a list of names which appears to be 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:11.819 really not much more than just a list of names of course there are other chapters in the bible like 00:02:11.819 --> 00:02:19.699 that as well and when we're reading perhaps we're uh attending maybe or tempted uh just to skip over 00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:24.599 this chapter if you're reading through the bible in your daily readings for example and you'd come to 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:29.960 nehemiah you might be tempted to say there's nothing really there but a list of names so i can easily 00:02:29.960 --> 00:02:35.300 skip over chapter three and move to chapter four and i really wouldn't have missed much out except 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:40.980 all these difficult hebrew names so that would be a mistake of course because there is no section of 00:02:40.980 --> 00:02:47.819 the bible that is that isn't relevant in its own right there's no section of the bible no section of 00:02:47.819 --> 00:02:54.020 any chapter no chapter in itself every single chapter every passage every verse indeed in the bible is 00:02:54.020 --> 00:03:01.580 relevant and significant in its own right and placed exactly where god intended it to be placed 00:03:01.580 --> 00:03:08.200 so we mustn't be tempted to skip over these sort of passages but just go through them slowly and look 00:03:08.200 --> 00:03:14.260 out at what's there apart from the list of names and try and sift through the list of names as if you 00:03:14.260 --> 00:03:20.920 were sifting through grains or stones looking for little precious bits and then sifting them out and 00:03:20.919 --> 00:03:26.759 finding them as you take time going through them and that's what this chapter is really like and this 00:03:26.759 --> 00:03:32.479 chapter was written not just for the record or for the official records of nehemiah's day it has 00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:38.079 theological importance for the people of nehemiah's day and for those who came after and of course now 00:03:38.079 --> 00:03:45.359 for ourselves as well it's theologically important because this chapter especially we can say we can 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:53.520 summarize it really tonight under two main points as to what it teaches it teaches us first of all about unity 00:03:53.520 --> 00:04:04.020 it teaches us secondly about continuity because these people are mentioned as united in this important work 00:04:04.020 --> 00:04:11.040 of building the wall of jerusalem of repairing it against their enemies and that's what we are given the privilege 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:18.939 of doing and being a united people against the attempts made by those who don't like the gospel to destroy 00:04:18.939 --> 00:04:25.899 the gospel to undermine our efforts to discourage us in the work and this chapter three of nehemiah will 00:04:25.899 --> 00:04:33.060 encourage us as we see how united they were and how that unity is described in this list of names throughout 00:04:33.060 --> 00:04:39.860 this chapter and then there's continuity as well because not only is this something that shows the 00:04:39.860 --> 00:04:44.860 unity of these people but it shows a continuity as well as we'll see towards the end of the study 00:04:44.860 --> 00:04:52.120 tonight how it's a continuity with what went before the exile 70 years or more before this 00:04:52.120 --> 00:05:00.040 and what also comes after as this leads us into the new testament and right up to our own present day as well 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:06.000 so there's a continuity between the people before that exile and also after that exile 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:11.800 and that's really brought together in the way they're listed here and spoken of here in nehemiah 3 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:19.640 so let's look at this there's a unity first of all and the chapter begins significantly by talking about 00:05:19.640 --> 00:05:26.120 the leaders talking about eliasheb the high priest who rose up with his brothers the priests 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:33.300 and they built the sheep gate and consecrated it and set up its doors and as we read through that part of the chapter 00:05:33.300 --> 00:05:40.019 so often it mentions the gates that they rebuilt the doors the bolts the bars in other words it's really telling us 00:05:40.019 --> 00:05:45.519 this this was not a quick fix it job this was something that was carefully done 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:51.519 they took account of all the detail as they went about the repairs whatever it was needed to be repaired 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:58.939 it didn't just repair it they repaired it soundly it was made to last was made with a view to providing 00:05:58.939 --> 00:06:06.419 for the covenant people from this day onwards these days onwards but you notice here they rose up 00:06:06.419 --> 00:06:15.419 these these leaders of of the people the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests and they built 00:06:15.420 --> 00:06:22.620 the sheep gate now that's a response to what you find in the previous chapter to the um the exhortations 00:06:22.620 --> 00:06:31.080 of nehemiah himself look at verse 20 there for example i replied to them uh this is when uh news was was 00:06:31.080 --> 00:06:37.900 was given him of their enemies that were going to try and uh stop the work and undermine the work and 00:06:37.900 --> 00:06:44.700 actually discourage the people then i replied to him the god of heaven will make us prosper and we his 00:06:44.699 --> 00:06:51.839 servants will arise and build but you have no portion or right or claim in jerusalem when we say 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:57.719 that to their enemies the god of heaven will make us prosper we will rise and build then you read in 00:06:57.719 --> 00:07:08.019 chapter three they rose up together they responded uh to this exhortation to come and take the leadership of 00:07:08.019 --> 00:07:13.240 rebuilding the walls of jerusalem and show the people that they were there to lead the people 00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:20.879 into the work of rebuilding re-establishing things in jerusalem they were stirred up to do so by the 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:26.639 words of nehemiah himself and especially by pointing them to god and to his promises and to the efficiency 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:34.100 and sufficiency of god and that's really what church leaders are for church leaders are there not to give 00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:41.400 political pontifications that doesn't mean we never cry disc and we never um criticize or give critiques of 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:47.039 those who are leaders in the political field we have to do that when they're contrary to the word of god 00:07:47.039 --> 00:07:52.779 we need to show that the leaders of the church need to show that they need to be to the to the forefront in 00:07:52.779 --> 00:07:59.459 doing that but your spiritual leaders tonight are there so that they will show you the example so that you 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:05.560 will be able to follow them so that they will be prominent and in first place in rising up to actually 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:14.600 build the walls of jerusalem spiritually of course i mean and so that's why you choose spiritual leaders 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:24.100 elders ministers to be over you so that by god's blessing by god's leadership himself by god's power 00:08:24.100 --> 00:08:30.860 we will prove to be effective in being the leaders of the church and it's always a challenge to us and 00:08:30.860 --> 00:08:38.139 that's why we we value your prayers so much it's always a challenge to us to be leaders in the church 00:08:38.139 --> 00:08:45.440 of god to be at the forefront the lord should never actually deflect us from from being that if that's 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:50.659 what god has led us to be but it is a challenge and we need your prayers and we value your prayers 00:08:50.659 --> 00:08:58.180 and we thank you for your prayers that you have risen up and that you've taken this role that god has led you 00:08:58.179 --> 00:09:06.939 to uh for the way in which we need the church to be led by people who themselves are led by god so 00:09:06.939 --> 00:09:11.799 that's the first thing to notice the leaders led the way but they led the way and you notice the 00:09:11.799 --> 00:09:18.479 emphasis on the sheep gate and apparently the sheep gate as they consecrated it and set up its doors 00:09:18.479 --> 00:09:25.959 it was part of the entry way to the temple and that itself is making an important point that this 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:33.740 repair work set god at the heart of it it had to do with building up the cause of god building up the 00:09:33.740 --> 00:09:39.700 people of god re-establishing the sacrifices in jerusalem that's really what the repairs were all 00:09:39.700 --> 00:09:47.180 about the physical repairs of the walls and of the altar and of the temple they were all for a certain 00:09:47.180 --> 00:09:54.900 end and that was to build up a community of believing people once again to re-establish a covenant 00:09:54.899 --> 00:10:03.579 people of god having come back from exile and so the leaders focused on the sheep gate they were more 00:10:03.579 --> 00:10:08.919 or less saying by that look we as your leaders want to give prominence to the temple we'd hear us 00:10:08.919 --> 00:10:15.740 leaders under god and so we want to show you that that's of primary concern the cause of god the worship 00:10:15.740 --> 00:10:21.740 of god that's what we're here to actually be leaders of and that's what is that's what it's like 00:10:21.740 --> 00:10:28.320 even to this day so the leaders led the way and then we find from then on that it speaks about the 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:37.440 whole people being involved the priests and the people named here by families in other words you 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:43.419 can say really that everybody contributed although we'll see there is an exception in a moment but 00:10:43.419 --> 00:10:50.039 everybody part of that exception contributed wholeheartedly and gladly to the work of building 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:59.759 or rebuilding the walls look at verse 12 for example even to the point of this man who's mentioned 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:06.980 here next to him shalom the son of halohesh ruler of half the district of jerusalem he repaired he 00:11:06.980 --> 00:11:14.120 contributed to their peers he and his daughters you'd imagine that daughters were going to be left out 00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:19.299 of this because a lot of it was pretty heavy work demanding work but no the others there's a reference 00:11:19.299 --> 00:11:25.139 there to his daughters we don't know how old they were whether they were really young or up in ages 00:11:25.139 --> 00:11:30.699 we don't know but they were there and that's a very important mention because they were not accepted 00:11:30.699 --> 00:11:38.139 just because they were daughters or female or had other responsibilities the whole people including such as 00:11:38.139 --> 00:11:45.299 these daughters were actually involved and then you look at verse 8 for example 00:11:45.299 --> 00:11:54.620 next to them uziel the son of hariah goldsmiths repaired next to him hananiah one of the perfumers 00:11:54.620 --> 00:12:00.740 repaired now if you're going to start building a wall with heavy stones and repairing all the 00:12:00.740 --> 00:12:07.639 the debris that's there from years and years of neglect you're maybe not going to expect those who are 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:14.139 goldsmiths who have such fine hands and fingers you're not going to expect them along with perfumers those who are 00:12:14.139 --> 00:12:20.199 providing and and making these precious perfumes you might think well surely they're going surely they're going to be 00:12:20.199 --> 00:12:27.439 accepted sure you don't expect somebody who's a goldsmith to start using a shovel or something else like that in order to 00:12:27.439 --> 00:12:36.720 actually contribute to the work not so they were there they weren't there actually uh making up rings or uh or other gold 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:45.200 artifacts they were there to help with the physical work of clearing rubble building up the walls of jerusalem in their own section of it 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:51.420 so everybody contributes it mentions even people from outside of jerusalem there 00:12:51.420 --> 00:12:59.360 verses 2 and 5 and 7 and 13 and so on mentions people from outside the town itself and the districts 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:06.460 even people from jericho as mentioned they're the men of jericho and others all the way through the chapter 00:13:06.460 --> 00:13:12.139 you can pick up those details for yourselves and it's important as i said at the beginning just take your time 00:13:12.139 --> 00:13:17.419 through it no matter whether you pronounce the words right or not to yourself important thing is you pick 00:13:17.419 --> 00:13:22.980 out these little details these little clues as to why you have this chapter what it's about how it's how it is 00:13:22.980 --> 00:13:29.700 encouraging for ourselves and really when you think about it all the people contributing that way 00:13:29.700 --> 00:13:37.320 it reminds you of certain passages in the new testament as well i'm just going to mention one just now it's 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:43.920 in paul's letter to the philippians and you remember in chapter one of philippians that paul 00:13:43.920 --> 00:13:51.220 has been appealing to those in philippine that he's writing to to be of of one mind or to let their manner 00:13:51.220 --> 00:13:59.379 of life be worthy of the gospel of christ in verse 27 there of chapter one so that whether i come and 00:13:59.379 --> 00:14:08.660 see you or i'm absent i may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving 00:14:08.660 --> 00:14:16.240 side by side for the faith of the gospel and not frightened in anything by your opponents you could 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:21.340 almost imagine that um well we don't know that this is the case but you could imagine maybe that 00:14:21.340 --> 00:14:25.799 here is paul just lifting something out of nehemiah and saying look this is this is what it was then 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:31.840 this is what it must be like now and not only do they each have their own contribution but they need 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:38.460 to do that in a united way so that the whole people as one are striving together as paul put it for the 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:44.259 faith of the gospel it's the same in principle the same in practice for our own day as well and if ever 00:14:44.259 --> 00:14:50.059 there was a day that needs that we strive together that they work we work together for the faith of 00:14:50.059 --> 00:14:59.799 the gospel that everyone does their own portion it's surely today because so much of what you find in 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:05.779 our land is not really conducive to the gospel or to the progress of the gospel it's designed against 00:15:05.779 --> 00:15:14.339 it and that's even within the church and within people you might expect to to actually stand up 00:15:14.339 --> 00:15:20.639 against laws and practices and procedures that the bible itself denounces but that's not always the case 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:29.879 sadly and that's how it was for them they all came together everyone contributed to the work apart 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:34.860 from the exceptional mention in a minute but i want to say something in relation to that just now 00:15:34.860 --> 00:15:43.720 don't be put off by any increase in regulations this is something we find currently that i'm just 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:51.019 mentioning just now there's so many regulations now that are required in order to actually for very good 00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:57.600 reason whether it's for child protection or vulnerable adults or people who have vulnerabilities of 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:03.360 different kind that we need certificates we need to go through certain training and i know that's very 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:09.899 off-putting and that's something that people might just say well i really think i've i've done my bit so 00:16:09.899 --> 00:16:14.940 why should i really go through this i've got all these years behind me now young ones are coming up 00:16:14.940 --> 00:16:22.899 and surely they can take over please don't say that your experience as someone who is older in years 00:16:22.899 --> 00:16:28.939 and experience is so vital to the congregation here to the church to the cause i know it's a hassle 00:16:28.939 --> 00:16:34.379 having to go through training online but it only takes an hour and a half and it's not a difficult thing 00:16:34.379 --> 00:16:42.559 and you can get guidance from from ian or for whoever um to actually help you go through that or if it's 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:49.199 applying for a pvg certificate for for work in this congregation it's important to have it because the 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:53.820 more we say well i'll just leave it to others really i don't want to go through the hassle of 00:16:53.820 --> 00:16:58.340 all of that what are we doing with that what we're doing we're withdrawing ourselves from the rebuilding 00:16:58.340 --> 00:17:06.759 of the walls and you can imagine if you go through this chapter if some of these people had said well 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:13.900 i've done my bit i've done all that i think is necessary others can now take over there's no evidence 00:17:13.900 --> 00:17:20.980 of that anywhere in these uh in these details so i'm saying that to encourage you i'm saying that to 00:17:20.980 --> 00:17:27.740 to actually um put it to myself and to yourselves because we all have to be like this uh committed to 00:17:27.740 --> 00:17:35.019 the work of the gospel whatever it takes whatever demands are made of us reasonably we should always say 00:17:35.019 --> 00:17:40.920 well it's a hassle it's difficult i'd rather it wasn't there but i want to be committed to the work of 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:47.080 christ to the work of christ in this congregation or beyond so please don't be deflected don't be put 00:17:47.080 --> 00:17:53.920 off because everyone here contributed in nehemiah's day to the rebuilding of the wall including even 00:17:53.920 --> 00:18:02.600 this man is mentioned interestingly in verse 11 malhaja the son of harim and hazub the son of 00:18:02.600 --> 00:18:09.620 pahath moab now it's an interesting reference there to malhaja because when you go to ezra the previous 00:18:09.619 --> 00:18:16.019 book which interlinks very much with nehemiah um you'll you'll find in ezra chapter 10 00:18:17.779 --> 00:18:24.419 and at verse 31 there's a reference there to malhaja it's obviously the same man it mentions 00:18:24.419 --> 00:18:31.939 his ancestry as well along with a list of others who had actually come to marry foreign women which was 00:18:31.940 --> 00:18:39.059 forbidden for those people of israel so he was actually dealt with them they had to uh put away 00:18:39.059 --> 00:18:45.460 these foreign wives uh they were called to task as it were for that but here he is you see he's still 00:18:45.460 --> 00:18:53.220 appearing in the work of building the walls of jerusalem in other words his past his past uh 00:18:53.220 --> 00:19:00.900 failure did not actually prevent being used of god in this new venture of rebuilding the walls of 00:19:00.900 --> 00:19:07.940 jerusalem we have to remember that ourselves that we all have faults we all have failures 00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:15.860 and when god comes to deal with our failures and when we're if we need to be rehabilitated and brought 00:19:15.860 --> 00:19:21.460 back into the fellowship of god's people it's so that we will contribute to the work and they will 00:19:21.460 --> 00:19:28.500 uh the work will actually also be given to us and wholeheartedly again we can be together in the work 00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:38.500 of the lord so everybody contributed including this malhaja nobody here said you don't need me 00:19:40.340 --> 00:19:45.460 nor did anybody here say you surely are not going to use them or him or her 00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:56.259 they're all wonderfully together as one people in the work of the lord except for those that are 00:19:56.259 --> 00:20:04.340 mentioned there in verse five and it really stands out and it jars on your mind as you read down through 00:20:04.340 --> 00:20:11.140 the chapter that there is this one exception that really spoils the total unity that would otherwise be 00:20:11.140 --> 00:20:20.740 there here is verse five notice what it says next to them the techoites repaired but their nobles would 00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:30.420 not stoop to serve their lord their nobles would not stoop to serve their lord and it's interesting the way it's put 00:20:30.420 --> 00:20:39.700 they refused to take part a small group um these important people in their own right at least these 00:20:39.700 --> 00:20:48.019 people who had some status they refused to help in the work and the way that nehemiah puts it is 00:20:48.019 --> 00:20:56.420 they would not stoop they would not lower themselves they would not bow themselves to serve as all the others 00:20:56.420 --> 00:21:05.300 serve and that's a reminder to us isn't it friends that spiritual building work requires humble service 00:21:05.300 --> 00:21:12.820 it requires us to deny ourselves it requires us to humble ourselves it requires us to follow the lord's 00:21:12.820 --> 00:21:21.860 example who never said i can't be expected to do that because he's brought before us in the word as the great 00:21:21.859 --> 00:21:30.019 leader and as the great leader of his people how does the bible describe him how does the how do the uh 00:21:30.019 --> 00:21:37.699 the new testament writings describe him well philippians 2 you remember very well he humbled himself 00:21:38.659 --> 00:21:47.299 having come into this world having taken our nature he humbled himself and became obedient unto death 00:21:47.299 --> 00:21:54.980 even the death of the cross you remember he said to the disciples at one time did it seems to have 00:21:54.980 --> 00:22:01.220 been more than one occasion talking about the kings of the gentiles and what the kings of the gentiles 00:22:01.220 --> 00:22:07.139 expect of their subjects especially of their servants they expect that they will sit there and they will be 00:22:07.139 --> 00:22:16.659 served the kings just depend on others to serve them but i he said i'm among you as the servant 00:22:17.299 --> 00:22:25.619 the one who serves i am the complete opposite of the kings of the world i did not come into the world 00:22:25.619 --> 00:22:32.819 he said on another occasion to be served but to be a servant the son of man has come not to be served 00:22:33.859 --> 00:22:40.659 but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many and that's the principle you find outlined here 00:22:40.660 --> 00:22:47.460 by way of this exception by this by way of this glaring exception these nobles they would not stoop 00:22:47.460 --> 00:22:55.700 themselves to serve their lord you know stooping to serve the lord denying ourselves uh being required to 00:22:55.700 --> 00:23:02.259 do things which perhaps we ourselves find difficult or challenging to do that's a privilege 00:23:02.259 --> 00:23:12.579 when you think of what the lord did for us he stooped himself even to the extent of the death of the cross 00:23:14.900 --> 00:23:22.019 so there's the leaders leading the way there's the whole people but for this one exception and then it 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:27.859 mentions as you read through it you can say that it involves the whole wall there's this unity the 00:23:27.859 --> 00:23:33.299 leaders leading the way the whole people with one exception and then you've got the whole wall 00:23:33.299 --> 00:23:40.099 mentioned very interestingly as what they actually set about repairing because when you begin and you 00:23:40.099 --> 00:23:46.500 go through these different gates that are mentioned in the chapter um they seem rather insignificant just a 00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:52.259 matter of fact sort of thing but when you go to verse 32 didn't read as far as that the last 00:23:52.259 --> 00:24:00.259 verse of the chapter and between the upper chamber of the corner and the sheep gate the goldsmith and 00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:06.579 the merchants repaired and there you see you're back at the beginning the sheep gate is the very first 00:24:06.579 --> 00:24:11.940 thing that's mentioned back at the beginning of the chapter that um elashib the high priest and his 00:24:11.940 --> 00:24:18.980 brothers the priests they built the sheep gate so in other words nehemiah has taken us all the way around 00:24:18.980 --> 00:24:26.740 the sheep gate and he's described how these people side by side close together actually set about the 00:24:26.740 --> 00:24:32.980 work wholeheartedly and as he's taken us through all of these groups of these family groups all the way 00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:40.660 around that you find the whole wall is actually included in that particular walk around the wall if you 00:24:40.660 --> 00:24:50.100 like that he's mentioned by mentioning these people and that too is important um for the work of the gospel 00:24:51.460 --> 00:24:56.900 because if we can spiritualize this for a moment legitimately i think we can we can do that of 00:24:56.900 --> 00:25:01.860 course because all of this has spiritual meaning for us they were physical walls but they had a very 00:25:01.860 --> 00:25:08.019 spiritual significance and so they do as well today as we're trying to set out but when you think about 00:25:08.019 --> 00:25:14.180 um the gospel work and the work of the gospel let's just confine it to our own congregation although 00:25:14.180 --> 00:25:19.539 we're united with others in the work of the gospel of course but if you think about the work of the 00:25:19.539 --> 00:25:25.059 gospel in the congregation as building up the walls of jerusalem building up the cause of god 00:25:25.779 --> 00:25:31.539 contributing our own part to doing that what do you find you find lord's day services you 00:25:31.539 --> 00:25:37.460 prime join weeknight services like this prayer meetings you find other meetings simply for prayer 00:25:37.460 --> 00:25:43.779 you find sunday school you find twinnies you find creche you find uh meetings for the youth you find youth 00:25:43.779 --> 00:25:52.420 fellowship you find um youth youth activities you find work for older folks to do and they are of course 00:25:52.420 --> 00:26:00.180 involved in work with the younger ones too you find an emphasis we hope on families and an involvement of 00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:06.259 families and it's thrilling to see families being part of the congregation as families together 00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:15.940 we have our over 55 club we have other activities along with all of these and the services there you see 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:23.220 is as it were taking account of the whole wall that needs to be built and needs to be kept up needs to 00:26:23.220 --> 00:26:34.180 be repaired and kept in good order there isn't a section of that wall as i've described it that's unimportant 00:26:36.100 --> 00:26:44.660 all of these activities make up one wall that we need to keep in good shape that we need to actually maintain 00:26:45.220 --> 00:26:53.860 for the lord to which we need to contribute our own portion whatever it is doesn't matter if it's not as 00:26:53.860 --> 00:26:59.700 prominent as that given to others that's not the point you have something to do i have something to do 00:27:00.259 --> 00:27:09.540 we have to do it together and together it's a matter of the whole people covering the whole wall the whole work 00:27:09.539 --> 00:27:20.019 for the lord and each section of that wall in jerusalem that that literal wall of stone each section of that 00:27:20.019 --> 00:27:28.659 was important to its overall security to its overall strength if any one part of that wall was too weak 00:27:28.659 --> 00:27:35.700 obviously that would be an advantage to the enemy think of what we're doing in the congregation along those lines 00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:45.299 as well all of these sections of the wall young folks preschool primary school secondary school older ones 00:27:45.299 --> 00:27:54.420 all of these sections of the wall are so important they all contribute in their own way to the strength of god's cause here 00:27:55.779 --> 00:28:04.660 and we have to as much as we can give our own contribution to the maintenance of that wall 00:28:05.940 --> 00:28:12.580 so there is the unity that this wonderful chapter really sets out for us but i mentioned also that 00:28:12.580 --> 00:28:18.980 there's continuity and just briefly um you can see verse seven chapter seven for example 00:28:19.940 --> 00:28:22.980 and from verse five onwards another list of names 00:28:26.819 --> 00:28:31.460 chapter seven there you have that other list of names they're set out in a slightly different way 00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:37.940 you have a similar thing in ezra chapter two and and you don't need to look this up just now but when 00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:44.980 you go back earlier to joshua and to numbers you find different uh lists but similar lists uh really at 00:28:44.980 --> 00:28:53.460 joshua 18 and 19 numbers chapter one and verse 26 and what are do what what is doing really is telling us that 00:28:53.460 --> 00:29:00.340 what's happening here in chapter three of nehemiah is connected to what happened before the people 00:29:00.340 --> 00:29:06.420 actually went into exile in babylon and now that they're back from exile in babylon all that is 00:29:06.420 --> 00:29:15.539 actually being reconnected if you like so put it this way god established his covenant community in the 00:29:15.539 --> 00:29:23.220 land of canaan as he promised he took his people out of egypt he established them in canaan he made 00:29:23.220 --> 00:29:31.060 them there into an organized people of god a covenant people and then came 70 years of exile 00:29:31.059 --> 00:29:36.980 and they took that upon themselves for their disobedience as god had warned and threatened 00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:44.500 70 years have elapsed and more and now they're coming back to jerusalem not all at once but in 00:29:44.500 --> 00:29:49.940 different groups and being reunited under the leadership of nehemiah and ezra and the prophets 00:29:49.940 --> 00:29:57.220 that prophesied to them as well zechariah and haggai and as that's happening what you're finding is that 00:29:57.220 --> 00:30:04.740 the covenant promises and pledges of god that he gave to the people when he established them in canaan 00:30:05.620 --> 00:30:13.140 they didn't get lost in babylon god didn't throw them away god didn't say when they went into exile 00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:19.700 in babylon i'm finished with you as a people i'm finished with my covenant promises i no longer have 00:30:19.700 --> 00:30:28.819 have anything to do with you in a covenant sense the covenant that they broke and the the the punishment 00:30:28.819 --> 00:30:36.340 of god for the breaking of the covenant is the exile in babylon the covenant hasn't gone away and this 00:30:36.340 --> 00:30:43.380 is not a new covenant that's being established here with the people now they're back in jerusalem but it's 00:30:43.380 --> 00:30:53.540 a new beginning a new beginning for the same covenant people of god why is that important for ourselves 00:30:55.380 --> 00:31:05.300 because god only has one people throughout every age of history one people of god all the way through 00:31:05.300 --> 00:31:11.940 from these early old testament times into the days of the apostles down through the history of the church 00:31:11.940 --> 00:31:21.779 and of the world right up to stornoway 2023 you're united to the work that was going on in jerusalem in 00:31:21.779 --> 00:31:30.900 nehemiah chapter 3 and before that because god's covenant is god's covenant of salvation god's covenant of 00:31:30.900 --> 00:31:37.220 redemption god's covenant with his people in christ in other words 00:31:37.220 --> 00:31:47.380 god's that is surely a huge encouragement to you and to me tonight here we are facing in this world 00:31:48.420 --> 00:31:57.460 so much that threatens us so much that threatens to overwhelm us who knows what yet may happen in terms of 00:31:58.259 --> 00:32:06.420 political movements and statutes on our national statute book that may themselves even more squeeze the gospel 00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:14.660 and the freedom to preach the gospel and to live out the gospel we hope it won't come to that but it may come to that and the signs are ominous 00:32:16.259 --> 00:32:20.820 and we need to keep checking to see what's happening and praying about what's happening 00:32:24.019 --> 00:32:27.860 but every attempt as you see from the book of nehemiah itself 00:32:27.859 --> 00:32:37.139 every attempt to destroy the church will ultimately fail now that's not in any way to make us slacken in our 00:32:37.139 --> 00:32:44.019 concentration or just step back in our efforts for christ and for his gospel but there's so much there to 00:32:44.019 --> 00:32:50.019 reassure us so much there to comfort us in times of great difficulty and great challenge 00:32:50.019 --> 00:32:59.220 the enemy will not destroy the church he may take away our freedoms he can't take away our salvation 00:33:00.339 --> 00:33:06.740 he may take away our opportunities for further outreach and evangelism he cannot take out of our hearts the 00:33:06.740 --> 00:33:15.859 jesus that has come to live there and that itself has been so precious to god's people down through the years 00:33:15.859 --> 00:33:23.379 and therefore tonight let's let's take great encouragement from this this chapter which has 00:33:23.379 --> 00:33:32.419 challenge in it certainly but also so much to encourage us and let's seek ourselves to be a united people 00:33:33.219 --> 00:33:38.899 a whole people where everyone contributes where everyone does something for the lord 00:33:38.900 --> 00:33:47.620 where there are no exceptions that say no i refuse to bow to lower myself and where the whole wall the 00:33:47.620 --> 00:33:58.420 whole work as far as possible is covered by what we set about to do for the lord unity and continuity 00:33:59.460 --> 00:34:07.300 and as paul finished his great treatise in one corinthians 15 that we're looking at on sunday evenings you 00:34:07.299 --> 00:34:17.219 remember how he finishes therefore be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the lord 00:34:18.019 --> 00:34:26.820 for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the lord let's pray 00:34:26.820 --> 00:34:37.460 lord our god we thank you that your word brings us so much encouragement so much to strengthen us 00:34:38.580 --> 00:34:46.900 so much to teach us and to lead us in these great avenues of truth you are the god of history the god who 00:34:46.900 --> 00:34:52.500 brings us back to such basic powerful events as your own resurrection from the dead 00:34:52.500 --> 00:35:00.099 and we thank you lord for the conviction you have given us of the historicity of these great events 00:35:00.099 --> 00:35:07.139 of the exodus the settlement in canaan the return from captivity the re-establishment of your cause in 00:35:07.139 --> 00:35:14.579 jerusalem the growth of the new testament church reaching out with the gospel into the gentile world 00:35:15.460 --> 00:35:21.699 and the many ways lord down through the years of the history of the world and which you have blessed 00:35:21.699 --> 00:35:28.419 your people and made them a blessing to the world around them lord we pray that you would by your 00:35:28.419 --> 00:35:35.379 blessing maintain in us and increase in us that unity that would set about the work of the gospel 00:35:35.379 --> 00:35:41.619 wholeheartedly we thank you for all the support that we are able to give to each other and we thank 00:35:41.619 --> 00:35:47.699 you oh lord that you have proved yourself to be faithful at all times to the way in which you lead and 00:35:47.699 --> 00:35:54.819 guide your people and so we ask that you would bless us now continue to bless us throughout the rest of 00:35:54.819 --> 00:36:01.779 this week and as we look forward again to the lord's day lord help us to rejoice in that day and to rejoice 00:36:01.779 --> 00:36:09.299 in it as yet one great contribution that you have made to the life of your people here as we pray now for 00:36:09.300 --> 00:36:22.340 jesus sake amen let's sing a conclusion now this evening from psalm 48 48a and that's in the sing psalms on page 63 00:36:24.500 --> 00:36:28.019 we're going to sing from verse 8 to the end of the psalm verse 14 00:36:28.019 --> 00:36:42.179 please 00:36:42.340 --> 00:36:45.219 do 00:36:45.219 --> 00:36:55.300 have