Who Cares?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
George Bernard Shaw, in his play, “The Devil’s Disciple.” had one of his characters say this, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.”
Main Idea:
Introduction
Introduction
George Bernard Shaw, in his play, “The Devil’s Disciple.” had one of his characters say this, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.”
This was Jesus’ point of the parable of the Good Samaritan in ! The Samaritan was considered good because he cared and his care led to action.
What is the Biblical Solution?
And as we embark on another book study this morning, you are about to learn about a man who cared deeply. Dr. Warren Wiersbe said this of Nehemiah...
Be Determined Chapter One: Does Anybody Really Care? (Nehemiah 1)
Nehemiah was the kind of person who cared. He cared about the traditions of the past and the needs of the present. He cared about the hopes for the future. He cared about his heritage, his ancestral city, and the glory of his God. He revealed this caring attitude in four different ways.
And friends, we need to be a people who care as well. And care for these things!
Today we go back in time thousands of years to learn some timeless principles. And one of those principles is care and concern for the things of God!
Who cares? Hopefully you do!
Main Textual Idea:
Main Idea: Some People Have a Great Concern for the Things of God - Do You?
Transition:
Body (Satisfaction)
1. Do you Care Enough to Know? (vs. 1-3)
Lead in…Do you remember that old TV show called “Hogan’s Heros?” If you do you will remember Sargent Shultz, who was in charge of looking after the prisoners. Of course the prisoners were always up to something to aid in the war effort and defeat the germans. And Sargent Shultz was a conflicted soul. He desired to be a good soldier for the germans and yet he liked these prisoners of war, and let them get away with things they otherwise should not have. And when He would see their anti-prisoner antics, he would always say, “I know nothing!”
Well, sometimes not knowing nothing may be easier, but when we know and we choose to do nothing about it, that’s a problem. Nehemiah didn’t have that problem or attitude. Nehemiah cared! Look at the text...
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,
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.”
N
Nehemiah was concerned for his God, God’s reputation and God’s people.
Explanation -
Nehemiah was a layman, of Jewish decent, born in Persia (not Jerusalem). He was well removed from the situation that Jerusalem faced. He lived in relative comfort and peace. Yet, he was concerned for his God and God’s people.
His name means - “The Lord has comforted.” And he is the son of Hacaliah. There is nothing more known about Nehemiah’s father, but he is mentioned to distinguish this Nehemiah from the others listed in this book.
By the way, we don’t know for sure who wrote this letter, we get a clue in verse one that it was Nehemiah because he says, “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.” But many scholars believe it was Ezra who compiled this letter, including the first person testimony of Nehemiah. In other words, Ezra used Nehemiah’s Journal.
In fact, in the Hebrew bible, this book was considered to be the second half of Ezra! We’ll learn more about this as we study.
And this
You’ll notice that something happened in the month of Chislev (Mid November-Mid December). Something from Nehemiah’s perspective that was quite significant.
The text tells us that it was “in the 20th year.” The 20th year of what?
The reign of the great “Artaxerxes 1 Longi-man-us” who ruled Persia from 464 to 423 B.C.
Nehemiah received some very disturbing news, 20 years into his 41 year reign.
And we see that Nehemiah was at Susa or Shushan the citadel - The Persian winter palace for Kings and royalty. It was located about 150 miles North of the Persian Gulf (present day Iran).
By the way, in case you ever get on Jeopardy, the “Citadel” was the royal fortified palace. You’re welcome!
What was Nehemiah doing there? Well, he may not have been a prophet, priest or King, but his boss happened to be the most powerful man on the planet at the time - the King of Persia, and Nehemiah was his Cupbearer.
So, what happened in the 20th year of the reign of King Artaxerxes 1 Longimanus? Look at verse 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. 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.”
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.
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.
So Nehemiah’s brother shows up with some other guys from Judah. Apparently Hanani was part of the exiles that had returned to Jerusalem and Judah.
The Temple had been rebuilt under the leadership of Ezra and Zerubbabel (536-515 B.C.) Which was amazing!
But when Nehemiah saw his brother, he was concerned about how things were going in his beloved homeland. And so the first thing he asked his brother was about Jerusalem!
And this was Hanani’s response...
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.”
Obviously, we see from the text, things were not good! Nehemiah’s care and concern led to a question that resulted in an answer he did not want to hear. “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
Nehemiah, a Jewish man, held a remarkable position in the government - So close to the King. Quite frankly, he was living in the lap of luxury!
But where was his care? Where was his concern? Where was his heart? In the land that God had graciously given His chosen people - Jerusalem.
And the first thing he wants to know when he sees his brother is, how are things at home!
That world was not his home! His home was with God’s people in Jerusalem!
Nehemiah cared about God’s people and God’s reputation!
Sometimes it’s just easier not to care. And one way I can avoid caring is to be willfully ignorant. Just keep at an arms distance from people and especially God’s church, and you won’t have to care.
The one thing I have learned over the 20 plus years I have served in full-time service is that “ministry is messy.” It’s hard. It has its ups and downs because it has to do with people.
But knowledge brings concern! It did for Nehemiah - and it should for every believer.
God does not desire for his children to be willfully ignorant - to, like an ostrich, put our head in the sand and hope all the problems and challenges just disappear as we wait it out, hiding. No, being a part of a faith community means you will care. It’s part of the price of admission. Your care meter for God, His people and His reputation will start to grow. If you never care, you might reconsider your relationship with God?
Nehemiah cared enough to ask his brother. He cared enough to get the truth of the situation. He cared enough to know.
And as we will see through the rest of this book, his concern led to knowledge and his knowledge led to action.
Application -
Review - Do you care enough to know?
2. Do you Care Enough to Cry? (vs. 4)
Lead in…I am not typically a person who weeps, but there are a few things that really tug at my heart, and when they do tug, I well up with tears and get a catch in my voice - I cry. It usually has to do with family, death, or when people are hurting. It usually has something to do with something I care about deeply.
Nehemiah cared deeply as well. He hated to hear about the disrepair of God’s city, especially the wall that would protect it!
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.
Text -
Nehemiah heard the words of his brother, Hanani - And his first response is so interesting.
He doesn’t get angry...
He doesn’t go into problem solving mode...
He doesn’t shake his fist at God and blame Him for sending the children of Israel into captivity...
No, his first response is to sit down, weep and mourn...
Not for a minute
Not for an hour
Not for a day - but for days!
What does this tell us about the character of this layman cupbearer to the King of Persia?
He cared and he cared deeply about God and his people. Deeply enough to sit for days mourning and weeping...
We had a dear and close friend of our family while I was growing up. He was also our priest. I was raised Roman Catholic. He and my dad were thick as thieves. They would hunt, fish, hike, snowshoe, ride motorcycles together. Del Tillman was his name. When I was just 13 years old, my mom received the phone call that no one want to get.
Del Tillman was hit by a train and killed. I couldn’t believe it! This strong and vibrant man’s man, who spent a week in the woods in the middle of winter just to see if he could do it, he was dead? This wasn’t possible! But my shock and dismay was nothing in comparison to my dad’s reaction.
Have you ever heard someone wail in anguish? I have! It was my dad. I’d never really seen my dad cry, but now, all night long, I listened to my father wail and weep because of the loss of his dear friend! I’ll never forget that.
Why did my dad carry on like this? Because he cared so deeply for his friend. Nehemiah cared this deeply and more for his God!
What do you care about? I’m sure you care about your family and friends. But what about God? What about his reputation? What about His plan? Do you care? Do you care like Nehemiah cared?
Honestly, his response is convicting to me. I’m pretty sure, knowing me, if I were in Nehemiah’s position, I would have gotten frustrated regarding the deplorable condition of my City and would have gone into ”fix it” mode. Not be broken and weeping regarding the situation.
Why would Nehemiah be so upset? Why would he react in such a way?
John MacArthur says...
[Nehemiah] “had a deep sense of Jerusalem’s significance to God and was greatly distressed that affairs there had not advanced the cause and glory of God.” (MSB)
Folks, we should be broken when God’s glory, his fame, his reputation is marred in any way! Instead of making concessions for sin, we need to pursue holiness and righteousness both personally and corporately! And it all starts with CARING about the things of God. When God’s reputation was sullied and in disrepair, it caused Nehemiah to have a deep, visceral reaction!
Do not become apathetic to the things of God! If you are, repent and pursue Christ and his holiness.
Review -
Do you care enough to know?
Do you care enough to cry?
3. Do you Care Enough to Pray? (vs. 5-10)
Lead in…When a believer is weeping and wailing, it’s not long before they turn to their only hope! God himself. That is exactly what Nehemiah did. And in verses 5 - 10 we see a beautiful prayer from which we can learn much.
This is a prayer that...
Acknowledges Who God Is!
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,
This is a prayer that...
Confesses Sin!
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.
This is a prayer that...
Claims the Promises of God!
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.’
This is a prayer that...
Praises God for what He has accomplished!
They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
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.
Text -
They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
This is what God did!
Explanation -
586 B.C. The Babylonians take Judah captive ()
God This is what God did!
11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
539 B.C. Cyrus of Persia conquers Babylon
12 Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste.
:
538 B.C. The return of the Jews to Judah begin
536-515 B.C. The temple is rebuilt
464-424 B.C. Artaxerxes Longimanus 1 reigns in Persia
458 B.C. Leads a group of returnees
444 B.C. Nehemiah leads a group of returnees
443 B.C. Jerusalem’s wall is reconstructed
God promised all of these events and He accomplished them for His glory and the good of His people...
The point is this. Nehemiah prayed!
Again we see Nehemiah taking a path that is different that what the world would prescribe to good leadership and problem solving. For the believer, however, we can learn much from this God-fearing layman! He doens’t go into problem solving mode! After he mourns and weeps for days, he fasts and prays.
There is one thing I want you to notice about this prayer so far. He never mentions the wall or the condition of Jerusalem. Instead he approaches God with a humble and contrite spirit and...
He acknowledges who God is
He confesses his sin and the sin of his people
He claimed the promises of God
He praised God for what he had accomplished!
I think there is a great lesson for us in this situation and prayer. Nehemiah definitely had something on his mind (i.e. the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalm). But he didn’t go there right out of the box! Instead, He first worshiped God properly! We do well to model our prayer life after this. Nothing wrong with asking, but put it in the proper order when you are talking to the Holy God of Israel!
Over the past two weeks there have been prayer teams trying to connect with everyone in this body! (if you were never contacted, I need to know)
The goal of the pray time wasn’t just to pray about the building project that we are trying to accomplish, but to actually pray in a way simular to what we see in Nehemiah! And then, pray for the project. And I hope that was your experience.
We, if we are going to do anything of eternal substance and value, must be a people of continued and consistent prayer! No prayer, no power! Much prayer, much power!
We, if we are going to do anything of eternal substance and value, must be a people of continued and consistent prayer! No prayer, no power! Much prayer, much power!
Ladies and gentlemen! The beautiful principle that we New Testament Christians can learn from this is before we go to God with our problems, go to Him in Praise, Confession, Claiming His promises and Thanking Him for what He has accomplished. I promise you, that if you discipline your self to pray this way, your prayer life and you life in general will be far richer!
As this pertains to our building project. We ought to be approaching our God in the same way. We ought not to spend all of our time asking God for a building - even though our motives (Lord willing) are pure. We should...
Praise Him for who He is!
Regularly confess our individual and corporate sins
Claim the promises of God!
Thank Him for what He continues to do in our midst.
Then, lets ask Him to move in our hearts and though His powerful and amazing ways to provide a building that will enable us to minister to this community and publically and tangibly be a witness for Jesus!
Review -
Do you care enough to know?
Do you care enough to cry?
Do you care enough to pray?
4. Do you Care Enough to Help? (vs. 11)
Lead in…At any point during this process, Nehemiah could have stopped and said, I’ve done all I can do. After all, I asked what was going on. I cried when I heard how terrible things were back home. I even prayed a heartfelt prayer on behalf of my people. Surely that is enough? But he didn’t stop there. Everything we have seen so far is a precursor to what is coming next. Nehemiah is “all prayed up” and ready to get at it for the Lord! Look at the last part of his prayer...
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.
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.
Nehemiah is begging God to hear him! But not simply him but all of those who are legitimate followers of God! Those who, by faith understand that Yahweh is the ultimate and supreme God of the universe and have the appropriate fear...
Text -
Gospel
Explanation -
And it is to this God that Nehemiah prays and asks for success and mercy in the sight of the King.
What does this mean? Nehemiah was determined to do something about the situation. And he knows that he needs to speak with the King. This would not be a simple thing. And although he had the trusted position of Cupbearer to the king, it was still a risky move - especially if the king were in a bad mood that day.
Nehemiah was in a very simular situation as Ester was just a generation before. If you remember that story, Ester, who was queen, needed to speak with King Ahasuerus (Xerxes 1). This was a very dangerous move on her part, for no one, even the queen dare approach a Persian King without him summoning her first. This could result in death.
And so it is with Nehemiah and he, being in such a close position to the king as cupbearer had probably seen this in action. He knew this could end badly, and so, yet again, he prayed!
“…and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
But Nehemiah also knew that God moves the hearts of kings and so he was praying for a good result! That this King would be gracious and allow him to leave his post as cupbearer to go and ensure the walls were rebuilt in his dear city!
Nehemiah was determined to serve the Lord in this way. He CARED enough to help! Did he have it all figured out? Nope! But he did the right thing first - pray and ask for God’s favor. He asked for success. What dis success look like? Repairing a wall that would protect the temple of his God!
Did God need a wall to protect the temple? No. He could have lined up angels all the way around the perimeter protecting very effectively. But it seems as I study the Bible, God delights in using people to do tangible things that bring attention to God. God loves to work though His people. God loves to see his people help doing things that celebrate HIM!
Quite frankly, there is not anyone or anything more worth celebrating! Nehemiah knew this and was compelled to do whatever he could to protect the glory of God among his people. He had the same spirit as Isaiah the prophet - “Here am I, send me!”
Did Nehemiah know what he was getting himself into? I doubt it. His determination to help would radically alter his life spiritually, physically, emotionally, and even financially. He would leave the lap of luxury and go to a broken down land full of sin and strife to make a difference for the glory of God.
Did he have to help? No! But he did have to help. Why? Because of his great love and appreciation for God and his people. He was compelled to help because he cared.
Why did Jesus leave heaven? His love compelled Him...
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Friends, God wants to use you to do something great for the glory of God! And when you have a compelling care, nothing will stop you!
Are you ready to help? When you consider all that Christ has done and will continue to do for you for all eternity, helping His will be accomplished on this earth seems like the least we can do.
Review - Some people have a great concern for the things of God! Do you?
Do you care enough to know?
Do you care enough to cry?
Do you care enough to pray?
Do you care enough to help?
Conclusion
“Indifference is the essence of inhumanity” - George Bernard Shaw
Land the Plane
I’m willing to bet that you will fall in love with this man called Nehemiah. There are many things we will learn from him as we journey through this book together. He is a godly leader who understood, first and foremost, his love for God and his desperate need for God’s power to accomplish great things! He knew in his heart that the wall needed to be rebuilt and so he didn’t wait for someone else to volunteer, he stepped up. And as you will see, by God’s grace, he accomplished the impossible!
When Angie and I first came to Allendale, building a building never really crossed our minds. But God started giving us growth and soon we had to come to grips with the fact that we owned 4.5 acres of land smack dab in the middle of Allendale that God graciously provided years ago!
We as an elder team started praying - several years ago. Before we formed a building committee, or anything else we started praying. It is my goal to daily pray for the building of this building. Why?
The fact is, God has accomplished a great deal in and through Allendale Baptist Church. You all are an inspiration to me when I start to think through all that gets done around here. There is no way I could get anything done without you. God has compelled you to help and great things have resulted. Each one of you has a special niche and place in this body. And as you are faithful in using your gifts for the Lord, He works though your gifts, talents and offerings to accomplish great things.
For us as a church, we believe it is time for God to work through us to “Rise up and Build.” There has been a ton of time and energy poured into this project for several years now. Many of you have been, behind the scenes working on the building team or giving oversight on the elder team and great counsel for the deacon team and many other parts of this body. But now it’s time to rise up and build.
Money designated to building has been coming in as well and we now have $824,000 in the bank for the building project. Wow!
It’s time for your to start praying and asking God how he can work through you. My wife and I have talked and prayed through what we think God wants us to do as far as giving. And we are excited to give! We want to help! We are thrilled to help! But I’ll tell you, the amount Angie and I give, will not get us to where we need to be. We all need to catch a vision of what can be. Tonight, at the Family Chat, I will cast that vision. I will try and help you see what we as a leadership team see for the future of ABC.
Nehemiah had a vision - to rebuild the wall!
We have a vision - to build a building that will impact this community for Jesus Christ!
When I think of all the lives that will be impacted for generations to come, it is amazing! thousands of people being impacted because of this gospel ministry.
Connection Group Reflection Questions
What do you care about? What grabs your heart and attention?
To know or understand is to be positioned to help. How is this good? How will this challenge you?
Why do you think Nehemiah wept for so long? Have you ever experienced this kind of sorrow? What can we learn from him?
Nehemiah’s sorrow led to prayer. What stand out to you regarding his prayer?
It was in Nehemiah’s heart to help this situation. Why do you think he cared so much? How does his desire to help challenge you?