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<v SPEAKER_00>Good morning, First Baptist Wimberly.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This is Mike Gibbons.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Welcome to Friday.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Well, the walls are going up around the temple as we continue in Nehemiah this week.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Despite the external opposition we saw last week in chapter 4, they keep working.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now in chapter 5, we find that they not only have to deal with the enemies outside the wall, but enemies inside as well.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The Jewish leaders are seizing property from their own and even selling people into slavery.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The work of God is being threatened from inside the camp.

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<v SPEAKER_00>As verse 6 says, Nehemiah was very angry because of this.

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<v SPEAKER_00>He challenged them and reminded them that they were contradicting God by their actions.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The leaders and the people returned what they had taken.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Then we come to verses 18 and 19, and let me read those.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of my governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Remember, for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Nehemiah, at his own expense, prepared a feast for the people and the leaders.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And instead of taking his authorized governor's allowance, he served at his own expense again for over a decade to avoid burdening his people.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Like the Messiah who was to come, he modeled Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That sounds a little self-serving.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But read properly, Nehemiah is not claiming merit, but professing sincerity.

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<v SPEAKER_00>His motive is not to be noticed.

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<v SPEAKER_00>His motive is to maintain the unity of the people and to move on from this conflict.

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<v SPEAKER_00>He is trying to tell God that, poor and feeble as his actions may have been, he did it for no other reason than to honor God.

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<v SPEAKER_00>What he is saying is that he has done this for no other motive but to bring God glory.

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<v SPEAKER_00>May we all be conscious of receiving greater generation from generosity from God than we can ever repay.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This is Mike Gibbons, and I love being your pastor.