1. TRUE Dedication! Nehemiah 12:27-47 Beloved in the Lord, welcome to the family of the Lord! As Members of God’s Family! We are to live a life worthy of Christ Name! Worthy of His Praise! Worthy of His Power! To DO THAT, We NEED to be SET – APART to the LORD, a MUST, not an OPTION!

2. FIVE WAYS or DEMANDS in DEDICATION  Pulled into Ministry! … Neh 12:27-29 Numbers 18:1-7 - “Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary,…I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service...” NEW Covenant Priest/Ministers - Jere 31:31-34 & 2 Cor 3:6. Philip 3:7-12, “ 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ….” “Come, Follow Me” – Matthew 6:18-20. 1 Peter 2:21, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:…” 1 Cor 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”

3. Purified to Minister - Neh 12:30 Purification according to the instruction God gave to Moses in Exo 29:4 & Numb 8:6-7! In Malachi 3:3, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.” Hebrew 1:3 that, Christ “…, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:21, “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

4. Positioned to Minister – Neh 12:31,44 Ephesians 4:7-13, “ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift... And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ….; ” Other gifts were also mentioned in Roms 12:6-8.

5. Participation in Diversity- Neh 12:32-43 Our DIVERSITIES must be DEDICATED to the LORD just like the people did! The celebration of the DEDICATION was done with people of diversities – “…for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off…”

6. Prove your Ministry – Neh 12:45-47 The people were NOT just DEDICATED to SERVICE alone BUT PROVE their service by:- Keeping the Charge: - “And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep..,…” 1 King 2:3. Timothy 4:1, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, …Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season…” - ‘Do business till I come.’-Luke 19:13 Giving your Portion: - “... ALL the tithe of the land…IT IS HOLY TO THE LORD.” Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your possessions, … Ezek 44:30, “… cause a blessing to rest on your house.” Malachi 3:10-11, “... be food in My house,.. If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing..”

7. The SUMMARY  Today, our LORD Jesus Christ is CALLING US into TRUE DEDICATION! A CALL to be SET-APART for Him in BUILDING His Kingdom in this world! But this will DEMAND or COST us..: - : -Comfort, fame, riches and honor – Pulled OUT to serve! - : -Cleansed and refined from the works of the flesh – Purified to serve! - : -Our gifts SOLELY to the LORD – Positioned to serve! - : -Our uniqueness is unto the LORD – Participating in diversity to serve! - : -Keeping the Charge and giving our PORTION – Proves our services to the LORD!