WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:05.120 Now, if you would stand together as we read the scripture for today, go ahead and stand together. 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:07.360 This is Nehemiah 3, 1 through 5. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:12.560 Doug said he did not want to read this passage because it has about 18 difficult names. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:15.679 So I'm gonna try my try my best. 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:19.600 Then Eliashib, see right away, second word. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:24.640 Eliashib, the high priest, rose up with his brothers the priest, and they built the sheep gate. 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:26.719 They consecrated it, set its doors. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:31.440 They consecrated it as far as the tower of the hundred, as far as the tower of Hananel. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:37.200 And next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zakor, the son of Imri, built. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:50.159 The sons of Hasanah built the fish gate, they laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and next to them Merrimouth, the son of Uriah, son of Hakaz, repaired. 00:00:50.320 --> 00:01:06.480 And next to them Meshalom, the son of Barakiah, the son of Meshazbel, repaired, and next to them Zadok, the son of Banah repaired, and next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord. 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:08.079 The word of the Lord. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:09.920 Alright, what in the world? 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:14.959 What in the world did that have to do with my life, right? 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:16.239 That's what you're thinking. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.760 And thank you that you were not asked to read that, right? 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:24.560 Alright, so we're in the third week studying the book of Nehemiah. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:26.400 Nehemiah's Old Testament book. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:30.480 Nehemiah lives about a thousand miles from Jerusalem. 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:32.560 He lives in this town called Susa. 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:43.760 But what he hears while he's in Susa, a thousand miles from Jerusalem, he hears that the center of his faith, the city called Jerusalem, the walls around it are broken down. 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:48.640 They're just demolished. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:50.159 The city's vulnerable. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:54.319 And so he decides he's gonna do something about that. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:02:03.599 Now studying Nehemiah is sort of like uh seeing Karate Kid Part 2 without seeing Karate Kid. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:04.079 Okay? 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:05.280 So stick with me. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:06.319 Very profound. 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:09.039 Uh so Daniel and Mr. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:12.879 Miyagi and Karate Kid Part 2, they go to Japan. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:13.840 Right? 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:21.439 But you don't understand how deep and wonderful this relationship is if you haven't seen the first movie, right? 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:21.840 Mr. 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:25.520 Miyagi rescues Daniel, trains Daniel, right? 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:28.639 I mean, everybody over 40, we know, wax on. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:34.240 Paint the fence, right? 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:36.400 I mean, we we know it, right? 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:44.960 So in Karate Kid Part 2, when he's fighting like a ninja expert, like we're going, like, man, Daniel has come so far. 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:46.400 Like, we're so proud of him. 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:47.280 We know Mr. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:48.879 Miyagi trained him. 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.439 Because we remember when Daniel got the beat down, right? 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:55.360 From Johnny and the gang, and Mr. 00:02:55.520 --> 00:03:00.479 Miyagi like appears out of the mist and jumps the fence and takes everybody out. 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:06.800 So we need to know the full story for something to make sense or to be able to get the meaning of all of it. 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:10.800 And Nehemiah is the same way, it only makes sense as we know the bigger stories. 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:16.479 We know the story coming into Nehemiah, and we know the story of where Nehemiah is taking us. 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:17.599 So here's what we learned. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:20.479 Pastor Matt laid this out in the first sermon on Nehemiah. 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:23.599 The book of Nehemiah takes place at the end of a period called the exile. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:29.840 So in 722 BC, that's before Christ, the northern kingdom, Israel, is conquered by Assyria. 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:35.599 Around 597, 586 BC, the southern kingdom, Judah, is conquered by Babylon. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:37.759 And at that time, the temple is destroyed. 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:42.479 Many of those people at that point are taken into exile to a foreign land. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:47.199 So then 539 BC, King Cyrus of Persia defeats Babylon. 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:51.840 In the first wave, a group of Israelites return back to Israel. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:54.080 They begin to rebuild the temple. 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:58.560 And then we get Ezra, which is the book before Nehemiah, 458 BC. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:04.400 Ezra, right before Nehemiah, is sent to Israel, begins to restore worship in that temple that was rebuilt. 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:13.759 And then we get, finally we get, to Nehemiah, 445 BC, and Nehemiah is sent to Jerusalem to rebuild these walls around the city. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:18.000 So Nehemiah 3 is the chapter we're in, just filled with names. 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:19.040 Filled with names. 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:22.959 This guy's building this, this family's building this, this person's building, filled with names. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:26.160 It's all about repairing the walls. 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:40.000 And so our question this morning is like once we're burdened with something, to do something, anything, whatever that thing is for you, like how how do we work to accomplish that thing? 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:43.040 How do we work to accomplish that something? 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:46.399 A couple of months ago, I was on my way home from a class in St. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.160 Louis and I was on a Delta flight from St. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:49.279 Louis back to Atlanta. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:52.720 About halfway through the flight, a lady walks out of the bathroom. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:57.600 As soon as she walks out of the bathroom, she collapses on the floor in the aisle. 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:02.879 Immediately, one of the flight attendants, a guy, he rushes up to her kind of her head. 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:04.160 He kneels at her head. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.120 He never moves from her head for the next, say, 20 minutes or so. 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:11.040 Then he checks her pulse, checks her breathing, he makes sure she's stabilized. 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:17.759 He starts barking out orders to the other flight attendants, get some oxygen, get a pillow, get this, get a blanket. 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:19.839 He asks for medical personnel. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:21.839 No medical personnel in the entire flight. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:22.720 Nobody can help. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:25.759 So they get a C B out of the wall. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:27.120 Have you seen this? 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:39.680 They plug it into like the ceiling of the plane and a late, like the flight attendant's on a C B, like a C B radio, like an old C B radio, like I guess talking to a doctor somewhere on the ground somewhere. 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:44.879 And then once we were like, once we know she is stable, I take this picture. 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:47.120 I'm not taking a picture of like a dying woman. 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:51.279 Like, I mean, I'm hard-hearted, but that's a line for me. 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:53.439 So she's not dying there. 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:54.160 She's fine. 00:05:54.319 --> 00:05:55.759 We know she's fine. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:06:00.399 Um, and this guy right here, this slide scene, he's unbelievable. 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:02.480 He was unbelievable. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:05.360 I mean, he is like a leader of leaders. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:09.120 How calm he stays, how kind he's delegating. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.800 I mean, toward the end of the process, he looks up from where he's at. 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:19.839 He looks at the people, the couple sitting in one A and one B, and he says, Hey, would you mind moving to the back of the plane? 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:23.839 And this lady and her daughter moving up and sitting in these seats for the rest of the flight. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:25.199 This is the kind of leader he is. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.560 One A and one B people move to the back of the plane. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:30.399 Like he could convince them. 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:32.319 That's the leadership we have here. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:36.480 He was leading one A and one B people to the back of the plane. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:38.240 I mean, it's unbelievable leadership. 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:40.879 I was like, this is unbelievable what's going on here. 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:42.160 The guy is just a leader. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:43.360 He's willing to work. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:45.519 He was calm, he was seeking help. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.279 He wasn't trying to do everything. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:49.839 He was communicating, he's delegating. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:52.959 Now, maybe you're here and you have something. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:53.680 Something. 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:58.399 Something in front of you, some problem, something you need to accomplish, you need to work through. 00:06:58.480 --> 00:06:59.360 There's a goal. 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:06.079 Grades, college, a better job, church, a job, a ministry, a small group, a Bible study, investments, retirement, a garden. 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:07.279 Anybody work in the yard yesterday? 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:07.839 It's beautiful. 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:08.959 Anybody work in the yard? 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:10.480 Anybody think about working in the yard? 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:11.360 You just thought about it. 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:13.120 Thought about it. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:15.519 A better golf swing. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:18.560 I'd love to be able to cast a fly line into the wind. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:19.680 Like on a windy day. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:21.040 That's really hard. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:27.519 So Nehemiah 3 gives us lessons on leadership and how to accomplish something because that's what's going on here. 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.240 It's a big group of people building some walls. 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:32.319 So we get some lessons. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:37.279 And then Nehemiah also points us to our one perfect leader. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:40.240 So let's read the text, Nehemiah 3, verse 1. 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:45.360 Then Eliashib, the high priest, rose up with his brothers and priests, and they built the sheep gate. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.800 So they built the gates first and then they went out from there. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:50.959 They consecrated it and set its doors. 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:54.879 They consecrated as far as the tower of the hundred, as far as the tower of Hananel. 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:59.920 So point number one is this none of us are above hard work and grit. 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:04.720 Fifty names are mentioned in this chapter. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:07.040 Fifty names in one chapter. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:13.040 Fifty people working, but the first name mentioned is the high priest Eliasha. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:14.399 Now why? 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:18.639 Because nobody is above hard work and grit. 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:21.120 But, look at verse 5. 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:29.279 And next to them, the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve the Lord. 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:41.279 So the idea here in the Hebrew language is the nobles, these nobles, would not bend their necks to what the Lord called them to do. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:49.120 See, at first we think the issues between like hard work and laziness, but there's an issue under the issue. 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:51.360 And the issue is submission. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:54.480 Will your heart bend to God? 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:58.080 Or do you think you're above Him? 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:02.559 The very God who incarnates and washes feet? 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:04.799 Like, do you think you're above? 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.759 Do I think I'm above certain types of work? 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:12.240 Can we humble our hearts to what God is calling us? 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:21.039 And then when we do that, and God is calling us, there will probably be hard work and grit required. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:23.039 Which gives us point number two. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:27.039 While God is in control, we are called to hard work, to work hard. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:32.639 Theologically, we can say it this way: divine sovereignty uses human means. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:35.919 So God had decreed the restoration of Jerusalem. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:39.360 And then God uses the hard work of his people. 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:51.039 God being sovereign over your life doesn't mean that you don't need to work hard to find the job or keep the job or get the better job or to make the grade or get encologed or work through some issue. 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:57.279 God's sovereignty lets you work hard without fear and anxiety. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:07.919 We get to be free from obsession over the outcome because God is sovereign, but it doesn't excuse us from hard work or grit. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:09.759 Nehemiah 3, verse 2. 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:14.879 And next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zakor and the son of Imra built. 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:24.879 So point number three is this the church ministers, the church works best when we peacefully work together. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:30.000 Priests, rulers, common people are all included in this chapter three. 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:32.559 They all worked on this wall. 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:39.519 So much of our world breaks us down by socioeconomic status or ability. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:44.960 The places we go, the places we can't go, the places we can afford to go, the places we don't want to go. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:48.799 But the world breaks us out socioeconomically. 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:50.399 The church is different. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:52.080 You just get to walk in. 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:53.519 Anybody can walk in. 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:54.799 You sit wherever you want. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:56.799 There's no glory seats in this sanctuary. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:59.200 I'd be sitting in the back if I was with you. 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:01.279 I'd be sitting with Doug and Bo. 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:02.960 I'd be sitting with Albert. 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:04.480 Like I'd be in the back. 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:05.519 I'm a back row guy. 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:07.279 I'd have to sit up front because of my job. 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:08.240 You sit wherever you want. 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:09.519 You can sit right up front if you want to. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:10.639 You can come sit next to me. 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:11.679 I don't care. 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:14.399 It's open for anybody. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:18.240 It doesn't matter your socioeconomic status. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:22.559 And then the people around you, join whatever group you want. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:26.000 Certain groups aren't only for certain socioeconomic status. 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:27.120 Join whatever group you want. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:34.639 And then when you're in that group, you're going to be around people who are priests, rulers, and common people. 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:38.399 And we actually need everyone. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.240 Everyone has something to offer each other. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:49.360 The church ministers best when we're all working, serving, ministering to each other, and peacefully working together. 00:11:49.600 --> 00:12:00.480 Okay, let me get practical for a few minutes because maybe you're here and maybe you're a leader, you lead something, maybe you lead a family, maybe you lead in a friendship, maybe you lead like a business or a work or a friend group or you lead something. 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:02.159 I don't know, maybe you just lead something. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:03.519 You're trying to accomplish something. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:05.440 Maybe you lead something in your home. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:07.519 Four leadership keys from Nehemiah. 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:10.480 Here's what Nehemiah was teaching me this week. 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:12.159 Leadership key number one. 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:15.519 Leaders don't do everything, leaders delegate. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:19.200 Nehemiah knew the vision to rebuild all these walls. 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:21.120 He wasn't going to be able to pull it off on his own. 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:22.720 He needed other people. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:30.639 So he broke the work down into manageable sections and began to hand those off to other people. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:31.039 Right? 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.919 He began to empower them, delegate and empower other people. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:40.000 The hero leader is a dangerous leader. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:45.759 Puts himself in a dangerous position, puts the people and the organization, the church, the business in a dangerous position. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:52.799 The good leader understands we have to break work down into manageable sections, begin to hand it off to other people. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:56.320 We could say it this way: vision requires strategy. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:59.679 And strategy requires delegating. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:01.600 Leadership key number two. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.360 People work best when they see that their work matters. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:10.240 Don't we just we want, like when you're at your job or like you just want your work to matter? 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:11.279 Like to mean something? 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:13.679 That's the worst, is when you feel like your work doesn't matter. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:18.559 Now, Nehemiah assigns each family a section of the wall near their home. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.919 Well, we could read over that as just practical. 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.639 Why commute farther for no reason? 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:26.240 Does anybody commute over an hour? 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:27.919 Anybody over an hour, right? 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:29.759 Like you know the burden of a commute. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:34.080 I commuted for 55 minutes each way for five years. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:36.320 This was before podcasts, right? 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:40.000 Like so it's just me, Clark Howard, and Neil Bort. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:45.039 It's all just every day, the three of us in a car together. 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:48.720 It's more than practical, though. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:58.879 Because Nehemiah knows, hey, if I assign them a section of the wall closer to their home, not only is it practical to be able to work on it more, but it's gonna mean a lot. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:04.480 Because they're gonna be building safety and security for their home, their neighborhood. 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:12.559 Leadership key number three, at times we need experts, but many times we simply need willingness. 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:17.120 The builders were not all engineers or stonemasons. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:20.799 They're just ordinary people, willing. 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:22.720 Just willing. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:24.159 And then I'll work hard. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:27.440 Because they believed in the vision, they were committed. 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:29.120 Sometimes we need experts. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:31.600 But a lot of times we just need willingness. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:36.399 Leadership key number four, last one, every role matters. 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:39.759 Some people built entire sections of walls. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.799 Some people built very small sections, a few bricks. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.320 We need to celebrate every single contribution. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:54.960 For this morning to happen, some people arrive really, really early, make sure the building was okay, get the music ready, rehearse. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:56.720 Some people made sure the classrooms were ready. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:15:00.320 Some people welcomed you, cared for the children, teach the children, teach the students. 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.519 Every single role matters. 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:07.679 Recently we had a young couple, they were looking for a new church home and they visited us. 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:11.120 They visited us for a few weeks and then they went away and they visited a few other churches, right? 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:14.080 Like you know what I'm talking about if you're looking for a new church home. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:20.080 And then when they circled back, they took their little boy over into the children's ministry. 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:24.399 And when they got over there, there was a name tag waiting for their little boy. 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:25.840 Annie had made a name tag. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:26.879 Jimmy Joe. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:27.679 That's not really the name. 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:28.799 I just made that name up. 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:30.639 Jimmy Joe. 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:33.200 The name tag was waiting for him. 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:36.960 And then the adult in the classroom says, Jimmy Joe, where have you been? 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:39.120 We have missed, we've missed you. 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:43.840 And the mom knew, like, this feels like a home. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:46.320 Right? 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:48.080 Preaching matters. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:51.759 Um music matters. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:54.799 A welcoming spirit matters, good building matters. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:56.799 And a name tag matters. 00:15:57.279 --> 00:15:59.759 And remembering somebody's name matters. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.120 It all matters. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:06.799 Every single role, every contribution serves the larger purpose of the bigger vision. 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:12.639 Now remember I said in Nehemiah 3 that the people worked in front of their homes. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:16.720 And so there's a leadership application here for parents. 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:23.679 Point number four, God calls parents to intentionally create homes of safety and peace. 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:30.639 Look at these names that we see throughout, some of these names we see throughout Nehemiah 3. 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:33.600 They teach us something about what we should be creating in our homes. 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:38.960 Nehemiah 3.10, Jedediah, meaning he who calls unto God. 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:41.679 Our homes should be places where we trust God. 00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:42.639 We're calling on them. 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:48.639 Nehemiah 3.23, Benjamin, meaning son of my right hand, speaking of a protector. 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:52.159 Our homes should be places of protection and peace. 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:55.840 Nehemiah 3.29, Zadok, meaning justice. 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:59.039 Our homes should be places of justice and integrity. 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:07.359 Nehemiah 3.30, Meshelim, meaning devoted. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:11.200 Our homes should be places that are devoted and trust in Jesus. 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:17.200 Now back in verse 4, it was the first place that we see this word repair in chapter 3. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:22.480 This word repair is used 35 times just in chapter 3. 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:28.720 Repair is the Hebrew word kazak, meaning to make firm or strong. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:34.000 It's the idea of strengthening, encouraging, and making something strong. 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:39.519 Last spring we took a group to Guatemala to serve at the Impacto Ministry. 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:41.680 Remember, Pastor Luis was here a few weeks ago. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:45.680 It's there in San Juan on Lake Adelon, up in the mountain area, beautiful area. 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:49.680 And there in San Juan in that village, they have a compound, a ministry compound. 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:54.640 They have an outdoor auditorium, they have an eating area, they have a meeting room that a church meets in. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:57.920 And I'm taking a picture, kind of like up in a dorm room kind of building. 00:17:58.000 --> 00:17:59.839 So you have that auditorium, and then you have this wall. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:05.599 See to the right of it, you can see the cinder block wall that runs around the perimeter of the property. 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:12.160 But back to the right, kind of back behind outside of the picture, there was a section of the wall that was broken down. 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:13.519 It needed to be repaired. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:17.200 And they just thrown up like a janky chainleak fence. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:25.119 And all week, as we came and went, we went out and ministered to some children, came back, and we went and did widow ministry, and we came back. 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:29.279 There's two guys repairing this wall, building this wall. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:36.400 And they dug huge holes and they poured concrete and they had rebar and then they laid the block, block after block. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:46.400 And before long, that broken down janky fence began to look strong, secure, safe. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:54.880 And Nehemiah doesn't just give us leadership principles, it begins to ask us something about our own hearts. 00:18:56.319 --> 00:19:01.440 How can we as people be repaired from our broken parts? 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:05.119 How do we as people become strong and firm? 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:10.319 Because if I end the sermon here, I've done a huge disservice to you. 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:13.200 I would have, all I would have given you was leadership lessons. 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:14.960 It would have been quite moralistic. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:19.039 Hopefully good, maybe a seven out of ten, like something you could apply to your life. 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:21.039 You go, oh, I could go apply this. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:33.920 The problem with it, as good as those lessons are on leadership and what we want our homes to be, we are not perfect leaders or perfect parents. 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:35.759 Our homes are not perfect. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:40.960 The goodness of the leadership lessons, as good as they are, they begin to point out that I fail. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:47.039 If this is all I have, I actually am quite hopeless because I'm not perfect. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:49.759 I'm not the perfect leader, and I'm not the perfect parent. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:53.279 And I need the lessons, but I need something more. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:58.640 And I am needing the very thing that Nehemiah points us to. 00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:02.240 That the law, why it guides us, it crushes us. 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:04.160 We are in need of grace. 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:08.079 Listen to Colossians 2, 6 and 7. 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:14.960 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:23.440 Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:30.319 Twice in those verses, in him, so not in your performance, not in your ability to live up to those leadership lessons. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:31.200 No, no, no. 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:33.039 We walk in him. 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:38.960 And we're forgiven of all the ways we fail, unto those things plus everything else. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:41.119 That's what the cross is. 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:46.400 Jesus put upon the cross that our sin is fully forgiven, that you're fully forgiven in Jesus. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:48.240 Fully and freely forgiven. 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:51.119 You're fully and freely righteous in Jesus. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.759 He is rooting us, he is building us, he is establishing us. 00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:57.599 That's our last point, point number five. 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:02.799 Jesus repairs us, he rebuilds, restores, and protects us. 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:13.039 As I said, Nehemiah shows us something about leadership and then points us to the one perfect leader, Jesus. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:24.880 Who, because the story continues after Nehemiah into the New Testament, all the way to the book of Revelation, where we learn that we are the New Jerusalem. 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:28.240 Me and you, the church, we are the new Jerusalem. 00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:30.960 And Jesus is building us. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.640 Let's pray together. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:38.000 Jesus, you are our ultimate gate and you are our walls of protection. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:47.599 Forgive us for all the ways that we just set ourselves out to be better and better because of lessons or tips or things we're trying to get better. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:51.039 Forgive all the ways we try to be perfectionist and performative. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.319 God, we want to work hard, but let it be in your grace. 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.519 Help us to walk more in Jesus. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:03.519 God, thank you that you love the broken. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:06.480 You love the broken parts of us. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:09.200 You are actually attracted. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:11.839 You move toward our brokenness. 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:16.400 And it is our helpless estate that you require for us to bring to you. 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:19.759 Jesus, would we trust you more? 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:21.839 Would we walk in you in greater ways? 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:22.880 In Christ's name. 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:23.680 Amen.