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Nehemiah 7:1-73 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Nehemiah in a unique position to be trusted by King Artaxerxes as his cupbearer.
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We have seen King Artaxerxes give permission and a sort of blank check to Nehemiah for the rebuilding of the wall.
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Chapter 1, verse 8 says,
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For the good hand of God was upon Nehemiah.
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We have seen Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem, his observation of the wall,
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his report of God's sovereign goodness for the task, and the beginning of the building of the wall.
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We have seen the way that the Israelites worked in the face of opposition,
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for God had given them a mind to work.
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That's chapter 4, verse 6.
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And we have seen the work completed, and the surrounding nations afraid
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because they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of their God.
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Chapter 6, verse 16.
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So the wall has now been finished.
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But the work is far from over.
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The building of the wall was just the very beginning of the work that needed to be done in Israel.
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Notice here my careful language.
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As I said to you that God brought the news.
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That God moved Nehemiah's heart.
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That God placed Nehemiah in a unique position.
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We've been talking a lot about providence
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and the way in which God brings about His purposes.
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As I first read chapter 7 this week,
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I actually had a mind just to skip over it altogether.
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In fact, I spent the week preparing in that way
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and looking at chapters 8, 9, and 10
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at the spiritual revival that began to come.
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But I realized something in my study,
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and unfortunately, yesterday morning,
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I realized this and had to start all over again.
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But it's not that the work began,
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that there was a work happening during a period of time,
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these 52 days,
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and that was the work of rebuilding the wall,
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and then things changed.
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And now it's the spiritual work.
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And you'll hear many people preach
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and commentate on this in that way.
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There was a physical work,
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and then the spiritual work began.
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But in fact,
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the spiritual work had already begun.
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The people had already been moved to work.
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Nehemiah had been moved to lead in this way,
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not simply for the sake of the building of a wall,
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but because of God's glory.
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You remember, I've been telling you all along,
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the reason Nehemiah was so grieved
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is that the state of the nation of Israel
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was the visible manifestation of God's goodness,
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God's character to His people.
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And they were in shambles.
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They were languishing in the land.
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And Nehemiah wanted God to be seen
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as big as God actually is.
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Wanted to ascribe to Him
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the proper glory that is due Him.
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And that is why this work goes on
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as it begins.
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And we see the people not failing in this.
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They falter at some times in chapter 4.
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We see them falter.
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They think the work's too great for them.
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But they don't fail.
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Under Nehemiah's leadership,
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they continue to build.
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And it seems like everything is just right.
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Pretty rare in Scripture we get that.
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Glimpse of people doing it all right.
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And guess what?
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In this case,
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there's a failure on their part.
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I'm going to show you that in chapter 7
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and hope that it speaks to your life today.
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Join me in a word of prayer
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before we read in chapter 7.
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Father God, I thank You again for this day
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and I thank You for Your Word.
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And I pray that this morning
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You will bless the preaching of it.
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The miracle of this is not that I can get up here
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and say words that make any sense.
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It's that You, by Your Spirit,
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apply them to our hearts.
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I need this as much as anyone else this morning.
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And so I pray that You will bless the reading
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and the preaching of Your Word.
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I pray this in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Now, I am not going to read to you
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all of chapter 7.
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I would encourage you to take a look at it
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on your own
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when you don't have to properly pronounce
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all of these names.
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We're going to make a little bit of a jump
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and I will go back
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and I will recap for you
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the section that we skip in our reading.
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But let's begin chapter 7, verse 1.
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Now, when the wall had been built,
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I had set up the doors
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and the gatekeepers, the singers,
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and the Levites had been appointed.
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I gave my brother Hanani
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and Hananiah, the governor of the castle,
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charge over Jerusalem,
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for he was a more faithful
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and God-fearing man than many.
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And I said to them,
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Let not the gates of Jerusalem be open
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till the sun is hot.
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And while they are still standing guard,
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let them shut and bar the doors.
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Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
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some at their guard posts
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and some in front of their own homes.
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The city was wide and large,
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but the people within it were few
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and no houses had been rebuilt.
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Then my God put it into my heart
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to assemble the nobles and the officials
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and the people to be enrolled by genealogy.
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And I found the book of the genealogy
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of those who came up at the first
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and I found written in it.
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Jump to verse 73.
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So the priests, the Levites,
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the gatekeepers, the singers,
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some of the people, the temple servants,
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and all Israel lived in their towns.
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And when the seventh month had come,
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the people of Israel were in their towns.
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I want to draw your attention to two verses.
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And this kind of arrested my attention
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as I was really preparing yesterday morning
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to give you a little brief summary of chapter 7
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so we can move on to chapter 8.
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And that's where I was at.
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And these two verses caught my attention.
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Verse 4 and verse 73.
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The city was wide and large,
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but the people within it were few
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and no houses had been rebuilt.
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So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers,
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some of the people, the temple servants,
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and all Israel lived in their towns.
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So what's happening here
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is that now the wall has been rebuilt.
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No one or very few people
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had lived within Jerusalem
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because it wasn't a safe place to be
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and they were in their country homes.
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They were out in the suburbs
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living.
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And now that the wall has been rebuilt,
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the houses still haven't been rebuilt,
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and people are back
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in their nice suburban places.
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That's where they are.
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They're in the comfort of their homes.
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And what struck me
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is that they missed the point altogether.
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God's glory is not found in buildings,
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but in His people.
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And they didn't see that the state of Jerusalem
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was the real point.
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How is it that the people of God
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are thriving?
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They did a great work.
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They built a wall in 52 days
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and they all headed back
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to their comfy homes.
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They didn't come to occupy the city.
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The people of God
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living in community
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as the people of God.
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The same problem existed
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a number of years later
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as the temple was being rebuilt.
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And Haggai,
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who prophesied during this time,
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chapter 1,
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verse 3 and 4,
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says,
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Then the word of the Lord
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came by the hand of Haggai the prophet.
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Is it a time for you yourselves
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to dwell in your paneled houses
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while this house lies in ruins?
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And speaking of the temple,
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is it the proper time for you
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to be living in your nice homes
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in the suburbs
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while this house lies in ruins?
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Now, in this day,
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a paneled house
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is a very fancy thing.
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Sam and I are painting
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our dining room right now,
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which at one time
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was paneled and painted
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and painted and painted
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and painted
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and I'm very frustrated
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because it's so hard
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to paint a paneled wall
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with all the little grooves
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and such in it.
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But in this time,
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it meant that they had lumber.
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They had paid the high price
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for wood
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and they had had it milled
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and they had placed it
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along the walls
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inside their homes.
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These were nice homes
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that they were dwelling in.
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And we find them here
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in the same condition.
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It's as if they completely
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missed the point.
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Entirely missed the point
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of why they were
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to rebuild Jerusalem.
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A revival comes.
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We're going to see that
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beginning next week.
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Truth.
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The Word of God is open.
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They called Ezra
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and he begins to read
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from the law
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and the Spirit of God
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comes and gives them conviction
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and we see at the end
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of this process
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8, 9, and 10.
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The very beginning
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of chapter 11
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says,
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Now the leaders of the people
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lived in Jerusalem
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and the rest of the people
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cast lots to bring
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one out of ten
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to live in Jerusalem,
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the holy city,
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while nine out of ten
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remained in their other towns.
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And the people blessed
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all the men
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who willingly offered
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to live in Jerusalem.
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So recognize
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that a revival happens
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and what do they begin to do?
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They begin to send people
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back into Jerusalem
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to live and dwell
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in a community.
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So what does that say
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to us?
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I've been saying to you
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all along
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that the parallel here
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is that we're building
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a spiritual house.
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It's not such a far stretch.
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I kind of missed it
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myself.
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I wanted to draw
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this comparison
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between the building
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of a wall
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to the building
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of a church.
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But in fact,
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what they were really doing
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was building
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a community of faith.
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Those who were gods
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who worshipped Him.
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It's the very same thing
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we're doing today.
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In John chapter 13,
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verse 34 and 35,
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Jesus says,
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A new commandment
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I give to you
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that you love one another.
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Just as I have loved you,
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you also are to love
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one another.
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By this,
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all people will know
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that you are My disciples
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if you have love
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for one another.
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Now the word used here,
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no, Jesus didn't say this
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in Greek.
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Jesus would have said this
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in Hebrew
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more than likely.
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But the Greek word here for,
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excuse me,
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the Hebrew word for new
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actually means renewed.
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So we could read it,
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A renewed commandment
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I give to you.
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A restating of the commandment
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found in Leviticus 19.18.
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You shall love your neighbor
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as yourself.
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It's the high calling
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of Christians
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to love God
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and to love people.
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The commandments
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that are given to us
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in this way.
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And how is it
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that they're going to know
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that we're Christians?
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By our buildings,
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by our signs,
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by our radio stations,
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by our t-shirts,
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by our bumper stickers,
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I hope not,
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but by our love
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for one another.
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The Greek word
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translated here,
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alelus,
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one another,
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has no singular form.
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There's no way
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to say this
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in the singular,
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meaning that it is never used
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in reference to me,
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but it is always used
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in reference to us.
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It is the very paradigm word
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for community.
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That is what we are called to.
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I fear there's a form of thinking
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in the Christian church
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in America
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that's very radically independent.
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There's a little phrase
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that kind of encapsulates it,
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although I wouldn't give
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all the credit to the phrase,
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but you've heard this,
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personal relationship
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with Jesus Christ.
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Found nowhere in the Scriptures.
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Now it's true,
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we do each have
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an individual relationship
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with Jesus Christ.
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He is my brother.
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We are friends.
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He is my Lord.
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There's a relationship there
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between me and Him,
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but the more proper way
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to speak about it
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would be to say
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that I have been saved
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not to a personal relationship
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to Jesus Christ,
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but to a community relationship
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with Jesus Christ.
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We have been saved
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in order to be together
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for the glory of God.
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You cannot miss this point.
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It's an axiom.
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Everything swings on this
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for your Christian living.
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Your Christian life
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cannot happen
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apart from the context
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of the church.
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Notice the epistles.
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All of the letters written,
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Paul, Peter, John,
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all of their primary concerns
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is correcting the community of faith.
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They do so doctrinally.
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They bring truth.
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Praise God for it.
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Much of it is commentary,
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setting us straight
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about our thinking.
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But they do so in order
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that the community of faith
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will live rightly.
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Let's take, for example,
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1 Corinthians.
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Chapters 1-4.
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Paul addresses the disunity
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that's happening amongst them
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because they're dividing
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over worldly criteria.
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chapter 1, verse 16 and 17.
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Do you not know
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that you are God's temple
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and that God's spirit
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dwells in you?
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That's not chapter 1.
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I don't know what chapter it is.
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You can find it.
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Verses 16 and 17
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of one of those chapters.
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I think it's 3.
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Do you not know
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that you are God's temple
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and that God's spirit
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dwells in you?
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If anyone destroys God's temple,
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God will destroy him.
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For God's temple is holy
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and you,
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being the church,
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are that temple.
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chapter 5,
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he addresses concern
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for immorality that's happening.
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There's, in fact,
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a sexual relationship
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that's happening.
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And he says in verse 2,
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let him who has done this
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be removed from among you.
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Chapter 6,
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lawsuits.
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There's these lawsuits
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happening between Christians.
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And in verse 8,
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he says,
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you yourselves wrong
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and defraud
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even your own brothers.
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Chapter 7-10,
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he addresses issues
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of Christian liberty.
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10-32,
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it says,
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give no offense
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to Jew or to Greek
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or the church of God.
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Just as I try to please
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everyone in everything I do,
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not seeking my own advantage
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but that of many,
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that they may be saved.
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The way we live matters.
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Chapters 11-14,
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the worship practices
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of the Corinthian church.
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Chapter 14,
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verse 23,
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he says,
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will they not say
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that you are out
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of your minds?
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It's the major concern
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of the epistles
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as how it is
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that we live together
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in a community of faith.
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Because how we do this,
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how we live as a community
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of God's saints
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will either confirm
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the gospel realities
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in our life
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and attract people
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to Christ,
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or it will deny
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those gospel realities
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and repel people
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from Him.
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This happens
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far too much
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in the American church.
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I can't speak
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for the rest of the world.
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From my observation,
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this happens
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far too much.
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How will people know
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that we are disciples
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of Jesus Christ?
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By our love
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for one another.
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How will they see
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that our religion
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is a farce?
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That it is ridiculous?
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That it's just a bunch
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of rules and laws
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that are going to rob
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all the temporary fun
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of this life?
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Because we are just
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like them.
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Go back to Nehemiah.
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Let me sum up for you
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really fast
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what happens here
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in Nehemiah.
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It begins with,
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starting in verse 6,
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a numbering of the
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human resources.
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The people matter.
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The people that were
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brought back from exile,
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they matter.
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They mean something
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to the nation of Israel
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and therefore
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the glory of God.
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Verses 6-38,
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the laymen are numbered.
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Verses 39-42,
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the priests are numbered.
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Verse 43,
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the Levites are numbered.
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Verse 44,
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the Levitical singers
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are numbered.
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Verse 45,
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the gatekeepers
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who more than likely
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were also Levites
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are numbered.
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Verse 46-56,
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the temple servants
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are numbered.
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Verses 57-60,
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the descendants
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of Solomon's servants
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are numbered.
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And then we see
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a separating
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and an excluding
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in verses 61-65,
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kind of a sorting.
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And they exclude
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those who were
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unable to prove
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their descent from Aaron.
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Those whose
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Levitical line
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was not very clear
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and clean,
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which was a way
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that they were
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ascribing to the
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proper order
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of worship
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that God had given
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to them.
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We could draw a parallel
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to the way we pick
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leadership for our
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churches in this regard.
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And then verses 66-72,
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there's a numbering
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of the other resources,
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the other things
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that are at their
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disposal for the
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rebuilding and the
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goodness of the people.
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And that's chapter 7.
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You see why at first glance
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I might have jumped
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right over the top of it.
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But the one anotherness
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is important
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and they were missing it.
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A revival came amongst them
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and they got it
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and they began to get
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about that work.
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Now let's talk a little bit
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about the one another's
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of Scripture
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I mentioned to you before.
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They're in John.
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That we are to love
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one another.
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You know that the New Testament
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is full of them?
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I have a cheat sheet
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right here in front of me.
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Highlighted and ready to go.
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Listen to some of these.
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This is what we're meant
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to do together.
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Be at peace
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with one another.
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Love one another.
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Be devoted to one another
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in brotherly love.
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Honor one another
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above yourselves.
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Live in harmony
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with one another.
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Stop passing judgment
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on one another.
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Accept one another.
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Instruct one another.
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Greet one another
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with a holy kiss
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which was to say
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you're part of our family.
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Have equal concern
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for one another.
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Serve one another
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in love.
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Carry each other's burdens.
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Be patient.
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Bearing with one another
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in love.
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Be kind and compassionate
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to one another.
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Speak to one another
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with psalms, hymns,
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and spiritual songs.
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Submit to one another.
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In humility consider others
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better than yourselves.
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Bear with each other.
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Forgive one another.
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Teach one another.
17:46
Admonish one another.
17:48
Make your love increase
17:49
and overflow
17:50
for one another.
17:52
Encourage one another.
17:54
Build each other up.
17:56
Spur one another
17:56
on toward love
17:57
and good deeds.
17:59
Confess your sins
18:00
to one another.
18:01
Pray for one another.
18:02
Love one another deeply
18:03
from the heart.
18:05
Live in harmony
18:05
with one another.
18:07
Offer hospitality
18:08
to one another.
18:09
Clothe yourselves
18:10
with humility
18:11
towards one another.
18:12
And once again,
18:13
love one another.
18:16
These are the things
18:17
we're called to
18:18
as a faith community.
18:20
You may have hoped
18:21
that I was at this point
18:22
going to just give you
18:23
some opinion
18:24
of how I think
18:25
we ought to be
18:25
living together
18:27
because it would be
18:27
really easy
18:28
to weasel your way
18:28
out of that.
18:29
But thus speaks
18:31
the word of the living God.
18:32
This is how we're
18:34
meant to live together
18:35
for our good
18:36
and for God's glory.
18:40
This requires
18:41
a togetherness.
18:43
Do you catch
18:44
all those things?
18:46
I love texting.
18:48
I love it.
18:49
I don't like the formalities
18:50
of conversation.
18:51
Having a phone conversation.
18:53
I could skip right over
18:54
the hellos.
18:54
How are you?
18:55
I could just get right
18:55
to the point.
18:56
Texting allows me
18:57
to do that.
18:58
It's really hard.
18:59
I mean,
19:00
to a degree,
19:00
some of these things
19:01
we can accomplish
19:02
this way.
19:02
But we need to be
19:03
together,
19:04
face to face,
19:05
spending time
19:06
in relationship
19:07
together
19:08
to do these things.
19:11
Community
19:11
is incredibly
19:12
important.
19:16
Beloved,
19:16
Sunday morning
19:17
is not
19:18
enough.
19:21
Especially
19:21
those of you
19:22
who come
19:23
right when we start
19:24
and leave
19:24
right when we end.
19:27
That's just
19:27
consumer Christianity.
19:29
You're coming
19:29
for the show.
19:30
You sit,
19:31
you consume,
19:32
you leave.
19:33
We need you
19:34
as much as you
19:35
need us.
19:36
We need relationship.
19:38
We need to spend
19:38
time beforehand
19:39
drinking coffee
19:40
and talking about
19:41
our weeks.
19:42
We need to spend
19:43
time afterward
19:44
encouraging one another
19:45
with the preaching
19:45
of the word
19:46
and the singing
19:47
of our songs.
19:48
Those things
19:49
matter.
19:51
The service
19:51
itself is important.
19:53
You know the reason
19:54
we don't turn the music
19:55
up super,
19:56
super,
19:56
super loud
19:57
and turn off
19:57
all the lights
19:58
in here?
19:58
Because we need
19:59
to hear each
20:00
other singing
20:01
true words.
20:03
If you're not
20:04
a singer,
20:04
start.
20:05
I know it's
20:06
terrifying.
20:07
I have a horrible
20:08
singing voice.
20:09
I can hear
20:10
a key at least.
20:12
I think I sing
20:12
the right notes.
20:13
I think I sing
20:13
the right notes.
20:14
But it doesn't
20:15
matter when you
20:16
sing,
20:16
think.
20:17
The person in
20:17
front of me
20:18
and the person
20:18
next to me
20:19
needs to be
20:19
encouraged with
20:20
the truth of
20:20
the gospel.
20:21
I will sing.
20:23
Find your heart
20:24
uniting with the
20:25
words coming out
20:26
of your mouth.
20:26
That's why we do
20:27
that.
20:27
If you ever
20:27
come to a
20:28
concert here,
20:29
it'll be much
20:30
louder.
20:31
You won't be able
20:32
to hear yourself
20:32
think we're going
20:33
to turn the music
20:34
up so loud.
20:35
But there's a
20:36
reason we do
20:36
it that way.
20:37
Across the
20:38
nation this
20:39
morning,
20:40
there are dark
20:41
rooms and people
20:42
having these little
20:42
silent moments
20:44
with God.
20:45
Stay home if
20:46
that's what you
20:46
want to do.
20:48
We come together
20:49
to meet with the
20:49
people of God,
20:51
to encourage one
20:51
another,
20:52
to do all these
20:52
things that I
20:54
just listed off.
20:55
life.
20:56
It matters.
20:57
It's so,
20:58
so important.
21:02
Other times
21:03
during the week,
21:04
if you are just
21:06
coming on Sunday
21:07
morning to
21:07
Christ Family
21:08
Church,
21:09
you're missing
21:10
a huge part
21:11
of what church
21:12
life looks like.
21:13
We do something
21:14
called community
21:15
groups.
21:16
Right now they
21:16
meet on Wednesdays.
21:17
They don't have
21:18
to.
21:18
There are two
21:19
places they meet
21:20
right now.
21:20
They can meet
21:21
in many,
21:21
many,
21:22
many places.
21:22
Community groups
21:24
are key and
21:26
vital to what
21:27
we do.
21:28
It lets us get
21:29
together and
21:30
really start working
21:31
these things out
21:32
together,
21:32
really pressing
21:33
into Christian
21:34
life together.
21:35
It's hugely
21:37
important.
21:38
Now look,
21:39
some of these
21:39
people probably
21:40
lived in their
21:41
fancy homes out
21:42
in the suburbs
21:43
and they said,
21:44
Nehemiah,
21:44
we can't come
21:45
live in the city.
21:46
There aren't
21:46
any houses yet.
21:47
The houses
21:47
haven't even been
21:48
built.
21:48
So when you get
21:49
a whole city built
21:50
for us,
21:50
we'll come back
21:51
and we'll stay.
21:52
In the city,
21:53
right?
21:53
Make sure you
21:54
build me a
21:55
paneled house
21:55
because I've got
21:55
a nice paneled
21:56
house out where
21:57
I'm at right now.
21:59
They didn't do
22:00
that after
22:01
revival came.
22:02
Chapter 11,
22:03
they went back
22:03
and they worked
22:04
and they built.
22:06
It takes that.
22:08
It takes work
22:08
to get together.
22:09
Just because you
22:10
show up to a
22:11
small little Bible
22:12
study and you
22:12
don't get a lot
22:13
out of it,
22:14
doesn't mean you
22:14
shouldn't go again.
22:16
It takes work.
22:17
You have to
22:18
contribute.
22:19
It might be a
22:20
mess.
22:20
It might be a
22:21
total shambles.
22:22
Maybe you're the
22:22
one that needs
22:23
to step in and
22:23
say,
22:23
this is a mess.
22:25
How can we
22:25
help sort this
22:26
out together?
22:27
It's very
22:28
possible.
22:29
It takes
22:29
investment to
22:30
live the
22:31
Christian life
22:32
together.
22:33
How many of
22:34
you have
22:35
said,
22:36
don't raise
22:36
your hands,
22:36
please?
22:38
I don't
22:38
certainly
22:38
get anything
22:38
out of that.
22:41
What did
22:41
you put in?
22:43
Did you
22:43
contribute in
22:44
any way
22:44
whatsoever
22:45
before you
22:46
made that
22:46
very comment?
22:47
I would
22:47
guess not.
22:50
These things
22:51
take work.
22:54
It's hard to
22:55
get to places,
22:56
right?
22:56
Parents, I
22:57
understand.
22:57
I didn't used
22:57
to understand.
22:58
I get it.
22:59
I get it now.
23:01
It's hard to get
23:01
them up.
23:02
Sam was mentioning
23:03
this morning that
23:03
there's got to be
23:04
some spiritual warfare
23:05
on a house on
23:06
Sunday mornings because
23:06
nothing goes well
23:07
on Sunday mornings.
23:09
Our boys wake up at
23:10
a quarter till seven
23:11
almost every day.
23:13
It's annoying.
23:14
We want one day,
23:16
a day off.
23:16
We sleep in just a
23:17
little bit, 7.30,
23:18
come on.
23:19
But Sunday morning,
23:20
we have to wake
23:20
them up almost
23:21
every Sunday
23:21
morning.
23:22
They sleep so
23:24
well.
23:26
Wrestle to get
23:27
them here,
23:28
right?
23:28
It's hard to go to
23:29
community group with
23:30
kids.
23:31
I get that.
23:32
It's conveniently
23:32
been at our house,
23:33
which makes it a
23:33
little bit easier
23:34
as of late,
23:36
right?
23:36
But it's challenging
23:37
to do that.
23:38
We have to work
23:39
at these things.
23:41
It's very,
23:42
very important.
23:44
If you're a member
23:45
of this church,
23:46
let's find a way to
23:47
get you involved in
23:48
a community group.
23:49
Come to me and
23:50
talk to me.
23:50
What are the
23:51
problems?
23:51
What are the
23:52
things that are
23:52
keeping it from
23:53
happening?
23:54
I understand that
23:54
we have distance
23:56
issues.
23:57
We have health
23:58
issues.
23:59
Come talk to me.
24:00
Let's find a way to
24:01
get you involved in
24:02
this kind of life.
24:03
Let me remind you
24:04
that if you're a
24:05
member of this
24:05
church, you signed
24:06
a covenant with
24:07
this church, a
24:07
commitment to be
24:08
together with us.
24:10
The preamble says,
24:11
having been led by
24:12
the Spirit of God to
24:13
acknowledge Jesus
24:13
Christ as Savior
24:14
and Lord, and in
24:15
profession of that
24:16
faith, I most
24:17
solemnly and joyfully
24:18
enter into covenant
24:18
with Christ's family
24:19
church.
24:20
And there are seven
24:20
statements that
24:21
list it off here.
24:22
And the second to
24:23
the last one says,
24:24
to contribute to
24:24
the work of the
24:25
church with my
24:26
talents, time, and
24:28
finances.
24:30
Are you doing that?
24:32
There's probably a
24:33
number of people in
24:34
this church that
24:35
need a dose of
24:36
church discipline
24:37
because you're not.
24:38
You're breaking the
24:39
covenant because you
24:40
don't give of
24:41
yourself.
24:43
The closing paragraph
24:44
says, I enter into
24:45
this covenant together
24:45
with Christ's family
24:46
church under the
24:47
common goal of
24:48
obedience to,
24:49
glorification of,
24:51
and joyful satisfaction
24:52
in Jesus Christ
24:53
because I believe and
24:54
assert with the rest
24:55
of the body that we
24:56
need one another's
24:58
help to do so.
25:00
We were created for
25:02
community.
25:04
You're spiritually
25:05
depressed?
25:06
Get with the
25:07
beloved.
25:08
You're struggling to
25:10
walk out your faith?
25:11
Get with the
25:12
beloved.
25:13
Don't just go when
25:14
you feel strong and
25:16
ready to contribute.
25:17
Go when you're
25:18
hurting.
25:18
That is the place you
25:19
need to be.
25:21
It's with those who
25:22
understand what you're
25:24
going through and
25:25
want to see you be
25:27
healthy.
25:27
These things matter.
25:30
I listened to a
25:31
sermon this week
25:32
where the guy was
25:34
sharing his shock
25:36
at some of the
25:37
things that are
25:37
happening in our
25:38
Christian culture.
25:39
The way now you
25:40
can watch TV on the
25:42
web, which is not
25:43
really a new thing
25:43
because they've been
25:44
doing it on TV.
25:45
Excuse me.
25:46
TV on the web.
25:47
Sermons.
25:48
Church sermons.
25:49
Church services on
25:50
the web.
25:50
Right?
25:51
It's been happening
25:51
on TV for a long,
25:53
long time.
25:54
But he was talking
25:54
about this phenomenon
25:55
and he said,
25:56
you'll never believe
25:57
there is a church in
25:58
Atlanta where they
26:00
project a holographic
26:02
image of the pastor
26:03
onto the stage.
26:04
And I thought,
26:05
oh gosh, I know
26:07
exactly what he's
26:07
talking about.
26:08
That is in our
26:09
backyard.
26:10
And I won't say the
26:11
name of the church,
26:11
but I think you know
26:12
what we're discussing
26:13
here.
26:15
He was just in shock
26:16
about it.
26:17
He just couldn't
26:17
believe that these
26:18
things were happening.
26:20
And he brought up
26:21
the doctrine of the
26:23
incarnation of Jesus
26:24
Christ.
26:24
And I really,
26:25
really appreciated
26:26
that and spent a lot
26:27
of time thinking
26:28
about it this week.
26:29
Jesus Christ came,
26:33
God sent his son to
26:35
the earth in human
26:36
form.
26:37
He came and he
26:38
dwelt amongst us.
26:41
Right?
26:42
Physically dwelt.
26:44
Now I believe that
26:44
God did that at the
26:46
perfect time in
26:47
history.
26:48
Right?
26:49
Perfectly sent him
26:50
right when he needed
26:50
to be sent.
26:52
Maybe if he had
26:53
waited, he could have
26:53
been a little more
26:54
efficient.
26:54
Right?
26:55
Could have sent him
26:55
during this time.
26:56
We could have
26:56
simulcasted Jesus all
26:58
over the world.
26:59
How phenomenal
27:00
that would have
27:00
been.
27:01
Maybe the reason
27:02
he didn't send
27:02
him at this time
27:04
was so that no one
27:05
could simulcast him.
27:06
So that it was
27:06
impossible for some
27:07
guy with a web
27:09
phone to hold it
27:10
up and try to get
27:11
him up on the
27:12
internet so that
27:13
everyone could hear
27:14
the man Jesus
27:15
Christ speak.
27:17
Right?
27:18
I think it's
27:18
important that we
27:19
take that and we
27:20
apply that.
27:20
That physical
27:21
presence is crucial.
27:24
Jesus came to
27:25
dwell amongst us.
27:27
Do we dwell with
27:29
each other?
27:29
I'm thankful that
27:30
you're here this
27:31
morning.
27:31
I think for a lot
27:32
of you, you get
27:34
this.
27:35
Like many of you
27:35
do.
27:36
And I would just
27:37
encourage you to let
27:38
this stiffen your
27:39
backbone.
27:39
Put a rod of steel in
27:40
there and don't bend
27:41
from it.
27:43
Some of you don't.
27:45
I love you and that's
27:46
why I'm telling you.
27:47
Some of you don't get
27:48
it.
27:48
Some of you need to
27:49
spend time seriously
27:50
considering how to
27:51
work your week out
27:52
so you can be with
27:53
the people of God.
27:56
How we function
27:57
together and how we
27:58
live in this community
28:00
of faith matters to
28:01
the world.
28:03
I want people to see
28:04
Christ Family Church.
28:05
I don't want them to
28:06
know us for the style
28:07
of music we have or
28:08
that we do verse by
28:09
verse exposition.
28:11
We're a reformed
28:12
church.
28:13
We're the church that
28:13
meets on 60 and you
28:14
can't see the building
28:15
from the road.
28:16
I don't want to be
28:16
known for those things.
28:18
I want to be known
28:19
for our love.
28:22
When people ask me
28:23
what I do for a living
28:24
and I say I pastor a
28:25
church and they say
28:25
what church do you
28:26
pastor and I say
28:26
Christ Family Church
28:27
I want all over this
28:28
community for them to
28:29
go ah your people
28:31
love each other.
28:32
Wouldn't that be nice?
28:35
Be nice.
28:36
But what a great grace
28:37
of God that would be
28:39
to us for that to
28:40
happen.
28:41
Now I have to ask you
28:42
the question as we
28:43
talk about some of
28:44
these technology things
28:45
and why it's important
28:46
to be together.
28:46
Can you use technology?
28:47
Is it an amazing tool?
28:49
Yes please do.
28:50
I told you that I was
28:51
listening to a sermon
28:51
online that even got
28:54
my mind going about
28:55
the doctrine of the
28:56
incarnation of Jesus
28:56
Christ and how it
28:57
applies to the way we
28:58
do church.
28:59
It's a valuable tool.
29:00
It's neat.
29:01
You ought to get out
29:01
there and listen to
29:02
sermons.
29:02
There are some good
29:03
preachers out there.
29:04
Don't let them jade
29:05
your opinion of me.
29:07
There's some very
29:07
very good preaching
29:09
at your fingertips.
29:11
On your cell phone
29:12
it's so incredibly cool.
29:15
But what is
29:16
we have to ask the
29:16
question.
29:17
What is the difference
29:18
between just a mere
29:19
fellowship and a church?
29:22
Young people
29:23
especially you.
29:25
As you get out of
29:26
going to church
29:27
with your parents
29:28
and you come away
29:29
to college
29:29
and you begin to
29:30
question everything.
29:31
Why can't you just
29:32
have a Bible study
29:33
on your dorm hall?
29:34
Isn't that enough?
29:35
Right?
29:35
You're encouraging
29:36
one another.
29:37
You're doing a lot
29:37
of these things
29:38
that I mentioned.
29:39
You're studying the
29:39
word.
29:40
You're devoting
29:40
yourself to it.
29:41
You're praying
29:41
together.
29:42
Those are good
29:42
things, right?
29:43
Why can it not
29:43
just stop at that?
29:45
Why do you need
29:45
to be part
29:46
of a church?
29:47
Because there
29:47
are some distinct
29:48
differences.
29:50
Firstly, a church
29:51
has qualified
29:51
leadership.
29:52
It's important.
29:53
Qualified leadership.
29:54
We saw the separation
29:55
that happened
29:56
in Nehemiah
29:57
chapter 7.
29:59
There's the practice
30:00
of the ordinances.
30:01
Baptism.
30:02
The Lord's Supper
30:03
which we'll take
30:03
here in a moment.
30:04
Those are an important
30:05
aspect of what a church
30:06
does together
30:07
which are ultimately
30:08
about church discipline.
30:10
Something that happens.
30:11
I would encourage you
30:12
to not practice
30:13
church discipline
30:13
amongst a fellowship.
30:15
Continue to encourage.
30:16
Continue to teach.
30:17
Do those types of things.
30:18
In the church setting
30:19
though, we must
30:20
call people out
30:21
when they're living
30:21
in habitual sin.
30:24
To our application
30:25
today, the third
30:26
thing is diversity.
30:30
It's a beautiful
30:31
thing about this
30:33
church.
30:33
I have discovered
30:34
now that I'm being
30:35
quoted for one of the
30:35
things that I never
30:36
would have wanted
30:37
to be quoted for.
30:38
But apparently a lot
30:39
of the college students
30:40
tell each other
30:41
as I have told them
30:43
numerous times.
30:43
If you always hang out
30:44
with your idiot friend
30:45
you'll always be an idiot.
30:47
I put myself in that
30:48
category.
30:49
If I'm always hanging out
30:49
with people that are my age
30:50
and sharing my same
30:51
experiences, I'll never
30:53
grow.
30:54
I need people that have
30:55
gone before me.
30:56
And I need to be
30:57
passing information down
30:58
to those who are
30:59
behind me.
31:00
These are important
31:00
things for us to be
31:02
doing.
31:02
Diversity in a church
31:04
should happen.
31:06
If we are preaching
31:07
Christ, Christ draws
31:09
men to himself.
31:10
And there are going
31:11
to be men and women
31:12
of different ages
31:13
and different colors.
31:16
That's an important
31:17
thing for us to do.
31:19
Now granted, we have
31:20
a church in an area
31:21
and that area is going
31:22
to tend to have a
31:23
certain demographic.
31:24
But we do not have
31:26
a Saddleback Sam.
31:28
If you're familiar
31:28
with the Purpose
31:30
Driven Church.
31:31
They had a target
31:33
person.
31:34
This person looks
31:35
like this and we're
31:35
going to arrange
31:35
everything we do to
31:36
get this person to
31:37
come to here.
31:38
income, likes,
31:40
dislikes, all of
31:41
those things.
31:42
That's who we're
31:42
going to go after.
31:44
Right?
31:44
I love some of the
31:46
motivation behind some
31:47
of the like fringy
31:48
churches.
31:50
Right?
31:51
But they're wrong.
31:52
Biker churches?
31:54
We're going to
31:55
minister to motorcycle
31:56
guys.
31:57
No.
31:58
We all have a common
31:59
demographic that we're
32:00
trying to minister to
32:01
and that's lost people.
32:02
Right?
32:03
That's people in need
32:03
of grace.
32:05
That's who we're
32:06
meant to minister to.
32:08
Right?
32:09
I heard recently that a
32:11
girl who had attended
32:11
here for a while decided
32:12
not to come any longer
32:13
because our music time
32:15
wasn't charismatic
32:16
enough for her.
32:17
She grew up in a much
32:17
more charismatic church
32:18
and she wanted to go
32:19
someplace else and
32:20
that's okay.
32:21
Right?
32:21
But what I want you to
32:22
see is that we didn't
32:23
exclude her from our
32:25
meeting because of the
32:26
way we do music.
32:27
Right?
32:27
We didn't do music for
32:28
people who really have a
32:29
hard time swaying at all.
32:31
Right?
32:31
That's you guys.
32:32
The clapping is like,
32:33
right?
32:35
Clapping and singing is
32:36
tough for our group.
32:37
Right?
32:38
That's not what we're
32:39
trying to accomplish.
32:40
We didn't write that
32:41
down on our list.
32:42
Non-rhythmic people.
32:44
It wasn't what we were
32:44
looking for.
32:46
Right?
32:47
You guys want to get
32:49
super happy in here?
32:50
You go right ahead
32:50
and do it.
32:52
Right?
32:52
We just want to minister
32:53
to people who need
32:54
grace.
32:55
That's what we're
32:56
here for.
32:59
In Acts chapter 4
33:00
we see Peter before
33:02
the council.
33:03
Jerusalem verses
33:04
11 and 12
33:05
says,
33:05
This Jesus is the
33:06
stone that was
33:07
projected by you,
33:08
the builders,
33:09
which has become the
33:10
cornerstone.
33:11
And there is salvation
33:12
in no one else,
33:13
for there is no other
33:14
name under heaven
33:15
given among men
33:16
by which we must
33:17
be saved.
33:19
This is our
33:20
Jesus Christ.
33:22
The one who draws
33:23
men to himself.
33:24
And he uses the church
33:26
to do that.
33:27
This fellowship
33:28
of Christian faith.
33:30
this community.
33:33
So I'd ask you this
33:35
morning to examine
33:36
your hearts.
33:37
Are you playing your
33:38
part in this community?
33:40
Right?
33:41
The analogy is used
33:42
that we're a body.
33:44
What part of the body
33:45
are you?
33:46
And is it
33:46
dysfunctional?
33:47
Is it non-existent?
33:48
Does it just not even
33:49
show up to some of the
33:50
things that it's
33:50
necessary at?
33:52
Ask God to search
33:55
your heart.
33:55
Let's pray together.
33:56
Amen.