About 500 years before the Savior of the world was born into a Jewish family of Mary and Joseph,
the nation of Israel was still in exile under a foreign ruler.
The city God had provided for His people to live in is in terrible condition.
So God raised leaders to rebuild the city of Jerusalem
and provide a place and a community where the Savior would be born.
He's again working in His world to ensure the redemptive story continues.
That is the context behind the book of Nehemiah that we have been looking into during this season.
Chapter 1 to 7 tell us about the external physical rebuilding of the wall.
Chapter 8 onward to the end of the book is a spiritual inward rebuilding
of the community of the people of God.
Today, we have come to the junctions between these two buildings,
these two rebuildings.
With the completion of the building on the physical wall,
their attentions turn to building up the people of God.
Their biological heritage is evidenced in the long list of names in Chapter 7,
described their lineage to Abraham.
Their spiritual heritage emerges as they are taught God's Word from Chapter 8 onward.
The focus of Nehemiah and the hope of the Bible is not on the people or the world that God created,
but on the Creator, God, our Heavenly Father Himself.
God is behind every word written in the 66 Old and New Testament books that forms the Bible.
God is the author and creator.
He intervenes in human history to ensure His plans come to fruition.
God is always preparing for Himself a people of His own.
He rebuilds them through His Word to be a light in the world to show His brilliance and grace.
We will look at the preparation and the rebuilding through God's Word today.
Even though the book of Nehemiah is certainly about God preparing for Himself a community of His people,
there is something very unique about this book,
because there's not a record of God speaking directly to any of the characters in the book.
It's only at the very beginning there's a short revelation of God's speech.
When we read the book of Nehemiah, we should remember that God is the main character,
even though He's not speaking directly.
He is the one that set everything into motion.
We can see one example of how God works within people to achieve His goal in verse 4 to 5 of chapter 7.
Nehemiah recorded,
Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it.
And the house had not yet been rebuilt.
So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the common people
for registering by families.
God put into Nehemiah's heart to assemble the people.
People's heart is God's working field.
It's a heart ready for God's work.
God works in the heart of people like Nehemiah and Ezra.
In the Old Testament, today He's working in our hearts through His word too.
God's word is living and active and penetrates our hearts and is influential in building His people.
From chapter 8 onward, we will see the centrality of God's word among His pilgrim people,
bringing about necessary changes to prepare them.
When we read parts of the Bible that do not record God speaking directly like Nehemiah,
we should pay extra attention to avoid missing some fundamental principle to how God prepares for His work.
One of the principles I will draw your attention to will make me very unpopular in the common day and age.
What I'm referring to is there must be a distinction between who is and who is not part of God's family.
There needs to be a sense of exclusivity before we can have a real sense of belonging within a true community of God's people.
Knowing who truly belongs and who is just an attendee is very important to community formation.
There must be a clear commitment for God's people and community to impact where God has placed them.
For them is Jerusalem.
For us is Chesterwood in the city of Willoughby.
In chapter 7, there's a long list of names of those that can legitimately claim their places within a community of God's people.
However, a group in the list cannot show their family descended from Israel.
Some names should not surprise us because of what they did up to this point in the book.
If you look into verse 61 of chapter 7,
The following come from the tribe of Talmala, Talhasha, Kareb, Abdon, and Imah.
But they could not show their family were descended from Israel, the descendants of De'alaha, Tobiah, and Nekodah.
Tobiah is one of the troublemakers that applied many times during the rebuilding work.
During last week's sermon, Steve pointed out that even Tobiah, even his name means God is good.
Tobiah did not believe the meaning of his name and set out to discredit God and oppose his works.
Verse 46 says,
These searchers for their family records, but they could not find them, and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
The governor therefore ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with a umar and sermon.
We can all agree that not allowing those who do not genuinely have the good of the people in their hearts to hold leadership position is crucial.
There are many examples of how things have gone badly in the Bible and human history because the exclusion was not applied.
You only need to look into your workplace or your friends and families and relatives to see the damage a self-centered, self-praising person would make.
They are alone where the dead person is leading.
And so they are excluded from the priesthood, the position of spiritual leaders, and from enjoying the privilege entitled.
But it must be clear that they are not excluded from the community, but are banned from holding leadership position until God provides a suitable way to identify them adequately.
God is rebuilding a community that will represent Him to the world, and only those ready to represent His reign are qualified to serve and lead His people spiritually.
God's people need to be identifiable, stand up to be counted, and are committed to God and His work in Nehemiah's time, even more so for us today.
God is the only way.
How can we be sure we are growing in our faith as a disciple of God?
Jesus said to the Jews who believe in Him in John 8, 31,
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciple.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
One of the essential measurements we can use is God's Word, His teaching and His truth.
Nehemiah could discern the scheme of his opposition because he knows God's Word.
He leaves his reference towards God and a healthy sense of fear because he knows God's Word.
And he often stopped and pondered on God's Word.
Some other helpful question would be,
Who are you living for or serving with your life?
Who or what is the treasure of your life?
Are you treasuring Jesus and adoring Him together with other disciples?
Or is something else getting most of your attention?
Do you worship God corporately in gatherings and personally in devotional reading of His Word?
Or are you a part of a community that builds disciples' relationship and serves others with their life?
God is rebuilding a community of His own people.
It is vital to distinguish who truly belongs to Him
to ensure that His name and His brilliant works of salvation reveal to all nations.
As preparation, we need to note those not wholeheartedly contributing to the rebuilding work of God
to ensure that bad influence will not hinder other people's growth.
The majestic God reveals all necessary for life and salvation in His Word.
It is how He builds His people and church.
Our hearts are where God is at work every day.
So your attitude towards God's Word is a good indicator of what's going on and happening within you.
The people in Nehemiah's time demonstrated an eagerness to hear God's Word in chapter 8, verse 1-2.
After they have settled into the city,
all the people came together as one in the square before the water gate.
They told Ezra, the teacher of the law, to bring out the book of the law of Moses,
which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
So on the first day of the seventh month,
Ezra, the priest, brought out the law before the assembly,
which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.
On that day,
all the people listened attentively
to the book of the law from daybreak till noon.
Teenagers,
younger kids too,
all who can understand.
They listened with reference.
They built a wooden platform to excel God's Word.
Verse 5-6 say,
the people praise and worship God at the opening of God's Word.
Reading the Bible,
the Word of the Great God,
is a form of worship.
Sadly,
many people,
or many of us,
only worship God on Sunday in a building
and do not worship by reading into God's Word.
Reading the Bible
has become something
they must do
to ensure God is pleased with them.
They will try very hard to do it every day,
often at the end of the day,
just before they went to sleep.
The attitude of the people
gathered at Nehemiah's time
is not like that.
They want to understand what is being read,
so they break into small groups
to read God's Word,
allowing the leaders
to make the clear to them in verse 7-8.
Referent,
awe,
and worship
flowed
throughout the assembly
as they read
and got to understand God's Word.
Is that what you are experiencing
with God's Word
while reading on your own
during the week
or sitting at church on Sunday?
What feeling
do you usually have
towards the Word of God?
What weight
does the Word
bring to bear on you?
I think the end of verse 9
is not far from reality
as our typical responses
to the Word of God.
It says,
for all the people
have been weeping
as they listen to the words of the Lord.
They can be tears of joy
as we realize
the death of God's love for us,
but they are often tears of conviction
as we recognize
the distance between
our way of living
and our commitment to God's Word.
The people in Nehemiah's time
weep and grieve
because they were convicted.
In the New Testament,
just after Jesus' resurrection
and ascension,
the people of God
gathered
and heard Peter
preach about Jesus' life,
death, and resurrection.
They were also convicted.
And when the people heard this,
they were cut to their heart
and said to Peter
and the other apostles,
Brother,
what should we do?
The people in Acts
responded better
because their conviction
makes them willing
to take action.
However,
Nehemiah and the leaders
say to people
in verse 9 to 11,
This day is holy
to the Lord your God.
Do not mourn or weep.
Go and enjoy
choice food
and sweet drinks
and send some to those
who have nothing prepared.
This day is holy
to our Lord.
Do not grieve
for the joy of the Lord
is your strength.
Be still
for this is a holy day.
Do not grieve.
They repeat it three times,
This day is holy.
Which time side
they are telling them
to have a holiday?
How would they be
appropriate
when someone
is convicted
of their sin?
It is
because this day
is holy
to the Lord.
God wants us
to be convicted
of our sin
but does not want us
to stay
in our sin.
They should grieve
no more
because the joy
of the Lord
is their strength.
If you can go back
one slide, please.
In other words,
don't let your tears
be your strength.
Don't let your grief
be your strength.
The joy of the Lord
is your strength
which means
being satisfied
in the Lord.
Then,
verse 12,
all the people
went away
to eat and drink
to send
a portion of food
and to celebrate
with great joy
because they now
understood the word
that had been
made known to them.
People have
incredible joy
and deep satisfaction
because of the words
that have been
made known to them.
God's word
has sunk in
and taken root
in their hearts
and now
they understood them.
They understood
that if God
could rebuild
the wall
in 52 days,
they could transform
them
and cleanse
them from all sins.
They understood
that God
already forgives
them.
Because they know
they are forgiven,
they can worship
and have satisfaction
in the living King
their Lord.
The opposite
would be true
if God's word
only grieves you.
If listening
to God's word
only causes
further worry
that you cannot
fulfill God's
requirement.
If you have
a heavy heart
and feel that
all being said
from the Bible
is easier
than done,
a sense
of self-pity,
you have not
fully understood
his words
because you have
not become
sorrowful
as God
intended
and you were
driven further
away from God
by your conviction.
Paul comforted
the Corinthians
church
after his
very strong
letter
and in his
second letter,
2 Corinthians 7-10,
he said,
Godly sorrow
brings repentance
that leads
to salvation
and leaves
no regret.
When God
convicts you
of your sin,
he wants you
to focus
on repentance
and as you
repent
of your sins,
you will have
a deep sense
of satisfaction
knowing God
is working
to transform
and save you.
This is the
same essence
of the teaching
of James
in James 1-25.
Do not merely
listen to the
word and so
anyone who
listens to the
word but
does not do
what it says
is like someone
who looks at
his face
in a mirror
and after
looking at it
goes away
and immediately
forget what
he looks.
But whoever
looks intending
into the
perfect law
that gives
freedom
and continuing
not forgetting
what he has
heard but doing
it,
they will be
blessed in
what they do.
Make the
necessary change
you have learned
from God's word
and you will
experience the
same death
of joy as
those people
in Nehemiah
as God
rebuilds your
life through
his word.
You will
experience the
blessed freedom
that Jesus'
gospel promised
a deep
satisfaction.
A couple
days ago
it was the
11th day
of the 11th
month.
Historically
and traditionally
in the West
is a date
of remembrance.
The hostility
of World War
I formally
ended at
the 11th
hour of
the 11th
day of
the 11th
month of
1918.
But that
was 104
years ago.
Most people
impacted
directly by
the war,
by this
World War
have not
passed.
And sadly
the events
that replaced
this momentous
day tells
a lot about
the failure
our city
and our
society
holds.
In China,
with the
day having
so many
ones,
it has
been
commercialized
to represent
a single
state.
Beying the
hope that
single people
will find
their other
half to
complete the
life.
The concept
that someone
needs to get
married and
have children
to represent
a blessed
life is worth
another sermon.
In Australia,
when November
comes, we're
reminded of the
race that
stopped the
nation.
Once that
is done,
we are
bombarded
with
advertisement
that feeds
our FOMO,
our fear
of missing
out.
Regarding
an online
shopping
event,
that will
stop the
nation once
again a week
after the
race.
We live
in an
environment
with information
overload that
fights for
our attention.
we often
end up
remembering
or being
reminded of
things that
are not
important.
But remembering
the essential
is vital for
our existence.
Remembering
the right
thing was
also vital
for the
people in
Nehemiah's
time.
And they
have been
reminded of
something that
they have
neglected.
They have
not celebrated
the festival of
the booth,
or the
festival of
the
tabernacle,
as stipulated
by God
since God
settled them
into the
promised land.
In chapter
8,
verse 17,
towards the
end,
it says,
from the
days of
Joshua,
son of
Nun,
until that
day,
that Israel
had not
celebrated
it like
this.
So why
is the
festival
vital to
their
existence?
What is
the meaning
behind this
festival for
them?
And is
this relevant
to us?
We're told
in brief
what they
need to
do in
chapter 8,
verse 13
to 16.
If you
go to
Numbers 29,
12 to
40,
and Leviticus
23,
33 to
43,
there's a
much more
detail of
the meaning
of the
festival.
But I'll
try to
summarize for
you.
After the
harvest,
each year,
the people
of God,
Israel,
are to
live in
booths,
temporary
tents,
for eight
days,
to remember
that God
has led
them through
the wilderness
after he
redeems them
out of
Egypt.
The idea
was to
point back
to when
Israel
experienced
God's
faithfulness.
It reminds
them of
all the
sins and
grumbling
that God
had put
up with
over that
time and
how gracious
God had
been to
them even
so by
providing
harvest in
due time.
They were
to remember
how God
has saved
them every
year so
they will
remain grateful
and faithful
to the
creator that
provided
everything.
They were
also to
remember that
God chose
them to be
the light
of the
world to
point people
back to
him.
The
people in
Nehemiah's
time got
into all
sort of
troubles and
grief because
they did not
remember who
God was and
who they
were.
And they
were restless
and insecure.
The
festival is
God's way of
saying remember
me.
Remember where
you come from
and who has
been looking
after you all
your life.
God is
their ultimate
security and
rest.
He is also
our ultimate
security and
rest.
In our
day and
age when
we are
also restless
and tempted
to forget
God's
goodness we
need to
remember that
God is the
origin and
source of
our life.
Only when
we remember
God has
always been
looking after
us and
get back to
a relationship
with God
can we
truly say
we are
living out
the ultimate
purpose of
human existence.
You will
only find
true freedom
and deep
joy for
your life
in remembrance
and reference
of God.
If you are
not yet a
worshiper of
the great
God and
want to
find out
more,
please let
me know.
I would
love to
help you
to become
part of
God's
rebuilding
community.
If you
consider
yourself
part of
God's
community,
let's
join
together.
In
rejoicing that
you have
God's
work to
build our
life on
and God
is always
working in
our hearts
to transform
us.
through
the
la
vol
brought
into
in
that
Kita
puis
,
we