Rebuild us

Intro- Welcome people of all faiths.

Talk about the Book of Nehemiah.

Book in the Old testament.

Many bible scholars believe that Nehemiah authored the book. Most of the book is written in first person account of his return to Jerusalem.

There is nothing known about Nehemiah’s childhood, youth, or family background except in verse 1 his fathers name was Hacaliah and his brothers name in verse 2 was Hanani.

Nehemiah had risen to a position of prominence in a very pagan enviourment.

He was serving the King Artaxerxes as his personal cup bear. We see this in verse 11 and in Chapter 2 verse 1.

This important position in the kings courts gives us great insight to Nehemiah's life and character.

A mighty King of Persia would select a man for that position who was wise, discreet, and constantly honest and trustworthy.

This position reveals much about his intelectual capabilities, his emotional maturity, and spiritual status.

Nehemiah had returned in the third wave of retuning to Jerusalem in the Jewish exiles.

There was intense opposition to rebuilding the walls in Jerusalem and immense disharmany.

Despite all the opposition Nehemiah rebuilt the walls in Jerusalem.

I have titled the theme of this sermon series- Rebuild us- Renew your Church-Restore your world.

Sermon title- Rebuild us- Renew your Church-Restore your world.

Because its no secret that people of all walks need a rebuild, Churches need renewed and a fire restored, and a decaying world needs to be restored to Gods ideal.

We will be encouraged to rebuild our thoughts, rebuild the Church mentality, rebuild our culture we live in and permeate the World.

Show Pictures from Saturday!

Pray-

So please if you havant already turn your Bibles to Nehemiah. And if you would like to stay ahead of the Series I encourage to read ahead each week.

Verses 1-3 give us the report from Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 1:1–3 ESV

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, 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.”

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So in the Chislev Month from November- December a report came that the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and the gates destroyed by fire.

What do you and I do when we receive bad news? Or a decision we need to make? Or a person we need to talk to? Or a situation we know we cannot do ourselves.

Before we move or speak we Pray.

Lets look at Nehemiah response to the situation.

Nehemiah 1:4–11 ESV

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. 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, 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. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 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.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 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.

Nehemiah speaks about how awesome God is.

Nehemiah knew only God could do what he was asking of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 1:5 ESV

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,

We today use awesome in a very loose term. But only God is truly Awesome.

Awesome is to be awe-inspiring. Nehemiah was in awe at how great God was.

When we view God in his greatness we truly see our problems in there relative smallness.

Nehemiah reminds us where the condition of our heart should be. Thinking of others.

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Do you know God calls us to do things we cannot do on our own?

God cannot begin to rebuild without our repentance.

We pray to a God that can do what no human can.

To repent is to turn back to God or to turn from Evil.

we must turn back to God then we will see a rebuilt your and I.

Nehemiah 1:6–7 ESV

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. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.

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Its important to see the Nehemiah said WE. He was including himself three times in this prayer.

Notice that Nehemiah was specific in his prayer to God.

Nehemiah 1:6–11 ESV

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. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 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.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 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.

Nehemiah 1:8–11 ESV

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.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 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.

Nehemiah 1:8–11 ESV

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.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 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.

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Humanly speaking there was only one person that could grant Nehemiah what he needed.

King Artaxerxes issued a decree that stoped all construction work in Jerusalem. Meaning he was the only person on earth that could reverse that.

That is why Nehemiah prayed the way he did.

God wants specific prayers in our life.

Chapter 2 verses 1-4 the king recognizes something differnt about Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 2:1–4 ESV

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.

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He was sad.

The noticed something differnt about Nehemiah. He was sad.

The cup bear was to never show dissatisfaction to the King. This could have jeopardized his position with the King or even his life.

Nehemiah was telling the King he was sad for the city that ancestors were buried in. Nehemiah was careful to not mention Jerusalem so he would not strike a political never with the King.

This was very sad state for the Jewish city. After 71 years of the temple being rebuilt it still needed allot of rebuilding.

When was the last time you wept over Sin, wept over our nation, wept over lost souls?

Nehemiah reminds us where the condition of our heart should be. Thinking of others.

God has placed you right where you need to be.

Do you ever stop and think that you are actually where God wants you to be?

Nehemiah was right were he wanted him to be and he was available.

Are you and I truly available to God? Do you know God wants to use you right where you are?

Godly work will always lead you to opposition.

Satan doesn't mess with half hearted Christians.

satan will leave you alone if you are content living a him haw spiritual existence.

But if your on fire for Jesus Christ watch out. Satan cannot stand that. So welcome opposition your on the right side of things.

There is a quote by an unknown author.

A bumblebee cannot fly because of the weight and size of its body according to his wing size. The bumblebee does not know this so it keeps on flying.

When God says go you go no matter what the world tells you.

Nehemiah 2:17–20 ESV

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

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After inspecting the walls after a 2 month journey Nehemiah was ready to do what God called him to do. But we see people are opposed to a Godley calling.

When we have opposition we can tell a personal testimony to what God is and has done in our lives.

When Nehemiah gave his personally testimony peoples negative feelings turned into positive and some people began to build with him.

Big God dreams annoy small God minded people.

We serve a big God so we should look at any situation as a small problem.

when the enemies came when people who were against the wall Nehemiah was prepared for that.

He responded that the God of heaven would enable them to succeed.

Once again Nehemiah brought the task into the eyes of Judah and his enemies that they were not dependent on there abilities, human resources, or being smart.

There hope was in the God of Heaven!

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Where is your Hope.

How you dream, and go after unrighteous things, making no one safe from hearing about Jesus Christ. Shows how on fire you are for Jesus.

Is coming to Church just a check mark, or do you come to get fed to go out to do unthinkable things?

Things that only God could do.

To show our City that God is not dead and we oporate not on our power but the God of Heaven.