Hello. I suddenly tried to get up from my chair, but I couldn't put strength into my back. Suddenly. So sitting down is fine. Yes. Now today we will look at the latter part of Nehemiah. Chapters 1 to 6 are all about completion, right? So up to this point, we have built the temple, right? And after building the temple, since there were no walls, enemies invaded, and Nehemiah prayed to God and completed the walls. But what happens when the walls are completed, everyone? When the walls are completed, can we just leave the walls alone? No, right? Who is needed for the walls? Who is needed? We need watchmen to guard the walls. That is what this is about.
In today's verse 3, it says, “I said to them, ‘Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and while they stand guard, let them shut the doors and bar them. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their posts and some near their own houses.’” Right. Nehemiah is telling the people living in front of their houses to be watchmen for the walls. Everyone, we need watchmen to protect us. Especially in our faith, in our families, and in our church, what is absolutely necessary is a proper watchman. Nehemiah knew this precisely, and so he tells all the people of Israel to be watchmen for the walls in front of their houses.
Everyone, we also want to be proper watchmen. So we want to be those who can protect the church, the family, and ourselves that God has entrusted to us. Therefore, today's sermon title is 'We Must Be Proper Watchmen.' However, to become proper watchmen, first, we need to check our priorities. We need to know what to do first, right? Yes. But in chapter 7, we see what Nehemiah does as a spiritual watchman and what his priorities are.
First, we must prioritize worship. After Nehemiah completed the walls, what does he do first in chapter 7, verse 1? When the temple is built, he puts up the doors and appoints gatekeepers, singers, and Levites. Who are the Levites? They are the priests, right? Nehemiah first appoints the priests for worship. But this is not just at this time. He did this from the time he was building the walls. From the time he was building the walls, Nehemiah prioritized worship. So if you go to the earlier part in Nehemiah 3, it says that the high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests arose and built the Sheep Gate. There was a lot to do, but what did Nehemiah prioritize first? It was making the Sheep Gate, where the sacrificial lambs would come in and out. Why? Because to worship God, the sacrificial animals must be holy. They must be without blemish, right? So he built the Sheep Gate first to prevent people from wandering around where the sacrificial animals would be brought in. Why? Because worship was a priority. Worship was always Nehemiah's priority. Worship is first.
And later, in the latter part of Nehemiah, we see that Nehemiah always cares about worship. So in Nehemiah 13, which is the latter part, it says, “In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; so I admonished them on the day they sold food.” What are they doing on the day they should be worshiping? Nehemiah stopped them. Why? Because worship is a priority. Everyone, is worship the highest priority in your life? Yes. Or is success in your job, prosperity in your business, health, weekend trips, or something else your priority? Please reflect on that.
Especially in English, the word for religion is 'religion.' Right? It comes from the Latin word 'religio,' which means to bind. So religion refers to the binding of God and His saints. Especially through what? Through worship. So when we worship, we are bound together with God. Yes. That is what is needed. Because in Psalm 127:1, it says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” Right? No matter how well the watchman does, he cannot do it alone. God must be the watchman with him. So how does that happen? Worship must take place. When proper worship happens, God becomes the watchman with us. Why? Because through worship, we experience God's presence, God's companionship, and our binding with God.
Yes. Therefore, we need to check whether our worship is truly a worship that is bound with God. Through our worship, do we experience God's presence, and through our worship, can we testify that while I stand as a watchman, ultimately, it is God who stands as the watchman?
Especially David Pink, a world-renowned mental health expert, says that there are four essential things for a person. He says that four things are absolutely necessary for mental health: first, one must work. Yes. He says that the reason people who win the lottery suffer mentally is that they do not work. So to be mentally healthy, one must work. The second is that one must rest. To be healthy, one must rest. The third is that one must love. He says that living with loved ones stabilizes the heart. And the fourth is that one must worship. He says that these four things are absolutely necessary for our mental health: working, resting, loving, and worshiping. But what this person does not know is that these four things should already be part of our worship. Everything we do in the world, including work, is part of our worship. Resting is keeping the Sabbath, right? Resting is also part of our worship. And loving is indeed part of worship. And worship itself. So all four of these are already part of our worship. That is what the Apostle Paul desires for our lives. The Apostle Paul. So in Romans 12:1, it says, “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” When all four of these become our entire lives, that is when we offer our spiritual worship.
But the important thing is that for our entire lives to become worship, we must be offered as living sacrifices. Our entire lives must become living sacrifices. This leads us to the second point. A proper watchman must prioritize the fear of God. Nehemiah did not appoint people based on their appearance, skills, or educational background. In today's verse 2, it says, “I gave my brother Hanani charge over Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.” Everyone, fearing God means living a holy life. It means living a life that is a holy living sacrifice. God desires this from us. He wants our lives to be lived in the fear of God and in holiness. That is why Nehemiah continues to emphasize this throughout the book of Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 10:30, it says, “We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.” Why? Because idolatry would defile God's holiness. So Nehemiah constantly emphasizes the fear of God, living a holy life, and proper marriages.
Later, Nehemiah goes so far as to rebuke them. In Nehemiah 13:25, it says, “I confronted them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair.” Why? Because they were marrying foreigners, and he caused a scene at the wedding. He struck them. This person is amazing, right? Thank goodness he is not a pastor. He is a cupbearer. He is not a pastor yet. If he were a pastor, he shouldn't do that, but since he is a cupbearer, he strikes them. But it doesn't end there; he goes and pulls their hair out. This makes me think that perhaps this is where the Korean tradition of cutting hair to prevent daughters from going out comes from. Why? Because the fear of God and holiness are more important than anything else for a watchman. Everyone, a watchman must guard well; they cannot accept bribes and open the gates. Right? Keeping holiness is of utmost importance. We must reflect on whether we are keeping holiness.
People from China, Japan, and Korea all use chopsticks. Right? But interestingly, in the past, Koreans used silver chopsticks. If they had money, they used silver chopsticks. Why? Because they could check if the food was poisoned before eating. That should be our spiritual level. We must always be alert and know whether what we are about to eat or drink is spiritually poisonous before we live our lives. That is the proper image of a watchman.
Thirdly, the priority of a watchman must be dedication and loyalty. Everyone, imagine being a watchman in the city. If the watchman does not come at the appointed time, and the watchman is absent, is the city safe? No. Proper dedication is needed. And loyalty is necessary. Loyalty means always being present and keeping that position at all times. Only when that person has dedication and loyalty can they be a proper watchman. If there is no dedication and loyalty, if they are absent now and then, how can we trust that person to guard the city? It doesn't work that way. A proper watchman must have dedication and loyalty.
Everyone, we are the same. To be watchmen who guard God's church, our families, and ourselves, we must serve the church. We must be dedicated. And we must be loyal. Right? But at that time, the people of Jerusalem were truly dedicated people. Because in Nehemiah 7:3, it says, “I said to them, ‘Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and while they stand guard, let them shut the doors and bar them. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their posts and some near their own houses.’” Then it gets funny. They must guard in front of their own houses. But the city is large, and the inhabitants are few, and they have not yet built their houses. They are prioritizing guarding first. They haven't even completed their own houses, but they are dedicating themselves to guard the city. These people prioritized the dedication to God's church. This is something we should emulate.
And even though their own houses were not completed, they contributed. In verse 70, it says that some of the leaders gave to the work, and the governor also contributed. The governor gave 1,000 drachmas of gold and 530 priestly garments to the storeroom. And some leaders gave 2,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver to the storeroom. The rest of the people contributed 20,000 drachmas of silver and 67 priestly garments. From the highest to the lowest, they all contributed even though their own houses were not built. We see their dedication. But why did they do this? Out of gratitude. They were grateful because God had led them to the temple of Jerusalem. That was it. They saw that they had no houses, they were not safe, and there was a mountain of work to do. However, they were grateful just for being called God's people.
Everyone, we are the same. Why should we prioritize dedication and loyalty? The reason is because of the grace of the cross that saved us. Because of the grace of the cross that saved us, we want to be those who fulfill the role of watchmen building the body of Christ. However, when researchers study churches, they say that most churches have less than 5% of people who are dedicated. Less than 5%. I don't know about our church. If we consider attending small group meetings as dedication, that is significant, but the problem is that after it ends, cleaning up and other things are not considered dedication. Anyway, let us reflect on how we are dedicating ourselves to build the body of Christ. For those who are dedicated, what is required is also stated in 1 Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” Faithfulness.
So when Nehemiah appointed people, he looked for this. That is why in Nehemiah 7:2, it says, “I gave my brother Hanani charge over Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man.” Earlier, he was a man who feared God, and here it says he was faithful. Faithfulness is nothing other than keeping one's position. And while keeping that position, doing what one is supposed to do faithfully. It is not about meddling in others' affairs but being faithful in one's own duties. The watchmen of the body of Christ build the church.
Faithfulness. The church likes to use the word 'special' in front of things. For example, special early morning prayer. Why is that? Because it attracts people. Those who love the special too much are often far from faithfulness. Yes. It is not just about coming to special early morning prayer; it is about being someone who comes even when it is not special. We must remember that is a faithful person. Yes. And above all, those who are entrusted with positions must be faithful. At that time, it seems that those people were faithful. Yes. The city of Jerusalem was empty. But in verse 1 of Nehemiah 11, it says that the leaders of the people dwelt in Jerusalem. They were loyal because of their position as leaders.
When I look at the leaders in our church, they seem to be serving the church diligently. It looks very good. I am thankful. After I got sick, the most envious thing is seeing those who walk around the church. I envy those who walk around the church. I think, “I could do that too.” But who are the leaders of the church? Who do you think the standard leaders are? Elders? Is it just the elders? Or deacons and deaconesses? No, in the eyes of our Lord, we are all leaders. Because we are a royal priesthood, we must keep that position faithfully. But this is not easy. It seems it was not easy back then either. So in verse 2, it says, “The people blessed all the men who volunteered to dwell in Jerusalem.” Yes. No one forced them; they volunteered, and that is the most precious thing. Because they volunteered, it was precious, and those who saw it blessed them. It is truly precious.
But the problem is that the volunteers were not enough. Yes. There were too many people, and they could not fill the positions. So reluctantly, if we go back to verse 1, it says, “The leaders of the people dwelt in Jerusalem, and the rest cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem.” So some people who volunteered were blessed, but those who were chosen by lot might have felt bad. They might have thought, “I should have volunteered.” I hope you all understand what that means. Volunteering is a blessing. We must volunteer. Yes. We want our church to be filled with volunteers, not forced commitments.
The most foolish aspect of faith is trying to live a life of faith without burdens. Yes. There cannot be a life of faith without burdens. Why? Because Satan always attacks. Therefore, serving comfortably, dedicating comfortably, makes the word loyalty seem precious. Right? As gatekeepers and watchmen, let us reflect on whether we are prioritizing dedication and loyalty.
Secondly, a proper watchman must have a new vision. In today's verse 4, it says that the city was Jerusalem, and after everything was done, it was too large. It was vast. But the inhabitants were few, and they had not yet built. There might have been complaints among them. Some might have said, “Why did we build such a large city? The walls are so big, but there are no people. We could have just built it adequately.” There were probably many complaints. However, that is not what God desires. Right? If you are a watchman and you are guarding that vast city at night, a proper watchman should pray. “God, thank you for granting us this great city. Now please fill it. Lord, what do you want to do through this city? Please make it great. Please bring revival. Please use this city.” Such prayers should naturally come from a proper watchman. It is not about thinking, “Why did you give me this big task and make it burdensome?” That is not a proper watchman.
The same goes for us. We are watchmen who guard the church, our families, and ourselves. If God has abundantly given us something, we should dream with it. We must have a vision. We must have a vision. Therefore, to align our vision with God's vision, we want to be watchmen filled with joy because of the God who fulfills that vision. And to achieve that, thirdly, we must be people of prayer. A praying watchman is a proper watchman.
Everyone, when we look at Nehemiah, everything started with prayer. Everything began with the prayer of one person, Nehemiah. He was serving the king when someone came and told him that our people were suffering in Jerusalem because there were no walls. Nehemiah began to pray alone. But the prayer of this one person brought about an incredible history. One person's prayer. We see that the prayer of one person leads to tremendous history. It changes the world, it changes Jerusalem, and it changes the people of Israel. You do not know how precious each person's prayer is. As someone who preaches, one of the things I am grateful for is seeing those who pray for worship within us. Yes. Because of your prayers, I can preach like this, and I am thankful. The prayer of one person.
However, Nehemiah's prayer has a unique aspect. I want to look at the prayers mentioned in Nehemiah. Nehemiah prayed for twenty days, and all the Israelites gathered, fasting, wearing sackcloth, and putting dust on their heads, confessing their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. On that day, I stood in my place and confessed. In verse 2, it says that they gathered and confessed. They prayed prayers of repentance. They were repenting. But what is interesting is that even though they were already repenting, verse 3 is interesting. On that day, while they were standing in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the Lord. Even though they were already repenting, they read the Book of the Law. What does this mean? It means that while they were repenting, they were given more topics to repent about. Usually, when we repent, we expect to hear, “You are forgiven,” but Nehemiah's prayer is characterized by continuously giving topics for repentance even while repenting. So they continued to confess their sins and worship the Lord God. Why did they do this? This teaches us a very important part of what Nehemiah's prayer is. It is a prayer that desires to repent until there is change.
Usually, what do we prioritize in prayer? We prioritize answers. Right? We prioritize answers. But as Swindoll said, prayer is not about needing answers; it is about wanting to change into the image that God desires. It is about being transformed. That is the prayer in Nehemiah. That is why it continues to give the word, because it is about change. It is not just about ending in repentance but about changing. Change. Right? Our prayers should be like that. From now on, while answers are important, we must ask God through prayer, “How do you want me to change?” That is the kind of prayer of repentance we need.
One time, a newly appointed president of a women's fellowship asked the pastor, “How can I do this well?” Usually, the pastor would say, “Pray,” and offer to pray for the women's fellowship. But this pastor uniquely said, “When you pray, pray that God helps you see yourself more accurately.” He told her to pray that way. In some sense, he might have been saying, “You need to know yourself.” But this person prayed, “God, help me see myself accurately.” The more she prayed this way, the more she experienced that it was not the members of the women's fellowship who were not working but that it was her fault. She realized that she was the problem. She was the one who needed to change. She realized that her service was the issue. Her words were the problem. And as she realized this, repentance naturally followed. Repentance.
God helped her see how inadequate she was, and that led to repentance. But the more she repented, the more the women's fellowship changed. The more she repented, the more she herself changed, and she saw others change alongside her. Everyone, we want our prayers to be like that. We want to see ourselves through the Holy Spirit in prayer. So we want to see how inadequate we are and how we need to change.
Everyone, Jacob wrestled with an angel at the Jabbok River, right? We all know that well. But God struck Jacob's hip socket, and Jacob became lame. So what was the conclusion of Jacob's prayer? He became lame. Jacob never prayed to become lame. He never even thought of it. Jacob prayed because he wanted his brother Esau to change and not kill him, but God answered Jacob by making him lame. In a way, he could have complained about that. Right? But what God wanted was that through that prayer, He wanted Jacob to change. He wanted Jacob, who relied only on his own strength, to now rely only on God. That was Jacob's prayer.
Yes. We are the same. Why do we pray? To receive answers. To do well, of course, it is important to pray that way. However, we must also reflect on whether God is telling us to change through this prayer, to repent, and to see ourselves first through God's eyes. That is the part we need in our prayers. Some people think that when they are told to repent, it means just discovering their sins. No. That is not repentance. We must go further.
We can think of Judas Iscariot and the tax collector. Both Judas Iscariot and the tax collector were sinners. Right? They were both sinners. But the results were completely different. Why? Because Judas Iscariot thought that just discovering his sin was enough for repentance. But he did not want to expose himself to others because it would hurt his pride. In some sense, he probably did not want to show that side to others. So the method of repentance he chose was suicide. Dying without anyone knowing. He probably thought that was the easiest way. But that is not repentance. The kind of repentance the Lord desires is that of the tax collector. What did the tax collector do? He met the Lord. And he repented. And he gave back all the money he had extorted. He openly showed how sinful he was. He revealed that he was inadequate and wrong. And he compensated for it. That was the tax collector's repentance.
Everyone, what about our repentance? Do we think that just discovering our sins is enough for repentance? No. It is about being transformed and serving others, lifting others up. That is the proper image of repentance. Right? The people of Israel at that time were indeed repenting properly. Because they repented properly, what happened? The people of Israel experienced God's love through their repentance. While repenting, they experienced love. In today's verse 31, it says, “Yet in your great mercy you did not utterly consume them nor forsake them, for you are God, gracious and merciful.” What does this mean? While repenting, they continuously repented without end. They repented from their ancestors to themselves without end. While repenting, they realized, “We deserve to be judged. We deserve to be punished and to die.” But then they saw that they were still alive. Their nation was still intact. Seeing that, they realized, “Ah, this is God's mercy. He has compassion on us.” That confession in verse 31 is the experience of love through repentance. Yes. They experienced love through repentance.
But it does not end with experiencing love; eventually, they experienced something in verse 38. It says, “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites, and our priests are affixing their seals to it.” They affixed their seals. The seal of the Holy Spirit was affixed. What does this mean? Through their repentance, the Holy Spirit was sealing them. What does this mean? It means, “You are my people.” This was sealed through their repentance. Through their prayers. Yes. And this sealing means that no one can break it. God signed it. It is finished. God signed it. Yes. Just like in Ephesians 1:13, it says, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” Through the sealing of the Holy Spirit, we became eternal children of God. But not only children, but we also became beings who must live under the help of the Holy Spirit.
The people of Israel were the same. Through this sealing, what happened? First, they resolved to keep sexual purity. But we can compare this to the priority of the watchman, right? The second priority was to fear God and live a holy life. Through the sealing of the Holy Spirit, they were now receiving the help of the Holy Spirit and resolved to live holy lives. They decided to live that way. So the priorities of the watchman were now properly fulfilled through the help of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer. Right? And secondly, they resolved to keep the Sabbath thoroughly. That is also part of the priorities. Worship was a priority, and that is right here.
And the third was dedication and loyalty. They resolved to set apart God's things. But how does this relate to dedication and loyalty? In verse 32, it says, “We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God.” This is in addition to the tithe. They gave material things. Why? Because the church was not functioning. At that time, the church had no money, so the priests had nothing to eat. They could not serve. They could not fulfill their dedication and loyalty, so the congregation gave beyond their tithes. That is what it means. That also falls under the priorities we discussed earlier. Right? Dedication and loyalty. As we reflect on ourselves, repent, and discover ourselves, when we come before God, not only do we experience God's love through prayer, but through the sealing of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the priorities of the watchman. The watchman guards the church, the watchman guards the family, and the watchman guards ourselves. That is how we become proper watchmen. That is what we desire to be.
Now, to conclude the message, the hymn we will sing after the sermon is “When all is done, I will come before the Lord and offer a more sincere worship.” That worship is not just about our singing and the worship that ends with the benediction. Now, as you go out into the world, living, working, resting, and loving, that is when you become a proper watchman who offers a more proper worship. That is a true worshiper. A person who prioritizes worship, a person who prioritizes dedication and loyalty to the body of Christ, a person who prioritizes godliness and the fear of God, and to fulfill that, a person who prays and seeks to change themselves. So through that prayer, we experience love and receive the sealing of the Holy Spirit, and now, while living, we look at the city of Jerusalem, we look at the church, we dream of a new vision, and we dream with God. May we all live as proper watchmen fulfilling our roles. I bless you in the name of the Lord. Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for telling us today that we are the watchmen who guard the church, the family, and ourselves in Your kingdom. Now, we want to be proper watchmen. We want to live lives where worship is a priority, and through worship, we walk with You in Your presence. May we not be watchmen alone, but may we be proper watchmen with You as our watchman. Make us godly and help us to fear You. So that Satan may not find any opportunity. May dedication be a priority, and may we live lives of loyalty. But we are inadequate. Seal us with the Holy Spirit. Help us. Therefore, may we be those who pray to change. Father, may our prayers be transformed. May we see ourselves through prayer, repent, and be changed. And as proper watchmen, may we dream of Your kingdom and fulfill Your will as faithful watchmen. Now, may our worship not end here but may we be those who offer proper worship as we go out into the world. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.