Ezra-Nehemiah
Sermon Summary
On Sunday, Dr. Drew Howard, one of the elders at Faith Bible Church, preached through Nehemiah 11 and 12 while Pastor Russell was on vacation. Dr. Drew opened by acknowledging the challenge of covering two chapters and eighty-three verses, and gave the congregation the big idea up front: "We are called as the people of God to give our time, talents, and treasures for the glory of God, so that we get to participate in the work and worship of God." He explained that the wall was built, the temple was ready, but the people were comfortable in their surrounding villages and not yet living in Jerusalem — the first time in Scripture it is called "the holy city." One out of ten were chosen by lot, and some volunteered freely, a tithing of the people alongside a freewill offering. Rather than reading all sixty verses of names from the pulpit, Dr. Drew had members of the congregation read portions on video, then displayed the rest as scrolling credits. He connected those ancient names to the names Faith Bible members wrote on the concrete floor eleven years ago when the building was under construction — prayers written over every row, asking that someone would sit there years later and hear the Word of God. Congregation members shared video testimonies about people at Faith Bible who had shaped their faith: parents, small group leaders, prayer partners, spouses. Moving into chapter 12, Dr. Drew walked through the dedication of the wall — the purification of the priests, the people, the gates, and the wall itself, followed by two great choirs processing in opposite directions along the top of the wall until they met at the house of God, where "the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar." He challenged the congregation to prepare their hearts for worship on Saturday nights rather than arriving distracted on Sunday mornings. He then traced the chapter's emphasis on tithes and offerings as an act of worship, not obligation. Dr. Drew closed with the story of his father — a partner at Arthur Andersen who gave generously and anonymously for decades, lost his entire retirement when Enron brought the firm down, and when asked what the worst part was, said without hesitation: "When somebody comes and wants to do a great thing and they need the finances to do it, I can no longer open up a checkbook and write the check." Dr. Drew said his father had "tasted the joy of giving that most of us may never ever know," and urged the congregation: "Do not let anybody, including yourself, take away from you the fact that you are called to give of your time and your talents and your treasures for the glory of God."
Discussion Questions
- Dr. Drew Howard opened by pointing out that the wall was built, the temple was ready, but the people were still comfortable in their surrounding villages. They had to be chosen by lot — one out of ten — to actually move into Jerusalem. Some volunteered. When you think about your own involvement at church or in God's work, are you more of a volunteer or someone who had to be nudged? What made the difference?
- Read Nehemiah 11:1-2 together. This is the first time in Scripture that Jerusalem is called "the holy city." Dr. Drew described a tithing of the people alongside a freewill offering — some chosen by lot, some stepping forward on their own. He connected this to time, talents, and treasures. Of those three, which one do you find easiest to give, and which one do you hold tightest?
- Dr. Drew had members of the congregation share on video about people at Faith Bible who had shaped their faith — parents, small group leaders, prayer partners, a spouse. He compared the long list of names in Nehemiah 11 to names written under the carpet of this building eleven years ago, prayers offered over the very seats people sit in today. Who is someone whose name belongs on your personal list of credits — someone who gave their time or talent and it changed the direction of your faith?
- Read Nehemiah 12:30. "The priests and the Levites purified themselves. They also purified the people, the gates, and the wall." Dr. Drew shared that he began preparing his heart on Saturday nights for Sunday worship — praying for the pastor, the worship leader, and the congregation, and praying against the distractions and arguments that always seem to surface on Sunday mornings. What does your Saturday night and Sunday morning look like before you walk through the doors of the church? What would it look like to show up already prepared?
- Read Nehemiah 12:43. "On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar." Two choirs walked the top of the wall in opposite directions and met at the house of God. The joy was audible from a distance. When was the last time your worship — not just singing, but all of it — carried that kind of weight? What was different about that moment?
- Read Nehemiah 12:44-47. Dr. Drew pointed out that the chapter moves from worship directly into tithes and offerings, and that even the Levites who received the tithe gave a tithe of what they received. He said, "if you are not giving your tithes and your offerings, I want to let you know that you are missing out on worship." Does giving feel like worship to you, or does it feel like something separate? What would need to shift for those to be the same thing?
- Dr. Drew closed with his father's story. A man who never led a Bible study or preached a sermon but gave generously and anonymously for decades — then lost everything when Enron brought down Arthur Andersen. When asked what the worst part was, his father said it was no longer being able to write the check when someone came with a vision for God's work. Dr. Drew said his father "had tasted the joy of giving that most of us may never ever know." This week, where is God calling you to give — your time, your talent, or your treasure — in a way that costs you something real?
Extra Credit
Look up 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Malachi 3:10, 1 Chronicles 29:14, and Acts 20:35. What do these passages reveal about the heart behind giving, and how do they connect to Dr. Drew's central claim that giving is not separate from worship but an essential part of participating in what God is doing?
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