Nehemiah 7:1-4 sermon- Restoration of God’s people.

RESTART BUTTON! Restoration of God’s people.

Scripture: Nehemiah 7:1-4

Introduction

When you play any game, you have to defeat your enemies, dodge obstacles and fight fervently but suddenly you fail in the game and there is a command pops up called GAME OVER- then along with that, there is one more button pops up called restart button. When you restart the game, you get, yet another opportunity to play better, you have to be more cautious than the earlier game, you cannot commit the same mistake, you have to evade from the obstacle that killed you earlier.

Nehemiah and the people of God were given one more opportunity to restart, renew and restore to comeback to God. They restarted the game of rebuilding the wall which they successfully done which is one part - there is another are now Nehemiah needs to play very carefully.  

During this restoring process, he had more people against him than for Him. We saw in the last 6 chapters- people had criticisms against the authority, gossips, name & fame destroyers, work drainers, complainers, slanders, intimidators, threats, people who produce fears etc…

There were some people who didn’t want this rebuilding to get it done but they are watching it happen! At the end they saw it that God completed it and they hated it to the core. Still he was able to see and celebrate the completion and God’s protection in the completion of the wall. We might think the story just got over. He accomplished what he was chosen for!

“Book of Nehemiah is not about building a wall around Jerusalem alone? Only chapters 1-6 are about that. The people existed for the wall in those first few chapters. They gave their time, talents, and treasures to make it happen.

But the remaining chapters show the wall existing for the people. It’s not about the wall, but about what goes on inside the wall. The city was in ruins. The grand vision of Nehemiah is to re-instate, bring back an order to worship once again for the glory of God!”

The city is more than the wall. The city is made up of people who live in it. We live in a great city Chennai. Our city is made great by the people who live in it. Culture, traditions, civilizations etc…  So along with the rebuilding of wall happens the rebuilding of the lives of the people. As we examine this morning of how God used Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem- we can learn a little bit of how God wants us to work in our city. How we are the Nehemiahs’ of our generations! He knew that it cannot be done alone so he chose leaders… SO God wants us to be leaders of this generation to re-establish the broken lives of people. Three sets of leaders are appointed and how that has connection with re-establishing the lives of the people.

1. Gatekeepers- Leaders who guard others from enemies’ infiltration.

After the construction of wall he appoints leaders and placed them at strategic points. Every city and community needs leaders. One of the leaders he assigned was gatekeepers. Normally these gate-keepers are guards at the gates of the temple but due to the hostility, he needs to post them near the walls of the city which is the outskirts.

Gates: Normally they will open the gate at the sunrise and close at the sunset. Again due to the hostility of the enemies he instructs them to open up when the sun is hot! Like in the middle of the day when the sun is hot.

In addition to the gate-keepers guards were also appointed in V.3. These people are appointed in some places on the wall and home. Though the work was completed hostility still remains. Because they lived in a community where people hated them. There were people from outside but also people from inside produce hostility.

As believers, as followers of Jesus- God is calling us to be leaders to be in our city. May be he is calling us to watch over our city cos we needs to be protectors of it. Guards our walls. Protectors of others around you!

What are we guarding and what are we responsible for as far as watching out and guarding?

As an individual –

1.      guard our thoughts,

2.     guard our thoughts families- the world is trying to rip apart our families (as husbands, fathers, sons, daughters we are called to guard our families).

3.     guard our  mouth-

4.     guard our desires that are been infiltrated by the world.

5.     guard against legalism, living by man’s rules and not in the freedom of Christ.

6.     guard our doctrines- protector of God’s word. Lot of people, churches, pastors believe that it is just a literature.

We have a responsibility as Christian to guard ourselves and the community to watch, to protect and to Lead.

2. Singers- Leaders who worship God and lead people to Worship

These were the singers who lead worship in the temple. They were the key to the worship of God. Nehemiah is not just building a physical wall, he is not just interested in a political and governmental system but also Religious restablishment. He is making sure, he sets things up for the worship of God. Nehemiah saw the bigger picture.

King David organized about 4000singers in the tabernacle. God not just rebuilding the temple on a physical state but there is a whole spiritual dynamics. He is bringing his people back to worship him again.

Not all are called to be worship leaders like the worship team this morning who did a tremendous job but all of us are called to be worshippers. Worship is much much more than singing to God. It’s not coming ot the pulpit and singing BLESS THE LORD OH MY SOUL. We are called to live life of worship in glorifying God through our actions.

3. Levites- teachers who will teach the word to others    

Levi was the 3^rd son of Jacob, Levites were the assistants for priest at the tabernacle/temple. After the exile these people also were responsible for teaching God’s word. So Nehemiah clearly understood that worship needs to be resumed, law should be taught, teaching of God’s word needs to be continued. So the fact of the matter is that People need to know the word of God. Teaching the word of God was kept as high esteem at that time of hostility. He had a burning in the bosom for the word of God. God brought me here and I want to teach that word of God.

Nehemiah knew that these people can move away from God so he is taking effort to the teaching of the law so that these people will not move away, run back, stiff-necked but stay true to the word in the world.

Application: We need to hear the teaching and our community where live needs to hear it. They need to know the Word of GOD that GOD loves them, they need to know that they have a sin problem and separated from GOD. They need to know the purpose of this life and the promise of after-life. Who is going to teach and tell? I would love to tell but you know people that I don’t know and I know people that you don’t know! Are you interested in teaching and sharing this?

Ask yourself where might God calling you to share his truth! What opportunities is opening up to share with somebody in your life. If you look, you will find them, if you don’t know then you will find them cos he wants to use you in various capacity. 

Look at from v 61-65

These are another group of leaders, the priest. These were the one represented the people to GOD and represented God to the people in the temple. The important point of these verses is that some of these wanted to be priest but couldn’t prove from their genealogy that they were Jewish which is important for them so they were refrained from priesthood. So they let the high priest decide through urim and thumim like a gems or dices to know the will of God.

It is a dangerous thing to put people in positions of leadership until they are proven. It is lot harder to pull somebody out of the position than put one in especially when you are placing them in spiritual authority, spiritual leadership that they have been proven to be faithful. Cos if they mess up the wreckage is going to be huge, the cost is heavy and the restoration will be breathtaking. We have to know that the people are of the family of God and that they were proven to be faithful.

V.2. that I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful.

He gave in-charge of Jerusalem to couple of people. Nehemiah was the man, he came in and set this entire things up, he organized the entire thing, it got done, he was the governor. Now he is willing to start stepping aside and start relegating his responsibility to others. Such a good example of Christ like leadership to hold on to!

Nehemiah knew that the project does not belong to him but he belong and be a part of God’s project. The project was not about him and what he did! He wasn’t trying to maintain at all cost. He is a man of God. He knew a good leader delegate the work. So he delegated two people one is Hanani and another was Hannaiah who is the leader of a citadel. Citadels are mini-fortress or castles where kings live in these where the wall got broken into citadel would be the last place they go to guard their life. So this guy Hananaih is a military leader.

Look how he describes Hannaniah. He was faithful man- somebody who is trustworthy! Someone whom you can count on! He feared God. He is not afraid of God but respected and honoured God and knew God for who he was.

Lot of times, we tend to go for people who are the smartest, talented, experienced, most articulate. Qualifications that God is looking for in someone would be faithfulness and Fearing God. Hannaiah had these and Nehemiah recognized it and he was known by it. This morning ask yourself this question, what am I known for? What are you known for? If someone going to look at you what would it be?

Application: God is looking for leaders who are to be used by him who are supposed to be faithful and fearing his word. People who will live by his word. These things are the gonna happen only when we allow the holy spirit to do the work inside our hearts. There is a two punch theory for spiritual leadership. HolySpirit + WOG can knock a person out of his spiritual blindness.

Do you notice lot of leadership is been mentioned here, gatekeepers, guards, levites, singers, priest etc. They are people who are passionate, faithful, fearful. They are not grumblers, murmers, slanderers etc… We all have spiritual gifts and God wants to use you in various capacity. So for a healthy city it needs leaders, Godly leaders.

Who are we in this generation?

1.      Guardians who guard the lives of our self and others?

2.     Worshippers who glory God and lead others to glorify

3.     Levites who will be teaching the word to others

What are we known for? Are we faithful? Trustworthy? Fearful of God?

Remember we are leaders who are called to guard, worship and teach his people and restore their lives.