Today is our mission agency dedication service. I dont think its a coincidence that Nehemiah is being read at the time of the THINK TRIP (TT) in 15 mission sites overseas and 45 in Korea from June this year. Chapter 6 is the confession of the Israelites returning from the Babylonian captivity after the rebuilding of the wall is completed, 'We will live by this application!' The phrase 'the house of the Lord our God' is repeated most often in the text, and lets reflect together on what applications we should live by.
First, we should set our homes apart as holy.
The first application for the people who joined the solid covenant was to not give their children in unfaithful marriage. Throughout the Bible, its 'unfaithful marriage' that comes up when pointing out the fall of Israel. Marriage requires pain, patience, and sacrifice because its about emptying your own half and filling anothers half. The option of faith in marriage is seen as a hindrance. The other expression of faith is values. The Israelites put God and salvation first, but they choose to follow pagan values by marrying pagan women. So, unfaithful marriage is a gross evil. So, are there no hardships in a marriage in faith? Yes, there are many challenges in a marriage in faith, but the most important difference from an unfaithful marriage is the holiness of our values. We must work to apply the values of the Word to our spouse, our children, and our home, and we must put ourselves first in the Word and in community. There are families in our congregation who choose to apply for TT in lieu of traveling overseas, and this may be the best faith nurturing we can do to demonstrate by our lives what it means to cling to the ranch and stick to community for the salvation of our children. When we place our families in the hands of God and community, we trust that God will take charge and lead them to salvation.
Second, we need to set apart the Sabbath as holy.
During the captivity, the land of Judah was inundated with Gentiles. Most Gentiles work on the Sabbath, making it too difficult for the people of Judah to keep the Sabbath. However, Gods commands are not easy to do and not to do because they are difficult. When we choose to do them because of God, we experience that God is in charge. The Sabbath is a day that God has set apart to bless us. 'Rest' is manifested as me, saved by the grace of Jesus sacrifice on the cross, sacrificing and serving for someone elses salvation. My selfish, greed-filled values are transformed into selfless values for the sake of salvation.
The worlds reckoning is inward, but the reckoning of the Kingdom of God is outward. I believe that living a selfless life in gratitude for the rest and grace we have been forgiven is restoring our Sabbath faith and living for the service of our God.
I believe that living a selfless life in gratitude for the rest and grace we have received is the way to restore our Sabbath faith and live for the service of the Lord our God.
Third, we should have something to give to God and something to share with the people.
In verses 32-39 of our text, the people pay the temple tax for temple sacrifices, chop wood for the altar, and tithe. The idea is that they didnt give it as a legalistic tax payment, or to be recognized, but out of faith and joy because it was 'the house of our God.' Just as Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of the city, Joash repaired the temple. Joash, who appears to have done the same spiritual work, but only while he was being taught, and only while he was doing it honestly in the eyes of the Lord, did not get rid of the sacrifices that needed to be removed, but instead played the temple repair card to show off his accomplishments. Nehemiah, however, prays to God from the time he rebuilds the wall. The book of Nehemiah is more about how to live after the wall is rebuilt than it is about rebuilding it, because no matter how well we repair the outward walls, if the temple of our hearts is not restored, it will fall again. The decision to rebuild the broken walls is a statement of faith, determination, and will to restore our identity as Gods people, and I believe that this determination will lead to a concrete application of labor and dedication.
This is the testimony of a sister who participated in the TT in Australia. I lived a glamorous life in Hollywood, US, where I went to be successful and be accepted by my parents, but I didnt keep the Lords Day. Then I had an incident where my boyfriend, whom I was in an unfaithful relationship with, threatened me with a handgun to my head, after that I was depressed and self-loathing to the point of suicide. After returning back to Korea and being attached to our community for 10 years, my life was interpreted through repentance of my sins, and my unbelieving parents allowed me the miracle of stepping on the church grounds. In obedience to my calling, I applied for the Australian TT. The Lord worked in the same way in the South Pacific church ministry we visited, the Australian Pastors Union prayer meeting, sharing the Word with local children, the Word of redemption to the Korean church, and the QT and Table fellowship. Through this TT, I realized that the reason I always lacked so much was not because I had less, but because I did not have the Lord as my shepherd. Thank you for giving me so much grace and restoration.
Thank you, Lord, for the community that cried and laughed with you.
Verse 39 says, 'So that we will not abandon the house of our God.' I believe that the prayer and application of not marrying unfaithfully, keeping the Sabbath day holy, and having something to offer to God and something to share with people is part of keeping the house of our God. God doesnt appear directly in the book of Nehemiah, but through his prayer, God is faithful to fulfill the work of rebuilding the wall and restoring both spirit and body in 52 days. May we be blessed this year to build a place for the Lord to dwell in every corner of our church, through TT, QT Festivals, the ranch, and all of our ministries.
