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 Let's begin our worship at this time, singing to God's praise. We're singing in Psalm 34 in the Sing Psalms version.

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 It's on page 40 of the psalm books, Psalm 34, verse 1 to 9. The tune is Jackson.

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 At all times I will bless the Lord, I'll praise him with my voice, because I glory in the Lord, let troubled souls rejoice.

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 Together, let us praise the Lord, exalt his name with me. I sought the Lord, his answer came from fears, he set me free.

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 We'll sing from verse 1 to 9 to God's praise.

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 At all times I will bless the Lord, I'll praise him with my voice.

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 Because I glory in the Lord, let troubled souls rejoice.

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 Together, let us praise the Lord, exalt his name with me.

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 I sought the Lord, his answer came from fears, he set me free.

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 They look to him and shine with joy.

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 They are not put to shame.

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 This suffering man, cry to the Lord, from him deliverance stream.

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 The angel of the Lord, his answer comes from fear.

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 The angel of the Lord surrounds, and guards for to glory.

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 Of those who fear and honor him, he sets his people free.

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 Come, take and see the Lord, his good, who trust in heaven's land.

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 O fear and honor him, he sets his people free.

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 You will not be oppressed.

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 You will not be oppressed.

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 As united hearts together in prayer, let us pray.

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 Our Father in heaven, we come before you as our Lord and as our God.

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 We come looking to you, seeking your blessing on us as a people, upon our time together, upon our worship as we offer it up to you in every way.

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 That we would come, Lord, humbly before you, exalting your name, and that we would come offering up all our praise to you.

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 And that we would do so together, even as the psalm has described for us.

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 And at all times, Lord, we may bless you.

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 We thank you for that, that we do not need to be gathered as we are here.

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 But we thank you for the special times we have to be gathered together.

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 We thank you for, as we've been hearing over these last number of weeks, the gathered church and every aspect of it.

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 And that we are indeed a people on a journey through this world.

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 But we thank you that we can set at all times the Lord before us.

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 That we look to our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who guides us, the one who helps us, the one who shows us every path to take, shows us every choice to make.

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 But we acknowledge, Lord, that there are times when we are not wise in our decisions.

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 There are times when we make the wrong choices in life.

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 But we thank you for the wonder of your grace and your love and your mercy to us.

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 That you are a God of great grace and forgiveness.

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 With you there is so much forgiveness.

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 And we thank you for that, Lord, that you are able to pardon us for all our sin, for the times we do go astray.

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 But that you are the one who calls us back, who calls us to yourself, even as we feel the burdens of sin and guilt.

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 Even as we feel the burdens of this world and the life that we live at times, Lord.

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 We know that there are so many burdens that we carry and maybe try to carry by ourselves.

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 But we thank you for the gospel and for the great invitation that we find in it.

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 That you are the one who calls your people to yourself.

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 We thank you for those precious words of our Lord Jesus as he called to his people to come.

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 Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

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 And we pray, Lord, to know that rest.

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 We pray to know our burdens lifted.

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 And especially the burden of our guilt and sin.

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 And we thank you that you are the only one who is able to take it from us.

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 And we pray, Lord, that as we come to you and as we find our rest in you, that you will give us that freedom and liberty to serve you as we should.

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 That as a people, as a church, we would seek to honor you in all that we do.

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 To seek to glorify your name and to proclaim it far and wide.

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 Through the preaching of your word and the ministry of your people in many different ways.

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 We thank you that you use your people, your church, to build your kingdom.

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 And we thank you that your kingdom is being built.

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 That your kingdom comes in power day by day.

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 That you are at all times calling people to yourself.

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 And that even today, Lord, we pray and even this evening we pray that there will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner saved.

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 It sounds such an insignificant number.

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 Just one sinner in the midst of the billions in this world.

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 But yet we thank you that everyone is precious to you.

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 Every name is known to you.

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 And that there is no one who is hidden from you.

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 We thank you that everyone is personal to you.

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 And that you are the one who calls us each by name.

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 So, Lord, may we have ears to hear what you are saying to us.

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 And may you humble us before you in terms of how we live and how we move and have our being in this world.

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 For we thank you, Lord, that every good and perfect gift comes from you.

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 We have so much to be thankful for.

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 Even as we look around ourselves this evening, we thank you for one another.

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 We thank you for all who are here in every home and family represented.

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 We thank you for all who tune in online as well, who join us through that means in our own community and far and wide as well.

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 We thank you for the way that your gospel goes into homes and families and even different parts of this world.

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 We marvel at these things, Lord, just seeing how you are able to use these things for good and for your glory.

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 And so we pray that as your word goes out today and as you hear our prayers together and as you, Lord, receive our praise and thanks,

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 that you will do us good, Lord, that you will build us up, that you will encourage us in our faith,

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 that you will draw near to us, each one of us, as we seek to draw near to you.

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 May you bless your word to us this evening as we read it and open it up together again as we come to see the wonder of the work that goes on in your name.

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 We thank you, Lord, that you are a God who gives focus and direction in every way.

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 And may you help us to understand.

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 May you help us to hear.

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 May you help us to apply your word to our lives.

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 All that we have heard this day, that we will be able to go into the week ahead with your word even echoing in our ears and ministering to us and helping us in the different challenges that we will face day after day.

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 That we will remember the security that we have in Christ and we remember who we serve in this world and that we will do all for his glory.

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 We pray your blessing on our evening together, Lord, and the fellowship afterwards.

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 We thank you for Gordon coming to be with us this evening.

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 We thank you for his role in our presbytery that's developed over these last few years,

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 from focusing on the youth and the discipleship work among them to being more involved now in discipleship and development for each and every congregation throughout our presbytery.

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 And we thank you for the opportunity he's had and for his opportunity here this evening to share with us and that we would get to know him better and the work that he's involved in and how he can support and encourage us as a congregation here.

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 We ask your blessing on him, his family, and indeed his own congregation in Harris as well.

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 We thank you for the encouragements that they have had even recently over the communion season.

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 And pray your blessing on David and Matthew and elders, deacons, and the members and adherents there together, Lord, that they will know your good hand upon them.

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 As we pray that for all our congregations throughout our presbytery here and throughout our denomination.

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 We thank you for the proclamation of your word and how it goes out into so many different corners of our nation.

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 And we pray that in cities, towns, villages where your people gather this day, that your name be praised and your people built up and your kingdom extended to all ends of the earth.

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 We thank you for the ministry here throughout our congregation through the week as we see even a busy week ahead in the week ahead just now, Lord.

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 We pray for all the meetings to take place, the worship services, the times of prayer with Muriel and meetings to be had for the young folks and the work that goes on among them.

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 We pray, Lord, that your blessing will be on all that we do, that we would see your hand upon us for good, that you would remind us, Lord, why we do it and for whom we are doing it.

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 That we are to do it in good cheer and in a good spirit and a prayerful spirit.

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 We pray, Lord, that above all your name would be praised in all things.

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 Remember our homes and our families, Lord, as we commit again all our people to you, especially again we remember those who have lost loved ones even in this past week.

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 And we thank you that you are a God of all comfort, a God of all grace.

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 And we pray that those who grieve this night would know such a large measure of that comfort as they have already experienced it, that they would continue to know it day by day.

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 Remember those who are unwell in our midst as well and throughout our communities.

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 Lord, we pray your help and your grace and your mercy towards all the different needs around us.

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 We commit them to you as well.

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 We ask now, Lord, that you will bless us in our time and in our worship.

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 And all that we do, Lord, we would do it to the Lord and for his glory.

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 Hear us in our prayers and pardon us for all our sin as we ask all of these things in his precious name.

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 Amen.

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 We'll again sing to God's praise, this time in Psalm 37.

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 The Scottish Psalter version on page 252.

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 Psalm 37, page 252.

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 We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 6.

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 The tune is Amazing Grace.

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 Psalm 37 at verse 1.

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 For evildoers, fret thou not thyself unquietly.

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 Nor do thou envy, bear to those that work iniquity.

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 For even like unto the grass soon be cut down shall they.

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 And like the green and tender herb they wither shall away.

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 Then we have this great reminder in verse 3.

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 Set thou thy trust upon the Lord and be thou doing good.

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 And so thou in the land shalt dwell and verily have food.

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 We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 6 to God's praise.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 And so thou in the land shall dwell, and there thee have food.

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 Delight thyself in what you give, thy heart desire to thee.

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 Thy reign to God, O men to God, every reign to pass shall he.

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 And like unto the light ye shall thy righteousness slay.

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 And ye thy judgment shall live forth, like who died of the day.

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 Amen.

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 Nehemiah chapter 5, reading from the beginning of the chapter.

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 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

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 For there were those who said, with our sons and our daughters, we are many.

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 So let us get grain that we may eat and keep alive.

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 There were those who said, we are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain

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 because of the famine.

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 And there were those who said, we have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.

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 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children.

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 Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves.

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 And some of our daughters have already been enslaved.

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 But it is not in our power to help it.

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 For other men have our fields and our vineyards.

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 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

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 I took counsel with myself and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials.

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 I said to them, you are exacting interest, each from his brother.

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 And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, we, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations.

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 But you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us.

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 They were silent and could not find a word to say.

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 So I said, the thing that you are doing is not good.

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 Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations, our enemies?

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 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain.

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 Let us abandon this exacting of interest.

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 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.

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 Then they said, we will restore these and require nothing from them.

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 We will do as you say.

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 And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.

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 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, so may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise.

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 So may he be shaken out and emptied.

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 And all the assembly said, Amen.

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 And praised the Lord.

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 And the people did as they had promised.

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 Moreover, from that time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah,

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 from the 20th year to the 32nd year of Artaxerxes the king, 12 years,

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 neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.

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 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration 40 shekels of silver.

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 Even their servants lorded it over the people.

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 But I did not do so because of the fear of God.

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 I also persevered in the work on this wall and we acquired no land and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

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 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.

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 Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds.

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 And every 10 days all kinds of wine in abundance.

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 Yet for all this, I did not demand the food allowance of the governor because the service was too heavy on this people.

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 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

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 Amen.

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 And may God bless that reading from his word.

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 When we turn back to look at this passage, we'll sing again to God's praise.

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 This time in Psalm 15, in the Sing Psalms version.

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 It's on page 16.

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 We sing the whole of this psalm.

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 The tune is Grafenberg, Psalm 15, a psalm that reminds us how we are to look out for others and honor the Lord in all that we do.

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 Lord, who may stay within your tent, your sacred dwelling place, and who upon your holy hill may live before your face.

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 Whoever walks a blameless path, who acts in righteousness, and who will always from the heart sincerely truth express.

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 We'll sing the whole of this psalm to God's praise.

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 Lord, who may stay within your tent, your sacred dwelling place, and who upon your holy hill may live before your face.

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 Lord, who may be speaking to your holy hill may live before your face.

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 Who have one walks a blameless path, who acts in righteousness, and who will always from the heart sincerely truth express.

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 He cast no slug on anyone, or does his neighbor run.

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 He has no spine within his heart, or stand upon his tongue.

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 He honors those who fear the Lord, the worthless he'll despise.

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 He gives the oath which he hath sworn, however I love Christ.

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 He lends his money at no charge, nor I can he endure.

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 Those who behave in life like this will always stand secure.

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 Let's turn back to our reading in Nehemiah chapter 5.

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 We're going to look at the whole of this chapter together.

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 We see at the beginning of the chapter where it says,

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 Now there arose a great outcry of the people, and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

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 For there were those who said, With our sons and our daughters we are many.

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 So let us get grain that we may eat and keep alive.

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 And so on.

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 One of the most common questions we can get asked in life is,

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 What do you do?

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 What work do you do?

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 And I'm sure even this evening as we look around here,

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 there'd be a variety of different answers that we would give to that question.

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 Some would say maybe I'm a teacher.

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 Others may say I'm involved in working in a trade.

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 Others may say I'm involved in postal work.

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 I'm involved in the health service.

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 I'm involved in admin.

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 There'll be a whole host of answers given to that question.

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 For others, maybe the question will be a little different.

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 Maybe they say, Well, I'm not actually working now.

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 I'm retired.

00:26:00.059 --> 00:26:01.960
 Or maybe I'm unemployed at the moment.

00:26:02.099 --> 00:26:05.759
 Or some people may say I'm too young to work yet.

00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:07.779
 There'll be a whole host of answers.

00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:13.500
 But the focus when we think of that question is so often on paid work.

00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:15.779
 Paid employment.

00:26:16.619 --> 00:26:20.259
 So often that's the work that we define ourselves by.

00:26:21.380 --> 00:26:24.279
 And yet there's another question behind that.

00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:31.140
 What work do you do when there's much more that we do in life than just work in paid employment?

00:26:31.259 --> 00:26:35.619
 And especially as you've been thinking and looking through the book of Nehemiah,

00:26:35.619 --> 00:26:41.160
 we see that there's a very different kind of work that we should all be involved in.

00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:43.600
 None of us are retired from it.

00:26:44.120 --> 00:26:46.080
 None of us are too young for it.

00:26:46.759 --> 00:26:50.160
 Maybe some of us maybe feel we're too busy for it at times.

00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:56.259
 But even that should challenge us to think, Well, I need to give more of my time to this kind of work.

00:26:56.860 --> 00:26:59.600
 And it is the Lord's work.

00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:03.339
 Together we come this evening as we sang together.

00:27:03.459 --> 00:27:05.179
 Let us praise the Lord.

00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:09.199
 We come together to worship God, to offer up our praise to him.

00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:14.259
 But even as we leave here this evening, we should go with that sense of togetherness as well,

00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:17.919
 that we are involved in the work of God's kingdom.

00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:24.420
 And that this work entails a variety of different kinds of aspects.

00:27:24.840 --> 00:27:33.480
 Just a quick glance of the notice sheet today will show you the variety of different works that the congregation is involved in.

00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:35.759
 And that's just looking at things here.

00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:43.500
 But we have to look further beyond that as well and think how much of the work of the Lord are we involved in.

00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:48.200
 And what a variety there is to the work of the Lord.

00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:59.539
 As we return to Nehemiah and chapter 5 here, we find a situation where the wall of Jerusalem is being rebuilt.

00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:08.659
 And we're going to see, again, just the variety of this work and the focus that is required in this work.

00:28:08.779 --> 00:28:13.500
 The wall of Jerusalem, as we've seen for Nehemiah, was so important.

00:28:14.500 --> 00:28:21.579
 It's this great burden that the Lord had placed on him when he was so far away from Jerusalem and he'd never even been there.

00:28:21.579 --> 00:28:31.699
 He had this burden because his brothers, his sisters, they were his people, they were suffering because the wall was broken down.

00:28:31.799 --> 00:28:40.039
 And so in this great burden he had, he came to Jerusalem with this vision of seeing this wall restored.

00:28:40.779 --> 00:28:44.699
 It was needed for the security and the safety of the people.

00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:49.980
 It was needed for the glory of God and the worship of God.

00:28:51.579 --> 00:28:54.519
 It's the wall, the wall, the wall.

00:28:56.179 --> 00:29:06.119
 But as we will see this evening, it wasn't to be the wall at all costs or to the detriment of the people in other ways.

00:29:06.599 --> 00:29:17.480
 And when we think of our work for the Lord here, we could ask ourselves, you know, what is the priority of the work?

00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:23.740
 We think of the preaching of the word, how central that is.

00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:28.599
 But as we heard even this morning, again, it was preaching is so important.

00:29:28.759 --> 00:29:30.259
 But what about our evangelism?

00:29:30.339 --> 00:29:31.819
 What about our outreach?

00:29:31.960 --> 00:29:34.880
 What about using our gifts and our talents?

00:29:36.259 --> 00:29:39.480
 There's no point if we're preaching and there's no one to hear.

00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:42.700
 The gospel is to go out.

00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:48.140
 We are to invite to say, come with me and come with us.

00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:51.740
 We will do you good as we heard this morning.

00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:57.960
 So the work of the Lord, there is a whole variety to it.

00:29:58.660 --> 00:30:01.680
 Every aspect of it is important.

00:30:02.259 --> 00:30:06.480
 Sometimes we see some people's role as more important.

00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:16.940
 But if you think of it in the way that the scriptures describe the church, the people of God as a body, a body working together.

00:30:17.079 --> 00:30:26.920
 We think of the body and if one part of the body is weak or suffering and not right, the rest is suffering too.

00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:31.900
 So every aspect of the work is essential.

00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:43.400
 It goes together and for the congregation to be healthy and a congregation to be honoring God and serving God and working aright for God.

00:30:43.660 --> 00:30:47.400
 It needs to have this healthy body.

00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:52.240
 Nehemiah had this vision for the wall.

00:30:52.240 --> 00:31:02.279
 But even Nehemiah needed reminding at times that our vision has to go far and wide.

00:31:03.420 --> 00:31:09.720
 It's not just one priority, but looking at everything together.

00:31:10.259 --> 00:31:14.019
 The vision for ministry today is to be just like that too.

00:31:14.019 --> 00:31:22.700
 Not just looking at our own individual needs and priorities, but looking beyond ourselves.

00:31:23.700 --> 00:31:33.160
 And seeing that the work of the Lord is in every aspect of what we do as a people and how we live our lives.

00:31:33.160 --> 00:31:39.560
 Colossians chapter 3 as Paul writes to the church there in Colossae.

00:31:40.100 --> 00:31:44.680
 He speaks to them in chapter 3 about how they are to be as workers.

00:31:46.040 --> 00:31:53.580
 And he's saying not to work as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart.

00:31:54.620 --> 00:31:55.600
 Fearing the Lord.

00:31:55.599 --> 00:32:02.500
 Whatever you do, he says, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men.

00:32:03.139 --> 00:32:07.679
 Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

00:32:08.379 --> 00:32:11.259
 You are serving the Lord Christ.

00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:17.199
 And is that how we see our work here?

00:32:17.759 --> 00:32:20.419
 Is that how we feel our work is?

00:32:20.420 --> 00:32:25.180
 Are we doing it heartily as to the Lord, not just to please men?

00:32:26.060 --> 00:32:30.100
 Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:33.080
 You are serving the Lord Christ.

00:32:34.860 --> 00:32:40.539
 All of us together are to serve the Lord Christ.

00:32:42.800 --> 00:32:47.620
 And as we look at Nehemiah here, there are lessons that we can learn.

00:32:47.619 --> 00:32:51.739
 As to how we are to serve the Lord Christ.

00:32:52.519 --> 00:32:58.479
 Because you see here as Nehemiah is focused on the wall, there are other concerns.

00:32:58.939 --> 00:33:03.419
 And concerns from others about injustice and suffering.

00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:10.419
 And what this leads to is Nehemiah's vision broadening and developing.

00:33:10.420 --> 00:33:19.080
 And we see it develop here in a way that keeps impacting his life as it goes on day after day.

00:33:19.820 --> 00:33:23.480
 There have been problems and challenges already to the work as we've seen.

00:33:24.660 --> 00:33:26.519
 There have been many different problems.

00:33:26.660 --> 00:33:29.980
 In chapter 4 we were looking at the opposition to the work.

00:33:30.080 --> 00:33:32.980
 But we see the work resumed at the end of chapter 4.

00:33:33.800 --> 00:33:35.480
 The wall was being built.

00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:40.860
 But like we say, the danger was it would become all about the wall.

00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:52.360
 When we hear terms like corporate greed, the mortgage crisis, government intervention, high lending fees.

00:33:53.299 --> 00:33:56.319
 They all sound like things that are in our day today.

00:33:56.380 --> 00:33:56.860
 And they are.

00:33:56.940 --> 00:33:59.440
 We see it in the headlines all the time.

00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:07.680
 But actually when you read through chapter 5 of Nehemiah, you see it's a summary of that chapter.

00:34:08.260 --> 00:34:12.860
 You have all these issues arising throughout this chapter.

00:34:13.340 --> 00:34:13.740
 Greed.

00:34:16.300 --> 00:34:19.200
 Money being charged that shouldn't be.

00:34:20.039 --> 00:34:21.579
 Government intervention.

00:34:22.539 --> 00:34:26.320
 You see all of these things happening in chapter 5.

00:34:26.320 --> 00:34:30.740
 And there are many lessons that Nehemiah learns here.

00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:34.180
 And there are many lessons for ourselves to learn too.

00:34:34.260 --> 00:34:38.360
 But there's three things I want us to take from this chapter together this evening.

00:34:38.800 --> 00:34:42.820
 First of all, it's all relating to what kind of people we are to be.

00:34:42.940 --> 00:34:45.280
 First of all, we are to be a listening people.

00:34:46.160 --> 00:34:47.320
 A listening people.

00:34:47.880 --> 00:34:50.039
 Secondly, we are to be a loving people.

00:34:50.960 --> 00:34:54.240
 And then thirdly, we are to be a living people.

00:34:54.239 --> 00:34:58.799
 So a listening people, a loving people, and a living people.

00:35:01.959 --> 00:35:07.500
 Nehemiah, in order to be a good leader, and anyone who wants to be a good leader,

00:35:07.879 --> 00:35:13.419
 one of the key qualities is to be able to listen.

00:35:14.479 --> 00:35:16.959
 And that's what we see first of all here.

00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:19.879
 To be a listening people.

00:35:19.880 --> 00:35:25.260
 It's good to be focused in whatever we are doing.

00:35:25.380 --> 00:35:32.900
 It's good to have a vision and a clear focus of what we are trying to achieve in life and in the work we're involved in.

00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:35.599
 Whether it's secular or whether it's church work.

00:35:35.680 --> 00:35:38.140
 Whatever we are doing, it's good to have a focus.

00:35:38.780 --> 00:35:41.980
 But there's also a danger in that as well.

00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:49.119
 And we see at the end of chapter 4, there was a real focus on the work.

00:35:49.659 --> 00:35:53.219
 Between verse 21 and the end of the chapter there,

00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:59.579
 We labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.

00:36:00.039 --> 00:36:01.780
 I also said to the people at that time,

00:36:01.780 --> 00:36:05.519
 Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem,

00:36:06.380 --> 00:36:10.600
 That they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.

00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:15.019
 So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me,

00:36:15.080 --> 00:36:18.019
 None of us took off our clothes.

00:36:18.120 --> 00:36:21.019
 Each kept his weapon at his right hand.

00:36:21.080 --> 00:36:26.340
 There was this, just the work on the wall was all that mattered.

00:36:27.160 --> 00:36:30.780
 There was everything revolved around this.

00:36:30.780 --> 00:36:32.840
 There was a focus, and you think to yourself,

00:36:33.340 --> 00:36:34.960
 This is a great focus.

00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:39.200
 This is wonderful that they're seeing the walls being rebuilt,

00:36:39.420 --> 00:36:41.540
 That they're involved in this day and night.

00:36:41.720 --> 00:36:42.780
 It's going to be achieved.

00:36:43.400 --> 00:36:44.360
 It's going to be accomplished.

00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:47.340
 But when you come into chapter 5,

00:36:48.040 --> 00:36:50.519
 What you find is there's a great outcry.

00:36:52.440 --> 00:36:56.740
 Now there arose a great outcry of the people,

00:36:56.860 --> 00:36:58.780
 It says in verse 1 of chapter 5.

00:36:58.780 --> 00:36:59.580
 Why?

00:37:00.780 --> 00:37:08.140
 Well, it's because this focus on the wall has led to suffering in other different ways.

00:37:09.180 --> 00:37:12.120
 It's led to a crisis in the community.

00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:14.880
 We see that there was a famine.

00:37:15.759 --> 00:37:18.659
 And in the midst of this famine, there was greed.

00:37:19.299 --> 00:37:21.219
 And there was loss of land.

00:37:21.779 --> 00:37:26.859
 And family members, sons and daughters were being sold into slavery.

00:37:27.079 --> 00:37:29.519
 They were trying to make ends meet.

00:37:29.739 --> 00:37:32.579
 And it was a serious situation.

00:37:32.579 --> 00:37:38.960
 And in the midst of this, there arose a great outcry.

00:37:40.039 --> 00:37:42.299
 The people spoke.

00:37:42.980 --> 00:37:46.400
 But what's interesting is when you see who spoke,

00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:48.420
 When you look at verse 1, it says,

00:37:48.519 --> 00:37:53.799
 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives.

00:37:53.800 --> 00:38:04.440
 We have here a reminder that there are many voices that are to be listened to and heard in the work of the Lord.

00:38:04.440 --> 00:38:09.480
 Men and women will see things differently.

00:38:09.980 --> 00:38:13.860
 Young and old will see things differently.

00:38:14.599 --> 00:38:17.559
 And they'll all have their own voice.

00:38:18.840 --> 00:38:22.260
 But the question here is, are we listening?

00:38:22.900 --> 00:38:25.599
 Are we listening to these voices?

00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:30.799
 Men will see problems and needs in a different way.

00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:34.380
 You think even of our Kirk session here.

00:38:34.500 --> 00:38:35.940
 It's made up of men.

00:38:36.099 --> 00:38:37.639
 Men of different backgrounds.

00:38:38.039 --> 00:38:38.880
 Different gifts.

00:38:39.179 --> 00:38:43.539
 And when we discuss things, we'll have all these gifts that are able to be used

00:38:43.539 --> 00:38:47.480
 to look at whatever's in front of us and discuss it through.

00:38:47.599 --> 00:38:50.159
 And everyone will bring something to the table.

00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:52.099
 We'll see things differently.

00:38:52.099 --> 00:38:56.799
 But we hope that together we'll be able to go on in the work of the Lord.

00:38:57.880 --> 00:38:59.440
 And that's what you find here.

00:38:59.579 --> 00:39:03.940
 As the wall was being built, it was mainly the men who were involved in it.

00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:05.940
 And they were working on the wall.

00:39:06.799 --> 00:39:10.279
 Defending or building or using their different gifts in it.

00:39:11.059 --> 00:39:13.659
 But in the background, there was something else happened.

00:39:13.759 --> 00:39:14.920
 There was another problem.

00:39:15.960 --> 00:39:17.539
 There arose this need.

00:39:18.219 --> 00:39:20.239
 This poverty among the people.

00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:25.259
 And this is where other voices come in and need to be listened to.

00:39:26.039 --> 00:39:29.199
 The outcry of the people and of their wives.

00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:33.919
 There was more than just the voices of the men being heard here.

00:39:35.079 --> 00:39:41.619
 And that's, again, a reminder to us that men and women will see things differently.

00:39:41.619 --> 00:39:46.980
 The issues that we see as men, women maybe don't even see them as issues.

00:39:47.859 --> 00:39:50.859
 But they'll raise other issues that need to be addressed.

00:39:51.179 --> 00:39:54.159
 Practical, physical, spiritual needs.

00:39:54.940 --> 00:39:58.460
 When you read here, there are people who are going hungry.

00:39:58.920 --> 00:40:01.659
 There are people who are losing their homes and their fields.

00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:04.099
 There are people who are losing their families.

00:40:04.099 --> 00:40:10.380
 And unbeknown to Nehemiah and those working on the wall, this is going on.

00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:19.639
 And it's only when this outcry comes and Nehemiah hears that we see in verse 6 that he was very angry.

00:40:19.639 --> 00:40:24.440
 And so it's important for us to think here.

00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:27.139
 What does this say to ourselves today?

00:40:27.539 --> 00:40:32.299
 Nehemiah hears and he listens and that leads to change.

00:40:33.599 --> 00:40:38.339
 Well, it's saying to ourselves today that there are important lessons for us.

00:40:38.340 --> 00:40:45.340
 That if we think of ourselves as a congregation, we have to listen to each other.

00:40:46.019 --> 00:40:53.180
 To listen to every voice that speaks up, that has concerns when it comes to the work of the Lord.

00:40:53.420 --> 00:40:56.559
 That every voice is to be listened to.

00:40:57.720 --> 00:41:02.240
 And so there are two things really we could highlight here as particular lessons.

00:41:02.240 --> 00:41:04.220
 We need to give people a voice.

00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:07.720
 A place to bring their concerns.

00:41:08.340 --> 00:41:13.600
 Even as it was here, a great outcry arose from the people and their wives.

00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:17.140
 So it is that we have to give opportunity to speak.

00:41:18.320 --> 00:41:22.519
 But if people are speaking, the second thing is we need to listen.

00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:25.600
 We need to hear what these concerns are.

00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:27.519
 And if anything needs to be done.

00:41:28.240 --> 00:41:32.760
 And especially when the concerns are based on the word of God.

00:41:32.760 --> 00:41:36.900
 And that's what these concerns are all based on.

00:41:37.140 --> 00:41:40.020
 That are brought before Nehemiah and the people here.

00:41:40.020 --> 00:41:45.020
 They're all concerns based on God's word being disobeyed.

00:41:45.020 --> 00:41:46.400
 And not adhered to.

00:41:47.620 --> 00:41:52.960
 And so if scripture is saying, as Nehemiah says later on in verse 9.

00:41:53.300 --> 00:41:55.240
 What you are doing is not good.

00:41:55.239 --> 00:41:57.239
 We have to listen.

00:41:58.359 --> 00:42:03.199
 And so a healthy church is one that works together as a body all united.

00:42:03.799 --> 00:42:07.599
 And that is seen that everyone has a part to play.

00:42:08.159 --> 00:42:15.179
 We heard this morning again about Hobab and the gift that Moses wanted him to use.

00:42:15.979 --> 00:42:17.879
 Everyone has a gift to use.

00:42:17.880 --> 00:42:23.160
 But are we allowing people to use their gifts?

00:42:24.300 --> 00:42:28.500
 Are we giving opportunities for gifts to be used?

00:42:29.559 --> 00:42:35.280
 Here's a challenge from a pastor called Stuart Briscoe.

00:42:35.280 --> 00:42:36.700
 He said this.

00:42:37.480 --> 00:42:44.980
 As a pastor, a husband, and a father, I have a dread of burying someone else's talents.

00:42:44.980 --> 00:42:48.380
 Particularly, he says, those bestowed on women.

00:42:49.460 --> 00:42:57.079
 Accordingly, I have tried to scrutinize my views, the place of tradition, the thrust of theology, and the force of my prejudice.

00:42:58.300 --> 00:43:00.260
 Repeatedly, I have come back to this fact.

00:43:00.740 --> 00:43:08.199
 If the Lord has given gifts, I had better be careful about denying freedom for their exercise.

00:43:08.740 --> 00:43:13.840
 More than that, I need to ensure the women in my life have every encouragement from me

00:43:13.840 --> 00:43:18.360
 to be what he called and gifted them to be.

00:43:19.160 --> 00:43:23.539
 A talent is a terrible thing to waste.

00:43:24.600 --> 00:43:32.960
 And he speaks about having to stand before the Lord and give account not just for what he has done himself,

00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:38.360
 but what he has allowed or not allowed others to do.

00:43:38.360 --> 00:43:45.120
 Something like this being said can lead to a sense of fear in our hearts.

00:43:45.180 --> 00:43:47.039
 But we shouldn't be afraid.

00:43:47.980 --> 00:43:52.039
 As a congregation, as a denomination, we are complementarian.

00:43:52.900 --> 00:43:58.019
 What does that mean and how do we apply that in our lives as a church?

00:43:58.820 --> 00:44:01.000
 Do we know what it means?

00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:25.760
 Complimentarianism is about serving together, using our different gifts, hearing one another, working for God in that way.

00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:29.520
 Are we doing that?

00:44:30.460 --> 00:44:34.460
 A feeling of not being listened to is a great frustration.

00:44:35.720 --> 00:44:41.020
 And given the many talented men and women, boys and girls here in our congregation,

00:44:41.340 --> 00:44:45.880
 how important, how vital is it that we listen to one another,

00:44:46.740 --> 00:44:48.740
 that we hear one another,

00:44:49.180 --> 00:44:51.820
 that we give opportunity to raise issues,

00:44:51.820 --> 00:44:53.320
 that we listen,

00:44:54.180 --> 00:44:56.920
 and that our focus remains right,

00:44:57.260 --> 00:45:01.480
 that together we may praise the Lord.

00:45:02.580 --> 00:45:05.240
 We need to be a listening people.

00:45:05.360 --> 00:45:07.360
 Had Nehemiah not listened,

00:45:08.059 --> 00:45:10.180
 the people would have suffered.

00:45:11.539 --> 00:45:14.059
 Many would have died as a result.

00:45:15.039 --> 00:45:16.240
 And so for ourselves,

00:45:17.120 --> 00:45:19.120
 let's listen to one another.

00:45:19.119 --> 00:45:22.500
 Let's give opportunity to hear one another,

00:45:23.000 --> 00:45:26.579
 that we may see what's missing in our congregation,

00:45:26.960 --> 00:45:28.699
 what the needs are around us.

00:45:29.039 --> 00:45:32.219
 So much happens or doesn't happen because of ignorance.

00:45:32.460 --> 00:45:33.559
 We just don't know.

00:45:34.519 --> 00:45:36.179
 And you see that with Nehemiah here.

00:45:36.259 --> 00:45:36.960
 There was an ignorance.

00:45:37.539 --> 00:45:41.960
 He didn't realize what was going on until he was told.

00:45:42.679 --> 00:45:44.179
 So let's listen.

00:45:44.179 --> 00:45:49.399
 The second thing we need to be is a loving people.

00:45:50.079 --> 00:45:52.839
 Because what does listening lead to here?

00:45:53.819 --> 00:45:57.519
 Well, as Nehemiah hears what's going on,

00:45:57.579 --> 00:45:58.799
 it leads to action.

00:45:59.319 --> 00:46:01.879
 Action that leads to examining himself

00:46:01.879 --> 00:46:04.799
 and what's happening around him.

00:46:05.859 --> 00:46:08.440
 We see through verse 6 to 13

00:46:08.440 --> 00:46:10.879
 that issues, they're not ignored.

00:46:11.079 --> 00:46:13.279
 They're not just put away as unimportant

00:46:13.280 --> 00:46:15.960
 and saying the wall is what we need to focus on.

00:46:16.620 --> 00:46:18.580
 It's almost like saying the wall can go ahead.

00:46:19.100 --> 00:46:20.820
 But these cannot be ignored either.

00:46:22.040 --> 00:46:24.640
 There are various things that need to go on

00:46:24.640 --> 00:46:25.740
 at the same time.

00:46:26.500 --> 00:46:28.200
 And these things are addressed

00:46:28.200 --> 00:46:29.720
 and it leads to change.

00:46:30.040 --> 00:46:31.200
 It leads to renewal.

00:46:31.200 --> 00:46:32.800
 As you see in verse 13,

00:46:33.300 --> 00:46:35.180
 it needs the people crying out, saying,

00:46:35.340 --> 00:46:35.620
 Amen.

00:46:36.220 --> 00:46:37.420
 They praised the Lord

00:46:37.420 --> 00:46:40.300
 and the people did as they had promised.

00:46:40.300 --> 00:46:45.780
 It's vital when we are hearing God's word,

00:46:45.880 --> 00:46:49.500
 not just in the sense of coming to listen to the sermon

00:46:49.500 --> 00:46:52.019
 and just going away from it

00:46:52.019 --> 00:46:53.720
 and giving it no more thought,

00:46:54.640 --> 00:46:57.560
 but that we come and ask,

00:46:57.700 --> 00:47:00.039
 what does the word say to me?

00:47:01.039 --> 00:47:04.380
 What do I have to examine in my own heart?

00:47:04.380 --> 00:47:07.700
 Am I living and working for the Lord

00:47:07.700 --> 00:47:10.119
 and his people as I should?

00:47:11.000 --> 00:47:12.460
 You know, as Nehemiah listens,

00:47:12.619 --> 00:47:15.539
 he brings it, first of all, to himself here

00:47:15.539 --> 00:47:17.140
 and he reflects on what he hears

00:47:17.140 --> 00:47:19.559
 and then he brings it to the leaders.

00:47:20.740 --> 00:47:25.660
 And then we see three steps in verse 6 and 7

00:47:25.660 --> 00:47:29.300
 as to how Nehemiah responded in this situation.

00:47:29.300 --> 00:47:30.300
 First of all, he says,

00:47:30.380 --> 00:47:31.420
 I was angry.

00:47:33.160 --> 00:47:37.740
 And it's, again, a right anger, if you like,

00:47:37.820 --> 00:47:39.380
 because people are suffering.

00:47:39.940 --> 00:47:40.980
 It's not right.

00:47:41.420 --> 00:47:42.620
 And he was angry.

00:47:44.400 --> 00:47:46.120
 But then we see, it says,

00:47:46.220 --> 00:47:50.019
 he took counsel with myself, it says.

00:47:50.440 --> 00:47:52.980
 I took counsel with myself.

00:47:54.480 --> 00:47:57.320
 In your anger is not the right time to respond.

00:47:57.320 --> 00:48:00.860
 There needs to be a time of reflection.

00:48:01.780 --> 00:48:03.260
 And that's what we see with Nehemiah.

00:48:03.340 --> 00:48:04.580
 Here's good advice.

00:48:05.640 --> 00:48:08.120
 In order to love and serve the people right,

00:48:08.200 --> 00:48:10.260
 we have to be in the right mind.

00:48:10.340 --> 00:48:11.860
 I took counsel with myself.

00:48:12.200 --> 00:48:13.200
 And then, he says,

00:48:13.280 --> 00:48:15.580
 and I brought charges against the nobles

00:48:15.580 --> 00:48:16.940
 and the officials.

00:48:18.420 --> 00:48:20.320
 I said, you are exacting interest,

00:48:20.400 --> 00:48:21.420
 each from his brother.

00:48:22.660 --> 00:48:23.840
 And in verse 9, he says,

00:48:23.840 --> 00:48:26.400
 what you are doing is not good.

00:48:27.320 --> 00:48:31.680
 The love for the people was not there.

00:48:32.720 --> 00:48:35.559
 They had lost their focus.

00:48:36.580 --> 00:48:39.519
 They were starting to look out for themselves,

00:48:39.740 --> 00:48:40.680
 to charge interest,

00:48:40.840 --> 00:48:41.700
 to gain fields,

00:48:42.059 --> 00:48:43.160
 to gain homes,

00:48:43.720 --> 00:48:45.380
 to gain slaves for themselves.

00:48:45.380 --> 00:48:51.519
 They were just not doing as God had commanded.

00:48:51.660 --> 00:48:52.840
 They weren't loving the Lord.

00:48:53.420 --> 00:48:55.480
 They weren't loving their neighbor as they should.

00:48:55.599 --> 00:48:59.960
 And chaos and strife had come their way.

00:49:01.079 --> 00:49:03.960
 They had lost sight of what they were about.

00:49:05.079 --> 00:49:07.440
 Take, for example, what Malachi says

00:49:07.440 --> 00:49:09.880
 in chapter 6, verse 8.

00:49:09.880 --> 00:49:12.079
 What are we to do for the Lord?

00:49:13.160 --> 00:49:13.960
 Malachi says,

00:49:14.059 --> 00:49:15.140
 he has told you, O man,

00:49:15.539 --> 00:49:16.280
 what is good.

00:49:16.660 --> 00:49:18.460
 And what does the Lord require of you

00:49:18.460 --> 00:49:19.579
 but to do justice,

00:49:19.740 --> 00:49:20.619
 to love kindness,

00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:24.160
 and to walk humbly with your God?

00:49:25.320 --> 00:49:29.000
 They had lost the fear of God.

00:49:29.660 --> 00:49:33.160
 And fear isn't just a sense of dread before God.

00:49:33.159 --> 00:49:36.859
 It's a sense of worship and awe before God.

00:49:37.319 --> 00:49:39.500
 That we are accountable to Him.

00:49:40.639 --> 00:49:42.899
 That we are responsible to Him.

00:49:42.980 --> 00:49:45.699
 That it is His work that we are doing.

00:49:46.940 --> 00:49:49.719
 The fear of the Lord was gone.

00:49:50.759 --> 00:49:51.960
 And when that goes,

00:49:52.079 --> 00:49:54.639
 it results in chaos.

00:49:55.299 --> 00:49:56.500
 So it's so important

00:49:56.500 --> 00:49:58.719
 that we always keep our eyes

00:49:58.719 --> 00:50:00.459
 on loving God

00:50:00.459 --> 00:50:02.099
 and loving our neighbor

00:50:02.099 --> 00:50:03.819
 as ourselves.

00:50:05.459 --> 00:50:06.939
 The challenge is there

00:50:06.939 --> 00:50:08.779
 in verse 9.

00:50:08.959 --> 00:50:09.919
 What you are doing

00:50:09.919 --> 00:50:11.659
 is not right.

00:50:11.919 --> 00:50:13.039
 We think of this

00:50:13.039 --> 00:50:14.419
 on the bigger scale.

00:50:14.879 --> 00:50:15.699
 When we look around

00:50:15.699 --> 00:50:17.259
 our nation and the world,

00:50:17.359 --> 00:50:18.739
 how often in the last year

00:50:18.739 --> 00:50:19.339
 have we heard

00:50:19.339 --> 00:50:21.659
 the cost of living crisis

00:50:21.659 --> 00:50:23.139
 on one hand,

00:50:23.579 --> 00:50:24.399
 and yet you hear

00:50:24.399 --> 00:50:25.139
 on the other hand

00:50:25.139 --> 00:50:26.919
 in the same news program

00:50:26.919 --> 00:50:27.919
 or the same page

00:50:27.920 --> 00:50:28.780
 or the newspaper

00:50:28.780 --> 00:50:29.920
 record profits

00:50:30.460 --> 00:50:31.539
 for companies.

00:50:32.200 --> 00:50:34.240
 It doesn't seem to add up.

00:50:34.300 --> 00:50:35.579
 It doesn't make sense.

00:50:37.480 --> 00:50:39.260
 It's because people have lost

00:50:39.260 --> 00:50:41.579
 a sense of the fear of the Lord.

00:50:42.400 --> 00:50:43.920
 It's all about ourselves.

00:50:45.960 --> 00:50:46.920
 Our own gain.

00:50:49.400 --> 00:50:50.480
 There's a story

00:50:50.480 --> 00:50:52.240
 of the first governor general

00:50:52.240 --> 00:50:53.079
 of Australia.

00:50:54.139 --> 00:50:55.260
 He was a Scotsman

00:50:55.260 --> 00:50:57.300
 who had come to Australia

00:50:57.300 --> 00:50:58.000
 and was called

00:50:58.000 --> 00:50:58.900
 Lord Hopeton.

00:50:59.840 --> 00:51:00.940
 He became governor

00:51:00.940 --> 00:51:01.720
 in Australia

00:51:01.720 --> 00:51:04.360
 on the 1st of January 1901.

00:51:05.519 --> 00:51:06.800
 One of the most cherished

00:51:06.800 --> 00:51:08.340
 possessions that he had

00:51:08.340 --> 00:51:10.519
 was a 300-year-old ledger.

00:51:10.900 --> 00:51:12.500
 That's an account book.

00:51:13.800 --> 00:51:14.640
 And it was one

00:51:14.640 --> 00:51:16.000
 that had been passed down

00:51:16.000 --> 00:51:16.700
 to him

00:51:16.700 --> 00:51:18.500
 from his ancestors.

00:51:20.240 --> 00:51:21.660
 One of his ancestors

00:51:21.660 --> 00:51:23.000
 had owned a business

00:51:23.000 --> 00:51:23.860
 in Edinburgh

00:51:23.860 --> 00:51:27.139
 and had used this account book

00:51:27.139 --> 00:51:28.340
 when they had began

00:51:28.340 --> 00:51:29.280
 this business.

00:51:30.280 --> 00:51:31.139
 And what caught

00:51:31.139 --> 00:51:32.860
 Lord Hopeton's attention

00:51:32.860 --> 00:51:34.059
 was an inscription

00:51:34.059 --> 00:51:36.460
 at the very first page.

00:51:37.460 --> 00:51:38.039
 It said,

00:51:38.719 --> 00:51:39.340
 Oh Lord,

00:51:39.920 --> 00:51:40.559
 keep me

00:51:40.559 --> 00:51:41.539
 and this book

00:51:41.539 --> 00:51:42.559
 honest.

00:51:44.219 --> 00:51:45.179
 Keep me

00:51:45.179 --> 00:51:46.099
 and this book

00:51:46.099 --> 00:51:47.039
 honest.

00:51:47.039 --> 00:51:50.279
 And for ourselves

00:51:50.279 --> 00:51:51.300
 as we live

00:51:51.300 --> 00:51:52.340
 our lives,

00:51:52.460 --> 00:51:53.599
 how easy it is

00:51:53.599 --> 00:51:54.539
 to get caught up

00:51:54.539 --> 00:51:55.179
 in things

00:51:55.179 --> 00:51:56.300
 where we become

00:51:56.300 --> 00:51:57.599
 dishonest.

00:51:58.500 --> 00:51:59.099
 Where we think

00:51:59.099 --> 00:51:59.820
 of ourselves

00:51:59.820 --> 00:52:02.000
 first and foremost.

00:52:03.119 --> 00:52:03.980
 When we look

00:52:03.980 --> 00:52:04.980
 at the situation here,

00:52:05.019 --> 00:52:05.960
 the people working

00:52:05.960 --> 00:52:06.659
 on the walls

00:52:06.659 --> 00:52:08.059
 were spending most

00:52:08.059 --> 00:52:08.860
 if not all

00:52:08.860 --> 00:52:09.619
 of their time

00:52:09.619 --> 00:52:10.639
 in Jerusalem.

00:52:11.340 --> 00:52:12.179
 The wall

00:52:12.179 --> 00:52:13.279
 was taking priority

00:52:13.279 --> 00:52:14.659
 but others

00:52:14.659 --> 00:52:16.059
 were suffering

00:52:16.059 --> 00:52:16.719
 as well.

00:52:18.340 --> 00:52:19.079
 The work

00:52:19.079 --> 00:52:19.920
 on the walls

00:52:19.920 --> 00:52:21.480
 was the priority

00:52:21.480 --> 00:52:23.940
 but they lost focus.

00:52:26.179 --> 00:52:27.340
 What you are doing

00:52:27.340 --> 00:52:28.039
 then,

00:52:28.099 --> 00:52:28.519
 he says,

00:52:28.559 --> 00:52:29.960
 is not good.

00:52:31.099 --> 00:52:31.679
 So Nehemiah

00:52:31.679 --> 00:52:32.340
 challenges

00:52:32.340 --> 00:52:34.320
 and the challenge

00:52:34.320 --> 00:52:35.299
 is what brings

00:52:35.299 --> 00:52:36.099
 them back

00:52:36.099 --> 00:52:37.199
 in order

00:52:37.199 --> 00:52:38.219
 to love

00:52:38.219 --> 00:52:39.279
 one another.

00:52:39.940 --> 00:52:40.400
 In order

00:52:40.400 --> 00:52:41.320
 to serve

00:52:41.320 --> 00:52:42.320
 one another

00:52:42.320 --> 00:52:42.759
 with this

00:52:42.759 --> 00:52:43.840
 right attitude.

00:52:44.940 --> 00:52:45.299
 Putting

00:52:45.300 --> 00:52:46.280
 others

00:52:46.280 --> 00:52:47.200
 before

00:52:47.200 --> 00:52:48.140
 ourselves.

00:52:50.000 --> 00:52:50.360
 And it's

00:52:50.360 --> 00:52:50.880
 amazing

00:52:50.880 --> 00:52:52.620
 what that does.

00:52:53.160 --> 00:52:53.960
 Putting others

00:52:53.960 --> 00:52:55.019
 before

00:52:55.019 --> 00:52:55.820
 ourselves.

00:52:56.720 --> 00:52:57.620
 There's a story

00:52:57.620 --> 00:52:58.280
 told

00:52:58.280 --> 00:52:59.680
 from

00:52:59.680 --> 00:53:00.800
 the Second

00:53:00.800 --> 00:53:01.780
 World War.

00:53:01.900 --> 00:53:02.580
 It's a book

00:53:02.580 --> 00:53:03.300
 called

00:53:03.300 --> 00:53:03.920
 Miracle

00:53:03.920 --> 00:53:05.019
 on the River

00:53:05.019 --> 00:53:05.580
 Kwai.

00:53:06.200 --> 00:53:06.780
 Many of you

00:53:06.780 --> 00:53:07.640
 have maybe seen

00:53:07.640 --> 00:53:08.519
 the film

00:53:08.519 --> 00:53:09.080
 The Bridge

00:53:09.080 --> 00:53:10.340
 Across the

00:53:10.340 --> 00:53:10.600
 Kwai,

00:53:10.680 --> 00:53:10.940
 the River

00:53:10.940 --> 00:53:11.380
 Kwai.

00:53:11.380 --> 00:53:12.539
 It's a story

00:53:12.539 --> 00:53:13.619
 about Scottish

00:53:13.619 --> 00:53:14.140
 soldiers

00:53:14.140 --> 00:53:14.539
 who were

00:53:14.539 --> 00:53:15.119
 forced

00:53:15.119 --> 00:53:16.519
 in labour

00:53:16.519 --> 00:53:17.000
 camps

00:53:17.000 --> 00:53:17.700
 to serve

00:53:17.700 --> 00:53:18.579
 their Japanese

00:53:18.579 --> 00:53:19.280
 captors,

00:53:19.760 --> 00:53:20.380
 building a

00:53:20.380 --> 00:53:20.800
 railroad

00:53:20.800 --> 00:53:21.660
 through the

00:53:21.660 --> 00:53:22.320
 jungles

00:53:22.320 --> 00:53:23.539
 of Thailand.

00:53:24.760 --> 00:53:25.240
 And during

00:53:25.240 --> 00:53:26.039
 these days

00:53:26.039 --> 00:53:27.320
 their behaviour

00:53:27.320 --> 00:53:28.760
 had disintegrated

00:53:28.760 --> 00:53:29.460
 into just

00:53:29.460 --> 00:53:30.300
 chaos

00:53:30.300 --> 00:53:31.160
 and anger

00:53:31.160 --> 00:53:32.480
 towards each

00:53:32.480 --> 00:53:32.780
 other,

00:53:32.860 --> 00:53:33.240
 not just

00:53:33.240 --> 00:53:34.960
 their captors.

00:53:35.240 --> 00:53:36.099
 There's a story

00:53:36.099 --> 00:53:37.019
 told in the book

00:53:37.019 --> 00:53:37.680
 of an incident

00:53:37.680 --> 00:53:38.579
 that changed

00:53:38.579 --> 00:53:39.239
 everything.

00:53:40.119 --> 00:53:40.440
 They were

00:53:40.440 --> 00:53:41.279
 marching back

00:53:41.279 --> 00:53:41.960
 to camp,

00:53:42.099 --> 00:53:42.860
 the soldiers,

00:53:43.219 --> 00:53:44.139
 Scottish soldiers,

00:53:44.679 --> 00:53:45.319
 the captors

00:53:45.319 --> 00:53:46.179
 beside them,

00:53:46.500 --> 00:53:47.239
 tired and

00:53:47.239 --> 00:53:48.460
 hungry after

00:53:48.460 --> 00:53:49.319
 a long day's

00:53:49.319 --> 00:53:49.739
 work.

00:53:50.779 --> 00:53:51.119
 And they

00:53:51.119 --> 00:53:51.559
 came to

00:53:51.559 --> 00:53:52.319
 checkpoints

00:53:52.319 --> 00:53:53.299
 at different

00:53:53.299 --> 00:53:53.960
 points on

00:53:53.960 --> 00:53:54.559
 their return

00:53:54.559 --> 00:53:55.199
 to camp.

00:53:55.579 --> 00:53:56.099
 And at each

00:53:56.099 --> 00:53:56.940
 checkpoint they

00:53:56.940 --> 00:53:57.579
 would count

00:53:57.579 --> 00:53:59.079
 the shovels,

00:53:59.639 --> 00:54:00.400
 the shovels,

00:54:00.519 --> 00:54:01.739
 the tools that

00:54:01.739 --> 00:54:02.360
 they had to

00:54:02.360 --> 00:54:03.440
 use that day.

00:54:04.840 --> 00:54:05.199
 And this

00:54:05.199 --> 00:54:05.559
 time they

00:54:05.559 --> 00:54:06.139
 came to a

00:54:06.139 --> 00:54:06.659
 checkpoint,

00:54:06.799 --> 00:54:07.159
 there was a

00:54:07.159 --> 00:54:07.920
 shovel missing.

00:54:08.579 --> 00:54:08.980
 And the

00:54:08.980 --> 00:54:09.639
 captors had

00:54:09.639 --> 00:54:10.259
 no mercy

00:54:10.259 --> 00:54:10.960
 for this.

00:54:11.239 --> 00:54:11.599
 They wanted

00:54:11.599 --> 00:54:12.079
 to know

00:54:12.079 --> 00:54:12.759
 who had

00:54:12.759 --> 00:54:13.420
 stolen

00:54:13.420 --> 00:54:14.759
 the shovel,

00:54:15.139 --> 00:54:15.440
 what they

00:54:15.440 --> 00:54:15.840
 had done

00:54:15.840 --> 00:54:16.400
 with it.

00:54:17.599 --> 00:54:18.219
 And they

00:54:18.219 --> 00:54:18.900
 were shouting

00:54:18.900 --> 00:54:19.579
 and bawling

00:54:19.579 --> 00:54:20.059
 at the

00:54:20.059 --> 00:54:20.500
 soldiers.

00:54:20.900 --> 00:54:21.500
 Someone had

00:54:21.500 --> 00:54:22.400
 to own

00:54:22.400 --> 00:54:22.900
 up to

00:54:22.900 --> 00:54:23.340
 this.

00:54:24.299 --> 00:54:24.639
 No one

00:54:24.639 --> 00:54:25.159
 was coming

00:54:25.159 --> 00:54:25.659
 forward.

00:54:25.860 --> 00:54:26.079
 And so

00:54:26.079 --> 00:54:26.480
 one of the

00:54:26.480 --> 00:54:27.039
 captors

00:54:27.039 --> 00:54:27.920
 threatened

00:54:27.920 --> 00:54:28.679
 with his

00:54:28.679 --> 00:54:29.199
 gun to

00:54:29.199 --> 00:54:29.719
 shoot them

00:54:29.719 --> 00:54:30.079
 all.

00:54:30.819 --> 00:54:31.659
 But one

00:54:31.659 --> 00:54:32.739
 man stepped

00:54:32.739 --> 00:54:33.340
 forward.

00:54:34.099 --> 00:54:34.599
 He took

00:54:34.599 --> 00:54:35.440
 responsibility

00:54:35.440 --> 00:54:36.319
 for it.

00:54:37.420 --> 00:54:37.799
 And that

00:54:37.799 --> 00:54:38.259
 man was

00:54:38.260 --> 00:54:39.580
 quickly put

00:54:39.580 --> 00:54:40.200
 to death

00:54:40.200 --> 00:54:40.740
 by the

00:54:40.740 --> 00:54:41.360
 captors.

00:54:42.500 --> 00:54:42.760
 The

00:54:42.760 --> 00:54:43.180
 soldiers

00:54:43.180 --> 00:54:43.860
 picked up

00:54:43.860 --> 00:54:44.500
 this man's

00:54:44.500 --> 00:54:44.980
 body to

00:54:44.980 --> 00:54:45.360
 take him

00:54:45.360 --> 00:54:45.800
 back to

00:54:45.800 --> 00:54:46.320
 the camp

00:54:46.320 --> 00:54:47.280
 to bury

00:54:47.280 --> 00:54:47.520
 him.

00:54:48.000 --> 00:54:48.260
 And as

00:54:48.260 --> 00:54:48.620
 they made

00:54:48.620 --> 00:54:49.000
 their way

00:54:49.000 --> 00:54:49.300
 back,

00:54:49.360 --> 00:54:49.680
 they came

00:54:49.680 --> 00:54:50.120
 to another

00:54:50.120 --> 00:54:50.640
 checkpoint,

00:54:51.200 --> 00:54:51.620
 and the

00:54:51.620 --> 00:54:52.260
 shovels were

00:54:52.260 --> 00:54:53.100
 counted again.

00:54:54.040 --> 00:54:54.560
 And they

00:54:54.560 --> 00:54:55.680
 realized all

00:54:55.680 --> 00:54:56.640
 the shovels

00:54:56.640 --> 00:54:57.400
 were there.

00:54:58.220 --> 00:54:58.520
 There had

00:54:58.520 --> 00:54:58.840
 been a

00:54:58.840 --> 00:55:00.120
 miscount at

00:55:00.120 --> 00:55:00.640
 the first

00:55:00.640 --> 00:55:01.300
 checkpoint.

00:55:01.660 --> 00:55:02.100
 But yet

00:55:02.100 --> 00:55:02.820
 this man

00:55:02.820 --> 00:55:03.800
 had stepped

00:55:03.800 --> 00:55:04.420
 forward,

00:55:05.260 --> 00:55:05.940
 had taken

00:55:05.940 --> 00:55:07.560
 the ultimate

00:55:07.560 --> 00:55:08.100
 cost.

00:55:08.220 --> 00:55:08.640
 He gave

00:55:08.640 --> 00:55:09.260
 his life

00:55:09.260 --> 00:55:09.760
 so that

00:55:09.760 --> 00:55:10.860
 others would

00:55:10.860 --> 00:55:11.360
 live.

00:55:12.440 --> 00:55:12.880
 And this

00:55:12.880 --> 00:55:14.340
 changed the

00:55:14.340 --> 00:55:15.180
 whole atmosphere

00:55:15.180 --> 00:55:16.039
 in the camp

00:55:16.039 --> 00:55:17.640
 where people,

00:55:18.300 --> 00:55:18.720
 soldiers,

00:55:18.900 --> 00:55:19.440
 started to

00:55:19.440 --> 00:55:20.060
 treat each

00:55:20.060 --> 00:55:21.120
 other like

00:55:21.120 --> 00:55:22.360
 brothers and

00:55:22.360 --> 00:55:23.120
 look out for

00:55:23.120 --> 00:55:23.660
 one another.

00:55:24.519 --> 00:55:25.400
 It's amazing

00:55:25.400 --> 00:55:26.360
 what an act

00:55:26.360 --> 00:55:27.300
 of love can

00:55:27.300 --> 00:55:27.620
 do.

00:55:28.480 --> 00:55:28.840
 But the

00:55:28.840 --> 00:55:29.640
 most amazing

00:55:29.640 --> 00:55:30.600
 act of love

00:55:30.599 --> 00:55:31.339
 we see

00:55:31.339 --> 00:55:32.380
 is the

00:55:32.380 --> 00:55:32.900
 love of

00:55:32.900 --> 00:55:34.179
 Christ for

00:55:34.179 --> 00:55:35.079
 his people,

00:55:35.639 --> 00:55:36.299
 who lay

00:55:36.299 --> 00:55:37.159
 down his

00:55:37.159 --> 00:55:38.239
 life at

00:55:38.239 --> 00:55:38.920
 the cross.

00:55:39.500 --> 00:55:40.099
 In his

00:55:40.099 --> 00:55:40.779
 innocence,

00:55:41.159 --> 00:55:41.880
 he bore

00:55:41.880 --> 00:55:42.940
 our sins.

00:55:44.119 --> 00:55:44.739
 Does that

00:55:44.739 --> 00:55:45.699
 make us

00:55:45.699 --> 00:55:47.279
 love others

00:55:47.279 --> 00:55:48.000
 more?

00:55:49.199 --> 00:55:49.960
 To live

00:55:49.960 --> 00:55:50.980
 for one

00:55:50.980 --> 00:55:51.339
 another,

00:55:52.139 --> 00:55:53.199
 to praise

00:55:53.199 --> 00:55:54.380
 the Lord,

00:55:55.219 --> 00:55:55.980
 to realize

00:55:55.980 --> 00:55:56.579
 and ask

00:55:56.579 --> 00:55:57.360
 ourselves,

00:55:57.799 --> 00:55:58.440
 where have

00:55:58.440 --> 00:55:58.900
 we gone

00:55:58.900 --> 00:55:59.339
 wrong?

00:55:59.340 --> 00:56:00.500
 is what

00:56:00.500 --> 00:56:00.860
 we are

00:56:00.860 --> 00:56:01.220
 doing

00:56:01.220 --> 00:56:02.800
 good or

00:56:02.800 --> 00:56:03.300
 not?

00:56:04.220 --> 00:56:04.600
 And to

00:56:04.600 --> 00:56:05.640
 seek renewal,

00:56:06.200 --> 00:56:06.940
 to seek to

00:56:06.940 --> 00:56:07.720
 honour God,

00:56:07.840 --> 00:56:08.680
 to seek as

00:56:08.680 --> 00:56:09.360
 an assembly

00:56:09.360 --> 00:56:10.019
 of God's

00:56:10.019 --> 00:56:10.519
 people,

00:56:11.019 --> 00:56:11.460
 to say

00:56:11.460 --> 00:56:12.300
 amen and

00:56:12.300 --> 00:56:13.100
 praise the

00:56:13.100 --> 00:56:14.059
 Lord and

00:56:14.059 --> 00:56:14.760
 do as the

00:56:14.760 --> 00:56:15.340
 word of

00:56:15.340 --> 00:56:15.900
 God has

00:56:15.900 --> 00:56:16.460
 promised.

00:56:17.180 --> 00:56:17.519
 As we

00:56:17.519 --> 00:56:18.160
 read there

00:56:18.160 --> 00:56:20.140
 in verse

00:56:20.140 --> 00:56:21.079
 13,

00:56:22.200 --> 00:56:22.760
 the word

00:56:22.760 --> 00:56:23.320
 of God

00:56:23.320 --> 00:56:24.400
 challenges

00:56:24.400 --> 00:56:25.940
 us in

00:56:25.940 --> 00:56:26.440
 our love

00:56:26.440 --> 00:56:26.880
 for one

00:56:26.880 --> 00:56:27.240
 another,

00:56:27.239 --> 00:56:28.799
 inner love

00:56:28.799 --> 00:56:29.479
 of God.

00:56:30.539 --> 00:56:30.939
 Do we

00:56:30.939 --> 00:56:32.259
 love as

00:56:32.259 --> 00:56:32.899
 we should?

00:56:34.119 --> 00:56:34.859
 Third and

00:56:34.859 --> 00:56:35.559
 final thing

00:56:35.559 --> 00:56:36.299
 just briefly

00:56:36.299 --> 00:56:37.399
 is we

00:56:37.399 --> 00:56:37.639
 are to

00:56:37.639 --> 00:56:38.099
 be a

00:56:38.099 --> 00:56:38.479
 living

00:56:38.479 --> 00:56:39.359
 people.

00:56:40.739 --> 00:56:41.579
 What you

00:56:41.579 --> 00:56:42.339
 notice about

00:56:42.339 --> 00:56:43.339
 verse 14

00:56:43.339 --> 00:56:44.239
 to the end

00:56:44.239 --> 00:56:44.559
 of the

00:56:44.559 --> 00:56:45.059
 chapter is

00:56:45.059 --> 00:56:45.379
 one of the

00:56:45.379 --> 00:56:46.199
 only points

00:56:46.199 --> 00:56:47.199
 in Nehemiah's

00:56:47.199 --> 00:56:48.419
 writing here

00:56:48.419 --> 00:56:48.799
 that we

00:56:48.799 --> 00:56:49.679
 actually see

00:56:49.679 --> 00:56:51.119
 further down

00:56:51.119 --> 00:56:51.939
 the line.

00:56:52.899 --> 00:56:53.979
 Twelve years

00:56:53.979 --> 00:56:54.659
 he speaks

00:56:54.659 --> 00:56:55.639
 of here.

00:56:56.179 --> 00:56:56.539
 What an

00:56:56.539 --> 00:56:57.519
 impact this

00:56:57.519 --> 00:56:58.379
 event has

00:56:58.379 --> 00:56:58.799
 had on

00:56:58.799 --> 00:56:59.359
 his life.

00:57:00.420 --> 00:57:01.179
 For twelve

00:57:01.179 --> 00:57:02.460
 years afterwards

00:57:02.460 --> 00:57:03.279
 as he served

00:57:03.279 --> 00:57:04.379
 as governor

00:57:04.379 --> 00:57:05.779
 he sought

00:57:05.779 --> 00:57:06.199
 to do

00:57:06.199 --> 00:57:07.239
 all for

00:57:07.239 --> 00:57:07.899
 the glory

00:57:07.899 --> 00:57:09.079
 of God.

00:57:09.460 --> 00:57:09.940
 Not just

00:57:09.940 --> 00:57:10.339
 for a

00:57:10.339 --> 00:57:10.699
 moment,

00:57:11.480 --> 00:57:11.940
 not just

00:57:11.940 --> 00:57:12.399
 for this

00:57:12.399 --> 00:57:12.940
 time,

00:57:13.440 --> 00:57:14.239
 but throughout

00:57:14.239 --> 00:57:15.339
 his life.

00:57:15.440 --> 00:57:15.879
 He sought

00:57:15.879 --> 00:57:16.480
 to be

00:57:16.480 --> 00:57:17.799
 an example

00:57:17.799 --> 00:57:18.599
 to the

00:57:18.599 --> 00:57:19.079
 people.

00:57:20.399 --> 00:57:21.219
 Mark Twain,

00:57:21.299 --> 00:57:21.799
 the American

00:57:21.799 --> 00:57:22.279
 author,

00:57:22.759 --> 00:57:23.339
 he once

00:57:23.340 --> 00:57:23.700
 said,

00:57:23.800 --> 00:57:24.420
 few things

00:57:24.420 --> 00:57:25.059
 are harder

00:57:25.059 --> 00:57:25.440
 to put

00:57:25.440 --> 00:57:25.960
 up with

00:57:25.960 --> 00:57:26.800
 than the

00:57:26.800 --> 00:57:27.620
 annoyance

00:57:27.620 --> 00:57:28.280
 of a

00:57:28.280 --> 00:57:28.620
 good

00:57:28.620 --> 00:57:29.300
 example.

00:57:30.600 --> 00:57:31.019
 You maybe

00:57:31.019 --> 00:57:31.539
 know what

00:57:31.539 --> 00:57:32.140
 that's like.

00:57:32.200 --> 00:57:32.600
 You see

00:57:32.600 --> 00:57:33.539
 someone who's

00:57:33.539 --> 00:57:34.120
 had a real

00:57:34.120 --> 00:57:35.079
 powerful

00:57:35.079 --> 00:57:36.000
 influence on

00:57:36.000 --> 00:57:36.280
 you.

00:57:37.260 --> 00:57:37.840
 This is a

00:57:37.840 --> 00:57:38.980
 good example.

00:57:40.000 --> 00:57:40.380
 Everything

00:57:40.380 --> 00:57:40.860
 they do,

00:57:40.960 --> 00:57:41.220
 they do

00:57:41.220 --> 00:57:41.660
 right and

00:57:41.660 --> 00:57:41.960
 it's so

00:57:41.960 --> 00:57:43.120
 powerful when

00:57:43.120 --> 00:57:43.660
 that is a

00:57:43.660 --> 00:57:44.160
 Christian.

00:57:45.200 --> 00:57:45.480
 And you

00:57:45.480 --> 00:57:46.300
 see Christ

00:57:46.300 --> 00:57:46.720
 and you

00:57:46.720 --> 00:57:47.920
 can't hold

00:57:47.920 --> 00:57:48.500
 anything

00:57:48.500 --> 00:57:49.280
 against them.

00:57:49.640 --> 00:57:50.019
 They're just

00:57:50.019 --> 00:57:50.860
 such a

00:57:50.860 --> 00:57:51.340
 powerful

00:57:51.340 --> 00:57:52.760
 example of

00:57:52.760 --> 00:57:53.120
 what it

00:57:53.120 --> 00:57:53.560
 is to

00:57:53.560 --> 00:57:53.900
 be a

00:57:53.900 --> 00:57:54.360
 Christian.

00:57:55.580 --> 00:57:55.980
 And it

00:57:55.980 --> 00:57:56.580
 leads to

00:57:56.580 --> 00:57:57.240
 the question,

00:57:57.400 --> 00:57:57.680
 are we

00:57:57.680 --> 00:57:58.720
 good examples

00:57:58.720 --> 00:58:00.320
 to those

00:58:00.320 --> 00:58:01.580
 around us?

00:58:02.820 --> 00:58:03.300
 Do we

00:58:03.300 --> 00:58:04.340
 come and

00:58:04.340 --> 00:58:05.300
 hear God's

00:58:05.300 --> 00:58:05.780
 word,

00:58:07.120 --> 00:58:07.660
 but do we

00:58:07.660 --> 00:58:08.300
 live it

00:58:08.300 --> 00:58:09.260
 as we

00:58:09.260 --> 00:58:09.900
 go out?

00:58:10.920 --> 00:58:11.160
 In

00:58:11.160 --> 00:58:12.300
 verse 14

00:58:12.300 --> 00:58:12.860
 to verse

00:58:12.860 --> 00:58:13.360
 19,

00:58:14.000 --> 00:58:14.760
 we find

00:58:14.760 --> 00:58:15.480
 Nehemiah

00:58:15.480 --> 00:58:17.060
 highlighting this

00:58:17.060 --> 00:58:17.640
 for us.

00:58:18.360 --> 00:58:18.780
 It was

00:58:18.780 --> 00:58:19.720
 life-changing.

00:58:21.080 --> 00:58:21.860
 This moment

00:58:21.860 --> 00:58:22.559
 of seeing

00:58:22.559 --> 00:58:23.019
 the need

00:58:23.019 --> 00:58:23.300
 of the

00:58:23.300 --> 00:58:23.820
 people,

00:58:24.260 --> 00:58:24.800
 the burden

00:58:24.800 --> 00:58:25.099
 on the

00:58:25.099 --> 00:58:25.599
 people,

00:58:26.120 --> 00:58:26.660
 it's not

00:58:26.660 --> 00:58:27.300
 just about

00:58:27.300 --> 00:58:27.980
 the wall

00:58:27.980 --> 00:58:28.740
 he sees.

00:58:29.340 --> 00:58:29.840
 It's not

00:58:29.840 --> 00:58:30.460
 just about

00:58:30.460 --> 00:58:30.740
 this,

00:58:30.840 --> 00:58:31.500
 although important

00:58:31.500 --> 00:58:32.220
 as it is,

00:58:32.900 --> 00:58:33.420
 it's about

00:58:33.420 --> 00:58:34.200
 loving those

00:58:34.200 --> 00:58:35.099
 around us.

00:58:35.500 --> 00:58:36.099
 The wall

00:58:36.099 --> 00:58:36.519
 would be

00:58:36.519 --> 00:58:37.220
 complete,

00:58:37.880 --> 00:58:38.180
 but you

00:58:38.180 --> 00:58:38.460
 see,

00:58:38.860 --> 00:58:39.800
 years after

00:58:39.800 --> 00:58:40.260
 the wall

00:58:40.260 --> 00:58:40.800
 was built,

00:58:40.960 --> 00:58:41.579
 he's still

00:58:41.579 --> 00:58:42.519
 living for

00:58:42.519 --> 00:58:43.099
 the people

00:58:43.099 --> 00:58:43.579
 as a good

00:58:43.579 --> 00:58:44.160
 example,

00:58:44.340 --> 00:58:44.640
 for the

00:58:44.640 --> 00:58:45.059
 people,

00:58:45.280 --> 00:58:46.039
 not wanting

00:58:46.039 --> 00:58:46.700
 to burden

00:58:46.700 --> 00:58:47.460
 the people

00:58:47.460 --> 00:58:48.559
 in anything

00:58:48.559 --> 00:58:48.980
 that he

00:58:48.980 --> 00:58:49.559
 would do.

00:58:49.559 --> 00:58:50.900
 what a

00:58:50.900 --> 00:58:51.480
 powerful

00:58:51.480 --> 00:58:52.699
 example

00:58:52.699 --> 00:58:53.500
 that is

00:58:53.500 --> 00:58:54.039
 to us,

00:58:54.099 --> 00:58:54.420
 not just

00:58:54.420 --> 00:58:55.279
 to be

00:58:55.279 --> 00:58:56.380
 hearers of

00:58:56.380 --> 00:58:56.880
 the word,

00:58:56.980 --> 00:58:57.719
 but doers

00:58:57.719 --> 00:58:58.799
 also.

00:59:00.000 --> 00:59:00.340
 Nehemiah

00:59:00.340 --> 00:59:00.719
 didn't

00:59:00.719 --> 00:59:01.519
 preach one

00:59:01.519 --> 00:59:01.960
 thing to

00:59:01.960 --> 00:59:02.599
 the people

00:59:02.599 --> 00:59:03.619
 and behave

00:59:03.619 --> 00:59:04.360
 differently.

00:59:05.019 --> 00:59:05.519
 He was

00:59:05.519 --> 00:59:06.199
 governor and

00:59:06.199 --> 00:59:06.460
 he could

00:59:06.460 --> 00:59:07.019
 have taken

00:59:07.019 --> 00:59:08.019
 so much

00:59:08.019 --> 00:59:08.799
 for himself,

00:59:08.980 --> 00:59:09.639
 but he

00:59:09.639 --> 00:59:10.320
 paid a

00:59:10.320 --> 00:59:11.400
 price himself.

00:59:12.219 --> 00:59:12.820
 He absorbed

00:59:12.820 --> 00:59:13.360
 so much

00:59:13.360 --> 00:59:13.980
 himself,

00:59:14.679 --> 00:59:15.320
 even though

00:59:15.320 --> 00:59:15.659
 he was

00:59:15.659 --> 00:59:16.219
 entitled

00:59:16.219 --> 00:59:17.459
 to so

00:59:17.459 --> 00:59:17.899
 much.

00:59:18.239 --> 00:59:18.679
 It wasn't

00:59:18.679 --> 00:59:19.759
 right that

00:59:19.759 --> 00:59:20.159
 he would

00:59:20.159 --> 00:59:20.799
 gain when

00:59:20.799 --> 00:59:21.039
 there's

00:59:21.039 --> 00:59:21.539
 people

00:59:21.539 --> 00:59:22.599
 suffering.

00:59:23.679 --> 00:59:23.799
 In

00:59:23.799 --> 00:59:25.079
 verse 18

00:59:25.079 --> 00:59:25.599
 it says,

00:59:25.719 --> 00:59:25.939
 I did

00:59:25.939 --> 00:59:26.719
 not demand

00:59:26.719 --> 00:59:27.259
 the food

00:59:27.259 --> 00:59:27.980
 allowance of

00:59:27.980 --> 00:59:28.500
 the governor

00:59:28.500 --> 00:59:29.599
 because the

00:59:29.599 --> 00:59:30.339
 service was

00:59:30.339 --> 00:59:31.079
 too heavy

00:59:31.079 --> 00:59:32.079
 on this

00:59:32.079 --> 00:59:32.619
 people.

00:59:33.119 --> 00:59:33.739
 It wasn't

00:59:33.739 --> 00:59:34.980
 right that

00:59:34.980 --> 00:59:35.599
 he would

00:59:35.599 --> 00:59:36.379
 take.

00:59:37.559 --> 00:59:37.899
 And what

00:59:37.899 --> 00:59:38.399
 made this

00:59:38.399 --> 00:59:39.219
 difference in

00:59:39.219 --> 00:59:40.079
 his life?

00:59:40.779 --> 00:59:41.000
 Well,

00:59:41.019 --> 00:59:41.759
 you see it

00:59:41.759 --> 00:59:42.779
 in verse

00:59:42.779 --> 00:59:43.559
 15.

00:59:44.299 --> 00:59:44.939
 The former

00:59:44.939 --> 00:59:45.719
 governors who

00:59:45.719 --> 00:59:46.239
 were before

00:59:46.239 --> 00:59:46.639
 me laid

00:59:46.639 --> 00:59:46.939
 heavy

00:59:46.939 --> 00:59:47.480
 burdens

00:59:47.480 --> 00:59:48.319
 on the

00:59:48.319 --> 00:59:48.839
 people and

00:59:48.839 --> 00:59:49.439
 took from

00:59:49.439 --> 00:59:50.279
 them for

00:59:50.279 --> 00:59:50.719
 their daily

00:59:50.719 --> 00:59:51.619
 ration forty

00:59:51.619 --> 00:59:52.359
 shekels of

00:59:52.359 --> 00:59:52.659
 silver.

00:59:52.739 --> 00:59:53.159
 Even their

00:59:53.159 --> 00:59:54.319
 servants lorded

00:59:54.319 --> 00:59:55.059
 it over

00:59:55.059 --> 00:59:55.699
 the people.

00:59:56.279 --> 00:59:56.719
 But I

00:59:56.719 --> 00:59:57.179
 did not

00:59:57.179 --> 00:59:57.879
 do so

00:59:57.879 --> 00:59:59.000
 because of

00:59:59.000 --> 00:59:59.619
 the fear

00:59:59.619 --> 01:00:00.679
 of the

01:00:00.679 --> 01:00:01.039
 Lord.

01:00:01.919 --> 01:00:02.679
 The Lord

01:00:02.679 --> 01:00:04.199
 was important

01:00:04.199 --> 01:00:05.159
 to him.

01:00:06.079 --> 01:00:06.639
 First

01:00:06.639 --> 01:00:08.359
 and foremost,

01:00:09.559 --> 01:00:10.159
 there was a

01:00:10.159 --> 01:00:10.919
 sacrificial

01:00:10.919 --> 01:00:12.480
 serving of

01:00:12.480 --> 01:00:13.059
 the Lord

01:00:13.059 --> 01:00:13.519
 here.

01:00:13.579 --> 01:00:13.779
 And we

01:00:13.779 --> 01:00:14.239
 may feel

01:00:14.239 --> 01:00:15.500
 entitled to

01:00:15.500 --> 01:00:16.320
 many things

01:00:16.320 --> 01:00:16.699
 in our

01:00:16.699 --> 01:00:17.380
 life as

01:00:17.380 --> 01:00:17.760
 well.

01:00:18.900 --> 01:00:19.340
 But are

01:00:19.340 --> 01:00:19.780
 we willing

01:00:19.780 --> 01:00:20.559
 to give

01:00:20.559 --> 01:00:21.400
 and to

01:00:21.400 --> 01:00:21.900
 give up

01:00:21.900 --> 01:00:22.900
 for the

01:00:22.900 --> 01:00:23.199
 Lord?

01:00:24.179 --> 01:00:24.739
 So whatever

01:00:24.739 --> 01:00:25.300
 we do,

01:00:25.619 --> 01:00:26.239
 we work

01:00:26.239 --> 01:00:27.059
 heartily as

01:00:27.059 --> 01:00:27.440
 for the

01:00:27.440 --> 01:00:27.860
 Lord and

01:00:27.860 --> 01:00:28.320
 not for

01:00:28.320 --> 01:00:28.559
 men,

01:00:28.639 --> 01:00:29.559
 knowing that

01:00:29.559 --> 01:00:29.900
 from the

01:00:29.900 --> 01:00:30.340
 Lord you

01:00:30.340 --> 01:00:30.900
 will receive

01:00:30.900 --> 01:00:31.599
 the inheritance

01:00:31.599 --> 01:00:32.260
 as you

01:00:32.260 --> 01:00:32.739
 reward.

01:00:33.219 --> 01:00:33.639
 You are

01:00:33.639 --> 01:00:34.980
 serving the

01:00:34.980 --> 01:00:35.480
 Lord

01:00:35.480 --> 01:00:36.420
 Christ.

01:00:38.260 --> 01:00:39.000
 I'll leave

01:00:39.000 --> 01:00:39.460
 you with a

01:00:39.460 --> 01:00:40.059
 story of

01:00:40.059 --> 01:00:41.059
 David Livingston,

01:00:41.639 --> 01:00:42.360
 missionary who

01:00:42.360 --> 01:00:42.780
 went to

01:00:42.780 --> 01:00:43.260
 Africa.

01:00:43.260 --> 01:00:44.260
 He said,

01:00:44.360 --> 01:00:45.140
 people talk

01:00:45.140 --> 01:00:45.500
 of the

01:00:45.500 --> 01:00:46.440
 sacrifice I

01:00:46.440 --> 01:00:46.940
 have made

01:00:46.940 --> 01:00:47.660
 in spending

01:00:47.660 --> 01:00:48.640
 so much

01:00:48.640 --> 01:00:49.060
 of my

01:00:49.060 --> 01:00:49.680
 life in

01:00:49.680 --> 01:00:50.180
 Africa.

01:00:51.000 --> 01:00:51.400
 Can that

01:00:51.400 --> 01:00:51.940
 be called

01:00:51.940 --> 01:00:52.720
 a sacrifice

01:00:52.720 --> 01:00:53.440
 which is

01:00:53.440 --> 01:00:53.840
 simply

01:00:53.840 --> 01:00:54.480
 acknowledging

01:00:54.480 --> 01:00:55.460
 a great

01:00:55.460 --> 01:00:56.040
 debt we

01:00:56.040 --> 01:00:56.500
 owe to

01:00:56.500 --> 01:00:57.160
 our God

01:00:57.160 --> 01:00:58.000
 which we

01:00:58.000 --> 01:00:58.560
 can never

01:00:58.560 --> 01:00:59.140
 repay?

01:01:00.260 --> 01:01:00.880
 Is that a

01:01:00.880 --> 01:01:01.660
 sacrifice which

01:01:01.660 --> 01:01:02.320
 brings its

01:01:02.320 --> 01:01:03.140
 own reward

01:01:03.140 --> 01:01:04.260
 in healthful

01:01:04.260 --> 01:01:05.060
 activity and

01:01:05.060 --> 01:01:06.340
 consciousness of

01:01:06.340 --> 01:01:07.000
 doing good,

01:01:07.200 --> 01:01:07.640
 peace of

01:01:07.640 --> 01:01:08.060
 mind,

01:01:08.560 --> 01:01:08.960
 and a

01:01:08.960 --> 01:01:09.700
 bright hope

01:01:09.700 --> 01:01:10.020
 of a

01:01:10.020 --> 01:01:10.500
 glorious

01:01:10.500 --> 01:01:11.219
 destiny?

01:01:12.380 --> 01:01:12.719
 It is

01:01:12.719 --> 01:01:13.380
 emphatically

01:01:13.380 --> 01:01:14.860
 no sacrifice.

01:01:15.679 --> 01:01:16.260
 Rather,

01:01:16.639 --> 01:01:17.320
 it is a

01:01:17.320 --> 01:01:17.940
 privilege.

01:01:19.039 --> 01:01:19.719
 Anxiety,

01:01:20.320 --> 01:01:20.719
 sickness,

01:01:21.019 --> 01:01:21.440
 suffering,

01:01:21.659 --> 01:01:22.059
 danger,

01:01:22.719 --> 01:01:23.460
 foregoing the

01:01:23.460 --> 01:01:23.800
 common

01:01:23.800 --> 01:01:24.800
 conveniences of

01:01:24.800 --> 01:01:25.360
 this life,

01:01:25.840 --> 01:01:26.380
 these may

01:01:26.380 --> 01:01:27.000
 make us

01:01:27.000 --> 01:01:27.840
 pause and

01:01:27.840 --> 01:01:28.420
 cause the

01:01:28.420 --> 01:01:29.079
 spirit to

01:01:29.079 --> 01:01:29.920
 waver and

01:01:29.920 --> 01:01:30.480
 the soul

01:01:30.480 --> 01:01:31.199
 to sink,

01:01:32.159 --> 01:01:32.719
 but let

01:01:32.719 --> 01:01:33.599
 this only be

01:01:33.599 --> 01:01:34.000
 for a

01:01:34.000 --> 01:01:34.400
 moment.

01:01:35.119 --> 01:01:35.599
 All these

01:01:35.599 --> 01:01:36.159
 are nothing

01:01:36.159 --> 01:01:37.500
 compared with

01:01:37.500 --> 01:01:38.039
 the glory

01:01:38.039 --> 01:01:38.579
 which shall

01:01:38.579 --> 01:01:39.119
 later be

01:01:39.119 --> 01:01:39.840
 revealed in

01:01:39.840 --> 01:01:40.320
 and through

01:01:40.320 --> 01:01:40.720
 us.

01:01:41.519 --> 01:01:42.079
 I never

01:01:42.079 --> 01:01:42.620
 made a

01:01:42.620 --> 01:01:43.400
 sacrifice.

01:01:44.240 --> 01:01:44.860
 Of this

01:01:44.860 --> 01:01:45.620
 we ought not

01:01:45.620 --> 01:01:46.260
 to talk

01:01:46.260 --> 01:01:47.240
 when we

01:01:47.240 --> 01:01:47.840
 remember the

01:01:47.840 --> 01:01:48.740
 great sacrifice

01:01:48.740 --> 01:01:49.559
 which he

01:01:49.559 --> 01:01:50.640
 made who

01:01:50.640 --> 01:01:51.260
 left his

01:01:51.260 --> 01:01:52.000
 father's

01:01:52.000 --> 01:01:52.579
 throne on

01:01:52.579 --> 01:01:54.100
 high and

01:01:54.100 --> 01:01:55.180
 gave himself

01:01:55.180 --> 01:01:56.579
 for us.

01:01:58.059 --> 01:01:58.820
 That that

01:01:58.820 --> 01:01:59.420
 would be

01:01:59.420 --> 01:02:00.960
 our spirit,

01:02:01.519 --> 01:02:01.940
 that that

01:02:01.940 --> 01:02:02.260
 would be

01:02:02.260 --> 01:02:03.380
 our attitude,

01:02:04.079 --> 01:02:04.600
 remembering

01:02:04.600 --> 01:02:05.840
 the sacrifice

01:02:05.840 --> 01:02:06.519
 of him

01:02:06.519 --> 01:02:07.500
 who left

01:02:07.500 --> 01:02:08.300
 all for

01:02:08.300 --> 01:02:08.740
 us,

01:02:08.739 --> 01:02:10.039
 who bore

01:02:10.039 --> 01:02:11.299
 our sin

01:02:11.299 --> 01:02:12.339
 on the

01:02:12.339 --> 01:02:12.859
 cross.

01:02:14.339 --> 01:02:14.919
 Nehemiah and

01:02:14.919 --> 01:02:15.500
 the people

01:02:15.500 --> 01:02:16.539
 here give

01:02:16.539 --> 01:02:16.819
 us a

01:02:16.819 --> 01:02:17.639
 reminder and

01:02:17.639 --> 01:02:18.479
 example to

01:02:18.479 --> 01:02:19.419
 see the

01:02:19.419 --> 01:02:19.939
 work of

01:02:19.939 --> 01:02:20.399
 the Lord

01:02:20.399 --> 01:02:21.139
 as broad

01:02:21.139 --> 01:02:22.039
 and all

01:02:22.039 --> 01:02:23.000
 encompassing,

01:02:24.059 --> 01:02:25.219
 looking far

01:02:25.219 --> 01:02:26.019
 and wider,

01:02:26.219 --> 01:02:26.759
 vision being

01:02:26.759 --> 01:02:27.879
 not just a

01:02:27.879 --> 01:02:28.479
 building of

01:02:28.479 --> 01:02:29.179
 a wall,

01:02:30.000 --> 01:02:30.439
 but a

01:02:30.439 --> 01:02:30.959
 loving of

01:02:30.959 --> 01:02:31.679
 the people

01:02:31.679 --> 01:02:33.279
 all around

01:02:33.279 --> 01:02:33.839
 us,

01:02:34.619 --> 01:02:35.299
 and a work

01:02:35.299 --> 01:02:35.799
 that needs

01:02:35.800 --> 01:02:36.280
 to have

01:02:36.280 --> 01:02:36.920
 an attitude

01:02:36.920 --> 01:02:38.420
 that listens,

01:02:39.539 --> 01:02:40.760
 that loves,

01:02:41.640 --> 01:02:42.100
 and that

01:02:42.100 --> 01:02:43.080
 lives well.

01:02:44.039 --> 01:02:44.500
 May the

01:02:44.500 --> 01:02:45.019
 word of

01:02:45.019 --> 01:02:46.160
 God go

01:02:46.160 --> 01:02:47.000
 with us

01:02:47.000 --> 01:02:48.180
 into this

01:02:48.180 --> 01:02:48.860
 week ahead.

01:02:48.980 --> 01:02:49.260
 May it

01:02:49.260 --> 01:02:50.380
 strengthen us

01:02:50.380 --> 01:02:51.180
 in our

01:02:51.180 --> 01:02:52.060
 service for

01:02:52.060 --> 01:02:52.539
 the Lord.

01:02:53.080 --> 01:02:53.600
 May we go

01:02:53.600 --> 01:02:54.280
 on growing

01:02:54.280 --> 01:02:55.000
 and going

01:02:55.000 --> 01:02:55.980
 in the

01:02:55.980 --> 01:02:56.560
 Lord's

01:02:56.560 --> 01:02:57.280
 strength and

01:02:57.280 --> 01:02:58.539
 knowing his

01:02:58.539 --> 01:02:59.960
 blessing on

01:02:59.960 --> 01:03:01.140
 us through

01:03:01.140 --> 01:03:01.840
 Christ.

01:03:01.840 --> 01:03:02.579
 let us

01:03:02.579 --> 01:03:02.880
 pray.

01:03:04.680 --> 01:03:05.360
 O Lord,

01:03:05.440 --> 01:03:06.260
 our gracious

01:03:06.260 --> 01:03:06.940
 God, we

01:03:06.940 --> 01:03:07.480
 ask your

01:03:07.480 --> 01:03:08.640
 blessing on

01:03:08.640 --> 01:03:09.440
 your word to

01:03:09.440 --> 01:03:09.680
 us.

01:03:09.800 --> 01:03:10.059
 May it

01:03:10.059 --> 01:03:10.840
 minister to

01:03:10.840 --> 01:03:11.460
 our hearts.

01:03:11.620 --> 01:03:11.860
 May it

01:03:11.860 --> 01:03:12.840
 help us to

01:03:12.840 --> 01:03:13.500
 hear what

01:03:13.500 --> 01:03:13.780
 you are

01:03:13.780 --> 01:03:14.519
 saying to

01:03:14.519 --> 01:03:14.780
 us.

01:03:15.320 --> 01:03:15.579
 May it

01:03:15.579 --> 01:03:16.200
 help us to

01:03:16.200 --> 01:03:16.780
 honour you

01:03:16.780 --> 01:03:17.420
 and serve

01:03:17.420 --> 01:03:18.380
 you in

01:03:18.380 --> 01:03:19.160
 all things

01:03:19.160 --> 01:03:19.680
 with that

01:03:19.680 --> 01:03:21.559
 sacrificial

01:03:21.559 --> 01:03:22.320
 attitude of

01:03:22.320 --> 01:03:23.160
 doing all

01:03:23.160 --> 01:03:24.320
 as to the

01:03:24.320 --> 01:03:24.640
 Lord.

01:03:25.240 --> 01:03:25.820
 We pray,

01:03:25.980 --> 01:03:26.280
 Lord, that

01:03:26.280 --> 01:03:26.680
 you will go

01:03:26.680 --> 01:03:27.480
 before us,

01:03:27.539 --> 01:03:27.700
 that you

01:03:27.700 --> 01:03:28.260
 will continue

01:03:28.260 --> 01:03:28.760
 with us,

01:03:28.800 --> 01:03:29.000
 that you

01:03:29.000 --> 01:03:29.800
 will bless

01:03:29.800 --> 01:03:30.320
 us in our

01:03:30.320 --> 01:03:31.100
 fellowship with

01:03:31.099 --> 01:03:31.559
 each other

01:03:31.559 --> 01:03:32.039
 as we go

01:03:32.039 --> 01:03:32.699
 next door

01:03:32.699 --> 01:03:33.339
 as well and

01:03:33.339 --> 01:03:34.319
 bless all

01:03:34.319 --> 01:03:34.739
 the food

01:03:34.739 --> 01:03:35.139
 that's been

01:03:35.139 --> 01:03:36.019
 prepared for

01:03:36.019 --> 01:03:36.460
 us in our

01:03:36.460 --> 01:03:36.900
 time.

01:03:37.460 --> 01:03:37.980
 May again

01:03:37.980 --> 01:03:38.599
 your glory

01:03:38.599 --> 01:03:39.360
 be with us

01:03:39.360 --> 01:03:40.420
 now and

01:03:40.420 --> 01:03:41.339
 in all that

01:03:41.339 --> 01:03:41.920
 we do as

01:03:41.920 --> 01:03:42.619
 we ask all

01:03:42.619 --> 01:03:43.319
 things in

01:03:43.319 --> 01:03:44.159
 Jesus' name.

01:03:44.659 --> 01:03:45.000
 Amen.

01:03:48.739 --> 01:03:49.500
 We're going

01:03:49.500 --> 01:03:50.480
 to conclude

01:03:50.480 --> 01:03:51.199
 by singing

01:03:51.199 --> 01:03:52.279
 to God's

01:03:52.279 --> 01:03:52.920
 praise in

01:03:52.920 --> 01:03:54.360
 Psalm 106.

01:03:56.119 --> 01:03:57.519
 Psalm 106

01:03:57.519 --> 01:03:58.799
 in the

01:03:58.799 --> 01:03:59.159
 Scottish

01:03:59.159 --> 01:03:59.599
 Psalter,

01:03:59.739 --> 01:04:01.079
 page 382.

01:04:01.099 --> 01:04:02.259
 Sing from

01:04:02.259 --> 01:04:03.219
 verse 44

01:04:03.219 --> 01:04:03.759
 down to

01:04:03.759 --> 01:04:04.279
 the end

01:04:04.279 --> 01:04:05.360
 of the

01:04:05.360 --> 01:04:05.920
 psalm.

01:04:06.339 --> 01:04:06.699
 Yet their

01:04:06.699 --> 01:04:07.619
 affliction he

01:04:07.619 --> 01:04:08.420
 beheld when

01:04:08.420 --> 01:04:09.159
 he did hear

01:04:09.159 --> 01:04:09.920
 their cry,

01:04:10.500 --> 01:04:11.239
 and he for

01:04:11.239 --> 01:04:11.920
 them his

01:04:11.920 --> 01:04:13.099
 covenant did

01:04:13.099 --> 01:04:14.239
 call to

01:04:14.239 --> 01:04:14.539
 memory.

01:04:14.659 --> 01:04:15.119
 We'll sing

01:04:15.119 --> 01:04:16.059
 these verses

01:04:16.059 --> 01:04:16.839
 to God's

01:04:16.839 --> 01:04:17.119
 praise,

01:04:17.219 --> 01:04:18.480
 44 to

01:04:18.480 --> 01:04:19.259
 48,

01:04:19.380 --> 01:04:19.619
 and the

01:04:19.619 --> 01:04:20.199
 tune is

01:04:20.199 --> 01:04:20.719
 St.

01:04:20.860 --> 01:04:21.239
 Kilda.

01:04:21.239 --> 01:04:21.360
 Amen.

01:04:21.360 --> 01:04:21.420
 Amen.

01:04:21.420 --> 01:04:21.440
 Amen.

01:04:21.440 --> 01:04:21.460
 Amen.

01:04:21.460 --> 01:04:21.559
 Amen.

01:04:21.559 --> 01:04:23.360
 Amen.

01:04:23.360 --> 01:04:23.460
 Amen.

01:04:23.460 --> 01:04:23.480
 Amen.

01:04:23.480 --> 01:04:23.519
 Amen.

01:04:23.519 --> 01:04:23.980
 Amen.

01:04:23.980 --> 01:04:24.559
 Amen.

01:04:24.559 --> 01:04:25.420
 Amen.

01:04:25.420 --> 01:04:25.519
 Amen.

01:04:25.519 --> 01:04:26.559
 Amen.

01:04:26.559 --> 01:04:27.360
 Amen.

01:04:27.360 --> 01:04:27.400
 Amen.

01:04:27.400 --> 01:04:27.420
 Amen.

01:04:27.420 --> 01:04:28.059
 Amen.

01:04:28.059 --> 01:04:28.619
 Amen.

01:04:28.619 --> 01:04:29.279
 Amen.

01:04:29.279 --> 01:04:29.360
 Amen.

01:04:29.360 --> 01:04:31.079
 Amen.

01:04:31.079 --> 01:04:32.079
 And he for

01:04:32.079 --> 01:04:33.719
 them his

01:04:33.719 --> 01:04:59.579
 pug've

01:04:59.579 --> 01:05:12.980
 God's mercy is all tortured in every path unmade.

01:05:12.980 --> 01:05:27.019
 Let you be with me, O God, those good and good and heavenly.

01:05:29.579 --> 01:05:44.259
 O Lord, our God, our safe and guard, thy ether from above,

01:05:44.260 --> 01:05:59.260
 that we thy holy name may praise, and our triumphant song.

01:05:59.260 --> 01:06:14.160
 Blessed be the people of the heavens, God, to all eternity.

01:06:14.159 --> 01:06:30.159
 Let all our people say Amen. Praise to the Lord, give me.

01:06:30.159 --> 01:06:31.159
 Amen.

01:06:32.299 --> 01:06:35.159
 After the benediction, I'll go to the door to my right.

01:06:35.259 --> 01:06:36.599
 We'll close the benediction.

01:06:37.379 --> 01:06:42.359
 Now may grace, mercy, and peace from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

01:06:42.359 --> 01:06:46.159
 rest upon and abide with us all now and forevermore.

01:06:46.559 --> 01:06:46.899
 Amen.

01:07:00.159 --> 01:07:01.159
 Amen.