Audio Sermons

Building up the Church of Christ:

You Matter to God

Life B-P Church Worship Service, 10^th November 2024

Text: Nehemiah 7:1-73

¹ Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 

² That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. 

³ And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

⁴ Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded. 

⁵ And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein, 

⁶ These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city; 

⁶⁶ The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 

⁷⁰ And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests' garments. 

⁷¹ And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver. 

⁷² And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments. 

What can we learn from a list of names?

1. Christ died to save people, not buildings – People matter to God.
   1. He definitively saves and preserves His people
   2. His people enter His rest
   3. His people believe in Him
   4. His people populate His kingdom
2. Our actions matter to God.
   1. Standing up to be counted
   2. Faithful service
   3. Cheerful giving
3. We matter to God – He does not forget

References:

Titus 2:14; John 10:27-29; Romans 6:38,39; Matthew 25:21-23; Matthew 7:21; Revelation 20:12; Revelation 20:15; Exodus 32:32; Daniel 12:1-3; John 14:6; John 14:2-3; Hebrews 6:10-12; Matthew 25:40; Hebrews 12:1-2