Oh God Revive Us!

Good Morning, as I was studying over the last few weeks I have been praying for direction for our Wednesday night Bible studies. One book has come to me over and over again it is just like the Lord will not let it rest, and it is kind of interesting because I have never done a full study on the book of Nehemiah, and I was kind of intimidated by it.

So the plan was to march through and study the book Nehemiah on Wednesday nights, but the Lord has insisted that I need to study through this book on Sunday morning.

So here we are, I truly feel that studying Nehemiah should be the aim and goal of our services until we are finished with the book.

Nehemiah was a man who wanted to do something great for God.

Have you ever wanted to do something great for God?

Have you ever wished or prayed that God would use you in a mighty way for His kingdom?

That if God would just show you what to do, you would do anything to honor Him?

We as a church like Nehemiah want to do something great for God. As you examine the life of Nehemiah you see 3 things that just jump off the pages, and once I started to dig into this I discovered when BURDEN, VISION, and COMMITMENT come together,

It forms an unstoppable force when attached to Gods purposes. This is true for anyone who desires to be used by God God begins by giving them a burden, something is wrong something needs to be fixed, which leads to vision, how would God have me respond to this need, but then once we know the thing that burdens our hearts, and we have prayed and asked God for wisdom, and He grants us a vision of what He would have us do, then we must have the committment and faith to see it through to the end.

its almost like God is looking for men and women who have these 3 things in thier life and then God kind of flexes His muscles and does extraordinary things.

Now Nehemiah had this extraordinary ability that very few people have, he had this ability to think beyond himself, I want you to know something this is really important for us as a church. This is crucial for us a followers of Christ.

Can we have the mind of Christ?

He was the epitome of thinking beyond Himself was He not?

(the cross)

There is something special, there is something Christlike when a person chooses to look beyond himself.

Which is why the church in America is broken.... we are a self seeking people...

(music, atmosphere, preaching, fellowship,)

(dscipleship issue)

It is truly sad to look at the state of where the church is in our nation, that third world countries are sending missionaries here in hopes to bring revival.

The church is America matters and should matter to all of us, this is the church that will impact our country, or that will not impact our country.

As the church goes so goes our nation, the more they try to push God out of schools, redefine marriage, ....

If there is no one who has a burden who is willing to stand in the gap then the world is bleak for our children and grandchildren.

But we have to have a burden and the thing that bothers and burdens me is that people just arent burdened anymore,,,....

we got financial burdens........

VISION- I believe it should be important to us at UHBC that we would equip and develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ both now and for future generations.

This has been a driving force for things I have done, decisions I have made ever since I began here, I have watched as the childrens ministry was born and has done well, I have watched as adults have come into maturity and are being saved and grown in their faith, and as we saw last Sunday our youth is growing into spiritual maturity as well.

That guiding vision to develop fully deovted followers of Jesus Christ has been the center piece of why we do what we do here, whether I have ever said it or not.

I pray God would you be so gracious to help us be a part of your plan to equip and help the people in our community to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ both right now, and for future generations, I really want that to drive everything we try to do here.

God would you bless us in such a way that 40-50-60 years from now nobody knows who Kyle Johnson is, or Amy mcniel is, or Cory Solomon or Jan Taylor.... but they know about UHBC bc we were the ones who laid the foundation, we were the ones who planted the seeds that provide shade for others.

The ability to look beyond yourself God uses that in signifigant ways.

The thing about Nehemiah is you see this in his life time and time again, and it is such a rare quality but it is something God uses in mighty ways. This ability to look beyond yourself.

I was reading an article Cornell university conducted a survey and they surveyed thousands of senior adults in thier communities and they asked them one question.

LOOKING BACK ON YOUR LIFE WHAT DO YOU REGRET?

Something surprised the researchers…

bc the researchers were thinking things like “i regret the time I did this, or took this type of action” but thats not what these older people were thinking...

When they looked back on their lives from their 60-70’s they said you there was a time in my life where I had the opportunity to do “blank” and they didn’t do it.

they dont regret action, they regret INaction. When it comes to day to day living we say things like oh I shouldn’t have said that today or done that today, but when you look back over your life it is the inaction you regret.

(MEN’S DISCIPLESHIP GROUP)

(WOMEN’S DISCIPLESHIP GROUP)

Areas of service God may have called you to.....

Nehemiah was a man who refused to let the needs overwhelm him. Sometimes you develop that heart you have the ability to look beyond yourself and then you realize WOW theres alot of needs out there!

Haiti

You see what they are going through and you think oh my what can i do.... there’s not much I can do…

Remember when you feel like your not making much of a difference or when you are overwhelmed with the task in front of you, that little boy who was walking along the seashore and along the beach thousands and thousands of starfish had washed up.

Remember when you feel like your not making much of a difference or when you are overwhelmed with the task in front of you, that little boy who was walking along the seashore and along the beach thousands and thousands of starfish had washed up.

They are laying there struggling since they are out of the water and this boy can be seen bending down and picking them up one by one and he walks up and he tosses one out there and this older gentleman walks by and he says young man what do you think your doing, you are wasting your time.

youre never gonna be able to save all of em

what difference is it gonna make?

The little boy reaches down and picks up the star fish and he says it makes a difference to this one… and he tosses it into the sea.

What your going to see in the life of Nehemiah is this man who sees what could be this overwhelming insurmountable burden and he isn’t paralyzed by it. The reason why he isn’t paralyzed by it is bc he believes in a mighty God.

He believes in a God who can do anything, I really believe that when burden is forged with passion, and vision and it matches commitment it becomes an unstoppable force in accomplishing God’s purposes.

So heres our guy Nehemiah and he is living in a crazy time in the life of God’s people the nation of Israel, bc it is a time of exile, a time of captivity, they are desperately in need for God to restore them. Now you say how did they get there?

the nation of Israel was scattered all over you gotta go back to 1,000 bc.

The kingdom of Israel they aren’t getting along real well. Their 12 tribes they are split there is a division. 10 tribes go up north and become the northern kingdom.

2 stay to the south that’s the southern kingdom, they are known as the kingdom of Judah.

By the way JEW comes from the title Judah when they became the kingdom of Judah they became known as the Jews.

The Northern kingdom they were known as Israelites. So heres how it went down:

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE:

As you read through the OT it jumps off the page at you:

The Northern kingdom had a series of bad kings to the point where they were worshipping man made idols. Heres how it works with God. God does not bless disobedience, God refuses to bless disobedience.

You might be here tonight and your kinda like I don’t feel like I am on the best terms with God, God does not bless disobedience. How many of you have children?

Do you celebrate their rebelliousness?

Do you applaud their disobedience?

of course not,the same is true for our Father God He does not reward disobedience.

TRUST AND OBEY FOR THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO BE HAPPY IN JESUS, THAN TO TRUST AND OBEY...

So the problem is the Northern kingdom b/c they had these bad kings they lead the people to start worshipping these false gods God says “my favor is no longer with you” that’s a bad place to be in life.

REMEMBER THIS: YOU WILL NEVER LOSE GOD’S SALVATION, BUT YOU CAN FALL OUT OF FAVOR WITH GOD. YOU CAN GREIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE POINT WHERE HE REMOVES HIS HAND OF BLESSING OFF OF YOUR LIFE.

(old friends, drinking, and the trouble which ensued)

This is on a smaller scale exactly what happened to the children of Israel.

722 BC the Assyrians roll up to the Northern kingdom and they take it. The Assyrians were an interesting group because they brought with them a new form of domination called “exile” and we learn about this through ancient pictographs and the pictures show men with chains around their wrists and around their ankles and they are being lead away from their homeland, with their wives and children behind them, with only what they can carry on their backs.

You were in your bed one night, the Assyrians rolled in and the next day you left everything behind your never gonna see it again. The Assyrians moved into your town.

The Northern kingdom was exiled,lead away into captivity.

The Southern kingdom held fast for a long time, in fact 50 years later the bloodthirsty king from Assyria Sennacharib tried to take the Southern kingdom. But the southern kingdom had this dude named Hezekiah as their king and he was a good king.

While everything went ary in the northern kingdom, and God’s hand of blessing left them and they were carried off into captivity, the Southern kingdom who sought to obey God had His hand of protection.

He feared God everything was tight in the Southern kingdom God’s protection was with them. One night Sennacharib surrounds the city of Jerusalem and then what happens next is remarkable.

What happened?

IN one night as they surrounded Jerusalem an angel came and killed 180,000 Assyrian soldiers. The text says the Assyrian King Sennacharib wakes up the next morning, rolls out of his tent… and there is dead bodies everywhere.

God had His favor upon the Southern Kingdom because, they walked in obedience before Him. Unfortunately they failed over time and they fell into disobedience, and God does not reward disobedience the Babylonians roll into town and 589 BC they devastated the Southern Kingdom.

They wiped it out, 50 years later a new kingdom begins to take power named the Persian kingdom. 539 BC they did what nobody thought was possible they take down the great city of Babylon.

The Persian kingdom is now on top, here is what is interesting about that, the Persians were sympathetic to the JEws. They actually said to the Jews heres the deal, were gonna let you go back and rebuild your city.

This brings us to our man Nehemiah, its 444 BC its been 150 years since the king of Persia King Cyrus says to the Jews go back rebuild your city you can do it.

Then all of a sudden one day there’s a knock on the door of Nehemiah…

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:1 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,

Nehemiah 1:2 ESV

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.

Nehemiah 1:3 ESV

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.”

So when we get to Nehemiah after this news He is crying. He is weeping, people cry over a number of things, people cry over sad movies, weddings, parents cry when their kids leave home, He is crying over a broken wall.

WHO CRIES OVER A BROKEN WALL?

A man who thinks beyond himself.

A man with a God given burden....

A guy who thinks beyond himself, because that wall represented alot more than just some physical structure. If you visit Jerusalem it sits on a hill, that’s why if you’ll notice when people travel to Jerusalem the text will say they go up, because it is a city on a hill.

When they leave Jerusalem they went down b/c it sat on a hill

There was a series of retaining walls which kept the city in tact it keep the Earth in place, but outside those retaining walls was a very thick thick foundational wall that protected the city, including its gates.

Nehemiah 1:4 HCSB

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

So this is the report the city’s walls are broken down and the gates are burned with fire.

Its one thing to have a wall with a broken down spot that needs fixing its another thing altogether to have your gates burned down and to have your wall broken down see the gates would be closed at night to keep out evil people, but they would also be closed to keep out wild animals.

So you have to picture the city and nation of Israel at this time, God’s city God’s nation which was supposed to be sacred and Holy but now anybody or anything simply steps over the broken down wall and say ok I guess were in Jerusalem now...

totally vulnerable, totally unprotected and the thing was the very place where the people of God were called to worship God in Jerusalem this place called the temple, you cannot worship God the way He desired to be worshipped if you have no protection at all...

You had to have a wall

Theres wild dogs running around, anybody can loot anything, and it is to thier shame… you see it in the text?

If this is your city, its embarassing. Now notice His response.

Nehemiah 1:4 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.

The time between chapter 1-2 is 4 months this guy cries for 4 months, he is gonna take action, He is formulating a plan but right now he is broken hearted and burdened.

HE WAS FASTING AND PRAYING BEFORE THE GOD OF HEAVEN...

What causes you to weep?

What do you pray for, because the things that cause you to weep and the things you pray for very often reveal what your passionate about.

I have met many Christians who their prayer life is the source of their selfcenteredness.

If the only prayer you have is God help me, God provide for me, God take care of me, you end up fueling what is already a natural tendency of your heart and that is to think about yourself.

Now dont get me wrong in Jesus’ model prayer he says give me this day my daily bread but heres what we do without realizing it we pray seflcentered prayers.

What are you burdened about?

What you see in Nehemiah is that what he wants is in the best interest of Gods people, so he sits down and begins to weep and this is what he prays…

In this prayer he actually identifies the real problem.

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,

Nehemiah 1:

Nehemiah 1:6 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.

Nehemiah 1:7 ESV

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

The issue is failure to keep God’s commands. This is an issue that plagues God’s people today. Now while we don’t have to be perfect the burden and desire of our hearts is that we would obey God’s commands.

(The great commission)

Do you wanna be used by God, yeah, do you wanna advance the kingdom of Heaven, yeah...

Let me show you how to do it....

STEP 1:

GET ON YOUR KNEES

We cant fool God, God we wanna do great things for you, we wanna see revival in our church, in our nation, in our town. God says how about we work on that holiness and obedience thing?

I mean I just wanna be used by you Lord its gonna be awesome!!! Um we have these issues in your life that we really need to work on together....

Typical AA meeting hi my name is Kyle Johnson and I am an alcoholic. You know what the beauty of that is? Its a person who stands up and says let me just declare my issue. Let me just tell you what the problem is, because you cant fix the issue unless you recognize what the issue is.

That’s the beautiful thing about this prayer we gotta get this straight from the beginning, the reason we are in this position, is b/c we’ve sinned. Now sin is not something people wanna hear about very often, its wanting to do your own thing apart from God.

This is how Nehemiah lays it out there, he says we as a people have sinned. My mom my dad, we’ve all sinned can we just start there God b/c we know if were going to fix it we’ve gotta start there.

Now Jesus will tell you phase 2 is to produce deeds in keeping with repentance but it begins with a confession. I love his heart, this is something that resonates with us b/c we are all more prone to see the sin of others and not our own sin.

Not Nehemiah and what a good lesson, don’t focus on the sins of others but rather focus on your own sin.

Nehemiah 1:8–9 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.’

Nehemiah 1:8-

IF YOU RETURN TO ME!!!

I WILL RESTORE WHAT IS SCATTERED, I WILL RESTORE WHAT IS BROKEN DOWN!

Does God want to bless His people yes, Does God love His people yes, Does God want His people to be happy yes. Is there something that God wants more for His people than their personal happiness you better believe it.

You know what He wants more than your personal happiness, He wants His holiness to be on display through your actions and my actions of obedience.

There is a difference between happiness and joy, happiness is temporary and based on circumstances but joy transcends circumstances. Heres the thing when the people of God can be used as windows through which others see who God is, by virtue of how you live your life and your relationship with God, they see God and God is given glory.

You find joy, not happiness, you find joy. Does god want His people to be happy sure, but what does God want more God wants His people to be joyful, you will only find joy in life when you live your life in such a way (holiness and obedience) to bring God glory.

So God says I am going to accomplish this vision I have put in your heart Nehemiah and gather those who have been scattered and rebuild what is broken, so that my name will dwell there, my presence will dwell there.

Nehemiah 1:10 ESV

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

Nehemiah is familiar with all the stories you know the whole Moses thing red sea, He knows what God can do...

Nehemiah 1:11 ESV

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.

FEAR YOUR NAME

Do you know what the most often repeated phrase in the Bible is?

Love .... no

Serve.... no

DO NOT FEAR.... yes

Isn’t that interesting? Fear is such a strong motivator, I have always said if you fear man you are going to fear anything and everything

I wonder what they are thinking of me… fear of man

I wonder if I should have said this… fear of man

I wonder if I do this what will they do… fear of man

If we fear man your going to fear anything and everything but if you fear God you wont fear anything.

Ultimate fear drives out lesser fear.

What your going to see in the life of Nehemiah is this ultimate fear of God this reverent fear of God where Nehemiah says I know what God wants done and I am going to get it done I have got the burden, vision, and commitment.

He then says LET YOUR SERVANT PROSPER because God I am doing what youve asked of me...

I PRAY, AND GRANT ME MERCY IN THE SIGHT OF THIS MAN. FOR I WAS THE KINGS CUP BEARER.

Cup bearer was the one who would pour the kings wine into a cup and drink it and if he remained alive and if the wine wasnt poisoned he would pour some of that same wine into the cup and give it to the king.

Nehemiah was a trustworthy individul who had direct access to the king. there is an unbelievable amoutn of talent skills and influence in our church.

GOD HAS ENTRUSTED HIS RESOURCES (WHERE IN HEAVEN?) NO WHERE DOES HE KEEP HIS RESOURCES?

LOOK AROUND THE ROOM HE HAS ENTRUSTED HIS RESOURCES HERE.

What burdens you?

What problems do you see around you? What problems do you see in this world?

Once you identify God this is a burden, GOD THIS IS THE PROBLEM THIS IS WHAT I SEE IS WRONG the next step is you pray for God to give you a vision, you know what a vision is it is a picture of the future.

Its like God taking a paint brush and putting it in your hand and saying what would it look like to solve that problem God uses me to do it.

BURDEN VISION, and then you follow through with committment, let me tell you this if you will live like this God will do something through you that you never dreamed possible and you will find joy bc you have made His name great and known.

I dont know what your burden is but I know what it is for me...

DONT BE FEARFUL DONT LET FEAR IMMOBILIZE YOU, DONT LET FEAR OF CHANGE ROB YOU FROM BEING PART OF GODS PLAN.

We can make a difference in the world.

But we have to seek His glory and to obey Him in every way.

I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A VERY CLEAR VISION FOR WHAT GOD DESIRES, AND I AM COMMITTED TO GETTING IT DONE. FOR YEARS GOD HAS BURDENED MY HEART TO FIX SOME THINGS, AND INTEND TO GET IT DONE AS GOD DIRECTS ME.

IN WHAT WAYS WOULD GOD HAVE YOU BE OBEDIENT?

WHAT HAS GOD ASKED OF YOU?

WHAT BURDENS YOUR HEART?

IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU LIVING AT A GUILTY DISTANCE, IN DISOBEDIENCE?

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

Let’s start by getting on our knees and repenting, and then let’s move forward in obedience.

(let’s pray)