Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No.26 – July 2001

 

Motivated by God’s Grace

 

Sermon by Rev H. Vaatstra on Nehemiah 2:17-18

Scripture Reading: 1Timothy 1:12-20

 

Beloved in the Lord.

How is it that we come along to church week after week, year after year, and give up our time and energy in church building programmes, Bible studies, catechism classes, volunteering time and energy in each other?  What is it that motivates us to keep going?

Is it the fellowship we have with each other?  Or the fact that we have become familiar with one another and are comfortable with each other?  Or is it the fear of disapproval from others in the church if we don’t pull our weight?  Maybe even the fear of judgment of God?

What is it that keeps us going?

The Jews may have asked similar questions when they looked at the ruins of Jerusalem all around them.  They were living in a city with broken walls and mounds of rubble all around them.  Even the city gates were burnt to the ground leaving them open to invaders.  Moreover, people of other nations who had settled in Jerusalem during the exile would hardly have encouraged the Jews to come back in, take over and rebuild.  All in all discouraging times for the Jews.  They must have wondered, “is it worth the trouble, and how can we do it!”

Imagine living in a house with broken walls, year in year out.  People can look inside and see what’s going on.  Burglars can easily get in when you’re not home.  Neighbours are laughing.  Perhaps it would be best to quietly move on.

So how would Nehemiah, (who had the responsibility of organising the rebuilding of the city walls) motivate these Jews who were so discouraged because of the disgrace of living in a city with broken walls?!  Would he deliver a lengthy discourse on the virtues of hard work and the advantages of having a solid sturdy wall to protect the city?  Would he give them a severe tongue lashing, and tell them they were lazy, and why hadn’t they rebuilt the wall yet?

Nehemiah’s approach was quite different.  When he first reached Jerusalem he already had something worked out.  After a few days’ rest he went out at night on horseback to do his own investigation without attracting much attention to himself.  More than likely there was going to be opposition from these Ammonites, Horonites and Arabs who had occupied the land during the Exile.

Nehemiah wanted to keep his plans as quite as possible, at least until he had informed his own people and motivated them to get going.  Otherwise those who were opposed to the rebuilding might try and discourage them and prevent the plan from beginning.

Together with a few foot soldiers Nehemiah proceeded from the valley gate on the eastern side of the city down past the dung gate at the southern end and then back up the western side towards the fountain gate which he tried to enter but couldn’t, probably because of the rubble that blocked his way.  Nehemiah then continued up the valley on the western side and finally turned back re-entering through the valley gate from whence he came.

When Nehemiah returned he called together all the city officials and remarked on the terrible state of the walls.  Nehemiah was honest in his assessment.  “See the trouble we are in, Jerusalem lies in ruins, its gates have been burnt with fire.  Come let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace,”

Now, some of the Jews may have thought, “it’s all very well for you to say come let us build the walls!  What makes you think the king of Persia will let us rebuild!”  Because only a few years earlier Artaxerxes had ordered a stop to all rebuilding in Jerusalem.  Not only were these Jew discouraged but they were fearful, they knew how ruthless these Persian kings could be towards any possible uprising.

So how would Nehemiah motivate them?  Nehemiah came prepared.  He had written authority from the king of Persia himself.  He also had letters that gave Nehemiah safe conduct and the use of building materials …and… Nehemiah had God’s blessing!

He told the Jews how he had prayed to God, how the same king who had ordered a stop to the rebuilding had suddenly done an about face and had given Nehemiah the time, building materials, credentials, you name it, to get the work done.  Nehemiah explained to them that the gracious hand of God had brought all of this about.

As Nehemiah spoke, his words gripped the hearts of the people.  They could see that God’s grace was turning to them once again.  They knew that God had removed his presence from them for a time during the exile because of the disobedience of their forefathers.  But the remarkable experience Nehemiah had with the Persian king showed that God was with him and for His people…  and at once they were full of enthusiasm!

“Let’s start rebuilding”, they said and so they began this good work.  Yes, suddenly it became a good work for them; not a drudgery.  They no longer feared the Ammonites, Arabs or Samaritans who had been a source of discouragement for them.  No, this would be a good work, a successful venture, because God was with them.

By the GRACE OF GOD, they were motivated to continue the rebuilding programme.  And by the grace of God, so are we!

Given that the New Testament equivalent of Jerusalem is the church, it must be the knowledge of God’s grace that motivates us to keep on being involved in the work that God has called us to do in the life of the church!  Let me provide you with some examples in history.

The apostle Paul was ungracious at first, he was an enemy of the church, a blasphemer, a persecutor, a violent man full of ignorance and unbelief.  Then, he says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ was poured out on me abundantly.”  Suddenly, Paul understood that God’s grace was the driving force behind his conversion and behind God’s building programme.

Paul understood that God’s grace was revealed in Jesus Christ and in His substitutionary death on the cross.  Yes, Christ’s death which paid for all the ungraciousness, all the sins of all who believe and put their trust in God.  Having experienced that grace personally, Paul became a highly motivated builder for God.

Before the Reformation the church was in disgrace.  Her ‘walls’ were broken down in the sense that she had lost sight of central Christian doctrines.  Her leaders had lost sight of God’s grace.  It was taught that forgiveness of sins could be purchased with money.  Priests were often poorly educated.  The ordinary folk had no access to God or the Bible.  They could only receive absolution through the priest.

Then along came Luther, a type of Hezekiah, you might say.  His single most important teaching reaffirmed the truth that believers have access to God and peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.  He reaffirmed the priesthood of all believers.

They didn’t need to go and see a priest in order to get forgiveness of sins.  They had immediate access to the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.  Many who had suffered under the regime of Roman Catholic legalism rediscovered that Christianity really was all about God’s grace.

And what happened then?  Suddenly the church came alive and underwent a powerful movement of God.  It underwent reformation.  The gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone spread throughout Europe like wildfire and the church was rebuilt.

That was one important period in history but the truth is that the entire church is built on grace.  In Ephesians 2 Paul writes, “by grace you are saved through faith, this is not of yourselves it is a gift of God” …therefore… “you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.”

And Peter writes in his first letter to the churches, “you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house through Jesus Christ… the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

That clearly teaches us that the church can only be built on grace, and on the foundation of the Word of God which is the gospel about the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Jews were able to keep building because they saw that God was gracious to them.  They saw how Nehemiah was filled with the Spirit of God to become a great and wise leader.  They saw how God turned Artaxerxes’ heart to allow the building programme to continue.

Likewise, we can only build the church by God’s grace, which is ours through Jesus Christ.  The question that may have come to your minds now is how do we do that practically?

First it’s important to keep reminding ourselves, that you are here and I am here because of God’s grace to us personally.  We are here because God has revealed Himself to us and granted us His saving grace through faith in Christ.  Now, as a result, neither death nor life, nor height nor depth, nor angels or demons or anything at all can separate us from the love of God.  If you constantly keep that in mind and are truly thankful for God’s rich grace in your life – that you were once a lost sinner, deserving only of eternal damnation and now you are saved by grace – if you keep that in mind, then you will also be more motivated to build God’s kingdom.

Second, as well as being mindful of God’s grace, we need to confess God’s grace to one another and the world.  Nehemiah confessed that it was the gracious hand of God who was behind his coming.  He didn’t carry on like a big shot, letting everyone know that he was the man, the driving force behind the rebuilding programme.  Rather, he confessed God’s grace – that it was God who had allowed all this to happen.

Jesus Christ said that when we confess Him, He will build His church.  That was His promise to the apostle Peter when Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed One; the Messiah who had come to save people from their sins.  Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.

Through our constant confession of Christ as Saviour and Lord of our lives, Christ will build his church.  That’s a promise!

Thus, we find that Peter simply confessed Christ and His grace to Jews in Jerusalem at Pentecost and three thousand living stones were added to the church.  Then he confessed Christ before some onlookers at Solomon’s Colonnades and then in the Sanhedrin.  Peter confessed Christ in prison, to Cornelius and so on, and thus God’s church was built.

Now we may not all be evangelists, but surely when we faithfully confess Jesus Christ and talk eagerly about the great things God has done for us, to our children, our neighbours, our friends – when we tell others what God has done for us, He will build His church.

The other alternative is that we just keep our mouths shut and keep Christ to ourselves.  But when the grace of God is hidden, or obscured, and churches become introverted, problems beset the church and building becomes difficult and slow.

Thirdly, God’s grace motivates church building when church members reflect God’s grace.  Sure, God will always be more gracious to us than we can be towards each other.  But if we can begin to reflect the grace of God in our lives, in our speech, our attitude and our behaviour to one another, then that is also how the church is built.

The walls of Jerusalem would not have been raised to any great height had the builders been bickering and fighting with each other, or if their work was constantly distracted by lazy and unsanctified behaviour.  Likewise, our churches are more likely to thrive when members are joyous, gentle towards one another, thankful and prayerful (Phil 4:4-6).

As Paul writes in Ephesians 4, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building one another up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  And further on, “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.”  Gracious behaviour builds churches.

Congregation, God’s grace is surely that which motivates us in all that we do in the church.  We have all received that grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Let’s also continue to faithfully confess that grace and reflect that grace so that God may continue to build his church through us.

Amen.