Remember Me

Introduction

Well, thematically that was a success, so good job, Aaron. Had never sung that song before in my life. But it was a wonderful thought that we are remembered by the mighty one of heaven. How amazing is the thought that he thinks of me. That he has promised not to forget his people. The privilege of fellowship with him. Throughout Scripture, there is a call to remember. This morning we used the same set of slides to talk about Deuteronomy chapter 8 and the need for the people of Israel to remember God once they got into the land that flowed with milk and honey and not forget him. But sometimes the call is in the other direction for God to remember us. I think of Judges chapter 16 and verse 28.

Samson’s final crisis.

Now, whatever you might think about these last moments of Samson, remember that he finds a place in the great hall of faith. In Hebrews chapter 11. Please remember me, and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. Just a few pages over, in inspiration, we have the prayer of Hannah, not able to have a child, who makes this plea and this vow, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget. But you will give your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head, and thus the great prophet and judge Samuel enters the world.

I think of Exodus chapter 2 and the plea to remember. As the people of Israel are groaning and sighing in bondage, and they cry out. They cry for help because of their bondage, and it says their cry rose up to God, and God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now, I’ve thought about these verses a number of times, that God took notice of them and he remembered his covenant. It’s not like God’s been twiddling his thumbs off somewhere and he’s finally said, Oh, my people are suffering. I’m finally going to pay attention. I’m finally going to do something about their captivity. This is somewhat spoken from the standpoint of our understanding of things, somewhat accommodating. God is known all the way along when the time would be right to act and to bring his people out and begin the fulfillment of the promise that he had made to Abraham long ago.

1. Remember Me, O My God, for Good

But there is one more. And that is Nehemiah chapter 5 and verse 19. And I’ll give you a minute to flip over there. That goes 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah. We had a sermon recently from Nehemiah chapter 4 about sword, spear, shield, and shovel. Now we’re moving one chapter later, a few years down the road from the construction of the wall, a dozen years, in fact, as Nehemiah has become governor of the region. And this prayer comes from his lips in Nehemiah chapter 5 and verse 19. Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. That’s an interesting prayer. The call to God to remember. Remember me for good. According to all that I’ve done for this people. You know, God really doesn’t owe me anything.

After all, he’s been merciful to me already. But he has promised us that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us, 1 John chapter 5 and verse 14. And our eternal salvation is dependent upon our seeking. The one who comes to God must believe that he is and that he’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 6. But this is an interesting prayer. Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I’ve done for this people. Is Nehemiah pleading to God for reward on the basis of merit? The good that I have done. Some thoughts about this verse. What good have you done for him and his cause? As I mentioned, Nehemiah has been governor for 12 years.

He mentions that in verse 14. He says in verse 15 that he did not demand the food allowance that could have been his because he was the governor, because that would have added a more significant burden on the people who are already burdened. And he says, I did not do so because of the fear of God. And verse 15. I would suggest to you that at the basis of this prayer of Nehemiah is the fear of God. Nehemiah and his kinsmen worked alongside those who built the wall. They were participants, not spectators. They got their hands dirty. They were not overlords. And furthermore, they did not secure land for themselves. They did not take the position that was granted, here Nehemiah’s governor, and take advantage of that to his own benefit and to the hurt of his people.

He said, I did not do so because of fear of God. I did not take advantage of the situation to advance myself. James Hamilton Jr. in his Ezra Nehemiah commentary says, He is looking to the great accounting in this prayer. When breathtaking pleasures and heart-filling joys will be known by those who live for God rather than for themselves. Here we see the source of Nehemiah’s selflessness. Nehemiah wants to serve God and God’s people because he believes that living by faith in what he cannot see will be more rewarding than living for what he can see in this life. Adam Clark says, Nehemiah wishes for no reward from man, and he only asks mercy at the hand of his God for what his providence has enabled him to do, and which, according to the good hand of his God upon him, he had done faithfully.

I agree that Nehemiah in his prayer is not demanding anything, nor is he speaking of deserving anything from God’s hand. It’s in essence that he is saying, I’ve been your faithful and sincere instrument. Please deal kindly with me. I don’t think he’s stacking his good deeds and saying, you know, God, you’ve got to let me into heaven. I deserve this. I’ve been sacrificial. I’ve been sincere. I’ve been diligent. I could have taken advantage of the situation, but I haven’t done any of that. You owe me. I don’t think he’s saying that at all. I think he’s saying, you know how faithful I’ve been. You know I’ve put fear of you of head of selfish desires. You know I’ve regarded not just you, but your people and taken into account what was best for them and what role I could play to advance their well-being.

2. How Should We Come to God?

You know the good that I’ve done. I beg you. Please reward. How should we come to God? That’s really what this lesson is about tonight. How should we come to God in prayer? How should we come to God in service? As we said in Hebrews 11, verse 6, the one who comes to God must believe that he is and that he’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. That’s really what Nehemiah is saying. I am a diligent seeker. I beg for your reward. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, the Hebrew writer says, Let us show gratitude, as we talked about this morning, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe. Does that describe you? What you render to God?

What shall I render to the Lord for all of his benefits? Psalm 116. Do you offer what Nehemiah offered? The fear of God. Reverence and all. And because of what you offer. The selfless, sacrificial, sincere, devout. Service that you render. Would you be comfortable with a prayer? Like Nehemiah’s. You know my record. You know who I am inside and out. And he does. He knows every motive of your heart. He knows whether you truly love other people. Your enemies. Your family. Brethren. He knows your prayer life too. He knows the extent of your dependence. Whereas others may not know. So much of our world today is about image. What other people see. How other people regarded me. And we may look around the room and we say, You look just fine as a Christian.

You’re better than most. You’re good. And for some people, that’s the goal. To convince everyone, I’m a good guy. I’m a good gal. I’m righteous. I’m a Christian. And that’s all wonderful well. If it is indeed the truth about you, because God knows the truth. And Nehemiah is not praying this prayer for his buddies over here. It’s between him and God. And he says, Remember me for the good that I’ve done. Would you be comfortable with a prayer like that? There was a fella who one day decided to do something a little odd. At least his neighbors thought it was odd. He just went out and stood in the middle of his field. And the neighbor observed his behavior and just thought, well, that’s unusual. What’s he doing out there standing in the middle of the field?

And it goes back later, and he’s still out there standing in the middle of the field for hours. And so the neighbor finally says, I’m gonna have to go talk to him. So he walks out in the middle of the field and asks his neighbor, Oh, you okay? What are you doing out here? I’ve seen you standing out here all day. He said, Well, I’m fine. I’m trying to secure the Nobel Prize.

What do you mean you’re trying to secure the Nobel Prize? Well, I’ve heard it’s given to those who are outstanding in their field.

3. There Is Something Outstanding About You

Yeah, that’s pretty bad. I think to be outstanding, that might be what I have to pursue. What is outstanding about your behavior? I look at Nehemiah and I see an outstanding man. He just says, Remember me for the good that I’ve done. Remember the leadership we saw in the building of the wall in the previous chapter. I want to ask you tonight, what about you as outstanding in your service to God? So that you’d be comfortable with a prayer. Like Nehemiah’s. And I realize when I asked that question that some might respond, well, there’s not very much outstanding about me at all. I’m sort of in trouble here with this sermon. I don’t feel very outstanding. But then I want to tell you there is something outstanding about you.

And some of you I know pretty well. And some of you are downright stinkers. A real piece of work. Characters. And you give me a hard time to boot. Why did I look right at Noah when I said? He noticed that too. You know what amazes me tonight? How full this auditorium is. You realize in how many places on a five o’clock service on a Sunday night it’d be pretty much a ghost town. You know what’s outstanding about you? Your faith is outstanding. Not just your confidence in God, not just your decision to serve not just him, but his people, but your perseverance in those things. Some of you have been soldiers for a very long time. You’ve gone against the current and the mood of culture and society for many years because of your confidence and dedication to God, like Nehemiah.

And you’ve prayed prayers in the midst of crisis. In good times and bad, you’ve said, remember me. Help me, mighty one. Living by faith, day in and day out, week in and week out, year after year is never a small thing. It is outstanding. And it’s not just your faith, it is the fact that you will exercise restraint. Behavior that other people will engage in that you won’t. It is your devotion daily to God that you’ll read from the Proverbs every week. Found a way to fit that in, didn’t I?

And that you will intentionally season your words with grace so that you can assist others. That wholesome words come out of your mouth that are instructive, a good example, and assist the lives of others. The tongue can be a powerful instrument of good. And the fact that you control yours, that you won’t spout the profanity that so easily rolls off the lips of others. But not only do you refrain from the evil words, but you produce good words that encourage and help. Now, I did this point for one reason. So often I think we don’t give ourselves enough credit. This morning I told you that because of what God has done for us, because of his mercy, his great mercy toward us, because of our incarceration in sin.

Because he has brought us back, the banished ones. We should remove every vestige of pride in ourselves. It is just not about me and my talent and my ability and anything that I achieve. And that’s not what Nehemiah is saying. Nehemiah is simply making a plea based upon his devotion and fear of God. It says, God, remember me. It’s not arrogant, it’s not proud, it’s not demanding. And many of you characterize these things and have every reason to pray a prayer. God, you know how faithful I’ve been. How hard I’ve tried. How much I’ve sacrificed. It’s not all I should have done. And it’s all because of you. But remember me.

Wasn’t that the plea of the thief on the cross? Isn’t it a tragedy that what we do with the story of the thief on the cross is have to explain away false doctrine. That’s what we have to do with that story. Isn’t that a tragedy? We don’t have to do that. Oh, it’s false doctrine to teach that the sinner’s prayer saves from the story of the thief. But let’s don’t miss the wonder of the story. Remember me. Remember me. When he had nothing else, he appealed to the only one that could help it. And whether you’ve ever experienced that, a day is coming. When you’ll realize the one and only one thing you need is the Lord. Remember when you come into your kingdom. And finally, tonight, higher motives, and more meaningful service.

4. Higher Motives and More Meaningful Service

Like Nehemiah, we need to come to God out of love for Him, not merely personal and selfish concerns. I think too often we come to God thinking, I need something and want something. If indeed I’m a sinner and God is the Savior, then I’ve got to go to God because if there are two options, heaven and hell, then I don’t want to go to hell. I want to go to heaven. And so it becomes a completely personal desire that I have. And we should want to go to heaven. Verse is the alternative. But when you come to realization what all of this is really all about, our motive should grow and become more.

It’s about what God deserves. Oh, yes, I have not seen, an ear has not heard all that God has prepared for those who love him. Yes, God has prepared amazing things for his people. He’s done amazing things for his people. And he’s going to do more for us still. But that ought to drive us to a selfless devotion. As it did Nehemiah. Beyond what God is doing for me. The whole enterprise for Nehemiah has been a labor of love. His service has been about filial reverence for God. And heaven’s verdict was all that was important to him. An amazing paradox. The more we gratefully and selflessly serve our key, the more rewarding our service will be. The more grudging we are, the less rewarding. The more giving we are in worship, the more joyful and filling that worship will be.

5. A Faithful Steward of What God Has Given

But if we come here thinking about how this is impacting me, and I’m tired, and I can’t wait till he’s done preaching so we can go eat dinner. If we’re giving grudgingly, we’re going to get less. The more we invest, the more we sacrifice of ourselves, the more we get. The more we lose ourselves in praise, the more thrilling the praise becomes. It’s a paradox. It is more blessed to give than to receive. That’s the paradox. What was Nehemiah at his core? He was a faithful steward of what God has given. I’d already planned to say this, and then I asked Scott, I said, what am I teaching in the next quarter? And he said, stewardship. So this can be really short. I’m going to do a whole quarter on it.

We know the story of the five-talent and the two talent and the one talent man. I don’t know what your talent level is. And of course, that’s talking about money, but certainly we can make an application to the abilities that God has granted each one of us. I don’t know what your capabilities are. But whatever they are, don’t limit them and realize this. Whatever you’ve been granted, pursue being outstanding. Nobody’s going to give you a Nobel prize for being outstanding in the service of the king. Hey. But the reward is going to be far better than any accolade of man. Whatever God has given you the ability to do, supply it. For you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Conclusion

Nehemiah knew to whom he belonged. And he rendered what he could. Let that motivate you this week to glorify God in whatever ways that you can. With your mind, with your lips, in the ways that you deal with others. Concluding thoughts. Glorify. Sensible, ennobling, rewarding. Influential decision of a lifetime. And will provide immortality beyond. Do you realize the decision that Nehemiah made to be a servant of the Lord? The decision that you make, I’m going to be a Christian. I’m going to be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, and I’m going to go the path that the Lord has directed me to go. I’m going to turn from vain things to serve a living and true God. That decision is not only sensible, it is ennobling, it makes your life richer, it is rewarding.

And you will influence many others. It is the most influential decision of your life. Don’t ever forget what the decision to serve the Lord really means. God remember me. Remember us for the good that we have done for you. You’re subject to his invitation. Come now as we stand and we sing.