Remembered for Good

And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and

with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

Isaiah 38:3

 

Introduction:

1. Christians crave to hear Jesus say to them, Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
2. Christians know the Lord on his throne of judgment will mark sheep by good done.
3. Both events are found in the same chapter of three divine lessons (Matt 25:21,31-40).
4. Both events need the Lord to remember good things you have done for His kingdom.
5. But a life lived zealously for God and His cause justifies asking Him to remember, which Hezekiah did in the title text when Isaiah told him he would certainly die.
6. True pastors want hearers to live so they can say, Remember me, O my God, for good.
7. This sermon is not about your pastor or for him; it is for you … and for all the church.
8. Think only one thing with me – Lord, convict and help me do greater good for Thee.
9. Read and appreciate Paul’s excitement to help you do good (Phil 4:1; I Thess 2:19).
10. Every man gets a few events in life for big and hard decisions to be great before God.
11. Read Nehemiah 13 carefully, considering its five sections, and read it again carefully.
12. Nehemiah was a man; God made him a leader; women and youth can also be good.
13. His inspired prayer is for God to remember his good (3) and compromisers’ evil (1), which creates a dramatic difference for His blessing and mercy (Neh 13:14,22,29,31).
14. Every male here is or will be a leader of a wife, children, grandchildren, church, etc.
15. The Bible has few leaders like Nehemiah, so we have considerable written about him.
16. A leader must be vigilant about compromise in his sphere and do godly good always.

 

REMEMBERED FOR LIMITING FRIENDS  (1-3)

1. Bible reading, public or private, is essential to know God’s will for our lives, which we heard last Sunday from Psalm 27:4 and Wednesday night by, Most Amazing Book.
2. Public Bible reading is powerful, and we should appreciate it and pay attention as well as we are able, which we learn from the first verse here and elsewhere (Neh 8:1-12), though our generation is hindered by availability of constant audio-video perfection.
3. God had cursed the two nations resulting from Lot’s incest with his daughters for their unkind treatment of their distant cousins Israel, when the church came out of Egypt.
4. When the regathered Jews heard this warning, they got rid of all their worldly friends.
5. For there to be worldly friends to get rid of … they must have had them. Shame!
6. James, inspired by the same Spirit, preached against any friendship with the world.

Application #1:  When you hear something from God’s word, do you do it with zeal?

Application #2:  Do you, your wife, or children have friends from the mixed multitude?

Application #3:  Do you grasp David’s seriousness about this matter in his life (Ps 101)?

Application #4:  Remember the subtle danger of unlike friends (I Cor 15:33; Prov 13:20).

Application #5:  Let us pick the best friends we can by spiritual character, not likeability.

REMEMBERED FOR PROTECTING THE CHURCH  (4-9)

1. Eliashib had befriended and accommodated Tobiah, a cursed Ammonite (Neh 2:10).
2. This enemy of God, though a priest, had altered God’s temple for his pagan friend.
3. How did this occur? While Nehemiah was gone on business to report to Artaxerxes.
4. This matter grieved Nehemiah sore, meaning in common terms that he was very upset.
5. But he did not stop with being grieved – he did something – he threw the stuff out!
6. He did not stop with just getting rid of the problem – he replaced it with God’s things.
7. Paul laid the one foundation of Christ and we must wisely build on it (I Cor 3:10-17).

Application #1:  Error can happen by those that should know better. Hate it anyway!

Application #2:  We as a church must avoid evil alliances, and so must you individually.

Application #3:  When gone or distracted with other duties, the mice must be checked!

Application #4:  Do you get sorely grieved, do you sigh, for the errors of men (Ezek 9:4)?

Application #5:  What do you need to throw out of life or home? What should replace it?

REMEMBERED FOR HONORING THE LEVITES  (10-14)

1. Nehemiah considered (and perceived) about the poor financial situation of the church.
2. He rebuked the rulers and put the Levites and singers back in their appointed places.
3. He ordained faithful men to take charge of the financial duties. Are you such a man?
4. Nehemiah served God with zeal, so he asked to be remembered (Is 38:3; Psalm 20:3).

Application #1:  Consider the church, ministry, and poor financially (Ps 41:1; Pr 28:27).

Application #2:  Are you aware and insightful to see and correct any kingdom shortfalls?

Application #3:  Let us do our best to let no one and no activity fall through the cracks.

Application #4:  You will need God’s help, not if, but when; will He recall you? for what?

REMEMBERED FOR HONORING THE SABBATH  (15-22)

1. We do not keep the Sabbath, but we should do all with holiness, reverence, godly fear.
2. Nehemiah was always looking, and he was not fooled or swayed by public practice.
3. When he saw something wrong, he testified against it; he did not choose to be silent.
4. He did not pick on the poor traders doing business, but the nobles leading the city.
5. He brought to bear the history of God’s people, which is our teacher (I Cor 10:6-11).
6. He took practical measures to stop the evil and to keep it from happening again.
7. He paid a price by assigning his own men to watch the gates until a new policy.
8. When some took steps to avoid his rules, he threatened them with violence. Glory!
9. Again, we have the inspired prayer of a righteous man for God to see and remember.

Application #1:  It is your duty, as mine, to exhort and warn (I Thes 5:14; Heb 10:24-25).

Application #2:  When you see something wrong, if it is not a liberty, testify against it.

Application #3:  Do you know the Bible so you can raise examples of sin from its history?

Application #4:  When you make a change in policy, are you wise enough to find sneaks?

Application #5: Are you wise as a serpent to devise practical blocks to sin in your family?

Application #6:  Are you man enough to threaten violence (and follow thru) against sin?

REMEMBERED FOR STOPPING AFFINITY  (23-31)

1. Nehemiah always inspected the activities and situation around him and saw affinity.
2. He did not care that children were involved – he was not effeminately sentimental.
3. Consider his violence against this horrible sin, just as God had been with the Flood.
4. Again he brought to bear the Biblical history of Solomon’s great error in this matter.
5. He was not open to listening to their excuses, justification, or reasons for such sinning.
6. The high priest’s grandson had married Sanballat’s daughter. Josephus – Mt. Gerizim?
7. Nehemiah ignored the status of both parties to this abominable marriage (II Chr 18:1).
8. This great man showed the right use of prayer against the enemies of God, for before asking God to remember him for good, he asked God to remember their compromise.
9. For the third time in this chapter, Nehemiah asked God to remember him for good.

Application #1:  Be vigilant. Look critically around you. Especially at all relationships.

Application #2:  Marriage in the Lord is incredibly important, and you must enforce it.

Application #3:  You may have to take strong measures to marry your children in Christ.

Application #4:  Reject what your child might say. Solomon probably had his reasons!

Application #5:  No matter the reputation or status of either party – hate all such affinity.

Application #6:  Marriage starts with dating, dating with friends, friends with contacts.

Application #7:  You remember what happened to Dinah due to lazy father and brothers?

 

Conclusion:

1. Here is the inspired record of a great leader, and you should want to be just like him.
2. When men are honored like this in scripture, it is God setting them up for us to follow.
3. His inspired prayer is for God to remember his good (3) and compromisers’ evil (1), which creates a dramatic difference for His blessing and mercy (Neh 13:14,22,29,31).
4. God has made men leaders of wives, children, grandchildren, church, neighbors, etc.
5. But our women and youth (even convicted children) can be zealous to do godly good.
6. You are responsible to look, inspect, draw conclusions, and correct wrong by Bible.
7. Every man gets a few events in life for big and hard decisions to be great before God.
8. Revival or worship fit for God often requires getting rid of things and replacing them.
9. When all junk has been thrown out, replace it with godly inputs for family perfection.
10. God bless the vigilant, faithful, and zealous in the day of need and in meeting Christ.
11. A wonderful fact is the Bible promises He will not forget your work (Hebrews 6:10).
12. True pastors want hearers to live so they can say, Remember me, O my God, for good.
13. Think one thing with me – Lord, convict me and help me do greater good for Thee, and remember my good done for Thee, and spare me by the greatness of thy mercy.