Correcting the Drift
Robby Pollard, Lead Pastor
Nehemiah 1:3
3And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."
Nehemiah 7:1
1Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,
“jeered at us and despised us”
Nehemiah 2:19
“angry…and greatly enraged”
Nehemiah 4:1
“plotted together…to fight against…cause confusion”
Nehemiah 4:8
Nehemiah 4:3
3Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!”
Nehemiah 12:31
31Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate.
מה אומר השועל?
Nehemiah 12:43
43And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.
Nehemiah 12:44-47
44On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. 45And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. 46For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.47And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.
Nehemiah 12:44
44On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.
Nehemiah 12:45
45And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon.
Nehemiah 12:44
44On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.
Nehemiah 12:47
47And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.
“People go through three conversions: The conversion of their head, their heart, and their pocketbook. Unfortunately, not all at the same time.” - Martin Luther
Nehemiah 9:38
38“Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.
Nehemiah 10:28
28“The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding,
Nehemiah 10:29
29join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes.
Nehemiah 10:30
30We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.
Nehemiah 10:31
31And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
Nehemiah 10:32
32“We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
Nehemiah 10:39
39For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”
Nehemiah 13:1-31
1On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.3As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.4Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, 5prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. 6While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king 7and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense. 10I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. 11So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. 14Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service. 15In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. 16Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! 17Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” 19As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. 23In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people. 25And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. 27Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?” 28And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. 29Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. 30Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; 31and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
Nehemiah 13:1
1On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,
Nehemiah 13:6
6While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king
The Drift Towards Sin
Detach from the word of God (Neh. 13:3)
Downplay the severity of compromise (Neh. 13:5, 10, 15, 23)
Decision to sin (Neh. 13:5, 11, 15, 23)
Death (Neh. 13:5, 10, 24)
Genesis 3:1
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Genesis 3:4
4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
Nehemiah 4:9
9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
Genesis 3:6
6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:7-8
“7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together…8And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden … the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God…”
James 1:14-15
14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Correcting the Drift
Realign with the word of God (Neh. 13:1, 3)
Recognize the severity of compromise (Neh. 13:11, 17, 27)
Repent of the sin (Neh. 13:3, 8, 15-21, 28, 30)
Nehemiah 13:11
11So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.
Nehemiah 13:17
17Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
Nehemiah 13:27
27Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
“If your repentance has not changed your life, you need to repent of your repentance.”
Matthew 1:1
1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:12
12And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Matthew 1:21
21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Continue the series.
Continue listening to this sermon series or related sermons.
Plan your visit.
Hey there! We know what it’s like to walk into a new place — it can be intimidating. We want you to feel right at home when you visit The Brook.
What to expect.
We’re excited to have you join us at The Brook Church! Here’s everything you need to know about what to expect when you visit for a Sunday morning service. Have questions? See our FAQ below.
65 minute Services
A typical service will last about 65 minutes with a mix of contemporary and traditional music that is led by our worship team. Our pastors share a Biblically-based message relevant to real life.
Students & Kids
Our Students (grades 5–8) and Kids Ministries (infants – grade 4) each offer identical, age-appropriate Bible teaching during both Sunday morning services. High school students (grades 9-12) attend our adult worship services.
Family Worship Days
The last Sunday of each month we come together for Family Worship Services (kids + students + adults worshiping together). Kids ministry is available for infants – pre-K only.
Explore our podcasts.
Discover our collection of inspiring and informative podcasts.
