Speaker 1: 0:03

It is a pleasure to be worshiping the Lord with you this morning and I'm very grateful that you are here and that we're able to do so together as a congregation. In the last few weeks we have started a series on the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah lived roughly 450 years before Christ and God called him to lead Israelites who had been taken captive in Babylon back to the Promised Land so that he could rebuild the walls around the city of Jerusalem. But Nehemiah was not just concerned about a construction project to secure the well-being of the citizens of the city of Jerusalem. He was very concerned about also rebuilding the hearts of the people. And, as you heard in our update just a little while ago, westtown Church is involved in a rather big rebuilding project of our own, as we rebuild a bridge, and we're trusting that the Lord is not only going to enable us to reconstruct that bridge, but the Spirit of God is going to be at work, rebuilding our hearts so that God will expand our vision of His glory, renew our love in Christ, support our fellowship more fully and strengthen our witness to the community. And as we've been going through Nehemiah, we've been looking at different ways where the Lord gives evidences of how he is moving and working among His people and we're going to be looking this morning at one of those evidences how the Lord brings His people together in unity and service for the advancement of His kingdom.

Speaker 1: 1:40

Donald Whitney writes in his book the Spiritual Disciplines about the Pony Express and, as you probably are aware, pony Express was a series of relays that delivered mail on horseback, and the Pony Express began in St Joseph, missouri, and went all the way to Sacramento, california. It was roughly 2,000 miles and the cost to send a piece of mail by the Pony Express was $2.50 an ounce. You might be surprised to know that the Pony Express was only in operation for 17 months, from a period of time in 1860 to 1861. And as telegraph kept being built from city to city, that leg of the Pony Express would be eliminated until, ultimately, there was no use for the service any longer. But being a brighter in the Pony Express was an exceptionally difficult job. You were expected to ride 75 to 100 miles a day. After riding about 25 miles you would change horses. Other than the mail, the only baggage that you were allowed to carry was small provisions for food, consisting of a kit of flour and of cornmeal and bacon. In case of danger, the riders carried a medical kit that consisted of turpentine, borax and cream of tartar. And in order for them to travel light and to maximize their speed, the men did not carry extra coats or clothes. In fact, they only rode in shirt sleeves, so that in the dead of winter it would be exceptionally cold. Even your job was to recruit riders for the Pony Express. That would be a rather tall order to fill, wouldn't it? In 1860, a newspaper in San Francisco listed this one ad for Pony Express riders Wanted young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over 18, must be expert riders, willing to risk daily. No-transcript Orphans prefer. But do you know the amazing thing? There was never a shortage of riders for the Pony Express. They always had a full complement of riders to take on that daring and difficult service.

Speaker 1: 4:26

As we mentioned this morning, we're looking at when the Spirit of God moves among His people. What are some of the evidences? And one of those evidences is the Spirit of God bringing the people of God together in unity and service. And so, after Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, put before the people his vision of rebuilding the walls around the city, they began the work. And I wonder what it was like for Nehemiah to recruit the workers to build the wall. So we're going to read in Nehemiah, chapter 3 about this construction of the walls around the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah, chapter 3, beginning at verse 1. Then Elijah the high priest rose up with his brothers, the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the tower of the hundred, as far as the tower of Anano and next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zachor, the son of Emory, built.

Speaker 1: 5:31

Now there are 32 verses in this chapter and they all follow the same pattern. There is a list of names telling you who was working on the walls. They might list who they were a descendant of and there would be a brief description of the type of work that they did. Now the chapter is nothing but a list of names. I am not going to embarrass myself trying to stumble through a bunch of names that I can't pronounce and it's going to be rather tedious for you as well. But aren't you struck when you come to a passage of Scripture like this, wondering why did the Holy Spirit include this in the Bible? It's like there's genealogies in the first nine chapters of the book of Frost Chronicles. You come across that and you think, oh, how do we get through this? But the Lord included it for a reason and I think if we take a step back from the details of verse to verse and look at the broad pattern, we will find out some very important things about the church. So if you look at the pattern, we have a comparison here in two columns.

Speaker 1: 6:41

The chapter really addresses the workers and the work that was done. There were 41 work groups Now. Some of those work groups performed more than one section of repairs on the wall. Variety of workers involved High priests, district rulers, gatekeepers. Lists four or five trade gills, three towns and clans, men and women, and it describes the work that was done. Beginning in the north part of the city and traveling counterclockwise, the people completed roughly two, two and a half miles of construction, rebuilding the walls. The passage lists ten gates, four towers. It mentions people working opposite their homes or their workplaces over a half a dozen times and there are two phrases that occur over 15 times each next to or after him. Now, it's always helpful to have a good study Bible when reading a passage of scripture like this.

Speaker 1: 7:45

We'll put on the board here a picture of the city of Jerusalem. It kind of looks like a hairbrush stood on end the walls that were being built. Now on the picture you'll see that there's broader green area with a dashed line around it. That was the area that had been inhabited of the city of Jerusalem before the Israelites were taken off into captivity, and so the area of Jerusalem that they were reconstructing the walls around was a much smaller inhabited area. And the next picture shows a little close up of that hairbrush on end, if you will, of the walls around the city of Jerusalem and the lists where we think most well, I'm not including myself on that where Bible teachers think that most of those gates appeared.

Speaker 1: 8:32

Nehemiah 3 is the most detailed description of the topography of Jerusalem that we have in all of the Bible. But moving on from that overview, what do we learn about God working among his people, bringing them together in unity and service? What do we learn in a chapter of the Bible that is just a list of names, and the first thing that we see is that list of names represents that people matter to God and therefore they should matter to us, and that's one of the things that we should take away when we come across those long lists of genealogies is that people are so important and their purpose is so important that God took care, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to have them recorded in Scripture. When describing the rebuilding of the walls in Nehemiah 3, more emphasis is given to the people who did the work than the actual work themselves. In fact, there's one word used more often in the chapter to describe the work, and that is just that they repaired or maybe rebuilt. The fullest description of any work that is done on the walls consists of five words, but we have over 41 work groups of people that are identified here for us. So what does that tell us? It tells us that individuals matter.

Speaker 1: 10:08

The sheer volume of people's names here in this passage, compared to the work, highlights the importance that God places upon individuals, and one of the things that's wonderful to see as you look at this passage is that each person has gifts that is used in the service of the whole body. They are important, they're given gifts and their work has significance within the kingdom of God. Scripture tells us that when we become believers in Christ, the spirit of God gives each of us spiritual gifts that we are to use in the service to others. Each person's efforts, each person's service, then, is important within the context of the kingdom of God, and 1 Peter, chapter four, we read precisely this Each, that is, each person, has received a gift. Use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's very grace. Whoever speaks is one who speaks the oracles of God. Whoever serves as one, who serves by the strength that God supplies In order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. And so we have a representation of that, if you will, in Nehemiah chapter three.

Speaker 1: 11:39

But there is one glaring exception to that principle, and it's contained in verse five about the nobles of Tekoa. Nehemiah records that next to certain workers were the Tekoites where they repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord. Can you imagine, being the people who are recorded in scripture for all time, that you thought you were too good to get involved in the work? What a remarkable thing, of all the things to be known for, to be left throughout history as being the folks that are too snooty to get your hands dirty. But in contrast to them, we see in this passage that the high priest in Israel, many of the priests, district rulers and so on and so forth, put their shoulder to the work and engaged in what was necessary for the good of the people.

Speaker 1: 12:48

These truths reinforce what we learn in Ephesians, chapter four, where Paul says that the whole body is joined and held together by every joint which is equipped. When each part is working properly, that makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. So you see, then, all of us who have been brought into fellowship with Jesus Christ through faith, believing him and his work, have been gifted by him and powered by his spirit to use the gifts that he has given us for the service of others and the administration of the grace of God in a variety of ways, for the building up of the church. That is such an encouraging aspect of our purpose, of why God has called us to himself. But another thing that we see in this list of names that we are given here as how important it is to recognize the contribution of those who serve for the good of the church. And first Corinthians, chapter 16, there's another list of names difficult to pronounce, and Paul concludes his letter by saying that he rejoices at the coming of Stephanus and Fortenaeus and Achaus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. Now there are times that I think, within the body of Christ, that we think that we might be robbing God of glory if we thank the people who serve and who serve as we benefit from, or we may think that it's some form of pride if we would express our appreciation to people for their contribution to the kingdom, but that is totally contrary to what Scripture tells us. If we benefit from the service of others, if we are deriving benefit from their example of sacrifice and service, we should be encouraging each other for those contributions that are made to the church of Christ.

Speaker 1: 15:09

Now there is a man by the name of Larry Poland. He served in a Christian ministry and he got up one night to use the bathroom and it was dark and he smashed three of his toes on the outside of his left foot when he was going to the bathroom. In fact, he thought that he broke the fourth toe on his left foot. Well, two weeks after that incident, larry Poland received a letter from that toe and it's a kind of a long letter, but it sort of demonstrates the importance of what we've been talking about here this morning. So the letter is addressed to the head of Larry Poland. Fourth toe, left foot, regarding overdue recognition. The toe writes I have wondered for years what it would take to get some attention down our way here at the end of the foot.

Speaker 1: 16:05

Now that I know, I wish that I didn't. It isn't a pretty story. While I am part of this Christian body, I cannot help expressing some long, unexpressed feelings. I hope you'll understand and forgive my bluntness. Frankly, mr Poland, you have lived much of your life without giving attention to those of us at the lower end of your six foot two frame. For more than half a century the five of us on the left foot have watched as you have given attention to what may be the more attractive, more useful, more classy members of this organism. I think it's time to give you a little feel of how it comes across to us down here.

Speaker 1: 16:45

How many mornings I have watched from down here while you stare at your face in the mirror. You cleanse it, you lubricate it, you sav it and shave it, you cologne it. The slightest little blemish gets your immediate corrective attention. Then there's your tongue. You reward it with the most exotic of sensations, especially hot fudge, and you fawn over the wonderful words that comes from it, knowing full well that it has caused you more grief and gotten you in more trouble than any other organ of this body. I dare you to name one of us Toes that has embarrassed you in public. I admit that we aren't the best looking, but when has your reputation been besmirched by a Toe like it has by your tongue? We even have to deal with the whole feet or ugly stereotype. It's really tough to take. You manicure your hands, you lotion them carefully, remove the tiniest splinter from them and talk boastfully of the works of your hand or how handy you are. Just once the gang of 10 down here would like to hear you talk about the accomplishments of your feet. Just how far would you have gotten on this planet without us? Do you have any idea of how many miles we have carried you in 52 years? Yet have we heard you talk about the work of your feet? Have we heard thinly veiled boasts about how footy you are? No, not once.

Speaker 1: 18:23

I admit that for two weeks now, all of that has changed. You have given me almost constant attention. You've been favoring me with every step. You took me to a top physician to see if there was anything medically that could be done for me. You even joyfully underwent the expense of paying for a picture of my insides to see if my bones were broken. You have stroked, padded, rubbed, handled me with extreme gentleness. If I've even overheard excuse me, I have even overheard those confessions to your wife about how you didn't realize how much you relied on one little toe like me, how some bodily maneuvers are nearly impossible without old fourth toe, left foot. You've been treating me very kindly lately, and well you should. The blow you gave me nearly crushed me, in fact. I plan to stay swollen and sensitive for a while yet. I don't want you to forget too soon all those years of neglect just because I have the gift of serving. Hey Poland, serving isn't flashy, it isn't always pretty, it usually isn't even public, but I hope you now realize that it is absolutely vital to this body of yours. Sincerely left toe, excuse me, fourth toe, left foot.

Speaker 1: 19:48

Now, that letter is really a summary of 1 Corinthians, chapter 12 that talks about how the spirit of God gifts the church and each member of the body serves of vital importance and is worthy, under God, of recognition. And so let me say to all of those that are serving, thank you. Thank you for your service to the kingdom, thank you for those times that it goes overlooked when it should be recognized, and I hope you realize how important you are to Christ's kingdom and that you'll continue to serve. So this passage emphasizes how people are important, not only on the individual level but very quickly, we'll just mention how the body also matters as well. We're impressed by the sheer number and the variety of people that are mentioned here and again. If you look at that slide with the comparison of all the people that are listed here, you see that from the greatest to the least, from people who are known as goldsmiths or perfumers or merchants, they're involved in the work. You know who's not listed here General contractors or construction supervisors. I assume that they had to be involved in the work, but it's the ordinary folk that is given the recognition for their service.

Speaker 1: 21:10

And while the passage mentions that many people engaged in the work that was opposite their home, so they really had a vested interest in repairing the walls. Well, the passage also mentions how people traveled from distances, like Gibbian or Mispah or other places, that they had no interest directly in the repair of the walls, and yet they sacrificed and came and worked. And how people worked on more than one section of the wall. So important is the body of Christ and working together for the advancement of Christ's kingdom. So the passage reinforces to us that people matter. But this long list of names also reinforces to us that service matters to God and it should matter to us as well. These people in Nehemiah three are serving For the glory of God, as we'll see in just a moment. They are rebuilding walls around the city of Jerusalem and it points to the whole mission of Jesus Christ and Mark, chapter 10, verse 45,. He remarks about himself, saying that the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to offer his life as a ransom for many. And if we are answering the call to follow Jesus, if we desire to be more like our savior, we will be people who are engaged in serving others in the love of Christ. So why do people in Nehemiah's time, why do they now, unite to work with each other? If you remember, it had been roughly over a period of 100 years that there had been a couple other returns of exiles to the city of Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and restore the walls. And while they accomplished rebuilding the temple, they failed to rebuild the walls. Why would they be motivated now, in the face of opposition, to serve? Well, the passage If we go back to chapter one, just mentioning very quickly some things that we've saw in the last couple weeks, points to why it is that we, as believers, should be motivated to serve within the daily spheres in which Christ takes us every day.

Speaker 1: 23:31

And we see back in chapter one that God's glory motivates his people to serve. You might remember in chapter one, verse four, nehemiah receives word from his brother how the city of Jerusalem still lies in ruin. And we read in chapter one, verse four, that as soon as he heard those words, he sat down, he wept, he mourned and he fasted and he prayed. So concerned was Nehemiah for the glory of God and for his brothers, the citizens of Jerusalem, that he was impacted greatly by that news and he was motivated to serve, to do something to correct those problems. We also see that other people's good, doing good for the benefit of others, should motivate us to serve. Yes, our service is offered to God but it is offered for the benefit of other people. Sometimes churches can get that backwards. Sometimes churches can think that service benefits the organization, if you will. That's not why we exist. Not certainly we have to take care of the organization and those kind of things. But the reason we serve is for the benefit and the good of other people.

Speaker 1: 24:51

In chapter two, verses 12 and 18, we read first of all, when Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem, he gets up in the middle of the night, he takes a few people with him and he told no one what the Lord had put on his heart to do for Jerusalem. Now of course he's referring to the citizens there. Nehemiah underwent all the sacrifice, all the work that he did for the benefit of other people. Verse 18, he begins to motivate the people and he tells them of how God's hand had been upon him for good and also the words that the king had spoken to him and the provision that had been given and said let us rise up and build. And so they strengthened their hands for the good work. Nehemiah cast a vision. The people embraced the vision and they willingly engaged in sacrifice and service for the good of their fellow citizens, but we're also reminded that we are to serve as a witness to the world. Our good deeds, jesus said, leads to people glorifying our Father in heaven. And Nehemiah, chapter two.

Speaker 1: 26:04

We read how Nehemiah, in verse 20, replies to the opponents who were opposing the construction of the walls. He says to them the God of heaven will make us prosper and a servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right in the claim of Jerusalem. You see the people. Up to this point, the opponents had succeeded over a period of 100 years, to prevent the walls of Jerusalem from being built. And as the Lord was moving his people and they were constructing those walls, the surrounding community began to take note. The God of Israel is real, he is alive and he is blessing his people. And first Peter.

Speaker 1: 26:47

We read in chapter two the role of our good works, how we are to keep our conduct among the Gentiles honorable so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify your God on the day of visitation. In verse 15,. This is God's will that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. We have mentioned on other occasions how there are times that the criticisms of the world against the church are legitimate. There are ways that the church suits itself and the foot so many times. But think of how if the church, out of a sense of God's glory and the good for the people of its community, would be mobilized to serve the community, and people would see our deeds and take notice that, rather than criticizing, they would begin to see the value of the church for society and praise God and give glory to God for the works of his people. Finally, we see that our personal growth motivates God's people to serve. We see a change happening among the people of Israel. These formerly defeated, unmotivated people began to be engaged in God's work and God began to bless them. As we sacrifice in reliance upon God to serve others, using the gifts that he has given us by the power of his spirit, we will begin to bring glory to God and as we do so, we will begin to be more like Jesus and we will be growing more and more into the fullness of his love.

Speaker 1: 28:40

Now there are times, admittedly, that when organizations, christian organizations, the church, endeavors to get people to be involved in service, that what can come across is the church has needs. We need you to help. Rather than looking at these bigger, more grand motivations for why we, as the citizens of Israel, should be involved in service, it's like being a parent and trying to train up your children and equip them so that they can be functioning adults. We have good reasons as to why we might give kids chores or we might get to engage them in service, and we want them to grow up to be functioning adults. We want them to know the joy and experience personal growth. But what happens in those times when we've got a need? We'll say do it, we have a need, or because I told you so, and the same can happen in the church. Rather than pointing to the big motives and desires, we have a need and we press upon people to meet the need. Do you know why the church, big C, wants its people to be involved in ministry wherever the Lord takes you throughout your days? Because you'll grow to be more like Jesus and we want you to experience the fullness and the blessing of walking with Christ. That's the deal.

Speaker 1: 30:09

So let's imagine if you would like the Pony Express put a want ad in the paper in San Francisco in 1860. What if Jesus ran an ad in the paper today looking for servants, written from the perspective of Jesus, he asks wanted volunteers made up of all kinds of uniquely gifted people to love others the way I love. Them Must be motivated to serve for God's glory. Others good in the world's witness. Temptation to quit will be strong. Volunteers must be faithful in spite of long hours, little to no visible results and possibly no recognition except from God. In eternity, jesus says follow me, I will be with you and I will strengthen you. You will be grown to be more like me. Brothers and sisters, that's a call willing to answer. May we do so as individuals and as a church. Let us pray.