Rebuilding Week 2

Jackson White

Rebuilding: Nehemiah • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Nehemiah 2:1–10

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Rebuilding: Week 2

Nehemiah 2:1-10

Introduction

What are you going to do about it?

Have you ever asked that question or been asked that?

I saw a movie once where a bully asked that question to a kid, and then the mom punched him.

That question is often asked in an attempt to either provoke someone or to back someone off (put up or shut up)

But that question can be used in a positive light, especially when we see all of the craziness around us, all of the people who don’t know Jesus around us. What are we going to do about it? We don’t see that question in Nehemiah 2:1-10 but we do see Nehemiah answer if someone had asked him

Tonight, we are going to look at and talk about what it looks like to get active in the fight for the advancement of the Gospel

Pray

Message

2 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence

HYPERLINK "https://ref.ly/logosres/csb?ref=BibleCSB2.Ne2.1&off=27&ctx=H+SENT+TO+JERUSALEM%0a~2%C2%A0%E2%80%A2During+the+month+"Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 2:1.

It had been 4 months since Nehemiah first heard about the chaos in Jerusalem, and now Nehemiah found himself in the presence of the King and he was sad

2 so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

HYPERLINK "https://ref.ly/logosres/csb?ref=BibleCSB2.Ne2.2&off=0&ctx=ad+in+his+presence%2c+~2%C2%A0so+the+king+said+t"Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 2:2–3.

The king noticed that he was sad, and he told him why he was

4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”

HYPERLINK "https://ref.ly/logosres/csb?ref=BibleCSB2.Ne2.4&off=0&ctx=troyed+by+fire%3f%E2%80%9Dab+%0a~4%C2%A0Then+the+king+aske"Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 2:4.

Here we go!

This is the what are you going to do about it, moment.

So I prayed to the God of the heavens 5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried,, so that I may rebuild it.”

HYPERLINK "https://ref.ly/logosres/csb?ref=BibleCSB2.Ne2.4&off=51&ctx=+is+your+request%3f%E2%80%9D+%0a~So+I+prayed+to+the+G"Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 2:4–5.

Bold prayers open big doors that take prayer and preparation to walk through

That four months that Nehemiah spent waiting wasn’t just a holding period; it was time that God used to prepare Nehemiah for the task he had for him

Nehemiah spent that time praying and prepping, not procrastinating

If you don’t get this, you won’t be prepared for your “what are you going to do it about it” moment

Notice that his first instinct was to pray. Is prayer our first instinct?

6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.

HYPERLINK "https://ref.ly/logosres/csb?ref=BibleCSB2.Ne2.6&off=0&ctx=may+rebuild+it.%E2%80%9Dae+%0a~6%C2%A0%E2%80%A2The+king%2c+with+th"Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 2:6.

So the King asked hard questions, how long is it going to take? Nehemiah had an answer, he was prepared

7 I also said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.

HYPERLINK "https://ref.ly/logosres/csb?ref=BibleCSB2.Ne2.7&off=0&ctx=+king+%E2%80%A2to+send+me.+%0a~7%C2%A0I+also+said+to+the"Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 2:7.

He knew that it would be dangerous so he asked the King to grant him letters that would allow him safe travels

8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.”, The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.

HYPERLINK "https://ref.ly/logosres/csb?ref=BibleCSB2.Ne2.8&off=0&ctx=il+I+reach+Judah.ah+~8%C2%A0And+let+me+have+a+"Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ne 2:8.

He also knew how much wood he needed to rebuild the city wall

And Nehemiah also notes that God’s power was on him.

What are you going to do about it?

Application