Important Unknowns

Who Don’t You Know?

Last weekend Sara took her father to meet cousins he never knew he had.

See the Holy Land, Italy, travel abroad.

Plan A for retirement is a camper. See the country

PCH, Redwoods, Yosemite, Upper Left coast.

Sara’s dad was adopted when he was to young to know anything.

Work on our house. We have plans to update and make it more user-friendly for our family.

Family, 2 of our 3 are still single.

For years he didn’t want to know.

Hopeful, praying for believing spouses

We have 1 grandchild, another on the way

Then, recently, he decided to let Sara do a little ancestry research. And, she found his birth family.

See them come to faith in Jesus and grow.

His parents are gone as are his siblings. But, there are a number of cousins still alive in the San Antonio area.

They went to meet them and he had a blast. They connected and had a great time.

Sara’s research and meeting these family members revealed a lot that he never knew.

Take them camping, skiing, out in our RZR.

There are a number of interesting turns in his life.

His adoptive parents divorced. His adoptive mother from cancer when dad was teenager. His adoptive dad remarried. And, these are the grandparents Sara knows from this side of her family.

Sara never knew her dad’s adoptive mom, but b/c she raised Sara’s dad she obviously played and important role in Sara’s life even though Sara never knew her.

There are the knowns and the unknowns.

Then, Sara and her dad both became Christians on the same day when she was a junior in college, listening to a tape by Hal Lindsey on “The Late Great Planet Earth” while on their way from Tucson to their cabin in Pinetop.

Sara and her dad became Christians on the same day listening to a tape by Hal Lindsey on “The Late Great Planet Earth” while on their way from Tucson to their cabin in Pinetop.

Our kids never knew their Papa as a man who didn’t have faith in Jesus. Sara has passed that legacy of faith on to our kids.

My great grandfather’s legacy is strong in my life. I barely remember him. But, his influence on the family that influenced me is very real.

So much of what is so important will be unknown.

How many generations will go by before none of them know anything about Harold Willingham?

In my family, I have vague recollections of one set of great grand parents. That’s a far back as I can go from memory.

My great grandfather, Lewis Baker, was a mailman, delivering letters house to house in Wichita. He was also the chmn. of the board of his church.

As far as I can tell, he was the last, great faithful patriarch of my family.

This is thru my mom and her mom.

I don’t know much about my dad’s family as my parents divorced when I was 2.

Another thing I know to be true, I’ve seen the research, thru this same line, my 8-great grandfather was Daniel Boone. I know that to be true.

I’m related thru his daughter, Rebecca, who was kidnapped by the Cherokee.

She ended up marrying the son of the Cherokee chief.

He became chief.

8-great grandfather, 7-great grandparents I know about. The, 6 generations are completely unknown to me. But, obviously played a role in my life.

Their legacy led to me.

A few knowns and a lot of unknowns.

The numbers here are great!

Our mission is to lead those close to us closer to Jesus.

Introduce more to Jesus. Baptize a bunch.

More friends know real peace, the Prince of Peace.

Wouldn’t it be good to see 10% of the MP residents in church?

800 in the winter = 80 in church. Currently, we’re at 40.

The same is also true in this community.

There are family names you know of from the history of Munds Park.

8000 in the summer = 800 in church. Currently, we have around 250 in our 2 services.

Munds, Loy, Willard, and Schnebley.

Now there’s a town, a dump, and a road where you take your life in your hands every time you drive it to keep 3 of the names alive around here.

Few would even remember the people any more.

Munds Park; there are names you will recognize,

Munds, Loy, Willard, and Schnebley.

Homesteads, married each others’ kids, and played important roles in establishing what we have here.

How many others, completely unknown, played important roles in what Munds Park has become today.

We are building on that legacy.

Then, there’s MPCC.

Kiki Swanson wrote a history of MPCC included in the church directory of 2013.

Kiki will be remembered for the books she wrote and her influence and leadership around here.

I’m going to read a few paragraphs from what she wrote in 2013.

“On December 5, 1984, The Munds Park Church Assn. became owners of record of 1.38 acres of land for a total of $62,000. Significant contributions came from Jim and Marilyn Stanton, Dr. Moon, and a loan from Howard and Pearl Grover. Eva Stanton Owens remains as a donor. Other names were written as first names only, or as major contributors of “in kind” donations in time and skills.”

“The building now serving as the Fellowship Hall was the Munds Park Community Church. It included washrooms, a small kitchen corner, a side room for classes and windows for openness. It was home to the faithful. A guest book from Dedication Sunday, June 8 1986, included Phil Alger, Sandra Bolling, Peggy Bogard, Fran Maggard, Angela Toy, the Rutherfords, the Cooks and Jan Toth. The guest preacher was the Reverend Don Peterson from Lake Havasu City.”

“In 1990, a campaign for $100,000 raised the hope for a sanctuary to join the north side of the church building, up a few steps. Pastor (Cary) White became the (first) full-time minister to the growing congregation. All reports praise the leadership of Phil Alger, the contractor who gave his time to head up the building project and organize all the volunteers during seven months.”

Some of the people you may know. Some names you may recognize. But, there have been hundreds who’ve come thru this church. And, many have played important roles and left a legacy that we are building on today.

And, here we are. Most of us are in the fourth quarter of our lives. And, the truth is, our legacies will either be cemented or blown up in the final quarter.

Here’s where we’re going today:

Finish faithfully, even if you don’t finish famously, leaving a legacy for those who follow to build on.

Sara’s dad got a do-over when he came to faith as an adult.

I have no idea about any do-over my great grandfather had. I just know he had them.

Rebecca Boone got a do-over when the chief’s son fell in love with her.

When we get our do-overs, we have the opportunity to correct wrong turns and head for a strong, faithful finish.

This is where Israel is where we are in Nehemiah. We are coming to the end of Nehemiah. It’s also the chronological end of the OT.

Israel has the opportunity to correct wrong turns and finish faithfully leaving a strong legacy for those who follow.

Some of the people we know a lot about. And, some, we know their name, and that’s it.

But, for a vast majority, they played an important role, but they are completely unknown to us.

Here’s the story.

There’s an empty city.

Empty City

Nehemiah 7:1–4 NIV

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.” Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

This was a special city. God made it special. So it was important to rebuild it, too.

It had been approx. 160 years since it had been populated.

Destroyed by Neb.,then 70 years of exile, then 90 more years before Nehemiah came to rebuild the wall.

Still, the city was unpopulated.

Why?

B/C they were busy rebuilding the wall and not the city so there was still a lot of rubble and ruins inside the walls.

If they build the city buildings first they would have been vulnerable to attach and couldn’t have defended it.

They would have lost it.

So, they built the wall first. Then, they were protected while they worked on the governmental, commercial, and residential building in the city.

They already had the temple.

This was a special city. God made it special. So it was important to rebuild it, too.

It had been approx. 160 years since it had been populated.

Destroyed by Neb., 70 years of exile, then 90 more years before Nehemiah came to rebuild the wall.

Hard work awaited whomever moved in.

Not only were there a lot of rocks and stones to be moved, houses and buildings t/b built, but there was no way to earn a living while they were working on this.

They would have t/b supported by those who had farms and ranches outside.

Most of us are in the fourth quarter of our lives.

Write a book?

See something in the world?

Finish married strong.

Finish faithfully obedient to God.

Rest in peace? Live in peace all the way to the end.

You see in this passage, Nehemiah we know a lot about. Hanani and Hananiah we only know their names.

Can you imagine even getting your name in the most significant, most printed and purchased book in history?

You’re going to get to heaven and meet Hanani.

Who are you? Nehemiah’s brother. Probably going to be sick of introducing himself that way the time we get there.

Don’t you hate it when ppl remember your sibling and not you?

I remember how exciting it was to get my name in the Wichita paper playing high school baseball.

But, then, Nehemiah wrote that he appointed “residents of Jerusalem” as guards. Who? We have no idea.

Some are known and some are completely unknown. But, they all played an important role in leaving a legacy for us to build on today.

The legacy wasn’t just bricks and mortar. They made a commitment to leave a strong, faithful, spiritual legacy, too.

They promised faithful obedience.

The Promise

Nehemiah 10:28–29 NIV

“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand—all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.

Nehemiah 10:

Who?

The rest of the ppl. What ppl? No idea. Unknown.

They make this promise.

The do-over, the new beginning of Jerusalem is coming to and end. And, they promise to finish faithfully.

They believe in God, and they take an oath, complete w/ the acceptance of a curse if they break their promise.

They list the things in the law that they promised to do.

They promised to only give their children in marriage to fellow Jewish believers.

That culture arranged marriages. And, the children did not marry anyone their parents disapproved of.

The equivalent today is a commitment to marry a Christian. Not to marry someone who does not believe.

They promised to keep the Sabbath, not do any business on the 7th day. And, the Sabbath laws included not doing any work during the entire 7th year.

Every 7th year.

Which means, they were trusting God that the climate would produce bumper crops and enough for 2 years during the 6th year.

They promised to give a third of a shekel every year to the temple to support the temple workers and provide for the worship services.

A large percentage of those who moved into the city and populated it were temple workers. Those who worked in the temple and around it.

They couldn’t earn a living. They had to trust that the ppl would keep this promise so they could eat.

Finish faithfully and strong.

And, if the ppl didn’t give, then worship wouldn’t happen.

Don’t leave anything undone that needs to be done.

You see the importance of keeping this promise w/ the threat of a curse for breaking it.

They promised to bring firewood which is important for burnt offerings.

They promised to tithe all of their crops and herds so the priests could eat and there was enough to sacrifice in worship.

And, they promised to fill the storage rooms so there would always be and abundance for God and worship.

They said, “We will not neglect the house of God.”

Their priority above everything else.

Under the threat of a curse that they accepted on themselves. They didn’t worry about the curse. They willingly accepted it b/c the believed they’d fulfill the promise.

Not just a list of rules they’d live by. They were based on their faith and belief in God and wanting to do what He commanded them to do b/c of a relationship.

We can relate as described in .

Hebrews 12:7–12 NIV

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

Hebrews 12:

We get this. God disciplines those whom He loves. That’s us.

If we don’t keep the promises we make to Him then He will make things hard for us.

This is not the Enemy, though He makes things hard on us in other ways. This is God who is refining us, maturing us, by introducing hard things that change us for the better.

In Nehemiah’s day, who were these ppl? We have little information about them. But their faithful obedience advanced the cause of God so the next generation had something to build on.

Of these, who populated the city and contributed to making it the place that it still is today?

What do we know? Here’s what we know.

The Population

Nehemiah 11:1–2 NIV

Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

So, who moved into Jerusalem?

There are 3 groups listed here.

First, the community leaders. They had to live there b/c they had to meet and make decisions regarding the governmental leadership of the ppl.

Second, a group was drafted. One tenth of all the people who had returned. They cast lots and 10% of the ppl were required to live w/in the city walls.

Then, third, a group volunteered. This group was willing to move in and deal w/ the hardship voluntarily.

Remove the debris and stones. Re-stack them into buildings and homes. Trust that the ppl would keep their promised to support them while they rebuilt the commercial district in Jerusalem.

Eventually, there would be business. Groceries, clothing, tools and other products would need to be stocked for people to buy and use themselves. But, it would take time.

No names.

Some in leadership had important responsibility.

Some were drafted, forced to move in.

But, probably, the most significant group was the unknown volunteers.

They all played important roles in finishing the beginning phase of Israel’s do-over in Jerusalem and the PL.

All based on their commitment to faithful obedience they left a legacy that we are still building on today.

W/out Israel there would be no Jesus. W/out Jesus there would be no church. W/out the church, there would be no MPCC.

Probably, God won’t make any of us famous. But, He will use those of us who are faithful to leave a legacy that those who follow will continue to build on.

God used a large group of important unknowns throughout history so that we have a church today.

And, our great, great grandchildren, who won’t know much of anything about us, will also have a church to attend when they come to paradise and enjoy what the Munds, Loys, Willards, Schnebleys, and others started here.

Applications

Value

Your gifts, talents, and skills make you valuable, not necessarily famous.

Your family, this church and this community need for all of us to find places where we can used what God has given us to contribute to what was started over a half-century ago.

Find your value, not necessarily fame.

God knows

Hebrews 6:10 NIV

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

If no one else knows, God knows what you are doing.

Your final reward will be based on your faithfulness, not your fame. It doesn’t matter if the whole world knows your name and what you do.

It only matters if you know God and He knows you and your faith.

Don’t make it your priority t/b famous.

Make it your highest priority t/b faithful.

Finish well. Finish faithfully.

Finish faithfully, even if you don’t finish famously, leaving a legacy for those who follow to build on.

We have MPCC b/c so many important unknowns lived like this and finished well so we could have something good to build on today.