Author: Saju Joseph

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We are doing a series on Missions.

Week 1 – we looked at Matthew 28:18-20 .. The Great Commission … We learnt what Jesus meant when he said all Authority in heaven and earth has been given to him. We also learnt that ‘Go therefore and make disciples’ is a command given to all of us…. That this mission is the end goal of all our lives… Mission draws us closer to God …. & The Ultimate goal of mission is Worship.

Week 2 – we looked at Luke 5:1-11 where Jesus calls out his first disciple Peter to follow him and join him … 3 lessons we learned about Mission from the passage were 1) Mission is rooted in a relationship with Christ 2) Mission is empowered by the qualification of Christ & 3) Mission is defined by the call to follow Christ.

If you’ve missed been there for any of the Sundays I want to encourage you to visit and listen to the past sermons as listed below –

• The Great Commission … Go Therefore – Matthew 28:18-20
• Defining Mission – Luke 5:1-11

The text for today’s sermon is from 1 Pet 2:9,10.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Last to last week when David preached from 1 John 1:1-14 he answered 3 questions… Can you re-collect them?

Who is God?
What is he doing? &
Who am I in the light of that?

Similarly, I believe today’s passage will help us answer another set 3 important questions for us.

Who are we?
How did we get this Identity? &
What’s it for?

Who are we?

• Verse 9 – “We are a chosen people”

1 Peter is a letter written by Peter to a particular set of people – Who are they? – The elect in God (Christians), we see that in 1 Pet 2:1. He is addressing it to the people who believed in the gospel and surrendered their lives to Christ. Just as we are.

And in verse 9 is saying to them “You are a chosen people”

And as children of God it is absolutely irrelevant what caste or culture or language group we belong to. Because in the kingdom of God we are either ‘chosen’ or ‘not chosen’. We are either going to heaven and spend eternity with God or end up in hell and suffer.

John Piper quotes “What gives us our identity is not color or culture. But chosenness.”

So true it is!

In the Bible Paul writes in Ephesians 1:4 “He chose us in him (In whom? – In Jesus) before the foundation of the world”

Listen to me …. You were chosen by God into his Kingdom before the foundation of the world.

Let me ask you something…  Tell me how does it make you feel? 

Eg. Indian Idol

To be chosen by God is far more special than been chosen for any contest in this world.

It is a privilege to be part of this chosen race of people that God has set apart for himself.
And therefore, we need to be far more grateful and thankful to God than these people who will big contest or even a lottery ticket. Our joy should supersede all of them. Our expressions of thanksgiving and praise should be more vibrant than theirs.

Ephesians 1:4 also reminds me that even I was a small child in my mothers care, a spoilt teenager hanging around with a bunch of crooks, a failure in school, a shame to my father. God had his eyes on me. In the midst of all my circumstances and crowd around me – God identified me as his own – His chosen one.

And that’s exactly who you are? A chosen and beloved child of God.

• In Verse 10b Paul mentions our second identity … “We are men who’ve received MERCY from God”

To have received mercy basically means that, when we deserved punishment because of our sinfulness and fallen state as human beings, God didn’t punish us, but in fact blesses us instead. Mercy is the withholding of a just condemnation.

When God created the first man and the first women in his own image & likeness … and unlike other created beings he gave humans free will to choose between right and wrong.
And God gave them a free will so that they willfully choose to obey and worship God and not by force. God desired and still desires true and genuine worship from his children.

But instead of obeying and worshiping God they chose to rebel against Him … And therefore every human being is born sinful (including us) and deserve death and punishment from this Holy creator God.

God has all the rights to condemn us …. but He chose to show mercy … WHY? … Simply because He loves us.

In the beginning of Peter’s letter in chapter 1:3 he writes

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Lamentations 3:22-23 writes

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

God didn’t just chose us but he also showed mercy and CONTINUOUS to be merciful to us every single day.

We are men who’ve received MERCY from God

• Verse 9 .. Our 3rd Identity …. “We are Holy nation”

By placing our faith in God’s son Jesus Christ alone to save us from our sins – believing that Jesus paid the penalty of our sin by shedding his blood. God declared us holy.

Hebrews 10:8-10 the author gives us this beautiful picture of what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. He says

“Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” – though they were offered in accordance with the Law. Then Jesus said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will” Jesus sets aside first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

As Christians when God looks at us he doesn’t look at our sinfulness anymore but he looks at the Holiness of Christ.

We are a Holy nation, chosen by God & showered with mercy.

• Our fourth identity is …. “We are God’s possession” .. a treasured possession

We no longer belong to this world but we belong to God. We are his treasured possession. And therefore he continues to show his favor every moment. He provides us with all good things. He watches over us. His love constantly chases us.

Even though we walk through the valley of shadow of death … He is with us.

• Our fifth identity Peter says …. “We are a Royal Priesthood”

As a child of God we are priest having immediate access to God – we don’t need another human mediator. God himself provided the one Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. We have direct access to God, through God. And, second, we have an exalted, active role in God’s presence.
We are not just chosen, mercied, possessed, and holy just to sit away doing nothing. We are called now to minister in the presence of God. All our life is priestly service. We are never out of God’s presence. We are never in a neutral zone. We are always in the court of the temple. And our life is either a spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1–2), or it is out of character.

This is Who we are.

God’s possession, a holy nation, chosen, showered with mercy and having access to the presence of God.

We are a chosen race
A royal priesthood
A holy nation
A people for God’s own possession

Now, our second question.

How did we get our identity?

I think the simplest answer to this question is “God gave it to us”

Not on the basis of our merits, our accomplishments OR our good works ….

Peter says this in a summary statement at the end of verse 9. He refers to God like this: “Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” The light in which we live now as a chosen race, holy nation, mercied by God as a Royal Priesthood. The way we got there is that God called us. He called us out of darkness into this marvelous light.

And that’s how we got out identity.

Now that we’ve answered the first 2 question “Who we are?” & “How did we get this identity?”. I believe it is equally important for us to answer the 3rd most important question.

What is it for?

If I have to call my son Jairus and hand him a set of tools and objects and walk away without saying anything. The next question he would ask me is “Dad, what is it for?”

If Anslem has to call you and give you a lakh of rupees and walk away without saying anything. The next question you would want to ask him is “What is it for?”

If you’ve been offered a job position in a multi-national company without you even applying for the job or even qualified for it. The next question you would to ask is “What is it for?”

In the natural world we always ask that question when we are offered something out of the blue. In the same way I believe it is important for us to ask that question when we’ve been offered something we don’t deserve.

And Peter answers that question in the passage. He says

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

God made us who we are so that we might proclaim
– The excellency of his freedom in choosing us.
– The excellency of his grace in showing mercy to us.
– The excellencies of his authority and power in possessing us.
– The excellencies of his worth and purity in making us holy.

In other words he has given us our identity in order that his identity might be proclaimed through us. God made us who we are so we could make known who he is. Our identity is for the sake of making known his identity. The meaning of our identity is that the excellency of God be seen in us.

Now, that’s a call for mission

And how do we proclaim his excellencies?

We proclaim is excellencies by

1. Living for His glory

Immediately after verse 10 . in verses 11 and 12 Peter writes

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

2. By been the light of the world & salt of the earth

Matt 5:16 Jesus said

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”

3. By being obedient to Jesus’ call to go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 43:10 God says “You are my witness”

Mark 16:15 Jesus said “Go into the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation”

Last week Paul and his team encouraged us to be a witness for Jesus … and I believe it helped us to think of different ways to share the gospel with your family, friends & colleagues.

Conclusion: Trust this sermon has blessed your heart, we pray that you have a great week ahead proclaiming the excellencies of God in and through your lives.

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/go-therefore.mp3″]

In our last series on Nehemiah we saw the missional journey of Nehemiah and therefore our next series is on Missions and I hope this stirs your heart to Go and spread the love of Jesus.

Our passage for today is Matthew 28:18-20

These are the final instructive word from Jesus to His church. Jesus had just risen, the Jews handed him over to the Romans to crucify him on the cross.

Unlike today the world in which Jesus commissioned his disciples was a hard ground. There is already a lot of tension between the Jews and the Romans and here is Jesus asking his disciples to go spread the good news to the world.

Not all of the disciples that were gathered believed in the fact that Jesus is now risen. But still Jesus did not reject or disapprove of them, he accepted their worship.

Verse 18 Jesus starts his conversion by saying “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me”

Here’s what that authority meant –

• Authority to forgive Sins (Luke 5:20)
• Authority to mediate to the Father (1 Timothy 2:5)
• Authority to send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26)
• Authority to open the hearts & minds of His people (Luke 24:45)
• Authority to reveal the Father (Matt 11:27)
• Authority to give eternal Life to whom He chooses (John 10:27-28)
• Authority to raise us up on the last day (John 6:40)

Jesus showed His equality with the Father and possessed all authority and power.

Verse 19 – Go therefore & make disciples of all nations

This command was not given only to the disciples but even to us in this generation. We are called to make disciples.

This is the core reason we exist – of all the things we do in life.

We often speak of God been glorified in our lives. Mission is the means through which God is glorified in us.

Mission draws us nearer to God – and keeps us away from slackness.

Bill Hybels in his book “Becoming contagious Christians” writes

“Often I meet Christians who are in spiritual malaise, holding on to their faith but not advancing it much. Bible study has become a chore; prayer is a dry routine. The miracle of their own conversion, once recounted with great passion, is now a distant, fading memory. And going to church is – well, its something they just do.

Mechanically and half-heartedly, these people trudge along through the drudgery of quarantined Christianity.

But when these lethargic believers break out of spiritual isolation and meet some spiritual seekers, something incredible starts to happen. As they experience high-stakes conversions that tend to happen with unchurched people, they begin to notice a sort of inner renewal taking place. Areas long ignored suddenly come alive with fresh significance .. Isn’t it incredible how elevating our efforts to reach others can be a catalyst for personal growth?”

The ultimate goal of Mission is worship

Worship of the true & living God is the ultimate goal of Mission. We lead and disciple people to Christ not to make them mere Church going Christians but to lead them into becoming true Worshippers, the one the Father seeks.

John Piper in his book “Let the nations be glad” writes

“Worship is ultimate, not mission. Because God is ultimate, not man”

We need to make Mission the ultimate goal of our life by

• living intentionally
• looking for opportunities to glorify God
• consistently reaching out even in hard times
• staying faithful to our calling

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/the-meaning-of-sabbath.mp3″]

[otw_shortcode_info_box border_type=”bordered” border_color_class=”otw-black-border” border_style=”bordered” shadow=”shadow-down-right” rounded_corners=”rounded-10″]This sermon is part of our Expository Preaching Collective on the Book of Nehemiah. Follow the link below to know more about What Expository preaching is and Why is it important to us. (Click here)[/otw_shortcode_info_box]

This is our second last preaching collective on the book of Nehemiah and our text today is Nehemiah 13:15-22
Last week we saw how the Eliashib the priest profaned the house of the God by preparing for large chamber for Tobiah where the offerings were supposed to be kept as per the commandment from the Lord. When Nehemiah hears this news he gets angry and throws away all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber and bring back the vessels of the house of God along with the other offerings.

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We learnt how SIN damages the worship of God individually and contaminates the worship of God corporately. To deal with sin that leads us into disobedience we must begin by hating them, take drastic measures to uproot them & replace them with elements of worship.

[bctt tweet=”The Importance of Sabbath and its Implications on us Today” username=”gatheringmumbai”]

Today we will look at another unusual event or an issue that takes place in the camp.

In verse 15 Nehemiah is saying “In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day”

What Nehemiah meant to say was “they were basically working on the day of Sabbath”

The reason I used the word unusual event or a problem is because we live in a generation where work is celebrated and is the norm. Day in and day out, in season and out season … you ought to be working.

Majority of middle class, lower middle class and especially the lower class people don’t even get a Sunday off. If they don’t work all 7 days then they won’t be able to provide for their families. In my new company they encourage people to configure the company email on their mobiles so they are constantly working even on holidays, our team has a whatapp group where they are chatting about work all the time. This is the culture we are living in right now and maybe in this context the verse 15 may have sounded unusual to you.

Why is Nehemiah the leader upset to see people working a Sabbath day? Isn’t that good for the growth of the nation? Isn’t that good that people are busy?

Nehemiah wasn’t upset because of some personal reasons but he was upset because the disobeyed God’s command. It was God’s command that people shouldn’t work on a Sabbath day.

It was one of the commandment given to Moses, we read that in Exodus 20:8-11. It’s the 4th command.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.

Here’s what we will be doing in the next couple of minutes, we will unfold the meaning of Sabbath and also discover its implications for us in the new covenant. Two lessons we will learn from this text is ..

1. Obeying God is more important giving in to our cultural demands.
2. Obeying God is more important that making extra or even losing much.

5 things that stands out from the command over Sabbath in Exodus 20:8-11 are

1. The word “REMEMBER”

Firstly, God is telling the people to remember the rest day. Sabbath means Rest.
People of God had to remind themselves that they need to take a break, a day off after every 6 working days. It was not an optional command but a mandatory one.

I guess because in those days they did not have systems like today, it’s easy to remember a day of holiday because it’s an off at work, we in fact count our days till the weekend comes. But in those days since they did not have a calendar they used to work at their winepress, farms etc every day and maybe they had to make an extra effort to count 6 days … thou they had to do it as a community they had to remind themselves to take a break after every 6 days.

2. KEEP IT HOLY

Second, “Keep it holy,” means set it aside from all other days as special. Specifically, as verse 10 says, keep it “to the Lord,” or “for the Lord.” In other words, the rest is not to be aimless rest, but God-centered rest. Attention is to be directed to God in a way that is more concentrated and steady than on ordinary days. Keep the day holy by keeping the focus on the holy God.

3. The command is not just YOU

“your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates”

We cannot say “Well, I will keep it, but I will put my maid to work, or set my ox to threshing with a carrot in front of his nose at 6 PM the evening of the sabbath so that it will thresh the grain all day while I rest.” God says, No. You miss the point if you try to keep the business running by using servants or animals or relatives. What point?

4. God’s Rest after creation

In Genesis 2:2 we read, “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.”

The questions that arises in our hearts is If God is omnipotent—if He has all power—it doesn’t make much sense that He would need to “rest.” After we’ve had a busy week, we take a nap—but God.

The important thing to notice in that verse is, it doesn’t say God “needed” to rest; it simply says that He did. It is therefore clear from Scripture that God did not rest because He was tired.

Genesis 17:1 calls God the “Almighty God.”
Psalm 147:5 says, “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”

God is all-powerful; He is never tired and never needs to rest.

Isaiah 40:28 says, “The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.”
God is the sum of perfection; He is never diminished in any way, and that includes being diminished in power.

When God said, “Let there be light,” the light appeared. He simply spoke creation into existence (Genesis 1:1-3).
Later, we read that Jesus Christ “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

The entire universe is held together by Jesus’ word. The creation and maintenance of the universe is not difficult for God. A mere word will suffice. As Psalm 33:9 declares, “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”

The Hebrew word translated “rested” in Genesis 2:2 includes other ideas than that of being tired. In fact, one of the main definitions of the Hebrew word shabat is “to cease or stop.” In Genesis 2:2 the understanding is that God “stopped” His work; He “ceased” creating on the seventh day. All that He had created was good, and His work was finished.

God did not merely “rest” on the seventh day; He “stopped creating.” It was a purposeful stop. Everything He desired to create had been made. He looked at His creation, declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and ceased from His activity.

Sabbath means to cease and rest ….

Here what I believe the implications of Sabbath is for us today.

1. Firstly, it is applicable to all and not just the leader, pastor or elder of the church
2. The bible doesn’t suggest a particular day as Sabbath, like only Sunday …. It just says the 7th day.
3. It basically means to cease from doing any kind of work …. whether office work or even household work … it means to halt from doing any mundane daily activities … that may even include cooking … even our servants & maids shouldn’t be allowed to work on that day
4. It is not supposed to be an aimless rest where we sleep till 12 PM, have lunch in the afternoon and go back to sleep again. Rather it has to be God centered – Praying, reading & meditation on his word
5. More than physical or mental rest it means to rest in God, trusting his sovereignty over our lives.
In the light of what Sabbath means and the disobedience of the people of Judah in the story of Nehemiah here are 2 lessons we need to learn from the text.

1. Obeying God is more important than giving in to our cultural demands.

We understand the reason for the disobedience of the people of God was the influence of the outside world. And to stop that Nehemiah takes a drastic step.

In verse 19-21 it says

As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

Let’s evaluate, what are some of the cultural influences and demands that distract us from obeying God and what are some of the drastic steps we need to take in order to avoid them.

Job Culture – Stand firm in our convictions
Family Culture (Indian) – Speak up against them as the Lord gives you grace
Societal Culture (bribe) – Conduct yourself in godliness and set ourselves as an example
Entertainment Culture – Discern what is distracting you from worshiping and obeying God and restrain from those as the Lord leads.

We looked at Romans Romans 12:2 a few weeks back it says

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The word of God prohibits us from loving the world and the things of the world.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Story of Eric Liddel is a great example. Been a sprint runner and been selected for the Olympics, he refuses to run the race because it was scheduled on Sunday his Sabbath day.

2. Obeying God is more important that making extra or even losing much.

It is often that people give in to the demands of their financial needs and end up working every single day without rest. But I believe taking a Sabbath off also implies that we cease to trust in our own ability to provide for ourselves but trust more on God who is our ultimate provider.

Matthew 6:25-33

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you,even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

– For some it would mean for some of us to give up on the extra income that we make on our rest day – share my example of working on rest day for extra money – people of God faced loses on that day because of no trading

– For some it would mean to have less or limited food for that day

In this context I consider Sunday to be my Sabbath day .. my sermon preparation and preaching is not work but deep diving into god’s word … our fellowship time with you guys are a joy whether it’s a Sunday morning or an afternoon or an evening get-together – as long as we’re not working – neither our maid and cook – as long as our focus is God.

Let’s reflect on these lessons and make adjustments in our lives that are God glorifying.

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/161002_1050-mp3cut.net_.mp3″]

[otw_shortcode_info_box border_type=”bordered” border_color_class=”otw-black-border” border_style=”bordered” shadow=”shadow-down-right” rounded_corners=”rounded-10″]This sermon is part of our Expository Preaching Collective on the Book of Nehemiah. Follow the link below to know more about What Expository preaching is and Why is it important to us. (Click here)[/otw_shortcode_info_box]

Our text for today is Nehemiah 13:1-3 (Click the text to read)

So far God’s been doing an amazing work in the life of these people and I believe as we are about to finish this book it is true that it has impacted our lives as well. Before I go ahead I want to share some of the specific areas in my life that God has been working through this book.

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1. The first thing I believe this book has made me understand is the sovereignty of God over our lives, the story of Nehemiah reminds me that it is God who is building his church and just like Nehemiah he has chosen each one of us to be used for His glory and name for this generation. And if we remain faithful to his calling he will satisfy us with all eternal blessings.
2. The second thing I believe this book reminds me is God’s great love for us. Even though God’s end motive is his glory and his fame his motivation is his great Love for us. He immensely loves us, the one whom he made in his own image. It is His great love that drives him to pursue us till the end just as he did in the lives of these people mentioned in the book.
3. The third thing I learned from this book is that God expects and desires a response in return, and the response is our heartfelt adoration, worship and an obedience, always trusting in his saving grace and not ability to do it right.

[bctt tweet=”The exclusivity of God’s people just as the Gospel is exclusive (Nehemiah 13:1-3)” username=”gatheringmumbai”]

The passage we are looking at today is one of the responses of the people of Israel. When they read from the Book of Moses they discover a peculiar demand from God that needed attention.

What was that demand?

“No Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God”

This command is found in the book of Deuteronomy 23:3 (Click on the text to read)

Who were these Moabites and Ammonites that God disliked so much?

To understand the origin of Moabites and Ammonites let’s turn to Genesis 19:30-38 (Click on the text to read)

The Moabites and the Ammonites were both tribes related by blood to Abraham as they descend from his nephew (Gen. 19:37–38). They were born out of sin and their generation continued in sin just as their parents did.

These peoples often brought much trouble for Abraham’s children. It was Moab that led Israel into Baal worship on its way into Canaan. In Num. 25:1–3 we read about it.

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

There’s another incident where both the Ammonites and the Moabites hired Balaam, a prophet to curse Israel as it journeyed toward the Promised Land. The story is found in Numbers 22-24.

One of the prominent issue we see regarding the Moabites and the Ammonites is that whenever the people of God got closer to them they ended up sinning against God by indulging in sexual immorality and idol worship.

The episode with Balaam also shows that the Ammonites and Moabites always meant harm and destruction to the people of God.

It is therefore clear to us that God’s command to separate them from the assembly of God was nothing to do with race or ethnicity, it had and has everything to do with distinction as the people of God and purity in worship to him.

Now, let’s unfold this thought furthermore.

In that case, what did it meant for the people of God to separate the Moabites and the Ammonites from among them?

• It meant that they wouldn’t have any influence of these people over their lives in a way that displeases God.
• It meant that they wouldn’t be persuaded anymore into sexual immorality by their women.
• It meant that they wouldn’t be led to worship any other gods other than the true and living God Yahweh.
• It meant that only God alone would be glorified in their midst.

I believe what this text is trying to emphasize and remind us is the exclusivity of God’s people from the world around – just as the Gospel is gloriously exclusive.

How is the Gospel exclusive?

Let’s unfold the exclusivity of the Gospel before we look at the exclusivity of God’s people.

The Gospel is the only one way to be reconciled to God and that is by grace, through faith in the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. That’s exclusive! There are not many ways, there is only one way.

Out of millions and billions of people on this earth God chose to reveal himself to an exclusive bunch of people and through them choose to shine and reveal His glory throughout earth to every tribe and nation and tongue.

And how do we know that this God called Yahweh is the only true God? We know it because every word in these scriptures inspired by God has answers to man’s deepest longings, whether it is for love, peace, fulfilment, joy or any other yearnings.

Ravi Zacharias, an Indian who was born in a hindu family, at the age of 17 tried to commit suicide by swallowing poison. While in the hospital, someone handed a bible to his mother as she read from John 14:19 the very words of Jesus which said “Because I live, you also will live” changed his life forever and became a follower of Jesus. He is now 70 years old and goes around the world proclaiming the good news of Jesus.

He once said

“When you think of it, really there are four fundamental questions of life. You’ve asked them, I’ve asked them, every thinking person asks them. They boil down to this; origin, meaning, morality and destiny. ‘How did I come into being? What brings life meaning? How do I know right from wrong? Where am I headed after I die?’”

He concludes this argument by saying that the answer is found only and only at the feet of Jesus.

He said “Only through repentance and faith in Christ can anyone be saved. No religious activity will be sufficient, only true faith in Jesus Christ alone.”

The Gospel is exclusive.

Nabeel Qureshi, a devout muslim by birth wrote in his book “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity”

“While I was wallowing in self-pity, focused on myself, there was a whole world with literally billions of people who had no idea who God is, how amazing He is, and the wonders He has done for us. They are the ones who are really suffering. They don’t know His hope, His peace, and His love that transcends all understanding. They don’t know the message of the gospel. After loving us with the most humble life and the most horrific death, Jesus told us, “As I have loved you, go and love one another.” How could I consider myself a follower of Jesus if I was not willing to live as He lived? To die as He died? To love the unloved and give hope to the hopeless?” 

The good news of the Gospel, the work of Christ on the cross for the redemption of human kind is exclusive. There is not many but one truth.

And here’s an interesting thing. Just as the Gospel is exclusive so are we, the children of the most high God. And here’s what the word of God has to say about us.

John 1:12 – We are children of God.

John 15:15 – I am a friend of Jesus.

Romans 3:24 – I have been justified and redeemed.

Romans 6:6 – My old self was crucified with Christ, and I am no longer a slave to sin.

Romans 8:1 – I will not be condemned by God.

Romas 8:2 – I have been set free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:17 – As a child of God, I am a fellow heir with Christ.

Romans 15:7 – I have been accepted by Christ.

1 Cor 1:2 – I have been called to be a saint.

1 Cor 1:30 – In Christ Jesus, I have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

1 Cor 6:19 – My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me.

2 Cor 2:14 – God leads me in the triumph and knowledge of Christ.

2 Cor 5:17 – I am a new creature in Christ.

Gal 5:1 – I have been set free in Christ.

Eph 1:3 – I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Eph 1:4 – I am chosen, holy, and blameless before God.

Eph 1:7 – I am redeemed and forgiven by the grace of Christ.

Eph 1:11 – I have been predestined by God to obtain an inheritance.

Eph 2:10 – I am God’s workmanship created to produce good works.

Eph 4:24 – My new self is righteous and holy.

Phil 3:20 – I am a citizen of heaven.

Phil 4:7 – The peace of God guards my heart and mind.

Phil 4:19 – God supplies all my needs.

We are an exclusive people of God called to live distinct life for His glory. And anything that comes in the way of God, anything that takes away His glory from us he dislikes them. Just as he disliked the closeness and association of the Ammonites and the Moabites who were among them, infiltrating their minds and distracting them for serving God.

In the light of this text, we need to identify what these Ammonites and the Moabites mean to us in this generation. The ones God hates and wants us to put away with.

First, I thought I will give you a list of things I think are the Ammonite and Moabites in our lives but then I realized that my list could be different to your list. I believe based on our upbringing, our circumstances, our nature, our lifestyle we all have different idols to deal with and it will be unfair if I fail to miss any one of them.

Instead, I want to help you identify them for yourselves.

To help you identify the Ammonites and Moabites in your life I’ve categorized a set of questions into 2 groups.

The first group is “WORSHIP”, it says anything that hinders worship of God in our life needs to be put away. We read in the scriptures how the Ammonites and the Moabites were responsible for distracting the people of God from worshipping him.

The second group is “SERVICE”, it says anything that hinders us from serving God needs to be put away. The Ammonites and Moabites schemed against the people of God by hiring Balaam to curse them and wipe them out from the earth, taking out a whole generation of people called to serve God.

Under worship I’m listing 8 hindrances that keep you from worshipping God – it’s a list by a Puritan preacher and author called Thomas Brooks from 1608. I hope it helps you identify your hindrances to worship.

These Ammonites and Moabites are our enemy and we need to be aware of their schemes.

1. Anything that makes the world look beautiful, attractive and desirable instead of Christ.

1 John 2:17 says “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever”

Many people profess Christ and see him as desirable for a time. For a while they enjoy private and public worship and do it all with enthusiasm. But before long Satan presents to them worldly things and makes those look more beautiful and desirable than Christ, and many souls are drawn away.

2. Anything makes you aware of the fact that those who worship the Lord have often faced danger, loss and suffering.

There are many men who would obey the Lord and worship him, except that they fear the consequences. The enemy loves to present the high cost of obedience. This was the case for many in Jesus day: “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue” (John 12:42).

3. Anything that make you aware of the difficulty of worshipping well.

The enemy will whisper, “It is difficult to pray well, it is hard to spend time with the Lord and to persevere until he speaks to you through his Word, it isn’t worth the effort of going to church and being warm and friendly and engaging with other Christians.” Whatever God tells you to do, the enemy will present it to you as a great burden or as something you do poorly, and in this way he will keep you from it.

4. Anything that leads you to wrongly understand the implications of the gospel.

Christ has done everything for you and given everything you need in his death and resurrection. There is nothing left for you to do but rejoice in Christ and to serve him out of the joy of salvation. But the enemy will lead you to make wrong inferences from what Christ has done, encouraging you, for example, to believe Christ has freed you from the need or desire to spend time with him or to gather with other Christians. He will allow you to see the gospel, but do all he can to make you understand it all wrong.

5. Anything that shows you how many of those who follow Christ with obedience are poor and despised.

The enemy will ensure you see that those who are most interested in worshipping God are the poorest and most despised of all. You can see echoes of this in John 7: “The Pharisees answered them, ‘Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed’.”

6. Anything that shows you that the majority of the people in the world, along with the great and mighty of the world, do not worship the Lord.

The enemy will ask, “Don’t you see that the great, the rich, the honorable, the intellectual elite, the wise, the most honored, and the sheer majority of people do not trouble themselves with worshipping the Lord? You would be much better off to be like them. After all, why would you think that you, of all people, have this figured out?” To have success here he will intentionally draw your attention away from Exodus 23:2 and many similar passages: “You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice.”

7. Anything that fills your mind with unimportant and distracting thoughts while you are attempting to worship

He afflicts you with so much distraction and futility that you are tempted to say, “I have no desire to hear from the Lord in his Word, no desire to speak to him in prayer, no desire to spend time with other Christians in worship services.” He crowds out the very thought of worship by the sheer weight of lesser concerns.

8. Anything that encourages you to take comfort in past performances of your religious duties and in that way he convinces you to stop trying.

He reminds you that in the past you read so much and prayed so much and spent so much time in worship. And having reminded you, he convinces you that you have earned the right to coast for a while. “You already know this. You’ve already done this. You’ve already prayed this. You’ve been to better worship services than this.” And through it all he inclines you to rest from worship.

Under Service, here are the list of items that you need to put away that God would dislike,

1. Anything that makes you feel undeserving and unworthy in the service of God.
2. Anything that withholds me from confessing my sins with one another so I can serve God guilt free.
3. Anything that hinders me from giving myself to prayerful submission to God.
4. Anything that hinders me from soaking myself in God’s word.

In conclusion, remember we have to put away everything that distracts us from worshipping our God and everything that takes away our joy of serving him.

God bless you.

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/the-true-meaning-of-worship.mp3″]

[otw_shortcode_info_box border_type=”bordered” border_color_class=”otw-black-border” border_style=”bordered” shadow=”shadow-down-right” rounded_corners=”rounded-10″]This sermon is part of the Expository Preaching Collective on the Book of Nehemiah. Follow the link below to know more about What Expository preaching is and Why is it important to us. (Click here)[/otw_shortcode_info_box]

Our text for today is Nehemiah 12:1-26

So far from Nehemiah 1-11 we saw how God restores his people back to himself through a man called Nehemiah who participates in the re-building of the broken walls.

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Against all the opposition and problems they could see God’s sovereign hand over them and when the walls are completed they go back to the Law of God and as the Word of God convicts their heart they confess and repent of their sins.

In Nehemiah 10 we saw that they don’t just stop there but continue to give themselves to God’s work of redemption in their lives.

[bctt tweet=”The Meaning of True Worship. (Nehemiah 12:1-26)” username=”gatheringmumbai”]

They now have a renewed understanding of what it means to live like children of God, they are more committed to God, they are courageous to walk in obedience to God’s word.

Last Sunday in Nehemiah 11 we saw another serious side of their commitment where they are now inhabiting the land and giving themselves in serving God. Two lessons we learned about serving from those verses were

1. Serving God is unpopular yet pleasing in the eyes of God
2. Serving God is unattractive yet beautiful in the plans of God.

In today’s passage in verse 1-9 we see a list of names of the chief priests and Levites that came up with Zarubbabel, in verse 10 & 11 we see the succession of the high priests, in verse 12-21 is the next generation of the other chief priests, verse 22-26 gives the names of the eminent Levites that were in Nehemiah’s time.

What caught my attention while reading 1-26 was verse number 24 which said

“And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God”

The statement “prescribed by David the man of God” is also mentioned in 2 Chronicles 8:14 but in different context and slightly different words. It says

“In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement”

The context in 2 Chronicles is that now Solomon has completed the building of the temple of God which his father assigned to him, he is now appointing priests who will offer worship to God on behalf of the people.

In both these context what we see common is God re-establishing His worship. We saw in Nehemiah earlier that the reason why God brings them all together is not because there were better job opportunities in the land but because He wanted to re-establish his worship.

Worship is at the center of God’s work in their lives. Even today Worship is at the center of God’s mission on earth. Just as in the times of Nehemiah or Solomon even today God gathers His people to himself only for one reason and that is to worship Him.

Jesus points that in John 4:23 and says

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”

Why does God demand, seek or request that we worship him?

Worship is “to give honor, homage, reverence, respect, adoration, praise or glory to a superior being”

• Firstly, God demands worship because He and He alone is worthy of it. He is the only being that truly deserves worship

Rev 4:11

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

And Exodus 20:3-5 God says

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me”

• Secondly, God expects us to worship Him as an expression of reverence and thanksgiving to Him

Heb 12:28

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”

• Thirdly, God desires that we worship Him because our eternal destiny depends on our worship of the true and living God.

Please do not be deluded to think that God is here to make you rich and famous, and to give you a comfortable living with no troubles.

God desires his glory and worship more than anything else.

And our greatest pleasure and satisfaction in life will come only when we worship the true and libing God giving him the highest glory he deserves.

So, what is worship?

Is it just singing some songs on a Sunday morning? Lets answer that question from God’s word.

In Nehemiah 12 God is re-establishing His worship, Levites and priests are been appointed in the temple courts in a particular fashion as prescribed by David, which originally points to Leviticus and the times of Moses.

In the time of Moses when God brings the people out of slavery from Egypt, he instructs Moses to build a tabernacle for Him where he will be worshipped by the people, offering sacrifices at the altar.

In the book of Leviticus we see God giving Moses specific instructions about every single detail of the tabernacle. From what material should be used, its measurements, the design of each and every object in the tabernacle, the kind of clothes the priests were suppose to wear while conducting the ceremonies, what kind of offerings were acceptable, what kind of fire should be used etc.

In total that book of Leviticus has 27 chapters and all verses were instructions given by God on how they were supposed to worship him.

When we read that book we feel overwhelmed and wonder whats the point behind doing all of it. How did they even remember to follow all of it to the dot?

The apostle Paul talking about the Laws and regulations in Galatians 3:10, he says

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

He says that if someone fails to keep every command perfectly he is cursed and condemned.

James 2:10 says “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”

The Law is basically points us to the standard of God’s Holiness and gives us an impression that no matter how hard we try we can never match up to God’s Holiness.

Recently I saw a video of R.C Sproul where he gives an excellent demonstration of Gods standard of holiness in comparison to ours while explaining the concept of sanctification and glorification.

What does this teach us about Worship?

In Psalms 96:9 the Psalmist says “O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.”

• The first lesson we learn here is that True worship should lead us and point us to God’s Holiness.

When the people of God gathered around the tent to offer sacrifices they would revere and acknowledge God’s Holiness and worship him and tremble before him.

Even God takes his holiness quite seriously. In Leveticus 10:1-3 Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of God because they offered unauthorised fire before the Lord.

• The second thing the Law and the rituals reveal is our sinfulness

Romans 7:7 “What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law”

Romans 3:20 “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”

What does it teach us about worship?

It teaches us that True worship of God should reveal our sinfulness when we compared to the standards of God’s Holiness. The more the people of God approached God’s Holy Laws the more they realized how sinful they were in the sight of God.

Even today when we worship on a Sunday morning or when we worship him in private we should remind ourselves that its not just about singing and dancing but its about acknowledging and remembering God’s Holiness and our sinfulness.

Thirdly, in the book of Leviticus God instructs the people to offer sacrifices to compensate for their sins. Every time the people of God would approach him they would bring a sacrifice with them, either a goat or a dove or grain etc and offer it at the altar as a burnt offering and the aroma of the sacrifice would reach God.

Why would the aroma of a sacrifice be important to God?

The importance of the sacrifice’s aroma was not the smell but what the smell represented – the substitutionary atonement for the sins of men – a temporary solution that God offered by which the people could go near him and enjoy his presence.

The permanent solution God offers is His son Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:14-22

1 John 2:2 says “Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

What does it teach us about worship?

• It teaches us that True worship eventually should lead us in appreciating the finished work of Jesus on the cross – His death as a perfect sacrifice for the compensation of our sins.

It the Jesus that bridges the gap between God’s Holiness and our sinfulness and we should cherish that.

So, what kind of worship is God re-establishing for himself?

It’s not the one that ends up as singling spiritual songs on a Sunday morning without pointing us to God’s Holiness and our sinfulness leading us to appreciating and cherishing Christ above everything else.

In the light of what’s been shared here are three questions I want us answer today.

Q1. When we come to worship on a Sunday morning and in our private time do we come to God in reverence in our hearts, acknowledging His holy presence or are we too casual about it?

Q2. When we come to worship do we see our sinfulness and our inability to please God in our own strength or do we come with pride in our hearts and a self righteous attitude?

Q3. When we come to worship do we see and cherish the beauty of Christ and his finished work on the cross that helps us relate with God?

I believe that as we give ourselves to God in worship in this manner every single day He will sanctify our hearts and make us more like Christ.

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/gods-redemptive-work.mp3″]

[otw_shortcode_info_box border_type=”bordered” border_color_class=”otw-black-border” border_style=”bordered” shadow=”shadow-down-right” rounded_corners=”rounded-10″]This sermon is part of the Expository Preaching Collective on the Book of Nehemiah. Follow the link below to know more about What Expository preaching is and Why is it important to us. (Click here)[/otw_shortcode_info_box]

Our text for this morning is Nehemiah 10:1-39.

In our study on the book of Nehemiah thus far we saw how God worked in the hearts of his people as he gathered them and re-established his worship back.

The broken walls of Jerusalem is now re-built, people are safe and are now enjoying God’s goodness upon their lives. The first thing they do is go back to the Law of God, repent of their past sins and in the last sermon we saw how they re-count the blessings of God from creation onward.

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[bctt tweet=”Giving ourselves towards God’s continuous work of redemption” username=”gatheringmumbai”]

Recounting the blessings of God leads them to sincere confession of their sins and a serious commitment to the things of God. While re-counting the blessings one of the thing they understood was that it was their arrogance that kept them away from enjoying God’s favor throughout history.

The definition of ‘arrogance’ is having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities. It is somewhat like the attitude our seniors in the workplace throws at us when our ideas or suggestions are better than them.

In a spiritual sense it our words, attitude and expressions that shows up when we think of ourselves more supreme or important than others, even God, when we make our needs and necessities more important than God and his kingdom.

The Israelite’s would time and again find themselves in that position. When God gave them manna from heaven they wanted the cucumber of Egypt. When God gave them prophets, they demanded for a king.

Sadly this is exactly how we respond even today. When God miraculously gives us a job we don’t deserve we grumble and demand for more salaries. When God gives a small shelter for our family out of nowhere we demand that he gives is 2 BHK flat instead.

Our arrogance shows up in many ways and if we are not careful in dealing with it we will never enjoy God’s blessing and favor.

We also heard the definitions of mercy and grace. Mercy is ‘God withholding the punishment we deserve’, Grace is ‘God giving us blessings that we don’t deserve’.

Our arrogance doesn’t always shows up when we demand more things and material blessings. Our arrogance can also show up when we refuse to accept God’s unmerited grace and mercy when our life entangled in sin.

It’s when we look at our current sinfulness and say I don’t think God can forgive me of this sin. When we refuse to go back to God in repentance and ask for forgiveness to the point where doubt our salvation.

That’s Arrogance!

When I was a teenager I was an arrogant boy, one day my father was quite upset with me for not taking my studies seriously and in anger he said I’m worthless and just want to live on his money. I was quite upset that day and later in anger I went and told my parents I don’t want their money of possessions and my Mom felt very bad when I said that.

The point for my parents rebuking or correcting me was not to say that they don’t love or that they don’t want me to inherit their wealth and blessings.

We have to remember that our Christian journey is not going to be an easy one, we will face challenges, hurdles and find ourselves in a place of discontentment and discouragement. We will even fall into sin and make mistakes that hurt God and others, but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us anymore, or that he is not capable to forgive us when we go to him in humility.

Psalms 116:5 says “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion”

1 John 1-9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”

We should never let our arrogance keep us away from God’s blessings.

In chapter 9 the people of God confesses their sins and makes a commitment to follow the ordinances of God.

They make a firm covenant in writing on a sealed document.

Chapter 10 begins with the names of all the Levites, princes and priests who signs the document of the covenant beginning from Nehemiah himself.

Verse 29 says “They join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes”

What they meant by that was God if we fail to observe your commands henceforth let your curse be upon us. Of course this kind of prayer or request doesn’t sound appropriate to us who are in the new covenant, but what I want you to notice is the seriousness of their commitment to God.

Later in the rest of the chapters we see how the people give themselves towards God’s continous redemptive work in their lives.

The first area of decision they make is “we will be faithful to God when it comes to our marital relationships”

Verse 30 – “We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.”

The second area of decision is “we will be faithful to God when it comes to doing business”

Verse 31 – “And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.”

The third area of decision they make is “we will be faithful to God when it comes to supporting God’s work”

Verse 32-39

All these areas of decision were made in the Old testament context and we do have an New testament interpretation to each of them. But in today’s sermon instead of going into the detailed new testament interpretation I want to talk about the importance of giving ourselves towards God’s continuous redemptive work in our lives.

In the story of Nehemiah the people of God didn’t just repent and confess their sins at once but continued to give themselves to God work in their lives, making changes in their beliefs, lifestyle etc.

They changed their views about marriage, they changed the way they did business, they understood the importance of giving towards the Kingdom work.

Some key questions we should asking ourselves at this juncture is

Q: How are we doing in the aspect of giving ourselves to God’s redemptive work ?
Q: Are we seriously making changes in our daily lifestyle as the God convicts us?

• The way we think about relationships
• The way we think about success
• The way we spend our money
• The way we bring up our children
• The way we serve in the church
• The way we think about music and entertainment
• The way we approach our professional life
• The way we approach friendship
• The way we look at the poor and needy

Are we changing in these areas as the Gospel is impacting our lives, are we living for his glory?

Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform 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.”

I like the translation in New Living Translation, it says

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

We often hear Christians crib and complain about their circumstances & situation. When we sit down and talk to these very people we will realize that even after believing in the gospel, giving their lives to Christ, going to Church every Sunday their core beliefs and the way they think about life hasn’t changed.

That is why even today in India you will hear born again Christians still talking about dowry, achieving success at any cost, doing business just as the heathens do. They have not allowed the gospel to impact their lives, they have failed to give themselves towards God’s continuous redemptive work.

As it says in Romans 12:2 A true Christian will always be at rest in the good, pleasing and perfect will of God whether in lack or in abundance, in riches or in poverty, in good health and bad health, in times of joy and in times of pain.

Why? – Because they do not conform to the pattern of the world, but let God transform them into a new person by changing the way they think.

What we have received from God on the day we believed in Jesus and surrendered our lives to him is a precious gift.

Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

2 Cor 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”

Eph 1:3 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

John 10:10 Jesus said “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Our failure to give ourselves to God’s continuous redemptive work keeps us from enjoying all these benefits of the Gospel that came with the package.

It’s like the story of the man who was gifted a free ticket to travel in a ship, but throughout the journey he stayed inside his room and never came out to have lunch or dinner because he didn’t have money. On the last day of the journey when the captain noticed the man and asked him why he did join others for food he said he didn’t join them because he didn’t had money. The captain looks at him shockingly and tells him that the ticket that was gifted to him was inclusive of food.

When we fail to give ourselves to God work in our lives we are just like that man who never enjoyed the delicious meals that were served on the ship because he was unaware of the benefits that came with the ticket.

So, How do we give ourselves towards Gods redemptive work.

To help you remember the points I’ve put it into 3 C’s, hope that helps

• By showing COMMITMENT.

2 Pet 1:5 says “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge”

In Acts 2:42 when the people heard the gospel and accepted the truth we immediately see them continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

We have to show commitment to God in devotion, in reading of his word, showing accountability to one another, in serving him wholeheartedly etc.

To be committed is not easy; it requires a lot of effort, lot of energy.

We will have to go against our natural tendency to sleep for longer hours, refrain ourselves from all forms of entertainment that steal our time from God. For some of you it could mean that you go to sleep early so you can wake up early and spend time in prayer and reading and meditating on scriptures.

When we are committed to God we will make every effort to get closer to him, We will sneak out time from our busy schedule during work to meditate on God’s word, read spiritual articles.

Once George Whitefield was asked by someone after his sermon “How many people do you think got saved during your sermon”, he looked backed and said we will come to know only after 5 years.

It is our commitment that will reveal our seriousness and affirms our belief in the Gospel.

• By being COURAGEOUS.

It requires courage to do what the Word of God tells us to do. In Joshua 1:8-9 take a look at the sequence in which God instructs him. In verse 8 he says “ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”  And immediately in verse 9 he says “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for theLord your God will be with you wherever you go”

When the whole world is going in one direction we have to choose the other and we need courage to do that.

I don’t think it was easy for the Israelite’s to stop giving their daughters in marriage in the men in the land or take daughters from their men. I’m sure they were been mocked and made fun of. When they stopped doing business during Sabbath I’m sure they lost businesses etc.

I remember the day I had to tell my father that I am not leaving my family behind and going to gulf to work like he did because that is not what God is asking me to do. A Christian friend of mine refuses to do business with clients who sell products that are ungodly.

We have to be courageous to follow God and his word, that shows that we are giving ourselves to Gods redemptive work in us.

• By maintaining CONTINUITY.

This is one area where the Israelites miserably failed again and again. They failed to continue pursuing God and walking in obedience with Him even after making an oath never to sin again.

Later in Isaiah 1:10-17 God is again angry with his people.

We should never let our arrogance come in our way from going back to God no matter how many times we mess up because of our sinfulness. Never give up on pursuing God – maintain continuity and you will see how the Gospel transforms you in due course into the likeness of Christ.

Heb 12:1-3 says

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Remember Christ and his sacrifice just so that we don’t grow weary and lose heart.

 

 

[audioplayer file=”http://thegatheringcommunity.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/dealing-with-sin-1.mp3″]

[otw_shortcode_info_box border_type=”bordered” border_color_class=”otw-black-border” border_style=”bordered” shadow=”shadow-down-right” rounded_corners=”rounded-10″]This sermon is part of the Expository Preaching Collective on the Book of Nehemiah. Follow the link below to know more about What Expository preaching is and Why is it important to us. (Click here)[/otw_shortcode_info_box]

Our text for this morning is form the book of Nehemiah 9:1-5 (Click verse to read).

The walls of Jerusalem is now re-built, people are protected from their enemy nations, no fear of the enemy nation invading and destroying their homes and killing their people.

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But most importantly they have arrived at a place of rest, where God is their Savior and Keeper. God has gathered them together to re-establish His worship.

[bctt tweet=”The Seriousness of Sin and ways to deal with it. (Nehemiah 9:1-5)” username=”gatheringmumbai”]

In chapter 8 we saw that the first thing they do is to go back to the Law of God, the Law of God was read out in the open assembly. When the Law was read they wept and mourned out of conviction of their Sins – and conviction lead them to repentance – True Repentance.

The leaders than explain the meaning of the words spoken in the Law and they end up rejoicing in the Lord.
Last Sunday we saw how they celebrates the festival of the Booths, also called as the Festival of the Tabernacle. They celebrate this particular festival as a reminder of what God did for them when He brought them out slavery in Egypt. They remembers the goodness and the blessings of God over their lives and rejoices and praises God for His great work in their lives.

In chapter 9, especially in the verses 1-5 we see a seriousness in their actions while dealing with their Sins.
Just when we think that they are done with the reading of the Law, repenting of their Sins and reminding themselves of God’s goodness in their lives, on the 24th day of the month the Israelite again assemble and this time they are fasting, wearing sackcloth, and put had put dust on their heads.

Wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads were done in the Old testament times as a symbol of mourning and repentance. Someone wanting to show their grief and repented heart would often wear a sackcloth. Sackcloth was a coarse material usually made of black goats hair, making it quite uncomfortable to wear.

They even separate themselves from all foreigners, stand and confess their sins and the guilt of their fathers and end up worshiping God even more.

Why do you think they went back to God again, repenting of their sins?
What do their actions teach us?

The first thing we learn from them is that are damn serious about dealing with sin, not just their sins but even for the sins of the fathers.

Their actions are a good trigger for us to ask some serious questions about ourselves.

• How serious are we in regards to dealing with the remaining sins in our lives?
  Are we too casual about them?
• Do we feel happy with the fact that God has forgiven our sins for eternity and therefore use that freedom as licence to continue sinning?
• Are we happy by just confessing our sins once twice and then go back again when everything seems normal?
• Has sin become a pattern in our lives and it pricks no more, feels no more?
• What is the state of your heart right now?

Imitating Christ

We all have heroes. We all have people we want to be like. One of the most startling realization I came to as a father is that my sons wants to be like me. They follow me; they watch me; they imitate me. Overtime, I see my strengths reflected in them, and far worse I see my weakness reflected in them. I even see an imitation of my most annoying habits, like repeating the same sentences again & again till I annoy Jane to get my point across.

Meanwhile, I can also think back to my own childhood and remember all the ways I attempted to imitate my own father to please him by just being like him.

In the same way, do you know that when we gave our lives to God that he gave us both the responsibility and the desire to be like Christ – to be more like him than anyone else.

Romans 8:29 says

“For those He for knew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son”

God saved us so we could be confirmed to the likeness of Christ. So we can imitate him and be like him.

We need to be conformed to his image in our thoughts, in our emotions, in our intellect, in our behavior – in Every way.

We should desire to see how he lived and live like him. We should want to see what he valued and value those things.

We should want to see what he hated and hate those things, We should want to see how he responded to life’s events and respond in the same way.

But let’s be honest here. We are long, long away from our goal, we behave badly, we respond badly, we are a sinner. We are marred and marked by sin, and therefore Christlike-ness is far far away from us.

• How can we pursue such life?
• How can we become like Christ?

In the Old Testament the people would go into fasting and mourning, separate themselves from ungodly things and ungodly people, put sackcloth, offer sacrifices to God in the form of grain, animals etc.

But today, we been in the new covenant relationship with God, how can we eradicate sin and imitate Christ?

I can’t tell you to offer such and such sacrifice for the kind of sin you have committed. In case one of you comes and tells me that you stole your neighbors cow and is guilty of sinning against him, I can’t give a solution saying go offer 2 chicken on the alter and your guilt will be washed away.

Because as you know that a perfect sacrifice for all our past, present and future sins have already been offered to God. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten son (as a sacrifice), that whoever believes in HIM will perish but have eternal life”

Jesus died for our sins and a perfect sacrifice and no other sacrifice will ever please God anymore.

And the truth is that today in this new convenient relationship all I can do is to point you to the perfect sacrifice and encourage you to put your trust in him and his finished work by which he has eradicated all our sins and put it to death.

Therefore my first encouragement to you today to help you pursue holiness and imitate Christ is

1. Stop playing dead when you are alive in Christ

John 11 tells the story of Jesus’ good friend Lazarus. As this passage begins, we see a group of people coming to Jesus to tell him that Lazarus is sick and nearly dead. Jesus makes his way to his friends hometown, but by the time he gets there, Lazarus has already died. Everyone is sad and mourning and quietly accusing Jesus “You know, if only you had gotten here a little bit sooner, you could have saved him. After all, you are the miracle man”. But Jesus wasn’t in a hurry because He already knew how this story would end. He had something he needed to show everyone, and a lesson he needed to teach them.

In Lazarus, we see an amazing picture of what happened to us when we became Christian. When Christ saved us, he brought from death to life – spiritual death to spiritual life. Our heart and soul had been dead to God, lifeless and rooting. And suddenly God brought life, just like he brought life to the body of Lazarus.

Jesus called out to Lazarus and with a word brought life to this dead man wrapped in strips of linen like a mummy and Jesus said, “Take off those grave clothes”. People ran and started peeling them off. They took off the clothes that marked him a dead man. It would be absurd to leave him wearing the clothes of a dead man when he was alive.

You see, living people don’t act like dead people, and dead people don’t act like living people.

It was time for this living man to behave like a living man. It was time for this man to stop acting like a dead man or a woman.

Colossians 3:1-11 (Click the verse to read)

When we sin we are literally behaving like a dead man, trying to get in a dead man’s clothes.

Now, is it possible for us to stop playing dead while we are alive?

Yes, of course!

Romans 6:18 says “We have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness”

Before we became a believer sin was our master, we did what our sinful mortal bodies required us to do. But the day we gave our life to Christ we became slaves to righteousness. Sin does not have any hold over us as it did before. We now belong to God and do what the Holy spirit leads us to do.

Moreover in Philippians 4:13 Paul says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”.

It wasn’t possible earlier with all our good works and acts of righteousness because we were slaves to sin. But in Christ it is possible.

Lets the visuals from the example of Lazarus remind us that whenever we sin we are trying to wear a dead man’s clothes.

My second encouragement to you is

2. Give yourself 100% towards sanctification

When God saved us, he immediately justified us. We were declared innocent.

Romans 4:5 – “But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness”

But remember God was not finished with us in that moment. There is still the matter of sanctification – of growing holiness.

We read that in Romans 6:22 – “But now, since you have been liberated from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification – and the end is eternal life”

How it is that we are Sanctified?

The primary way God sanctifies us is through the truth of his word. In John 17:17 Jesus is praying for his disciples saying “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”.

It is through the word of God that we are sanctified. When the truth of God enlightens our hearts and minds and our response is heartfelt repentance and turning around from sins that’s when sanctification takes place.

And therefore it is important that we immerse ourselves in the word of God day in and day out.

Some practical things you can do is

i) Pick up a daily bible reading plan that suits you and make it a habit to read your bible daily. I use a bible reading plan called “Read Scripture” by Crazy Love which is available in an app.
ii) Read spiritual books that enlighten you with the word of God. I tell you it is such a blessing.
iii) Encourage one another with the word of God as often as possible instead of just talking about the weather and sports.

We also find another clue in Colossians 3:5-10, it says

“Put to death therefore what is earthy in you”
“Put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge after the image of its creator”

In the knowledge after the image of its creator – The knowledge of God revealed in his word and his works.

In practice the putting off of the old self and putting on of the new self happens when we genuinely repent of our sins as the word of God convicts us.

As we already discussed the 6 ingredients of True repentance which is

I] Sight of Sin
II] Sorrow over sin
III] Confessions of sin
IV] Shame of sin
V] Hatred of sin
VI] Turning away from sin

Let today’s passage from Nehemiah 9:1-5 remind and encourage you to seriously deal with your sins, imitate Christ and live in the light of God’s glory at all times.