Underwhelming

Underwhelming

Underwhelming / Nehemiah 13

  • Intro
    • Vinny’s class find trip, “Can I turn the car off?”
    • “Are you referring to the analogy we talked about in chapel to not take your foot off the peddle yet but to end strong” 
      • I’m assuming they had a talkabout  the school year is coming to a close but to not end educationally, emotionally, mentally, relationally, etc. until the last bell. In pure innocence this third grader is asking, can I turn the car off now? Can I relax? It’s just a field trip… Can I stop listening? Stop paying attention? Do my own thing? Can I turn the metaphorical car off now? 
    • Why does a third grader ask such a question? Real talk- third grade can be overwhelming! Well, to a third grader. 
    • Those time when we want “Jesus to take the wheel”.
      • (Jesus, take the wheel memes) 
        • Life can look like this… Child, Water, Wrench, Route
    • But what about those times when life isn’t overwhelming, but simply “underwhelming”?

Please turn to Nehemiah 13, page 408 in the pew bibles

  • Ezra and Nehemiah end in that spot: Underwhelming, un-climactic. They just end… Things are not great, they are not horrible, and in Nehemiah 13 there’s no hill to climb, war to win, wall to build, temple to restore, it’s just life… 
    • Hum-drum, normal, life. Plus their efforts to usher in the new covenant have all but failed. They write a covenant to God and basically summarize what their view of the law was, missed the “love God, love your neighbor” all together, and committed to separating themselves from all foreigners, to keep the Sabbath and to give so the temple would not be neglected. 
  • Our context; The temple is finished, the walls are done… Now it’s time to live!  Right? 
    • The outcome is really, underwhelming… 
    • Chapter 11, list of people living in Jerusalem, chapter 12, a list of priest and then a quick review of the praise and worship of God at the dedication of the wall and restored service at the people.  

Exposit of Nehemiah 13

  • Read Vs. 1-3, The good samaritan
  • vs. 4-9, Nehemiah was gone for a season and Tobiah, the same guy who threatened the building of the wall has a studio his own studio apartment in the temple
  • vs. 23-27, Intermarriages and the kids can’t even speak Hebrew. 
    • 1st command of their covenant- Separation from all foreigners- Broken
  • Read vs. 15-16
    • 2nd command- to keep the Sabbath- Broken
  • Read vs. 10-13
    • 3rd command of their covenant- to give and not neglect the temple- Broken
  • Each one is followed by a “Remember”, vs. 14, 22, 29, 31
    • Biblical use of the word, “Remember” is not based on memory, but instead  “be mindful and act”. Let not my efforts be in vain! I can relate… 
    • There is much to be said about remembering God in the hard times… countless blogs, articles, books, but what about remembering God in the underwhelming times? There’s not a lot, but the bibles addresses it throughout. 

“Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” Deuteronomy 8:11–14

  • We have been asking, What can we learn from these books about restoring our church? 
“Do not forget God”
  • “Do not” 
    • Lose your “purpose” Ezra and stop building.
      • Live in the past but be present in what God is doing
      • You were slaves! 
    • Lose focus
      • Nehemiah and the opposition 
    • Add to God’s word
      • Do not go beyond what is written
  • “Do not Forget”
    • You have been set free
    • That God is in control
      • Esther
    • God’s word
      • Ezra
  • “Do Not forget God”
  • Be thankful  
    • All good and perfect gifts
  • Be humble
  • Be faithful
    • Church attendance & Giving

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4

  • HAVE FAITH
    • Do not forget God.
    • Remember (keep in mind and act on) the Gospel!
    • Invite to the table

Don’t take your foot off the peddle! Don’t turn the metaphorical car off. Whether life is overwhelming or underwhelming… Keep the faith and Remember God

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Covenant
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The Search for Significance