Episodes
Monday Sep 04, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community. The Big "So What?"
Monday Sep 04, 2017
Monday Sep 04, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community
The Big “So What?”
Nehemiah Recap
Prayerful & Thankful
- Throughout Nehemiah there is a focus on prayer
- Direction (1:4, 11)
- Wisdom (2:4; 5:7)
- Protection (4:9)
- Remembrance (5:19; 6:14; 13:14, 22b, 29, 31b)
- Praise (9:5b; 11:17; 12:8, 24, 27, 31, 38, 40, 46)
Centered in the Word
- The Israelites under Nehemiah were continually returning to God’s word for instruction (8:1-3, 7-9, 13-14, 18; 9:3; 10:28, 34, 36; 12:44; 13:3)
- Their response was immediate obedience (5:12; 9:38; 13:3)
- Even sacrificially (5:14-18; 10:32)
- Thus their work and lives were constantly being informed by God’s truth
- Not mere human opinion
Need Driven
- Nehemiah and the people saw needs and desired to be a part of meeting them
- God gave one person a vision that was cast and shared with the faith community
- The end result was to turn the whole community to God in worship (12:43)
Partnered with the Community
- Everyone got involved
- Not divided by background, age, or geography (3:22; 12:28)
- Did not differentiate between secular & sacred
- The wall was as integral as the Temple
- Awareness of temptation to compromise
- Not conformity
- Sabbath-keeping, intermarriage, etc.
- Set apart, but not live apart
- Not conformity
The Big ‘So What?’
- Questions this raises for us
- Are we being prayerful?
- Both individually and corporately
- How can we make pray and thanksgiving more central to who we are as a church?
- Are we staying centered in the Word?
- Are we testing everything against Scripture?
- Are we going deeper together?
- Are we looking to meet needs in our community?
- It shows Christ-like love, and thus fulfills the Great Commandment (Luke 10:27)
- It gives us the right to be heard by our neighbors
- Thus helping us fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20)
- “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” –Teddy Roosevelt
- Are we partnering with our community?
- Collaborating where we can
- While not compromising who we are called to be
Meditation Verse: Matthew 5:16
Version: 20240320
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