God has placed something on your heart to do

Series - Do what God puts on your heart to do

Passage - Nehemiah 1:1-5, 11; 2:1-5; 8-9

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.

2 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” 6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. 7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

Outline

Summary

The story of Nehemiah is about a young man who was transported from his country to a foreign land. Nehemiah was taken captive from Israel. Now he is living in the Persian Medes kingdom. He is living in a foreign land. The country that captured his land, he now lives there and is serving them. He was cupbearer to the king. Just like the king had a chef, the king had a cupbearer. The cupbearer is someone who is in charge of making driving for the king. Just like Eshter, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah found himself in a foreign land and served the people in that land.

Introduction

In every elementary, middle school graduation that I’ve been to, they’ve asked the kids what they want to be when they grow up.

Some wants to be a doctor, nurse, teacher, engineer, and others

Since at a young age, we all had desires in our hearts.

When we grow up we continue to have desires, these desires don’t stop.

We see things we don’t like, things we can improve, things that need some alteration, things that make us angry and we want to change them.

We see change that need to be made in the school system

People started business that way

In the heart of men are many great dreams, few of us go and conquer. Today I want to talk about the idea of going after the desires God has placed on your heart. So we are starting a series that says for us to do what God has placed on your heart to do. As I’m thinking about this, I was like a man. This sounds crazy because in our hearts there are some evil desires as well. Why should I tell people to do what God has placed on their heart to do? Although, in the hearts of men are some really bad ideas, there are also in the hearts of men so good ideas. God has placed some things in our heart to do and they are really great things. For example, David had in his heart to build a temple for God. Zaccheus had in his heart to give to those he robbed 4 times the value of what he stole.

Today I want to talk about a young man who had great desires in his heart.

Point 1 - God puts a desire on your heart

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.

Point 1 explanation

Nehemiah had a desire

He heard the news of what was happening at home and he wanted to change

Have you heard the news of what’s happening at home? Maybe it could be your home church, your hometown, the people you grew up with?

The news pierced him. He felt bad for the people at home. He wanted to see change. He wanted to intervene. The news broke his heart

My second question is how do you feel about what you’ve seen? What you’ve heard?

Does it faze you? Does it bother you?

Do you just overlook it or bypass it?

Do you know that Nehemiah didn’t have to worry about what was happening in Israel?

He was straight, he was comfortable where he was at.

Nehemiah 1:11 I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah was working at the palace. He was living a comfortable life. He didn’t have to worry about these people he  left at home.

Sometimes the desire is so strong that we are willing to give up our comfort to make a difference.

We are going to see that his willingness to make a change will take him out of the comfort zone of the king’s house. He will have to leave the king’s palace and go through dangers to accomplish his goals.

This reminds me of Moses. Moses refused to stay in Egypt, he refused to be at the Palace or be a prince for the sake of Christ. Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Point 1 application

What is the desire that you have in your heart?

Is your desire to see people get closer to God? Is it that you hate seeing homeless people in the streets? Do you hate to see people being destroyed by drugs? Do you want to see people being saved? Do you want to see your church grow? The church that you go to, do you want to see it influential? Do you want to see your home country back on its feet? Do you want to see the misery stop?

How badly do you want it?

Are you willing to give your comfort to see this desire come true?

Point 1 illustration

Point 2 - Seek God for the desires on your heart

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.

Point 2 explanation

Nehemiah brought the desires he had in his heart to God

Nehemiah went to God and prayed.

He asked for forgiveness

He said to God what’s happening at home is because of the sin of our people. Nehemiah said to God, it’s not just them, I’m part of the problem as well. I sin as well.

We sin, we have not kept your commandments.

We’ve been unfaithful to you

He reminded God of his promises

If you want God to move, remind God of his promises.

Said to God you said that 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.’

Don’t just pray once or twice about it, pray continue about it.

Nehemiah 1:4 For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah prayed before God for days. He was constantly at feet of Jesus praying

There are needs that you have, there are desires that you have, you will need to be at the feet of Jesus continuously. You will knee pray day and night.

In the Bible, there was a man who had a son who was possessed with demons. The father brought the son before Jesus’ disciples and disciples disciples couldn’t heal the demons. Then Jesus came and healed the son. When the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast out the demons, Jesus told them that this kind of demons could only come out by fasting.

In other words there are some problems that we are having, there are some desires that we have, our prayer life needs to be intense.

Let the problems of this world draw you closer to God in prayer and in supplication.

Let the desire that you have upon your heart drive you closer to God.

Point 2 application

Are you bringing your desires to God? The thing that keeps you crying, the thing that gets you upset? The problem you would like to see resolved? Are you bringing them to God?

As you are praying to God, ask him for forgiveness and remind him of his promises. Tell God you said in your word …

Be persistent, don’t just pray once.

Point 2 illustration

When you knock on the door of a house do you only knock once?

Let’s say you get home and the people are in the house, you knock for some reason they don’t hear you. If it’s in the middle of the night will you knock one time and say, oh well they didn’t hear me then I’m done knocking. Oh no my friend, you will continue to knock until the neighbor opens their door and asks you what’s happening.

Point 3 - God will provide the people and the resources to accomplish the desire on your heart

When you bring your need before God through prayer consistently, when you rely on his promises to ask God to fulfill your needs, God starts to open up doors and make connections.

Are you ready to see God moving?

Watch God moving in this place?

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.

5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Nehemiah said to the King I want letters from you so when I travel people know that the king sent. I have a royal pass. I have access to travel and to do what I’m doing.

Nehemiah also asked the king to give beams, wood so that he can have materials to do the wall.

And listen to what the king said

And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

Nehemiah was granted all that he needed to accomplish the desires of his heart from the king.

Before Nehemiah was connected to the king of kings, the king of kings gave order to the king of this country to grant Nehemiah all that he wanted.

Proverbs 21:1 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.

In the Bible it says that the heart of the king flows like a river in the hand of God and God directs toward all those who please him

What does it mean to please God?

To please God is to have faith. Because the bible says without faith, it’s impossible to please God.

Therefore, those who have faith are able to please God.

Now in Proverbs 21 says, The heart of the king is the hand of God and God directs it toward all those who have faith.

When you believe in God, who is the king of kings, God is able to move mountains for you. He’s able to give orders to kings for you. Because he’s the king of kings, the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.

Point 3 application

Do you believe that God is able to move people in your favor

Point 3 illustration

A lot of time we spend a lot of time at the feet of the king to ask for favor, we spend time at the feet of your job to ask for a favor. But when you spend time at the feet of Jesus he tells all those other people who are working for Him to give you a favor. It's an order from Jesus.

Conclusion

Do you have desires in your heart?

Bring them before God

Bring before God in prayer. Pray persistently. Pray continuously. Rely on God’s promises to pray.

Then watch God open doors. Watch God moves people in favor of you.

Altar call?

Do you have a heavy burden on your heart?

I invite you to come and bring it before the altar?

Tell God your word said you will do this.