A huge part of the Israelites' lives before the Lord, and their commitment to him grew out of their attention to the Lord. We cannot rally the family or set out on any journey together unless we are giving our full attention to the Lord and his Word. Our festival joy doesn’t just grow out of finishing projects, but from the Lord and in his Word, where we find that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”
Rally the Family #3 - Selfless Generosity
The Israelites had sinned. Some were taking advantage of each other. Nehemiah called them to live in the fear of the Lord. He also set the example of selfless generosity. As we live in the “fear of the Lord,” we will seek to do what pleases him, even live selflessly with one another and for him. This includes a life of generous offerings to the Lord. We’ll be looking at Nehemiah 5.
Rally the Family #2 - The Report
Nehemiah asked for a report, but then he went to see for himself what was going on and how things were going. He did it when no one else was looking or watching. He investigated, and then he gave his report to the people of Israel, to those who had returned from exile. We have a report to make to you about the life and health of Mount Lebanon. There is a report to be given to you about the life you get to live for God. There is a report to be given and a report to be heard. Then, after we’ve heard the report – what are we going to do about it? What will you do about it in your life of following Jesus? What will we do as we pursue a mission with him? We’ll be looking at Nehemiah 2.
Rally the Family #1 - The Assessment
Before we tackle anything, we have to know where we are and what is going on. Nehemiah first had to learn what was going on. He had to listen and ask questions. Then, before he could even attend to any work or plan, he begged God to attend to him. “Let your ears be attentive,” he prayed. This is true both in our daily lives and in our corporate lives. What is our baseline? Where is our base camp? This is the beginning of rallying the family. Nehemiah 1.