#12 “Book of Nehemiah”
Series
"THANKFULNESS!"
TEXT: Nehemiah
12:27-47
INTRO: Perhaps the
most powerful and most undervalued attitude of the human heart is
thankfulness!
A man by the name of Eddie Rickenbacker
and several companions were lost at sea in life rafts for 21 days ... when
finally found he was asked, “What was the
biggest lesson you learned from that experience.” He answered, “If you have all the fresh water you want to
drink and all the food you want to eat, you ought never to complain about
anything!”
The irony about having so much is that
those with so much often are thankless so much!
The virtue of thankfulness
influences all other virtues and attitudes of life ... thus it is the most
powerful virtue of all!
ILLUS: Mother
Theresa told this story in an address to the National Prayer Breakfast in
1994: One evening we went out, and
we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible
condition. I told the sisters, "You take care of the other three; I will take
care of the one who looks worst."
So I did for her all that my love
could do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face.
She took hold of my hand as she said two words only: "Thank you." Then she
died. I could not help but examine
my conscience before her. And I asked: What would I say if I were in her place?
And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to
myself. I would have said, "I am hungry, I am dying, I am in pain," or
something. But she gave me much more; she gave me her grateful love. And she
died with a smile on her face.
Gratitude brings a smile and becomes a gift. -- Leadership, Vol. 16, no.
2.
Thus Psalm
92:1 simply states: “It is good to praise the Lord, and make music to your
name...” and in Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with Thanksgiving, and His
courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name!” Eph. 5:20, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for
everything...” Col. 2:7 “… and
overflowing with thankfulness!” 1 Thess.
PROP. SENT:
One of the most powerful influences in
a Christian's life is THANKFULNESS, without it life is filled with all kinds of
bitterness and nothing satisfies the heart ... with it, a believer only gets
better ... and feels satisfied and contented in whatever circumstances. It is one virtue that deeply affects all
other Christian virtues! THANKLESSNESS
DESTROYS THE SOUL ... THANKFULNESS DELIVERS THE
SOUL!
I. SACREDNESS OF THANKSGIVING 12:27-30
A. Power of
Music! 12:27-29
1. From the beginning of man's
experience of worship music has always led the way!
a. Only a fool doesn't believe music
influences our moods or behavior!
b. Why do lovers play soft music when
they are together?
c. Why do soldiers march to musical
anthems!?
d. Why do you sing or whistle when
you're in a good mood, or scared?
e. Why do teenagers go crazy when at a
concert of hard driving music which is blasting at 110
decibels?
f. Why do grocery stores play
music all day for your shopping pleasure?
g. Why do businesses now play music on
their phones when they put you on hold?
h. Why do children respond so
profoundly to momma's singing them to sleep?
i. Why do stores and elevators
have music playing? Need I go
on?
2. Music is one of the most potent
forms of communication and one of the most powerful influences on the human soul
and mind ... it can quite literally shape and alter our moods and emotions, and
affect our will and behavior!
a. Only a fool would miss the fact
that Satan is using music also to influence the lives and minds of people
today!
b. It is not a particular style of
music, but the style combined with a message that can be uplifting or
damning!
ILLUS: George
Whitefield (1714-1770) receives little notice in history books for his hymns,
there being much more to say about his incredible preaching career. According to
one source, Whitefield began his "career of revival song" in 1738, the year of
his first preaching journey to
Urgently concerned about the lower
classes, Whitefield created hymns based on music they knew. Writes Stuart C.
Henry: "Thinking it wrong for the 'devil's house to have all the good tunes,'
[Whitefield] had appropriated some popular airs from favorite stage operas of
the day and set sacred words to them."
[T]he strains of such music-hall
ballads as "Love in a Village," or "Maid of the Mill" floated from the
Moorfields Tabernacle. "What kind of religion sings this kind of song?' asked
Whitefield's Collection of Hymns,
for "social worship," was designed to be used by his congregation in
3. There is no such thing as
unemotional music!
4. Here in Nehemiah's day the singers
were living right around the city, a city therefore literally surrounded by
sound! The singers had built their
houses and villages around Jerusalem (12:29 “…for the singers
had built villages for themselves around
Jerusalem.”)
a. Can you imagine this scene! The
b. Imagine waking up in the
5. It was David's playing his harp
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that was the only thing that could calm
an evil King Saul.
6. It was the sound of the trumpets
and music that David danced to with all his might in the victory of bringing
back the ark of God!
7. It was the singers who were usually
first in line on the battle field!!! They often led Israel into battle! (Unless
music had power this was a stupid military tactic ... it sure must have limited the desire for
being in the choir!)
B. Preparation of Ministry 12:30
1. Notice that along with the music
there was a preparing process ... to make everything clean and
pure!
2. Why can't we get into worship
during a song service sometimes? HAVE WE PREPARED our hearts to do so
before arriving ... by being clean and purified from anger, malice, hatred,
bitterness, etc.!?
ILLUS: A godly
farmer was asked to dine with a well-known gentleman. While there, he asked a
blessing at the table as he was accustomed to do at home. His host said
jeeringly, "That is old fashioned; it is not customary nowadays for
well-educated people to pray before they eat." The farmer answered that with him
it was customary, but that some of those on his farm never prayed over their
food. "Ah, then," said the gentleman, "they are sensible and enlightened. Who
are they?" "My pigs," the farmer answered. – Source
Unknown
3. It would have been a waste of
time to have sacred music without making sure that everything was first
sacred!
4. You will often get out of a worship
experience exactly what you put into it ... or how you come
prepared!
a. Fight
on the way to church in the car and see how well you think the service goes, or
who well the preacher preached!
b. Be angry with someone and let
unforgiveness rule in your heart and try to experience the joy of
worship!!
c. Much of the atmosphere of a worship
experience happens before we arrive ... and how we
arrive!
5. Preparation of the heart is a whole
lot more important than the suit and tie you put on -- or the preparations of
make-up that took an hour before getting there ... BETTER TO MAKE-UP with God
and be tied to your brethren
first, then your suited well for
worship!
II. SCOPE OF THANKSGIVING 12:31-39
A. Parameters of Memory 12:31-39
1. What was so fascinating about the
choir breaking into 2 groups and going in opposite directions on the walls until
they met ... all the while singing?
They would each be singing when they came to the section they had
themselves worked on!
2. The joy would whelm up in their
hearts as they walked over the very spot they had worked on ... their music
would soar as each covered that very spot!
3. Their music was based on
thankfulness for what God had done in the past, especially the recent
past!
ILLUS: A young
boy complained to his father that most of the church hymns were boring and
old-fashioned, with tiresome words that meant little to his generation. His
father challenged him with these words: "If you think you can write better
hymns, why don't you?"
The boy accepted the challenge,
went to his room, and wrote his first hymn. The year was 1690, and the young man
was Isaac Watts. Among his 350 hymns are "Joy to the World," "When I Survey the
Wondrous Cross," "I Sing the Almighty Power of God," and many other
classics. -- James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton:
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 154.
4. If we fail to remember the good
things of God when we are experiencing tough times we will fail to be
thankful!
5. Memory must be stirred to revive
thanks during trials, a bigger picture is needed when we are locked into a small
tunnel at the moment and suffering!
B. Participants Mentioned!
12:31-39
1. The individuals are mentioned who
helped plan this time of THANKFULNESS!
2. There was both the corporate
dynamic and the individual dynamic in the experience!
3. One must participate in being
thankful to experience any joy in worship!
4. You can't ride on other people's
thankfulness or joy ... you need to join in with them!
5. While the traveling over the walls
singing with THANKSGIVING was itself a wonderful experience, the destination
point was the HOUSE OF GOD where they met and joined their THANKSGIVING
TOGETHER!
ILLUS: In the
fifth and sixth centuries there was an order of monks in
6. Thanksgiving must be pressed INTO
OUR MEMORIES ... AND FROM OUR PARTICIPATION IN EXPRESSING THANKSGIVING IN THE
HOUSE OF GOD!
III. SACRIFICES OF THANKSGIVING 12:40-43
A. Places of
Ministry 12:40-42
1. Each took their place of ministry
as per their calling when they joined together at the destination point ... the
HOUSE OF GOD!
2. The trip on the wall was wonderful
… and the antiphonal choir music uplifting and moving ... but the goal was
ministry!
3. Those that are most thankful tend
to be most involved in ministry!
a. This is primarily true because
thankful people do not find sacrificing a difficult thing to do ... they are
grateful to be used by God!
b. Unthankful hearts tend to think
of their own needs first and so find little that they can
sacrifice!
ILLUS: When we
come to the end of life, the question will be, "How much have you given?" not
"How much have you gotten?" -- George Sweeting, former president, Moody Bible Institute.
Men of Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 2.
4. Each within God's Temple took their
particular position of ministry!
a. This blessed the whole group ...
everyone was filled with joy and thanksgiving!
b. The individual also was blessed knowing that
their contribution and participation was important and significant to both God
and others!
5. Because the whole group had already
joined in being THANKFUL they had a powerful worship experience ... WORSHIP THAT
DEMONSTRATED ITS JOY IN GIVING ... the very expression of thanks is that of
joyful giving!
B. Passing
Mediocrity!
12:43
1. They weren't going to be satisfied
with just the middle of the road type of giving ... they went beyond the
average!
2. They had already done this in their
thanksgiving ... they had walked the walls. (sounds like old time
Pentecostals!)
3. Why spoil the buildup all the way
to the worship service by suddenly entering in by a mediocre attitude toward
giving!
ILLUS: The most
conservative of Jewish sects is the Hasidic. Found principally in
4. GREAT SACRIFICES COME FROM GREAT
JOY!
a. This is the point of the passage "God loves a
cheerful giver."
b. It doesn't mean DON'T GIVE if you
not cheerful ... IT MEANS WORK ON THE ATTITUDE OF BEING CHEERFUL SO YOU CAN
ENJOY GIVING!
c. It is wrong to focus on the giving
part only and neglect the attitude part!
5. No ordinary expression would do
under such extraordinary thanksgiving!
6. Mediocrity is the poison of the western world
... we are often willing to only get by instead of
excelling.
a. It has killed our industrial
output.
b. It has killed the quality of our
merchandise.
c. It is killing our educational
institutions.
d. It is destroying our homes and
marriages.
e. It has destroyed the kind of faith
and love the church is supposed to have when it comes
together!
f. It settles for less ... thus
there is less to be thankful for!
7. THANKFULNESS DOESN'T COME FROM WHAT
YOU HAVE ... BUT WHAT YOU ARE GRATEFUL TO GOD TO BE ABLE TO GIVE AND
USE!
8. IT IS THE ATTITUDE OF
GRATITUDE!
IV. SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING
A. Pleasing
Ministry
12:44-46
1. The people were pleased with the
ministry of their priests and Levites!
a. In other words they got something
out of the priests’ ministry.
b. And the choir of the Levites
blessed their souls!
2. There will be a complete reversal
of this attitude in the next chapter ... which has Nehemiah back at the king's
palace and gone for several years, over this course of time the people lost
their thankfulness ... and they lost their appreciation of each other's
ministries!
a. Nehemiah had to return and get the
ministers to return to ministry.
b. They had quit trying after the
people became unthankful ... even they succumbed!
3. Meanwhile ... back in chapter 12 though, they are joyful over each other's
ministry!
a. The attitude of thankfulness can
have more to do with how much ministry you receive than on how well the preacher
preached!
b. I have preached what I considered
not so good a sermon and had people say they were really ministered
to!
c. It was a surprise to me only
because I wasn't thankful for the job I did, but they were grateful to hear
God's Word.
4. You can almost feel the excitement
in the city of God ... great celebration, great thankfulness ... great joy in
ministry.
a. It was a joy to minister to one
another because each was appreciated!
b. Sometimes a word of appreciation
can bring more healing and create more commitment toward ministry than all the
teaching seminars in the world!
c. Unappreciated ministry is hard
to keep going ... both sides hurt, those ministering ... and those ministered
to!
5. We need to appreciate all those who
minister within the congregation ... from smelly diaper changers to faithful
janitors ... to board members who serve and do what's best for the church of God
instead of their own concerns – and yes, the Pastors
too!
6. This is why it can be hard to have
people want to minister ... if we complain about our ministry and make it
joyless no one will be anxious to serve!
7. Where ministry is appreciated
there is greater interest in service!
ILLUS: The most
important thing my dad ever taught me is that there are more important things
than me. -- John Ashcroft, former Attorney General of the Unites
States. Men of Integrity, Vol. 1,
no. 2.
8. The giving of the people didn't
have to be pumped up ... thankfulness had created the atmosphere of great giving
and the Levites were kept busy properly taking care of and storing the
sacrifices of the people of God in God's house!
B. Practical
Ministry 12:47
1. The expression of thanksgiving took
on very practical ways!
a. Each one did their part and each
one was taken care of!
b. There would be supply for the
priests, the Levites and the other appointed places of
ministry.
c. And the people would have what was
necessary to continue in ministry also!
2. The expressions were very down to
earth!
a. The House of God would have what
was needed to stay in shape.
b. The servants of full time ministry
would be properly taken care of.
c. When the need arose for those
within
d. The cares of the world would not
take up the major time and concerns of ministry ... there would be no lack ...
therefore all the time and efforts could be placed on ministry, not
money!
3. The idea in this final verse is
that THANKFULNESS had practical expression to it!
a. Why not write a note of
thanksgiving to someone whom you appreciate but maybe just have not thought of
saying it to them before!
b. Find some way to tell someone you
are thankful for them ... it doesn't mean you think they are perfect ... quite
the opposite … you are thanking them because you know they aren't perfect but
appreciate them anyways!
ILLUS: A doctor
wrote a letter of thanks to a schoolteacher for having given him so much
encouragement when he had been in her class 30 years before. He later received
this reply: "I want you to know what your note meant to me. I am an old lady in
my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely, and
seeming like the last leaf on the tree. You will be interested to know that I
taught school for 50 years, and yours is the first letter of appreciation I have
ever received. It came on a cold, blue morning and cheered my lonely old heart
as nothing has cheered me in many years." – Source Unknown
4. FINAL POINT: NOTHING CREATES MORE
THANKSGIVING THAN THANKSGIVING! People who are thankful tend to be
appreciated more than those who are never or rarely thankful! THANKFULNESS BREEDS
THANKFULNESS!
CONCLUSION: Thankfulness is at the heart of
dynamic worship. The more thankful
the heart, the more refreshed the soul. It is also the inspiration of ministry!
As thankfulness inspires
ministry it also directs ministry in very practical ways! ARE YOU A THANK-FULL or THANK-EMPTY
PERSON?