October 11 , 2020

The portrait is it was made beautiful one made in the 1930s spelled h a homo and that's behold the man and see picture of Jesus. You can see it on the on the left is a picture of what it look like at the beginning but just like so many other things it faded over time the moisture got to it and it got kind of messed up but the unique thing in this case, so it kind of looked a little bit more like the middle panel that you would see but in August of 2012 a well-meaning dear little old lady. Her name was a Cecilia Jimenez. And she said well, you know, she looks around the church building and when we fix everything else, right if the plasters feeling we fix it, you know, if light bulbs out we fix it. So she decided that she was going to take it upon herself to fix this beautiful painting and New York Times called it probably the worst art restoration in history. The BBC article said the once dignified portrait of Jesus that resembles a crayon sketch of probably a hairy monkey. That's what it looks like. If you look at the far right panel one of the worst restorations in all of history, if you ever seen this film and I recommend any Mr. Bean film everything he touches turns to Gold. There's a film called. Mr. Bean takes a holiday where he got his hands on whistler's mother and it end up looking like this. So what she did going to remind me of what happened in that? It's those kind of funny, but that kind of reminds me of a more serious point and it's this that it's nice to do do-it-yourself projects. It's great when you can fix plumbing in your home, or maybe you can fix something that's falling apart in your home. But what we've been learning is that doesn't work for the soul. There's no good do-it-yourself project to restore and rebuild your soul. If you're anything like me you come to the realization that all the years that you've been no matter how much information that you have. No matter what the latest fix in our culture is you can't fix your own soul. You need help as we've been learning how the Amaya now we took care of the wall of Jerusalem, but he said no something deeper needs to happen in my people and he helped to restore their hearts and their souls building on solid foundations like praying. Like listening to God's words, like compassion and Justice and then change we talked about repenting and change last week. Today we're going to see how Nehemiah he went away to visit the king who was giving him the marching orders in another country and it came back to Jerusalem sometime later. And we're going to see what he found didn't please him. You know, you've heard that old saying when the cat's away what what's the rest of it? The mice will play exactly what was happening in Jerusalem. Okay, so he he set them all up for good spiritual Soul building groundwork Good Foundations, then he went away and what did he find when he came back? Let's take a look. If you have your Bibles encourage you to turn to Nehemiah chapter 13, maybe have a YouVersion app take a look at that now or you can just follow along on the screen the end my chapter 13 is a whole bunch of things that he paid attention to we're going to take a look at one snippet and verses 15 to 19. And here's How The Story Goes In those days in this is me and my speaking. I saw men of Judah trading out their wine presses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing grain load again on donkeys and bring in their wine grapes figs and all sorts of produce it to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuke them for selling their produce on that day. Someone some men from Tire who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath and the people of Judah & in Jerusalem. I thought so I confronted the Nobles of Judah yru profaning the Sabbath. In this evil why I asked wasn't it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city. Now you're bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way. Then I commanded that the Gates of Jerusalem would be shut as Darkness fell every Friday evening not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own service to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah if you take a look at me and my chapter 13 again when the cat's away the mice will play it kind of reminds you of what happened in if you know the story about the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai Moses went up the mountain and God's giving these Ten Commandments, you know, no other gods before me no graven images, you know, don't commit adultery don't steal 10 big Commandments meanwhile on the base of the mountain. Did they set up this golden calf and they're like breaking all the Ten Commandments while Moses up there getting them and this is the same kind of story right? Me and my goes away when he comes back he finds that all the things that God told them to do. That they were reading in the LA, you know, we look each week 2 reading the law publicly for hours at a time all the things that God told him to do there doing the exact opposite and they're breaking the Sabbath while there was more than this if you look through any of my 13, you'll see that and that also they were there were mixing together with foreigners. They were all so they were desecrating the temple they were using the temple as basically a warehouse and and so me and Maya got in there and said, well, you know the temples not a storehouse you got to get this garbage out of here and the toss it to the street He restored the Levites to serve he helped people collect the tithe that would go to support the temple and the priests and Levites keeping the Sabbath He restored and halting a mixed marriages. These were all commands in the Bible. And I know this sounds strange to our ears right because since Jesus is come these these rules. These laws have totally changed and we got a new perspective on all of them back then. Why I asked why what was so important about the Sabbath. Why did the Sabbath have to be kept holy this one day of the week, which was the Saturday. You know, why were they so why does it seem like they were so deathly afraid of foreigners, right? We don't we don't feel that way today. In fact with you about this that's wrong today. But why was it so important back then? And in the reason I think that it was so important back then is that each of these things Sabbath Tides Temple? Just being careful about foreign influences where to protect the identity of the people. Is he back then? They were so susceptible. It were so vulnerable. If they had to have these laws to protect them. And even though those laws in a we don't look at those losses, we don't follow those last day because Jesus is gone. But back then. Was trying to protect his people from threats to their identity identity. That's what that's a word that I'll shamelessly use as a plug for a next message series. I'm really looking forward to it. It's actually called identity and it's about how God has built into the DNA of our new heart and our new lives really key things that we forget. We forget who we are knowing who you are Will Change Your Life. An insult will find here that Nehemiah he comes back. And in those days those laws that that were meant to protect those people. He has an extreme reaction to them. OK Google looking for 25. You have your Bibles. Okay. So me and Maya wasn't really polite and he wasn't timid and he wasn't easy going when it came to it when he found out that they weren't doing what God Said It here's what it says in verse 25. I can't I'm not recommending this. Okay, this is something Nehemiah did he is not necessarily our model for how to react to situations. Here's what he said, so I confronted them. Okay, right I can imagine if we were if if he was a Canadian and confronting them. I'm sorry would start with right. I'm sorry, but you know, this is a problem we have to deal with it. But no like he he went old school like he went Old Testament all over them because it says he confronted them and then he called down curses on them not something I recommend is yours even a step further. I mean way out there he says I beat some of them and I pulled out their hair again. This is not the Jesus way of doing things like so much of the Old Testament is not the Jesus way of doing things but there's something in this reaction that he has he definitely if nothing else. He was serious about doing What God Says And that's the lesson that I take out of this me and Maya was serious about doing what God says. And in fact today, that's what I'm calling us to consider to get serious about doing what God says if melt back then there's the idea that you need to understand. This is really important word. It's not use a whole lot in the New Testament, but it's used a lot in the old and this word is covenant. A covenant is a promise agreement agreement. In fact in many places. It was a legal agreement between two parties that if you do this, then I will promise to do this could be something as simple as a simple transaction or could be a promise of relationship between two people if you promise to do this, then I'll do this and that's what happens in the Old Testament. God gives the people his laws and he promises hateless and I will take care of you. I will protect you I will nourish you spiritually I'll take care of your needs. I'll give you a land. I'll protect you from your enemies, but here's your side of the bargain and it was the law. That's why the laws were there they were there to protect them but they were also there as the sense of an agreement between these two sides. God and Israel and God always kept up his end of the bargain but did is real not so much right? That's the story of the Old Testament and up. There's this really it's kind of pg-rated don't worry parents. It's rated for blood and gore in the Old Testament in Genesis chapter 15, one of the first covenants that God made with anybody was with Abraham. It's on Genesis chapter 15. We see this Covenant and its kind of its kind of pg-rated for blood and gore because it shows how serious the Covenant is until when God makes this Covenant promise with Abraham saying you're going to have like generations of children that are going to help number the stars in the sky. Here's what they're sealing the Covenant with. And again, no apologies for the blood and gore in verse 9. It says the Lord told Abram bring me a three-year-old heifer a three year old female goat a three-year-old Ram a turtle dove and a young pigeon. So Abraham presented all of these to him and killed them then he cut each animal down the middle and late to have side-by-side. He didn't cut the birds and have some vultures hootin and down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chase them away. If you like me wonder why in the world this strange scene of like cutting animals in half. What in the world does that mean? Well if you take a look a little bit later, you'll see that Abraham has this vision of God actually walking through those pieces. So between that really strange kind of Glory Isle that You Were Meant to walk through that what's that all about what it means Take This Promise between you and me seriously This is how serious it is. And you know, I'm sure there's you ever walked through a sea like that you'd say woah something serious is going on here. That scene was meant to give an idea of how serious when you make a covenant with God when you make a promise with God. Vet to take that seriously in to get serious about doing what God says last night in the family service. We play a little game just to illustrate that the game was Simon Says Yes, you know that game right Simon Says do it you do it. If not, then you don't do it. That's a game but this is so unlike that this is No Game No Game Happening Here folks when you make a promise with God, it's not a game. It's a serious thing one of the images the Bible uses about it. This is the cutest picture of a mirror I could find by the way is in James chapter 1 verses 20 to 25. And if you have your Bibles I encourage you to turn there. And here's what it talks about. Here's how it describes getting serious about doing what God says. It says, but don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you're only fooling yourselves if you listen to the word and don't obey it's like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself walk away forget what you look like and then it talks about the opposite. But if you look perfectly into the the perfect law that what God tells you to do and do it then you're blessed. Did you see that the idea of gets serious about doing what God says, it's not enough just to hear it's not enough just to know it's not enough just to come to worship services and not enough just to read your Bible. But actually to do what God says is critically important. So let's get serious about doing what God says. I know you want to write. And if everyday commitment to Jesus everyday everywhere you go every moment of every day. I'm going to do what you want. I'm not going to do just what the people around me are doing Mexican fit in with them or fit in with the culture. I'm not going to even do always what my gut tells me to do cuz you can always trust that either right. I'm going to live your way. I'm going to do what you say. But right alongside of that is I guess what I would say getting serious about learning what Jesus wants. Mel if if I told you to obey me I wouldn't have a leg to stand on there's a credibility right you say joker have telling me what to do. And you would be right and justify if it was me telling you to do something if it's me telling you to obey, you know, take it or leave it, right? Cuz I know the credibility to do that, but I want to tell you about someone who does have the credibility who does have the perfect credibility to say. Hey do what I say and it's Jesus. Jesus was perfectly obedient to not only did Jesus carry Oliver sin and Wrongs on the cross. But the way that he lived his life was a perfect life of perfect obedience. He was perfectly aligned to his father. And so he calls us to obedience from a position of authority a position of credibility when Jesus says do what I say like we perk up and listen we get serious about it Jesus the perfect model of obedience. One of the great passages that I think describes it for me is in Philippians chapter 2 that great Hymn of the early church. That's Paul record at when it talks about the life of Jesus that he left Heaven strojny. He emptied himself. And it also says that he was perfectly obedient even to death on the cross Romans chapter 5 verse 19 talks about Jesus as the last Adam, you know, the story the first item write who made the awful choice that we all had to live with right and sin entered the world. So another words one person make one choice that allowed sin and destruction to enter and we all have to share in it. Well Romans 5:19 says Jesus is the last Adam because by his one choice on the cross and his life of perfect obedience. His one choice flows into you has repercussions on all of us to all of us can actually be purified reversing. What Adam did Jesus have the last Adam there never ever needs to be And then when I think about Jesus as he was praying In The Garden of Gethsemane before he died for us on the cross remember that story right? It says that he wrestled so much with how hard this was going to be in the way that he was going to carry. It says that he sweat drops of blood but there were words that he spoke to his father and he said if this cup can pass, please let it pass but not my will but yours be done. Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience. So when Jesus says follow me when Jesus says do what I command it's like, yeah, absolutely if there's anyone who ever lived that had the right to do that it is Jesus. Not for a lot of you. I think I'm for most of you. I'm sure you want to follow Jesus. So if I said to that you don't do you want to follow Jesus you say? Yeah, absolutely. But sometimes this is lack of knowledge. Like what is Jesus actually asked us to do. Because again, you could get confused by the Old Testament. All those laws that are there some of the things that Nehemiah, you know talked about right like something's changed today since Jesus is come right. So what is Jesus really asked of us and some of you might think well Jesus doesn't really have any rules or commands does he cuz maybe you think that that you know now Jesus is just sort of like he just he gives he doesn't ask anything in return and maybe you were taught that but it's not really true because if you read through the words of Jesus, he says do what I command you. He talks about his way of life. So but what is that? What does Jesus come in? What does Jesus ask and what do you need to do to clean up your life so that you more aligned with Jesus? Well, it starts with accepting the fact that he is your lord in the leader of your life. One of the first words that was used to Jesus when he walked this Earth was he was Rabbi. I don't know if you know what Rabbi means Rabbi as the one that you follow rabbis. The one that you listen to rabbis the one that you pay if you don't know what to do, you ask Rabbi your question and Jesus still is our Rabbi. Is he your Rabbi? In fact, you know, maybe might even want to whisper that to Jesus right now Jesus. You're my Rabbi just whisper it to him right now. And the other word that use is that Jesus is Lord. We see that in the New Testament later to that means he is the Undisputed leader of your life what he says we do. And so you might even want to just whisper that they're just under your breath whisper it say to Jesus Jesus You're My Lord is great thing to do today. Following Jesus involves obeying his commands. And in fact, you know, you won't be surprised to know that Jesus actually said this in Luke chapter 6 verse 46. He said so why you keep calling me Lord Lord when you don't do what I say that's important to Jesus. That's it. That's a really soul-searching question in your life. So what does Jesus say that I talked to a few friends this week? We talked a little bit about okay. What does Jesus want us to do because there isn't this whole list of commands that Jesus says do this do this do this. There's no list of 10 or anything like that. And I was talking to some of my friends about this. We kind of came to the conclusion that maybe it's the fruit of the spirit in Galatians Chapter 2 verses 22 23 and it if you if you took a look at this year's a little pictorial the fruit of the spirit, you know, you see the strawberry there. What is it love right joy peace. Look at the blueberries goodness gentleness patients faithfulness kindness self-control. That's quite a list, isn't it? So these are the things that Jesus asks of us, but the crazy thing about it is like this. This is all the stuff that we want. It's for our good but how do we ever get this perfect list? How do we ever get these things built into our lives on our own? We're not strong enough if you can say it. It's not realistic. It's it's too hard. But Jesus puts his holy spirit in you and and he says Hey listen, I don't have a list of rules for you. But this is the life that I want for you. This is the new king of life that that stands and lies ahead of you. If you would open up your heart to me. I'll pour the holy spirit in and this fruit will start to come out of your life. It'll change how you think and how you act and how you talk. It'll change your relationships. So in a sense, I think these are some of the commands of Jesus. These are what they look like get serious about doing what Jesus says, but I want to land on what I think is just the most important part here and this is not a Nehemiah 13 principal. This is something you see is you look at the whole of the Bible and you look at the life and the teachings and the ministry of Jesus and it's this to get serious not just about doing what God says not just about learning what Jesus asks and wants but to get serious about Grace. You see if you read the fruit of the spirit in Galatians chapter 5 verses 22, 23 24 25, you'll see that they're after that list. It says something really curious against such things. There is no law.

Know what in the world does that mean? Well, I think that what Paul is writing about St. All of this stuff. You can't get it by following a list of rules. It's by the grace and love of God in your life that you can have this changed life. It's Grace working inside of you that actually changes not your ability to keep a whole list of rules. You know, I don't know how it's ever worked out for you. What good does it do to force or compel somebody to obey you? How's that ever work for you? Maybe maybe your parents here today? What good does it do to compel a stubborn kid or teenager, you know what to do to obey you write doesn't work and maybe you've been a boss. What good does it do to compel someone to say you got to do this? You know, you might get their backs, but you won't their hearts, right or maybe you work with volunteers before Amy what quizzes do to order and force in Coppell somebody to do something right? That just doesn't work and you know, it's the same way with following Jesus if you want to do what Jesus asked you to do. You have to examine why and it really curious some of the things Jesus says in the New Testament picks up on John Chapter 14 verse 15. Jesus explains how you do what he says and he says it this way said if you love me obey my Commandments See, what is it? Is it do T know? It's love. That's what makes you obey. It's a relationship. He goes on to say in verse 23 all who love me will do what I say. Is it about keeping a list of rules? No, but doing Jesus commands stems out of a Lotta Love precedes obedience. We obey because we love Jesus. And in fact, you know, this is so contrary to what religion often teaches. And you just do the simplest way to think of it? A relationship with Jesus isn't about I have to do this. It's about I want to do this you see on one side is Duty and rules. That's why I use the stop sign. Right like, you know, there are rules in life aren't there. I mean if you don't stop at a stop sign everything breaks down, you know culture if nobody's driving would be way more dangerous. We have rules for a reason and we have to do them whenever you see a traffic sign you think rules. But this is more about I want to following Jesus I want to because I love you Jesus. I want to do what you say. I want to love others. I want to serve others. I want to wash others feet. I want the fruit of the spirit love joy peace patience kindness all of those things. I want that not because I have to because Jesus I love you and I want to have you ever found that passionate heart be inside of you. Has Jesus ever been that real for you that you would say? Jesus because of what you've done for me. I love you so much. I just I just want to follow you. I want to I want to search diligently listen for what you want so that I'll do it. You know, Jesus didn't come to change your behavior. He came to change. He didn't come to change your have to teach a game to change your wantu to put a new heart inside of you. Somebody wants rope. What's so true that Jesus Christ did not come to make bad people good but dead people live. And I'm thinking like yeah, absolutely. That's what it's all about. It's not just about Behavior, but it's a new heart and a new will and a new purpose. That's what Jesus gives it's the perfect thing to remember this Thanksgiving weekend that we don't follow a religion of rules. But it's a relationship of Love With Jesus. Post just as we wrap up in his wheel and hear God is in the restoration business. We're talking about that every week how God loves to fix broken things. God loves to fix broken marriages and broken families. God loves to to fix broken fractures in relationships, you know, when we're having a we're having a rift between each of the guy who loves to fix that which is broken. He loves to restore The Wanderer who doesn't have a purpose and doesn't know where they're going in life and give them a new purpose. And God loves to restore people who are chained by their habits and their hurts and their Hang-Ups. He loves to give them a new life in a new start. And God does this just simply because of who he is God is faithful. He doesn't forget his promises. He keeps his side until the big question. We asked each other today when we were thinking about obeying and doing what God says. How about your side of that Covenant? How is that been going lately? How's it been going lately?

The the Bible talks so much about obeying. But tough what one of the one of the images Paul uses in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 7 where it's the idea of running a race, you'll see that in Hebrews chapter 12 2 verses 1 to 2. But here's the way he puts you says you were running a good race who cut in. On you to keep you from obeying the truth. And you know that that's what life feels like a lot of the time right now. We get off track because it feels like somebody or something just cut in and knocked us off course from actually obeying God and listening to God and maybe you've been there lately. Maybe you've been knocked off course. There's Hope Because Jesus invite you again today to run the race with him, and I'm wondering if you might even just join me. In your hearts and sing this to say Jesus. I want to finish this race with you. It means obeying means doing what Jesus says means learning what Jesus wants it means accepting and living in that Grace.

And I want to remind you we read each week of this message series it it comes, you know after. You know, what comes I think it did really encapsulates what Nehemiah was all about but it was at the dedication of the temple in 2nd Chronicles 7:14 that God spoke to his people. He said If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways. Then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Let's pray together. Would you keep on in your work of restoring us?

Lord we will admit that especially in this pandemic is so many ways for the foundations of our lives have been exposed as crumbling but got a thank you. We don't have to live in that. We can rebuild our lives with you at the center Jesus a new way of living A New Hope a new purpose. We choose that today in Jesus name. Talk about you just and I think theories I was thinking about a story. I'd heard a funny story about a church in Spain. And in this church, they had a pretty old portraits from the 1930s. So it's not like ancient they're older pictures than this but it was beautiful. The pain is called h a homo which means behold the man. It's picture of Jesus much like it would have been in the past a long time ago. You'd see on the left hand side. That's kind of what it look like and beautiful beautiful painting. But of course Through The Years moisture and time had faded the color. So it looked quite a bit more like the middle panel that you would see in that picture now and that's where the story takes a turn because in 2012. There's a well-meaning elderly woman 80 year old woman. Her name was Cecilia Jimenez, and she took it upon herself. She said Hey, listen if there's a plaster peeling On the wall it we fix it. Right if there's a light that needs to be replaced. We fix it. That's what we doing the church we fix things. So she she took this beautiful, you know, I wouldn't say Priceless but pricey kind of pain and she said I'm going to fix it and the results of which you see right there New York Times called it probably the worst art restoration of all time. BBC said that this once dignified portrait of Jesus now resembles what they call a crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey like that Ballad of a baby say that she defended herself course like we just fix things right I meant well For me, it kind of reminds me of a movie that I saw. Mr. Bean takes a holiday know anything. Mr. Bean touches turns to gold in my estimation cellarius, right? And he in this film got a hold of whistler's mother up in the end. It's looking like this kind of reminds me of what that lady did. That kind of strikes me is the idea of you can't always do everything by yourself taking it in your own hands to fix something doesn't always work now. It might work when you're trying to fix some Plumbing around your house. Or maybe you know some little construction project. It's okay, if you do it yourself, but I'm thinking about your soul when you want to restore your soul when you want to change when you want a new start. You can't do it by yourself. It doesn't work that way. That's why Jesus died on the cross. That's why he rose from the dead to show us. You can't fix your soul by yourself. You need help you need God's help. And so again, we turn to Nehemiah who is rebuilding not just the city, but rebuilding helping people rebuild their lives with God's help and in Nehemiah chapter 13, so I heard you if you have your Bibles or if you have a Bible app YouVersion or whatever or you just follow along on the screen, you'll see this next part of the construction process. In people's lives matter what happens as we get into this part of the story is that Nehemiah has been the king is called them away to this other country. So he's been away for a while and then he comes back. So he's initiated all these reforms everything's going really well. And well, you know that old saying the cat when the cat's away What is it the mice will play and that's what's been going out kind of like a scene. If you looked at in the book of Exodus 18, 19 and 20 when God was giving me the law on Mount Sinai and at the bottom of the Mountain at the base of the mountain. So he's giving all these Ten Commandments. No other gods before me no graven images don't steal don't commit adultery all of the stuff meme while at the base of the mountain. They're breaking all those Commandments. It's this crazy scene. So this is kind of what happened in Nehemiah. He's got a way they all made their promises to do what God says. Now, let's take a look at what happens in one very important command that God gave his people. So beginning in verse 15 and says this says what days I saw men of Judah trading of their wine presses on the Sabbath they were also bringing grain loading in a donkey's and bringing their wine grapes figs and also to produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath So I rebuked them for selling their produce produce on that day. Cement from Tire who lived in Jerusalem or bring in fish all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in Jerusalem at that so I confronted the Nobles of Judah. Why are you Pro Fanning the Sabbath in this evil way I ask wasn't it just the sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city. Now you're bringing even more wrath upon is Real by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way. Then I commanded that the Gates of Jerusalem should be shot as Darkness fell every Friday evening not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gate so that no merchandise could be bought or brought in on the Sabbath day. If you look through the chapter Nehemiah chapter 13, you'll see there's a whole bunch of other things that Nehemiah brought to their attention some of the more around foreign influences coming. In terms of marriages in terms of foreigners who kind of who a different laws in different Customs May didn't love. Influencing God's people there was a force the Sabbath there was the temple in fact the temple if you read through it was being used as a warehouse for a guy. He was storing his stuff in the temple and that was enough and saw that and he cleans house. He kicked all that stuff to the curb and get that stuff out of here right now only that but me and Maya took care of the Levites. They were like the Servants of God like the priests in any major the tides were brought in so that the temple and that the the the Levites could be taken care of. The Sabbath was the story that we read the Sabbath was a command right you remember it's one of the Ten Commandments. You shall honor the Sabbath take this day make it holy and there's no work to be done on it. There's no there's no work or even preparation for work. I know that you got to work on Monday. Don't get it ready. This is a day of rest. Until they're all sorts of laws. If you could read through the Old Testament that showed that the Sabbath was his holy day. You can take a look through all of the things that Nehemiah all the laws that he upheld and you might wonder what what what does it really matter? Right Sabbath? But look, what's the difference between could be out there? You can take a day of rest on Friday or Sunday or whatever it is. Right? What what does the hair really but what day it is does he and then not only that but you take a look at what's all this stuff about foreigners? Cuz we've opened our hearts and our homes and Earl and the foreigners. We're foreigners all of us, right but why why is that important or if you don't lie to the ties have to be collected? Why is it? Okay if somebody uses a room in the temple as a storehouse very valid questions all Am I answer to that is this that even though you know, you wouldn't see such things in the New Testament in the Old Testament. God is very concerned about his people losing their identity as his people. So in other words, they were special these things the Sabbath in the temple and and and the tithes. Is trying to protect them from all these foreign influences that are trying to leave them away from him. That's why they're there in themselves. They're not important the day of the week that you worship isn't as important as worshipping God and setting time aside for him. But this was important to God's people cuz he knew what would happen if they if they reneged on any of these promises that it meant disaster for them. And so Nehemiah he he stepped in stepped in is probably maybe two miles of a work because take a look at verse 25 know he definitely was not Canadian. Okay, we're too polite to do any of the stuff that me and my did you know, what somebody's doing something wrong. You might say, excuse me. I'm sorry, but you've got that what Canadian would start it outright Nehemiah. He well. I don't know what the world would be. He flipped his lid take a look at 4:25. It says that so I confronted them. We're okay with the sure just a gentle confrontational letting people know what they're doing. That's not you know, you know giving him a gentle nudge and a gentle reminder. Well your dreams that end in the very next statement we said and I called down curses on them not recommending and if you to do that, okay, this is not your model for how to deal with situations because it goes Eve. He says I beat some of them. Wow. This is I pulled and pulled out their hair flow. And then this is like why did he go so far? It seems so extreme to us, but I will say this to take away that I get from that. I feel really strongly about is Nehemiah was serious about doing What God Says If anything I think you could not deny Nehemiah was serious about doing what God says and I believe that that's part of the lesson for us today. Get serious about doing What God Says. Milk the word. That is often used in the Old Testament about this and it's picked up in the new a little bit is the word covenant. It's not weird that we use very much anymore. But a covenant was a promise an agreement between two parties that one would do one thing and the other would hold up their end of the bargain and this Covenant often was like a legal thing. Right and it could be about anything you make a covenant with another person and it could be a business-like Arrangement or could be a relationship kind of an arrangement. You make promises one on each side and there is what a covenant is and how important it is is I think greatly Illustrated in Genesis chapter 15 know this is one of the one of the pastors of the Bible that's kind of pg-rated and will that get your interest up right away if I was to label it it would be pg-rated for blood and gore. Okay. There are some passages in the Bible like that in Genesis chapter 15. You see God making a promise when a very first promises covenants that he made with Abram who became Abraham And to show Abraham how serious this promise was between him and God. This is what happened. So inverse V chapter 15 of Genesis 1 verse 9 the Lord told him bring me a three-year-old heifer the three year old female goat 3 year old Ran a turtle dove and a young pigeon. So Abraham presented all of these to him and kill them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the haves side by side. He did not have her cut the birds in half some vulture swoop down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chase them away. I'm sure you got questions cuz I got questions. What can y this Glory seen what did that have to do with the promise that God was making with Abraham because God promised him that his his his his Followers his not his followers, but his children is the generations after mbbs numerous as the the the stars in the sky the sands on the beach right and got to making that promise. So Abraham is to follow him. How serious is that Covenant? Will that's what this is all about. And in fact if you take a look at it later on in the passage, you'll see that Abraham has this vision of God walking through between these two gory Isles. And the idea is this it kind of illustrates what Covenant means that this promise between us is so serious made this happen to me if I break our covenant. So another words how serious that promise is and I really do wonder, you know, do we treat our relationship with God? That's seriously what God says to do something. Do we treat it as seriously as that picture that Abraham of his promise with God. Get serious about doing what God test last night in the family service. It was brown this point where we played a game. You know, that old game Simon Says Simon Says do this and then you tell something to do something else. They're not supposed to do cuz I'm in and say hi to do it. That's a game about obedience. But let me tell you Genesis chapter 15 and saying this ain't no game. Your promise with God it's not a game that you play at. It's serious another way of putting it this cutest picture of a mirror that I could find by the way is the end James chapter 1 James talks about our obedience listening to God and what we do with it in this way. It's like a mirror. So in James chapter 1 verse 22, it says this but don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you're only fooling yourselves for a few listen to the word and don't obey it's like laying on your face in a mirror. You see yourself walk away and forget what you look like. And so that's the idea that hearing What God Says isn't enough knowing what God says is enough but it's doing it. It's that action making this a season of action that really counts and the images, you know, you're going to have your Thanksgiving pie today and let's say it's a blueberry. That's one of the messiest pies that I can think of and let sit you get blueberry all over your face, you know, it's dripping down your chin cuz you had one big honkin piece of pie.

And this is all that you know, that's that doesn't look good and you walk away and you don't do anything about it. Right that be ridiculous. Wouldn't it? That's the picture when God tells you to do something do it be serious about it. That's our commitment to Jesus, but I want to dig down just a little bit deeper to say that's not only do we need to get serious about doing what God says often. There's this knowledge Gap that we don't understand and got that we don't actually know what God asks of us. So I want to ask a question about how we can get serious about learning what Jesus wants cuz I do believe that's in your heart and you'll some of you might even say what if I just knew what Jesus wanted from me, then I could do it of course with his help right? You can't do it on your own. So let's get serious about that learning with Jesus want there's a little bit of a credibility issue here. If I was to tell you to obey me today, you know for my position of power here if I was to tell you to obey me I have no credibility. No right to do that mean what right do I have to tell you what to do? Right. I mean I am not a perfect man, but I have no authority to do that on a leg to stand on you could tell him you want to do. Okay. I'll I'll think about it or whatever but you know, you know, you don't have to write because I don't do credit if I told you that there is someone who lived who speaks to you to tells you to a bae tells you to follow his commands that you could say. Wow. I got to do that this person speaks from a place of credibility and authority and what if I were to tell you that that's Jesus. And what if I were to tell you that the reason that Jesus is perfectly suited to be the one that you listen to and Obey is because he was perfectly obedient himself. Jesus was perfect. The Bible says and he obeyed he is our model. He is our example so that we can actually trust Jesus he has perfect credibility as I look through the Bible. I see so many reasons for that. First of all in Philippines to that great early Hymn of the church that Paul records the toxin of Jesus let the glory of heaven and gave up all the Privileges of being God and walked Among Us. It says he was perfectly obedient even to death on a cross perfectly obedient. He was Romans chapter 5 verse it says that Jesus is the last Adam, you know the first atom right with the first atom did he made a choice? That resulted in consequences for all of us. So right sin and death and destruction enter because of the choice of one person let the door cracked the door open and just the floodgates opened right? That's what the that first Adam. Did Jesus is the last Adam because of his perfect obedience is choice to die for us on the cross that he reverses it. Whereas the one choice of Adam resulted in death. The one choice the many choices of Jesus the perfect Obedience of Jesus flows into life for everyone who chooses him. It's a Jesus. It's because he perfectly obeyed his credibility and then Jesus when he goes to the cross that that scene in The Garden of Gethsemane, right? You know what Jesus is wrestling with this decision. I mean who would willingly give up their life to have such suffering on the cross and Jesus was wrestling so much with his father that it says that he sweat drops of blood but he was he was wrestling with this but in the end, what did he say? He said if you could father if you could let this cup pass from me if I could choose to another path and it would still honor you do that, but not my will but yours be done. So what I'm saying is it is absolutely vital and critical and urgent that we listen to Jesus cuz he is the perfect example you can trust Jesus he has credibility. You can obey Jesus and his commands safely. You can trust him. But what does Jesus ask that might be your big question, right and some of you might think well, Jesus doesn't really ask anything of us busy. He just gives he just gives us forgiveness and you just gives us life and he just he picks us up when we're down. He doesn't really ask anything of us. Does he? You know, I respect that you might think that but you would be mistaken in my opinion if you did that because Jesus talked all the time about doing his commands. And you talked all the time about obeying him and following him and you strictly and in the deepest devotion with all of your heart mind soul and strength following him. So what should we do to align our lives with Jesus? How did he need to be cleaned up so that we can follow his commands. What do we need to do? And there are two words that really kind of show how serious it is that we learn what Jesus asked and do it. And the first one is Rabbi people called Jesus Rabbi when he walk this this Earth, they followed behind him. You know when Jesus kicked up dust the dust of his feet on them. They took pride. It's like a I got more dust from Jesus because I followed him so closely. Jesus the one that they respected if they've got questions, they go to Rabbi Jesus if they don't know where to turn they go to Rabbi Jesus if they don't know what to believe. They go to Rabbi Jesus. Jesus is your Rabbi. In fact, maybe you could just wish for that. You know that commitment to Jesus Jesus. You're my rap. I just whispered that damn right now. Because getting getting serious but we're doing what Jesus says and what he wants is really important. The second word. Is that the Bible Jesus is Lord. Jesus is Lord that another teeth the Undisputed leader that I follow I put him at the center of my life, but that's really important and and maybe just acknowledging that Jesus as your lord is something really important for you to do right now. It's an everyday thing. I actually Would you just even whisper that to Jesus right now Jesus you are my Lord. Absolutely critical commitment that we make to Jesus. 8 in Jesus doesn't want us to obey him. And if you have any doubt this one first, probably solidifies it for me. Where Jesus says the people around him? Why do you keep calling me Lord Lord? When you don't do what I say. So Jesus does asked to enter into this life where we follow him and I was talking to a few friends this week. We're talking. Okay. What is Jesus really asked of us? Cuz there's no list, right? There's no 10 pointless. Do these 10 things? You can't really identify that with Jesus, but how does what does Jesus ask of us? And as we talk together, we kind of came up to the conclusion together a great start at it is what we call the Fruit of the Spirit. This is what a life that is has been surrendered to Jesus and filled with Jesus Spirit. Looks like it's over here just a little picture of that now. Yeah cartoonish part of it, but it's these things love joy peace goodness, kindness faithfulness gentleness self-control. It's so these are the things that Jesus wants to see in you and if you're like me you're saying wow. I want that. That would be the life that I want. But you might be saying I'm not there yet. How in the world do I get that kind of life will it's by asking Jesus everyday to build that inside of you. And if you serious about that Jesus, what do I need to grow in today? And this week at what would you answer to that even right now? You don't need to speak it out loud. But which fruit of the spirit do you want Jesus to Growing you in this next season. Is it that Jesus give me more. highness Or maybe it's Jesus. Give me more patience. Somebody jokes and don't ask for patience ever but you know, we do we ask for patience cuz God wants that on us. But get serious about learning what Jesus wants. Cuz there's this new life that's right in front of you. And this is the life that Jesus offers who wouldn't want that life. Right? And then as we land here together, I want to tell you to get serious about Grace being serious about doing what God says one thing getting serious about learning what Jesus wants so we can actually do it is another but something that doesn't really appear in this passage and I will tell you it is a little harder to find than in the grace soap pages of the New Testament, but it's not in the story of Nehemiah, but if you complete the arc like you should never store and look for Jesus. It's always about Grace always let me describe this when we took a look at the fruit of the spirit there, right? If you look in that passage in Galatians chapter 5 list, all of these beautiful things that Jesus wants for you. It says that's really curious. It says against such things. There is no law. Interesting what that means a what do you think that that means? That means that you can't get these things by keeping rules. It's about Grace. It's about letting God do this in you does that make sense? Right is a really curious that if he's not curious It's just perfect step all ends up the Fruit of the Spirit by saying against such things. There is no law there. No rules. They're going to get you to this. The rules don't work, but they don't always right. And in fact, I want to ask you like if you've been in the situation where what good does it do to force somebody to do something right and compel them if you been apparent? What good does it do specialized your kids get older to try to compel them to do something doesn't work or maybe you've been a boss or supervisor. What good does it do to force somebody to do something you might get their back but you looked at their heart or maybe you've supervised volunteers or been a volunteer. What good does it do to force somebody to do something just doesn't work does it? Well, what if I told you that it's that's true of a relationship with God. He doesn't Force us to do anything we get to choose and that's why Jesus says that it's more about a relationship of love than following rules. That religion is often too much about rules, but I'm talking about a living relationship of what Jesus says in John 14:15. What's the keto obedience if you love me? And you'll obey my commands verse 23 and chapter 14 all who what love me will do what I say. What's the key to obeying? What's the key to keeping our side of the Covenant? It's love loving Jesus. John continued on that in his letter in first Sean, but those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. You see the connection between doing what God says and loving him. That's what it's about. It's not about rules put another way. God wants us to make the shift from I have to that's rules to I want to that's love. Right. I've given you a traffic sign up there, right? That's how traffic Works. They're not suggestions their rules. And if you don't obey them, then it's a great big mess. Like if you would have stop signs, right if you just took it as a suggestion when it was convenient to some of you probably do that. You can confess to me later but it's about I have to their right it even you might not want you but you have to do it a relationship that we have with God is more about I want to I do it out of love Jesus. I love you. So I want to do is say I want to love others. I want to serve others want to watch other people's I want to have this character of the love and joy and peace and patience kindness goodness gentleness self-control on all of these things because I love you. Is that that is just a revolutionary shift I think in at all. Jesus commands. Jesus is not about trying to change your behavior. He's about trying to change your heart and your will and your purpose and your why that's what Jesus is all about. I kind of like what one person how one person put it. Jesus Christ did not come to make bad people good but dead people live. And if you've been following Jesus for a while your heart resonates with that. Mickey bad people good as the job of religion. But Jesus is the only one that can make dead people live and make you alive. Isn't that great news? It's fantastic news. That's the life that I want. And what a perfect thing to remember this Thanksgiving weekend. It's about our heart being filled with love for Jesus not about rules. That's what set you free.