Kindness, Conviction and Repentance: Nehemiah #14
This is an exposition of Nehemiah 13:1-31. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, March 6, 2016.
Intro:
How do you perceive the Christian life? As you think about what it means to be Christian, what things come to your mind? Forgiveness, happiness, grace, mercy, heaven, peace? These are all good answers. Each certainly has a prominent place in the Christian life but what about confrontation, discipline, conviction and repentance? Each of these is to have a prominent place but we tend to shun such notions. We’ve seemed to embrace a form of Christianity whose motto is, “Live and let live.” Such a motto is foreign to biblical thinking. We are accountable to and for one another. To enter into church membership is to enter into covenant. It is to enter into an agreement whereby we spur one another on to love and good deeds. We commit to our brothers and sisters to aid their growth and development in the faith. Such a commitment is a commitment to love. To confront inconsistency between profession and performance is an act of love. To point out sin for the purpose of growth in godliness is to work for our brother’s good. Of course so much of this depends on the spirit and attitude of such confrontation. Loving confrontation demands firmness but also understanding. It demands truth and grace. Its aim is to heal and not harm. It is the attitude prescribed in Galatians 6:1-2, Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. The call of the Christian life is a call to holiness and that holiness is a communal effort. It is something we accomplish together.
Loving confrontation is part of the work on God in us. Listen to Hebrews 12:5-6, And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. Or the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 2:3-4, Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Kindness, confrontation and repentance are to be common place in the Church of the Lord Jesus. That is the focus of our text this evening found in the 13th chapter of Nehemiah.
Text: Nehemiah 13:1-31
Nehemiah, burdened by the disgrace of his fellow country asked permission from king Artexerxes to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls. By God’s grace and in God’s providence Nehemiah journeyed to Jerusalem and in 52 days rebuilt the walls and set the gates in place. A remarkable accomplishment. Then came the difficult task of rebuilding the nation. Nehemiah removed his hard hat and moved from acting as construction foreman to being governor. A solemn assembly is called, the Word of God is read and revival comes to the nation. There is genuine repentance followed by real change. As a part of the change the people commit to walk in obedience before God. Included in their formal commitment to change is that they will no longer permit intermarriage with the pagan peoples around them. They will remember the Sabbath and keep it holy and they will maintain the temple and ensure its continual operation.
So far, so good. But the story does not end there. We now learn in Nehemiah 13 that Nehemiah has been away for some time and has now returned for another stint as governor. Look at 13:6.
While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king…
13:7, …and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
1st term as governor – 12 years (5:14 – 20th-32nd year of king Artaxerxes)
This is his second.
How long has it been?
We don’t know – the description is too vague however the context would indicate several years.
12-15 years?
We can figure that Nehemiah was around 65 or so when he returned.
What did he find?
The same old problems – involving the same old enemies.
As we work our way through this closing chapter of Nehemiah I want us to pull out some principles for lovingly one another as we discover that…
Thesis: Biblical faithfulness demands that we lovingly confront sin in the lives of the people of God.
4 principles related to this loving confrontation.
- The loving grace of God patiently yet consistently confronts persistent sin. (13:1-3)
- The loving grace of God deals decisively with corruption and compromise in the worship and service of God. (13:4-14)
- The loving grace of God establishes boundaries protecting His people and safeguarding the sacred. (13:15-22)
- The loving grace of God uncompromisingly maintains a biblical focus. (13:23-29)
We are acceptable to and for one another therefore…
Biblical faithfulness demands that we lovingly confront sin in the lives of the people of God.