Nehemiah personally joined the workers laboring to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 4:23). Why? He was the governor of Judah. Didn’t he understand that becoming a servant is beneath the dignity of a good leader?
Speaking the Truth in Love
Speaking the Truth in Love
Sermons on Attitude and Character (Page 8)
The Bible teaches both slaves and masters to remember the Master in heaven (Eph. 6:5-9). The basic principles implied in this teaching also apply to workers and employers in a free society.
Nehemiah was a great leader. He saw a serious problem, prayed about it for months, formulated a vision for resolving it, and boldly asked the king of Persia to support it. But the plan to rebuild ruined Jerusalem would have failed if the people had refused to work (Neh. 2:18).
Paul urges the church to put off the old nature and “put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). But what do real “righteousness and holiness” look like?
“Do not be conformed to this world,” the Bible says, “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). How do we experience renewal? Read the Bible more? Pray more? Great ideas, but we’ve probably done these things before. Paul challenges us to try something different.
Newlyweds may be surprised to learn that marriage doesn’t erase all conflict, that relational friction is completely natural. New Christians may be surprised to learn that conflict in the church is also to be expected. Preachers, elders, and saints sometimes make each other sad (Heb. 13:7, 17, 24).
A growing congregation showers young people with attention and encouragement. This is a good thing. But elderly people sometimes feel forgotten or even useless. Daniel’s experience forces us to see advanced age in a new light (Dan. 6:1-24).
Persecution tempted the recipients of Hebrews to drift away from Jesus. Flirting with this temptation always has a corrupting influence on Christian conduct (Heb. 13:1-6). Hebrews 13 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with…
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