The Leader Worth Following
Sermon Notes
When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry.
- Nehemiah 5:6
and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.” “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!” Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
- Nehemiah 5:6-17
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
- Philippians 2:5-7
Table Group Resources
Mixer
What was the highlight of your summer? What are you most looking forward to in this season of group life?
Sermon Questions
Scriptures: Nehemiah 5:6-17; Philippians 2:5-7
Pastor Jared shared the difference between positional and moral leadership. What are the differences between the two? How would you gauge your own leadership in family & career?
In Nehemiah 5:14-16, we see a glimpse of Nehemiah’s Christ-like character. It seems he placed high importance on who was going to be over what he was going to do. Take a moment to think about your character and ask yourself: Does my faith inform my decision-making? If so, how have you lived this out? If not, what is one step you can take today to increase in character versus compromise?
CEO Joel Manby gave Pastor Jared some sage advice: Avoid the temptation to become so obsessed with your To-Do list that you ignore your To-Be list. What does this advice mean to you? In what circumstances might you need to be reminded of this advice the most?
Pastor Jared suggested three To-Be goals:
a. Don’t avoid hard things in life.
b. Work toward a tough skin and a soft heart.
c. Check your entitlements.
What are some more To-Be goals you’d add to this list?
5. Read Philippians 2:5-7. As servants of God, we must decrease in order to increase. Share how you can become a stronger servant-leader in your home, workplace, and sphere of influence.
Serve
To be good neighbors who Go First, we need to get active in our community. If you're interested in being a part of changing the trajectory of our city, join this group to be updated on our service opportunities that will help us do just that! Click here to connect.
Pray
Did you know our Go First Kids Ministry is getting ready for Christmas? That’s right - the Christmas Pageant rehearsals have begun! Please pray for this ministry through the coming months: That the children will be open to how God is going to use them to tell the story, and that God is preparing the hearts of those who will view it and new “A-ha!” moments will be created in their faith.
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”
- Matthew 19:14
