THE PLAN: THE BURDEN

Charmaine Kofler

Sermon • Submitted 10 months ago • Presented 10 months ago

Nehemiah 1:1–4

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THE BURDEN

LET ME JUST ASK YOU A QUESTION - DO YOU KNOW WHAT RUINS LOOK LIKE?

I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT ANCIENT RUINS I AM TALKING ABOUT NOW?

AS I WAS PREPARING THIS I WAS REMINDED OF WHEN I WENT TO FORT MC MURRAY

fire in 2016

flood 2020

AS WE WALKED AROUND THE NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SAW THE DEVASTATION THAT THE FLOOD CAUSED NOT ONLY THE BUILDINGS BUT ALSO ALSO THE PEOPLE.

HOWEVER NOT ALL RUINS ARE THAT OBVIOUS, NOT ALL OF THEM ARE THAT VISIBLE.

Survey the ruins that lie around in your world

Broken lives

broken family’s

human souls lying in ruins

HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THAT?

INDIFFERENCE

APATHY

Broken walls, broken Lives, broken hearts

The walls are brokenthe gates are destroyed and the people are in Great distress THESE ARE WORDS FOUND IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH IN THE BIBLE - IN FACT YOU WILL FIND THEM IN THE FIRST THREE VERSES.

Nehemiah 1:1–4 ESV

1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

LETS BEGIN BY TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE:

NEHEMIAH HEARS FROM HIS BROTHER THAT THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL BACK HOME IN JERUSALEM.

NEHEMIAHS HEART IS BROKEN FOR HIS PEOPLE.

A wall in a city is important Broken walls are an Open invite to attackers and thieves.

The People are in danger:

A CITY HAS:

BUILDINGS

STREETS

PEOPLE

COMMERCE

CULTURE

WORSHIP

WALLS = SAFETY

When was the last time that you were stopped in your tracks by a major devastation?

Broken destroyed homes – war / weather.

Wars around the world currently

Russia and Ukraine are at war.

ISRAEL HAMAS - GAZA

CIVIL WARS:

Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Libya,

the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Colombia, and Mali

Mexico is at war with the drug cartels in the country.

OUR LOCAL NEWS TELL US OF ALL THE MINI WARS AND DISASTERS GOING ON AROUND US ON A DAILY BASIS.

WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT THESE ACCOUNTS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE? HOPEFULLY IT IS WITH THE SAME ATTITUDE THAT NEHEMIAH TOOK.

NEHEMIAHS HEART IS BROKEN FOR HIS PEOPLE. AND HE BREAKS DOWN AND WEEPS AND FASTS AND PRAYS FOR DAYS.

Nehemiah 1:1–4 ESV

I KNOW YOU ARE PROBABLY ASKING WHAT CAN I DO?

VERSE 4

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven

JOHN ELDRIDGE/ GET YOUR LIFE BACK AND RESILIENCE

BENEVOLENT DETACHMENT

I've always been intrigued by Jesus' ability to just up and walk away from his world. Right there in the opening chapter of Mark, with excitement building and crowds swelling all round him, Jesus disappears. He just ... leaves.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Jesus replied,

"Let us go somewhere else"

Mark 1:35–38 ESV

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

AS WE Mature WE have learned how to create healthy distance between themselves and the thing they have become entangled with.

Thus the word "detachment." It means getting untangled, stepping out of the quagmire; it means peeling apart the Velcro by which this person, relationship, crisis, or global issue has attached itself to you. Or you to it.

Detachment means getting some healthy distance. Social media overloads our empathy. So I use the word "benevolent" in referring to this necessary kind of detachment because we're not talking about cynicism or resignation. Benevolent means kindness. It means something done in love. Jesus invites us into a

detachment because we're not talking about cynicism or resignation.

Benevolent means kindness. It means something done in love. Jesus invites us into a way of living where we are genuinely comfortable turning things over to him:

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT)

Are you tired? Worn out?

Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me -watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message)

Now, pay attention here-Jesus said there is a way "to live freely and lightly."

His dear friend Peter echoes the invitation later in the New Testament:

1 Peter 5:7 ESV

7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. (The Message)

...Worry is only one of a hundred things that burden our souls.

Genuine concern is just as dangerous, maybe more so because it's grounded in

something noble-your concerns for your aging parents, a sick friend, a people group, a cause crying out for justice...

"But what about loving? What about caring?" "How is it right to just let things go?"

Quite simply, because you're not God.

You can't save the world. You can't even carry it.

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the ract?"

Luke 12:25

Jesus is quite serious about turning everything over to him, actually.

You've got to release the world; you've got to release people, crises, trauma, intrigue, all of it.

There has to be sometime in your day where you just let it all go. All the tragedy of the world, the heartbreak, the latest shooting, earthquake —the soul was never meant to endure this. The soul was never meant to inhabit a world like this. It's way too much. Your soul is finite. You cannot carry the sorrows of the world. Only God can do that. Only he is infinite.

Somewhere, sometime in your day, you've just got to release it. You've got to let it go.

We need to make this clear-the invitation of God is an unburdened life. Come, you who are heavy laden. Cast your cares upon him.

Live carefree before God. It's practically a party invitation. One of the least understood disciplines of the spiritual life. And therefore a wonderful place of discovery for each of us, and a truly liberating opportunity to experience more of God in our everyday experience.

Benevolent detachment is going to take some practice. The One Minute Pause is a good place to start. "I give everyone and everything to you, God. I give everyone and everything to you." Often I find I need to follow that up with some specifics: "I give my children to you," for I worry about them. "I give that meeting to you."

"I give this book to you." As you do this, pay attention- your soul will tell you whether or not you're releasing. If the moment after you pray you find yourself mulling over the very thing you just released, you haven't released it. Go back and repeat the process until it feels that you have.

...By the way, benevolent

detachment is a gift to the people in your life.

Far too often we saddle people with our expectations, hopes, and needs too. Most of the time subconsciously, but we do it nevertheless. With our need to be seen. To be celebrated. To be understood. You actually do people an enormous favor when you practice benevolent detachment, because they'd like to be disentangled from you too.

NOW YOU CAN GO INTO ACTION, WHY BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT GOD CALLED YOU TO. HE WILL HELP YOU TO SERVE AND SAY AND DO WHAT YOU CAN.

Scripture

Write down what you read and memorized, as well as any Scripture verse that stood out.

Message

Write down any observations you have, or what the Lord may be saying to you: correction, direction, encouragement, promise, wisdom.

Obedience

Write down a step you need to take today or this week, based on what God is revealing to you. It may be something you are already working on.

Repentance

Write out your confession and any steps you are taking to turn from your sin.

Prayer

You may use the ACTS acronym to help you pray.

Adoration: Give God praise and honor for who he is as Lord over all. Include worship songs and singing.

Confession: Honestly deal with the sin in your prayer life.

Thanksgiving: Verbalize what you’re grateful for in your life and in the world around you.