Explore how the Israelites in Nehemiah 10 renewed their covenant with God, providing timeless lessons for a modern Christian church non-denominational. Discover the importance of shared conviction, holiness, and collective commitment in following Christ.
Confronted through this series with a couple pieces, but the one that lingers at the center of it all is WHAT IS THE DEEP SEED OF CONVICTION? What are your convictions, even know?
Illustrate it a couple ways. Perceived conviction:
In ministry use to have an object lesson to illustration what level of convictions you think you have. Group of students in a circle, handed them 20 coins and asked them to count them (hold the number in their head, pass the coins on). Had a plant at the end of the circle that would take 2 coins out before passing it to the last person. Last person counted, handed the coins to me. Then asked, how many coins. First person, 20. All subsequent students said 20, of course. Interesting to watch last person struggle with their number. When it was their turn, many times they would be conflicted, rarely would they confidently say 18.
Easy to have convictions within the confines of the Church.
We will argue those convictions like it really matters.
Conviction without experience is founded on the unknown.
I’m not sure what the distance between my perceived convictions of faith and the reality of those convictions are if put to the test. Tested and tried convictions, could I do this?
August Landmesser. During the rise of the Nazi regime, Landmesser, a German, fell in love with a Jewish woman and had to pretty quickly make a decision about his own convictions and the convictions of the world he was living in. He stood with the Jewish people. His love was illegal. This convictions cost him. He stood against the Nazi war machine, against the Holocaust. There’s a supposed photograph from during those years where he is captured in a photograph with a crowd of workers. They are all saluting the Furer. He is the only one who is not giving the Nazi salute. Convictions go way deeper than feelings. Our feelings oft times mislead us.
Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
My feelings are important for many things. They are essential and valuable. They keep me aware of much that is true and real. But they tell me next to nothing about God or my relation to God. My security comes from who God is, not from how I feel. Discipleship is a decision to live by what I know about God, not by what I feel about him or myself or any thing else.
Feelings are great liars. If Christians worshipped only when they felt like it, there would be precious little worship. Our feelings can adversely manipulate our faith.
One of the many lessons of Nehemiah is we need to remember to look up to God, not at Him or down on Him. The servant assumes a certain posture, a stance. If he or she fails to take that posture, attentive responsiveness to the master’s commands will be compromised.
At some point we have to genuinely decide that God in Jesus Christ is telling us the absolute truth. Repentance is a realization that what God wants from us and what we want from God are not going to be achieved by doing the same old things, thinking the same old thoughts. This is Israel’s problem, this is our problem.
NEHEMIAH 10 OVERVIEW
QUESTION AS WE DANCE INTO THIS CHAPTER: How do you prevent the cycle of sin, captivity, brokenness, calling out for mercy, seeking and receiving forgiveness, being reconciled and restored to losing your mind and doing it all over again?
Nehemiah 1-6 defines the consequences of removing God from your life, the grace to start over, rebuild, try again. What sin does; destroys, disrupts, creates chaos, despair, fear, darkness overtakes, makes us delusional, it separates us.
Nehemiah 7 is restoration of community, stand on common ground under God.
Nehemiah 8 coming back under the authority of the book of the Law
Nehemiah 9, the joint confession of the people’s sinful actions
Nehemiah 10, reestablishing spiritual convictions.
Nehemiah 10 marks a critical turning point in the spiritual life of the Israelites, renewing their commitment to God’s laws and communal responsibilities. The chapter highlights the importance of collective dedication and personal commitment in sustaining faith and religious customs, providing timeless wisdom for our spiritual journey. Israel at this point understands the repercussions of being covenant breakers. . .coming out from under the authority of God.
HERE’S WHAT ISRAEL DOES TO TRY AND NOT REPEAT THE CYCLE (take Brian approach)
They make and sign a Covenant with God (Verses 1-27), those in leadership lead the sheep rightfully now under the hand of God. (re-establishing godly convictions)
Nehemiah, Zedekiah, and the rest of the Israelite leaders, priests, and Levites affix their seals to the written covenant, demonstrating their commitment to the laws of God. The list of those who signed serves as a testament to the solidarity among the community in their pledge to adhere to the covenant. NT Eldership is essential for leading, guiding, protecting, promoting Church.
One thing to sign a document, it’s whole other piece to have the convictions to adhere, live out your responsibility to what you’ve signed.
The record for the world’s longest marriage goes to Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher, who were married for an astonishing 86 years, 9 months, and 16 days as of February 14, 2024. Conversely, Glynn Scotty Wolfe, 88, holds the world record for the most often-married man. Wolfe, a flamboyant, Bible-thumping minister, was married 29 times. Bible thumping hitting his own head.
Commitments under the Covenant (Verses 28-31), people submit to that authority who themselves have fixed themselves under God.
All the people, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses. They commit to not intermarrying with foreign peoples and to obeying the laws of the Sabbath, promising to let the land rest and not do business on the seventh day. Why these things? They may have been the impetus for the spiritual drift into sin. The falling back into the cycle of spiritual erosion. Guard spiritual weaknesses.
Religious and Civic Responsibilities (Verses 32-39), spiritual boundaries don’t isolate you, they promote you, protect you.
The Israelites agree to impose a tax on themselves to support the Temple service. They establish rules for offering first fruits, firstborns, and tithes. The chapter ends with a vow from the Israelites to not neglect the house of God, solidifying their dedication to religious service and civic responsibility. There has to be some skin in the game, there has to be a cost.
Nehemiah 10 presents a transformative moment for the people of Israel as they pledge allegiance to God’s law in a renewed covenant. The leaders, priests, Levites, and the entire community agree to uphold God’s commands, embodying a collective commitment towards religious devotion and responsibility.
WRAP THIS UP, DISCIPLE YEARS AGO – THE DISTRACTED MIND DRIFTS
Dan Fogelberg, I have these moments all steady and strong, feeling so holy and humble, the next thing you know I’m all worried and weak, feel myself starting to crumble. The meanings get lost and the teachings get tossed And you don’t know what you’re gonna do next You wait for the sun but it never quite comes.
Read this story about Louie Giglio. Story goes.
Louie’s not the type of runner who enjoys the scenery—he’s just trying to survive his workouts. And when he’s running in freezing rain? He’s barely thinking at all. So there he was, slogging through the downpour, when a chain-link fence suddenly blocked his path. Without thinking, he hopped over a concrete divider and headed for shelter under an overpass. The overpass kept going, so he kept running under cover—fanastic! He continued north, not really noticing that one lane had become two, then three. After a mile, all the traffic was moving slower than he was, and some driver was yelling at him. But he couldn’t make out what she was saying and tried to ignore her anyway.
Then the overpass curved away and he was back in the rain. He could see the UN buildings in the distance and that’s when he spotted two police cars parked ahead. One cop blasted his siren and waved him over. That’s when it hit him. He was running down the middle of the FDR—a six-lane highway along Manhattan’s east side! In his effort to keep moving while half-blind from rain, he’d accidentally ended up in the middle of a major freeway. No wonder the cop’s first words were militant, harsh and unprintable.
The officer accosted him by saying, I mean, seriously! How can you run down the middle of a New York City freeway and not know it?
Hmm, probably the same way you can live your life oblivious to the Creator of the universe, an epic tale that permeates all around you. The same way you can spend your days making so much of someone as small and transient as you or me and so little of someone as glorious and eternal as God.
Abraham Kuyper wrote, When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith. Maybe, just maybe the book of Nehemiah and chapter 10 is a wakeup call, a warning, don’t forget whose you are and what you are. Maybe this season of life here in Colorado, in America is reminding us to remember our covenant with God in awe, reverence and fear.