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Evident Devotion

January 8, 2017 Preacher: Jeff Griffis Series: Nehemiah: The Good Hand of God

Scripture: Nehemiah 11:1– 12:47

Evident Devotion

[Scripture Reading = Psalm 33:1-5,8-9,20-22]

 

Covering both chapters 11&12 today in Nehemiah. How do you apply a couple chapters that are about repopulating Jerusalem and a wall dedication? I guess you follow what God has been doing under Ezra’s spiritual reforms and Nehemiah’s leadership to see how this is a logical next step in putting into practice their renewed devotion to God (in His covenant relationship to them).

 

And as devotion was defined for us last week from Acts 2:42 (in Mike Griffis’ sermon covering our commitment and dedication together in the fellowship of the gospel à [read Acts 2:42] devotion = “to continue to do with intense effort, despite adversity”

 

In looking at these two chapters, you’ll want to remember that Ezra, or whatever chronicler is responsible for recording the Ezra/Nehemiah tandem, is a meticulous scribe who tracks for historical record the households (family lines) of those who actively participated in any monumental achievements during this time. (I know, our favorite part of these books… long lists of names that are a BEAR to pronounce.) But think of it, they want families and all the people to remember the importance of how those who went before them participated and partnered with one another in repentance and faithfulness to their God.

 

So we’ll try not to grumble about the lists of names, and we’ll look in and particularly around those to see the evident devotion of God’s people—coming on the heals of their completed construction (1-7), followed by careful instruction of God’s law (by Ezra and the Levites) (8), leading to crystal clear confession of how God’s truth exposed their sin (9), a repentance which led to their obligation in writing to be faithful to God’s covenant love with His chosen people (10), now flowing out in further demonstration of their proclaimed devotion.

 

Turning that to us: The reality and sincerity of our devotion to God is known (to you and others) by its demonstration. Devotion’s truth and depth is based on the evidence. You know it’s real and sincere when there’s a trail of evidence that leads back to your committed heart. [So when you proclaim to your wife your undying love and affection, and to your team an unfaltering duty and loyalty… the sentiment may be appreciated, but not nearly so much as behaviors which make that evident. (In relationships, sentiment is nothing without making it evident. And don’t neglect, especially in relationships which require close proximity, the supreme importance of breath mints.) [but seriously] Devotion is known by demonstration.

 

Read 11:1-2 and PRAY: Let’s consider from our passage how devotion is known by demonstration.

 

  1. In the first case, their devotion to God and willing ministry is demonstrated by their willingness to LIVE and SERVE where and how is best for the ministry of the whole group. (11:1-12:26)
    1. Being devoted to God means that you willingly live where God gives ministry opportunity. (You might say that this is giving God your very self.)
      1. Only the leaders were living in Jerusalem, but with the walls rebuilt, Nehemiah needed to repopulate the holy city. So they determined that 10% would move into the city (we don’t know how or why). Although they cast lots (a method of finding God’s will which God blessed among his people) to determine who these 1 out of 10 would be, you notice, and this is of no small significance, that those who were chosen were WILLING. – That suggests to me that generally speaking they were ALL willing, should their families be chosen.
        1. The list includes first, clans from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. (read vv.3-4a – a list of the sons of Judah and then of Benjamin, v. 7) – BTW, Benjamin and Judah, the two tribes that made up the southern kingdom and had been exiled to Babylon, were therefore the people who’d recently returned over the last century in three waves (now under Persian rule).
        2. Notice the inclusion of numbers of valiant men or men of valor, vv. 6&8, indicating not just a commendation to those who moved to Jerusalem to defend it but also that these were in fact whole clans.
      2. [Repeat A.] That means that you have to BE in the places that demonstrate your devotion and provide the opportunities for ministry. – *
      3. So also, we see that… Being devoted to God means that you willingly serve others on behalf of the whole group. (You might say that this is giving God your very self… for others, for His purposes.) – This is most definitely still the case in the NT church.
        1. Next in the list of those dwelling in the city, those who served (as directed by God) in the role of priest and Levite and other much-needed temple and religious ministry. – To honor these essential but less advertised ones, see vv.18-21.*
        2. The chronicler then gives a brief overview in 25-36 of the remaining 90% spreading out to reclaim and maintain their own inheritance.
        3. The shift in the beginning of chapter 12 is to list the religious workers during these various generations of returnees from exile. In the days of Zerubbabel when Jeshua was high priest (returning in Ezra ch. 2). The list in v. 12 is the era when Joiakim was high priest, and finally those under Eliashib, v. 22, high priest and contemporary of our two heroes, Ezra and Nehemiah. – v. 26
      4. (Not only devoted to God in what we fill our minds with, which is extremely important, but also…) Devotion in where we live, in how we serve… Devotion with our praise, and with our wallets.
    2. Secondly, their devotion to God comes out in their willing participation and grateful praise to God in this dedication ceremony.
      1. Being devoted to God means that you gratefully offer Him praise. – An important recurring attitude (or heart posture, if you will) in these chapters is that of thanksgiving, especially in this dedication section. – Even in the way they organized themselves, they aimed to preserve this emphasis on thanksgiving and praise. (see it in vv. *, then read 27-43) We see that grateful praise is the very purpose for the wall dedication ceremony—praising and thanking God for this work that he accomplished through them.
        1. How many of you like to give for the sake of others? Even though you give freely, how much better is it when the recipient is thankful? [there’s no comparison] – Our devotion to God takes on real, practical commitment, but that commitment/devotion is driven by thanksgiving. And so we aim to preserve and expand our hearts of thanksgiving.
        2. We are often asking God to use us. How often are we thanking God for the ways that he is in fact answering that prayer? (God I thank you for the opportunity to encourage Mary. God may you be glorified in the gift we gave to John to meet his needs. We thank you and praise you for that ministry opportunity.) You get the drift. I think we’d be more alert to how God IS using us, plus be more sensitive to the simple yet profound ways that God CAN use us.
      2. They say you can tell a lot about a woman by the contents of her purse (although I couldn’t tell you what that means, really). They ought to say that you can tell a lot about a person by the contents of his praise. (These green beans are simply amazing. I must have this recipe. They’re tender, but not mushy, cut to the right length, and absolutely mouth-watering. How did you accomplish such taste without bacon and tons of butter?)
        1. Practice praying to and praising God according to the words that come to you from His Word.
        2. Praising God routinely as well as spontaneously has the profound and powerful effect of changing who you are. – Think about it. You praise God for who he is and what he has done. That makes you grow in admiration for the character qualities and behaviors (which flow from his goodness). And that admiration leads you to mimic God. You begin to look and act more and more like the God-honoring creature that God designed for you to be when he created you in His image. (We are meant to be his image-bearers, but our sin has disfigured God’s masterpiece… until Christ makes us new (his workmanship), so that we might bear that image in our being and behavior (created in Christ Jesus for good works). [read Eph. 2:10]
        3. The joy of praising God is contagious. (v. 43)
  • Finally, and briefly… They demonstrated their devotion in their giving to the Lord’s work, in order for the service to continue. (read 12:44-47) – Being devoted to God means that you give generously to God’s work. à Where does most of your money, and time, and energy go? That’s what you’re devoted to. (You could easily spend an hour this afternoon praying and combing over your schedule and your finances to get a good picture of where you might need better balance.)
    1. [repeat list in reverse and re-assert main point]
    2. As we turn to taking the Lord’s table together, let’s reflect on our lives and gage how we’re demonstrating our devotion to God. (That should give you plenty to pray about as you are receiving the elements.)

 

Communion

 

 

 

 

 

[ch. 13, the goal of all this was Lasting Reformation]

 

 

 

Lesson 12 – Evident Devotion (Nehemiah 11-12)

 

The reality and sincerity of our devotion to God is known by its demonstration.

 

 

 

Being devoted to God means that you willingly live and serve where and how God gives ministry opportunity. (11:1 – 12:26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being devoted to God means that you gratefully offer Him praise. (12:27-43)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being devoted to God means that you give generously to God’s work. (12:44-47)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take It Home: (Discussion Questions) Devotion is known by demonstration.

  • Share with one another some things into which you (and your family) have decided to invest a measure of time, energy, and finances.
  • Can every believer really be involved in ministry? What challenges do we face in a local body when serving together? (ie. sin, preferences/desires, maturity level/understanding, distractions, etc.)
  • Encourage one another with ways that you see God using them in service to Him. (Be as specific as you can.) [Thus fellow servants in the body help us confirm our general areas of spiritual gifting.]
  • If you were to copy someone’s way of praising God, who or how would it be? What does it sound like?

More in Nehemiah: The Good Hand of God

January 15, 2017

Lasting Reform

December 11, 2016

Changing Together

November 27, 2016

A Repentant Life: Keep Repenting