WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.400 Where in the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament, God's people have been conquered by other nations. 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:05.839 They've been hauled off. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:10.160 And then beginning in 539 BC, they began to return to their homeland. 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:13.759 When they began to return back to Jerusalem, they rebuilt the temple. 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:18.239 After they rebuilt the temple, they restored worship in the temple. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:24.800 And then as they're doing that, Nehemiah, still in a foreign land, he learns that the walls around Jerusalem were broken down. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:34.079 So that meant that Jerusalem, his center of his faith, the city that was so important to him and his people, was vulnerable to attack if they ever became enemies of other people. 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:37.280 And so Nehemiah returns to rebuild the wall. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:44.640 And today we're nearing the end of this project, nearing the end of these walls being rebuilt. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:49.439 And as he nears the end, his opposition increases. 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:53.600 Now maybe you're here and you have something you want to do, just something meaningful. 00:00:53.840 --> 00:01:04.719 Something meaningful in your life that you want to do, you want to accomplish good grades, get into a certain college, a healthy work-life balance, spiritual practices, a loving marriage, responsible, kind children. 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:10.000 Maybe you own a business, you want to own a business, you want your business to be profitable, you want to build a garden. 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:14.159 You have a vision, you have something meaningful you want to do. 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:18.799 Maybe you are a mom and you have a home, and maybe you have a husband. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:20.000 Maybe you have a job. 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:23.920 And your children who just keep needing you, right? 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:27.599 And if you're young, it feels like you're drowning in children. 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:31.760 They literally are just pulling, they're on you, just weighing you down. 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:36.480 And then you get to my stage of parenting and it switches and you get freedom back. 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:37.920 Some of you know what I'm talking about. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.079 Some younger ones you have no idea what I'm talking about. 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:42.319 And then you get this stage and it reverses. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:43.599 Oh, you want to hang out with me? 00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:45.040 Oh, you oh, you want to hang out? 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:45.680 You want to go for a walk? 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:46.400 Yeah, I'll go for a walk. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:46.719 Let's go. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:49.359 If you want to be with me, sure, I'll clear the calendar. 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:50.799 Let's go for a walk. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:52.959 We all have something meaningful. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:57.760 Something meaningful in our lives, something meaningful we want to do, something we're dreaming about, something we're working on. 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:00.239 Nehemiah keeps giving us the brutal truth. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:05.519 We have visions, we have callings, and you will face obstacles. 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:08.879 Fear begins to whisper, obstacles show up. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:10.000 Nehemiah 6. 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:14.560 We're going to read through this entire chapter, and we're going to break it down in different sections. 00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:16.000 Verses 1 through 4. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:29.439 Now when Saint Balat and Tobiah and Geshep the Arab, so this is Nehemiah's opposition, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, and there was no breach left in it, although up to that time I had not set up the doors and the gates. 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:36.240 Saint Balat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come and let us meet together at Hekaphiram in the plain of Onoh. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:38.960 But they intended to do me harm. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:43.280 And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:46.960 Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you? 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:50.159 And they sent to me four times in this way. 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:52.879 And I answered them in the same manner. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:03:00.080 Point number one is this is distractions often increase as we move forward in our calling. 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:03.039 I can remember finals week in college. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:05.199 Here's a picture of me in college just for your own amusement. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:06.159 A lot of hair. 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:14.159 And during college, finals week, some of you remember Monday final? 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:16.400 Yeah, I mean, I'm gonna lock in over the weekend. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:17.199 I'm gonna study hard. 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:18.879 I am gonna grades mean a lot. 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:20.159 Tuesday, Wednesday, yeah. 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:21.199 I am locking in. 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:22.560 I'm buckling down. 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:24.639 Grades mean everything to me. 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:27.599 Thursday final grades mean a little bit, not so much. 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:29.439 Yeah, I'm gonna study a little bit. 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:31.199 Friday, nothing matters. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:33.280 That Friday test, forget it. 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:34.240 You don't care. 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:37.840 Every distraction imaginable increases, right? 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:42.240 Yeah, I can throw the frisbee, lay up at the pool, get ice cream, milkshake, we'll go for a walk, whatever. 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:47.520 Like the distractions as you near the end seem to always increase. 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:50.000 We call it senioritis, right? 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.599 Some of you have it right now as you're finishing school. 00:03:54.159 --> 00:04:00.000 These people are finishing the wall, the gaps are closing in, those distractions increase. 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.719 So this enemy's pulling out all the stops. 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:04.080 They invite Nehemiah. 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:05.919 Hey, hey, we just want to talk. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:09.039 Hey, they don't want these walls built. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:11.120 They don't want this city getting stronger. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:12.319 Hey, let's just talk. 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:13.039 Just come on down. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:15.199 Yeah, you can take a break from your work, it's no big deal. 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:17.600 Nehemiah isn't tricked by the distraction. 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:25.600 We can say this: Nehemiah had discernment through the distraction for what really mattered. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:27.839 Through the distraction. 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:33.519 This week I read this prayer, as in a commentary on this chapter, this Nehemiah 6. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:34.480 And here's the prayer. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:41.120 Like Nehemiah, help us to have spiritual discernment that keeps us focused on the work you've set before us. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:46.879 We can easily become distracted by good things that ultimately are not the best thing. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:53.439 Give us the wisdom to discern your will and avoid the temptations that seek to lead us astray. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:55.839 The story goes on, verse five. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:05:02.000 In the same way, same Balat, for the fifth time, sent his servants to me with an open letter in his hand. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:08.399 In it was written, It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:11.199 That is why you're re that's why you're building the wall. 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.079 And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:21.199 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, there is a king in Judah, and now the king will hear of these reports. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:23.680 So now come and let us take counsel together. 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:31.600 Then I sent him, saying, No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind. 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:38.560 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking their hands will drop from the work and it will not be done. 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:41.600 But now, O God, strengthen my hands. 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:47.759 Point number two, we move through distraction by remaining plugged into God as our strength. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:55.120 Verses 8 and 9, Nehemiah sends the letter, in short, the response to the stuff that these other people just made up. 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:56.319 They just made stuff up. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:58.800 Hey, we hear you saying this, you're doing this, you're doing this. 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:03.759 And Nehemiah says, in short, he says, You don't know what you're talking about. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:05.199 You are ridiculous. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:08.399 And then he just returns back to God and says, God, strengthen my hands. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:11.360 Like you're ridiculous, God, strengthen my hands. 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.480 He sees the distraction for exactly what it is. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:23.279 And he's secure enough not to get caught up in it, wasting time defending himself to somebody who doesn't care about him. 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:28.160 I mean, how easy is that? 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:33.120 Somebody will say something about you, and you begin a new mission. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:34.240 New mission. 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:40.480 The new mission is I'm gonna leave what God's called me to do to defend myself to somebody who doesn't really even care about me. 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:48.000 It's wasted time, wasted energy, it's wasted emotional energy. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:55.680 It's easy to functionally unplug from God and plug into some other person who's just saying something about you. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:02.560 When the call is to abide in Christ, here's John 15, 5. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:04.480 This is from the message version. 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:05.759 Live in me. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.240 It's Jesus speaking, live in me. 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.680 Make your home in me just as I do in you. 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:17.360 In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself, but only by being joined in the vine. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:20.319 You can't bear fruit unless you're joined with me. 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:24.720 I think there's two ways to live when I think about it. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:32.560 There's the way of distraction and exhaustion, where the world is our home, and then we go to deal with God. 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:41.279 And then there's the way of strength and rest where God is our home, and then we deal with the world. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:46.000 Nehemiah teaches us that people will say stuff. 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:48.480 But God's our home. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:51.680 God's our home, and then we'll deal with the world. 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:56.319 Somebody's gonna say something. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:02.480 It's your decision whether you get on the roller coaster and you get entangled in all that? 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:06.319 Or whether you stay doing the work you're called to do. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:08.399 Our home is in Jesus. 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:09.279 We have callings. 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:10.720 Oh God, strengthen my hands. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:13.040 Verse 10, Nehemiah 6, 10 through 14. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:24.560 Now when I went into the house of Shemiah, the son of Deliah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, Let us meet together in the house of God within the temple. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:27.759 Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:30.319 They are coming to kill you by night. 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:34.879 But I said, Should such a man as I run away? 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:38.000 And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:39.279 I will not go in. 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:47.840 And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me, because Tobiah and Saint Balat, remember the opposition? 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:48.879 They hired him. 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:50.080 Verse 13. 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:58.240 For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:08.879 Remember Tobiah and Saint Balat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:12.320 Point number three is this fear is a poor counselor. 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:20.799 So this spiritual counselor shows up to Nehemiah, but everything he says is fear and discouragement. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:26.159 And then we learn in verse 12 that he was hired by the opposition, he was paid off. 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:30.480 So he acts wise, but he's just speaking fear. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.840 And that's where Nehemiah just responds and says, Should I run away? 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:39.600 Nehemiah has this unbelievable ability to stay focused on the thing that he's called to do. 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:45.440 So somebody shows up into your life and begins to speak wisdom, advice. 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:49.200 When someone's giving you advice, I think we should filter it. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:52.879 Here are some questions that I will ask myself. 00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:54.639 You can take them for what they're worth. 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:56.080 Somebody's giving me advice. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:58.720 Does this advice line up with Scripture? 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:00.960 Who is this person? 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:02.399 And where are they coming from? 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:04.000 Me, like, do they love me? 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:05.120 Do they know me? 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:07.039 Do they know my context? 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:10.720 Do they have a personal interest in this issue? 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:14.720 Because that wisdom can sure get shifted quick if they have a personal interest. 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:19.759 Are they speaking from the burden of fear or the goodness of wisdom? 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:23.679 Are they speaking from the burden of fear or the goodness of love? 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:35.039 In our first year of a church, 12 years ago, early on that first year, I'd wake up Sunday morning, I'd wake up at 3:30, not by alarm, not because I'm some spiritual giant. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:38.879 I would be so worried nobody was going to show up. 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:42.000 I'd just wake up just anxious. 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:44.559 Go sit in the den, look over the sermon. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:45.840 Is this gonna be enough? 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:47.519 Is anybody gonna show up? 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:55.600 And we go to the preschool, and 50 people would be there, 60 people would be there, and I'd preach what was best I could do as a 33-year-old. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:05.840 One Monday I open my email, I get an email from some guy, and he ripped me to pieces. 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:12.960 He didn't even go to church. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:15.519 I guess he listened online. 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:19.039 It was an articulate critique. 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:27.039 I I I don't necessarily even think he was wrong, but it was all discouraged. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:28.720 It wasn't the sandwich, right? 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:30.559 Like positive, negative, positive. 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:31.919 Like, like I'll receive that. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:32.960 Like give me a sandwich. 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:34.879 I can deal with a sandwich. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:39.919 It was just an entire email picking me apart. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:43.039 And I felt horrible. 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:44.720 I beat myself up. 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:46.799 I went back and listened to the sermon. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:53.360 Oh, I every um and every uh and every like everything just stood out after he pointed it out. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:56.639 I mean, for the whole week, I just felt horrible. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:58.240 Like, we are gonna fail. 00:11:58.480 --> 00:11:59.600 We are gonna fail. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:01.120 It's gonna fail. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:02.720 And I'm gonna lose my job. 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:04.159 I won't have a paycheck. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:05.360 My family's gonna suffer. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:06.799 Who knows what's gonna happen? 00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:08.320 And then I realized something. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:11.120 He doesn't know me. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:13.200 I don't know this person. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:14.879 And he doesn't know me. 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:16.559 He doesn't even come to our church. 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:18.159 He doesn't know our context. 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:19.519 He doesn't know our leaders. 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:21.919 He doesn't know anything about us. 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:23.919 Right? 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:27.919 I wasn't filtering the advice through anything. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:29.440 I just took it. 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:34.480 Nehemiah teaches us we need to filter advice when we get it. 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:38.000 Because sometimes advice is wonderful and we need to receive all of it. 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:43.120 Sometimes it's a critique and we need to learn from the criticism, but sometimes it's just fear and discouragement. 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:45.360 And we don't have to demonize them and stamp them. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:48.080 We can just go like thank you. 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:49.519 Delete. 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:50.639 Move on. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:53.360 Let's finish the chapter. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:55.279 Nehemiah, verse 15. 00:12:55.519 --> 00:13:00.320 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul in the fifty-two days. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:01.360 52 days. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:03.679 They did this in 52 days, built these walls. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:13.519 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid, and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:19.039 Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:32.480 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah, the son of Arah, and his son Jehonan, and take the daughter of Meshelem, the son of Barekiah, as his wife. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:36.480 Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:40.240 And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:44.879 So that's a great example of delete. 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:47.600 Point number four, do not fear. 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:49.519 God finishes what he begins. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:52.080 The wall's finished in 52 days. 00:13:52.320 --> 00:14:01.039 And even in the end, even when it's over, there's still messages, voices of fear and of discouragement. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:08.399 Scotty Smith in his book, Objects of His Affection, that's you, you are the object of God's affection. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:09.919 Wrote this. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:18.480 Interestingly enough, the most asked question in the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is how long, O Lord, how long? 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:24.399 And the most repeated command from God is do not fear or do not be afraid. 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:30.639 The people of God consistently cry out for relief, and the God of love bids us trust Him. 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:37.919 Beloved, we have a source to plug into, and it's not the voices of everybody else that fear and discouragement. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.679 It's the God who knows you and loves you and is for you. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:45.120 It's one problem. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:49.679 And it's been the problem with all the other sermons as well in this book of Nehemiah. 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:52.639 The problem is, we don't always behave like Nehemiah. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:54.639 We're not always faithful. 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:56.720 We don't always persevere. 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:59.200 Sometimes we don't discern what's best. 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:01.919 Sometimes we do give in to those voices of fear. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.000 Sometimes we are the voice of fear. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:05.519 Sometimes we do run away. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.279 Some of us have run away. 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:11.039 Sometimes we're our own worst enemies. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:14.080 That's why we've been saying this. 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:22.960 Nehemiah shows us something about perseverance and then points us to Jesus, our forever gate and walls of protection. 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:30.960 This morning when I was on my morning walk and I was thinking about Nehemiah 6, and I was thinking about Mother's Day, and I was thinking about you, Mamas. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:37.679 And my prayer was for you to see more and more, you are not the perfect Nehemiah. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:40.960 You're the wall. 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:45.759 I know you feel like the Nehemiah, working on the wall, working on your children, building them up. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:46.799 And you're doing that. 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:49.440 We're gonna learn as much lessons from Nehemiah as we can. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:53.039 But we have to see that we are actually the wall. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:56.080 Nehemiah is a picture of Christ. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:00.720 That Jesus is at work in us just like he's at work in our children. 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:03.360 Christ is at work in our hearts. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:06.960 Jesus died the death that we deserve because we are not perfect. 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:10.960 We are not perfect, Nehemiahs, perfect mamas or dads or kids. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:14.240 Jesus lived the life that we should live. 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:19.679 Jesus lived the life of obedience and righteousness and faithfulness and perseverance. 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:25.679 And that righteous record, as much as we're fully forgiven, that righteous record is given to us. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:27.919 We fully received that. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:31.440 Jesus had a clear calling to teach us and die for us. 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:39.120 Jesus was faithful to the calling, despite distraction, despite opposition, he was faithful. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:46.799 And while we desire to be like Nehemiah, we are much more like the wall needing to be worked on. 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:51.200 Maybe you remember how we've been finishing these sermons. 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:53.120 This point number five. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:06.799 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:14.559 So walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:21.680 Twice in those verses, in him, once in verse 6, once in verse 7, in him, walk in him, in him. 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:25.039 Not in your perfect mothering. 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:29.200 Not in your perfect record of a businessman or a dad. 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:31.359 Not in your perfect record as a child. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:33.519 In him. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:37.519 He is rooting us, he is building us, he's establishing us. 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:41.039 Jesus is this sufficient and wonderful and lovely to us. 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:42.640 Let's pray together. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:53.599 Heavenly Father, thank you that while we are broken down like a broken wall, you are at work and you fully know us and fully love us while we're broken. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:59.359 Thank you for the gift of Jesus, that we are fully forgiven in Jesus, and we are fully righteous in Jesus. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.599 Help us to trust you all the more. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:09.119 Would we be more in awe of you today? 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:11.839 How good and lovely you are for us. 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:13.359 In Christ's name. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:14.240 Amen.