Stone of Separation

Nehemiah 7

A city is more than walls, gates, and houses. A city is people.

Work was not finished The people existed for the walls (1-6) The walls must exist for the people (7-13) The walls were to protect and separate God’s people were to be different than their neighbors

“Daddy, have I ever seen a Christian?”

“You are the light of the world “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill that cannot be hidden” We cannot allow the world to be a light to us From “ekklesia” comes the English word “church” It means “calling out of” We are called out of darkness and into the light We are building a spiritual house not a physical one

The Stone of Separation

They selected Nehemiah needed the eyes of other men to help oversee the city If the walls were going to stay up, the men needed to be built up in their relationship with God Hanani (7:2) was the one that informed Nehemiah of the destruction in Jerusalem Hananiah (7:2) was a faithful man who feared God more than many

All the completed work could of been undone if the men were not right with God The best way to keep worldliness out of God’s people is to select godly leaders Nehemiah selected men to oversee the city We select men to oversee the church Strong biblical leadership is necessary for a church to build up

They stationed Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:7) The only authority who can come into the church is the Word of God The Bible has given us guidelines to knowing “who is my brother and sister” When the gates were in place, Nehemiah set up guidelines by which to open and close

“Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot” (7:3) “While they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors” (7:3) “Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house” (7:3)

What about our guidelines? We must make sure that Jesus is the only door We must not have an open door policy (II John 9- 11) We must make sure that we leave no unguarded place

They searched God put into Nehemiah’s heart the need to gather all the people and search the genealogies In the list there are: various families and clan, priests, Levites, temple singers, gatekeepers, and various temple servants They searched to see who did not belong there The search uncovered a problem in the priesthood

Some of the priests were not in God’s book Three things kept them out Prohibited marriage (7:61-63) A pagan birth (7:61-63) A pagan name (7:61-63)

We must separate from the world to be known as God’s people and God’s church