When Hope Seems Lost… Turn to God
Notes
Transcript
Quotes
“God used the opposition of Judah’s enemies to drive his people to their knees” — John MacArthur
Opening
Opening
Illustration — Twin Towers
Illustration — Twin Towers
“Where were you when the world stopped turning, on that September day?”
Maybe you remember where you were when you heard about the terrorist attack on 9/11.
I was talking with some friends this week,
and we all remembered where we were when we heard about it.
At 8:46 AM on September 11, 2001,
American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in NY.
17 minutes later,
United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower.
Less than an hour and a half later,
both towers collapsed.
The Twin Towers were a symbol of power and strength for the US economy.
They were among the tallest buildings in the world,
and a central hub for some of the most prominent companies in the world.
The towers that once stood as icons on the NY City skyline,
a source of pride for NY City, and all of America,
were destroyed!
The Aftermath
The Aftermath
Where did people turn in the aftermath?
Some found comfort in going to church…
Others found comfort in rallying together,
to support and help one another.
Some turned to anger,
calling for vengeance and retaliation.
While others isolated themselves out of fear…
turning to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain.
All of these responses were an attempt to deal with or
make sense of the pain and suffering they were going through,
or to just try and make the pain stop!
What About You?
What About You?
Where do you turn when your life feels like it’s falling apart and there’s no hope?
How do you respond to the pain and suffering you go through in life?
Where do you turn when nothing in your life seems to be going your way…
your prayers are not being answered,
and it feels like God is against you.
Where do you turn when you hit a road block:
you get injured…
your car breaks down…
lose your job?
Where do you turn when you receive news that a loved one:
was in a bad accident…
received a devastating diagnosis… OR
passed away?
We all go through dark seasons of life where it feels like our world is unraveling…
It feels like it’s coming crashing to the ground,
and there is no way to stop it!
It feels like there is no hope!!
So what do you do?
Where do you turn?
Transition to Nehemiah
Transition to Nehemiah
This morning we are beginning a new series in the book of Nehemiah.
The encouragement we’re going to receive from Nehemiah’s example is…
Sermon Title
Sermon Title
When Hope Seems Lost… Turn to God
When Hope Seems Lost… Turn to God
The beginning of the book of Nehemiah,
we are introduced to a hopeless situation.
So where does Nehemiah turn?
He turns to God!
This morning we are going to learn from Nehemiah’s example,
by turning to God when hope seems lost.
Before we do that,
let’s pray for the Spirit to open our eyes and ears,
giving us wisdom to understand and obey His Word.
Prayer for Illumination
Prayer for Illumination
LORD…
Transition to Nehemiah
Transition to Nehemiah
Before we read Nehemiah 1,
we need to get a grasp of where we are in the timeline of the OT.
606 BC
Jerusalem destroyed
God had warned Israel if they did not obey Him he would take them out of the land, and that’s exactly what happened.
The Babylonians came and:
decimated Jerusalem…
destroyed the temple, carrying off all the gold and silver vessels…
burned the city’s gates and demolished it’s walls.
They killed thousands, and led thousands more to Babylon as slaves, leaving the poorest of the poor.
The Israelites were in exile for 70 years.
536 BC
First wave of about 50,000 Jews return to Israel led by Zerubbabel.
The Persians had overthrown the Babylonians, and they were more gracious towards people they conquered, allowing them to return to their homelands to restore them, so long as they remained loyal.
The Jews who returned began rebuilding temple.
In…
516 BC
They completed the rebuilding of the temple.
458 BC
Ezra leaves Babylon to lead a second wave of people back to Jerusalem.
Ezra focuses on teaching the Torah, restoring society through obedience to God’s Law.
445 BC
Is where we are picking up this morning,
as Nehemiah hears a report about how things are going in Jerusalem.
Announce/Read Scripture
Announce/Read Scripture
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. 5 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, 6 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. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 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.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 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.
Context for Nehemiah
Context for Nehemiah
We begin with a conversation between Nehemiah and his brother Hanani.
He and some men had gone back to Jerusalem.
Nehemiah asks how things are going,
and they give him the horrible news…
Nehemiah 1:3 (ESV)
3 “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.”
The Israelites had been back for almost 100 years at this point,
and things are as bad as ever.
Summary
In light of this dire situation,
when all hope seems lost,
where does Nehemiah turn?
He turns to God!
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.
As we look at the prayer of Nehemiah,
we see why we should turn to God when hope seems lost.
The first reason is…
1. Turn to God Who Keeps His Covenant
1. Turn to God Who Keeps His Covenant
Nehemiah is confident in turning to God,
because He is a God who keeps His covenant.
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. 5 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,
EXPLAIN
EXPLAIN
God keeps His covenant because…
a. He is God of Heaven
a. He is God of Heaven
Nehemiah 1:5 (ESV)
5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God…
Nehemiah doesn’t turn to a:
person…
group… or
institution
that he thinks might be able to help him…
He turns to the LORD GOD OF HEAVEN… THE GREAT AND AWESOME GOD!!!
He turns to the God who:
created all things…
sustains all things…
controls all things…
He is a God who keeps His covenant/promises,
and He can because He is all-powerful!
He is above all things!
God also keeps His covenant because…
b. He is God of Love
b. He is God of Love
Nehemiah 1:5 (ESV)
5 who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
God had chosen the Israelites to be His people,
and made a covenant with them,
because of His love for them.
So long as they loved God and kept His commands,
God’s love would continue for them.
This doesn’t mean that God’s expectation was for them to be perfect…
He knew they would sin,
which is why He instituted a sacrificial system,
whereby they could be forgiven.
So long as they loved God and walked in faith and obedience to His law,
God would keep His covenant with them.
Summary
When Nehemiah heard of all the shame and trouble Israel was in,
and all hope seemed to be lost,
he turned to God of heaven and love,
who keeps His covenant!
ILLUSTRATE
ILLUSTRATE
Story/analogy of someone who goes to the person who is strong enough/capable to solve their problem.
Alternatively, a story of someone who does not go to the person who can help. Tries to solve it on their own.
The reason the Israelites were in this situation to begin with,
was because they had NOT turned to the Lord for help!
Rather than trusting in God,
they trusted in their own wisdom and understanding.
God had been faithful to bring them into the land He promised them.
He promised that He would bless them and give them success,
if they loved Him and obeyed His Word…
but they didn’t!
God warned that if they refused to obey Him,
He would bring in another nation to:
punish them… and
take them out of the land…
in order to discipline them.
In God’s warning to Israel,
He said…
24 all the nations will say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?’
25 Then people will say, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt,
26 and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them.
27 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses written in this book,
28 and the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as they are this day.’
Summary
The Israelites were disciplined by God
because they did not turn to God who keeps His covenant...
Instead, they trusted in their own wisdom.
APPLY
APPLY
Brothers and sisters,
where do we turn when we face difficult circumstances?
when hope seems lost, who do we trust in?
FCF
Our tendency is to try and fix it ourselves...
“I can fix this!”
The reason we do this is because of pride.
We don’t want to have to depend on others.
PROP
But what we need to do is…
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
This is exactly what Nehemiah does!
His trust is not in himself, or his people, but in the Lord.
Sometimes in dire situations people will say, “I guess all we can do is pray.” It is as if prayer were a last resort, but it is no last resort for Nehemiah. For him, it is his first option. When prayer becomes the first option for a person, it is an indication that he or she is truly walking with and depending on God in all things. — T.J. Betts
I don’t what difficult things you’re facing in your life:
maybe you’re facing a big, stressful decision…
maybe you’ve experienced pain or loss…
maybe you feel like a shoreline,
pounded over and over again by crushing waves…
you barely have enough time to catch your breath before the next wave hits!
Whatever you’re going through,
where do you turn first?
Where you turn reveals what you trust
We can and should turn to God,
because He is worthy of our trust!
Summary
The God of heaven…
the great and awesome God,
loves those who love Him,
and will be faithful to His covenant!
When hope seems lost… turn to God!
Transition
The next thing we learn from Nehemiah’s prayer is that you should…
2. Turn to God in Humble Confession
2. Turn to God in Humble Confession
Nehemiah turns to a God who is loving and faithful,
but He is a great and powerful God who is to be feared,
so he knows he must come with an attitude of humble confession.
6 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. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.
EXPLAIN
EXPLAIN
We notice two examples of confession in Nehemiah’s prayer.
The first example is…
a. Confess Others’ Sins
a. Confess Others’ Sins
Nehemiah 1:6 (ESV)
6 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.
Nehemiah recognized that God’s covenant with Israel,
was a covenant given to them as a people,
not individuals.
When they disobeyed, God punished them as a nation.
When they obeyed, God blessed them as a nation.
For this reason, Nehemiah turns to God in humble confession,
confessing the sin of Israel,
because he recognized they were all guilty.
Though sin might have started with a few people,
it spread through the whole nation,
meaning they were all guilty in disobeying God.
Nehemiah confesses others’ sins.
The second example of Nehemiah’s confession is…
b. Confess Your Sins
b. Confess Your Sins
Nehemiah 1:6 (ESV)
6 Even I and my father’s house have sinned.
Nehemiah then moves to personal confession.
They are guilty of sin as a nation,
and yet each person is guilty personally,
including Nehemiah and his family.
Each and every generation has a responsibility to follow and obey the Lord.
Nehemiah recognizes that he and his family have played a role in sinning against God.
He goes on to say how they have sinned in verse 7…
7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.
Nehemiah doesn’t sugar coat it!
“We have acted VERY CORRUPTLY”
He understands the seriousness of their disobedience before God,
which has resulted in their desperate and shameful situation.
Summary
It would seem like hope is lost,
but Nehemiah turns to God in humble confession,
knowing that He will be faithful to His covenant!
ILLUSTRATE
ILLUSTRATE
We have been conditioned by our world to believe we can demand our rights.
The customer is always right,
so we DESERVE to get it fixed!
So…
if we get the wrong order,
we go and demand the correct one.
If our coffee doesn’t taste right,
we go and demand a new one.
If we don’t like what our gov’t is doing,
we go and demand for our voice to be heard!
But people who demand to be heard,
usually get what’s coming to them!
Return Story
This week I read a story from a manager in an art supplies store.
She was working on a busy day,
when a customer showed up,
dropped three full bags on the counter, and said…
“I want to return all of this stuff and rebuy it.”
The manager responded: “Okay. Can I ask why?”
Customer: “I bought all of this stuff on Friday at another location 1500 miles away and their tax rate is higher. So I want to return all of it and buy it here, to pay lower taxes. Now hurry up. I’ve been driving all day, and I’m tired.”
This was going to be a pain, on a very busy day, over what comes out to about $2.50…
But as ridiculous as it was, the manager started the return.
The entire time the customer continued to complain.
Finally, the manager completed the return,
and the customer said…
“It’s about time. You’d be done already if you weren’t so stupid. Now I want to buy it all again.”
The manager couldn’t believe it,
but began patiently ringing it all back up again.
After ringing all the items back up,
the manager noticed the new total was significantly higher than the old one!
Then she realized why…
She gave the bad news to the customer: “Sorry ma’am. But it looks like you used our exclusive coupon on Friday. Unfortunately, that coupon is no longer valid.”
The lady was furious, and began screaming and making a scene.
But there was nothing they could do,
so she eventually paid the new higher total, snatched her items off the counter, and stormed out of the store.
Summary
Rather than being kind and having a humble attitude,
she was arrogant, demanding, and entitled.
APPLY
APPLY
When we hear stories like that,
we can all admit we’re a little happy…
“That person got what they deserved!”
Did you know that’s how God feels too?
1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)
5 Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Nehemiah did not come before the Lord in pride,
and demand that God help them because they were His people.
He came in humility,
confessing their sins against God.
He knew they deserved the punishment they were receiving from God!
Brothers and sisters,
this must be our attitude in prayer as well!
When we come to the Lord,
we have no right to demand anything!
The only thing we deserve before a holy God is death because of our sin!
Because of this, we must come to the Lord in humble confession!
Confessing others’ sins, as well as our own,
understanding that we have all sinned and disobeyed God’s law.
It is this attitude of humility that the Lord loves,
and willingly gives His grace.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When hope seems lost,
and we go through difficult seasons of life,
it’s easy to become self-focussed and self-centered.
When we do, it’s natural to make ourselves the victim.
and then we feel as though we deserve justice,
and can demand it.
This is not the attitude that Nehemiah had,
and neither should we.
Summary
We must recognize that the Lord is great and awesome, holy and righteous…
He is in heaven and we are not!
Therefore, we should go to Him in humble confession,
recognizing that we are sinners.
But the good news is that God willingly hears the prayer of the humble,
and will forgive and cleanse us of all unrighteousness!
Transition
The next thing we learn from Nehemiah’s prayer is that you should…
3. Turn to God Who is Committed
3. Turn to God Who is Committed
Nehemiah confidently turns to the God of heaven,
because he knows God is committed to His people.
8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 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.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
EXPLAIN
EXPLAIN
The first thing we see is that God is…
a. Committed to Discipline
a. Committed to Discipline
8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples,
Nehemiah recalls God’s warning through Moses to the Israelites before giving them the land.
God had made a promise to discipline His people if they did not fear Him, and obey His Word.
This is exactly the situation the Israelites find themselves in...
experiencing the discipline of the Lord.
God did no leave them on their own…
He gave them His Word to teach and lead them,
but the Israelites disobeyed.
Therefore… God disciplined them.
And God’s discipline is a good thing,
because it’s purpose is to lead His people to repentance.
And when His people repent,
God is…
b. Committed to Restoration
b. Committed to Restoration
9 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.’
God knew that His people would sin, resulting in His discipline,
but He is committed to restoring them when they:
return to Him…
keep His commandments… and
do them.
God is so committed to His people, that when they turn back to Him,
it doesn’t matter how far they are scattered,
He will save them...
bring them to the place He has chosen… and
make His name dwell among them!
The reason God is committed to discipline and restoration,
is because they are His people…
10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
Summary
God is committed to His people because He has redeemed them as a people to Himself.
And He does not leave them to themselves to figure out how to please Him,
but gives them His commands to lead and guide them.
And when they disobey,
God is committed to His people:
to discipline them when needed… and
to restore them when they turn back to Him.
ILLUSTRATE
ILLUSTRATE
Everyone loves Lego!
I remember having the generic sets where you need to use your creativity.
I’ll just say there’s a reason I don’t have a job in design…
I do not have creativity when it comes to Lego!
“Use your creativity!”
Well apparently the best my creativity can come up with is:
a rectangular house, or
the most basic car
My style of Lego sets are the pre-made ones with the instructions.
They just tell you how to build it, and you follow the instructions… amazing!
Maybe you didn’t know this,
but they make sets for adults…
and there’s an adult section on their website.
You can get:
Titanic Lego Set — 9,090 pieces — $850
Colosseum in Rome — 9,036 pieces —
There is also an Eiffel Tower Lego set…
It is almost 5 ft tall…
and has 10,001 pieces! — $800.
Can you imagine if you got one of those sets and didn’t have instructions?!?
Good luck!
You wouldn’t even know where to start!
Even if you were able to figure some of it out by looking at the box,
you would never get all the details right.
The instructions are there to help guide you,
so that you build it exactly the way it was designed.
You would never look at the instructions that come with a Lego set and think…
“what a burden all these instructions are…”
You realize that they are there to help you complete the set exactly how it’s supposed to look!
APPLY
APPLY
Sometimes when we think of God’s Word,
we see all the rules and regulations and think they’re a burden.
“How’s anyone supposed to follow all those?!?”
We assume the Israelites must have hated God’s Word,
and been so frustrated trying to keep it all straight.
But that’s not how they viewed it!
They loved God’s Word!
Psalm 119:9–16 (ESV)
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
The people of the world worshipped their gods with desperate attempts to appease them.
They would even sacrifice their own children if they thought it might make the gods happy.
They had no idea what their gods wanted,
so they made the biggest sacrifice they could, hoping it would be enough.
But the true God of heaven, the great and awesome God,
doesn’t leave His people guessing!
He is a God of covenant,
and tells them exactly what He expects of them,
and is committed to His covenant.
Therefore the people rejoiced to have a covenant with the true and living God!
Thankfully… Jesus ushered in a new and better covenant!
He is the better Prophet,
who came and spoke the Father’s Word…
He is the better Priest,
who offered Himself as the sacrifice for all mankind…
He is the better King,
who is committed to those who love and obey His Word.
Speaking of this better covenant through Jesus,
the writer of Hebrews says…
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Maybe you fear God, and you’re scared to go to Him,
because you’re scared you will receive judgement.
You should fear God, because we have all sinned,
and our sin does make us guilty before God!
But that should lead you to turning to God through faith in Jesus.
No matter how you have sinned, when you:
turn to God through faith in Jesus…
repent of your sins… and
keep and obey God’s Word,
He is able to save you!
Nehemiah understood this…
that the fear of the Lord was a good thing…
Nehemiah 1:11 (ESV)
11 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
How can Nehemiah say he delights to fear God?
It’s because He understand what that fear accomplishes.
To fear God is to rightly understand that He is Lord and Judge of all the earth!
When we fear Him, we desire to please and obey Him.
And when we understand God’s Word,
we realize that it is not burdensome…
it gives us life!
it is light to our feet!
it leads and guides us in truth!
Yes, God’s Word is hard, because it reveals God’s perfect standard which we cannot keep,
but it also shows us how we can be saved from our sin through Christ.
Therefore, God invites us to draw near!
James 4:8 (ESV)
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Summary
Nehemiah understood that God cared about Him.
Therefore He prayed…
Nehemiah 1:11 (ESV)
11 give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah understood that even when hope seemed lost,
he could turn to God in humble confession,
knowing God would be faithful to His covenant,
and committed to His people.
No matter what situation you’re going through...
no matter how hopeless things seem…
always know that you can turn to God!
Humble yourself before Him and He will exalt you at the right time.
Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you!
Let’s pray.
