Nehemiah (Part 8 of 9) - The Joy of the Lord is your Strength

The joy of the Lord can be your strength.

Nehemiah and the children of Israel returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and the gates of the city. By chapter 7 of Nehemiah, there is a recording of all the people who had returned to Jerusalem for the rebuilding.

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Nehemiah 7:66-67

Nehemiah knew that Ezra was the one who would keep the people on track with the Word of God.

Nehemiah 8:1

The walls and gates had been finished. Now Ezra was coming forward and reading from the law of God.

Acts 2:44

Acts 2:46

Acts 4:24

Acts 4:32

This whole project had pulled everyone together. Now the work had been completed, and, as one man, they all grouped together to hear the reading of God’s law. They were of one accord and one mind: united.

I think God, in this church, is formulating our hearts together as one man, with one accord. Over this year it will be a progression of everyone, young and old, coming together more and more to worship and praise God and study his word. More will come to this church and be changed. You will share what is happening. We’re all inviduals and we’re all different, but our common denominator is Jesus Christ.

Nehemiah must have looked around that city and seen all the walls and gates completed. And the people inside the city and in the surrounding area knew that God had done it.

Nehemiah 8:1-3

Ephesians 5:26-27

Here there was complete freedom to hear God’s word and proclaim it.

Nehemiah 8:4-8

They realised where their foundation was. This was the law of the God who they served. He was the reason for their existence, as he is the reason for ours.

Nehemiah 8:9-13

The joy of the Lord is your strength. But what exactly does that mean?

John 15:11

John 16:17-22

There’s a joy in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ that no man can take from you. You accept and realise that he is Lord of your life. You accept and realise that you have been forgiven your sin. And you accept and realise that the power of sin is broken in your life. That joy, no one can take from you.

John 16:22-24

The risen saviour was making it quite clear that you need to ask in that day, and Father will answer, that their joy might be full. What have you prayed to God about this week? Keeping track about what you’re praying for, because then you can look back and see God answering, and record it. What’s on your mind? What are you asking God for?

James 1:1-8

James 1:2

Does that mean you rejoice in disaster?

The joy of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ is that he wants you and me, prompted by his Holy Spirit, to pray to him. He wants us to ask him about things. He wants to provide that answer to your prayer so that your joy may be full. If you are a Christian, you want to live your life to please God. Whatever pressure, trial or circumstance of life, your joy will be full when you bring everything to God in prayer.

Your joy is to be full when you share everything with your heavenly father.

The progression of the church this year will be an enhancement of you and I learning how to pray. We need to recognise when God brings the answer. For some, it’s as if you’ve been in a situation that you’ve never faced before.

James 1:5

Nehemiah 8:10-19

In Chapter 9 they recount the history of how they got there.

Nehemiah 9:1-3

Then there is a recounting of how, from Abraham onwards, they had got to this place.

Nehemiah 9:32-38

They had heard the word of the law for a whole week. They were there for a purpose and they confessed their sins and made a covenant with God.

In Chapter 10 he lists the names of those who sealed according to that law.

Nehemiah 10:29-31

Nehemiah 10:39

Nehemiah 11:1-2

Nehemiah 12:26

Time to Change

I want to talk about Jesus and His kingdom. There are some here who are wondering about Jesus Christ, the church, Christianity. This word will cause you to be involved with Jesus Christ.

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What do I mean by that? Some here have been looking on, and Christmas is a good time for that to come into focus. It comes down to an individual’s relationship with Jesus Christ. It comes down to you as an individual – what do I think about Jesus Christ? What is relevant to me? The answer is everything.

Luke 1:26-27

We know Joseph was of the house of David – see the genealogy at the start of Matthew.

Luke 1:28-31

Jesus means saviour.

Matthew 1:21

He was to save people from their sins. That was the meaning of His name.

Luke 1:32-33

Philippians 2:5-11

He shall be great, son of the Most High. He will perpetuate the throne of David forever. It doesn’t matter what you think of Jesus Christ, because when He comes again to this earth, heralding the New Jerusalem, everyone will acknowledge Him as Lord. They may not know Him as Saviour, but they will have no choice but to acknowledge Him. Everyone on this earth will bow. Everyone will say, “You are Lord”, but not everyone will have Him as Lord of their life. He’s at the right hand of God in heaven, interceding for us. He’s alive.

We live in a time now where ... is He Lord for you, or is He just a name? Does His name trip out as a swear word?

Luke 1:32

This was referred to in the time of David.

1 Kings 9:1-5

There’s something about the people of God, the Jewish nation. God cherished that people. But it became apparent that the Saviour to come would come not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles. What was He coming for? To save His people from their sins. That gets personal! “His people” includes you. It’s not His people on a map somewhere. It’s personal to you.

Luke 1:29-33

Jacob fathered the twelve tribes. This Jesus, the Saviour of the world who would save His people from their sins ... God would establish His throne forever. Out from the Jewish nation, from the twelve tribes, to those that God would call, and that includes you.

It says in the Bible that faith comes by hearing the Word of God being preached. He takes the words by His spirit and uses those words as though He were speaking to you personally. It’s a curious way of doing things, but it’s the way He works.

At the end of the Bible it gives us a glimpse of what heaven is like.

I was talking to someone the other day and they were saying that things you valued when you were young lose their value, and you start to think ahead. As you do that, you need to have things right inside. You need the right relationship with God. He needs to be Lord of your life. You need the power of sin broken in your life.

Revelation 21:1-2

This earth will pass away and a new Jerusalem, a holy city, will come down from heaven. The bride is the church, New Jerusalem. The bridegroom is Jesus Christ. We’ll see shortly that Jesus talks about the kingdom of God in terms of a bride and bridegroom.

Revelation 21:3-12

Revelation 21:22-27

His kingdom forever – something over which a king rules. Are you part of His kingdom? Are you part of His kingdom on this earth right now? This was of concern to Jesus when He spoke to people.

Jesus often spoke in parables to make sure things were clear to those who wanted to hear.

Matthew 25:1-4

They all had a lamp. All ten went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them made the effort and put oil in their lamps. Five put it off for another time. Some people treat Jesus Christ like that. Time and again He’s been faithful. He’s come by His Holy Spirit to speak to you. You’ve faced Him and known that you need to sort things out, but you’ve put it off – “I think I’ll leave it for the time being.”

Matthew 25:5-12

Would God really do that? Jesus is saying this. Jesus was the one who came to save His people from His sins. He was conscious of who He was speaking to, and is conscious of who He is speaking to now. You are here for a reason.

The bridegroom came at a time they didn’t expect. How long are you going to sit on the fence, pushing things away and pushing things away – all the time knowing it’s time to get involved? It is the goodness of God which leads us to repentance – which leads us to want to live the right way, to go God’s way, to have His power inside you, to have sin dealt with. You try to live right, but you can’t. There are habits of life you have and you just go wrong. Jesus Christ came into this world to save His people from their sins. The bridegroom came at midnight, unexpectedly. How long have you got?

“That’s a bit in your face!” Well, I’m beginning to learn that in this role, I don’t want to be responsible for something I should have said and didn’t. What’s it going to be? Jesus is saying this.

Matthew 25:13

Watch therefore. When you hear preaching which conveys to you the idea you need a relationship with Jesus Christ which is clean, wholesome and true ... you need to be the light before God, not using the church as a cover for your sin. If your life is based on a lie, my word to you, as God is my witness, is that your life needs changing, and He is here this morning to face you up with the foundation of your life. It’s time to change.

Fear not Mary, you’ll bear a son, and He’ll be great, ... and of His kingdom there shall be no end.

Luke 1:38

Let’s be clear. As we celebrate this Christmas the coming of Jesus Christ, we’re not just talking about the infant. We’re talking about why Jesus came – and He came to save you from your sin, to take you from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, and it is getting to the point where you cannot put it off any longer. Or indeed, we are not getting to the point, but at it. You need to acknowledge the Word of God which has been preached this morning, acknowledge what the Holy Spirit has been saying. It’s no longer acceptable for you to hide in the kingdom of darkness. You need to acknowledge that, and acknowledge Jesus Christ and the fact that He has come to save you from your sin.

The Lord’s Supper

As we come to the Lord’s Supper, we need to come worthily, mindful of the things He purchased for us on Calvary.

I want to talk about aspects of Holy Communion. When Jesus Christ comes into a person’s life to change them, there is a complete and utter transformation. It’s the difference between death and life.

God takes note of different things ...

Malachi 3:16

Jesus referred to something that has a bearing on each one of us.

Luke 10:17 – 20

There is a recording which is eternal. For those who are Christians, your name is written in Heaven.

Revelation 20:12

God is establishing His purposes, outworked by the recording of our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life, solely as a result of what Jesus Christ has done for each one of us.

Hebrews 10:9 – 17

“Their sins will I remember no more.” What He is remembering is that He has recorded your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. On the other hand, things are actively being forgotten. God is active in not remembering our sin. He chooses not to remember. Some people are concerned about their past, and keep replaying things they have done wrong. The enemy delights in that. Whereas God in Christ has said, “Their sins will I remember no more.” Sometimes we dredge up things which someone else may have done, and we regard ourselves as superior. God has forgiven them, but sometimes we take part in conversations where the whole thrust is to pull someone else down. That’s not what we’re about as we partake of the bread and wine. The Psalms tell us how beneficial it is when the people dwell together in unity.

Previously I talked about how the Passover was a memorial of the angel of death passing over the houses of those who had eaten of the lamb and had the blood sprinkled on the door post. We saw how the Passover lamb became Jesus – behold the Lamb of God. And 1 Peter talks about the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

When Jesus spoke of His body being eaten, He instituted something we were to do to remember Him until He came again. Taking the bread and wine helps us remember what He has done for us until He comes again.

The Corinthian letters were very practical. There were four and we have two left.

1 Corinthians 5:6 - 8

You need to be sincere and conduct yourself in truth – no malice or wickedness.

1 Corinthians 10:16 - 21

You can’t serve God and mammon – there’s a difference between being a Christian and not being a Christian. And when you take the bread and wine, you are identifying with Christ and saying, “You have given me life. You are my life. I’ve forgotten those things which went before. I’m identifying with who You are and what You’re doing in me.”

In the Corinthian church, there were people supposedly going God’s way and people going the world’s way. Impossible! Here, we are identifying with what God has done in us.

In the Corinthian church, people were coming together, not having eaten at home, and making the most of it as a meal.

1 Corinthians 11:22 - 23

Luke 22:19 – 20

1 Corinthians 11:23 - 27

It’s possible to come unworthily. People were treating this like any old meal. Think about what it means to take things unworthily. It wouldn’t be a good idea to take part if you don’t have a clue what Christianity is all about, or if you aren’t a Christian. That can be remedied, though. What is the situation with you and God? You know all about Him, and maybe today God is saying, “What I did on the Cross was done for you and it doesn’t matter if there was no one here apart from you”. You were on Jesus’ mind when He went to the Cross and died for you. He didn’t want you to be bound in sin, to have those habits you can’t overcome because there is a power of sin which hasn’t been broken. He wants you to live clean, because He wants to give His life inside you, to take the power and penalty of sin. He wants to give you His life.

1 Corinthians 11:28 - 30

If we sorted ourselves out and got things right, we’d be ok.

1 Corinthians 11:32 - 34

We are taking part in something instituted by Jesus Christ – “This do in remembrance of me.” How frequently should we do this? It doesn’t say. But periodically, we need to do it, to remind ourselves of what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross, and how He rose from the dead to break the power of sin. When I eat, I thank God for what He has done for me.

He loves you. He’s concerned about you. He wants you to be secure. He wants you to know that what He has started in you by giving you His life, He will complete, until that time when He meets you.

I know what God instituted by taking the bread and wine. It was a tangible thing so we would remember who He is and what He did until He comes again. And the love He expressed on Calvary for each one of us isn’t just a quick phrase in the Bible – God is love, and He didn’t want you to live your life on an impossible pathway which doesn’t work. He wanted you to live your life to fulfil His purposes, which are the best for you and will bring glory to His name.

The church is the Bride of Christ, and is fulfilling the purposes God has for His people. And there are lots of other people who will become Christ-ones through what God will do. He is acting throughout the world, and we are part of the church worldwide. It’s not my church – its God’s church. It’s all to do with an expression of God’s love for mankind. “Behold how they love one another.” You need to examine yourself right now. But as we identify with what Christ did, so it is that we are one body, one faith, one baptism.