Scripture: Nehemiah 7:1-73
Sermon Series: Nehemiah: Making a Difference for God – Sermon 09

Do you like M&M’s? Are they very different? (Not really). Do you ever feel like an M&M, that you’re not significant, if you disappeared tomorrow, you’re not sure if anyone would notice?

So, how many different kinds of M&M’s are there? There are nearly 70 distinct flavors and varieties of M&M’s, including core classics like Milk Chocolate and Peanut.

Did you know you can buy personalized, custom-printed M&M’S with your own text, chosen colors, or uploaded images? You can actually have your name printed on an M&M.

What’s one of the first things most of us learned to write? Our name. Some of you, maybe when you were in school and bored, would practice writing your name over and over. Did you know that God knows your name? You were designed by God! With God, there are No Little People.

So, on your insert, take a minute and write your name. Then, write your age and where you were born. Your parents’ names and grandparents’? Then, jot down Yes or No, if you’re a Christ-follower. Finally, if you’re a Christ-follower, jot down how long you’ve been a Christ-follower.

Today we’re returning to our study of Nehemiah – Making a Difference for God and in chapter 7. Maybe you’ve been reading your Bible, and you come to this chapter with all these names, and you skip it. It’s like reading a Hebrew phone book. But God has it here. It’s part of His inspired Word. Why? Because names are important. Yours is. People are important to God.

Does it irk you when someone mispronounces it? God doesn’t just love the world. Jesus didn’t just die for the world. God loves YOU. Jesus died for YOU. It’s why these names are important. It’s why your name is important!

If you’re here for the first time, let me give you the Previously in Nehemiah… God’s people/the nation of Israel had been taken into captivity/exile because of their disobedience to God. Under the Persian Empire, God brought a remnant back to Jerusalem. The Temple had been rebuilt but the city walls, their defense, still lay in ruins. God raised up Nehemiah to lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls.

We’re working our way through this Old Testament book. This is where we’ve been. Nehemiah has a burden (Chapter 1). Nehemiah petitions the king and inspects the ruins (Chapter 2). They begin rebuilding the walls (Chapter 3). Opposition from without (Chapter 4). Opposition from within (Chapter 5). Opposition against the leader (Chapter 6).

As we come to Nehemiah 7, we pivot from physical building to spiritual growth, and the value of individuals to God. There are some 50,000 individuals who have re-occupied Jerusalem, beginning God’s fulfillment to collect the Jews from among the nations and restore them to Jerusalem. Prophecy is being fulfilled. It’s preparing the way for the coming of Jesus!

Have you struggled with feelings that you don’t matter, your life isn’t significant? We all feel that way at times. I know do! Life goes by so quickly! I’ll think, “What am I accomplishing? Does my life even matter?”

The answer is to spend our lives so that they count for God and His purpose. If our lives count for God, then they count not just for this life, they count for eternity. The key question becomes: How can I live so that my life counts for God? Nehemiah 7 has some answers to that question.

Yet, it’s one of those chapters that make you wonder why God took up space for it. Why is this long list of unpronounceable names in His Word?

When was the last time you watched a movie and stuck around to watch the credits as they rolled by? Probably not often. The show is over. Yet, after the wall is built, Nehemiah rolls the credits. There are gems tucked inside these credits that are profitable for us. So, before you pack up your popcorn bucket, let’s take some time to notice some vital truths God has for us here. The bottom line is that YOU matter to God! God isn’t just concerned about projects, He’s more concerned about people. There are No Little People with God. If you’re taking notes…

1. You matter to God. 

Everyone should memorize Psalm 139:14, I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. King David wrote that psalm. As a boy, David was overlooked. He’s the youngest son, the one who tended sheep. But when God sent the prophet Samuel to choose the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16), He didn’t send him after a mighty warrior or after the strongest or oldest. God sent him after the one He had created to be king: David. The word wonderfully in the original means “to distinguish” or “set apart.” You were designed by God.

These Jewish genealogical records are important because when the Messiah came to this earth, it was important to prove that He was descended from the tribe of Judah and the line of David, as God has promised.

Though these names don’t mean much to us, they mean something to God. He knows His people by name. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calls His own sheep by name, and they follow Him because they know His voice (John 10:3-4). I work to remember names, but my brain is limited. Even if I fail to remember your name, there is One who never forgets! God created you and put you here at this time and place for His purpose.

The fact that individuals matter to God means that they should matter to us. Invest your life in sharing the gospel, building Jesus Christ into people, and your life will count for God and for eternity.

Jennifer Breheny Wallace explores a core human drive in her book, Mattering. She explains that all people need to feel their life and input have value. Mattering is an essential pillar of well-being. Belonging to a family is a great start. Mattering takes that connection deeper by ensuring your presence is valued. After basic survival needs are met, the need to matter drives human behavior. God designed you with this profound need. He declares your ultimate worth through His Word.

Why are mental health issues surging? Individuals don’t feel they matter. Suicides rates are increasing. People feel like they don’t matter.

My friend, you matter to God! As Christ-followers, people must matter to us. We must be difference makers. A church family can make a difference. Small groups, which are launching soon, make a big difference. One of them will be on Friendship because we’ve lost the skill of making friends.

But what about the disabled? What about a Downs Syndrome child? Do they matter to God? Why does every life matter to God? Because God designed every single person. Exodus 4:11, Then the Lord said to [Moses], Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Our culture is aborting those designed by God.

Let me just share one. Nick Vujicic was born with a rare genetic disorder. He has no arms or legs, just two small feet attached to his torso.

Growing up, Nick struggled to accept his condition, but today as a follower of Christ, Nick has what he calls “a ridiculously good life.” Nick writes: When I’m asked how I can claim a ridiculously good life when I have no arms or legs, [people] assume I’m suffering from what I lack. When people read about my life or witness me living it, they are prone to congratulate me for being victorious over my disabilities. I tell them that my victory came in surrender. It comes every day when I acknowledge that I can’t do this on my own, so I say to God, ‘I give it to you!’ Once I yielded, the Lord took my pain and turned it into something good. He gave my life meaning. And if God can take someone like me, someone without arms and legs, and use me as His hands and feet, He can use anybody. It’s not about ability. The only thing God needs from you is a willing heart.

Nick learned to write using two toes on a partial foot. He can throw tennis balls, answer the phone, walk and swim. He earned double degrees in accounting and finance. Today he’s married with four children.

2. Your family matters to God. 

Nehemiah doesn’t just list names, he lists families. God’s first plan was marriage and family. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…’ (Genesis 1:27-18). It’s no accident that in the aftermath of the sexual revolution with it’s no commitment culture, we have an out-of-control crime rate and mental health crisis.

Marriage and the family are God’s first created institution. We in the Church must encourage both. It’s why if a couple wants to get married, as a pastor, I try to help them.

Now I realize this is the ideal but it’s God’s ideal. One of the best testimonies for the gospel and power of God’s grace is a healthy Christian marriage. If you’re fussing all the time, you’re hurting the cause of Christ.

God in His grace though takes us where we are. It’s why we in the Church must demonstrate His command to love our neighbor by ministering to singles, divorcees, blended families, single parent homes, those from dysfunctional homes…and everything in between.

As we read the Bible, there are a lot of train wreck homes. Who wants to be a Joseph? Four moms, one dad and brothers from different mothers. No wonder they almost murdered Joseph BUT God intervened.

Many of you come from homes that were nightmares, but God brought the light of Jesus into your life. As Christ-followers, we need to be a place of hope for those coming out of shipwrecked family situations. It’s why we have Grace Kids, Amped and GSM. I know for me, it was a youth pastor named Kent Richards who God used in my life.

A few weeks ago, Todd Werner preached here. Todd is married to Lisa Ziegler-Werner. In the early 1980s, I met Lisa and Scott Ziegler. They were in a terrible situation and God allowed me to invest in their lives. Their mom kicked them out of their home. Scott was only in high school. I shared with him a verse that’s been an anchor for me, Psalm 27:10, When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

Today Scott pastors The Bridge Churchin Chicago. Jane and I worshiped there last week. If you remember, pray for Scott and his family. His daughter-in-law, Nicole Ziegler, is fighting cancer. She’s in her forties. She and Junior Ziegler have three young daughters.

God designed marriage and the family as the basic unit of society. A man and woman are to leave their family of origin and come together in a lifelong covenant relationship. Children are to be reared in God’s ways as revealed in His Word. Is it any wonder Satan is attacking Christian families? If we want our lives and our children’s and grandchildren’s lives to count for God, we must guard our covenant commitments in our families.

3. Your character matters to God. 

D.L. Moody said, Character is what you are in the dark. Godly character is the springboard for all we think, say and do in life. Developing biblical character, even in adversity, is essential and proof we have a growing relationship with Christ!

Faithfulness is essential.

I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many (Nehemiah 7:2). Nehemiah shares of two men with godly character and makes two important appointments. His brother, Hanani, started this project by telling Nehemiah about Jerusalem’s walls. He’d function as the city’s mayor. Hananiah, a military officer, became the chief of police. Notice the qualifications: faithful and God-fearing.

Too many times, we choose people for leadership because they’re wealthy, popular or talented. Leadership in God’s community needs to be because they’re faithful and have a reverence for God. The fear of man always brings a snare. How often do we describe a Christian as God-fearing?

John Witherspoon, a signer of our Declaration of Independence, wrote It is only the fear of God that can deliver us from the fear of man. There was plenty going on to create a fear of man. What better person to have in charge than one who feared the Lord more than he feared man?

Fear of God is the reverence which motivates you to be faithful even in the little things. It encourages you to live with integrity no matter what others do. 

And wise leadership doesn’t cling to power. The Bible teaches discipleship and delegating to those who are faithful. We need to be mentoring others.

Serving is essential.

Not just anyone can be a Nehemiah, but everyone can serve. Notice there were various places of service: gatekeepers, singers, Levites, and guarding. Everyone did their part from leading in worship to the mundane responsibilities, like opening and closing the gates.

Serving is God’s plan for every Christ-follower. A Christian who won’t serve is disobeying God. In Scripture, Jesus is presented as the ultimate Servant of God. He didn’t come to be served, though He was the King. Instead, He came to serve others and give His life to save humanity. Too many of us are great at dodge ball when it comes to service.

Years ago, we had a teen who made this observation about her parents. “I notice when my parents cut back, they always cut back on serving at church first.” Ouch! We are designed to serve.

4. Your community matters to God. 

Not just anyone could be part of the nation of Israel. You had to be a Jew, a descendant of Abraham. Nehemiah 7:61, The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their fathers’ houses nor their descent, whether they belonged to Israel.

From a historical-salvation perspective, these Jewish genealogical records are vital. When the Messiah came to earth, it was important to prove that the Lord Jesus had descended from the tribe of Judah and line of David.

Nehemiah shared that God put it into his heart to assemble the people to be enrolled by genealogies. Then he found this book of the record of those who first came to Jerusalem. It served as a guide for the current enrollment.

As Christians, our physical lineage isn’t important, but our spiritual lineage is critical. We need to know we’ve been born spiritually into God’s family through faith in Christ. A believer should be able to verify where God promises eternal life in His Word to those who believe in Christ and say, “I’ve put my trust in that promise of God.”

Salvation is not based on warm, fuzzy feelings. Our salvation is based on the promises of God in His Word. Every Christian should have evidence that God has changed his/her heart. Before, we were enemies of God, hostile toward Him. Now, by His grace, we love God and the things of God.

Nehemiah wanted to make sure that they didn’t forget their history. Too many Christians are ignorant of Christian history. Knowing where we’ve come from and how God has protected and provided for us in the past, encourages us to trust Him today. We’re often enamored by Christian celebrities. We should be enamored by the heroes and heroines of the faith.

Purity in spiritual leadership is essential.

To be a priest in Israel you had to be from the tribe of Levi. Some though were excluded. They couldn’t prove their genealogy (verses 63-64). Some priests had intermarried with pagan Gentiles, which was prohibited for priests. The desire to maintain a pure priesthood was designed to protect a pure faith. Those from other religions threatened the spiritual standards of Israel. Gentiles could become proselytes, but there was no room for compromising God’s truth with other religions. 

Today we don’t have a priesthood. We have pastors and church leaders. None of them are perfect or sinless. Personally, I’m embarrassed by accounts of pastors or church leaders having to be removed because of sins like adultery or embezzling. And too many churches have been ruined by those who want to run the church and use their influence or money to control it.

One of my friends that we met with on vacation left their church after some leaders ran off the pastor. There are some who want to be a “church boss” like Diotrephes of 3 John. The pastor becomes an employee, not a shepherd or leader as Scripture outlines.

Generosity is essential.

Now some of the heads of fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests’ garments and 500 minas of silver. And some of the heads of fathers’ houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests’ garments (Nehemiah 7:70-72). What’s your financial weak spot? Where do you find it easiest to spend money? In our materialistic culture, it’s hard to not have one. Have you noticed if you really want something, the cost doesn’t cause you to blink, but when it comes to giving to the Lord’s work, that amount can look huge?

If we’re honest, most Christians don’t believe that giving is an eternal investment. They see it as a cost. We believe lots of other promises in the Bible, but most don’t really believe Jesus’ words in Matthew 6. If we believed it, it’d revolutionize our giving. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).

Nehemiah leads in giving. Leaders are to be givers. And those who had the means gave more but don’t miss this, the rest of the people gave (Nehemiah 7:72). Everybody gave. It’s not this dumb slogan we hear politically, “tax the rich.” Incidentally, in America, we’re all rich.

Folks, the way we give is one of the most accurate indicators of our love for the Lord, our spiritual maturity and commitment.

Amazingly, they’d just returned from exile. They were pioneers facing enemies and trying to carve out a new life in Judah, but they gave and gave sacrificially. Those who love Jesus will not neglect His work and giving.

May each of us grow in our generosity like those early Christians. And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability (2 Corinthians 8:1-3). Those first believers gave out of their poverty.

Giving will be a priority if we believe God. He promises to meet the needs of His people. Some people may be anemic in their serving, evangelism, intercession, knowledge of Scripture, etc., and it could all be attributed to a lack of giving. God promises we will abound in righteousness if we’re cheerful givers. We must learn to both give regularly and give generously.

Conclusion

You matter to God. Your family matters to God. He knows your name. Nehemiah 7 is a registry of citizens. Their names were written down. Why count them so carefully? Because they counted to God. 

Some were excluded from living inside the city if they couldn’t trace their roots back to the pre-dispersion. God had a standard for owning land within Jerusalem. You must have Jewish blood flowing through your veins and written proof of your genealogy. Without it, you couldn’t live in Jerusalem.

The book of Revelation talks about the New Jerusalem. What right do you have of living within the New Jerusalem? Revelation tells us that only those redeemed by Jesus Christ will be able to dwell in the holy city of heaven. 

Are you able to trace your lineage back to the family of God? Are you part of God’s family? So how does someone become a part of God’s family? First, you have to understand that you aren’t. Jesus said, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied and cast out devils and done many wonderful works in your name.  Then I will say unto them, ‘I never knew you’ (Matthew 7;22-23).

The pressing question for these Jews was: Are they related to Israel? Could they prove their blood relationship to God’s people? The pressing question in the last day of human history will be, are you related to that Jewish carpenter? Can you prove your relationship to the family of God?

God is keeping a list of names. In the book of Revelation, it’s called the Lamb’s book of life. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

How do you get your name registered in the family of God? John 1:12-13 gives the answer; But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

When you receive Him as the Bible tells us we must, when you say, “Lord, I’m not related to your family. I’m in the wrong family, I want to become a member of yours,” then you are born again into the family of God. 

The word believe means to trust, to depend upon. You must trust the Lord Jesus with your life and eternal destiny. You must totally depend on Him to save you from your sins and give you a new life.

Please make sure today. Examine yourself, to see whether you’re in the faith. Look at your heart and ask: Am I trusting Christ and His promises with my life? Am I depending only on Him to save me from my sins? Has my life demonstrated real change since I trusted Christ as my Savior?

True faith always expresses itself in obedience. If you can honestly answer yes to these questions, then you can be certain you’re on your way to heaven; because that’s God’s promise to you.

You can trust Christ today. You can do it now. All you must do is cry out to God, “Lord, I’m a sinner. I know Jesus died for me and paid for all my sin. I’m trusting that and asking You to be my Lord and Savior.” If you cry that out, your name will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life today.

And if you’re a member of God’s family, then you’ll live for Him. You matter to Him. Living for Him demonstrates that He matters to you.