How to be an Effective Witness in your Community
Notes
Transcript
Who in here has a call to minister?
All of us have a responsibility to reach people for God
The career’s we have should be looked at as occupational missionary fields not a means to an end
How is the guidance of God evident in your day to day life, how are you using your talents and opportunities for eternal good, not just temporary good
Tonight I want to take our time to journey through Nehemiah 1 which is full of wisdom on how we can be more effective in how we minister in our day to day lives
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,
What does Nehemiah mean in Hebrew?
Yahweh has comforted
He was born to bring comfort in a land destroyed
God knew this purpose from the day he was born and started opening doors to prepare Nehemiah for that
What purpose have you been born for?
How has God orchestrated things in your life to allow you unique opportunities to impact the kingdom?
Also though this is a reminder of where comfort comes
God gives us comfort no matter where we are at
Rather at home or 100s of miles away
Rather in a royal palace or a destroyed city
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
What was Susa?
Was the winter residence of the royals in the Persian empire
O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Shows Nehemiah was the cupbearer
Good job (downside was more than likely a eunuch) and good city
Nehemiah was called to put it all on the line
Are their times you have made decisions that did not appear to be the right financial move? (But you knew spiritually what you were to do)
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. 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.”
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.
Cared for people, even when in the palace he still cared
Don’t get caught up in comforts your job provides
Who does God break your heart for? What passion has he given you?
Issues were going on
What issues break your heart?
Physical (wept) and spiritual (mourned) response
How are you physically responding and how are you spiritually responding?
Sought God with earnest
Are you truly seeking God or just identifying as Christian for your comfort?
How spiritually hydrated are you?
What is your excuse for not reading God’s word?
“Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy. ― R. C. Sproul
What do you spend time digesting?
That determines what comes out of you
What do you fill your time with?
How can you be more effective in how you seek God?
And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
What does Nehemiah start the prayer off with?
With praises to God
We need to realize this life is to be God centered not us centered
Need to realize prayer is not a vending machine or a complaint line
Prayer is a part on focusing on the things of God and helping our minds become more in tune with the will of God
What is a praise you can give God tonight?
let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.
God doesn’t owe us nothing
“prayer of your servant” we serve God not the other way around
do not make you a play dough Jesus
How are you currently serving God?
How are you serving in your church?
church is about serving not being entertained
How are you serving in your community?
How are you serving at home?
How are you dying to self to serve others?
An attitude of constant prayer
How is your prayer life?
Realize how we contribute to the problem and getting our sin straight
What issues do you need to address in your own life?
What do you need to confess?
Who do you need to apologize to?
We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.
being in the word enough to know what is wrong
Can you tell em what is sin and how to Biblical address it?
Why is abortion wrong?
Why is sexual sin wrong?
What is a Biblical approach to politics?
What are stumbling blocks in your life?
Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’
Scripture wrote on your heart
Do you meditate on the truths of scripture and apply?
How many times have you left here and meditated and applied the sermon you said was good.
They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
The power of God in redeeming people
people don’t need you opinion to get saved, they need the Gospel, God’s words
O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
The Lord has no responsibility to listen to you
Our delight comes from the Lord
Success no matter where you are comes from the Lord
God gives us favor with those we need favor with