Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Constant Reformation! (Nehemiah 13:4-31)

Bryan Schneider · December 14, 2019

Nehemiah 13:4-31

sharonrpc.org/sermons/constant-reformation

Summary

Nehemiah returns after an extended absence to find that earlier covenant renewal has eroded, demonstrating the recurring need for reformation according to God's Word.
Eliashib has given temple space to Tobiah while offerings and ministry are neglected; Nehemiah removes the corruption, restores the sacred rooms, and appoints trustworthy stewardship.
Neglected tithes force Levites and singers from their appointed service, exposing how affluence, busyness, and misplaced priorities can forsake God's house.
Nehemiah confronts ordinary commerce on the Sabbath and restores a day ordered to worship, rest, mercy, necessity, and encouragement rather than relentless productivity.
Intermarriage with worshipers of other gods has drawn families away from covenant faithfulness and left children unable to understand the language of Scripture; the issue is allegiance to God, not ethnicity.
The sermon rejects both legalism and lawlessness: believers pursue reform through faith and the Spirit, neither earning righteousness by rules nor dismissing God's commands.
Constant reformation begins with honest inspection, repentance, and renewed delight in God's law, while confidence rests in the perfect Savior who completes his work in his people.

Why did Jerusalem need reform again after the covenant renewal of chapters 9-12?
What did Tobiah's temple room reveal about neglected worship and compromised leadership?
How can busyness or affluence displace first devotion to God?
Why did failure to provide for Levites and singers amount to forsaking God's house?
How does the sermon distinguish Sabbath delight from both ordinary commerce and legalistic rule-making?
Why is the intermarriage problem about worship and covenant allegiance rather than ethnicity?
How can Christians avoid the opposite ditches of legalism and lawlessness?
Which part of personal or congregational life presently needs inspection and reformation by Scripture?

Semper reformanda: ‘Always reforming,’ the continuing return of personal and church life to God's Word.
Profanation: Treating what God sets apart as common, illustrated by corrupt temple use and ordinary commerce on the Sabbath.
Sabbath: God's recurring gift and command of worship and rest, permitting works of necessity and mercy.
Unequal yoke: A binding partnership in which allegiance to an unbelieving way of life pulls a believer away from faithfulness to God.
Legalism: Seeking righteousness or favor through rule-keeping rather than obeying from faith in God's grace.
Lawlessness: Using grace or historical distance as an excuse to dismiss God's moral commands.