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2. And in chapter 3, as he journeys back to Jerusalem, we finally see restoration begin. But just as a reminder, in these two chapters today, only after he's taken it to God in prayer do we see the walls that begin to be restored. So would you pray with me? And then we'll get right in. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. This morning we simply ask that you would reveal your word to your church by your spirit. We pray all of these things for Christ's name's sake. Amen. But I do have a story. Our daughters love to play in the backyard. They will spend all day in the backyard if we let them. But with that comes some boo-boos or some, you know, some injuries. Granted, I don't know, parents in the room, when you stop calling them boo-boos, but I've definitely said nine night to my brother before. So I don't know when that vocabulary is going to change, but I'm kind of ready for it. But they'll come inside, there are some scratches, they're obviously very dirty. Toddlers will see a spot of red and immediately demand a band-aid. It doesn't matter if it is the, like it's not even an injury, like it's just a red mark from something. They will demand and immediately request a band-aid. And you can explain, you know, it's not a cut, right? It's it's not, you know, dirty, it's it's not bleeding, all of those things. But what's hard to explain to a toddler is how the body heals itself. That one is is a little bit more difficult to explain. Because Carmen came in with a scab, and she was telling me that the scab was was itchy. And I had to tell her, well, that's that's a good sign. Like I I can't really tell you why. I'm not, unfortunately, that well-versed in the body, but it's a sign that the body's healing itself. But with something like that, that just means more and more questions. Because with the body healing itself, it's not something you can see. Like, sure, if you took a time lapse over the course of weeks, you would see a cut begin to heal, but there's no external factor that you can tell when you look at a body healing itself. And that's what's happening in Nehemiah chapter 2. Because there's healing taking place, but there is a force working that you cannot see. And what is abundantly clear during these two chapters that Nehemiah will highlight to us is that is the grace of God, that is the healing factor for the state of Jerusalem. It is only the grace of God that is what is causing the healing. Though unseen, Nehemiah absolutely recognizes it is only by God's hand that any of this work is getting done. And so if you take nothing else away today, I'd encourage you to write the main idea down every week. God's gracious hand is the power behind every work. God's gracious hand is the power behind every work. And I say that in every sense of work. In every work we do, every ministry, every attempt at ministry, it is only by God's grace that it has power. I want you to notice each movement of this story, again, we're going to cover two chapters. Each movement of this story, something cannot be denied, and that without God's hand, without God's grace, none of this restoration would happen. It would not be taking place. And praise God, Nehemiah recognizes that. He knows that too, and we see him share that reality with those who are around him. So this morning, I believe in chapters two and three, this text shows us the three effects God's grace has in the life of his people. We're going to see three effects that God's grace has in the life of his people. Firstly, in verses one through eight of chapter two, we see that God's grace helps us overcome fear. God's grace helps us overcome fear. Again, we see this in verses one through eight of chapter two, so I'm going to read that section for us. During the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, Why do you look so sad when you aren't sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart. I was overwhelmed with fear and replied to the king, May the king live for ever. Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire? Then the king asked me, What is your request? So I prayed to the God of the heavens, and answered the king, If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, send me to Judah, and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it. The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, How long will your journey take, and when will you return? So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me. I also said to the king, If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple's fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live. The king granted my request, for the gracious hand of my God was on me. Again, chapter one begins with a timeline of things. So we are now in the month of Nisan, which in the Hebrew calendar is around March and April, meaning that four months have passed since Nehemiah heard of the state of Israel, the state of Jerusalem and its ruins, to now, four months in between chapter one and chapter two, at least when he hears the news in now. And certainly, given Nehemiah's position, as a reminder, is a cupbearer, he would be on the royal court, he would have access to the king. This is not going to be an easy conversation by any stretch of the imagination. This is not just like a, like, oh, by the way, uh, there's Jerusalem over there. I know you told them to stop the work, but can I go start it again? Like, that's not an easy conversation to have with the person who not just like employs you as a boss, but kind of controls your destiny in many words, in many ways. So just think of a conversation you have dreaded, whether it be like an interview, a tough conversation with a child, with a coworker, with a boss. You, that's all you can think about. Like for the days leading up to that conversation, that is literally all you can think about. Nehemiah is not looking forward to this, and we know that because he's afraid. He's afraid to have this conversation with the king. He prays that God would grant him to have a great conversation with him, but that doesn't mean he's not afraid of the conversation that's happening. But then we see what happens. Because Nehemiah doesn't even initiate this conversation, by the way. The end of verse 1, when wine was set before him, again, that would have been Nehemiah's job. I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence. So the king starts the conversation. Why do you look so sad when you aren't sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart. Again, because of the nature of his station, Nehemiah would have known the king very well, and vice versa, the king would have known Nehemiah very well. He was his cupbearer, a prestigious position. He had access to the king, to the point where they have a really good relationship, because Nehemiah says, I've never been sad in his presence. So the king notices. If somebody you know well is acting a little bit different, you immediately notice. You know what's going on, you know something's off, you know their temperament, you know their moods. Well, the king knows Nehemiah to that level. He knows him well. And so the king's like, You're not sick, what's wrong? This clearly is not a physical ailment. This is a heart ailment. Nothing but sadness of the heart, he says. He demands an answer. He knows something is wrong. So tell me. Look again at verse 3. I was overwhelmed with fear at the end of verse 2. And replied to the king. The way that this is phrased in Hebrew is that his fear is multiplied when the king asks. He's already afraid, it is added to, it multiplies. His fear increased. Already he is burdened by the state of Jerusalem. He's already anxious about this conversation to have with the king. He's worried so much that it's reflected in his countenance. So when the king says what's going on, he's even more afraid. But it reaches a boiling point and it just spills out. Sometimes you just can't hold things in anymore. That's what happens. And he says something that can come across kind of rude. Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins? It's a good thing he began with, May the king live forever. Because he could have taken this the wrong way. It's not a subtle call. Why shouldn't I be sad? Why should I not be distraught? My home is destroyed. The place where my forefathers are buried, their home, his ancestral home, the land of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob that was promised to Abraham, the very city where the temple is, lies in ruins. And Nehemiah is sitting in luxury in the temple in Persia. Again, this just gives you a tiny glimpse into the passion that Nehemiah has for his people, the people of God, the Israelites. It is not right for him, he feels, to sit in comfort when his home is still, not rebuilt, in ruins. And this is true for us. I'm not saying comfort is in itself bad. But we should not feel settled. We should not feel comfortable when we are faced with the needs of God's people. You shouldn't feel like everything is okay. And I mean this as sincerely as possible. The needs of the people within the church are your responsibility in part. They are our responsibility all throughout the New Testament. It is displayed, bearing one another's burdens, and commanded to bear one another's burdens. Romans 15, we're doing this in our young adult Bible study. We read this a couple weeks ago. Verses 1 through 2, Paul spends the entire book of Romans setting the foundation, that is the gospel for both Jews and Gentiles alike. And in 15, we see the effect of that. Romans 15, 1 through 2. Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. Again, in this context, Paul is speaking about those who are strong in faith, understand the freedom that they have in Christ. But they have an obligation to those who are not strong in the faith, to bear their weakness, to push them on for their good, to build them up. That's not like a, hey, I recommend you do this. That is, you need to do this. Nehemiah displays the exact same attitude that Paul seeks for the church in Romans. He wants to bear the burden of God's people. That is placed on his heart. He cannot do anything other than help God's people. So ask yourself this morning: where can I bear the burdens of those within my church? Like individuals, like names of people, not just theoretically. Who can you help? Whose burden can you bear? Who can you see grow their faith in God? That's exactly what Nehemiah's character calls us to do to bear one another's burdens. You should not feel settled when a brother or sister is not. You should want, have a desire to see the Lord strengthen them. But let's continue. Verse 4. So it spills out. Jerusalem's in ruins. Certainly the king knows that he is a Jew. So the king asked me, What is your request? Just spill it. And I love verse 4 into verse 5. So I prayed to the God of the heavens and answered the king. If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so I may rebuild it. Verse 6. The king with the queen seated beside him asked me, How long will your journey take, and when will you return? So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me. I also said to the king, If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. And let me have a letter written to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple's fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live. The king granted my request, for the gracious hand of my God was on me. Again, the king doesn't directly address what Nehemiah said. He doesn't justify his actions or ask for clarification. He just says, What are you asking for? And look again, shocker, at what Nehemiah does first. He prays. He prays. But there is something slightly different about this prayer, isn't there? He prayed to the God of the heavens and answered the king. I don't think we're meant to read this as if Nehemiah stopped when the king said, What's your request? Went to a different room, closed the door, prayed, then came back, and then told him the request. I think this is a pretty instantaneous moment. I think Nehemiah prays while he's answering the king. I think they're happening at the same time. I really do believe that this is an example of what Paul means when he says pray without ceasing. That is literally just a pray as you go. Pray as you go. Sometimes our prayers look like chapter one, where you spend days fasting and praying about one particular thing. Sometimes you're praying as you're going, you're just praying as you're making the action. And I think both of these, it's important to note, are prayer. Nehemiah is praying. Looks different. It is prayer. And again, he shows us that the real power here is not the king. Even though the king physically is the one who grants his request, the king is not the one who is in control. God is the one who is in control. So when the king asks, What do you want to do? And his request is simple: just send me back to Jerusalem so I can rebuild the city. The king seems to be a practical guy. I feel like it's good for a king to be. He just asks about a timeline. He doesn't say yes or no yet. How long will it take and when will you come back? Again, a cupbearer was someone trusted by the king, and he's losing a trusted person. So he's concerned. So Nehemiah gives him a timeline, which how on earth would you have any idea? But from the story, we know that he serves as governor over Judah for about twelve years before he returns. But next, as would be smart, Nehemiah doesn't just ask to return, he asks for help. Again, all throughout Ezra and Nehemiah, the kings of Persia, helped the people of Israel, not just by sending them back, but physically, by giving them things. And so he asks for an escort, tell all the governors toward Judah to not stop me, and then he asks for wood and timber. Again, all necessary good things for Nehemiah to have. But again, I just want to focus on verse 8, the end of verse 8. The king granted my request. Praise God. But Nehemiah doesn't stop there. For the gracious hand of my God was on me. The king granted my request because the king was gracious. You could say that about the king. He was gracious. He granted his request when he did not have to. He's the one who gave the order for the rebuilding to stop that we saw in Ezra IV. So you could say that the king was gracious. You could say that the king was kind. You could say Nehemiah was just persuasive. His emotion just evoked that response within the king. But that's not what Nehemiah says. The answer to why the request was granted is because the hand of my God was on me. That's the only reason. That's the only reason. And this is exactly why Nehemiah's ministry, as we're going to see, is so impactful. He knew that above all else, the only way we work, the only way we continue, the only way we have anything is because God is gracious. That's it. Yes, you can fill in the practical things. That this person did this for me, this person provided this for me. This person helped me in this way. It is God's hand through all of that. It is God's hand through all of that. Notice that the grace of God did not remove his fear. I want to highlight this. It did not take away his fear that was multiplied. It simply pushed him through the fear. That's what it did. He was terrified. Rightfully so. You have no idea what the king is going to say. But God's grace sustained him. And not only that, God's grace granted his request. And there are moments in your life, I know there are, where you are afraid. You don't know what to do, you don't know what decision to make, you don't know what to work toward, and you're afraid. Perhaps it's fearful for one of your children, for their salvation. Perhaps you fear for your future, your security, you don't know what lies ahead. Look to Nehemiah. Because he just he didn't just stop being afraid, he was pushed through the fear. Look to the psalmist in Psalm 56, 3. When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Simple as that. So next time you are afraid, trust the Lord. Trust his mercy and grace to sustain you. Does not mean it will be easy, far from it, but his grace will sustain you as you need. Secondly, the second element and effect of God's grace we see in verses 9 through 20. God's grace grants us strength. I'm going to read verses 9 through 20 for us. God's grace grants us strength. I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. I don't know if I have this in my notes, so I might be repeating myself. But again, Persia was very popular for their appointing of they called satraps or governors within these regions. So these would be rulers of the area west of the Euphrates. So from Susa, where Nehemiah lives, all the way to Jerusalem, those people. So he gives them these letters that the king had written. The king, though, 9b had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. When Sanbalat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased. After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days, I got up at night and took a few men with me, didn't tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding. I went out at night through the valley gate toward the serpent's well and the dung gate, and I expected the walls of Jerusalem, that had been broken down, and its gates had been destroyed by fire. I went on to the fountain gate, in the king's pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. So I went up at night by the way of the valley and expected and inspected the wall. Then henne back I entered through the valley gate and returned. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. So I said to them, You see the trouble we are in? Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned. Come, let's rebuild Jerusalem's walls, so that we will no longer be a disgrace. I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, Let's start rebuilding, and their hands were strengthened to do this good work. When Sanbalat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, What is this you're doing? Are you rebelling against the king? I gave them this reply The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem. So after Nehemiah receives permission, he goes west toward Jerusalem, with infantry and a cavalry escort from the king, mind you. But in verse 10, we see some who are not so pleased with what Nehemiah is about to do. Sanbalat and Tobiah. These likely would be two pretty influential men, or they wouldn't be named. But notice what they're upset about specifically, because it's easy to miss this. That someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites. That's what they're concerned about. They weren't just upset that Nehemiah was getting special treatment from the king. They weren't just upset that he was getting wood and cedar from the king. Their anger is directly tied to the people of Israel. They do not want to see God's people prosper. That's simply it. They don't want to see God's people prosper. In verses 11 through 16, Nehemiah spends at least three days in Jerusalem, in part that long, just to inspect the work to be done. He didn't yet announce the work to be done. He's just wandering through the ruins, looking at the damage. He specifically says in 12b, I didn't tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. He hadn't assigned work yet, he hadn't made a plan yet. He was just inspecting the work to be done. This is not a very theological conclusion, but it is a great practical reminder not to jump into your work. Inspect what needs to be done. And he does that. So, after he feels he understands what we're doing, verse 17, so I said to them, You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, its gates have been burned. Come, let's rebuild Jerusalem's wall so that we will no longer be a disgrace. If you just heard that, if you just stopped there, I'd be a little worried. Because Ezra 4 has just taken place, and this same king has just told us to stop working because he thought we were rebelling. So why are you telling me this now? But what does he say? I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. What does he tell them first? The king's declaration? That, hey, we have permission to do this again? No, he reminds them that God is gracious first. Before he says the practical part. So they hear this and they say, Let's do it. Let's start rebuilding. And it says their hands were strengthened to do this work. Again, I have to just highlight Nehemiah's perspective. He shared his story up to this point, which he rightly understood was a story of God's grace alone. There is no other aspect of this story that matters in his mind. God's grace alone. It's not a story of his sway with the king, not bragging about his influence, his power. It is a story of God's gracious hand on his people. That is all. And because of this, they are all encouraged. And they want to rebuild. There is urgency here. Again, the walls would have been destroyed for almost 200 years at this point. 200 years of no security since the Babylonian invasion. And here, after all this time, finally, God's people agreed to rebuild. It says their hands were strengthened. Keep in mind, in Hebrew, it indicates that they strengthened their own hands. This probably is not God's action specifically here, simply meaning they determined in themselves to do the work. They knew it'd be difficult, they knew people would oppose them, like we see in just a second, but they were determined above all else to see it through. And all of it is only possible because God's hand was on his people. But then verse 19. When Tobiah, Sambalad, and then another guy, Geshem, heard about this, they mocked and despised them, and said, What is this you're doing? Are you rebelling against the king? They continue their mockery of God's people, but now other people have joined in. Nehemiah says they mocked and despised us. And again, they taunt, accusing them of rebelling against the king, which just as a reminder, that's the exact same accusation that was brought against the Hebrews in Ezra IV. So they didn't just make that up. They're like, remember, he told you to stop. Are you rebelling against the king? But then Nehemiah, this is just like, if you just make a collection of like drop the mic verses, this is gonna go in that list. Because he doesn't hand them his permission slip or his hall pass and say, No, I can do this. The king is not a part of the equation in his reply. He says, Are you rebelling against the king? That's Artaxerxes. And then Nehemiah doesn't mention Artaxerxes. What does he say in verse 20? The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We his servants will start building. You have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem. Nothing else you can say to that. He boldly declares straight to God's enemies that God is the one who grants success or not. Not the king, not you, not me. God is the one who grants success. He is the one who will hold back the opposition. He is the one who will restore Israel. God's plans cannot be stopped by anyone. No opposing party or power can stop that. He is confident in the power and grace of God to strengthen his people. He's seen God move before and trusts that God will move again. Like, don't forget, because this this isn't just a story, this matters to you, because within these walls, if anything good is to happen, proper worship, salvation, restoration, repentance, service, fellowship, any good thing, it's because God's gracious hand is on our church. That's the only reason. Like I hope you know that. I hope you believe that. Nothing else will do the work but God's grace. Thirdly and finally, I don't know how long I'm going. I've been going longer recently, I apologize. But there's a lot to cover here. Thank you. Chapter three is an interesting chapter. And I debated if I was gonna read this or not. But I think I'm gonna read it, and and I'll tell you why. It's one of those chapters where you have a long list of names, and it's really easy to get caught up in the pronunciation. So I'm gonna just, forewarning, I will butcher some of these names, and that's okay, because God's gracious hand is on me. So I'm gonna read chapter three, and when I read these names, I want you to remember that these are real people. These were individuals who were doing the work of God inspired by the grace of God. These are real people. This is a real story. 3 verse 1. The high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests began rebuilding the sheep gate. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building the wall to the tower of the hundred and the tower of Hananel, they dedicated it. The men of Jericho built next to Eliashib, and next to them Zachar, son of Imri, built. The son of Hasanah built the fish gate, they built it with beams installed in its doors, bolts, and bars. Next to them Mimerath, Mirath, son of Uriah, and Hakkuz made repairs. Beside them Mashalom, son of Barakiah, and Mashizabel made repairs. Next to them Zadok, son of Bana, made repairs. Beside them the Tekuites made repairs, but their nobles did not lift a finger to help their supervisors. Joeda, son of Passa and Mashalom, son of Bessudeah, repaired the old gate. They built it with or they built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. Next to them the repairs were done by Melitiah the Gibbonite, Jadon the Maronathite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, who were under the authority of the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River. After him, Uziel, son of Harhiah the goldsmith, made repairs, and next to him Hananiah, the son of the perfumer, made repairs. They restored Jerusalem as far as the broad wall. Next to them, Raphah, son of Hur, ruler of the district, of the half district of Jerusalem, made repairs. After them, Jedediah, son of Haramuth, made repairs across from his house. Next to him Hattush, the son of Hashaboniah, made repairs. Melchizedek, son of Harem, and Hashab, son of Path of Moab, made repairs to another section, as well to the Tower of the ovens. Beside him, Shalom, son of Halohesh, ruler of the half district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters. Hanan and the inhabitants of Zenoah repaired the valley gate, they rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars, and repaired five hundred yards of the wall to the dung gate. Malchaih, son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakarim, repaired the dung gate, he rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. Shalon, son of Kol Hose, the ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the fountain gate, he rebuilt it and roofed it, then he installed its doors, bolts, and bars. He also made repairs to the wall of the pool of Shelah, near the king's garden, as far as the stairs that descended from the city of David. After him, Nehemiah, son of Azbuk, ruler of the half district of Bethzur, made repairs to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool in the house of the warriors. Next to him the Levites made repairs under Rahim, son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of the Hash district of Kaliah, or Kala, made reports of his district. After him their fellow Levites made repairs under Biun or Binui, son of Henadad, ruler of the Hass District of Kalah. Next to him, Ezar, son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, made repairs to another section, opposite the ascent of the armory at the angle. After him Barak, son of Bai, diligently repaired another section, from the angle to the door, to the house of the high priest Eliashib. Beside him, Merrimouth, son of Uriah, son of Hakkaz, made repair to another section, from the door of Eliashib's house to the end of the house. Next to him the priests from the surrounding area made repairs. After them Benjamin and Hashab made repairs to the opposite house, or opposite their house. Beside them Azariah, son of Masayah, son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. After him Benui, son of Hinadad, made repairs to another section, from the house of Azariah, to the angle of the corner. Palal, son of Uzai, made repairs opposite the angle and tower that juts out from the king's upper palace, by the courtyard of the guard. Beside him Padiah, son of Perash, and twelve temple servants living in the Ofel made repairs opposite the water gate, toward the east, in the tower that juts out. Next to him the Tekwites made repairs to another section from a point opposite the great tower that juts out, as far as the wall of Ofel. Each of the priests made their repairs above the horse gate, each opposite his own house. After them Zadok, son of Immer, made repairs opposite his house, and beside him Shemiah, son of Shechaniah, guard of the east gate, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah, son of Shalemiah, the Hannan, or Anan, the sixth son of Zalaf, made repairs to another section. After them, Mashalem, son of Barakiah, made repairs opposite his room. Next to him, Malkhijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs to the house of the temple servants, and the merchants opposite the inspection gate, and as far as the upstairs room in the corner. The goldsmiths and merchants made repairs between the upstairs room on the corner and the sheep gate. Thank you for following along. There's so much to note here. So just a few elements that I want to highlight. Firstly and formally, again, God's grace grants unity in work. Who's working in chapter three? Everybody. Everybody's working. All of those names I just read are very, very different people. Some of them are not even Jews. Unity is all over this chapter. Every group of Israelite has a task that they are to perform. Leadership starts the work. Families and individuals join in. Workers of different trades. You see, perfumers and goldsmiths are rebuilding walls. Leaders and families, towns and neighbors. There's personal responsibilities given. Temple workers, Levites, specialists. Every Israelite is involved in this and has a place and work to be done. And that is exactly what the grace of God accomplishes for his people: unity. We are the people of God united by the very blood of Christ. There is nothing else on this earth more unifying than that. United in salvation, united in purpose, in mission, united in worship. We are his even more than the Israelites are united in this chapter. And I mean that. People who have placed their faith in Christ are even more united than the Israelites in this chapter. Because that type of divine unity is on full display. But here's what I really want you to walk away with. While the work is different, the people are different, right? We're not rebuilding a wall. We're not goldsmiths in this room. But one thing is the same. We share the same God, and that same God has called us to share in his work together. It does not matter what the work is, what matters is we share the same God. I've said it time and time again, but the mission of our church, that's Northeast Fellowship here, is to be a people who gather to know Christ and go to make him known. If we are doing something that does not help us do one of those two things, we shouldn't do it. And there is a place in that for every single one of you in this room. Every one of you has something to do. Like for crying out loud, they're rebuilding the walls of a giant city and they're hiring perfumers, not hiring, using perfumers. There is room for priests, perfumers, goldsmiths. There is absolutely then room for your work in the church somewhere. That is, in fact, the way God moves and works today, through his church. That's how he chooses to operate in our world today, through the body of believers he has redeemed. Ephesians 3.10. This is so that God's multifaceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. The church, the very wisdom of God is made known through you, like you, not like theoretically, like you individually. As a part of the church, you and me, that's Northeast Fellowship, that's Cherokee Hills Baptist Church, that's Portland Avenue Baptist Church, that's FBC, whatever. That's you. Like we make now God's wisdom known, both earthly and heavenly powers. Simply meaning it is a spiritual reality that the church brings forth in its ministry. So, where is your place? The grace of God is the thing that brings unity, and if you've placed your faith in Jesus, he has united you to his people. Whether you feel united, whether you feel disconnected or not, not theoretically, or once you feel comfortable, or once you find a place where you really like the worship, once you place your faith in Christ, you are united to his people. This does not mean we don't need church membership. I just talked about that earlier, or faithful attendance, or anything like that. I say all this to say, I think, myself included, we often look at the people within our church as like kind of different tiers, like different levels. You've got your pastors, like I preach every Sunday, so you know I'm I'm viewed as the pastor which I am. Then you've got your deacons, and then maybe you've got like your Sunday school teachers or the people who answer all the right questions in Sunday school, and then there's me. I don't really know a lot, I don't feel really called, I am afraid to answer some of the questions, I feel like I don't get involved. Get that out of your mind right now. Out of your mind. We are all one in Christ Jesus. And guess what? My job is the same job as yours. It is the same job as yours. I just have to talk longer than you do. To see God's kingdom grow through the advancement of the gospel to the glory of his name. That's your job. That's my job. This entire book, but especially these chapters, reveal the efficacious nature of God's grace. It actually does something. It's not just like we feel good because we have salvation, it accomplishes things through his people. It's what allows us to overcome fear as we saw, it's what gives us strength to do the work of the ministry when we would otherwise not be able to, and it is what unites us unto the work. God's gracious hand, therefore, is the power behind every single work. So the call of these few chapters is simple. Just two things for you. Where you need to either pursue deeper the grace of God personally, or pursue deeper work because of the grace of God. This is not a work for the sake of working, but it's a work knowing that God has given us the job of ministry on earth. So just ask yourself: where do I need to be a part of the advancement of God's kingdom? Where can I be used by God? Perfumers were building walls. That's what God's grace does. Where do you need to be used by God? For some of you, it is just to realign yourself under God's grace. You've forgotten how gracious God is. You have not pursued God, you have not spent time with God in prayer or in his word. Remind yourself of his goodness, remind yourself of his salvation. Just do that this morning. Maybe some of you just need to stop and praise God for his grace. For some of you, I'm sure, you need to place your faith in Jesus. You have never believed in the God who came for you. You have yet to experience the grace of God in an efficacious way in salvation. Do that this morning. You just believe in the person and work of Christ Jesus that he lived and came and died for you and was raised again. Do that this morning. We are united because Christ is the one who unites. But for some of you who are believers, you feel far from God, you're not experiencing the grace of God how you should. I just want to remind you, it is not God who is far, which is hard to wrestle with sometimes. God is not the one who walked away from you. God did not stop being gracious. So just pursue him this morning. And finally, if you feel you're in a good place spiritually, you're strong in your faith, you feel knowledgeable in the character of God, you remind yourself of his grace, just simply ask, where can I join the work? I want you to hear from me, from this pulpit. First, if there is any, and uh pastors are afraid to say that, if there is anything that you are passionate about, any ministry, any person, any work, just tell me. And I'm gonna be your biggest cheerleader. I'm gonna be like, great, what do you need for me to go do it? Don't wait for me. Don't wait for Preston. Don't wait for a member you think is better than you. Just what is God calling you to do and just do it? Just go work. Where does God have you in his church? If you are remotely interested in helping somewhere, just do it. Like again, I will support you in whatever. Just do it. If there's a ministry you feel we're neglecting, tell me. God has probably put that on your heart for a reason. Don't wait for permission. Just do the work that God is calling you to do. That's my ask. In a moment, we're gonna respond through prayer as we always do every Sunday, and a partaking of the Lord's Supper. So during that time, I just want you to reflect on what's next. Is it deeper service? Is it deeper grace? Whatever it may be, just pursue God this morning. In order, again, as a reminder, to partake in the elements. This is a scripture-based command. Be a believer, baptized in Christ Jesus in order to partake, but everyone respond, however, the Spirit's leading you. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the story of Nehemiah. We thank you for the gift of your grace, that it empowers us to do things we are so unqualified to do. You have commanded that your church take the gospel message to the nations, and we somehow get to be a part of that. And so I just ask that you would equip our church to be a part of the work you have, that you would lay on our heart convictions, things we wish to do, people we want to see come to Christ, that you would convict our heart of that and equip us to go do the work of the ministry just like you did in Nehemiah chapter three. I pray that this passage would encourage us, it would remind us that you are the one behind all of our work, and that would spur us on. Pray all of these things by your Spirit's power for Christ's name's sake. Amen.