Do We Care Enough for Broken Walls

Today we’re starting a new series on the book of Nehemiah. So before we begin, join me in welcoming our scripture readers to the stage as they read for us the scripture passage for today, from Nehemiah 1:1-11. //

Thank you, scripture readers. Join me in a word of prayer. //

Let’s watch this clip together. //

So how many of you have watched this movie: How to make millions before grandma dies? I watched it some time back, and guys, this movie will confirm make you cry one. For those small groups looking for a group-bonding activity, maybe go watch this movie together. Nothing quite takes your friendship to the next level like crying in the cinema together. This story follows the main character M. He starts out as a self-centered youth, like some young people out there, he seems to not care about anything or anyone. But then we learn that actually, he does care very deeply about something. Computer games! In fact he wants a faster computer so desperately that he’s willing to try to manipulate his dying amah to give him her entire inheritance money. He even goes to the extent of moving in with her, taking care of her. He begins to wake up early to help amah sell porridge, he learns to make tea the way she likes it. But as months go by and amah’s cancer worsens, M finds that his heart begins to change. From caring deeply about himself and his games, he finds himself caring deeply for amah. And in the end, he is one of the few that care deeply enough for amah to go all the way, seeing amah off right till her dying breath. //

Here's the thing. I dare say that there are at least one or a few things in life that each of us really care deeply about. Tweens, today, what’s one thing that you care enough about that you’re willing to go ALL OUT for?

For most of us, when we care deeply enough for something, we’re willing to go to great lengths for it. Be it our studies, our exams, a sport or game we are passionate about, or a friend, if we care deeply enough, we’re willing to go through a lot for that person or cause. Nehemiah cared deeply enough for God's renewal work in Jerusalem. Through that, God went all out to see the rebuilding done through him. //

Today, I want to challenge you (and please write this down as today’s Big Idea) that God’s renewal of broken walls begins with just one person caring enough. //

Here's how it went down. In 5th century BC, the city of Jerusalem lay in waste and ruin. Because of Israel’s repeated sin, God had allowed them to be taken into captivity. Their 70 years in exile had left the city razed to the ground by the Babylonian army, its walls crumbled and its gates burned. Though some Jews had returned to rebuild the temple, Jerusalem remained vulnerable and its people in despair. Without fortified walls, the city and its renewed temple were exposed to constant threat.

Now here’s why this was a BIG problem. Jerusalem was meant to be more than just a city! For the rest of the world that didn’t know God, this city was to be a living and visible representation of God’s glory. It’s walls were supposed to be a picture, for the rest of the world, of God’s divine protection and favor. But as it stood, where once the walls of Jerusalem stood high and proud, there were only piles of rubble and charred wood.

In those days, walls were also basic for national defence. If you didn’t have a wall around the city, you couldn’t protect the people in the city. You didn’t know who was coming in, going out. So the wall was a really big deal. When a city had the wall destroyed, it meant that they were vulnerable that anybody could come in at any time and just wreak havoc.

And so, the state of these walls was shameful and disgraceful for God’s people. It was also dangerous and left them vulnerable! And they remained in this sad condition for over 140 years!

So, there was a massive rebuilding work to be done. Where does it start? // It started with God planting a vision into an unlikely hero - a cupbearer, the butler to the Persian King. With that person, what had been destroyed for over 140 years was rebuilt and renewed in 52 days. That’s almost the whole book of Nehemiah summarized into one line - 140 years of destruction rebuilt and renewed in 52 days! //

But what’s this got to do with us today? If you open your eyes, you’ll see “broken walls” all around us. Maybe they're not actual walls that need fixing by a construction crew. But broken walls are anywhere and everywhere we don’t see God’s rule represented as it should be.

So, how well is God being represented at home? Are there broken relationships between us and our siblings, between our parents, between us and our parents - that instead of representing God in our love for one another, we dish out a lot of hate, jealousy and discord. Are there relationships so broken-down, so fractured, so dysfunctional that only God is capable of restoring? Perhaps you recently lost someone or something really dear to you, and ever since it felt like a part of you was broken and could never be fixed. These are your broken walls.

How well is God being represented in your school? Maybe for some of you, school feels like a very God-less environment. It's already so stressful and pressurizing for me to do well. And then, maybe no one ever seems to care about God. There’s a lot of toxic friendships going on, ungodly language is constantly being used. Perhaps even the Christians in your school don’t behave like Christians, or God is not being respected the way He should be. Maybe you’re even picked on for being a Christian. These are your broken walls.

How well is God being represented in the church? When a new visitor joins us, do they see God's people paying proper respect and reverence to God our King and LORD? Do they see people coming into God’s house with a hunger and desire to seek and meet Him? Do they see Christ in how we love and accept one another? If not, maybe these are our broken walls in our church.

Tweens: These are your broken walls. Broken walls are anywhere and everywhere we don't see God's rule represented as it should be. They exist everywhere around us. Similar to ancient Jerusalem, the “broken walls” in our schools, homes and communities need urgent renewal so we can represent God rightly and bring Him glory. Would you believe it, God is in a work of restoring broken walls. He's been doing it 2000 years ago and He's still doing it today. How does God renew? He renews broken lives and a broken world with His presence. // This is God’s promise in the second-last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 21. It says, “‘God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” This is a vision of the future when God’s restoration is finally complete. So there is much renewal to be done! And guess what: God wants us to be part of it. //

But do we care deeply enough for the broken walls out there? //

God’s renewal of broken walls begins with just one person caring enough. That person, in the Old Testament, was Nehemiah. Let’s dive into our scripture for today. //

Context

Nehemiah, a Jewish exile, served as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia in the citadel of Susa. This was the winter capital of the Persian Empire, which was the most powerful nation at that time. He was probably doing his routine duties when he was visited by Hanani, one of his brothers. Friends, Nehemiah cared enough to ask about Jerusalem and the Jews struggling hundreds of miles away from where he was. // He heard the bad news and he cared enough to mourn and pray. The report affected him greatly because he genuinely cared. He pleaded for God to act according to His steadfast love and mercy. He confessed the sins of his family and the people, and begged for God’s mercy and forgiveness. // Finally, he cared enough to volunteer to take action. He prayed in verse 11, “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” Nehemiah, through prayer, had a plan of action.

Tweens, Nehemiah was that one person that cared enough. And so, God's work of rebuilding the broken-down walls of Jerusalem started with him.

Three main points for us today. //

First, write this down: Comfort shouldn’t stop us from caring deeply for broken walls.

Nehemiah was comfortably faraway from the suffering of God’s people in Jerusalem, literally in his high tower in Susa. He was successfully, lavishly and securely in his own life, job and position. He was doing well. His life was stable. He could just mind his own business and all would be well for him. But he made a special effort to look out, to care about the state of the walls in Jerusalem. It concerned him that the broken walls were a disgrace to God and His people. It deeply disturbed him that God’s rule was not represented as it should be. Because he cared deeply enough for God.

What’s that mean for you and I? Many of us here, we grow up in comfort and maybe right now everything is going OK for us. If we just mind our own business, just look out for yourself, everything will be fine. But do we still care deeply enough for the brokenness around us? When we see things happen in our school where things are clearly not right by God, does it disturb us greatly? You know, I really think God’s word for us today is that when we are comfortable, we can still care deeply for the right things. There’s nothing wrong with being in comfort. But there is something seriously wrong when, even in our comfort, we choose to not care beyond ourselves.

So, do we care enough to look out for broken walls that need God’s renewal? Do you have a heart, like Nehemiah’s, that actively seeks to find out where in the world these broken-walls are and to really be troubled by it? When you see in your own school, people living and acting as if God were not there, are we like “mehh whatever! Doesn’t concern me!”, or does it grieve our hearts because we know that it grieves God’s own heart? Because we know that everywhere, especially in our schools, people need God?

So this is point one. Comfort shouldn’t stop us from caring deeply for broken walls. How do we live this out? // Examine your heart. Does it care deeply for the right things? If it doesn’t (if it's indifferent or hardened), perhaps you need to ask the LORD for a new heart. Always look out beyond yourselves. There are broken walls all around you. In the news, in your schools, in your homes, in your neighborhood. Care enough to open your eyes and hearts to the brokenness out there. //

Point two! Write this down: Broken walls shouldn’t overwhelm us beyond prayer.

When Nehemiah heard about the condition of the walls, he was at first obviously overwhelmed. // The man broke down in tears. He must have felt so helpless. He's one man with zero resources, hundreds of miles away from Jerusalem. Sometimes when we learn of brokenness out there, we feel the same way, don't we? Its not that I don't wanna help, I don't know how to help! I'm just one 14 year old seeking restoration for my parents’ broken relationship. I’m just one 13 year old seeking restoration for all the toxicity and injustice that goes on in my school. I’m just one 12 year old wanting to rebuild a fractured friendship. Well, no matter how broken the wall, it didn't stop Nehemiah from praying. Broken walls, even the intimidating ones, should not stop us from praying, because especially where we are helpless, nothing is impossible for God. How to live it out? When you face a huge broken wall, run first to God in prayer. //

Finally, write this down: Prayer shouldn’t excuse us from action.

Check out the end of Nehemiah’s prayer. // He prays, “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” He plans to go before the King. Now guys, don’t miss this detail. He doesn’t pray and then say, “God, use someone else! Hanani and the rest of them, they’re great, use them to rebuild the wall.” He says, “God, you’ve given me power and influence through putting me in this unique position of having special access (as cupbearer) to the King of Persia. Use that, use me for your work!”

Anyone can point fingers at the problems. Many people pray for God to work. But few care deeply enough to pray, “God if you are willing, I’m willing, so feel free to use me! Send me!” Do you care enough to volunteer yourself as part of the solution - all that you have, your influence, your position, your gifts, your talents - to be used by God to bring His presence into your home, in your communities or in your school? //

Call to Action

You know, speaking of school right, recently I went back to visit my old school. Anyway, I was talking to the staff in charge of the Christian Ministry there. She shared with me a true story of how God was working in such a mighty way in the school. This story reminded me of Nehemiah.

You see, in the past, there were Christian students in the school, but they would never meet. Christian Fellowship was a “forgotten” CCA; you didn’t get any points for joining CF, so nobody joined. During the CCA fair, their booth was in some dark corner near the toilet. So it was known as a “despised” or “invisible” CCA. So, this was a broken wall in the school.

Everything started to change when three boys that were on fire for God entered the school. I heard how God planted in their hearts a vision for the Christian community in school to be a visible community, shining for the right reasons, so that others will look at this community and say, “Yes, God is present in this school.” They cared so much about this vision that they began to pray for revival. Every recess, the 3 of them would set aside time to pray together without fail.

And then, the most incredible thing happened. God began to add more to their numbers. From 3, they grew to 30, and then they grew to 50. While as 1 or 2, it may be lonely or scary to stand up for your faith, God brought more Christians to strengthen their numbers. Finally, God empowered one of the original 3 boys to be the president of Christian Fellowship, and I’m told he led with wisdom, ability and vision, to rebuild the Christian Fellowship in that school. Teachers also began to drop by, and soon, their membership rose to over 200, and every CCA leader (captain, president, chairperson) who was a Christian, was in CF. Imagine what God can do through that.

When I spoke to the staff, she ended her story saying this. “I believe that God wants CF in this school. Students really felt the need to meet God in school, and hence were willing to put aside all other considerations for that extra commitment of time and energy.” In short, the students cared enough about God’s vision that God did a massive renewal of this broken wall through them. //

You know, many of us when we come up against a big broken-down wall in our school or in our lives, it may feel very much like God is absent. Maybe it feels like God’s not there. But when we let ourselves care deeply enough, sometimes God can call you and I to be the ones to carry His presence into these situations. We are redeemed to represent God, and friends, that is a high high calling. Because we will see - what is surely impossible with our own hands will be made possible by Him. That which was destroyed for over 140 years rebuilt in just 52 days. That same God can work through you today. If you simply care deeply enough for Him. //

Big Idea: God’s renewal of broken walls begins with just one person caring enough.

// So BeTween, do we care enough for broken walls? Nehemiah cared deeply enough. From his example, we learn that comfort shouldn’t stop us from caring deeply for “broken walls”, “Broken walls” shouldn’t overwhelm us beyond prayer, Prayer shouldn’t excuse us from action. What if we cared enough to be attentive to the brokenness happening all around us, and not just turn a blind eye? What if we cared enough for God’s rule and His glory to be shown that we really pray for the burdens that God has placed on our hearts? What if we cared enough to say, “God, its not all about me anymore, but I’m willing to take action if you are sending me.” What kind of church could we be, if we all cared enough for broken walls?

Would you take a moment to respond to Him today? Let us pray.

Call to Response

I’d like us to take a few moments to be still in God’s presence. Don’t let His word pass you by flippantly. I wonder if you are here today, and as you hear this message, you know you are right now facing a “broken wall” in your home, in your school or in your community. I really wanna pray for you, whatever your broken wall is. I'd like to ask if you can just raise your hand really quickly, and bring it down. Would you bring your broken wall before God in prayer.

Lord, you see these hands raised. You see our “broken walls”. I pray we may see these walls as you do. I pray you will restore, renew and rebuild these broken walls for your glory to be properly represented in our world today. Use us to carry your presence into these areas and situations.

I wonder if as you hear this message, your response is that you want to care more deeply for the right things. Maybe as you examine your heart, you find that you don't care as deeply as you want to for the “broken walls” out there. You want to come to God for a new heart, a heart that breaks for what breaks God's heart, a heart like Nehemiah’s. Would you bring your hearts before God in prayer right now, raise your hand really quickly and then bring it down, I want to pray for you.

Lord, you see the hands raised. You see our hearts. Renew our hearts, Lord, that they may break for what breaks yours. Give us a heart like Nehemiah’s, that cares deeply for the broken walls around us. Open our eyes to see the brokenness around us the way you do. As we care more deeply, use us to bring your presence into these areas. Amen.