The following sermon was presented by the Reverend John W. Howe, Rector of Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax, Virginia, on January 23, 1983. The title is, The Joy of the Lord, and the scripture reference is the first eight chapters of the book of Nehemiah. 

In both the Old Testament and the Gospel readings this morning, we have accounts of people in the scriptures reading the scriptures. that's not a bad pattern for us they come under their authority and they allow them to influence their lives their thought patterns and their relationships you're familiar I trust with the gospel reading that I just shared with you Jesus returns to his own hometown of Nazareth he's greeted as a favorite son come home again and he's given the scroll to read from he picks a passage that would be very well known to all the people it's very clearly a messianic passage a passage that talks about the day when Messiah is to come it's probably memorized by most of the people he reads it and says this day this passage is fulfilled in your hearing and it says they marveled, they wondered they all spoke well of him but then as he began to press its point many became angry because while they thought they were of the faith he was very constrained to show them that they really weren't. I trust that that's a familiar story the other one may not be so familiar and I'd like to take a little bit closer look at it I trust it may be of some relevance to us. You might care to follow along I'm going to turn back to the book of Nehemiah and start at the beginning of the book, which I think you'll find on page 414 in the Bibles in your pews.

I want to quickly summarize what has happened up to the point of that other reading of Scripture, which Wani did so well. We really ought to give you applause for all those names, Wani. I don't know how long you practiced, but that was fantastic.

Just kind of follow along as I summarize the story. Nehemiah is a minor official in the government of King Artaxerxes of Persia. The story is taking place somewhere around 430 B.C.

What Nehemiah's job is, he's called the cup bearer, but it's more than that. He's kind of a personal attendant and therefore very much an insider in King Artaxerxes' court. He's the descendant of some of those Jews who were taken off into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.

You remember that story, I'm sure, how the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar came through and demolished the kingdom of Judah, basically wiped out the people, but those who survived were taken off captive to be slaves. And now a century and a half have gone by, and the Babylonians, in turn, have been crushed by the Persians. So Nehemiah is still technically a servant, you could almost say a bond slave, and yet he's worked himself into a position of some real privilege.

And what happens is he gets a report from Jerusalem. Some of the Jews have been allowed to return to their ancient capital city and go back and begin to reestablish themselves. Persia has been more lenient than Babylon was, but Nehemiah gets a report from Jerusalem that things are in a total shambles.

and he begins to sense that it's God's call upon his life to personally return to the city of Jerusalem and take leadership in the rebuilding of the whole area to rebuild the temple and more particularly to rebuild the city wall which in those days with that kind of hand-to-hand combat was absolutely critical for the protection of the city and really was a very holy thing. It really was a kind of an extension of the temple itself. I want you to get the dynamics of that.

He's a butler. He's a bond slave. And God is speaking to him and saying, I want you to go back and personally superintend this building project.

And so he asks permission of King Artaxerxes, and the king agrees to let him go. Fairly extraordinary. But he allows him to go, and what we have in the book of Nehemiah is the lengthy and detailed account of the major reconstruction project, the major church expansion project in all the scriptures.

You need to know that I did not pick this text. It's right there in the lectionary for today. But let's just recount the unfolding of the story as it leads up to chapter 8.

The first thing that you notice is that from the very moment the decision to build is announced, chapter 2 and verse 18, there's opposition. Chapter 2 and verse 18. Well, let's even go back to verse 17.

Nehemiah says, I said to them, You see the trouble we are in? How Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer suffer disgrace.

And I told them of the hand of my God which had been upon me for good and also of the words which the king had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. All it took was a leader.

and they were ready to follow and participate. So they strengthened their hands for the good work. But when Sanballat, the Horonite, and Tobiah, the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem, the Arab, heard of it, they derided us and despised us and began to accuse and try to oppose.

From the very moment the decision is made to rebuild, to reclaim, to establish once again this city, for God, there's opposition. And I think that's a principle that runs all the way through Scripture and all the way through holy history. The reason is very clear.

Satan is called the prince of this world. And he doesn't want to give up one square inch. And I don't care whether we're talking about a physical building or whether we're taking this on a spiritual level, figurative level that God is moving in your life to reclaim for Himself some particular area which has not belonged to Him.

I was commenting at the last service that there may be those that began smoking just because it was fun and pleasurable, but over the course of time it stopped being pleasurable and it became an outright bondage. They desperately love to be free of that bondage, but they just can't get free of it. Why?

Because Satan doesn't want their bodies to be given to God. He doesn't want to lose one square inch of territory. And as soon as you make the decision, I'm going to give up smoking or I'm going to give up excessive alcohol or I'm going to give up whatever it is that has been a problem.

I'm going to give my money to God. I'm going to give this relationship to God. Whatever it is, I don't care.

Satan is going to start fighting. You can take it as an absolute guaranteed principle. So long as that area belongs to him, he's going to leave you alone.

As soon as you start getting serious with God, he's going to start taking you seriously. And the moment they decide to build, there's opposition. but notice what Nehemiah says verse 20 then I replied to them the God of heaven will make us prosper and we his servants will arise and build and you have no portion or rite or memorial in Jerusalem sorry about that friends but this city belongs to God this temple will be rebuilt this wall will be reestablished this city is going to be reclaimed for God have you ever heard it said that one man one woman plus God equals a majority that's true that's all it takes the book of Nehemiah is testimony to that fact well by the time they get about halfway done just about halfway done the opposition is so great that they have to begin posting a guard to protect against attack.

Turn over to chapter 4 and verse 15. When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, they were going to come in as an army and destroy the work. When they heard that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work, And from that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail, and the leaders stood behind all the house of Judah who were building on the wall.

Those who carried burdens were laden in such a way that each with one hand labored on the work, and with the other held his weapon. And each of the builders had his sword girded at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me, and I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, the work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.

In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us. I want you to get the picture.

Here's the guy putting the mortar between the bricks, and he's got his trowel in his hand, but here's his sword strapped on the other side if he needs it. And the whole construction crew is divided right down the middle. Half of them are going to build and the other half are going to be prepared if there's an attack to fight.

It's a pretty good parable for Christian ministry. Half of our efforts ought to go to building up the body of Christ. Building up the work that God has given us to do.

And the other half to protecting it from the enemy. So they confound the opposition, totally, totally confound the opposition. And at that point, they begin to face a much more subtle threat in chapter 5.

Because the people of God, the people of God, now begin quarreling with each other. Satan's favorite strategy is to bring division into the body of Christ. How many of you know that?

If he can defeat us with outside opposition, he'll do it. If he cannot do that, I guarantee you he will try to divide us one against another. Again, I don't care what it is we're talking about.

This happens to bear a particular relevance to us as we're in the midst of a construction project. But again, take it on whatever level you want to take it on. Whether we're talking about outreach or evangelism or raising funds or whether we're talking about Bible studies or church school or whatever in the world it is, Satan's favorite strategy will be to divide the body of Christ over what seems to us perfectly legitimate issues to argue about.

I can't work with that guy because he is wrong. Whatever the issue. And if Satan can get us to that point, the work of God grinds to a halt.

We should have anticipated it. Think of the other side of the story. Jesus said, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

So if we don't agree, what are the consequences? It isn't going to be done. If the key to having it happen is that we agree, we don't agree, don't expect it.

Paul said, I appeal to you, brethren, and by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. Now those words are absolutely nonsense. Unless, in fact, it is possible for us by an act of the will to choose to agree instead of disagreeing.

God spoke to us on Friday evening with remarkable clarity along this very same line. Remarkable clarity about the whole business of criticism within the body of Christ. And I commented afterward that it seems to me that this is a message that God is giving to His church throughout the land stay.

Malcolm Smith's current issue has just come out saying God is calling his people throughout the land to set aside their grudges, their petty grievances, their criticisms. God is preparing the bride of Christ, and this is what he's saying, among other things. It doesn't apply in a unique way to Truro. It applies to the whole body of Christ.

But think about it. I said after we heard that message on Friday evening, I know exactly what you're saying to yourself. You're saying, Yes, but.

That's all true, but I have a right to be critical because so and so is wrong. See? Paul says, I appeal to you, brethren, by the mercies of Christ, that all of you agree.

That you choose to agree, that you choose to lay aside whatever it is that is dividing you. Now that's important. See?

But there's something more important. We've got more in common than we've got in conflict. And when the people of God come together, then the power of God is released to accomplish mighty things.

To the Philippians, he wrote, Complete my joy. Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Now, either we can choose to do that in obedience to God, or else those words are absolutely meaningless.

But I don't agree with that. You can choose to set aside your disagreement. And say it's more important that we be together.

Trusting those to whom the responsibility is committed for waiting upon God to guide them and make the right decision. And if they make the wrong one, that He'll point that out to them and correct it before it's too late. I choose to be in agreement with my brother so that the work of God can go forward.

Jesus' high priestly prayer was that we all may be one as the Father and the Son are one. To the same extent, in the same way, one. that you and I, that we together all may be one.

You know what the book of Deuteronomy says? It says that in the strength of the Lord, not by yourself to be sure, but in the strength of the Lord, in the empowerment of the Spirit of God, one man can chase a thousand. and two men can chase 10,000.

Do you catch that? Not two men can chase 2,000, it geometrically multiplies. In the strength of the Lord, as we come together in unity, we can utterly overwhelm the enemy.

That's what God has to say about it, and you can just anticipate, if that's the truth, then what is Satan going to try to do? He's going to try somehow to divide us. I wonder sometimes if a visitor were to descend upon this planet from Mars or Neptune or Pluto or some other place, were to visit most of our cities, come into the city square and find the Baptist church on this corner, and right across the street, here's the Presbyterian church, over here is the Episcopal, and over here is the Roman Catholic, would he ever, ever dream that we are one?

I mean, would that ever occur to him that we're one? How successful Satan has been in undoing the will of God by setting us at odds with each other because unimportant things become important. But those Catholics pray to the Virgin Mary.

We can't be one with them. That's true. They do.

many of them pray to the Virgin Mary do you think that we have less in common with them than that? that they all may be one that the world may know that you have sent me that's the proof of the pudding and Satan's favorite strategy in a phrase is divide and conquer divide and conquer and so the work of God stands up successfully to a secular opposition. They beat that back successfully and then it is almost undone because the people of God begin bickering with each other.

Praise God, he raises up a Nehemiah who sorts out the bickering and puts that behind them and the work moves on toward completion. And just before the service of rededication, you can go on and read the book in its entirety and see that, But just before the service of rededication, when the city is to be reestablished as God's holy city, Nehemiah says, the Lord put it into my heart and my mind to assemble the people for the reading of God's word. You see, what he realized was that God is principally concerned with what's going on inside the walls.

as important as the walls are. He's principally concerned with what's going on inside them. And we can erect the most gorgeous walls to this city, and yet if we're not right before God, those walls are just going to be a mockery.

You can have the most beautiful temple in all the world, and it's going to be an abomination to God if what's going on inside it doesn't accord with His Word. And so he calls the people together for the reading of God's Word. And at that point we come up to chapter 8.

I don't know what they expected when they came together. They might have thought they were just coming for a pleasant little ritual. A perfunctory religious observance.

You know, the way we sometimes have Bible readings on Fourth of July and Thanksgiving and that sort of thing. The implication is that they had not heard God's Word read for a very, very long time. And Ezra the priest got up in the pulpit and began to read.

It says the people stood up for the reading of God's Word and he began to read. it appears as if there was a very great deal of reading because it says they read. Ezra got tired and somebody else took over and read for a while and he got tired and somebody else took over and the people listened as God's Word was being proclaimed.

And then it says, and they interpreted it to them so that everybody could understand what God's Word meant. And I just wonder if, among other things, this is what they heard. if you are not careful to do all the words of this law which are written in this book that you may fear the glorious and awful name the Lord your God then the Lord will bring upon you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions afflictions severe and lasting and sicknesses grievous and lasting and he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt which you were afraid of, and they shall cleave to you every sickness also and every affliction which is not recorded in the book of this law the Lord will bring upon you until you are destroyed.

Deuteronomy chapter 28. See what the law of God says is obey and be blessed, disobey and face the consequences. and for generations the word of God had been neglected and the people heard this word being proclaimed and they realized that their great great grandparents had broken every single one of the laws of God and that's why they were overcome by the Babylonians in the first place the book of Deuteronomy is incredibly explicit on the verge of entering the promised land for the first time it says you're coming into a land of milk and honey and great blessing a land like you have never imagined God is pouring out his blessing upon you but be forewarned if you don't keep the covenant you're going to lose it all and go into captivity and suffer punishment.

And they broke the covenant and that's exactly what happened. And Ezra begins to read the word of the law and God's Spirit begins to move among the people and it says they wept. They wept as they faced up to their sin.

As they were convicted in their hearts and their minds that they were guilty. They had done it all and God had kept His Word. They were convicted and they wept.

Peter says in the New Testament, the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. And I wonder when God's people are going to begin weeping. Weeping at the brokenness and the division.

Weeping at what has become of this land of ours that was given to God as a light to the nations. We had a march in Washington yesterday. 26,000 people turned out.

That's all. To take a stand to make a kind of a visible prayer. Do you realize, I commented on this on Friday evening because it's one of those things that just sticks in your mind.

Do you realize that the Veterans Administration has tallied up that all the soldiers who have died in all of the wars that America has ever fought are 1,152,821 people. 1,152,821 in all the wars that America has ever fought. And in the last ten years, we have put to death 12 million unborn.

When are God's people going to begin weeping? Billy Graham said not long ago that if God does not punish America, he's going to have to apologize to Nazi Germany. When are we going to begin weeping?

The divorce rate in this country has hit 50%. And you look at most of our churches, and among Christians, it's almost as high as among the secular society. When are we going to begin weeping?

We're building a church. No. We're building a building. This is the church inside it.

And God is building a church. He's getting a church ready for the coming of His Son. And He wants that church to be prepared.

The bride ready to meet the bridegroom. Fortunately, the story doesn't end there. Nehemiah saw what was happening and he said, listen, listen, I haven't called you together to pronounce judgment upon you.

I have called you together because this day is holy to the Lord. I have called you together to rejoice in who God is. To rejoice not that He punishes sin, but that in His mercy He forgives sin and gives us a new beginning.

This day is holy to the Lord. Stop crying! He forbade anybody to cry.

And he said this, The joy of the Lord is your strength. Do you understand that? You say, but I can't do it.

I just can't do that. I just don't have it in me to do what God requires. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Choose to let God be your joy and you'll find His power being released in you to be what He wants you to be. Yes, there is a time for weeping. And then we look to the Lord Himself who supplies joy for strength to go on to celebrate.

Do you follow what I'm saying? God is more concerned with what's going on inside this building than He is with the building. and I believe that His word to us this day is first and foremost put away division number two determine to abide by His word and number three to let Him be our joy book of Jeremiah says let not the wise man glory in his wisdom let not the mighty man glory in his might Let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in this, that he knows and understands me, says the Lord.

Let's bow our heads together. Lord, when we rejoice in other things, we find ourselves involved in a total collapse. when we rejoice in You we find Your strength empowering us.

Lord, this day we would choose to make You our joy. We joy in You. And Lord, we choose this day as Your people in the name of Christ under the power of your Spirit to put aside division for your great namesake.

Amen.