1818. Watchfulness At the Point of Winning

Welcome to The Daily Platform. Our program features sermons from Chapel Services at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Every day, students are blessed by the preaching and teaching of the Bible from the University Chapel Platform. We will be preaching watchfulness at the point of winning. It's interesting and significant because all of the words of God are inspired and all of the words of God are profitable, and so we come to a chapter like this in the middle, if you will, of this book, a little past middle. And one of the things we need to do, I think, is ask why.

What is going on here? The title of my message this morning is, Watchfulness When Winning, or Caution When Finishing. Caution When Finishing. You'll notice at the beginning of chapter 7, it says, Now it came to pass when the wall was built and I had set up the doors and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed. One of the lessons I've learned over the course of my almost 54 years is that in most circumstances in life, God is usually up to much more than I am actually aware of.

You see, we have such a keen sight for the obvious that we become myopic and miss the rest. Dr. Bruce Meyer. Bruce, are you here today?

Maybe. There he is, right back there. If you haven't picked up on it already, he's developed quite a reputation as our resident expert at sleight of hand, or magic. He can correct me, but sleight of hand is built on the idea of focus.

In fact, it works when you can misdirect people's focus. Is that right, sir? He'll never give away the secrets of the trade. I know that. As we come to Nehemiah chapter 7, we're going to see a shift in focus. What we're going to see is actually not new for Nehemiah, but it actually may be for everyone else. And so, you follow along. I'm actually going to read then verse 2 down through verse 6. That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hanani, the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. And I said unto them, let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot. While they stand by, let them shut the doors and bar them, and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch, and everyone to be over against his house. The city was large and great, but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded. And my God put it into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy.

And I found a register of the genealogy of them, which came up at the first, and found written therein, these are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, and of those that had been carried away. Whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone unto his city. So the walls are complete, the task of building is done, but I think for Nehemiah, the real purpose is that he has come to Jerusalem to seek accomplished, are actually just now beginning. Nehemiah didn't come to build walls, he actually came to see worship restored. So he'll turn his attention now to the worship system of the people of Israel, and he starts with a numbering of the people.

He has built walls as a means of security, safety, separation, and support for all that needed to happen within the city, but now the worship itself must be restored. The relationship of the people to their God has to be in a sense refreshed, or I'm going to use the word, revived. You see, Israel has a track record.

A track record that frankly is pretty bleak. They often respond to the blessing of God and the victory that it brings with selfish pride and self-reliance. The Scriptures capture that with this statement, they forget God.

What a thought. They forget God. You see, Israel typically has two reactions when you read their history and you see them in their interactions with God and then their interactions with God's promises, and thus the interactions with the people that they interact with.

Those reactions are polar, they're on the opposite ends of the spectrum. They don't merely reflect though the responses of Israel, I think they often reflect our responses to the circumstances of life, particularly difficult circumstances. You see, often when we see Israel and we see their responses, we see a lack of confidence in God. Difficulties come, challenges come, there are things that are going to require them to hear what God said and in faith obey what God says, and often we see them with a lack of confidence.

You'll remember what happened when it comes time to go into the Promised Land. So they take their eyes off God and become overwhelmed with their circumstances and instead of taking a stand on God's truth and faith, they begin to accommodate the people around them and they mix so as not to face conflict or to find a way of security. And they suppose that a cessation of hostility was to be equated with peace and thus to not have hostility in a sense was victory, but nothing could be further from the truth.

There often isn't victory just because we find a pathway that looks like a lack of conflict. And so one reaction is lack of confidence in God, the other reaction then is an overconfidence in self or self-confidence. Israel has a tendency to become proud of what they've accomplished. And thus in that they begin to rest in who they are. They see themselves not as the people of God, but people that God should be pleased with. You read through the Judges, you'll see this mindset among the people. It's interesting that you see then God working in and among his people in a number of ways that lead them to a condition where you and I would say they need revival.

It's a big word. The idea is actually a refreshing or a rightness to their relationship with God. I say that word revival and typically our minds always run to experience. And most of the time if we're honest when we think about revival and we want it, we want the experience.

And experience is just a byproduct. Revival is just a byproduct of the people of God getting right with God. So Israel would commonly look at their foes and faint or they would look at themselves and fall.

I think sometimes that is typical of us. And so focus is a key and we're going to see actually in the seventh chapter that this is now what Nehemiah is going to do. The walls are built and this whole chapter is going to be about focus. Focusing the people, eventually bringing them inside. Focusing what it is that now needs to happen.

Bringing about priorities to their choices in life. And through that turning the hearts of the people of God to their God. So let's look at this chapter and consider not just the people of Israel but let's consider ourselves as we may be coming to the end.

We're getting close to finishing. See it would be a tragic mistake. One that actually would keep them in a pretty routine pattern throughout their history for Israel to find security and peace now in their newly renovated walls or in their place. The walls were merely just a reflection if you will of the provision of God and that provision was supposed to make the people aware of God's presence and cause them to focus on God's person. That's what the provision of God is always about. But so often we stop and become satisfied with just the provision.

Let me illustrate. You see there are some of you that run a cycle almost every semester. You start out joyous and happy and carefree and then you receive your syllabi and you're hit with syllabi trauma.

Shock. That little document is going to disrupt everything you had wanted to do this semester. You weather the storm and you do your best to rest in self effort. You make it to midterm and desperation begins to set in.

You reach everywhere you can for help. Friends and study groups and eventually, eventually, imagine to your faculty. Through somewhat desperate measures you decide that maybe changing your major for the fourth time isn't the right answer. So you begin doing the math and you realize exactly the number of points that you need to get a C in the class. And now somehow that is as great a burden in your mind for your teacher as it is for you. Now you're focused and driven. This has become a really intense time of crying out to God and begging for a combination of his help and his mercy. And semester comes to an end. And you made it with nary a point to spare. With a wipe of your brow you head home for Christmas break with the deeply spiritual slogan.

That was a close one. Only to forget about God and begin the cycle all over again. You see you've fallen prey to the problem of Israel. You've come to rest in God's provision rather than seeking God's person. The closest you were to what God actually wants to do in your life was that moment of focus.

When you realize you needed to cry out to him. That's where God wants his people to live. With a hunger and a thirst for him, a thirst for his person, a pursuit of his purity that results then in his power for living a godly life. This is what God wants for Israel. And thus I think we see some key things that Nehemiah is going to do in this chapter and I really want to point out four things. One of the things about preaching narrative is you have to be really really careful about over principalizing and I don't want to do that.

I think these things actually are sourced in the theology and the word of God that Nehemiah knew and that we saw him pray so earnestly over in chapter one. And so I want you to see four things that I think ought to be on our mind as we come to a time of finishing and we don't want to repeat the cycle. First of all I want you to see that we should acknowledge our vulnerabilities.

Acknowledge our vulnerabilities. Notice Nehemiah's clarity of purpose. It came to pass when the wall was built and I had set up the doors and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed. From this point on we're going to see these people become instrumental throughout this book. You'll see them at the end of this seventh chapter.

You'll see them in the great time of revival that is going to come and you'll see them again as you come to the end of the book. There was provision that was made because Nehemiah didn't just build walls. Nehemiah came to restore worship.

And thus we see that these people are put in place. And one of the questions that we have to ask in the midst of the struggles and challenges of life, the things that we are working toward is what is it that I'm really after? You see in this journey of life to live life on purpose as we have talked about with Nehemiah is your purpose just to finish the next class and to finish those classes in order just to get a degree.

And if it is I would tell you it's short-sighted and there's danger at the point of finishing for you because that's not what God is doing in your life. God wants you to get a degree for a reason. God is shaping your life through the difficulties of getting an education for a reason. God along with us isn't interested merely in just producing graduates. We actually are interested in producing learners and particularly learners who hunger and thirst after God. There's clarity here in Nehemiah's purpose.

He just said wow that went faster than I thought 52 days we're all done and I'm going back home. But he realized what could happen. That now there again was provision for the people. And so I want you to see in acknowledging vulnerabilities not just do we see clarity of purpose but notice Nehemiah's choices for protection.

Notice the choice of people. He actually turns over authority to the city. He delegates and gives authority and notice who he gives it to.

A faithful man and fear God above many. You see he was concerned and so he didn't just willy-nilly to say okay here we are we're all done we've got walls we're good to go. He actually is concerned about realizing that there was vulnerability. Namely when you come to the end of the chapter the people are few and the city is great. There's vulnerabilities now in this city with the walls done. And you'll see actually that he's going to actually put in place some protocols.

Not just people but protocols. Notice that he says to them. Don't open the gates until the sun is hot.

That wasn't usual for them. Wait till the sun is up. Why? Because we don't want people sneaking in we don't want to become vulnerable. The dark is a time of jeopardy and so he is going to say wait till the sun is up. And then he is actually going to go to the other end of the spectrum. He says while the people are still standing around close the gate. Don't wait till everybody is gone.

These are unusual protocols. He actually takes steps because he recognizes the potential of their weaknesses. That would cause them to walk away from God. You know I think if we are going to guard our hearts if we are going to live life on mission one of the things we must realize. Is that we're never beyond depending on God. And we must actually make right choices with regard to our vulnerabilities.

What are yours? What are the things that if you stop and think about it at times when I am tired. What is it that I find takes me off track? And I think there may be different things at different times but if we're honest each of us has certain things that happen that if we can go back and look at it these are things that lead me off track. Humility says I'm going to acknowledge my vulnerabilities.

But then secondly I think that's one side but then notice the other. Look at verses 5 and 6. And my God put it into mine heart. I think that's an incredible theological truth to explore.

In fact I did a little bit of it but didn't have time in this message. But this isn't the first time Nehemiah said something like this. Chapter 2 and verse 12 he said and I arose in the night I and some few men with me neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem. You see I think Nehemiah here is expressing a heart that is tuned to God. There's probably some other things going on here with regard to the direction of God in his heart but I think by way of application we can say this. Here is a man that wants to know and do what God wants him to do.

I think we can at least keep it that simple. And you think then about what the scriptures say about God's direction in your life about not leaning on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledging him and he will direct your paths about God giving you or granting or implanting in you the desires of your heart. I think what this is calling to is that at this time of acknowledging vulnerabilities yes he doesn't just put a whole bunch of guards in place he actually is going to talk about the fact that God has directed his steps because he is attuned to God.

Are you? You see I think this is key if we'll go from a time of tiredness to then actually that time of refocusing on God so that we worship him the way we ought to and now further the goal of living life on mission, even in the accomplishment of a proximate step. Because I believe God at every time of accomplishment is trying to call us to look to him.

Thanksgiving is a key time. Because you stop and either you claim the victory for yourself, or you give the glory to the Lord. We're actually going to see a unique thing as we move into chapter eight and nine in the worship of Israel, there's this tendency for them not to realize what it is God is doing and thus turn to a time of remorse and repentance, and they're going to be corrected and say wait wait wait wait wait that's not this time, you right now need to rejoice.

We'll talk some about that. And I think it was focused on Thanksgiving with the Feast of Booths. Attuning your heart to God but then thirdly I want you to see there was instruction to attend to purity, go to the end of the chapter verses 61 through 65. And there at the end of the listing of the people you're going to find two unique circumstances one in verse 61 there's a group of people and it said there of them, they could not show demonstrate or prove their father's house nor their seed, whether they were of Israel and then there's a conversation that moves to a group of priests in verse 64 says, these sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found therefore, were they as polluted, put from the priesthood, and the tears just said unto them that they should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. And then this whole gathering of the people in the genealogy you see that he finds this list and he goes by this list, and I want you to understand that he did that, not just because of carefulness, but because of the instructions of God with regard to the people of God in the city of God for the purpose of worshiping God. And so I want you to see that there's a comprehension of and a commitment to obeying God's word. And then chapter 13 which in this study we won't get to because of time but chapter 13 and verse four or verse one says this on that day they read in the book of Moses and the audience of the people and there was found written that the Ammonite and the Moabites should not come into the congregation of God forever, because they meant not the children of Israel with bread and with water but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them.

God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass when they heard the law that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. And before this, Eliashib the priest having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God was allied unto Tobiah. You hear that this is in the law of God with regard to who should be in the city.

And then there's this kind of a stunning statement. Have you heard the name Tobiah before? You'll see it at the end of chapter six with regard to the walls being done, you'll see it leading up to the building of the walls and all the attacks that come Tobiah is no friend of Nehemiah, and he is no friend of the people of God. And so relationships become really important. One relationships are supposed to happen in light of following the clear instructions of the Word of God. This idea of pursuing purity is actually for Israel found in the nature of their relationships, and so I want you to see something.

I want you to see this carefulness with relationships as I wrap up. Nehemiah chapter 2 verse 19 says, But when Sambaoth the hornet, and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite, and Gisham the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us. This is who Tobiah is. Verse four of chapter 13 tells us that Eliashib the priest was allied unto Tobiah. And it says this in verse five, And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, everything that was necessary for the Levites, the singers, and the porters, and the offerings of the priests. But in all this time was I not in Jerusalem, for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, King Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king. And I came to Jerusalem and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore, therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.

Tobiah the enemy of Nehemiah, the enemy of the work of God, and I believe the enemy of God through wrong relationships finds a way, not just into Jerusalem, but actually into the temple. And in him coming in they take everything that they had gathered together that was necessary to worship God. And I want you to see simply this one principle. The wrong kind of relationships will affect your worship. And I think we can make all kinds of applications of that.

Whether that's friendships, or dating relationships, or other relationships. And thus I want you to see as I close the fourth thing is this, arrange your priorities for worship. At the end of this chapter, you're going to see a people that had great need and it was mentioned throughout the book. Verses 70 through 73, and you see them in different stations all the way down to just the rest of the people in verse 72. Gave was 20,000 grams of gold, and 2,000 pounds of silver, and threescore and seven priests garments. So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethenims, and all Israel dwelt in their cities.

And you see Israel at the end of chapter 7 in very different circumstances. Preparation for the worship that is coming is now made. Because I believe of the things that Nehemiah did at the point of finishing. We're there in this semester, a week before Thanksgiving and two weeks. What has God been doing in your life this semester?

Don't miss it at the end. Heed Nehemiah's advice. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your truth. I pray God that you would give us humble hearts. I pray you give us focused hearts. And I pray you give us character to make choices with regard to things that could derail the work that you're trying to do in our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. You've been listening to a sermon preached by Dr. Alan Benson from the study series called Nehemiah Life on Mission. Thanks for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue the study preached from the Bob Jones University Chapel platform.