#10 “Book of Nehemiah”
Series
"FAITHFULNESS!"
TEXT: Nehemiah
10:1-39
INTRO: The quality
of "faithfulness" is the main structural support that holds up every institution
God has created and is an integral part of a healthy
civilization!
Faithfulness in our political system is
a must for it to be healthy and beneficial ... when unfaithfulness manifests
itself in any system all kinds of ills will show up!
Marriage cannot exist without
faithfulness a part of its main structure ... it is a pledge and commitment we
make to the one we love.
Even the business sector has discovered
the usefulness of having employees being faithful to their particular job area
... one of the things that have made the Japanese business system work so
well.
No pain is greater than the loss of
faithfulness ... whether in politics or in institutions; especially marriage and
friendships! Unfortunately the
world’s values don’t always put a high priority on faithfulness, even when they
say they do, they often practice “loopholes.”
ILLUS: A college
man walked into a photography studio with a framed picture of his
girlfriend. He wanted the picture duplicated. This involved removing
it from the frame. In doing this, the studio owner noticed the inscription on
the back of the photograph: "My dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart. I
love you more and more each day. I will love you forever and ever. I
am yours for all eternity." It was signed "Diane," and it contained a
P.S.: "If we ever break up, I want this picture back."
We who have been baptized have
professed our love for God and for others. We belong to Christ.
There can be no P.S. in our life given to God. We can never break up with
Him. We are His. We belong to Him -- forever. -- Charles Krieg -- James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited
(Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp.
97-98.
FAITHFULNESS is one of the most
critical factors in being a Christian ... without this quality demonstrated
routinely there is little hope for spiritual growth or fulfillment! Many Christians miss the joy of being a
growing saint and being able to see fruit from their ministry because of the
lack of faithfulness in their walk with God and with each
other!
PROP.
SENT: We cannot mature spiritually
without learning the absolute necessity of faithfulness in all relationships ...
especially in the institutions God has created, including our relationship with
Him! Faithfulness and FRUITFULNESS go
hand in hand, without one the other rarely exists!
I. ASPIRANTS OF FAITHFULNESS
10:1-29
A. Role
Models 10:1-27
1. It was critical at this juncture
that the leaders of the people took the initiative to seal with their own seals
a proclamation to declare their willingness to be absolutely faithful to God's
Word!
a. This was true of the secular
leaders ... like the governor of Israel – Nehemiah, and the other political
leaders of the community.
b. And the Spiritual leaders ... which
in this case were also many of the political leaders like
Nehemiah.
c. These role models can have a
tremendous impact on the other people who were merely the residents of the city
and nation!
2. One of the problems cited in a
special article in Time magazine in a July issue (1990) of the twenty year old
age group is that they had grown up without heroes, and thus as a group these
individuals were somewhat passionless and not focused on important issues like
those in previous generations.
a. Political heroes of the 1960's --
John F Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, etc. these heroes became the
focal points around many of the younger generation that provided the passion for
reactions that took place in the 60's and early 70's.
b. The point is not whether these were
good role models or the reactions were all healthy ... but that heroes existed
around which a young person could become committed to, producing a faithful
following!
3. God help us ... we need to have
spiritual role models for the younger generation to be inspired by ... to give
passion to important issues of our day!
ILLUS: Author and
business leader Fred Smith writes: One of my treasured memories comes from a
doughnut shop in Grand Saline, Texas. There was a young farm couple
sitting at the table next to mine. He was wearing overalls and she a
gingham dress. After finishing their doughnuts, he got up to pay the bill,
and I noticed she didn't get up to follow him. But then he came back and stood in front
of her.
She put her arms around his neck,
and he lifted her up, revealing that she was wearing a full-body brace. He
lifted her out of her chair and backed out the front door to the pickup truck,
with her hanging from his neck. As
he gently put her into the truck, everyone in the shop watched. No one
said anything until a waitress remarked, almost reverently, "He took his vows
seriously." -- Leadership, Vol. 16, no.
1.
4. One of the key qualities of church
leaders is that they must be faithful if it is to be inspired within the rest of
God's people!
5. These role models in Nehemiah’s day
set an important pulse beat within the whole community of God's people ... and
fruitfulness and revival weren't far away!
B. Residents 10:28-29
1. It should be noted that because of
the role models’ expression of sealing their commitment of faithfulness that all
Israel, even from the youngest person who could understand, joined their leaders
in binding themselves to be faithful to God's Word ... accepting the curses and
the blessings that could come with either disobedience or
obedience!
a. The passion is obvious in the story
line here!
b. The joy is even obvious ... and the
believability in the people that they can be faithful is expressed by the fact
that they were even willing to accept the curses of disobedience should they
fail!
2. Everyone is ready to accept the
fruit that comes with faithfulness ... but I wonder how many would willingly
accept the curses that come with disobedience?
a. They were not anticipating failure
... their confidence level was high!
b. The curses didn't seem an obstacle
to them since their hearts were only filled with the passion of
faithfulness!
3. When we marry someone we do the
same thing ... we are not thinking about the consequences of unfaithfulness, yet
we passionately state our willingness to forsake all others and cleave only unto
our spouse, the ceremony of marriage is a joyful one ... and a bit of a gamble,
we are gambling on the equal desire of our partner to remain faithful to that
pledge of faithfulness!
ILLUS: In Living
Above the Level of Mediocrity, Chuck Swindoll writes:
On Sunday, believers arrived at a
house church in the Soviet Union in small groups throughout the day so not to
arouse the suspicion of KGB informers. They began by singing a hymn
quietly. Suddenly, in walked two soldiers with loaded weapons at the
ready. One shouted, "If you wish to renounce your commitment to Jesus
Christ, leave now!"
Two or three quickly left, then
another. After a few more seconds, two more.
"This is your last chance.
Either turn against your faith in Christ," he ordered, "or stay and suffer the
consequences."
Two more slipped out into the
night. No one else moved. Parents with children trembling beside them
looked down reassuringly, fully expecting to be gunned down or
imprisoned.
The other soldier closed the door,
looked back at those who stood against the wall and said, "Keep your hands
up--but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are
Christians. We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to
arrest a group of believers."
The other soldier interrupted,
"But, instead, we were converted! We have learned by experience, however, that
unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully
trusted." -- David Waggoner in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching &
Teaching (Baker), from the editors of
Leadership.
4. The commitment to faithfulness here
is stated in the general sense ... "WE WILL OBEY ALL THE DECREES OF THE
LORD..."
a. Overall excitement about being
faithful.
b. They will move from the general to
the specific!
c. This is a normal process, the
desire to being faithful should find a general excitement ... but following this
there must be some specific attitudes and specific
directions.
5. This stage of ASPIRING TO
FAITHFULNESS was only a beginning ... the next step was to apply this desire to
some real areas of their lives!
II. ATTITUDE OF FAITHFULNESS 10:30-36
A. Repentant 10:30-31
1. Too many Christians are more than
happy to express their desire to be faithful to God but then never go the next
step in the process of faithfulness which is to develop a new mentality … to
begin changing so faithfulness can find a FULL expression and not just a verbal
one!
2. Notice the people move to this
second stage very quickly ... the passion to be faithful to God now finds some
specific directions, not just a general statement!
3. These areas of repentance were
areas of their failures!
a. They repent of their failure to
stay pure as a people before God ... by unbiblical
marriages.
b. By returning to honor the Sabbath
day as a holy day and not just another opportunity to make more
profits!
c. And obedience to the “rest” God
decreed for the land every seven years.
d. This also included the pardoning
every seven years of all their brethren's debts ... something Nehemiah had
chided them earlier for because they were charging heavy interest to their
poorer brethren and taking their children when loans were not paid in
full!
4. This was a whole change of attitude
for the people ... each of the items listed were the actual areas they needed to
be repenting for.
5. They didn't complain about other
people's unfaithfulness ... but focused on their own need to repent for their
own unfaithfulness!
ILLUS: A
missionary wrote me: "Sometimes
adversity tempts me to discouragement in the face of seeming failure. But I take courage and press on anew, as
I remember that God does not hold me responsible for success, but for
faithfulness." Jesus didn't say,
"Well done, you successful servant." -- Corrie Ten Boom in Each New Day. Christianity Today, Vol. 34, no.
3.
6. The attitude of repentance of one's
OWN UNFAITHFULNESS is the next stage of growth ... too many Christians begin
this stage by pointing out other people's lack of faithfulness ... this will
only block their own growth!
B. Responsible 10:32-36
1. Notice the attitude of their
emerging faithfulness ... “WE ASSUME THE
RESPONSIBILITY…”
a. Personal responsibility is a must
in the expression of faithfulness.
b. To look at others and complain
about them or over them will only put you on a spiritual detour toward
faithfulness.
c. When we can point at other
Christian's faults or falls and use them to express more of our own
unfaithfulness we have failed to develop the right attitude over
faithfulness!
d. When we stand before God we will
have to answer for why or why we were not faithful to Him ... and using other
peoples’ good or bad examples won't wash with God!
2. Faithfulness is a personal
responsibility ... nobody else can be used as our excuse for unfaithfulness no
matter what they have done!
3. Healthy faithfulness says, “I ASSUME
RESPONSIBILTIY FOR CARRYING OUT GOD'S
WORD...”
ILLUS: Newsweek
(11/19/90) ran an article titled "Letters in the Sand," a compilation of
letters written by military personnel to family and friends in the States during
the Gulf War. One was written by Marine Corporal Preston Coffer. He
told a friend, "We are talking about Marines, not the Boy Scouts. We all
joined the service knowing full well what might be expected of us." He
signed off with the Marine motto, Semper Fi, Latin for "always
faithful."
The Bible says, "Now it
is required that those who have been given a trust must prove
faithful"
(1 Cor.
4:2).
-- Richie
Lewis in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the
editors of Leadership.
4. If there was a repentant attitude
there will more likely be this second attitude of personal
responsibility!
5. The trouble with some Christians
are that they focus too much on the faults of others and then judge their own
faithfulness better than the failing examples and so make themselves feel less
guilty or arrogantly see how they are better and so no need to become more
faithful themselves!
6. The right attitude of faithfulness
is repentance of personal failures and accepting personal responsibility for
being faithful no matter whom or what is around them as
examples!
7. JESUS' RESPONSE SOMEDAY WILL BE, “WELL, DONE THOU
GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT … ENTER ...”
a. Notice Jesus won't contrast you
with someone else.
b. He will simply take notice of YOUR
FAITHFULNESS alone!
III. ACTION OF FAITHFULNESS
10:37-39
A. Resolve! 10:32a,
39b
1. The process of faithfulness is not
complete however if one simply stops at the desire to be faithful or even the
attitude of faithfulness ... it must come to the final stage of
ACTION!
2. Faithfulness takes a great resolve
to commit ... it is not just a moment in time kind of expression … it is a way of life … a constant commitment
that is made every day ... day in and day out!
3. The kinds of commitment they were
going to make and carry out were regular and routine ... year after year after
year!
a. It is
so easy to make a commitment to God to be faithful when in the moment of an
altar call when all the emotional elements are in full play, the real test of
commitment will come from the weeks that follow and the daily grind and routine
of life is in play.
b. It takes a great sense of resolve
to remain faithful when the emotional factors are either not present or they run
contrary to being committed in faithfulness!
c. Their resolve was a full one ... to
call upon each other to all be faithful together as obedient ... each one doing
their part.
d. Their faithfulness included such
items as attendance, giving, proper respect for God's authorities, and the
reestablishment of order that honors God through their mouths and through the
wallets!
4. This certainly would take great
resolve ... but the fruit of such action would be God's great presence and
blessings upon them as a nation … they would enjoy the fruits of faithfulness in
time.
5. They would also rediscover the joy
that comes from being part of God's unique people ... their resolve was real ...
and it had a real expression to it!
ILLUS: 1967.
We were at war with Vietnam. And there I was, at the U.S. Army Ranger
School at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was brutal.
I can still hear the raspy voice
of the sergeant: "We are here to save your lives. We're going to see to it
that you overcome all your natural fears. We're going to show you just how much
incredible stress the human mind and body can endure. And when we're
finished with you, you will be the U.S. Army's best!"
Then, before he dismissed the
formation, he announced our first assignment. We'd steeled ourselves for
something really tough -- like running 10 miles in full battle gear or
rappelling down a sheer cliff.
Instead, he told us to -- find a
buddy.
"Find yourself a Ranger buddy," he
growled. "You will stick together. You will never leave each other.
You will encourage each other, and, as necessary, you will carry each
other." It was the army's way of saying, "Difficult assignments require a
friend. Together is better."
Who's your "Ranger
buddy"? -- Stu
Weber, pastor of Good Shepherd Community Church in Boring, Oregon. Men of
Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 1.
B. Resources 10:37-39a
1. You will notice that their resolve
took real expression!
a. One area of expression was their
faithfulness to God and His Temple.
b. They once again laid a proper order
for the Temple of God and committed their resources which were already stretched
to the limit as mentioned in the earlier passages ... though later the temple
tax was set at ½ a shekel, for now it was put at 1/3 (10:32) probably to help them in their extreme
poverty!
c. The point here is that they
returned to being faithful by faithful expression of their
resources!
2. One sign of the faithful saint is
how they are faithful to serve God with their resources and their
gifts!
3. Faithfulness cannot minister to
others if there are no real expressions to it, like our own modern proverb:
“ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN
WORDS!”
ILLUS: Mother
Teresa of Calcutta once was asked, "How do you measure the success of your
work?" She looked puzzled for a moment and then replied, "I don't remember
that the Lord ever spoke of success. He spoke only of faithfulness in
love. This is the only success that really counts."
-- James
S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc,
1988), p. 470.
4. Faithfulness in aspiration, in attitude, and finally in
action reflect the saint of God who is moving toward or in
maturity!
a. This can often alone explain why
some Christians sit still and do not grow while some newer Christians seem to
thrive and grow so quickly!
b. Faithfulness is often the key that
makes the difference!
CONCLUSION:
The key to spiritual power
and maturity is found in a single word:
FAITHFULNESS! The problem of
spiritual dryness is never the result of God’s failure to be faithful, or the
faults and errors of other Christians ... they are the responsibility of our
commitment to being faithful before God!
It is faithfulness that separates the successful saints from the
unsuccessful ones ... not the results of ministry. The Bible even recognizes the sad rarity
of this quality in Proverbs 20:6 "Many a man
claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?"
This quality however needs to be
the rule and not the exception as this proverb seems to hint at. How about you ... are you the rule or the
exception?