The Discipline of Celebration

Nehemiah 12: 43-44
43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

44 At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes.

Nehemiah 13:1
On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people

Nehemiah 8:10
The joy of the lord is our strength

“Celebration is central to all the Spiritual disciplines. Without a joyful spirit of festivity, the disciplines become dull, death-breathing tools in the hands of modern pharisees.”
              -Richard Foster, The Celebration of Discipline

Watch Out!

Nehemiah 13: 4-11
4 Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, 5 and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

6 But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission 7 and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. 8 I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9 I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.

10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

What sin are you tolerating in your life?
Where are you mostly obeying what God said…

Nehemiah 13:14
14 Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

What's Next?

“We get caught up in the rhythm of performing an action and forget about the passion that leads us to show up and or it in the first place”
            -Dakoda Neace, last week's sermon

Proverbs 29:18
Without vision the people cast off restraint.

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