A Vision for a City Without Limits

Sixteen and final message in a series on Nehemiah by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Scripture: Nehemiah 11-12

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When we come to the closing chapters of Nehemiah there is still much to be accomplished for the restoration of Jerusalem. The exiles have been in the land for over 90 years: The Temple is restored, the city walls have been rebuilt, and the people have experienced a mighty revival. However, the city must be re-inhabited. lf God’s glory was going to return to Jerusalem, people had to be willing to invest their lives to the rebuilding of the city.

1. Our Constant  Nemesis: Drifting from God’s Purpose
Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:3-5)

2. The Grand Theme of Nehemiah Building a City within a City

• Building a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14)
• Jesus speaking
• Neighbor loving
• Community transforming

3. Nehemiah’s Relocation Plan  (Nehemiah 11:1-3)
There were only a few residents living in the city. Most were living in villages. Apparently the housing situation and living conditions in the city were not very good. And so it isn’t surprising that many of the Jews were unwilling to move in the city. So Nehemiah decided to cast lots and choose a tenth of the people to repopulate the city.

4. Dedicating Ourselves to the Future (Nehemiah 12:43)

• The people dedicate the work to God
• They dedicate the wall to God
• They dedicate the future to God

And there was the angel who talked with me, going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. For I,’ says the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and  will be the glory in her midst.’ (Zechariah 2:3-5)

When The Church Needs Discipline

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Series: Christianity, Not As God Intended!

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8

When we come to chapter five, Paul deals specifically with one of the more troubling sins in the church. To understand what was going on in the church you need to understand what was going on in the city. Corinth was a city with a very long history of sexual perversion that permeated the culture. The life style and culture was steeped in immorality. There was open tolerance for alternative sexuality and worse yet there was great pride in their sexual freedom. The very term “Corinthianize” meant someone who was involved in a sexually perverted lifestyle. And so anything that you could think of, but shouldn’t think of that is happening in our present day – was taking place in Corinth.

Two important questions we must answer:
What constitutes sexual immorality?
How should the church respond to unrepentant Christians?

1. As Christians we should have the right action and attitude toward sin!

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles – that a man has his father’s wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

Our culture misunderstands freedom, tolerance and acceptance!

2. The Church must judge Christians who are unrepentant of their sin.

1 Corinthians 5:3-5 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

3. Churches become increasingly weak and even sinful when they fail to judge sin in the church.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

What are We Building? (Part 1)

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Series: Christianity, Not the Way God Intended!

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:7-23

The Corinthians had become selfish and immature causing them to loose sight of their mission to make their church an effective outreach to their city. In this chapter Paul instructs them with three powerful metaphors to guide them back to a right understanding of what God has called them to be and do. He reminds the Corinthians that they are God’s family God’s field and God’s temple. The metaphor Paul uses in verse 9 of the “temple” paints an obvious picture of a building. The usual explanation for this passage is that Paul is describing the building of the Christian life. And while there is an individual application to these verses, the primary thought that Paul is trying to convey is the building of the local church. Many Christians only see the church and Christianity from an individual perspective. Paul gives us six principles to help us understand the importance of building church according to God’s plan. Today we’ll look at the first three.

Principle #1 – The Church Belongs To God!
1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

Principle #2 – The Leaders Of The Church Must Be Good Builders!
1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation,

Principle #3 – We Must Build On The Right Foundation!
1 Corinthians 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

The Church Belongs To Jesus (Part 1)

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Series: Christianity, Not the Way God Intended It!

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Today we start a brand new series in the book of 1 Corinthians. Christianity, Not the Way God Intended It To Be. Ironically, we have just finished the series on 1 Thessalonians, one of the best churches in the New Testament. When we study 1 Corinthians we are going to see that it is actually one of the worst churches in that we find in the Bible.

Introduction to our author, the Apostle Paul

Radically saved and called by God (Acts 9)

Becomes a Missionary and Church Planter (Acts 13-28)

Plants the church of Corinth about 50 A.D. (Acts 18)

His first letter to the church is lost (1 Corinthians 5:9)

He writes what we now call 1 Corinthians in 57 A. D.

Corinth was a church of many problems

“defiled, divided and disgraced”

The Church needs spiritual leadership!
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, (1 Corinthians 1:1)