Sermon Audio
In Nehemiah 5 we are forced to consider the brokenness of our
world as we read of famine, slavery and oppression. Nehemiah successfully challenges
the people’s sin, and they swear an oath to change their ways. But we know from the
rest of the book that though he changed people’s behavior for a time, he was ultimately
unable to truly change people’s hearts. His failure in this area points us to Jesus, the
only one who has the power to give us new hearts of flesh fit for the Holy Spirit’s
presence. We will also ponder how we, just like Nehemiah and his contemporaries, we
live in the now and the not yet. As Spirit filled Christians, we still sin, despite God’s
transforming work in us. Truly, like Nehemiah, we are waiting for a move of God,
namely, Jesus second coming to make all things new and set all things right.