Faithfulness is a matter of the heart Nehemiah7:1-5

Faithfulness is Required

Introduction:

Those who survived the exile of Babylonia and are back in their homeland Jerusalem are in great trouble and disgrace because the walls in Jerusalem were destroyed by fire. the disgrace was that the walls of the city were destroyed in ancient times. The wall represented security, Safety It protected the city from being vulnerable to their neigboring cities who wanted to conquer them. God allowed a foreign county to punish Israel and take take them away from their land as he promised he would in Deuteronomy. He told Moses that if His people were unfaithful, they would be scattered among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name. They were home now, not all and although they were home they were living in ruins Ezra had led the first group of exiles home and they rebuilt the Temple but they became distracted and concerned with other things and were becoming unfaithful to God again. Nehemiah’s family visits him and tells him

Faithfulness is a Matter of the Heart

When I awakened

1. Nehemiah was faithful in his concern/prayer

He was a cupbearer to the Persian King. He was in a comfortable position. He had access to the choices of food wine and clothing. He gave it up to go to Jerusalem because there was a burden for his people. He choose to give. He was faithful in prayer and in listening.

Nehemiah’s faithfulness in his commitment

Nehemiah 7:1 he completed the wall he set up doors then he appointed gatekeepers, singers and Levites. (Why was he so concerned about the Wall.

Note here: first task after completing the wall the doors gatekeepers, singers and Levites.

Nehemiah recognizes faithfulness in Others.

He appoints God fearing men to watch over Jerusalem. they were use to sinning and disobeying God so He needed not only someone who was faithful because you could be faithful to the wrong thing, the wrong task, Faithfulness and respect for God is needed.

Vs 3 in being faithful God will give you a strategy to keep the enemy from overtaking you.

Only God can change your heart

VS.5 Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy.Ezekiels commitment was beyond the rebuilding the wall but it was toward rebuilding the people back to God . This is why he immediately appointed . Guard your heart for out of it flows the issues of life . doors

First God placed a burden on his heart for Israel when his brother told him the Jerusalem was in trouble And disgrace. He immediately interceded on their behalf. His heart gave him courage to fact the King and then to go it Jerusalem and to inspect the wall and to rebuild the wall, physically and financiallly.

Reference: I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

The Heart

Men by their own free will cannot turn to God until he first change their stony hearts into hearts of flesh.

John Calvin (French Reformer)

Is essentially the whole person, all of your attributes, physical, intellect and psychological aspects. Its the heart that makes you, what you do, it governs all your actions. Thats why Proverbs 4:23 tells you to “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” That’s why David said Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Heart

There is no suggestion in the Bible that the brain is the centre of consciousness, thought or will. It is the heart which

Illustration: This morning I awakened to singing, prayer and I became righteously angry