Sermon Tone Analysis

Our Great God is building a kingdom of grace, called us to be part of it.

Nehemiah leading in this - but finds outward opposition, able to overcome it.

But now something worse than outward opposition.

Our Great God is building a kingdom of grace, called us to be part of it.

Nehemiah leading in this - but finds outward opposition, able to overcome it.

But now something worse than outward opposition.

Kind of like when conflict comes from within a family, close friend.

“The worst threats the church has ever encountered have come more from within than without.

External pressures are like water on a grease fire– causing the church to intensify and spread.

Internal strife and bickering are like AIDS– sapping the strength and vitality from the Body.”

Russell Brownworth.

And the source of the inward opposition this time arises from people’s attitude and use of money!

HP: Internal strife and personal distress is healed when you use your money with the mercy, justice, and love of Christ!

A. Feel the outcry of those facing distress because of money!

In London coldest night of the year - feel what it’s like live on the street - Some say lazy, but others you know mental illness, abuse, addictions - debilitated; But have you heard the outcry 5M refugees - some famine conditions, others wrong colour of skins, wrong political or religious - lost everything!

Closer to home - know a family member, a bro/sister here who has lost a job, bankrupt business - fallen on hard times?

Jesus Christ says can’t plug our ears, get desensitized, walk around to other side of street!

Saw the crowds and had compassion on them - miracle of feeding physical bread!

So it was in the days of Nehemiah - workers throw their shoulder behind work - to rebuild wall of Jerusalem - May - gave up day job - soon protecting during night - united - but now August/Sept - overcome the devil external opposition - but now because of money - new internal problem - no food, - wives from outlying areas,

To make matters worse Persia like the Balyonians though tolerant with relgion, in taxation.

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mortagaging our fields, vineyards, and our homes!

Susa …

Long term finaincial prolbems like the US facing, if friend losing his business, home!

What would we do here?

Possible Canada put on the edge of the fiscal cliff!

Not the product of anyone sin within circle - brokenness in this world - God looked with compassion delivered!

But hard circumstances, famine, are not the only reason for the outcry!

When Satan can’t stop a people from without - sow seeds of strife within!

What is the second source causing strife and distress among God’s people - threatening to knock people off of the project of re-building GOd’s Kingdom?

B. Feel the injustice caused when you idolize money!

To understand this must realize no middle class like today.

98% living with bare necessities day to day - hand to mouth; 2% nobles and officials ; And of that 2% not all but some cared more about getting more and more rich, than about the well being of those brothers and sisters of theirs in distress!

Picture it a rotten economic time and these vultures aren’t bring a pot of soup over, they’re not sitting down and figuring out a workable financial plan, - like vultures sitting and laughing together - look at the prices go up - look how desperate they are - look instead of the 20% interest Persians would charge, in these time so desperate 40% Make as much as I can now!

Here is the sin, here is the way that money became an idol.

For all of us, wealthiest business owner to the lowest labourer - money is a necessity - nothing wrong with money - in fact as much as worship here important - what you do with Monday to Saturday shows everyday worship of God.

No it is the love of money that is the root of all evil!

When we shift from money being a necessity to it becoming one of life’s greatest priorities!

Your wealth has become an idol, when you are not content in the Lord and living a godly life, but can only find contentment in stuff and money!

Such a fine line isn’t it between having what we need, and falling over board into bottomless pit of wanting more and more!

Ruthless pursuit of more!

Your not using your money, it’s using and wasting you!

Need to realize two things: Money cannot satisfy, and it will not last!

Great British actor and movie star: Wilfrid Hyde White died a the age of 87; printed this obituary in the newspapers: “I’ve owned 12 horses, seven Rolls Royce’s, and I’ve had mistresses in Paris, London, and New York.

And it never made me happy.”

We are that 2% in this world, and we can’t fall into the same trap as the nobles in Nehemiah’s day.

They sought their wealth, in a way that they were violated God’s will for the 98%.

Not just charging the 40% interest, but taking their only means of paying back the money; taking basic necessities, get this even like was common in those days, v.8 breaking up families forcing daughters into slavery - sons next.

The bottom line is love of money led them to deny basic welfare God expected Israelites to maintian.

And this was the hardest thing for them to swallow - these wre those saved out of pure mercy by same living God, brothers and sisters of the covenant.

Satan loves to split families, he loves to stir strife in a community, divide people from great task of building the kingdom of God on earth!

One of the ways to do that si with our money practises, our buying habits, our thirst for luxury!

Where people live in society without generosity - there Satan is rubbing his hands!

Before say well, not that extreme today.

Let me remind you Precious - Trikosi - still sold into slavery, live in world sex trade, children sweatshops… Some of them are

We think of slavery like 200 years ago, but modern forms International Labour Organization report more than 12 million enslaved around the world, (hidden 20M) - mostly women and children - 1.2 in sex trade; child soldiers, - domestic servants…

Christians - your bothers and sisters, all of them are human being made in the image of God Almighty!

Let me remind you that every Year the Third World has to repay the West 3x more in debt payments than it receives in humanitarian aid!

But at this point what do we normally do - donor fatigue done my share, turn the channel don’t want to think to hard about this depressing!

But look what Nehemiah does when he hears this outcry!

C. Ponder the underlying problem of breaking community and dishonouring God.

Nehemiah

C. Ponder the underlying problem of breaking community and dishonouring God.

3. Ponder the underlying problem of breaking community and dishonouring God.

Thankful for the CRC’s World Renew - Compassion Canada, Tear Foundation - move from just the emotion; to really think about the causes of poverty and how as Christian’s we ought to address them.

The famine, the taxes, even the greed of the wealthy - really only symptoms- Nehemiah as he ponders the situation - uncovers the real problem and points to the real solution!

Our deacons reading WHEN HELPING HURTS - local, internationally not always well directed fund!

Not just privately little rebuke, think about this and on your way!

But he calls a public meetings: wealthy nobles see first hand - restorative circle - tell them your side of the story - let them hear your hurt!

Let’s publicly own this problem and together find a solution!

Like Mike and Emmy going to DR see poverty first hand!

Then Nehemiah with great courage accuses them:

V.9

V.9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right.

Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God.

Gentiles who haven’t experienced my grace, kinder than you nobles!

Gentiles who haven’t experienced my grace, kinder than you nobles!

Nehemiah - uncovers the Law of God; bankruptcy laws for justice to be done, and dignity of one in hard times to be preserved; whole system of lending money - not allowed within community to take for collateral stuff they needed; 7 years any slave set free; any debt remitted!

Jubilee Laws of justice - Nehemiah says the big deal is RESPECT! ,

If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.

Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you.

You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit.

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt

Don’t miss the point here: Disrespecting God - you were slaves, I set you free.

God has a plan for those in debt, slvaery!

Don’t miss the point here: Disrespecting God - you were slaves, I set you free.

God has a plan for those in debt, slvaery!

You don’t respect the dignity of the poor people, your greed is actively and passively hurting!

Guilty as charged - kept quiet nothing to say - by our greed we’ve oppressed them!

But then comes the big surprise in v.10

But then comes the big surprise in v.10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain.

Nehemiah includes himself in those who inadvertently had hurt the needy - asked for collateral - not realizing jeopardy, all who took the loans would b e in!

Now he feels the problem and ponders the underlying cause, he can move to a Godly Solution!

And shouldn’t we long for this solution too?

I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain.

Nehemiah includes himself in those who inadvertently had hurt the needy - asked for collateral - not realizing jeopardy, all who took the loans would b e in!

Now he feels the problem and ponders the underlying cause, he can move to a Godly Solution!

And shouldn’t we long for this solution too?

And this is where we move from not only feeling the problem, thinking about it, but acting!

This must become the Idle No More movement of the Christian Church!

D. Commit to revering God by acting with justice & mercy with money.