Test

Date
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Speaker
Bobby Grossi
Series
RESTORE
Book
Nehemiah

Save

He is Testing Us

Review and Context
- Ezra came to restore the word and then Nehemiah the walls.
  - He started building and then, conflict; external and and we’ll see today, internal.
- This is a narrative all throughout Ezra/Nehemiah, and all throughout scripture.
  - God’s does a work, his people get blessed, and then, opposition.
  - Is it the devil? Darkness pushing back light? Why does God allow it? And even cause it? Is it a test?
- This knocks on an underlying question…
  - Does God test us? Does God cause trials in our lives?

MAIN POINT- HE IS TESTING US

Some of you know he does, and if you are not sure I hope to show from the scriptures that God does indeed test us.
- But even the more mature of saints come to this subject as Jonah did to Nineveh, with a reluctance. “I don’t want to go, but then you go through trials and testings and end up waking up on a beach smelling like dead fish. Just me?”
- Why does God test us?Put us through trials?
- We say that God is good, and the scriptures would agree yet when we enter into trials we begin to question 1 of 2 things, maybe both.
  - 1. Maybe God isn’t good 2. Maybe God isn’t in control
    - When all is well we rarely questioned God’s goodness nor his sovereignty. “God is good and he is working all things for me, just look around! But when it hits the fan, we so quickly begin to doubt his goodness or maybe he isn’t really that in control, “God must of not seen this one coming because this is not good for me.”
  - Yet we know, if indeed we are bible believing Christians, that God is good, and that he works all things together for our good, which to be true God must sovereign.
  - So it’s not that God isn’t good nor is it a lack of control from our God, it must be something else. Maybe, it’s our view of testing and trials that needs a new perspective.

“A bell buoy rings only during storms. The beating of the waves and wind bring out the music that is within it, so too do trials reveal what is inside a person.” Pittman

Please turn to Nehemiah 5, page 401 in your pew bibles.
- Exposition, vs. 1-5 Explain “TAX”
  - Attacks are not just outside the camp. They are also from within.
    - How? A lack of integrity. “There’s sin in the camp”
    - Selfish ambition leading partiality as a sin.

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? James 2:1–5

BUT, do we show partiality? No. It’s a selfish intent.
Do we show priority to our church family? Yes

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:9–10

We are the family of God. Do we do good to everyone? Yes. Love our city, Christian or not? Yes! But how do people know we are disciples? Is it not the love we have for one another.
This community based ideal as we, or God, strips us of our selfish ambition is what we also see from both Ezra and Nehemiah, that the Sins of the people they saw in themselves.
The NT idea that when one member suffers, we all suffer, when one rejoices, we all rejoice.
Could God be allowing these things, these trials, so that we can be stripped of our selfish ambition and pride, and be the community we are called to be? He is testing us…

EXPOSIT vs. 5:6-13

May the spirit speak to you… to us.
Giving? Partiality? Selfish Ambition? The sins of our church?

Exposit 6:1-4

The selfish ambition of others can be distracting. Ever notice how the selfish of others bring up your own?

READ vs. 4& 5, Then an open letter, that was pointed out in our community group discussion of the text that it was “Public”, to the king.
- WHY? Read vs. 9
- They even sent False prophets
  - For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
Let’s step back… Why did God allow this? Was he testing them?

And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. Deuteronomy 8:2

“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10

He is testing us! But why?

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2–4

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6–7

The Psalmist desires it!

Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. Psalm 26:2

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23–24

GOSPEL
- He is testing us, but it’s a beautiful work of his grace. May we rejoice in HIS work!
- OFFERING and COMMUNION