THE NEW RESIDENTS OF JERUSALEM
Nehemiah 11:1-36
Nehemiah 11:2
"The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem."
When I first read this chapter, it appeared like a page in a phone book. Initially, I found nothing but an unending series of hard-to-pronounce names. So I thought of combining chapter 11 and 12. But as I read the passage again and again and read sermons by other pastors, God opened my eyes to see many spiritual truths. God's truths are not always apparent, but after deep mediation, God reveals a treasure chest of wisdom to us. Recently, I read a story of a man in England who was in the process of moving. As he was moving his bed, he found an old dirty cup. He thought it was garbage, he was about to toss it out. But a friend suggested he bring it to an antique dealer and see how much it is worth. So he did. They found the cup was made of pure gold and dated back 300 B.C. The cup was not worth 10.00, but 1 million dollars. So what is the point of the story? Save your junk? No. My point is the word of God might look plain, but if you look hard and dig deep God's word is full of treasures. In the midst of this long list of names are many spiritual truths. In this passage, Nehemiah repopulates the holy city of Jerusalem. He finds many noble people who were willing volunteer to relocate. We also see how Nehemiah establishes a spiritual community in Jerusalem by using each person’s talents and abilities.
First, one more for Jesus!
As we studied, the city of Jerusalem was like a ghost city for 142 years. God put in Nehemiah heart the great project rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore the city. Nehemiah gave his blood, sweat and tears to accomplish this great task. By God’s grace, he completed the task in 52 days! By Chapter 11, the temple of Jerusalem had been rebuilt; spiritual and civil law and order had been restored to Jerusalem. But there was one big problem; he had no people in the city! According to verse 1, there were only a handful of leaders who occupied the city. Nehemiah knew that a city without people would not thrive. Historically, Jerusalem was God’s holy city; a world mission center for all nations. According to Jeremiah 3:17 “all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD” It was would be a great shame if people from all the ends of the earth come to Jerusalem and there is no one to teach the law of the Lord to them. Where did the majority of the population reside? Many people lived in towns outside of the city of Jerusalem. It was not easy for families to uproot themselves and start a new life in a city. According to verse 3, each owned property and had well-established roots. Many would have to leave comfortable, well-paying jobs, friends, relatives and neighbors behind. In addition, living in Jerusalem meant you were a target of many enemy nations.
At first, Nehemiah petitioned the people to move to Jerusalem. Maybe he invested in advertising campaigns to bring people into the city. But no one responded. What did he do? Look at verse 1 again, “the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns." He instituted a voluntary draft. He decided to visit town by town, house by house, and family by family. This was done by casting lots. Even if a family was chosen by lot, that doesn’t mean they were willing to go. Nehemiah probably spent time with each family and encouraged them to live in Jerusalem. If they refused, then he would select another family. His prayer goal was to get 1/10 of the population to settle in Jerusalem.
As Nehemiah wanted to populate Jerusalem, so God wants to populate the New Jerusalem. The major theme of the Bible is paradise lost and paradise restored. Since the fall of man, God has been to inviting sinners to live in the New Jerusalem. Life in the world is hard. Revelation 21:2 “And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” God sent many prophets and Bible teachers the New Jerusalem, but many thought God was inviting them to a funeral home. I was no different; I thought an invitation to Bible study meant an invitation to death of fun. But according to Revelation 21:2 This New Jerusalem is a joyful place like a wedding. Wow! What a beautiful description of God’s city! We all love weddings, right? We make a commitment to our true bride and bridegroom Jesus. It is a time of great joy and great expectations. When my wife heard she was marrying me, she was so joyful she got into a car accident. Thirty minutes before my wedding, I was so joyful that I tried to jump three stairs, whereby I ripped my trousers. A friend of mine, David Choi Sr. ran to his house and sowed my pants just in time for me to walk down the aisle. God does not call us to become miserable, but to have true joy, rest and peace. This is not just for one day, but for eternity.
Throughout the gospels, there are many passages of Jesus heart’s desire to gather the lost back to the New Jerusalem. Jesus prayed “your kingdom come…” Jesus prayer is to depopulate hell and populate heaven. Jesus has the image of a good shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep and looks for one lost sheep. There are many parables about Jesus seeking the lost. When our hearts are in Christ, we are compelled to seek those who are lost. Three weeks ago, I attended a conference at Saddleback Church in California. During one of his sermons, Pastor Rick Warren talked about the last hours with his father who was also a Pastor. His father was dying of Parkinson’s disease. Pastor Rick said, his father rambled non-stop about giving instructions how to build a church. Then he said, the last hour of his life, he kept on saying "one more for Jesus" again and again. Then, he breathed his last. Even in his dying breath, he wanted to reach out to one lost soul. What is your motivation as a Christian? Is it one more dollar or one more for Jesus?
Here at our West Loop ministry, we all have personal stories of how we were once lost and were found by our good shepherds. They had a prayer “one more for Jesus.” At one time, Jenny Cook was Samaritan woman who smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day. But she was found by her good shepherd Liz Lincoln who is now at Yale University. I was a dumb sheep, but Dr. Ben was my good shepherd. Sometimes, when he called my house to attend church, I would imitate my father’s voice saying “Rhoel, he is not here right now, can I take a message?” In spite of my constant rejection and indifference, he took care of me, because he was compelled by the love of Christ. Because of Jesus’ love and his servants, my wife and I are compelled to serve students and open our hearts and homes to them.
God blessed West Loop with a beautiful Bible House. We lack nothing. We have an awesome praise band, wonderful messages and fellowship, wonderful snacks after the service. Our prayer topic is to fill up our worship service with 1,000 members. This is only possible when our personal prayer is “one more for Jesus.”
Second, Get out of your comfort zone and grow in the image of Christ.
What was the response of Nehemiah’s labor and prayer? Look at verse 2, "people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem." There was a celebration of those who decided to relocate to Jerusalem. He commended those who decided to get out of their comfort zone. They were commended because they had faith to risk their life savings, homes and friends. Their only security was to believe in God’s promises and provisions.
Adrian Savage, a business executive and writer describes comfort zone as the following: "Over time, we all gather a set of constricting habits around us—ones that trap us in a zone of supposed comfort, well below what our potential would allow us to attain. Pretty soon, such habits slip below the level of our consciousness, but they still determine what we think that we can and cannot do—and what we cannot even bring ourselves to try. As long as you let these habits rule you, you’ll be stuck in a rut." To paraphrase, those who remain in their comfort zone makes people a slave of mediocrity. Since they are afraid to try new things, they never grow, they never progress.
In business, sometimes it is necessary to step out of your comfort zone to make more profit. Did you know at one time, the phone company Nokia made boots and cables? But they risked their comfort zone and ventured into their “Jerusalem” the wireless cell phone industry. They believed one day, each person on the planet would own a cell phone. Their risks paid off. They have become the largest mobile phone company. For weight-lifters out there, muscles become well defined, when you push them out of their comfort zone. Initially, the burn but soon they adapt and grow.
When we study the Bible, we learn God always wants us to get out of our comfort zone and trust him. Our comfort zone is basically our sinful nature. The way to get out of our comfort zone starts is to RENEW THE WAY WE THINK about God, others and the world. Romans 12:2 reads "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” As young Christians, we are afraid to get out of our comfort zone. A comfort zones maybe a party lifestyle, an easy-going lifestyle, an unhealthy relationship, etc. We think it is the best lifestyle. As a result, we are trapped. Getting out of our comfort zone means to believe that God has the best in store for us! He wants to give us the best job, the best soul mate and the best mission. Our other comfort zone is to complain, complain and complain. But the Bible teaches us to get out of our comfort zone and to be thankful in all circumstances. We naturally want to see others weaknesses. But to step out of our comfort zone means to see other’s greatness and potential. Our goal as Christians is to be as humble, compassionate and sacrificial as Jesus. Unless we decide to get out of our comfort zone, we will never grow to bear our Lord’s image. Let us decide to get out of our comfort zone and grow to bear the image of our Lord Jesus.
Third, God is seeking for volunteers!
According to verse 2, many families volunteered to relocate to Jerusalem. God loves volunteers! God only uses volunteers. Volunteers are those who serve without expecting any money or men’s praises. They do it purely out of love and passion. According to 1 Peter 5:2, volunteers serve “not because they must, but because they are willing, as God wants them to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve…” 2 Corinthians 9:7b says “God loves a cheerful giver.” It is not easy to volunteer. Once I volunteered to help the elderly at a nursing home. I couldn’t stand the smell and especially the look of death on people’s faces.
Our Lord Jesus gave us the greatest example of what it means to volunteer. The hymn writer, Henry Barraclough wrote a beautiful song called “Ivory Palaces” explaining Jesus' sacrifice "Out of the ivory palaces, into a world of woe, Only His great eternal love made my Savior go." He gave up the ivory palace of heaven to come to this world volunteered to come to this world and become our friend. Jesus volunteered purely out of love for us. During his earthly ministry he continually volunteered to meet the needs of others. Once Jesus met a man with leprosy, no one wanted to be around him. Everyone scattered, at the sight of his festering wounds and mangled flesh oozing with pus. Luke 5:13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Finally, Jesus voluntarily offered to take our places on the cross. Jesus willing took the pain and suffering we rightly deserved upon himself.
On July 24-27, 2008, we will hold our International Conference at Purdue University. We will have a chance to meet many who have volunteered to give up their comfortable life in their hometown to serve as missionaries in foreign lands. One of the volunteers is my brother-in-law, John Peace’ family. They gave up their comfortable home and jobs in Chicago to go out as missionaries in Kiev, Ukraine. It was not easy to leave, but they trusted in God. God has blessed them both spiritually and materially. Recently, their daughter Maria Joy decided to also volunteer to be a missionary to the Muslim world by attending Bospherous University in Turkey as a student. Praise God for volunteers who are motivated only by the love of God.
We can also be volunteers were we are at. At West Loop, we are looking for a few good men and women. We have worship and outreach team. There are many tasks to accomplish. We need volunteers. Unfortunately, the positions are without pay. We do it out of out of love for our Lord Jesus Christ. We can’t pay you, but God will pay you. God will bless you with joy, peace, love, forgiveness of sins-things money can’t buy. God will bless with the fruits of the spirit. St Paul said any act of kindness will not be in vain, God will recognize and bless.
Fourth, Church should not be informational but transformational.
Nehemiah did not concentrate on building the defense or the economy of the city. First and foremost, he wanted to build up the spiritual community of the people. He knew a spiritual and moral foundation is necessary for a nation to survive. According to many historians, the fall of any nation or empire is the “loss of civic virtue among its citizens.” In other words, moral values are most important for any nation to survive.
Beginning latter part of verse 4, our text contains list of names of men from Judah and some men from Benjamin. Verse 4 teaches us that 468 "able men" from Judah volunteered to live in the city, and 928 men from the tribe of Benjamin. They had a sordid past. Perez was born out of as an illegitimate child. In the book of Judges, the tribe of Benjamin fell into sexual perversion. In baseball, if a player has three strikes then they’re out. If a slump continues, he will be benched or traded. But God doesn't use the same rule for us. God doesn’t care how much we have messed up. He is ready to use us if we honor him from our hearts.
A church should not be informational. In other words, it should not just make Christian with big heads with little hearts. The Church should be transformational. It should transform the lives of people and the nation. In addition, the church should raise transformational Christians who can be a good influence to others. For any church to be transformational, it should meet the needs of the people. Nehemiah found each person’s gift and talent to serve the community. In verse 9-17, Nehemiah establishes a transformational spiritual community.
In verse 9, two men are mentioned Joel was a chief officer and Judah was a mayor over the second district of the city. They had gifts of administration and leadership. In verse 11, Seraiah was supervisor of the house of God. He administered the messenger, prayer topics and daily maintenance of the temple. In verse 13, there were some associates who were “heads of families.” This means they had the ministry of counseling families. They helped those families who were going through marital problems, rebellious teenagers, etc. Verses 15 mentioned the tribe of the Levites. Look at verse 16 two men were in charge of “outside work of the house of God.” In modern terms, these are teams of people who were engaged in outreach, serving the community through feeding the poor and providing medical help. The second group of Levites were musicians. Look at verse 17, Mattaniah was the music directory who led in thanksgiving and prayer. He was great-grandfather of Asaph. Asaph was a famous musician at the time of King David. He was like the Michael W. Smith of his day. There were also gatekeepers, who kept watch over the gates. In contempary terms they are those create an environment of worship. They are the ones who setup the chairs, mop the floors and clean the bathroom.
In this passage we learn Nehemiah’s heart’s desire to populate Jerusalem. We also learn we are called to populate the New Jerusalem. Let us reach out to our family members, friends and coworkers and invite them to have a personal relationship with Christ. We also learn God wants us to get out of our comfort zone. He wants us to grow in the image of God. We also learn God wants us to volunteer as our expression of love towards Christ. Finally, we learn God wants to use our specific gifts and talents to build our church and nation. May God bless West Loop Church to be a transformational ministry.