Faith To Build: Unmet Expectations

March 19th, 2023/Casey Middle School

Story: Early in marriage my wife and I got consumed with a tv series called LOST. My goodness, cliff hanger after cliff hanger. The characters kept developing and the mystery became too much to bear! It was incredible!

This was before the times of Netflix and Prime, so we would have to wait till the next season and then purchase the bundle DVD set at the local bookstore thrift shop. Then it finally came out, season 6 would be the last season of LOST.

We bought the DVD bundle set and with high expectation watched every episode. In the final episode, as the show progressed we kept looking at each other saying “surely it’s not going to end like this.” and then it finally came to a close and it was, to say the least, a massive disappointment.

Question: Have you ever been consumed by a tv series and spent an exceptional amount of time watching season after season, only to be completely let down by the series finale? Or a movie that had high hopes that fell tragically short… aka… most sequels minus Santa Clause 2. C’mon!

Question: What if Nehemiah was a Netflix series?

Here you have this incredible story of a man with a burden to restore the disgrace of his people while serving as a servant to the king. Then, by God's hand receives favor to go back and rebuild the wall and restore dignity back to his home people.

Through immense opposition and with impossible odds, the wall is built back better and in record time. The people rejoice and worship God. Full reformation and revival breaks out and there is peace and hope back in the land. Nehemiah then serves as the governor over the people as everyone lives happily ever after… wouldn’t that make for an incredible series?! Unfortunately that’s not how the story ends.

In the final chapter of Nehemiah we see a much different narrative. The story actually ends with a bit of a downer. Nehemiah goes away from Jerusalem for a time and comes back to find that so much of what they have worked so hard to build was being disgraced and the people were dishonoring God, then the story abruptly ends.

If the book of Nehemiah was a Hollywood film then it would receive terrible reviews on rotten tomatoes for its ending. You see, the story of Nehemiah is not one of favor in the beginning, favor in the middle, and favor in the end. On the contrary, it has been said that it is a story of sin in the beginning, sin in the middle, and sin in the end.

We’re going to be closing out our series on this topic, unmet expectations. Turn to your neighbor and say “I didn’t see that coming.”

Title: Unmet Expectations

Big Idea:

We live in a world of unmet expectations and unfortunate endings, basically every time I workout, but in Jesus the story is never over. There is always hope, restoration, and the potential for revival and reformation again.

Passage: Nehemiah 13:1-8 CSB

At that time the book of Moses was read publicly to the people. The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When they heard the law, they separated all those of mixed descent from Israel.

4 Now before this, the priest Eliashib had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was a relative of Tobiah 5 and had prepared a large room for him where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of grain, new wine, and fresh oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

6 While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence 7 so I could return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of God’s house. 8 I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the room.

Pray:

Background:

We don’t know how long Nehemiah was away, but it’s thought that it could have been only a couple of months. Either way, we do know that his return brought about a lot of despair and anger to Nehemiah. You could say he was dealing with “unmet expectations”

These are the last events recorded in Old Testament history, but the story is not over.

What can happen when you have unmet expectations?

1. Unmet Expectations

   1. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of God’s house. 8 I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the room.

   2. Unpack:

      1. Remember Tobiah, the enemy of God and the work of rebuilding the wall… he was now given an apartment in the temple of God.

      2. John Maxwell identified 4 areas of compromise that Nehemiah discovered upon his return

         1. Compromising Companionship (1-9)
         2. Financial Fiasco (10-14)
         3. Secularized Sabbath (15-22)

         4. Domestic Disobedience (23-31) 3. I believe there is a leadership principle here that we can learn from Nehemiah, that leadership is not found in your presence, but in your absence.

         5. It is crucial that we are intentional to disciple and develop a small group of people to carry on the vision. If you are going to have faith to build, it needs to last longer than you.

         6. Another lesson in leadership is the quickness at which people compromise and fall to temptation and selfish desires where there is no vision. This is why personal conviction is paramount. 4. As I said before, we live in a world of unmet expectations and unfortunate endings. 6. Story: finishing college with crazy loans and jobs that weren’t paying them off quick enough.
            3. Application:

      3. Have you ever worked hard to build something, only to find it in worse condition than you left it?

         1. It’s hard not to both take it personal and be a little upset about it. 2. Or how about something you are currently building and it’s not progressing like you thought it should?

         2. I thought I’d be further down the road in my career.

         3. I thought I’d be married by now.
         4. I thought I would have more influence and impact in my calling.
         5. I thought my health would be better at my age. 3. If unmet expectations are inevitable, then our response has to be proactive or we will be met with an unfortunate ending.

2. Understandable Anger

   1. I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored there, along with the grain offering and frankincense. 10 I also found out that because the portions for the Levites had not been given, each of the Levites and the singers performing the service had gone back to his own field. 11 Therefore, I rebuked the officials, asking, “Why has the house of God been neglected?”

   2. The temple had been neglected and disrespected, there was nepotism, new legalism (adding to the law), the people weren’t tithing and taking care of the priests and worshippers, neglecting the sabbath, and disobedience to the commands of God.

      1. So much of what had been built is now being torn down piece by piece and Nehemiah is understandably “displeased” and rightfully frustrated.

         3. Application: Past revival does not guarantee our future.

      2. Revival may last for a season, but when our eyes are taken off of Jesus then we quickly fall back to old patterns and ultimately compromise on our convictions.

         4. There is still a place for anger over sin and the dishonor of a Holy God.

      3. How do you respond to sin?

         1. Apathy
         2. Affirmation
         3. Anguish
            5. Life apart from God results in brokenness in every area of your life. And we can be passive or permissive with sin in our lives and in the world around us, or we can respond with a righteous anger, a holy discontent to say “this is not ok, we must repent and return to God!”
            6. Story: going home and seeing things that didn’t honor God

3. Unmindful Prayers

   1. 14 Remember me for this, my God, and don’t erase the deeds of faithful love I have done for the house of my God and for its services.
   2. 22 Remember me for this also, my God, and look on me with compassion according to the abundance of your faithful love.
   3. 29 Remember them, my God, for defiling the priesthood as well as the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
   4. 31 Remember me, my God, with favor.
   5. Anytime you are pointing out your good deeds and others’ downfalls, there’s something off.
   6. The text doesn’t criticize Nehemiah here. He asks for mercy in verse 22. But his prayers make me ask what mine sound like after a season of success.
   7. Nehemiah could have ended the way he started… humble posture before a Holy God.

   8. Compare this to his prayer in chapter 1

      1. “4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. 5 I said, Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, 6 let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” 10 They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.”

      2. What happens after some success and time in ministry is telling in your prayers for yourself and those you are leading.

         1. Self preservation with a lack of self awareness. 3. Is there still compassion and a humble posture before God, or is there a desire that your good deeds are remembered and you cast blame on those you lead.

         2. Extreme ownership says “This is on me God. I have not led well, teach me to serve your people better and train them up in your ways oh God!”

         3. A humble posture says “We’re back to where we started God, save your people and please give me wisdom and discernment to have hard conversation and lead your people in the way of righteousness.”
            9. I don’t want to live in the glory days. God, remember when I was faithful and did all those good deeds in your name.

      3. The minute you’re focused on past stories is the moment you miss the miracle in front of you.

      4. Question: When you share stories of what God has done in your life, how far back do you have to go to share a miracle?

         1. I remember several years ago when I told that co-worker about Jesus, God remember that.
         2. I remember when I prayed for God to heal my family member and God answered, God remember that.
         3. I remember when I stepped out in faith with generosity and God provided above and beyond, God remember that. 3. I want to live in the presence and power of God today! I want to be living with gratitude from the miracle in motion today!
            10. If you focus on the Glory days you’ll be stuck in a glory daze

4. Unhinged Actions

   1. 23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew. 25 I rebuked them, cursed them, beat some of their men, and pulled out their hair. I forced them to take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or yourselves! 26 Didn’t King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, yet foreign women drew him into sin. 27 Why then should we hear about you doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?” 28 Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of the high priest Eliashib, had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. So I drove him away from me.

   2. Question: What happens when you stop building?

      1. For the people, they lost faith
      2. When your hands stop building, and your faith is looking back, then you will live with unhinged actions.
      3. Idle hands produce an idle mind, and an idle mind produces idol worship.

5. Unresolved Ending

   1. So I purified them from everything foreign and assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites. 31 I also arranged for the donation of wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Remember me, my God, with favor.

   2. Not everyone finishes well. We honor Nehemiah and recognize both the successes and failures, but there’s a bigger story and lots of grace.

      1. Look at the OT for a narrative… but also, the church today is in need of revival and reformation… read the NT. At the root, when people fall away from God there is disorder, dishonor, and disobedience. We MUST remain at the cross!

      2. How much brighter the light in the NT! God help us remember!

         3. “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,” - Hebrews 2:1-3 NKJV
         4. We’re not chasing experience, we’re chasing an encounter with the living God! No arrogance. No excuses. No control or pride! Simply the love and grace of God on display in the lives of His people.

      3. We need revival. We need to remember! God have mercy on Boulder! Have mercy on my life!

      4. Not “remember my good deeds” but “we remember your mercy!”

      5. “But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” - John 6:68 NKJV

         5. We must not look at this story with a fatalistic mindset or doom and gloom posture! On the contrary. We must remain hopeful… faith filled, ready to build!

      6. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” - Matthew 16:18 NKJV

Closing:

A call to a different finish line:

Uncommon honor

Unimaginable hope

Unlikely people

Unstoppable faith

I want to be known for uncommon honor, looking ahead with unimaginable hope, doing life with unlikely people, and constantly building with unstoppable faith!

When Jesus is at the center, then the best is always yet to come!

Nehemiah was a great leader, but the book is not about leadership or strategic planning. It is not a book on improving society or efficient managing principles. “The book of Nehemiah is about God’s restoration of His people in preparation for the fulfillment of His covenant through His Son, Jesus.” - DA Carson

“This is a call to persevere, to the long view, and a call to position God for reformation and revival such that we have not known in our time.” - DA Carson