First Presbyterian Church of Evanston Sermon of the Week

This series of messages come from the book of Nehemiah. He was only one person with a broken heart for the city of Jerusalem. The book outlines how God burdened this man’s heart; it was this burdened that moved him to action. The rap against the church today is that we don’t care. How might the church respond to all the brokenness in our time and place? Nehemiah helps us to answer these questions.

Even though the church if Sardis enjoyed a wonderful reputation from the past of being alive, their present reality is on of lethargy and deadness. How does a church slide into lethargy and apathy?

By himself, Nehemiah did not have the resources, or the influence to act on his concern for the city of Jerusalem. He needed support and partners to accomplish the work.

Isaiah’s meeting with Ahaz should have encouraged his faith in Yahweh to deliver Judah from its present predicament. Instead, Ahaz discounts the reassurance Yahweh offers, and compounds his sin by refusing a divine sign.

More than a wish for utopia, the prophet’s words envision a time of true Shalom when through the power of God’s Messiah, the world will be in full accord with God’s purposes.

Isaiah helps us set our hearts on God. The key is not just what we believe but what we value. Prophetic eyes look beyond the world as it is now to a new world in the future. He is saying to us, “Relocate your happiness in the future, in a world that doesn’t exist yet except in the promise of God.”

The shepherds of Israel--prophets, priests, kings--were all behaving badly. God rescues his people by appointing a good shepherd. This messianic promise anticipates the coming of Jesus as the true Prophet, Priest and King.

In response to the completion of the project the people are careful to give glory to God and to remember the Book of the Law.

Certain unfair practices within the community resulted in mistreatment of the poor and the weak. Nehemiah did not ignore such cries but urged the rich and the strong to show compassion for the vulnerable among them.