Radical with David Platt
The Cost of Spiritual Carelessness and the Reward of Spiritual Carefulness
Is your love for the Lord growing cold? Do you remember a time when you were more intentional about loving and serving other believers, more serious about fighting sin, and more eager to tell other people about Jesus? Have you become casual about eternal realities? In this message from David Platt from Nehemiah 13, we’ll see the danger of spiritual carelessness among the people of Israel. It’s a danger that we need to be aware of today, particularly in light of the subtlety and seriousness of sin. The good news is, that the reward of spiritual carefulness is indescribably great, and God’s grace in Jesus Christ is sufficient to give us victory over sin and eternal life.
From unexpected olympic champion to martyr in China. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell’s win in the 1924 games.
In Glory Road, Radical’s new narrative podcast, we’ll follow Liddell’s remarkable journey, and discover the current state of the gospel in the countries he knew best.
Start listening to this 6 part series now everywhere you listen to podcasts or find out more at radical.net/gloryroad
Is your love for the Lord growing cold? Do you remember a time when you were more intentional about loving and serving other believers, more serious about fighting sin, and more eager to tell other people about Jesus? Have you become casual about eternal realities? In this message from David Platt from Nehemiah 13, we’ll see the danger of spiritual carelessness among the people of Israel. It’s a danger that we need to be aware of today, particularly in light of the subtlety and seriousness of sin. The good news is, that the reward of spiritual carefulness is indescribably great, and God’s grace in Jesus Christ is sufficient to give us victory over sin and eternal life.
From unexpected olympic champion to martyr in China. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell’s win in the 1924 games.
In Glory Road, Radical’s new narrative podcast, we’ll follow Liddell’s remarkable journey, and discover the current state of the gospel in the countries he knew best.
Start listening to this 6 part series now everywhere you listen to podcasts or find out more at radical.net/gloryroad
You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author and teacher David Platt. If you have a Bible and I hope you or somebody around you does you can look on with, or maybe there's one in the seat right in front of you you can pull out. I want to invite you to open with me to Nehemiah, chapter 13. Feel free to use table of contents if you need to nehemiah 13 and, as you're turning, I want to welcome those of you and other locations around metro dc as part of our church family and others online who are physically unable to be with us today. If you're visiting with us especially. My name is david flatt. I'm one of the pastors here and we are really glad that you are here Today. We're coming to the end. Let's give it up for all those who are visiting Love that.
Speaker 1:So we're at the end of a journey we've been taking through the book of Nehemiah in the Bible and we titled this journey what Could God Do? Because we're looking at the story of a guy who was not a preacher, not a pastor, not a church leader. He was a cupbearer who realized he had an opportunity to be used by God in his day to bring glory to God and good to others in ways that were far beyond what he could imagine, and he said that's what I want for my life. He stepped out in faith, he took some risks, he paid, paid a price. And here we are, many years later, in the book of nehemiah, chapter 13, and just think about what had happened. He had moved to jerusalem with the full support of a pagan king who he was afraid at first to even talk to, and the king not only gave him permission to go but gave him resources and protection as he went, and despite all kinds of opposition, nehemiah had led the people of God to rebuild the walls around the city of God, jerusalem. And that day where the temple, the presence of God, dwelled among his people. And then, on top of all that, in Nehemiemiah 8, 9, and 10, revival broke out among God's people. They were revering God's word, repenting of sin, recommitting their lives to God, celebrating God's grace in ways they had never done in their lives before. And near the beginning of this book, people were trying to keep all this from happening, saying these people could never rebuild these walls. Like if a fox tried to walk on these walls, they would collapse. And in Nehemiah, chapter 12, nehemiah said let's show them and all the people and choirs and bands. They climbed up on top of the walls and they marched around on the walls doing a victory lap, singing about all that God had done.
Speaker 1:God had done all this through Nehemiah, this cupbearer, and throughout this series, we've just been asking the question what could God do through us in our day If we did this, if each of us, no matter who we are, how young or old we are, no matter where we're from or what we do, what we have or don't have, what if each of us just said I want to be used by god. However, he wants to use me to bring glory to him and good to others? What could God do in our lives and in our church family, in our city and among the nations, if we just made ourselves available to him and we stepped out in faith and we trusted him to use us in our schools and on our campuses, in our workplaces, in our neighborhoods, starting wherever we live and spreading around the world? Don't underestimate church, family, what God can do through each of us and all of us together. But here's the deal.
Speaker 1:Today I want to show you the one thing that can keep you from experiencing all of that Today. I want to show you the one thing that can keep you from experiencing all that God wants to do in and through your life and in and through your family. I'll show you the one thing that can keep us all together from experiencing all God wants to do in and through your family, and I'll show you the one thing that can keep us all together from experiencing all God wants to do in and through us as a church family, and that one thing is spiritual carelessness, and I want to encourage you to write this down, at the very least on your heart and in your mind. This is your enemy in your mind. This is your enemy in your life, in your family and in our church family. I want to show you this in Nehemiah 13. I want to read this whole chapter to us. Follow along with me, just try to follow the narrative, and then I'm going to explain what's happening here. I want to show you why this chapter is so important for you to understand in your life and for you to hear what God is saying today about spiritual carelessness. So follow along with me in Nehemiah chapter 13, starting in verse 1.
Speaker 1:On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent. Now, before this, eliashib, the priest who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God and who was related to Tobiah, prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels and the tithes of grain, wine and oil which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1:For the 32nd year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to the king and after some time I asked leave of the king and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God and I was very angry and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I gave orders and they cleansed the chambers and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God with the grain offering and the frankincense. I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so the Levites and the singers who did the work had fled, each to his field. So I confronted the officials and said why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses. And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shalamiah, the priest, zadok, the scribe, and Pedeah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan, the son of Zakur, son of Mathaniah, for they were considered reliable and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. Remember me, o my God, concerning this, and do not wife out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.
Speaker 1: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. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. Tyrians also lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem itself. Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them what is this evil that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers act in this way? Did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you're bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.
Speaker 1:As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded 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. Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 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. You do so again, I will lay hands on you From that time on. They did not come on the Sabbath. Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, o my God, and spare me, according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
Speaker 1:In those days, I also saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, ammon and Moab, and half their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people, and I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair, and I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying you shall not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin on account of such women? Among the many nations? There was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women? And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Elisha the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sandalit the Horonite. Therefore, I chased him from me. Remember them, o my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each at his work, and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times and for the firstfruits. Remember me, o my God, for good.
Speaker 1:All right, there's a lot here that I want to show you and explain to you, but can I just point out something really quick, like when Pastor Mike was assigning different chapters to different pastors to preach. He gave me Nehemiah 7, which is essentially a list of names that no pastor can pronounce and that's all the chapter is. It's just names to preach on. Then he took Nehemiah, chapter 8, which is like incredible revival around God's word. He gave Eric Nehemiah 9 and 10, which is this incredible prayer of praise and repentance. And then he took Nehemiah 11 and 12, which was this amazing celebration of all God had done. And then he gave me Nehemiah 13, where Nehemiah's ripping hair out of people's heads. So I'm not complaining, I just want to call out injustice. When I see it In all seriousness, though, this whole chapter is a microcosm of the whole testament and in a sense it's a mirror of all of our lives. I'll show you this. So turn back with me just a couple pages to nehemiah, chapter 9.
Speaker 1:At the end of that prayer of praise and repentance, verse 38, says because of all this, we make a firm covenant in writing on the sealed document or the names of our princes, our Levites and our priests. They said we're going to make a covenant here, we're going to write it down, all of our commitments to follow God. And when you get to chapter 10, you see those commitments. Look down all the way to chapter 10, verse 28, where we read the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, all have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands of the law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding. We join their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath that we're going to walk in God's law. That was given by Moses, the servant of God, to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord, our Lord, and his rules and his statutes. We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 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. We will also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God. You've seen this. They're going to observe and do all the commandments of God. We're writing it down. We're going to do this Specifically. They're not going to give their daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons, and they are not going to buy any grain on the Sabbath, do any business on the Sabbath day or a holy day, and we're going to fulfill our obligation to give to the service of the house of our God. You jump down to the very end of this chapter, very last verse, last part of this covenant, our God. You jump down to the very end of this chapter, very last verse, last part of this covenant. Here's how it ends In Nehemiah 10, 39,. We will not neglect the house of our God. That's what they said in Nehemiah 10, all together.
Speaker 1:Then, sometime after that, nehemiah left Jerusalem, went back to the king for a time and then came back to Jerusalem. And as soon as he comes back, look at what he finds, what we just read in Nehemiah 13. First, nehemiah 13.4,. Elisha, the priest who was overseeing the rooms in the temple, the house of our God, he gave Tobiah. You remember Tobiah? This guy has opposed God's work from the very beginning of this book. From chapter two, he was taunting Nehemiah and God's people. He's the guy who in Nehemiah 4 said not even a fox could walk around these walls. And then later in that chapter he and a guy named Sanballat start making plans together to attack the people of Jerusalem. That plot, thankfully, is frustrated by God. And then in chapter 6, once the walls are rebuilt, tobiah starts conspiring against Nehemiah again, and now Tobiah has an apartment in the temple.
Speaker 1:Then, in verse 10, nehemiah finds out that the Levites had moved out of the city because they weren't being provided for like the people had said they would provide for them. In verse 15, we find out that they're buying and selling all kinds of things in Jerusalem on the Sabbath, doing work. And then in verse 23, we find out that they had intermarried in ways that God had forbidden, which, as a side note but an important, significant side note verses like this in the Old Testament do not in any way forbid interracial marriage today. This command in the Old Testament was not primarily about ethnicity. It was about preventing idolatry, the worship of false gods. It was about preserving faith among the people of God. It was about the people of Yahweh not joining their lives with nations who worshiped all kinds of other gods, similar to the picture we have in the New Testament of not marrying an unbeliever, not uniting our lives with someone so closely like in a marriage relationship with someone who doesn't love Jesus. What's most important in a marriage relationship is not a man and a woman's ethnicity, but a man and a woman's heart toward Jesus, which is why we actually celebrate interracial marriages as a beautiful picture of the gospel that brings people together and the closest human relationship God has made. Not because they have the same skin color, but because they have the same Savior.
Speaker 1:So all that as an aside, to come back to these marriages to Ashtodites, ammonites and Moabites were already leading to idolatry and immorality. Their children didn't even know the language of God's word anymore. When you put it all together, you see what had happened by Nehemiah 13. Do you see what had happened by Nehemiah 13? The people of God had become spiritually careless. But they made these commitments and they meant them. But then time began to pass, zeal began to wane, complacency started to set in and we don't have the story of how they got to this point, like when Tobiah moved in or when the Levites moved out, how the Sabbath day became a day of commerce, when and how these marriages started happening. But we can only imagine it happened, just like it happens all over the Bible.
Speaker 1:You might write this down Sin tempts so incessantly. Do you see how Satan has taken every single commitment the people points? And do you realize that he does the same thing in your life every single day? Do you realize that from the moment you wake up in the morning, there is an adversary who wants to destroy you and all of God's good designs for your life? And his temptations are just waiting for you from the moment you wake up, tempting you to scroll through your phone in the morning instead of meditating on God's word, tempting you with this or that distraction to keep you from time alone with God in prayer.
Speaker 1:And tempting you all day long from all kinds of angles, with pride, with anger, impure thoughts with anger, unholy desires. Tempting you with envy, jealousy, comparison with worry about this or fear of that. Tempting you with fear to keep you from sharing the gospel with other people. What will they think of you? You don't know what to say. You'll mess it up. They don't want to listen anyway. Tempting you all day long to look out for yourself instead of for others. Tempting you with impatience, unkind speech, harsh words, unforgiveness. Tempting you to spend your money on things that won't last or spend your time on things that don't matter. Are you getting the point? We're surrounded by temptations all day long.
Speaker 1:Spiritual warfare is not just when you walk through a particular hard time here. Spiritual warfare starts the moment you wake up in the morning. It's something you live in all the time and I trust we realize these devices are filled with sirens alluring our flesh at every scroll. Sin tempts so incessantly and it appears so innocently. This is how sin has worked from the beginning of human history, genesis 3,. Did God actually say not to eat a piece of fruit? It's just a piece of fruit. It looks good, it'll be good for you. It's just a bite. God's trying to keep something good from you.
Speaker 1:Fast forward to Nehemiah's day. It's just one room in the temple, no big deal. And Tobiah's not that bad. We don't have to give all this money to the Levites. Let's just keep some of it for ourselves. And speaking of money, we could make a lot more if we worked on the Sabbath. And won't our alliances with other nations be stronger, through marriage alliances with other nations, and just keep fast-forwarding to our day in so many of the exact same ways, realizing our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?
Speaker 1:Yet we think it's just one impure thought. Everybody has it. It's just one jealous, envious thought. We hardly even notice it. It's just normal to us. It's just one selfish desire. It's what it means to be human. It's just one harsh word. It's just one sight word. It's just one sight to click on one picture to look at with our money. Do we really need to give? Do we really need to give that much? And our relationships? But I love her or him. That's why I do that with her or him, because I desire her or him. It's who I am. It's why I do that with her or him, because I desire her or him. It's who I am. It's how I feel. It's what I need to be fulfilled.
Speaker 1:Sin appears so innocently, so subtly, so shrewdly. You likely will not be tempted this week to deny the existence of God altogether, but you will be tempted to live tomorrow like God doesn't exist, to not listen to his word, kind of move on with everything else you have going on in the world, to not spend time alone with him in prayer, to not say anything about him to others. And, especially as you walk through trials in this world, you'll be tempted with thoughts like does God really love you? If so, and he sovereign, then why is this happening? And in these questions don't miss this it will almost appear like Satan is sympathizing with you, when he is not, because he knows sin spirals so inevitably. Sin spirals so inevitably. He knows that if you can be casual with this small thing, one step in this direction you can be casual with another step in that direction and another step.
Speaker 1:The old adage says sin takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay and costs you more than you want to pay, and keeps you longer than you want to stay and costs you more than you want to pay. And you see it here in Nehemiah 13. You can hear the shock in Nehemiah's voice. How did this happen? What seemed unfathomable to everyone just a short time ago is now a reality and everybody seems okay with it. Did you notice this contrast? Even the very first part of Nehemiah 13?
Speaker 1:Verse 1 tells us they had read from the book of Moses that's a reference to Deuteronomy, chapter 23, about Ammonites and Moabites not entering the assembly of God. About Ammonites and Moabites not entering the assembly of God. And then the way Nehemiah writes this story, it's intentional. See the link here. Right after. That is when we read about Tobiah living in the temple, and you remember when we were introduced to Tobiah, it was in Nehemiah 2, verse 19. Listen to this Now, when Sanballat the Oronite and Tobiah the Ammonite. Tobiah is an Ammonite and God's word had said now Ammonite has entered the assembly of God and Tobiah is living inside the temple. How did this happen?
Speaker 1:Sin is spiraling and it continues. Now people are gathering at the temple for worship, the Levites are scattering, the Sabbath has become a day for doing business, marriages are being totally redefined and all of this is wreaking havoc in their lives, in their community and their children. And these idolatrous marriages, or those children can't even understand the word of God anymore. Are we not seeing a picture of what happens in our lives, in our communities, when we give in to the incessant, innocent-appearing, inevitably-sireling picture of sin? It's the way sin works. It doesn't stop, it keeps affecting more and more and more, which leads to this last reality Sin devastates so indescribably. Are we seeing the seriousness of sin here? What happens when people become spiritually careless? It's what Nehemiah is saying.
Speaker 1:He said, as you realize, our city was destroyed. These walls were destroyed in the first place because we did these same things. We just rebuilt the walls and we're doing the same things all over again. It leads to devastation. Have we not learned that? And that's why God said to his people, over and, over and over again, you go back even before they enter the promised land. Look with me, I'll just put it up here.
Speaker 1:Deuteronomy, chapter 5, verse 1,. He told them hear, o Israel, the statutes and rules that I speak in your hearing today. You shall learn them and be careful to do them. Verse 32, same chapter. You shall be careful to do as all the Lord, your God, has commanded you. Deuteronomy 6.3. Hear though, for our Israel, be careful to do these laws, that it may go well with you, that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. And then he says at the end of Deuteronomy 28.15, if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, your God, if you will not be careful to do all these commandments and the statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. They have been warned. Be careful. Why? Because there is an adversary who doesn't want you to experience all the good God has for you, and he will tempt you from so many different angles and so many different ways all the time. So be careful.
Speaker 1:Don't treat sin like it's no big deal. Its aim is your destruction. So don't justify it, don't minimize it, don't rationalize it. Run from it, don't play with it, flee from it. And whatever you do, don't try to hide it. Don't play with it, flee from it. And whatever you do, don't try to hide it. Don't pretend like it's not there. Or pretend like it's not real or it's not affecting you or others because nobody else knows about it. Sin thrives in secret and sin will not in secret and sin will not remain secret, it won't Period. John Piper once said to be caught in secret sin is a horrible thing. There's only one thing worse Not to be caught, because one day guaranteed you will be caught. And guaranteed the longer you continue in secret sin, the more devastating the consequences will be One of the things I've prayed for today.
Speaker 1:I know that in gathering this size there are many who are holding on to secret sin. Just believe that God loves you. So much in his mercy he's brought you today. Much in his mercy. He's brought you today to hear this word, to hear him mercifully saying bring it into the light, don't let it stay in the dark. It will lead to more and more and more destruction. He loves you. Hear him saying he loves you For God's sake, for others' sake around you and for your sake To every person with the sound of my voice be careful. It's what God is saying right now and part of me wants to run down the list of people I know personally who have forfeited so much of what God could do in their lives and their families and their work and their ministries and entire churches because they were careless and they missed out and others missed out because of them on their good and on God's glory.
Speaker 1:I heed this word from God which leads us to Nehemiah. He's one madman in this chapter and from all we can tell it's holy indignation that we see in him. It's holy passion for the purity of the temple and the ministry of the Levites, it's holy desire for the honoring of the temple and the ministry of the Levites, its holy desire for the honoring of the Sabbath and the covenant of marriage which leads Nehemiah to take some hard steps yet again in this book to reveal sin with haste and remove sin with force, even though that would undoubtedly cause more trouble for him. But this is what I love about Nehemiah, and we've seen it all throughout this book. Nehemiah wasn't looking for his reward from man. He was not looking for his reward from this world. Nehemiah was looking for his reward from God. Amen. His eyes were fixed on another world. Nehemiah was looking for his reward from God. His eyes were fixed on another world.
Speaker 1:I want you to see Nehemiah's spiritual carefulness, how he was doing what God had said to do in Deuteronomy, what God told Joshua to do right before he led the people into the promised land. Joshua 1, 7, only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses, my servant, commanded you Don't turn from it to the right hand or the left that you may have good success. That will lead to success. Wherever you go, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. You shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that's written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, then you will have good success. Nehemiah knew success and prosperity are found in being careful to do all that God has said to do, and that's all Nehemiah wants to do.
Speaker 1:Do you hear his prayers throughout this chapter in Nehemiah 13? You see this contrast between spiritual carelessness and spiritual carefulness. Verse 14, remember me, o my God, concerning this. Do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service. Verse 22,. Remember this also in my favor, o my God, concerning this. Do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service. Verse 22,. Remember this also in my favor, oh my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. And then, last verse, the very last words in the book, verse 31,. Remember me, oh my God for good. You know what I love about these prayers. You know what I love about these prayers. They're so personal. It's just between him and God.
Speaker 1:Nehemiah's praying not just to Israel's God. He's praying oh my God, oh my God. You're the God I know and trust and I love, and I just wanna worship and just wanna follow and just want to obey with my life. You're the one I want to do whatever you say to do. You're single-minded, which helps us realize Nehemiah is not just recounting these good deeds so that God will give him credit for them. No, nehemiah knows. Did you hear it in verse 22? He's totally dependent on God's grace. Spare me. According to the greatness of your steadfast love, nehemiah is overwhelmed by God's love for him and Nehemiah just wants to live as a picture of love for God.
Speaker 1:You know what's interesting this word steadfast love. We've talked about this word before in the Old Testament. It's hesed. It's a beautiful picture of God's love and mercy and faithfulness toward his people, his commitment to his people. Hesed Now, that's the word talking about God's love for Nehemiah. Well, it's interesting in verse 14 when he says remember me, oh my God, concerning this do not wipe out my good deeds. You know what this word that's translated good here is. It's his said. It's the same word. It's basically Nehemiah saying you've shown this kind of love for me. I just want my deeds, my life, to be a picture of love for you. In the same way you love me. I want to love you with faithfulness. I want to love you with commitment, like this beautiful picture of love from God. Love to God.
Speaker 1:As a dad with six kids, I treasure anything they ever make for me, especially when they're younger. Give me my birthday or Father's Day or Christmas or another holiday cards, pictures. I keep every single thing they make for me, and this is a Lego creation from one of my kids. I'm not gonna mention which one because I don't want to embarrass this child, but he gave this to me it's super fragile when he was seven years old and, as best as I can remember, he didn't give it to me on my birthday or holiday. He just did this one day when he was playing with his Legos, put together this creation and I don't know if you'll be able to tell, if we can zoom in on it close enough, but it says in Legos. It says I heart you so much, I love you so much, and I I can remember the look in his eyes when he brought it to me and it wasn't dad.
Speaker 1:I feel like I needed to do this, or I want to get some credit for doing something nice for you. It's like, dad, I was just playing and I was thinking about you and I want to give you something. I know it's not perfect and pointed out what he wished was a little different, but I just want to give it to you. I want you to know I love you so much. This is a beautiful, priceless treasure to me as a dad and it's just a taste of how I imagine God may have received these prayers from Nehemiah, and Nehemiah coming to God and saying here's what I've done. It's not perfect, but in light of all your love for me, I just it's a picture of my deeds, my life. I want to show you I love you so much and yes, it wasn't perfect. Nehemiah didn't do everything right. He was like every other person in the Old Testament, even the best people. They all fell short, but that's kind of the point. Do you realize?
Speaker 1:The book of Nehemiah is actually the end of the Old Testament when it comes to history. I shared this at Secret Church recently. But the first 17 books of the Old Testament give us the entire history of the Old Testament and then everything that happens after that, all the books that come after that happens sometime within this history. The written spoken done within this time frame. So Genesis, through Deuteronomy, tell us the story of God's people leading up to the promised land. Then the book of Joshua and Judges tell us about God's people entering the promised land and Joshua and Judges are fairly chronological. But then Ruth actually happens during the time of Judges, then you have 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings and 1st and 2nd Chronicles actually happens during the time. It's kind of retelling some of the story of 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings from the perspective of the line of David, focusing on the line of David, and then you have after that Ezra and Nehemiah and then the line of David and then you have after that Ezra and Nehemiah and then the book of Esther actually happens during the time of Ezra. So I'm most thinking around Ezra 6 and 7, which means Nehemiah is the end of the story in the Old Testament Like what we just read in Nehemiah 13,.
Speaker 1:That's the end of the history in the Old Testament and it's not the most encouraging ending. Is it end of the history in the Old Testament? And it's not the most encouraging ending. Is it Like it ends with the same old story we've read over and over and over and over again? God blesses his people, and they turn against him, they rebel. Then they experience consequences for their sin and they repent. God restores them. And the people rebel Again and again, and again, and again and again. And by the end the point is crystal clear In and of ourselves, we are all, even the best of us, we are all sinners. We're all prone to wander in so many ways, which means we all desperately need a Savior.
Speaker 1:And the good news of the Bible that comes in the first verse of the New Testament. We're introduced Matthew, chapter 1, verse 1, to the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. And what does Jesus' name mean? Well, I'm glad you asked. Verse 21 says she will bear a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. That's what his name means. This is the good news of the Bible and this is the greatest news in all the world Jesus has come to save us from our sins.
Speaker 1:Jesus also took a journey to the city of Jerusalem, but he didn't come from a Persian palace. He came from the throne of heaven. And he didn't come to rebuild a wall. He came to redeem a people, people like you and me, and people all over the world throughout all history who've all sinned against God, and you all deserve death and eternal judgment before God for our sin. But Jesus came for us. He never sinned one time and then, even though he had no sin for which to die, he chose to die outside the city gates of Jerusalem on a cross. He died to pay the price for sin, and then the good news keeps getting better because he didn't stay dead for long. Jesus rose from the grave. Jesus conquered sin and death so that anyone, anywhere, no matter who you are, no matter what you've done, no matter how secret or public it has been, jesus has died for your sins so that when you confess your sin to God and trust in Jesus as the Savior of your sin, the Lord of life, god will freely forgive you of all your sin and restore you to relationship with him, now and forever. If you've never placed your faith in Jesus in this way, I invite you. God in his word is inviting you to do that today.
Speaker 1:And you know what's interesting, thinking about Nehemiah's prayers here. You know what Jesus did right before he went to the cross he prayed. You know what he said. He said, father, I finished the work you gave me to do. Now, to be clear, his work was perfect, but he prayed and did this work in love for you and for them. And he went to the cross and he said there it is finished, father, into your hands I commit my spirit. He died, but he rose from the dead and he said to his disciples I'm going to heaven now, but you're going to keep this work going with my spirit inside each of you until I come back. So go make disciples of all the nations, spread my love in my power to all the peoples, languages, tribes, nations of the earth, and when that mission is complete, I'm coming back for all of you. So fast forward to the end of the Bible.
Speaker 1:Check this out Jesus is not coming back to the city of Jerusalem, he's coming back with the city of Jerusalem. Watch this Revelation 21, verse 2. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, they will be his people. God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning or crying or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Jesus is coming back and he's bringing heaven to earth. And you keep so. I wish we had more time, but you keep reading on.
Speaker 1:In this chapter you see walls around the city, but these walls are shaped like a temple, because the point is we're going to live in the temple. All of creation is going to be in the perfect presence of a holy God. Verse 22 says I saw no temple in the city, for the temple is the Lord, god, the Almighty and the Lamb, and the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for for the glory of God gives its light and its lamp is the lamp. By its light will the nations walk, the kings of the earth will bring all their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day. There will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and honor of the nations. Nothing unclean will ever enter it.
Speaker 1:No more sin, no more evil, no more sorrow, no more pain, nothing, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false. Only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life See what this means for your life. One, make sure your name is written in this book of life, like it's your name in the book of those who've trusted in Jesus to save them from their sins and give them life. If you have not trusted in Jesus, do that today. Don't wait another second. And when you do, and for all who have, do we realize why we're here.
Speaker 1:In light of the love of our God for us, in light of the spirit of Jesus inside of us, we're here to do all that he calls us to do, to step out in faith, to take risks, to obey all of his word and do this work that he's called us to do. So let's make ourselves available to God in our workplaces and our schools and our cities. Let's step out in faith like Nehemiah did. Let's not settle for anything less than all God wants for us. Let's follow Jesus, make him known in our neighborhoods, to all the nations, until one day we see his face and you and I will have an opportunity to bow before him and say I know it's not perfect, but here's what I did, because I love you so much, and say I know it's not perfect, but here's what I did, because I love you so much and I praise you for your steadfast love for me. That kept me, that made all this possible. And I just want to offer my life, all that I've done before you, as an offering of love. And here are all the people that I've led to you. And don't you want to be able to say that? So don't settle in for what this world calls success, what this world says will satisfy you. Don't settle for that. Don't settle for the cost of spiritual carelessness. Live for the reward of spiritual carefulness. So here's what I want to do.
Speaker 1:I want to give you a moment, just between you and God, to personally reflect on this question and what are two or three steps I need to take this week to be more spiritually careful in my life.
Speaker 1:Just ask this question before God in your life and then listen to this spirit speaking to I, would encourage you to write down what comes to your mind, what God puts on your heart, and then so not right now, but at some point today, at some point this week, as soon as possible I want to encourage you to share what God says to you in response to this question with somebody else who can pray for you and encourage you and help you be spiritually careful. We need each other, but let's start just between each of us and God. So what are some practical steps God is leading you to take this week to be more spiritually careful in your life? So spend some time before God, and this may involve just confessing spiritual carelessness, confessing sin, secret sin, whatever it is. Spend some time with God, however his spirit leads, and then I or someone at your location will lead you from there. We hope you've enjoyed this week's episode of Radical with David Platt. For more resources from David Platt, we invite you to visit radicalnet.