Sermon Tone Analysis
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Let Us Rise Up and Build
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
(Matthew 6:24)
Avengers; Infinity War is on track to become the highest grossing superhero film of all times.
As both the Avengers and Guardians continued to protect the world from perils too large for any one hero, a new, more dangerous threat emerges when Thanos sets out to collect all 6 Infinity Stones.
With this power, Thanos plans to take control of the entire universe and impose a twisted plan on the cosmos.
The Avengers and Guardians must unite to secure victory.
When the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy meet for the first time, neither group knows the others allegiance.
During the battle, Dr. Strange realizes that both teams may be fightingfor the same cause.
Have you noticed that, in both the Marvel universe and ours, what we serve changes how we live.
Allegiance direct actions.
So Dr. Strange asks Star-Lord to declare his:
Doctor Strange: “Let me ask you this one time.
What master do you serve?”
Star-Lord: ” What master do I serve?
What am I supposed to say, Jesus?”
Well, the answer is actually, “Yes!” Sometimes life imitates art.
Other times it is the other way around.
Chris Pratt, who plays Star-Lord, appeared on the February issue of Vanity Fair.
In the interview, Pratt shares the story about a night that changed his life.
He was sitting outside a grocery store.
He was waiting on some older friends who were inside purchasing beer for a party when a stranger walked up to him; “You going to go party. .
.Drink and do drugs?
Meet girls, fornication?”
Pratt responded “I hope so.”
Let’s just own it.
Everyone has a master.
You, me, and a young Chris Pratt sitting outside a grocery store waiting on friends to by him beer.
He was serving a master of pleasure and self.
It is a relentless master, never satisfied, always hungry for more.
In the interview, Pratt explains what happened next:
It should’ve made me nervous but didn’t.
I said, ‘Why are you asking?’
He said, ‘Jesus told me to talk to you . .
.’
At that moment I was like, I think I have to go with this guy.
He took me to church.
Over the next few days I surprised my friends by declaring that I was going to change my life.
Ultimately, you may serve many different people, a boss, a coach, a parent.
But you can only have one master.
And this subjection will change how you do battle in this life.
And if you want to change your life, change your master.
Pratt became a follower of Jesus that night and that faith has been a principle part of his life, a very successful and fulfilled life.
So Jesus is Star-Lord’s master.
Is he yours?
Nehemiah had been in captivity for his entire life and now he is the cupbearer to the king of Persia.
Nehemiah could have paid no attention to those men who told him about the remnant left at Jerusalem.
He could have been content to remain in the service of Artexerxes.
But he didn’t.
He was deeply moved.
He could not serve 2 masters.
He decided to pray to his Father in Heaven to direct his steps.
And God moved in a big way.
Let’s look at...
3. The Provision For The Work:
Nehemiah had been the cupbearer to the king and we have no reason to believe that he had any construction knowledge.
Yet God called him to rebuild the walls.
Nehemiah had prayed about the situation and was visibly upset.
And the king noticed.
The king asked Nehemiah what was wrong to make him so sad.
Nehemiah admits that he was scared, so he prayed again and the spoke in boldness to the king.
I’m not saying he was arrogant but he told the king what was wrong and what he wanted to do about it.
Now look at what happened.
The king granted Nehemiah’s request to leave, he provided documents that secured safe passage for Nehemiah and he provided the resources to rebuild and repair the walls.
That’s interesting, Pastor, but why is that important?
The bottom line is that God caused a pagan king to pay to rebuild what a pagan king had destroyed.
And we think that He can’t handle our lives or our messed families or the problems we deal with.
I mean really, what are you facing that you think He can’t handle?
Are you trying to continue to serve 2 masters?
4. Purpose Behind the Mission:
Nehemiah rebuilding the walls goes hand in hand with the mission given to Ezra.
Ezra and Nehemiah lived at the same time and worked on the rebuilding of Jerusalem in close proximity time wise.
Ezra was tasked with rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem and that was accomplished just before Nehemiah came to work on the walls.
The rebuilding of the walls symbolized different things, one of which is God’s provision that we just examined.
Another is that God’s protection is returning to Israel.
We touched on this briefly last week.
The wall was a symbol of security and a means of defense and protection.
This is what i think is the purpose behind the mission.
The wall is finished and the temple is protected again.
But all of that was only accomplished with the help of God.
This symbolized that God was still in Jerusalem.
He is still in control.
It might have looked bad for a while.
It might have looked like he left us or turned his back on us.
It might have looked like we had been left on our own.
But God…perhaps my favorite phrase in all the bible.
Maybe the same can be said of your life.
You’ve been through times where you felt alone and on your own.
But God.
Maybe you’ve wondered if God is still there.
But God.
Maybe you are going through the fire right now and you don’t know which way to turn.
But God.
Are the storms of life coming against you and you can’t wrap your head around the diagnosis you’ve received?
But God.
God is still with you even when He is silent.
He is still on your side.
He is still fighting for you.
He is working things out for your good.
This house is full of testimonies to the goodness of God.
That’s the purpose, to show the jewish people and everyone else that God was still present and still working on their behalf.
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