Fight for Your Family Being Remembered

Fight for Your Family

Being Remembered

Nehemiah is best remembered as building the wall

But in Nehemiah 5:19 we see his cry to the Lord

A cry to be remembered because of what he did for the people 

Remember me with favor, O my God,

for all I have done for these people. Nehemiah 5:19

How do you want to be remembered by God?

What will bring you favor from God?

How much of what you and I do is for the family, for the people?

How much of what we do serves the “Common Good”? 

Being Remembered

Nehemiah 5 is our cry.

The leaders were taxing the people.

 The people were not prospering

 but going into poverty.

Whether the family is small,

 living under one roof or large like a city…

There is responsibility.

There must be workers and leaders.

The divide between leaders and the

workers has always been a problem.

The problem develops as the perception of

self-interest overcomes the common good.

  

  The leaders were doing a

good job of getting the wall built.

But the people doing a good job of building

the wall were paying a double portion.

When the complaint from the people came to Nehemiah,

 he and the leaders agreed to stop the over taxing.

The leaders cut back for the common good.

Paul the Apostle writes to the Corinthians

concerning the goal of the common good… 

Now to each one the manifestation of

the Spirit is given for the common good.

 1 Corinthians 12:7

Paul reminds the church, the family of God,

of the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit

 God has given each one of us.

Jesus said I will pray to the Father

to give us another Comforter.

This Comforter, the Holy Spirit teaches us…

Truth John 14:16-17

 Peace John 14:27

 Love John 15:9-10

 Joy John 15:11

Wonderful fruit Galatians 5:22-23

The Holy Spirit is very rewarding to us…

 But Paul says the purpose of the Holy Spirit

in your life is for the common good.

Everything the Spirit gives us

is not for self-consumption…

 But to give us the ability to help others.

Ephesians 6: 64 warns fathers…

Fathers, do not exasperate your children;

instead, bring them up in the

training and instruction of the Lord.

Fathers need to lead…

 But leadership always needs to do it

in a way that does not provoke anger.

Fathers and children need to keep focused

on working together for the common good.

This focus and the leadership of vision has to

have love bonding the hearts and minds together.

It takes shared commitment and sacrifice.

  It would seem Nehemiah and the leaders

were blinded to the problem and

burden they were putting on the people.

As soon as the problem was brought to

the leader’s attention, they agreed to reduce

their income and benefits for the common good.

  Their honor and respect were regained

as they showed their desire to see

the common good for everyone.

Every family must teach and live

out the common good principles.

Every member in the family needs to

see they have responsibility to serve.

Parents who do everything for their kid…

Are not teaching them the common good principles.

One of my weaknesses is patience.

I too often do something someone else should

do because it is easier for me to do it then

to get the person responsible to do it.

 The common good is not always

accomplished by equal return.

When you help others…

 Your aim should not be what you get in return…

 But a goal that the ones you

help will be able to help others.

Building the wall took everyone

working together for the common good.

There were areas of the wall where there

was weakness and some families had to

help other families with their portion.

The King James Version says in Romans 13:8…

Owe no man anything, but to love one another:

for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Owe no man anything, but love.

The NIV says it this way…

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the

continuing debt to love one another,

for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

Let no debt remain outstanding

except the continuing debt of love.

Nehemiah is best remembered as building the wall…

 But in Nehemiah 5:19

we see his cry to the Lord.

A cry to be remembered because

of what he did for the people…

 

Remember me with favor, O my God,

for all I have done for these people.

Nehemiah 5:19

How do you want to be remembered by God?

What will bring you favor from God?

How much of what you and I do

is for the family, for the people?

How much of what we do

serves the “Common Good”? 

Scripture Reading

Nehemiah 4:10-15

10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."

11 Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work."

12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."

13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.