WEBVTT 00:00:00.660 --> 00:00:01.760 Good morning, everyone. 00:00:02.040 --> 00:00:02.780 There you go, the microphone. 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:04.620 Good morning. 00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:05.219 Thank you. 00:00:05.500 --> 00:00:07.320 It's great to be with you this morning. 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:10.900 It's great to be opening this part of Nehemiah with you, 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:15.000 and it's exciting and a great privilege 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:17.300 to be opening God's Word with you today 00:00:17.300 --> 00:00:20.600 on such an important anniversary. 00:00:20.940 --> 00:00:23.059 So thank you, Steve, for those words, 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:24.620 and thank you for the opportunity. 00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:30.120 Let me pray for us before we look at the next part 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:31.500 of Nehemiah's journey together. 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:34.899 Our gracious Lord and Father, 00:00:35.579 --> 00:00:38.660 thank you that you are sovereign over all time, 00:00:38.900 --> 00:00:40.219 over history and people. 00:00:41.140 --> 00:00:43.359 Thank you for your faithfulness to your people, 00:00:43.820 --> 00:00:46.159 despite our repeated sin and disobedience. 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:49.280 In your love for us, you give us your Word, 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:52.799 in your mercy, your Son, so that we might know you. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:55.320 As we open your Word today, 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:57.439 please show us more of your glory. 00:00:57.919 --> 00:00:59.439 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:05.560 So last week, Steve introduced us to Nehemiah, 00:01:05.979 --> 00:01:09.319 a man of integrity, of faith and conviction. 00:01:10.200 --> 00:01:11.920 He was enslaved in exile, 00:01:12.500 --> 00:01:15.840 but he was also a trusted and treasured confidant of the King. 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:20.439 And yet we see a man whose heart yearned for his people, 00:01:20.439 --> 00:01:22.759 for the restoration of their place, 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:23.959 the city of Jerusalem, 00:01:24.859 --> 00:01:27.179 as it represented for him the restoration 00:01:27.179 --> 00:01:29.239 of their relationship with their God. 00:01:30.259 --> 00:01:32.099 And I've always been quite curious 00:01:32.099 --> 00:01:34.420 about this concept of place in Nehemiah. 00:01:34.500 --> 00:01:35.599 Why is it so important? 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.900 Why is it so tied to a sense of who people are? 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:42.039 And I say this because I'm a first-generation Australian. 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:45.159 The stories of my family are not from here. 00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:47.280 They are quite recent. 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:51.239 Some years ago, I contemplated this 00:01:51.239 --> 00:01:54.900 because if you know anything about First Nations culture, 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:56.140 about Aboriginal culture, 00:01:56.740 --> 00:02:00.579 place and personal narrative and cultural history 00:02:00.579 --> 00:02:02.799 is deeply connected. 00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:05.960 The song lines of people is about their place. 00:02:06.700 --> 00:02:09.539 And in my work, I was trying to develop for myself 00:02:09.539 --> 00:02:11.960 an understanding of what this connection meant 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:13.759 so that I could better do my job, 00:02:13.860 --> 00:02:15.780 better serve the community I was working with. 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:17.400 And at the time, 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:19.960 a very wise Aboriginal woman said to me 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:25.300 that the only way for me to understand culture more 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:27.240 was to understand my own background, 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:28.659 my own place. 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:31.340 And so I embarked on that journey myself. 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:34.199 If you've ever had a conversation with my mother, 00:02:34.580 --> 00:02:35.800 which I highly recommend, 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:40.460 you'd realise that our history takes us to Scotland. 00:02:40.460 --> 00:02:42.439 And so some years ago, 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:44.860 I went to Edinburgh, 00:02:45.340 --> 00:02:47.460 visiting the war memorial 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:50.100 that's kept within the walls of Edinburgh Castle. 00:02:51.040 --> 00:02:52.240 Inside Edinburgh Castle, 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:53.340 if you've ever been there, 00:02:53.480 --> 00:02:54.840 there is a very large hall, 00:02:55.100 --> 00:02:55.960 you know, high ceilings, 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:57.580 very ornate, very quiet. 00:02:58.500 --> 00:03:01.120 There's books that line the walls of this great hall, 00:03:01.420 --> 00:03:03.180 and it lists all the Scottish people 00:03:03.180 --> 00:03:05.939 who have fought and died in war over many generations. 00:03:05.939 --> 00:03:07.740 And in one of those books, 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:09.379 I found my great-grandfather, 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.020 killed in France during World War I. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:14.120 And it was a very small thing 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:15.900 to read a name in a book, 00:03:16.300 --> 00:03:18.419 a name that I had known in conversation, 00:03:18.900 --> 00:03:20.199 whose photographs I'd seen, 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:21.840 and took with me the letter 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:23.039 that was sent to his family, 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:24.659 telling them that he'd died in battle. 00:03:25.719 --> 00:03:27.079 And it was at that moment 00:03:27.079 --> 00:03:29.439 that the narrative of my own family came to life, 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.620 in a place that was now very foreign to us, 00:03:32.620 --> 00:03:33.240 in many ways, 00:03:33.319 --> 00:03:34.580 because we had been here. 00:03:34.939 --> 00:03:35.939 I was born here, 00:03:35.980 --> 00:03:37.560 my mum had been here for many years, 00:03:37.659 --> 00:03:41.300 but to feel the connection to that place had remained. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:43.879 And so we find this for Nehemiah. 00:03:44.340 --> 00:03:46.420 He had departed his own country, 00:03:47.060 --> 00:03:48.840 his own home in the King's Court, 00:03:48.920 --> 00:03:51.659 where he had been for so long, 00:03:51.719 --> 00:03:53.780 and now to journey back to Jerusalem. 00:03:55.460 --> 00:03:56.240 In chapter one, 00:03:56.480 --> 00:03:59.439 we see there had been a lot of time for him in preparation. 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:02.099 As Steve highlighted for us last week, 00:04:02.099 --> 00:04:04.500 the beginning of this book of Nehemiah 00:04:04.500 --> 00:04:07.280 really shows us the character of this man, 00:04:08.139 --> 00:04:09.939 a slave as a result of exile, 00:04:10.139 --> 00:04:11.859 and yet holding such high office, 00:04:12.419 --> 00:04:13.459 where his integrity, 00:04:13.699 --> 00:04:16.079 his trustworthiness were critical to his job, 00:04:16.219 --> 00:04:17.500 and I'd say to his survival. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:20.079 But his heart was for his God, 00:04:20.339 --> 00:04:21.159 for his homeland, 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:23.240 with a people that were scattered 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:24.319 and a city in ruins. 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:28.379 What we saw last week was Nehemiah's character, 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:29.920 prayerfully planning, 00:04:30.339 --> 00:04:31.879 considering wise actions, 00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:33.540 and really these are the backdrop 00:04:33.540 --> 00:04:35.640 to where we find him today in his journey. 00:04:36.660 --> 00:04:39.560 We see that these characteristics are evident 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:41.700 in how he approaches the journey itself, 00:04:42.200 --> 00:04:45.220 how he thinks and plans for those initial interactions, 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:47.540 and how he goes about the building work. 00:04:48.780 --> 00:04:51.780 In the passage that Kel read to us this morning, 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:54.420 Nehemiah has made his trip to Jerusalem, 00:04:55.060 --> 00:04:57.800 probably taking about two months to make that journey. 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:01.120 Nehemiah, as a king's official, 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:02.439 he was on government business, 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:04.300 he travels with a military escort, 00:05:04.939 --> 00:05:07.379 so he doesn't come into town quietly at all, 00:05:07.579 --> 00:05:10.100 and we see that he quickly ruffles some feathers. 00:05:11.400 --> 00:05:13.780 What we also see is that the first thing he does 00:05:13.780 --> 00:05:15.900 is take a few days to rest, 00:05:16.259 --> 00:05:18.220 which I think after travelling for two months 00:05:18.220 --> 00:05:19.819 on a horse makes some good sense. 00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:22.540 He takes care of himself, 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:24.279 he gets some perspective, 00:05:25.219 --> 00:05:27.719 and then he starts thinking about the job at hand. 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:30.439 We see in verse 12, 00:05:30.899 --> 00:05:34.060 Nehemiah's initial inspection of the city was at night. 00:05:34.519 --> 00:05:35.779 He didn't want to attract attention. 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:38.360 He was gathering his own information, 00:05:38.579 --> 00:05:40.560 making his own assessment of the task. 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:44.040 But the words that we see in verse 12 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:47.899 speak more about what is on his heart 00:05:47.899 --> 00:05:50.060 than what is in his project management plan. 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:53.480 This is first and foremost God's business. 00:05:54.280 --> 00:05:56.139 Come alive in Nehemiah's heart 00:05:56.139 --> 00:05:57.980 to do for God's people. 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:01.819 And so that vision remains his very sharp focus. 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:07.300 He is clear in his mind that this is God-inspired work, 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:10.840 a calling that has taken him from a comfortable job, 00:06:11.220 --> 00:06:13.800 sitting in a palace, to the unknown. 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:16.520 But he also doesn't want that vision 00:06:16.520 --> 00:06:18.620 to create unrealistic expectations. 00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:22.259 So getting an honest assessment of the situation 00:06:22.259 --> 00:06:26.120 is really critical to enable him to plan and deliver. 00:06:27.460 --> 00:06:29.759 Nehemiah sees for himself in verse 13 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:31.139 that the walls are broken, 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:33.120 the gates have been destroyed by fire. 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:37.480 It's not until Nehemiah has made that assessment 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:39.480 that he goes and speaks to the priests, 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:41.660 the nobles and the officials of Jerusalem. 00:06:43.060 --> 00:06:47.160 And I really think Nehemiah carefully chooses the words 00:06:47.160 --> 00:06:49.220 that he says in verse 17. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:53.319 The city has been ruined and desolate for 18 years. 00:06:53.699 --> 00:06:56.060 People have been living amongst this brokenness 00:06:56.060 --> 00:06:58.340 without any attempt to restore it. 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:01.000 But Nehemiah doesn't chastise them. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.399 He acknowledges the state of the city 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:05.939 and he calls them to get on with the work of building. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:08.300 And he includes himself in that. 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:10.540 You see the trouble we are in. 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:13.319 It's as much his problem as is theirs. 00:07:13.540 --> 00:07:15.000 He's not special or different. 00:07:15.819 --> 00:07:19.339 He suffers from Israel being as broken as much as they do. 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:22.600 Now that's a pretty smart move as a leader. 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:25.839 He makes it very clear that he's alongside them. 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:27.879 He's moved there to work with them. 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:31.279 He's not there to supervise and he's not there to do the work for them. 00:07:32.540 --> 00:07:35.040 But we also know that this is not just rhetoric. 00:07:35.980 --> 00:07:39.439 What we know from Nehemiah's prayer that's recorded in chapter 1 00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:42.459 where he confesses the sins of we Israelites, 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:45.319 including me and my father's house, 00:07:45.500 --> 00:07:47.120 that we have committed against you. 00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:51.379 Nehemiah identifies with their sin and their brokenness as a nation. 00:07:51.379 --> 00:07:55.259 And he can see the hand of God with them to be restored. 00:07:57.219 --> 00:07:59.600 When we think about the mission we're called to, 00:07:59.939 --> 00:08:03.339 Jesus' life and ministry models a similar posture for us. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:06.959 We see in Hebrews 2, 17 and 18, 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:32.659 Jesus shows us a ministry anchored around glorifying God, 00:08:32.860 --> 00:08:36.439 lived out alongside all sorts of people in deep humanity, 00:08:36.440 --> 00:08:38.260 sharing in their suffering. 00:08:39.740 --> 00:08:43.120 Nehemiah gives us an example of the value of that in any ministry, 00:08:43.460 --> 00:08:45.380 of walking closely alongside others 00:08:45.380 --> 00:08:47.320 and understanding with empathy 00:08:47.320 --> 00:08:49.680 the challenges people and communities face. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:53.380 When anchored in a relationship with God, 00:08:53.920 --> 00:08:56.060 we have an ongoing awareness of our own sin, 00:08:56.420 --> 00:08:59.340 but we're called to a desire to serve and help others. 00:09:00.060 --> 00:09:02.860 Not looking down, not talking about those people, 00:09:03.180 --> 00:09:06.160 a shared humanity with an unfair mercy. 00:09:06.440 --> 00:09:10.320 Now, we also don't see Nehemiah coming in 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:11.880 and offering to do the work for them. 00:09:12.020 --> 00:09:13.060 He says, let us build. 00:09:13.680 --> 00:09:16.460 So this is about, for him, unifying people, 00:09:16.700 --> 00:09:18.540 not letting them be passive observers. 00:09:19.740 --> 00:09:21.920 When Nehemiah puts the prospect of rebuilding 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:25.299 to the Jewish nobles, they quickly reply, 00:09:25.659 --> 00:09:26.419 let's start building. 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:29.620 They hadn't assumed their situation couldn't be changed 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:34.299 and they didn't say to him, look, we've tried that before. 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:35.120 It didn't work. 00:09:35.339 --> 00:09:35.979 We're not going to bother. 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:39.539 What God sent them was a leader from the outside, 00:09:39.959 --> 00:09:42.959 but with a fresh perspective and a clear vision for the work. 00:09:43.620 --> 00:09:45.399 He motivates people to get on with it. 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:49.199 Nehemiah was never going to be able to do this work 00:09:49.199 --> 00:09:51.519 without the Jews, both practically speaking, 00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:55.059 but also if the purpose of rebuilding God's people 00:09:55.059 --> 00:09:56.100 was to be fulfilled. 00:09:57.439 --> 00:10:01.159 All the Jews needed to hear was that God was with them. 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:03.439 It strengthened and encouraged them 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:06.960 and so their enthusiasm and hope welled. 00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:10.220 Early in chapter two, 00:10:10.660 --> 00:10:12.820 Nehemiah has a conversation with the king, 00:10:13.300 --> 00:10:15.500 asking for leave to go and rebuild. 00:10:16.520 --> 00:10:18.840 Now this is a bold enough request in and of itself, 00:10:18.940 --> 00:10:20.940 a servant asking the king for something. 00:10:21.980 --> 00:10:24.780 But as we know, Nehemiah has been preparing for months, 00:10:24.920 --> 00:10:27.600 praying and seeking God's timing for his plans. 00:10:28.460 --> 00:10:30.780 And it's certainly the case that Nehemiah would have needed 00:10:30.779 --> 00:10:33.579 the king's approval to leave his job and go to Jerusalem. 00:10:34.439 --> 00:10:37.019 We know from Ezra 4 that the local officials 00:10:37.019 --> 00:10:40.159 had already put a stop to rebuilding Jerusalem once before, 00:10:40.319 --> 00:10:42.559 and so Nehemiah knew he needed authority. 00:10:43.419 --> 00:10:47.179 But Nehemiah also anticipated that he would have opposition. 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:52.699 Travelling to Jerusalem with military prepared him for that, 00:10:53.199 --> 00:10:55.439 but he also knew that the governors and the rulers 00:10:55.439 --> 00:10:57.319 in the surrounding areas would be threatened, 00:10:57.659 --> 00:11:00.360 and so he needs the king's authority to combat that. 00:11:00.779 --> 00:11:05.259 And he knew his arrival quickly would attract attention, 00:11:05.579 --> 00:11:08.939 and we see quickly those opposed to change 00:11:08.939 --> 00:11:10.120 coming out of the woodwork. 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:12.379 When we get to verse 19, 00:11:12.819 --> 00:11:17.519 we see the three opponents that start to come forward 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:19.059 to oppose Nehemiah. 00:11:20.059 --> 00:11:21.620 Firstly, we see Sanballat. 00:11:22.079 --> 00:11:23.259 He was from Beth Horan. 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:25.220 That's about 12 miles from Jerusalem. 00:11:25.939 --> 00:11:29.740 He was the main opposition that Nehemiah first encounters, 00:11:29.740 --> 00:11:30.620 and that continues. 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:34.539 We see later in Nehemiah in chapter 4 00:11:34.539 --> 00:11:37.039 that he has an official position in Samaria, 00:11:37.539 --> 00:11:40.480 and so he is particularly dangerous for Nehemiah. 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:45.159 Tobiah is an Ammonite, an enemy of the Jews. 00:11:45.720 --> 00:11:49.100 He's related to and had friends among those 00:11:49.100 --> 00:11:51.580 who were in the rebuilding work for the city. 00:11:51.580 --> 00:11:57.240 He's the one who was going to be gathering information from the inside, 00:11:57.379 --> 00:12:02.340 finding people within those rebuilding who would seek to undermine. 00:12:03.400 --> 00:12:05.320 And then we see Geshem and Arabian. 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:10.540 These three protagonists are quick into the conversation 00:12:10.540 --> 00:12:13.040 when the commitment's made to start the rebuilding work. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:15.340 We don't see them favourably depicted. 00:12:15.340 --> 00:12:20.180 They aren't described as providing particularly coherent arguments 00:12:20.180 --> 00:12:21.000 against the work. 00:12:21.680 --> 00:12:23.440 They mocked and ridiculed, 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:27.500 sometimes described as the weapon of those who have no other. 00:12:28.460 --> 00:12:30.580 They belittled the Jews for their lack of resources, 00:12:31.139 --> 00:12:32.759 and in verse 19, 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:34.840 they accused the Jews of rebellion, 00:12:35.340 --> 00:12:37.139 of being deceitful and faithless. 00:12:39.139 --> 00:12:42.980 Nehemiah's response to this barrage of accusation 00:12:42.980 --> 00:12:45.580 isn't to wave the king's letter in front of them, 00:12:45.899 --> 00:12:47.960 even though he has it at his hand. 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:50.120 He doesn't actually argue at all. 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:52.759 Instead, he says in verse 20, 00:12:53.420 --> 00:12:55.560 the God of heaven will give us success. 00:12:56.740 --> 00:12:59.560 He doesn't get drawn into petty argument. 00:12:59.940 --> 00:13:01.840 He doesn't give them a lecture on the law, 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:03.420 nor does he ignore them. 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:05.899 He just directs them to God, 00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:07.620 the king and ruler of all. 00:13:09.060 --> 00:13:11.399 Now, there's a number of reasons why that's important 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:13.439 for Nehemiah to take that stand. 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:18.500 Firstly, it speaks very loudly to the Jews about his purpose 00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:21.939 and affirms to them that this is God's work in them. 00:13:23.059 --> 00:13:26.319 Ignoring the critics would have created doubt in their mind 00:13:26.319 --> 00:13:27.379 about his intent. 00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:33.299 Secondly, he avoids engaging in what is a redundant debate 00:13:33.299 --> 00:13:36.379 with people whose position is clearly informed, 00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:37.860 has different agendas, 00:13:37.860 --> 00:13:39.980 and is just false. 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:43.840 Debate would give their position voice that wasn't warranted. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:47.360 But it also tells us something about Nehemiah. 00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:49.460 Anticipating this situation, 00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:53.620 drawing on his diplomacy and other skills learned in a king's court 00:13:53.620 --> 00:13:55.279 to disarm and defuse. 00:13:56.139 --> 00:13:59.300 This aids in pointing the Jews to God and not to him. 00:14:01.220 --> 00:14:03.279 Nehemiah has a clear burden on his heart 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:05.080 for the work God has called him to do. 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:09.180 It's deeply held and an immovable mission 00:14:09.180 --> 00:14:11.580 that gives him the clarity and the courage 00:14:11.580 --> 00:14:13.420 to stand against this kind of opposition. 00:14:14.520 --> 00:14:17.900 I like that Nehemiah seems to have expected it. 00:14:18.280 --> 00:14:20.879 He's calm and he's measured in how he handles this men. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:26.740 And I wonder for us how we think and plan for opposition. 00:14:28.700 --> 00:14:31.000 Is this, when we think about the mission 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:32.519 that God has put on our heart, 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:34.899 an immovable, deeply held mission 00:14:34.899 --> 00:14:37.720 to bring God's glory, God glory? 00:14:38.179 --> 00:14:39.580 Is it a burden we have? 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:41.740 Does it cause us to sacrifice? 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:44.059 Does it cause us to speak the truth 00:14:44.059 --> 00:14:47.619 and point people to God who would seek to discredit him? 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:51.359 God called the Jews to rebuild, 00:14:52.059 --> 00:14:55.719 as has been seen in Nehemiah's journey so far. 00:14:55.979 --> 00:14:58.239 And we see the determination of his faith. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.399 He's only at the beginning of his rebuilding work 00:15:01.399 --> 00:15:03.279 and yet his determination is evident. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.139 We are similarly called. 00:15:07.779 --> 00:15:10.479 As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15, 58, 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.960 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:14.879 be steadfast, immovable, 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:17.080 always abounding in the work of the Lord, 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:19.860 knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:22.800 While there is nothing new under the sun, 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:24.620 we're certainly living in a time 00:15:24.620 --> 00:15:26.539 where Christians are openly mocked, 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:28.039 criticised and derided. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:31.379 We're no longer able to rely 00:15:31.379 --> 00:15:33.379 on the passive indifference, 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.320 perhaps that might have characterised society's 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:39.440 view of Christians in times gone by. 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:42.700 Increasingly, being a Christian, 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:43.800 being a follower of Jesus, 00:15:44.100 --> 00:15:46.200 is more likely to attract the kind of commentary 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:47.379 we see in Nehemiah, 00:15:47.539 --> 00:15:50.340 in our workplaces, at uni, in our families, 00:15:50.779 --> 00:15:52.560 and certainly in the court of public opinion. 00:15:53.720 --> 00:15:55.379 And so it would be naive of us 00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:57.759 to not prepare and be wise about opposition. 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:00.060 Much like Nehemiah, 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:03.220 being careful about our own personal mission, 00:16:04.220 --> 00:16:06.820 having time with God in his word to sharpen us, 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:09.159 meeting with God's people together, 00:16:09.159 --> 00:16:11.259 all our steps that we can take 00:16:11.259 --> 00:16:13.179 to equip us for the hard work ahead. 00:16:15.939 --> 00:16:18.719 Nehemiah found a city without any stability, 00:16:19.299 --> 00:16:21.339 socially, economically, spiritually. 00:16:22.419 --> 00:16:23.919 When we look at Ezra 4, 00:16:24.179 --> 00:16:25.639 we see that they were oppressed 00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:26.659 by their foreign neighbours. 00:16:27.179 --> 00:16:28.480 They were clearly unprotected. 00:16:28.759 --> 00:16:30.059 They were heavily taxed. 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:32.219 They were enmeshed with foreign nations 00:16:32.219 --> 00:16:33.939 who had warded them down spiritually. 00:16:33.940 --> 00:16:35.660 They were defeated. 00:16:36.560 --> 00:16:39.880 And so they were content to live with things as they were, 00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:41.980 rather than risk further defeat. 00:16:43.140 --> 00:16:45.800 The Jews had long been mocked for the state of the city. 00:16:46.280 --> 00:16:48.480 It was supposed to be the joy of the whole earth, 00:16:48.580 --> 00:16:49.620 from Psalm 48. 00:16:50.640 --> 00:16:53.460 It was the place that God loved. 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:57.160 God loved the gates of Zion, from Psalm 87. 00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:59.319 But if God loved this city so much, 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:00.139 why was it in ruins? 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:02.079 Why were its gates burned? 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:04.680 Why hadn't the Jews done something about it? 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:09.659 Without the ability to galvanise the people for the work, 00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:11.819 Nehemiah would not be able to restore anything. 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:15.940 Finding a way to bring back their sense of being a people, 00:17:16.299 --> 00:17:17.379 of being God's people, 00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:18.680 was his real challenge. 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:23.200 As we look at Nehemiah 3 and the work that takes place, 00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:25.460 we don't see God mentioned at all. 00:17:26.259 --> 00:17:29.140 But we know that he is woven into every brick. 00:17:29.860 --> 00:17:32.840 It's a great demonstration of God at work through his people. 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:36.700 And we know that Nehemiah had one thing at the forefront of his mind, 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:37.820 the glory of God. 00:17:38.080 --> 00:17:39.200 And so let's take a look. 00:17:40.080 --> 00:17:42.920 We already know that Nehemiah had planned this work. 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:45.980 And the effort in rebuilding is another example of this. 00:17:45.980 --> 00:17:48.400 When we look at chapter 3, 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.099 there are 38 individual people mentioned 00:17:51.099 --> 00:17:53.099 and 42 different groups named. 00:17:53.779 --> 00:17:56.920 Of course, there would have been many, many others not mentioned. 00:17:57.500 --> 00:18:00.160 People who carried things, 00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:01.660 people who healed wounds, 00:18:01.900 --> 00:18:05.360 people who made cups of tea, if they did that then. 00:18:06.860 --> 00:18:10.779 But the way that he kept so many people on track 00:18:10.779 --> 00:18:12.940 was through a common goal, 00:18:13.160 --> 00:18:14.660 working together for God's glory. 00:18:14.660 --> 00:18:17.500 Now, I'm not going to go through every gate 00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:18.680 and every group this morning. 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:22.640 And shout out to Kel for even doing half that chapter. 00:18:23.180 --> 00:18:24.160 Well done, Kel. Thanks. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:27.400 We did it in Bible study on Tuesday night. 00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:29.340 I thought, oh, I can't do that to someone else. 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:33.140 But I will want to... 00:18:33.140 --> 00:18:34.740 I do want to just draw out some themes 00:18:34.740 --> 00:18:36.660 that we see across this chapter. 00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:40.759 Firstly, that God uses many different kinds of people. 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:44.099 The chapter tells us that there were rulers, 00:18:44.259 --> 00:18:46.480 which we see in verses 12 to 17. 00:18:47.059 --> 00:18:47.879 There are men and women. 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:49.920 There are perfume makers. 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:51.920 There are goldsmiths, merchants, 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:53.579 people from outside the city. 00:18:54.180 --> 00:18:55.440 There was a job for everyone, 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:58.160 and they all willingly worked alongside one another. 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:01.819 It seems that any of their differences were irrelevant 00:19:01.819 --> 00:19:03.519 when it came to the task at hand. 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.559 They just stood shoulder to shoulder and did the work. 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:10.480 This reminds me a lot of church today. 00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:13.639 God's people are made up of many ages, 00:19:14.059 --> 00:19:15.779 cultures, jobs, backgrounds, 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:18.639 all of us turning our hearts and minds 00:19:18.639 --> 00:19:20.000 to glorifying God together. 00:19:21.539 --> 00:19:24.879 We also see the importance of the example of leaders. 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:28.399 In verse 1, we see that the tone is set from the top 00:19:28.399 --> 00:19:32.139 with the high priest going to work to rebuild the sheep gate. 00:19:32.140 --> 00:19:36.759 That the high priest used his consecrated hands 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:39.600 on manual labour shows that he considered this 00:19:39.600 --> 00:19:41.060 to be work that was important. 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:45.220 Elashib enlists the other priests for the work as well. 00:19:45.600 --> 00:19:48.240 However, just a bit of a spoiler for later on, 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:50.980 he turns out to be an ally of the enemy 00:19:50.980 --> 00:19:52.720 and creates a lot of problems for Nehemiah, 00:19:52.780 --> 00:19:54.040 so don't get too attached to him. 00:19:55.600 --> 00:19:59.160 The sheep gate was at the north-east corner of the city. 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:02.840 This was the gate through which the sacrifices came to the city. 00:20:03.300 --> 00:20:06.480 So it was right that the priests worked on the sheep gate. 00:20:06.940 --> 00:20:09.860 And it symbolically says that they're putting God first, 00:20:10.360 --> 00:20:12.900 which was important for people who'd been stuck. 00:20:13.800 --> 00:20:17.460 We also see that there is unity among the people as they work. 00:20:17.560 --> 00:20:21.360 For example, from the example of the priests 00:20:21.360 --> 00:20:24.220 to the variety of people we see putting their shoulder 00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:25.500 to the hard work of building. 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:26.680 They do it selflessly. 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:30.740 We don't get a sense of there being any individual effort. 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:32.480 It's a combined effort. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.420 Some do the work on the areas of the wall near their home, 00:20:37.500 --> 00:20:40.019 which we see in verse 10, in verse 23, 00:20:40.360 --> 00:20:42.320 and in verses 28 and 30. 00:20:42.860 --> 00:20:44.860 They took responsibility for their own neighbourhood 00:20:44.860 --> 00:20:48.060 so that their own homes could be restored and liveable again. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:50.960 Others came from many other nations. 00:20:51.180 --> 00:20:53.820 We see people from Jericho, Tekoa, Gibeon, 00:20:54.320 --> 00:20:56.380 Mizpah, Bethser, and many others. 00:20:56.380 --> 00:20:59.040 Now, it's not clear what benefit they might have 00:20:59.040 --> 00:21:01.000 from Jerusalem's walls being repaired, 00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:05.800 but still they left their homes and jobs and came to help. 00:21:07.320 --> 00:21:10.560 It's this kind of selflessness that marks the people of God 00:21:10.560 --> 00:21:12.060 in many ways through history. 00:21:12.620 --> 00:21:14.980 Many people who've prayed for missionaries, 00:21:15.320 --> 00:21:18.560 going to countries, praying for people in countries 00:21:18.560 --> 00:21:20.540 and giving money that they never visit, 00:21:21.340 --> 00:21:23.740 working with people and praying for people, 00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:26.740 sowing seeds that we might never see the fruit of, 00:21:27.259 --> 00:21:28.420 not for personal benefit, 00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:31.259 but because it's a privilege to glorify God. 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:35.099 We see that the places were built, 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:36.940 as outlined in this chapter, 00:21:37.120 --> 00:21:40.220 in a bit of a methodical style, 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:42.480 next to him, next to him, 00:21:42.579 --> 00:21:43.880 and so the language goes. 00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:45.920 And so what the language gives us 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:47.859 is a strong visual of a city, 00:21:48.339 --> 00:21:49.819 brick by brick, being rebuilt. 00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:53.579 Nehemiah records these in the various gates. 00:21:54.779 --> 00:21:58.879 The narrative moves counterclockwise around the city. 00:21:59.419 --> 00:22:01.579 There are 10 gates, several towers, 00:22:01.839 --> 00:22:03.559 as well as the work on the north wall, 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:06.439 the eastern wall, the southern point of the city, 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:08.759 and finally the eastern wall. 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:11.559 Each gate had a particular purpose 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:12.879 for the functioning of the city, 00:22:13.159 --> 00:22:15.939 as you will see if you read the rest of the chapter, 00:22:15.940 --> 00:22:18.600 especially for the functioning of the temple, 00:22:19.120 --> 00:22:20.600 for the purposes of defence, 00:22:21.220 --> 00:22:23.519 for sanitation, you can guess which one that is, 00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:25.580 for food and water, 00:22:25.820 --> 00:22:27.660 and for the troops to enter and depart. 00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:30.500 It's also an important chapter 00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:32.480 for the historical detail that gives us 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:34.080 about the layout of Jerusalem, 00:22:34.600 --> 00:22:37.380 and quite purposely records the names of people 00:22:37.380 --> 00:22:38.920 who went to work rebuilding on it. 00:22:39.940 --> 00:22:43.299 Recounting the building of this city in this way 00:22:43.299 --> 00:22:46.460 is a reminder again of how broken Jerusalem was. 00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:48.099 There had been no temple. 00:22:48.639 --> 00:22:49.879 There was no means of sacrifice. 00:22:51.639 --> 00:22:54.500 But as we know, no person could achieve this work, 00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:57.680 and it took, had been able to achieve this work, 00:22:57.779 --> 00:22:59.559 it took the leadership of Nehemiah 00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:01.319 and the cooperation of all these people. 00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:03.000 And both were important. 00:23:03.659 --> 00:23:05.039 And so it is for us today, 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:08.960 working together to finish the work to the glory of God. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:13.660 The rebuilding of Jerusalem really shows 00:23:13.660 --> 00:23:17.240 a practical mission of the heart for God's glory. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:20.400 The status of Jerusalem, as we know, 00:23:20.579 --> 00:23:22.880 as a city was a symbol of God's people, 00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:24.799 and Nehemiah knew this deeply. 00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:27.579 His part was to do the work of restoration 00:23:27.579 --> 00:23:31.059 and give the people of Jerusalem hope once more, 00:23:31.579 --> 00:23:34.400 reassuring them of God's promises to them fulfilled, 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:36.860 lifting them out of rubble, 00:23:36.859 --> 00:23:38.219 from broken dependency. 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:41.799 Jerusalem and its people were designed 00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:42.939 to be a city on a hill, 00:23:43.259 --> 00:23:45.619 a light that proclaimed God's glory, 00:23:46.399 --> 00:23:47.399 not hidden away, 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:48.799 cowering in rubble, 00:23:49.099 --> 00:23:49.439 defeated. 00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:53.219 If its citizens obeyed God, 00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:55.619 Jerusalem was to bear witness to him. 00:23:55.979 --> 00:23:58.059 Its community life was to be a pointer 00:23:58.059 --> 00:24:00.779 to the peace and justice in the new Jerusalem, 00:24:01.479 --> 00:24:03.359 the city on the hill that would come 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:04.259 at the end of time, 00:24:04.259 --> 00:24:06.679 which we see in Revelation 21 and 22. 00:24:07.859 --> 00:24:10.359 We know this isn't an Old Testament idea only, 00:24:10.479 --> 00:24:12.199 about place and its walls. 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.759 Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 5, 14, 00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:17.859 let your light shine before others 00:24:17.859 --> 00:24:19.439 so they may see your good works 00:24:19.439 --> 00:24:21.299 and give glory to your Father in heaven. 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.419 It's the same call that was on Nehemiah's heart 00:24:24.419 --> 00:24:27.779 and the same call that was made on the people of Jerusalem 00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:29.419 that's made on us today. 00:24:29.420 --> 00:24:33.840 There is also joy and enthusiasm 00:24:33.840 --> 00:24:35.200 that comes through the narrative. 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:37.279 It's clearly hard work. 00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:38.360 It's messy. 00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:40.039 It's dirty. 00:24:40.539 --> 00:24:42.840 They would be blistered, cut and bruised. 00:24:43.640 --> 00:24:45.920 And some people completed more than one section, 00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:48.779 did much more than they needed to. 00:24:49.360 --> 00:24:51.039 But what this chapter gives us 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:54.039 is a sense of energy and hope in the words 00:24:54.039 --> 00:24:55.380 as the people work together. 00:24:55.380 --> 00:24:58.820 There is a sense of enthusiastic unity. 00:24:59.820 --> 00:25:01.760 The 38 people who were named 00:25:01.760 --> 00:25:03.160 and the many who aren't 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:05.020 who did the jobs of cleaning up 00:25:05.020 --> 00:25:07.020 and helping lug stuff around, 00:25:07.840 --> 00:25:09.720 repairing the blisters, making the food, 00:25:10.220 --> 00:25:11.220 all mattered. 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:15.559 And it was a joy that they shared in serving. 00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:21.019 Nehemiah uses the recurring phrase in Next to Him 00:25:21.019 --> 00:25:24.559 and it's a very clear testimony, I think, 00:25:24.600 --> 00:25:25.880 about their interdependence, 00:25:26.019 --> 00:25:28.259 about lives that were lived doing hard work 00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:31.960 alongside one another in building God's city. 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:33.940 So it isn't a city, 00:25:34.120 --> 00:25:35.839 it isn't a collection of individuals, 00:25:36.120 --> 00:25:37.779 but a society that's interacting. 00:25:37.779 --> 00:25:41.399 We see something like this 00:25:41.399 --> 00:25:45.359 when we look at how Paul invites us 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:50.019 as God's people in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:53.119 to consider ourselves part of the human body. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:56.619 I've always liked this part of the Bible 00:25:56.619 --> 00:25:58.519 in terms of its significance 00:25:58.519 --> 00:26:00.079 for how I view mission, 00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:02.779 that we all have a unique 00:26:02.779 --> 00:26:04.480 but interconnected part to play. 00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:06.740 Perhaps as a former nurse, 00:26:06.740 --> 00:26:08.539 I connect with the detail 00:26:08.539 --> 00:26:10.620 of the miracle that the human body is. 00:26:11.799 --> 00:26:13.620 Fascinating small structures, 00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:15.120 tiny bones in our ears, 00:26:15.500 --> 00:26:17.940 tiny vessels that all work day and night 00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:20.259 so that I can process the world around me. 00:26:21.500 --> 00:26:23.440 But each part is also unique, 00:26:23.859 --> 00:26:25.099 made for a particular purpose 00:26:25.099 --> 00:26:27.000 and that's what we see here in Chapter 3, 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:29.259 that people may have the same name 00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:31.240 but they're distinguished from each other 00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:32.480 by their family background. 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:34.559 unity is important 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:37.880 but individuality is also valued. 00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:41.340 It strikes me that they never needed 00:26:41.340 --> 00:26:43.000 their brothers and sisters in Christ, 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:45.860 we never needed our brothers and sisters in Christ 00:26:45.860 --> 00:26:46.980 more than we do today. 00:26:48.100 --> 00:26:49.860 As was the case for Nehemiah, 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:52.240 anyone looking at God's people today 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:54.880 might see that our city is looking a bit run down, 00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:56.280 the walls crumbling 00:26:56.280 --> 00:26:57.940 and the fires lit at our gates. 00:26:57.940 --> 00:27:01.039 We don't need to be the same as each other, 00:27:01.460 --> 00:27:03.140 we don't have to do the same thing. 00:27:03.660 --> 00:27:04.299 Throughout the Bible, 00:27:04.440 --> 00:27:05.740 we see many different people 00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:07.019 all used by God 00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:09.080 in his time for his purpose. 00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:12.000 But our confidence must be in God. 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:13.480 In unity, 00:27:13.740 --> 00:27:15.740 we amplify the hope we have in Jesus. 00:27:16.580 --> 00:27:18.360 We help each other carry the load 00:27:18.360 --> 00:27:19.400 of living faithfully 00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:20.980 when we are under siege. 00:27:21.080 --> 00:27:22.360 We spur one another on 00:27:22.360 --> 00:27:24.559 when the work of mission is hard. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:26.720 Our unity is in the spirit, 00:27:27.299 --> 00:27:29.419 galvanising, comforting, assuring. 00:27:30.159 --> 00:27:31.240 Let's hold on to that, 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:32.099 defend it, 00:27:32.619 --> 00:27:33.619 prioritise it 00:27:33.619 --> 00:27:35.159 and for one another 00:27:35.159 --> 00:27:36.519 and serve one another 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:38.399 with our time and talent and treasure. 00:27:40.179 --> 00:27:41.079 Nehemiah's vision, 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:42.799 the desire of his heart 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:44.019 infused in the work 00:27:44.019 --> 00:27:45.240 of the people of Jerusalem 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:47.359 was that God would be glorified 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:48.679 once again through his people. 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:51.240 His confidence is in his promises 00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:52.919 of God fulfilled 00:27:52.919 --> 00:27:54.539 in Israel's history. 00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:56.440 His hope was that 00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:57.519 in restoring the city, 00:27:57.919 --> 00:28:01.079 that relationship would be restored. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:04.139 What Nehemiah didn't know 00:28:04.139 --> 00:28:05.379 was that the only way 00:28:05.379 --> 00:28:07.379 that this reconciliation could happen 00:28:07.379 --> 00:28:08.500 was through the temple 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:09.460 being torn apart 00:28:09.460 --> 00:28:11.220 and restored after three days. 00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:13.440 The only perfect, 00:28:13.779 --> 00:28:15.419 final, life-giving hope 00:28:15.419 --> 00:28:17.839 is found in God giving his son 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:18.639 over to death, 00:28:19.059 --> 00:28:20.259 raised from the dead 00:28:20.259 --> 00:28:22.099 so that we might live eternally. 00:28:22.099 --> 00:28:24.639 Our personal hope 00:28:24.639 --> 00:28:27.000 is in a resurrected Jesus. 00:28:27.959 --> 00:28:29.480 Ephesians 2 tells us, 00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:37.500 God, who is rich in mercy, 00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:39.519 has made us alive in Christ 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:41.500 even when we're dead in transgressions. 00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:43.779 It's by grace you've been saved. 00:28:44.920 --> 00:28:47.180 God raised us up with Christ 00:28:47.180 --> 00:28:49.060 and seated us with him 00:28:49.060 --> 00:28:50.200 in the heavenly realms 00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:51.299 in Christ Jesus 00:28:51.299 --> 00:28:53.140 in order that in the coming ages 00:28:53.140 --> 00:28:55.620 he might show the incomparable riches 00:28:55.620 --> 00:28:56.460 of his grace 00:28:56.460 --> 00:28:58.180 expressed in his kindness 00:28:58.180 --> 00:28:59.539 to us in Christ Jesus. 00:28:59.539 --> 00:29:01.599 And so for us, 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:02.680 it's a personal hope 00:29:02.680 --> 00:29:04.259 that we can be restored 00:29:04.259 --> 00:29:05.359 from our brokenness 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:07.480 in the face of fear and defeat. 00:29:08.399 --> 00:29:08.920 Fears that, 00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:10.420 similar to the people of Israel, 00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:11.859 can cause us to live 00:29:11.859 --> 00:29:13.440 amongst the rubble of our own lives, 00:29:13.960 --> 00:29:16.159 inert against the measure of sin and failure. 00:29:17.559 --> 00:29:18.940 And yet God gives us hope. 00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:20.440 He offers you hope 00:29:20.440 --> 00:29:22.139 and a way to get it. 00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:24.039 We were dead, 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:25.159 but the overwhelming, 00:29:25.700 --> 00:29:27.279 conquering love of God in Jesus 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:28.279 raises us up 00:29:28.279 --> 00:29:29.359 and restores us. 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:31.180 And if that isn't a hope 00:29:31.180 --> 00:29:32.500 that you have today, 00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:33.960 don't leave this morning 00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:35.099 without talking to someone 00:29:35.099 --> 00:29:36.519 about the hope they have 00:29:36.519 --> 00:29:37.859 and how you can know 00:29:37.859 --> 00:29:39.779 the richness of God's mercy 00:29:39.779 --> 00:29:40.500 for yourself. 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:43.339 This is also the vision 00:29:43.339 --> 00:29:45.139 God has before the church today. 00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:47.200 We experience times 00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:48.940 of unrest, upheaval. 00:29:49.700 --> 00:29:50.759 Life doesn't go smoothly. 00:29:51.639 --> 00:29:52.960 But we can have hope 00:29:52.960 --> 00:29:54.359 that God is turning us 00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:55.519 into the kind of people 00:29:55.519 --> 00:29:57.019 who can handle whatever comes. 00:29:57.019 --> 00:29:58.619 In Nehemiah, 00:29:58.680 --> 00:30:00.299 we see the historical reality 00:30:00.299 --> 00:30:01.879 of God's promises at work. 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:03.000 In Jesus, 00:30:03.400 --> 00:30:05.039 we are joined in the resurrection 00:30:05.039 --> 00:30:06.180 to the fulfilment 00:30:06.180 --> 00:30:07.759 of those promises in eternity. 00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:10.339 Let me pray for us. 00:30:10.339 --> 00:30:14.459 Lord, I pray that our hearts 00:30:14.459 --> 00:30:15.279 would be open 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:16.480 to know the hope 00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:17.899 that you have called us to, 00:30:18.539 --> 00:30:19.879 the riches of our inheritance 00:30:19.879 --> 00:30:20.759 as your people 00:30:20.759 --> 00:30:22.480 and the incomparably great power 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:23.519 for those who believe. 00:30:24.579 --> 00:30:26.279 Thank you that in raising Jesus 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:26.939 from the dead, 00:30:27.179 --> 00:30:28.740 you have restored us to yourself. 00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:31.240 Thank you that your continued work 00:30:31.240 --> 00:30:32.619 in us restores your people, 00:30:33.019 --> 00:30:33.639 your church, 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:34.799 to shine a light 00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:35.759 in this dark world. 00:30:36.459 --> 00:30:37.379 May we have hearts 00:30:37.380 --> 00:30:38.520 that are keenly focused 00:30:38.520 --> 00:30:39.660 on glorifying you 00:30:39.660 --> 00:30:40.400 in every way. 00:30:40.820 --> 00:30:41.120 Amen. 00:30:41.120 --> 00:30:41.220 Amen.