Sermon Tone Analysis

Opening Thought

When a leader sins does it affect the Church?

when a leader allows his children to sin does it affect the church?

I say leader here instead of elder, or deacon because all leaders in the church should be and are held to a higher standard.

If they are not those they are leading will feel okay with their sin.

there was a person at a church we served in who’s family would start coming to church a couple of weeks before VBS and Christmas.

This was so that they could be used in the skits that there mother was over.

One time when asked why she didn't come to Sunday evenings her response was I already put in my time.

This was a person who was looked up to as a leader in the church.

the ministries that she was involved in rarely showed growth.

when she didn't get her way her family left the church and an odd thing happened those ministries started to grow.

her sin was stunting the growth of the church as a whole.

How would the leaders of the church react to a member involved in overt sin?

Why is this New Testament command often overlooked by modern congregations?

Do you think Christians should make Sunday a day of rest (similar to the way the Jews rested on the Sabbath)?

Why or why not?

Scripture

I have chosen to read this passage from the NLT version because it puts some cultural things into view

neh.13.1-31

Background of the Passage

The history of God’s people reveals a distressing (if not depressing) truth: heartfelt passion and sincere devotion is often short-lived.

Chapter 13 of Nehemiah, the last portion of the Old Testament to be written, is a clear example of this truth.

Nehemiah left Jerusalem in the 32nd year of Artaxerxes, about 433 B.C. (see 5:14; 13:6), and returned to Persia as he had promised (see 2:6).

During his absence, the people returned to their former ways, led by the high priest Eliashib (vv.

4, 5).

In violation of their earlier promises, they failed to separate themselves from their pagan neighbors.

They also failed to support the Levites and priests.

A third evidence of their spiritual decline was that they consistently violated the laws of the Sabbath.

It was during Nehemiah’s absence that Malachi wrote his prophetic book indicting both priests and people for their sinful defection.

Possibly having heard of Eliashib’s evil, Nehemiah returned (vv.

4–7) to oversee the needed reforms.

His response to the waywardness of the people was swift and severe, reminding us that we must be ruthless in our dealing with sin.

Understanding the Text

What did the Israelites discover when they read the Book of Moses at the celebration, and how did they respond?

(13:1—3)

What evil deed did Eliashib do and how did Nehemiah respond?

(4-5)

What had lead to encourage Eliashib to do this evil deed?

(28)

What turn of events had forced the Levites to work in the fields?

(13:10)

What did Nehemiah do in light of the Israelites’ failure to keep the Sabbath holy?

(19–22)

Cross Reference

Exploring the Meaning

How should the example of Solomon have discouraged the Jews in Nehemiah’s time from marrying foreign wives?

How could this be applied to us?

2 cor.

Read .

How did Nehemiah’s grief over the desecration of the temple resemble Christ’s some 400 years later?

verses to consider: Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11; John 2:13–17

Read .

mala

Does God hold ministers to a higher standard?

If so, in what way?

verses to consider:

Summing up

“Every kind of sin, from disorderly conduct to immorality to false teaching, is to be disciplined.

And all Christians, from the newest believer to the most experienced leader, are subject to that discipline.

To be spiritually healthy and effective in its ministry the church must deal with sin within its own ranks.

To trifle with sin, to ignore it under the guise of love, or to fail for any other reason to cleanse the church of it is disastrous.”—John

MacArthur

Reflecting on the Text

(Let them answer themselves)

General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once told a group of new officers: “I want you young men always to bear in mind that it is the nature of a fire to go out; you must keep it stirred and fed and the ashes removed.”

On a scale of 1–10 (with 1 being “dying embers” and 10 being “white hot coals”) what is your spiritual temperature right now?

(Let them answer themselves)

Nehemiah discovered Tobiah, an enemy of the Jews, living in the temple complex!

What sinful attitudes or actions have you allowed in your life?

How have close associations with people of the world had a negative effect on your spiritual health?

In what way can you renew your commitment to the priority of worship?

For further study, see the following passages: