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Now let's dive into today's teaching from Pastor Skip's son Nate Heitzig. Have you ever had a moment in your life Something so incredible, something so wonderful happened that you look back at those circumstances and you say, Wow, I cannot believe God did that. Anyone ever had one of those kind of moments? Where you look at the scenario that you were in and you look at how God brought you out of it and you look at where you are now and the only reasonable response is to say, I can't believe how good God is. Maybe it was a prayer that you prayed months ago that finally God answered.
Maybe it was a door that he opened. Perhaps it was the thing that you almost gave up on that you didn't think it was possible. And finally, God does it. And now you're living in the middle of the answer and favor of God. Isn't that such a great place to be in those seasons where you realize God's real?
He's there. He cares for me. He loves me. He has a plan for me. I can feel his presence.
Those are such incredible seasons.
Now, let me ask you adversely: have you ever had someone, a human, make you a promise and then bail? Anyone ever had that happen? Where they're like, Yeah, I'll be there. I'm gonna do it. I'll do what I say.
I'm gonna do it. And then they just don't do it. You know, maybe you're moving and you invite a few friends over to come to your house and they say, Yeah, we'll be there nine o'clock in the morning. We're gonna help you load up that truck and move to your new house. And 9:15 rolls by, 9:30, 10 o'clock.
And you call your friends, you're like, Hey, where are you? And they're like, Oh, sorry, we forgot we've got plans. They just bail on you, or your husband has a to-do list of all the things he said he's going to do on Saturday, and then it rolls around on Sunday, and you're like, You promised you were going to do those things. Oh, sorry, I had to go golfing.
Some people talk a big game. But then they vanish when it really matters, right? Humans fail. God never does. When God makes a promise to you, he not only follows through with the promise, but he keeps the receipt.
Has anyone in here ever ordered something expensive online that you were really excited to get, but you had to wait for maybe a few weeks or months to get that item? When you order something expensive online, you get a receipt, you get a confirmation number. And that confirmation number is important because if you want to know what's happening with your order, if you want to know where it's at, and you call the 1-800 number, the first thing they ask you for is what? The confirmation number because they want to prove that you purchased what you said you did. If that item breaks or you have an issue with it down the road and you need to appeal to the manufacturer's warranty, oftentimes you have to give a proof of purchase, a receipt or a confirmation number.
That receipt, that confirmation number says this isn't just wishful thinking. It's already paid for and it's on its way.
Well, Nehemiah chapter 7 is exactly that for you and I, for the believer, in our lives. It is a receipt. Nehemiah 7 is a document of divine fulfillment. Nehemiah 7 tells us that God does exactly what he says he's going to do. The chapter isn't just a record, it's a receipt.
The wall isn't just a dream of the people anymore. It's real. The people aren't in exile anymore. They're home. And all of it is a testament to this.
God keeps his promise. Christian, you and I serve a promise-keeping God. That's what he says he's going to do, he will do.
Now, he might not do it in our timeline. He might not do it how we think he should do it. He might not follow our plan to get there, but when he makes us a promise, he always comes through. Nehemiah 6 ends with the wall complete.
Now, Nehemiah 7 marks a transition in the book of Nehemiah. It's not about bricks anymore. Up until this point, it's been all about bricks, rebuilding the wall, fortifying the open gaps, hanging up the doors, fighting the battles. It's been all about the building. It's not about bricks anymore.
Nehemiah 7 is about people. It's about people, promises, and God's faithfulness to finish. what he starts. Again, Nehemiah 7 is a divine proof of purchase. Promises kept.
The wall is built. The people are back. The covenant is alive. And that's huge. The covenant is alive.
Nehemiah 7 marks the fulfillment of the covenant that God made with his people. See, God didn't make a covenant with a land space. God didn't make a covenant with walls. God made a covenant with people. with the Israelites, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that he would not only prosper their people and grow their people, but he had a land for them and a place that belonged to them in perpetuity.
And Nehemiah chapter seven is the fulfillment of that covenant once again. Let me tell you up front though. This chapter doesn't read like a highlight reel. Up until this point, Nehemiah has been a really fun book to go through, hasn't it? All the subterfuge and the espionage and the attacks and the battles and the rebuilding and all these different narratives that Nehemiah has had to go through.
Nehemiah chapter 7 doesn't read like that. Nehemiah 7 is over 70 verses, 64 of which are just names. This is, let's be honest, that chapter that you Skip over when you're reading it on your own. It's mostly names, numbers, and census data. And we can look at that and say, how could I possibly find something to apply to my life in Nehemiah chapter 7?
But under the surface, Of Nehemiah chapter seven is a rich narrative of redemption. Because Nehemiah 7 isn't just about what God did back then. It's about what he's still doing right now. Nehemiah 7 is a monument, not just to construction, it is a monument to the promise keeper who called it. carried it.
and completed it. And that's our message title this morning, Promise Keeper. And the first thing that we're going to see in Nehemiah chapter 7 is that God finishes what he starts. Turn to Nehemiah chapter 7. We're going to read verses 1 through 4 as we begin.
Says then it was. When the wall was built, And I had hung the doors. When the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed. that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than any. Stop there for just a second.
I just want to point something out. Nehemiah. Is a part of the process. He rebuilds the walls, he hangs the doors, and now he leaves the charge of Jerusalem to two men.
Now, I want to point out for context's sake, that's because most likely, although it doesn't say that here, is that Nehemiah has to go back to Babylon. Remember, Nehemiah is the cupbearer for Artaxerxes. And most likely, now that he has completed the task for which he went to Jerusalem, the task that Artaxerxes sent him on, that now he's got to go back to Babylon for a period of time to fulfill his role to the king. And so he leaves these two men in charge. It continues on in verse three, and it says, and I said to them, Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot.
And well they stand guard. Let them shut and bar the doors and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.
Now, the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt. You can stop there. I want to point out one thing as well in that last verse, verse 4. It says the houses were not yet rebuilt. We're not going to dig into that, but I want to point out.
The houses weren't rebuilt. Why?
Well, they weren't rebuilt because up until this point, the walls weren't rebuilt and the gates weren't in place. And you don't rebuild the structures inside the city until you have something to protect the houses.
So the houses aren't rebuilt. The wall and the gates are.
Now they can begin the work on the inside of the city, fixing the houses and fixing the other buildings. Look back at Nehemiah chapter 7, verse 1. Notice what it says. After the wall had been rebuilt. And I had set the doors in place.
Let's stop there. This really, Nehemiah 7-1, really marks the completion of the work. Of course, last week in Nehemiah chapter 6, we talked about the reality that the walls had been completed, the walls were finished. But it said in Nehemiah chapter 6: the walls were built, but the doors had not yet been hung in their place. And now in Nehemiah chapter seven, we see the work finally come to its complete fulfillment.
Not only are the walls up, but now the doors are in place and now the people are in the city. And this is really the fulfillment of the promise and the covenant that God had given to his people. God had promised through prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel that Israel would return to the land, that they would go to captivity for their sin and their disobedience, but that God had not forgotten them and that God would bring his people back to Israel when they were repentant. And this is the fulfillment of that promise that he spoke through Haggai and Zechariah that the temple and the city would be rebuilt. Here in Nehemiah 7, that promise isn't pending anymore.
It's fulfilled. Nehemiah Chapter one begins in ruins. And here in Nehemiah chapter seven, it ends in resilience. And again, I pointed this out last week. It's not because Nehemiah was brilliant.
It's because God was faithful. See, the physical wall stands as a testimony. That what God starts, God sees through. That the promises God makes, God keeps.
Now, some of you are in the middle of the rebuild right now. We've talked about this throughout the series, that some of you are building something right now and you're in the middle of this rebuilding process. And maybe you're at the very beginning. Maybe you're in Nehemiah chapter one where you're just lamenting. You're just weeping over the destruction that has happened in your life.
Maybe you're in Nehemiah chapter 4, where you've started making progress on the wall, but you're getting attacks from the enemy. Maybe you're in Nehemiah chapter 6, where you've rebuilt much of your life, but there's still some gaps where the gates haven't yet been hung. Or maybe you find yourself in Nehemiah chapter 7, where the wall is complete, the gates are hung. This rebuilding process in your life has come to fruition, but some of you are in the middle of the rebuild. And it's taken a long time.
It's taken longer than you would like. It's been harder than you thought it would be. This is Connect with Skiff Heitzig. We'll return to Nate Heitzig's teaching in just a moment. Your support helps reach people every day with biblical truth that speaks into real life, bringing clarity, strength, and lasting hope.
And this month we'd love to thank you with two resources designed to help you trust God in difficult seasons and move forward with confidence. When you give today, you'll receive the Expound Nehemiah 7 Message series with digital download, along with Pastor Skip's booklet, Overcoming an Anxious Mind. These resources will help you see how God is at work even when life feels uncertain, and how to experience his peace instead of anxiety as you follow him. Your gift helps extend the reach of Connect with Skip-Heitzig, connecting more people to God's Word. Request your resources when you give $50 or more at connectwithskip.com slash offer or by calling 800-922-8888.
Now let's get back to the teaching of Nate Heizig. You're in the middle of this season and you're wondering if your prayers are working. Is God here in me? Does God care about me? Is He going to see this through, or am I going to be in this middle?
Space of the rebuild for the rest of my life. You're wondering if your obedience matters, if that calling is ever going to become clarity. Let Nehemiah 7 remind you, if God started it, he already has it on his schedule to finish it. And that's what I love. One thing we see throughout scripture is that when God makes a promise, that promise isn't just this vague promise that he doesn't know when it's going to come to pass.
When he makes a promise, he has an end date in mind. He has a completion date in mind, and he's moving you and working you towards that completion date. If God made you a promise, he has it on his schedule to finish it. Have you ever doubted God's promises within your life? You don't need to be ashamed if you have.
I'm raising my hand because I have. when you're in one of those seasons that's incredibly difficult. that you can't see a way out of. That it feels like God's presence isn't there, and you begin to question God. You begin to doubt God.
Is God real? Are his promises really true? Does God really care about me? Does God really have a plan for my life? And no doubt, when I ask that question, you're thinking about those seasons in your life when you might have doubted.
And attached to that season is a lot of pain, a lot of baggage. A lot of rebuilding. Wondering if these promises are ever going to come true for you. These promises of good, not evil, a future and a hope. But in the middle of the rebuild, you're saying, I don't see any future.
I don't have any hope. I don't see anything good around me. All I see is evil. How is God going to remedy this situation? Don't feel bad if you've ever felt that way.
Even the great men and women of the Bible felt that same way. As a matter of fact, the great man of faith, Abraham, doubted those promises as well. Remember the story of Abraham and Sarah? and that they really wanted a child. And God had promised Abraham that he would father a child that would give him children like the sands of the sea.
This is the start of that Abrahamic covenant, that covenant that actually we see here in Nehemiah 7 being fulfilled, that he would prosper Abraham's people, that he would grow his people. God said to his friend Abraham, look now towards heaven. and count the stars if you are able to number them. And he said, so shall your descendants be. This is a beautiful promise that God gave Abraham, a promise that Abraham had faith in.
And this was all well and good, except for one teeny, tiny obstacle. Abraham was in his 80s. And so is his wife. Making this not only highly unlikely under normal circumstances, but seemingly impossible. For Abraham to wrap his head around.
And yet, Abraham and Sarah waited for the promise to be fulfilled. They waited. They had faith in God. They trusted they were moving forward. Abraham knew that God would do what he said he would do.
Until it took too long. Until God's timeline slowed down and it didn't match Abraham's timeline. It didn't match Sarah's timeline. And then, when that began to happen, their faith began to dwindle. Their faith began.
To be crushed. And then Sarah comes to Abraham and has an idea. She says, Hey, Abraham. Are you sure? That this is how God wants to fulfill that promise to you?
Are you sure that it's going to be me? Because if God wants to bring you an heir, God wants to bring you a son, he can do it in other ways, right?
So, why don't you take my maidservant, Hagar? Why don't you lay with her, have a son with her, and that will be the fulfillment of God's promise to you? That will be what brings the fruition to God's faithfulness. And so Abraham took things into his own hands. He laid with Hagar, and he had a son, Ishmael.
Now let's not be too quick to criticize because this can happen to us as well. We do the exact same thing when we look at our lives and we look at the promises of God and we say, well, doesn't Jesus want me to be happy? Doesn't Jesus promise to make me happy? Doesn't he promise to give me the desires of my heart? Doesn't he promise a future and a hope?
Doesn't God promise that all things work together for my good? And so, when something happens in our life and we can't reconcile it with scripture, we begin to doubt the promises of God, not realizing the desires that he wants to give us are his desires that he puts within us, or that the future and the hope and the good is ultimately heaven. And it's easy for us to have a plan of what life is supposed to look like. And some of us believe that the Bible promises us a utopian lifestyle. And many of us have an unrealistic idea of what faith actually is.
Look, faith doesn't mean that we can trust God for all the stuff that we want and somehow He's obliged to do it because we trust in Him. No, that's not what the biblical understanding of God's promises are. Faith means that you trust God and the promises that he's given you no matter what, believing that he has your best intentions in mind. A lot of us want to trust that God will give us what we want. But we don't trust that what God has given us is exactly what we need.
See, that's the understanding of that Bible verse: God works all things together for good. Not exactly what it says. It says, God works all things together for the good. Of those who are called according to his purpose, it doesn't say. God Gives All good things to those who are called according to his purpose.
Or God gives the people who are called according to his purpose what they want. No, it says God works all things together for the good of those who are called according to his purpose. That means when you're in the season where you're not getting what you want, you need to trust that God is giving you what you need. Even if what you need right now is difficult and painful, God is going to use the difficult and painful within your life to do something good that you can't see yet. That's an understanding of trust and faith in the promises of God that, Lord, I don't know what's happening right now.
I can't see a purpose or a plan that you could possibly have in this situation, but it doesn't matter what I see, it matters who I know. And the God that I know works all things together, even the bad things, for my good. And so, while the bad thing might not be good, he can bring good from the bad things in my life. That's an understanding of biblical faith. In our times of doubt, let's train ourselves to take our eyes off of the pain.
and place them on the promise and the promise keeper. And that's exactly what Nehemiah did. In chapter one of Nehemiah, Nehemiah gets news that Jerusalem is torn down, that the walls are destroyed, that there's no fortifications or protection. And what does Nehemiah do? The natural response, he weeps.
He falls to his feet. He cries. He's thinking about the pain that that causes him. But very quickly, he takes his eyes off of the pain and he puts his eyes on the promise keeper. He says, God, you've made a covenant with your people.
God, you've made a promise to bring us back into this land to prosper us and lead us and guide us. And so while I can't see a fruition of that promise right now, I'm going to take my eyes off of the pain, place them on the promise, and I'm going to mark with, I'm going to walk with faithfulness back to Jerusalem so I can be a part of seeing the promise fulfilled. He put his eyes back on the promise. In Abraham's life, it wasn't until 13 years later. After that whole scenario, when Abraham was 99 years old.
that this promise was fulfilled. God's promises can only be fulfilled. By God's power. And human efforts, apart from his will, no matter how sincere they are, are doomed to failure. See, sometimes we try to help God out, don't we?
We're like, well, God gave me these promises, and these are great promises in scripture, but he's not doing them.
So maybe he needs me to help him out a little bit. Maybe he needs me to push this forward to speed up the timeline.
So I'm just going to do it my way. But oftentimes, what we find out is that when we do it our way and we get involved, we're not actually helping God, we're just hurting ourselves and pushing the timeline back even further. We're simply sticking our foot in our mouth and making it harder for God to bring what He wants to bring within our lives. This chapter shows us that God keeps his promises. But you can't measure God's promises with your calendar.
God keeps his promises, but you can't measure God's promises. by your calendar. We live in a culture that wants instant gratification. for everything, right? We want instant gratification.
For those of us who grew up when the internet wasn't a thing and it started to come to be, do you remember when the internet first came out and you went to AOL and you had to sign in? Remember how long that took? Like connecting is making all those weird noises and you're just hoping, am I going to get through? Am I going to be connected to the internet? And you're waiting for it, and you send an email, and instead of going in a blink of an eye, it takes like a minute and a half for that email to come through and finally get sent to somebody.
Do you remember what life was like before DoorDash and Uber Eats? When if you wanted food, you had to drive and go get it. You had to actually make it. And now it's like, I want food. I'm going to get it right now.
I'm going to get it from wherever I want. As a matter of fact, I'm going to double dash. I'm going to get that burger, and I'm also going to have them stop at Walgreens and pick me up some Ben and Jerry's.
Now, if there's something you want online, you don't have to go to a store, you don't even have to wait for weeks, you can do Amazon's same-day delivery and get it instantly. I want it now! And we have this fast food culture, this instant gratification culture, where we want it right now exactly how we ordered it. But that's not how God works. And that can be very dangerous if we carry that mindset into our faith.
That we expect God not only to give us what He promised, but to give it to us right now. It's like a kid. Who has a Christmas list? And they give it to their parents, and their parents go buy the presents. But then the kid says, Not only do I want what I asked for, I want it now.
I don't want to wait till Christmas. And as a parent, you say, you got to wait. It's not Christmas yet. It's not about your timeline and your calendar. It's about my calendar.
God's not late. He's layering legacy. Look back at your life at what God has brought you through. It's not luck. It's legacy.
a legacy of a promise keeper. We're so glad you joined us for Connect with Skip Heitzig, today featuring Pastor Skip's son Nate Heitzig. Before you go, here's a reminder. When you give fifty dollars or more this month, we'll send you the Expound Nehemiah Seven Message C D series with digital download, along with Pastor Skip's booklet, Overcoming an Anxious Mind, as our thanks. These resources offer biblical insight and encouragement to help you trust God in challenging seasons and experience His peace as you follow Him.
Your support helps keep this Bible teaching ministry on the air, connecting more people to God's word. Give today at connectwithskiff.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888. See you next time. Make a connection. Shouldn't Yeah.
Of the crossing. Castle and Perfect. Insomnia. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of connection communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.
