17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. (Nehemiah 2:17 -18, New International Version)
40 The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, 41 as well as the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets— 42 and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. 43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. (Nehemiah 12:40 -43, New International Version)
Theme: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving
Context:
Thanks to all those who shared their insights over the last three days as we considered how the discipline of Worship supports a lifestyle of rejoicing and thanksgiving. Today we turn our attention to Fellowship. The impact of restrictions on fellowship over the last three years highlighted the fact that God made us to live in community. The ability to return to more normal modes of fellowship has certainly resulted in rejoicing and thanksgiving. It is helpful to consider some of the biblical reasons why fellowship is so essential.
One reason is that there is joy in performing God’s work in community. Accomplishing big objectives by ourselves is certainly satisfying but there is something really special about team accomplishments. The Church has the clear purpose of advancing God’s kingdom. Pursuing this purpose in community is a recipe for rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Bible Passages:
In the first passage above, the Children of Israel commenced the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem as a community. In the second passage, the fellowship evolves into a memorable time of rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Please study the passage and consider the question below.
Question:
Can you recall a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving that resulted from working with a group of believers to accomplish a project.
Please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.