The Thriving Church pt 3

Embracing Godly Burdens

One day the pastor of a small Baptist church visited a hard-working farmer who was in his congregation. The minister marveled at the change in the farm, from dilapidated buildings and poor, worn-out land to modern, brightly-painted buildings and rich, abundant cropland.

“My, Bill,” said the pastor, “the Lord and you have certainly worked wonders with this farm.”

“Yes,” replied the farmer laconically, “but you should have seen the place when the Lord had it by Himself.”

When God called us to His son, He does not simply call us to salvation. He does much, much more! He invites us to join with Him in His creative and redemptive work.

(think about that for a minute)

— When God created Adam…God invited Adam to help Him in His creative work by naming the animals.

Genesis 2:8–15 NIV

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

— When God spoke with Moses from the burning bush… He invited him to join in His redemptive work among the Israelites. Exo. 3:1-10

Exodus 3:1–10 (NIV)

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

…

10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

— Again, with Peter’s vision in Acts, God invited Peter to join in His redemptive work among the Gentiles. (Acts 10)

— Paul is invited to become the greatest missionary to the Gentile world the Bible has known. (Acts 9)

— And the list goes on and on.

The same is true for us. God invites us to join Him in His work of redemption!

Matthew 4:19 NKJV

19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

When we accept our salvation, and truly commit ourselves to God’s Lordship of our lives, God will place a burden on our hearts!

Why…..?

Because… Thriving Churches EMBRACE Godly Burdens!

Nowhere is this more evident than in the life of Nehemiah.

Turn with me to Nehemiah 1.

While you are turning there, let us me ask you:

Who is Nehemiah?

The only thing Nehemiah says about himself …verse 11, “I was cupbearer to the king.”

Though Nehemiah seems to place no import on his position, there are three things we should note:

1. Being “cupbearer to the king” was a position of prominence.

In Genesis 40, we find the account of the king’s royal baker and cupbearer who were thrown into prison with Joseph. The cupbearer is distraught about having lost his place of prominence at the King’s side.

As cupbearer, Nehemiah was the closest person to the King; he was the King’s personal assistant. He carried the responsibility of the King’s personal safety. It is reasonable to say that he would have been the most trusted person in the kingdom.

Sometimes, the most mundane… the most disregarded and looked down on positions… can be the most important!

2. Being cupbearer to the king meant a life of comfort and ease.

Nehemiah lived in the king’s court.

As such, Nehemiah did not have to concern himself with anything. He was very well taken care of. There was no need for Nehemiah to concern himself with anything outside the palace, yet that is exactly what we find Nehemiah doing.

3. Nehemiah is a man of deep religious convictions and compassion for his people.

The very fact that Nehemiah even inquired about the people of Jerusalem reveals his compassion for his people… He cared!!!

And his reaction to the news reveals that his role in God’s Kingdom was the most important thing to him.

Have you ever considered who you are in God’s kingdom?

…what your role in the bigger picture is?

Nehemiah knew that his place in the kingdom of God was more important than his role in this world, and that is what drove him to action.

(read)

Nehemiah 1:1–11 NIV

1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. 8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ 10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah’s curiosity and concern for the welfare of his people caused him to question the group of men who came with his brother. He wanted to know how they are doing, and what the state of the great city of Jerusalem was in.

My brother and I often call each other, and the conversations always go the same.

“Hey man, what’s up?” “Not much, just thought I’d see how things are there?” It seems that we always answer “Good” or “Great.”

Rarely do we ever expect — or want — to get a “horrible” from the other end.

**Kind of sounds like some of our conversations before and after service, don’t it?!?

I can imagine that this is NOT what Nehemiah expected to hear, after all, it has been 20 years since they were forced to leave… and they were permitted to return years ago… Surely they have rebuilt!

I am sure that Nehemiah probably expected to hear “things are great, the people are seeking God, and the city has been rebuilt better than ever!” But instead…..

They tell him “It’s terrible, the people are back, but they are in trouble. They are so spiritually lost and broken that they have not even tried to rebuild the walls of the city.”

Look at their exact words:

Nehemiah 1:3 NIV

3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

Have you ever heard news, or been told a story that just knocked you off your feet?

That is exactly what happened to Nehemiah here.

His brother brings him news that their people are completely unprotected both physically and spiritually, and the news brings Nehemiah to his knees!

You see, Nehemiah knew that through God all things are possible, but this lack of action in the people of God reveals where their hearts are…

It revealed to him their “spiritual condition”… their complete brokenness and defeat… their complacency… their apathy… towards life… even towards the church!!!

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds [without action] is dead.” James 2:26

Look at Nehemiah’s response to this news.

“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before God of heaven.”

When Nehemiah says, “I sat down and wept,” he is not referring to being overwhelmed in the moment… he is referring to a custom of the time.

Mourners would sit down in mourning…

When Job was struck with disease, after having lost everything, he sat in an ash pit and mourned… That is where the entire narrative of Job takes place!

The news so upsets Nehemiah that he goes into mourning for the people of Jerusalem.

When was the last time the spiritual condition of the people around you caused you to mourn?!?

In his own words Nehemiah “fasted and prayed” before God.

Nehemiah was completely broken before his God.

I want you to resist the urge to think that this was a one day, or even a one week fast….

The Beacon Bible Commentary suggests that the length of time that Nehemiah prayed and fasted was about four months.

During that time several things happened:

(1) His conviction grew that he could do something.

(2) Through his prayers God clarified the burden on him.

(3) Nehemiah learned that God does not call us to only pray, but to go and do!

Have you ever wondered what your purpose in the church is?

Then allow yourself to be completely broken before God!

It is in those times…when we are completely broken before Him…. that God works within us telling us what He wants us to do.

Soren Kierkegaard wrote, “What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what am I to know. The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do…to find the idea for which I can live and die.” — Soren Kierkegaard

In other words… Let God give you a burden!

If you really want to know what God wants you to do, then get broken before Him.

When we are completely broken before God, we are completely open to Him…

That’s when God can place a burden on our heart.

(NOTICE) Unlike worldly burdens, burdens from God are not oppressive.

They bring focus and freedom to our Christian service.

Matthew 11:29 Christ tells us, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

If we are going to Thrive, then — just like Nehemiah — we need a Godly burden!

There are four things a burden from God will do:

A Burden releases your passion.

— Webster defines Passion -- “intense driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction. Intense emotion compelling action. A strong desire or devotion to some object, activity or concept.”

— Passion changes us and makes us believe that impossible things are possible.

— Jean de le Fountaine said, “Man is so made that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.” When we are passionate about something … nothing can stop us.

— Passion breaks down the barriers in our lives, and opens our hearts to be molded by God. Nehemiah was so moved by the report about Jerusalem that he openly wept, and through that passion, God was able to move him to action.

— Passion will create enthusiasm in your life. If your life seems to lack enthusiasm, ask yourself, “Where is my passion?” Finding your passion will propel you toward your goals.

— Christian passion is centered in and driven by Christ in such a way that we are moved to action… (now listen!) we not only do because Christ has done, but we do because Christ is doing! (and because He asked us to)

A burden drives us to constant prayer.

— A burden will drive you to God. When something is weighing heavy on your heart, you cannot help but pray. Even non-believers do this, they do not know whom they are praying to, but they pray. (give example)

The reason most churches and people seem to lack passion in their lives is that they lack the continuous, unrelenting prayer that releases the burden within them.

— John Maxwell states, “The ‘detonator’ that churches lack today is prayer. It has the power to ignite the dynamite of the Gospel and powerfully shake the world.” — John Maxwell

** If you don’t know what to pray… Let me give you a suggestion:

Luke 12:49 NIV

49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

Pray this… for yourself… for this church… for your family…

— Prayer moves the heart of man to listen to the heart of God.

One of Albert Einstein’s neighbors, the mother of a ten-year-old girl, noticed that the child often visited Einstein’s house. The woman wondered at this, and the child explained: “I had trouble with my homework in arithmetic. People said that at No. 112 there lives a very big mathematician, who is also a very good man. I asked him to help me. He was very willing, and explained everything very well. He said I should come whenever I find a problem too difficult.”

Alarmed at the child’s boldness, the girl’s mother went to Einstein to apologize.

(Listen to what Einstein said) “You don’t have to excuse yourself. I have learned more from the conversations with the child than she has from me.”

If we want answers…then we must seek them from the One who has them….

— This world teaches us to seek help everywhere except from God. It teaches us to seek our family members, friends, psychologists, etc….But rarely God, and God is the only one who can truly help.

— We cannot get the help we need from God if we do not first seek it! Amen?

— We can boldly go to God, and He promises He will answer. Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

— Notice that Nehemiah went to God first, he did not charge off to try his hand at fixing the situation, he went to God first. Our first step should always be to go to God first because prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power.

— The Apostle Paul reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation (everyone say that with me), by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6). God is waiting to give us the answers, all we have to do is ask.

A burden refreshes our life.

— There is a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where – Calvin is standing alone with a disgruntled look on his face and says “God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things, right now I am so far behind I won’t be allowed to die.”

— Everyone has a purpose in life, God created you that way. God did not create you to be lost… broken… and worthless.... He created you with value and purpose!

— God created you to do something. Many people ask, “Why am I here? Or, Where am I headed?” The question to ask is “What is my purpose in life?”

— When you find your purpose it will drive you in life.

— A burden will breathe new life and new direction into your life. It will take you on an adventure that you never expected. God’s burden brought new life to Nehemiah and moved him from the king’s court to the governor of Jerusalem.

A burden brings restoration.

— Overtime, life can seem to get dull. We experience spiritual “dry spells,” times when it seems that we just are not feeling God or His power in our lives.

— In these times we seem to miss the power of the Spirit. A burden from God imparts power to our lives… it rejuvenates us and carries us.

— When God called Moses free the Israelites, He empowered him to perform miracles.

— When God places a burden on us, He empowers us to accomplish it.

— When power comes from God, it changes the way we live. Nehemiah was never the same. The burden completely and totally changed his life.

Let me tell you…

What we do with the burdens God places on us matters!

It will determine the outcome of our lives…

Will we accept and carry them, or will we ignore them or put them off on someone else?

I read a story a few years ago about a young eager pastor. This pastor had a woman in his congregation who recently received Christ. He knew that out of her excitement, she was talking to her neighbor.

One day he received an excited call for this woman. She had been talking to her neighbor, and she wanted to know Christ! She needed the pastor to get over there right away.

This young pastor hurried to his car to go when, very clearly he heard God say, “I will hold you accountable for this.” Realizing what God meant, the young pastor returned to his office and called the woman back. And explained to the woman that God meant for her to do the work, and that He would bless her through it.

God gives each of us work to do….so that He can bless us through it.

If we pass on God’s burdens to someone else, we pass on God’s blessings as well.

And, if we do what someone else is called to do, we steal their blessings, and God will hold us accountable to that!

How we carry God’s burdens will determine the legacy we leave behind.

Everyone leaves a legacy behind, what will yours be?

Nehemiah embraced his burden, and went from “cupbearer to the king” to “hero of the Bible.”

A little known Sunday School teacher, named Edward Kimball, didn’t know the legacy that he left behind, but through his burden Dwight L. Moody was saved.

Through a Moody’s burden for evangelism, a man named J. Wilbur Chapman received Christ.

Through Chapman’s service to God, Billy Sunday committed his life to Christ.

Through a Sunday’s dedication, Mordecai Ham received salvation, and through Ham’s burden for the Word, the world received one of the greatest evangelists of all time, Rev. Billy Graham.

What would have happened if that small town Sunday School teacher had not embraced the burden God laid on his heart?

Dwight L. Moody said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And that which I can do, by the grace of God, I will do!” — Dwight L. Moody

A Godly Burden will change your life.

A Godly burden will change your family.

A Godly burden will change the Church.

What has God laid on your heart?

Who, or what, comes to your mind often?

What do you see in the world around you that breaks your heart….that makes you cry out ‘someone needs to do something’?

That may be the burden God is placing on you….will you embrace it?

Will you join with Moody in saying “I will do what God empowers me to do”?

Nehemiah 5:19 says, “Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.”

Nehemiah knew what his legacy would be. What will yours be?

Don’t let life pass you by.

Don’t let the opportunity to be changed pass by.

When God lays a burden on you grab ahold of it with both hands and don’t let go.

God will bless you for it.

(prayer)