ÿþ <html> <head> <title>Welcome to First United Methodist Church, El Dorado, AR, sermon series "A Time to Build" </title><!--- Jan 3, 2010 --> <meta name="description" content="First United Methodist church, El Dorado, AR, FUMC, F.U.M.C. First Church, First Methodist, Methodist John Wesley, Methodist, United Methodist Youth, United Methodist women" /> <meta name="keywords" content="First United Methodist church, El Dorado, AR, FUMC, F.U.M.C. 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This sermon series will be ending next Sunday, and for that to happen I once again need to move rather quickly through three chapters of scripture. It s not that this is an unimportant section; rather, I simply want to look a the big picture more than the details. To catch up, look at this video:<a href="http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/13848/Bentley-Brothers-Nehemiah">worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/13848/Bentley-Brothers-Nehemiah</a> </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> In the first six chapters of Nehemiah we heard the story of the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem, culminating with the words, <b> So the wall was completed in fifty-two days... with the help of our God. </b> (6:15-16). Last week we saw that rather than holding wild celebration parties the people s response was to gather and listen as Ezra the scribe read the words of the first five books of what we now know as the Old Testament. Hour after hour they stood and listened as the scripture was read, and the experience changed them. Through those words they clearly heard God speak, and they responded with humility as they acknowledging their sin and sought God s forgiveness. In chapter 10 we see that no sooner had the people acknowledged their sin and need for God than they wrote a document declaring their determination to live a life of sacrifice and praise as their proper response to God. <b> In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it. </b> (9:38) Nehemiah and his assistants signed it, along with 42 other prominent leaders, and then... <b> The rest of the people - priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand - all these now joined their brothers the nobles... </b> (10:28-29) </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> The people made four specific vows: </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> <u>First, they vowed to submit to God s Word.</u> <b> They bound themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord. </b> (10:29) They would be a people of the Word.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> <u>Second, they vowed to separate from the world.</u> <b> We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons. </b> (10:30) They were not going to allow the world or the culture around them to pull them away from their focus on God. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> <u>Third, they vowed to support the Sabbath.</u> <b> When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts. </b> (10:31) They would pattern their life around the Sabbath, and it would remain as a time to focus on God and to offer rest.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> <u>Fourth, they vowed to share in God s work. </u> <b> We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God... We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the first fruits of our crops and of every fruit tree. As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there. Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. </b> (10:32, 35-37) It all culminated with the great vow: <b> We will not neglect the house of our God. (10:39)</b> </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> These were all important vows that we should still consider today. After all, we face the same temptations God s people always have: to disobey or ignore scripture, to compromise with the world, to forsake our worship of God, to not give generously to the cause of Jesus Christ. Perhaps it is time for those of us who have tasted God s goodness to take our own vow to submit to God s Word, to separate from the world, to support the Sabbath, and to share in God s work. This should be our response to God. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> In chapter 11 we see that the people followed their words with action <b>  Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. </b> (11:1-2 ) In order to strengthen the city many people and families moved to Jerusalem. The rest of the chapter simply lists their names. Don t worry; I m not going to bore you by reading them. However, before I move on I do want to point out something important. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Nehemiah wanted the people to move into the city to strengthen Jerusalem. Although they cast lots to choose who would go, it is obvious that the people were given a chance to decline if they wanted to. The account clearly states that the people commended all those who voluntarily chose to live in Jerusalem, knowing that their obedience would not be easy but that it would be important. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> At the risk of over-spiritualizing, may I offer an application? According to scripture, the moment you and I became Christians we were invited to move into God s new Jerusalem - the Church. We were asked to order our lives around the church and to use our gifts and talents to strengthen her ministries. However, we always have a choice. God gave each of us spiritual gifts but he won t force us to use them. I point that out because we have so many needs for workers today and yet so few who volunteer. As but one example, just look in the bulletin today at the ways you can help support our worship ministry. I encourage each of you to consider your vows to God and to follow your words with action. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Now we come to chapter 12, where we find yet another natural response of the people to the presence of God in their midst. All had been done. The wall had been rebuilt. The people had returned and made voluntary commitments to obey God. Now it was time to celebrate. Listen as I read some of Nehemiah s description to you. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> <b> At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem... I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.... Ezra the scribe led the procession... The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people... The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God, as did I.... On that day the people offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. </b> (12:27-28, 31, 36-40, 43) </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Their celebration was a natural expression of gratitude from people who had personally experienced the lavish generosity of God, and there was nothing half-hearted about it. They didn t hide their love for God. In the future they would worship in the temple, but on this day they took it to the street, if you will. The two large choirs walked on top of the wall, one to the right, and one went to the left, with Ezra leading one and Nehemiah the other. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Once the enemy had taunted them by saying that the wall would be so weak that even a small fox would be able to knock it down, yet here the people were marching on the walls! It was another opportunity to prove that the work had indeed been done with the help of God and that God would always be given the glory. As the leaders and choirs marched on top of the walls, everyone could see what was happening, and for miles around unbelievers heard the sound of praise. </font></p> <p align="left"><font face="verdana" size="2"> Friends, maybe it is time to let the people around us know that we love God. We do live in a difficult world, and as the anniversary of 9-11 reminds us today, there is much evil in our world today. Yet there is also much good in our world. God is here, ready to guide and bless us. This day, lets join God s people throughout the generations by voluntarily vowing to submit to God s Word, to separate from the world, to support the Sabbath, to share in God s work, and to continually celebrate God. This is our proper response to God! Amen. </font></p> <br><br> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> </table> <TABLE width=800 border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <TR bgcolor="#d8d2d8"> <TD width=800 valign="baseline" bgcolor="#d8d2d8" align=right> <!--- beige F2F2E6 ----> <font face="verdana" color="#000000" size="1"> This site designed and maintained by <a href="http://www.hipdogwebdesign.com">HipDog Web Design&reg;</a><br> Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved.</TD> <TD width="19%">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> </TABLE> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>