The Joy of Community
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The Joy of Community
Nehemiah 9:38; 10:28-39
INTRODUCTION
ILL- Loss of Community during Covid.
Preaching to an empty room.
Worshiping in an empty room.
Understanding our identity within the community is imperative in living with joy as a follower of Jesus.
Nehemiah- As God’s people mourn and repent of their sin, they return to community and find their joy.
38 “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.
28 “The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding,
29 join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes.
30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.
31 And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
32 “We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
33 for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.
35 We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord;
36 also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks;
37 and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor.
38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.
39 For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”
3 Ways We Find Joy in Community
1- Covenant (9:38)
1- Covenant (9:38)
38 “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.
With God and each other.
This was a community making a covenant with God. Not individuals. Individual responsibility was to the whole community.
It’s a covenant that they will start doing their part of the original covenant with Moses.
Marrying Tara (28 years)
Verbally stood before 3 churches and friends and family to show our commitment to each other. - Act of Accountability
-Signed a legal contract between us and the state.
-We entered that day as both virgins ready to make a covenant between us and God.
-The Covenant was not entered until the wedding night when “The two become one flesh.”
Difference between a contract and a covenant
-Contract is good as long as the two parties want it to be good. When both parties want to stop a contract they can.
-Covenant has a specific beginning and end from the beginning and only the terms of the covenant can end the covenant.
-Marriage- until death of either.
-Adam and Eve- covenant in garden where they could eat anything as long as they didn’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.
-Rainbow- from the first rainbow until the end of the world- God will not destroy the world through flood.
Nehemiah, Ezra and the other leaders were making a covenant with God as part of their repentance.
In a sense they were returning to the original covenant with Moses.
Fulfilling the covenant of God with Solomon when they dedicated the Temple.
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2- Separation (10:28-31)
2- Separation (10:28-31)
28 “The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding,
29 join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes.
30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.
31 And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
Community Commitment to separate
In world but not of the world.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Separate from world- but unify as believers.
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Why is it that we are better at unifying with the world and dividing as believers?
Jesus’ prayer- Satan knows hurting our unity hurts our witness.
Blessing and curse (29)
29 join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes.
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,
Submission to Gods Word (29)
Mervin Breneman, "Submission to the authority of God’s Word is the unmistakable command here. The postexilic community was experiencing many problems, both ethical and religious. The first step toward solving these problems was a commitment by the whole community to submit to the authority of God’s revelation as found in the Scriptures. The same is true for God’s people today. This commitment to the authority of Scripture must be applied to present situations, for “true religion cannot be merely general principles.” The principles must be applied to specific actions and decisions."
God’s Word has to define us.
Yes, it makes us different than the world. That’s the point.
Yes, the world doesn’t like it. That’s the point.
Yes, they will think we are odd. That’s the point.
Joy is not found in looking like the world. Joy is found in our separation.
3- Sacrifice (10:32-39)
3- Sacrifice (10:32-39)
32 “We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
33 for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.
Everyone doing their part giving to keep the ministry continuing.
Mention of a sheckel= Persians used a money based currency, not the trade of food. This was not completely new- Moses mentioned monetary gifts.
Temple support was both cash and in kind.
There were dozens of offerings required in the old covenant.
A community of believers who love God will not neglect the responsibility of giving to ministry.
We live in a covenant of grace and freedom. Our giving must not come because of Law but because of a changed heart.
Jesus called rich young ruler to give up all.
Jesus praised the poor widow for giving all she had.
4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?
14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
This verse specifically speaking of paying ministers, reflects an understanding of the need to give to the ministry of the church as it was funded.
17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
Percentage giving (first fruits, tithe, etc.)= equal sacrifice.
New Covenant= comes with a changed heart. Don’t give because we have to. God doesn’t want gifts of those who do it out of guilt or trying to manipulate him. He wants the offerings of those who do it out of love for him.
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
“give as decided in his heart”= not an excuse for giving less (see verse 6). But a cry to give cheerfully.
Joy in supporting the things of God.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
What do your spending habits say about what is important to you? What does your budget say you are worshiping?
39 For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”
Not just financial. “We will not neglect the house of our God.”
Service to the worship of God and fulfilment of the ministry.
34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.
Bringing of wood. (It’s hard work.)
The fire on the altar was to burn constantly.
Salvation in Jesus is a call of sacrifice.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The church is the body of Christ. Everyone must do their part. Financially and time.
ILL- “Volunteers or Servants”
Volunteers= seems like it’s extra.
Serving= that which is expected.
Book, “Doing Church as a Team”
Are we a cruise ship or a battleship?
Cruise Ship= everything is taken care of for you. It’s all about your comfort and what you want.
Battleship= everyone on the ship has a job to perform.
Our joy is found in serving our Savior through the local church because it is what He has called us to do.
CONCLUSION
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.
He brings salvation to all who put their trust in him.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
It’s a free gift that is received through surrender.
Christians- are you living in the joy of community.
A community requires humble sacrifice.
Are you living and serving in community?
Are you living and serving in community?