Joy of Awakened Joy
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Joy of Awakened Joy
Nehemiah 13:15-31
INTRODUCTION
We must learn from our mistakes
ILL- Stapling Christmas lights- two years in a row.
Jews are not learning their lessons.
Keep getting it right and then returning to their old ways.
They experienced the joy of returning to God over and over again.
15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food.
16 Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself!
17 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
21 But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.
22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
23 In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.
25 And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.
27 Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me.
29 Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work;
31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
6 Lessons of Nehemiah
1- Economics Matter (15)
1- Economics Matter (15)
15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food.
God’s economics is what matters.
Worldly economics say otherwise.
Giving of first fruits is dangerous.
Giving 10% hurts your ability to save.
Taking a day off to rest hurts profits.
ILL- Chick-fil-A - make more per square foot than any fast food company in America.
Bought and sold on Sabbath
Wanted to make money over be obedient to God.
When money becomes more important than worship, it affects the whole nation.
Didn’t give to the ministry of the Temple
They didn't give- Priests and Levites couldn't do their job.
They did business instead of obey God- they will be punished.
Politics in America has always been the economy over everything else.
We should live in God’s morality even if it costs us everything.
2- Every Generation Matters (18)
2- Every Generation Matters (18)
18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
Ezra 456 BC
Nehemiah 444 BC
Nehemiah second time after 12 year absence.
All three reforms didn't last.
Chapter 13- no reforms mentioned that already had been taken care of in last 20 years.
The sins of one generation are magnified in the next.
Generation Wars in our society.
Boomers and millennial.
Gen Z vs millennials
The pause before they start talking in a video post.
Every generation has to intentionally rise above the sins of previous generations.
9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
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,
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Every generation must choose who they will serve.
Joshua 24:15
3- Family Matters (24)
3- Family Matters (24)
24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.
Kids need 2 Christian parents that take their responsibility seriously.
single parents can make it… but 2 devoted Christians parents is better. It’s the ideal.
Teach them as you go...
18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
Marriage outside of the faith guarantees a generation of unfaithful kids.
Why did it matter that the kids had a different language-
they could not learn the Hebrew Scriptures-
it had not been translated into foreign languages.
Proved who was being worshipped in the home.
If your kids can give all the elements on the periodic table but not quote the Word of God, there is a problem.
We must immerse our kids in God's Word every day.
One to four hours a week cannot replace 30 hours in a classroom. 20 hours in front of a television.
The Church cannot replace parents teaching their kids at home.
4- Leadership Matters (22)
4- Leadership Matters (22)
22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
The Levites kept letting the people’s disobedience keep them from obeying.
Nehemiah is one of the greatest examples of great leadership in all of the Bible.
Nehemiah started and ended with prayer.
Chapter one- this all started because he was fasting and prayer.
Stopped and prayed throughout the process.
He was courageous to stand up.
Strong capable leader.
5- Repentance Matters (29-30)
5- Repentance Matters (29-30)
29 Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work;
Tolerance of evil leads to spiritual stagnation.
We must continually re-submit our will.
Reform and revival require constant renewal and constant courage.
Priorities must continually be aligned to God’s will.
Our sinful nature wants to take back our will.
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
We are set a part for the work God has for us.
We must live in holiness.
Our sins are forgiven- but our obedience does matter. It affects the salvation of all those around us.
6- Grace Matters (31)
6- Grace Matters (31)
31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
Nehemiah is known for building the walls of Jerusalem.
But what mattered to him was that by building the walls, they were able to restore the worship in the Temple.
His final call was for one for God to remember him.
This is a cry for grace.
He hadn’t earned anything.
Grace is a free gift of God.
CONCLUSION
Salvation is an act of grace.
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.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Have you received the free gift?
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Are you experiencing the joy of knowing Jesus?