Nehemiah 5

1. Situation
   1. Famine in the land (v. 3)
   2. Taxation from Persia; likely increased taxation to pay for the wall
   3. Exploitation of the poor
      1. Shortage of food for many
      2. Forced to mortgage property
      3. Forced to borrow with high interest rates
      4. Forced to sell children into slavery
   4. Note: the guilty are not foreigners, but their own countrymen

II.   Nehemiah’s Response

1. 1. “Very angry”
      1. God’s people ought to be angry over social injustices
   2. Pondered these things—took counsel with himself; mastered his feelings
   3. He directly confronted those guilty—nobles and officials
   4. The problem was not loaning them money; rather their greedy gain at the expense of the people
   5. V. 8—their guilt is so clear they don’t respond

III.    The Right Heart

1. 1. “Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God?”
   2. Vs. 14-19—Nehemiah did not use his position to gain ‘the good life’
   3. His heart was to lead by serving the people

IV.    God’s Heart for the Poor and Needy

1. 1. One of the dangers of church growth strategy is trying to get the “key” people to come to church
   2. Church is not a business—one cannot measure success by the bottom line
   3. Are we effectively reaching out to people with needs?
   4. God has a heart for the poor and needy: Lev. 25:35ff, Mark 10:21, Matthew 25:31-46; James 2:14-17
   5. Our ultimate task is NOT about building up our building or our reputation or our numbers, it is about effectively reaching the people for Christ