AM Sermon 4/28/13: Short-Lived Restoration
AM Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 13.4-9
This Morning’s Sermon:
Brent T. Willey
SHORT-LIVED RESTORATION
Nehemiah 13.1-22
Introduction:
- The Old Testament books of Ezra & Nehemiah are primarily about the restoration of the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem (ca., 536-428 BC).
- Jerusalem and the Temple had been left in ruins since 586 BC, when Judah fell to the Babylonians.
- Restoration would come to Judah, but it was short-lived!
I. IN THE ABSENCE OF NEHEMIAH – Verse 6
- How important is leadership?
- In the absence of law… (Neh. 8.1-8; cf., James 1.25)
- In the absence of leadership… (V.6; cf., Heb. 13.7, 17)
- Corruption in Jerusalem immediately ensued.
- Alliances with Tobiah (vs. 4-7; cf., 2.19-20; 6.14).
- Levitical priests neglected (v.10; cf., Nehemiah 12.1-21, 27, 44-47)
- God’s House was forsaken (v. 11; cf. Ezra 6.15-18)
- The Sabbath was abused (vs. 15-18; cf., 9.14)
- Why was this “written for our learning”? (Rom. 15.4)
- Restoration principles have a tendency to be short-lived. (Cf., Gal. 1.6-9; Rev. 2.1-5)
- The worship & work of the church has been corrupted. (Cf., Matt. 15.8-9; 2 Tim. 4.2-5)
- Profaning what is to be holy: assembly, contribution, etc. (Cf., 1 Cor. 3.16-17; Heb. 10.24-25; 1 Cor. 16.1-2)
II. NEHEMIAH SEEKS GOD’S MERCY – Verses 14, 22
- Nehemiah took this very personally – he had to!
- All the good he had done was in jeopardy… (V. 14)
- Nehemiah took charge… (V. 21-22a)
- Repentance & diligence were a must… (V. 22b)
- So should we!
- We must not “lose heart” (Gal. 6.9).
- We must never rest on past successes. (Phil. 3.12-14)
- We must possess a penitent attitude. (1 John 1.9)
Conclusion: Before we become too quickly critical of the Judeans, we had better take a close look at our own spiritual situation…
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